A quantitative framework for the design of acellular hemoglobins as blood substitutes: implications of dynamic flow conditions

The delivery of oxygen to tissue by cell-free carriers eliminates intraluminal barriers associated with red blood cells. This is important in arterioles, since arteriolar tone controls capillary perfusion. We describe a mathematical model for O(2) transport by hemoglobin solutions and red blood cells flowing through arteriolar-sized tubes to optimize values of p50, Hill number, hemoglobin molecular diffusivity and concentration. Oxygen release is evaluated by including an extra-luminal resistance term to reflect tissue oxygen consumption. For low consumption (i.e., high resistance to O(2) release) a hemoglobin solution with p50=15 mmHg, n=1, D(HBO2)=3 x 10(-7) cm(2)/s delivers O(2) at a rate similar to that of red blood cells. For high consumption, the p50 must be decreased to 5 mmHg. The model predicts that regardless of size, hemoglobin solutions with higher p50 will present excess O(2) to arteriolar walls. Oversupply of O(2) to arteriolar walls may cause constriction and paradoxically reduced capillary perfusion.     

Some morphological and anatomical observations during alleviation of salinity (NaCI) stress on seed germination and seedling growth of barley by polyamines

In this work, the effects of polyamine (cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine, spermine) pretreatments on the germination of barley seeds, seedling growth under saline (NaCI) conditions and on leaf anatomy of the seedlings grown for 20 days in pots with perlite containing different concentrations of NaCI prepared with Hoagland solutions following the germination period of 7 days were studied. The inhibitive effect of salt on seed germination and seedling growth was alleviated in varying degrees, and dramatically, by polyamine pretreatments at the levels of NaCI studied; particularly with lower levels of salt, the control seeds were able to germinate with great difficulty. Also, the successes of these pretreatments continued, even decreased, with higher levels of NaCI such that the control seeds showed no germination. On the other hand, on the various parameters of leaf anatomy of barley seedlings, interactions between pretreatments of polyamine and salinity, with some of these being statistically important, were observed.     

The change of blood Pb levels of basketball players after strenuous exercise

This study is related to the investigation of the Pb levels in blood of the 12 healthy University male basketball players before and after a strenuous training session by the use of square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. Although the results do not show acute lead intoxication it is obvious that blood lead levels show significant increase after training sessions. The average increase in blood lead levels is 297%. This increase is largely due to increased respiration rate during the training period.     

Protective Effects of Lamotrigine,Aripiprazole and Escitalopram on Depression-induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Brain

We investigated the effects of lamotrigine, aripiprazole and escitalopram administration and experimental depression on lipid peroxidation (LP) and antioxidant levels in cortex of the brain in rats. Forty male wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. First group was used as control although second group was depression-induced group. Aripiprazole, lamotrigine and escitalopram per day were orally supplemented to chronic mild stress (CMS) depression-induced rats constituting the third, fourth and fifth groups for 28 days, respectively. Depression resulted in significant decrease in the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, reduced glutathione and vitamin C of cortex of the brain although their levels and beta-carotene concentrations were increased by the three drugs administrations to the animals of CMS induced depression group. The LP levels in the cortex of the brain and plasma of depression group were elevated although their levels were decreased by the administrations. The increases of antioxidant values in lamotrigine group were higher according to aripiprazole and escitalopram supplemented groups. Vitamin A level did not change in the five groups. In conclusion, the experimental depression is associated with elevated oxidative stress although treatment with lamotrigine has most protective effects on the oxidative stress within three medicines.     

Gastric protection by alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone against ethanol in rats: involvement of somatostatin

The proopiomelanocortin-derived tridecapeptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is a neuropeptide that exerts broad anti-inflammatory actions in mammals. This study aimed to investigate the effect of alpha-MSH on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats and to evaluate the involvement of endogenous somatostatin in the actions of the peptide. The rats received 1 mL 75% ethanol or saline orally. alpha-MSH was given (25 micro g/rat; i.p.) alone or following the somatostatin antagonist cyclo-(7-aminoheptanoyl-PH-E-d-Trp-Lys-THR) (10 microM/kg; i.p.) administration. Gastric lesions were scored macroscopically and microscopically following decapitation at 30 min after ethanol challenge. Gastric malondialdehyde (MDA) level, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and mast cell counts were assessed. Ethanol-induced gastric hemorrhagic lesions were characterized by increased gastric MDA level, MPO activity and mast cell counts. alpha-MSH treatment decreased the extent of tissue injury and reversed tissue MDA level, MPO activity and mast cell counts. The effect of the peptide on the severity of gastric lesions, MDA level and MPO activity was reversed by the somatostatin antagonist. In conclusion, alpha-MSH is beneficial in a rat model of gastric ulcer via mechanisms which partly involve the endogenous somatostatin.     

Comparison of fatty acids and some mineral matter profiles of wild and farmed snails,Cornu aspersum Müller, 1774

ABSTRACT

The fatty acid and mineral matter compositions of the visceral mass and pedal mass of wild and farmed Cornu aspersum were compared. The relative fatty acid amounts of the visceral and pedal masses of wild and farmed snails are: polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) > saturated fatty acid (SFA) > monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), PUFA?>?SFA?>?MUFA, MUFA?>?PUFA?>?SFA and PUFA?>?MUFA?>?SFA, respectively. Wild snails had a higher concentration of iron and zinc than farmed snails. Selenium was 2.82 times higher in the pedal mass of farmed snails than the pedal mass of wild snails. Ca:P ratios in the visceral mass of wild snails, visceral mass and pedal mass of farmed snails were 1.76:1, 1.12:1 and 3.87:1 respectively. Both wild and farmed snails have high contents of oleic, linoleic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic fatty acids and are a good source of minerals. Careful attention should be paid, however, as to which diet will be used during farming because the composition of fatty acid in the snail is affected by diet.     

Extraction,development and validation of HPLC-UV method for rapid and sensitive determination of colchicine from Colchicum autumnale L. Bulbs

Colchicum autumnale L. also known as the autumn crocus, contains colchicine alkaloid having antifungal properties. The tuber of this plant is rich in terms of colchicine. In this research an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was optimized for the extraction of colchicine from Colchicum autumnale L. bulbs before high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV). Optimization of various extraction parameters was performed using response surface methodology (RSM) to evaluate the maximum colchicine yield from Colchicum autumnale L. bulbs. The Box-Behnken design (BBD) and RSM were used to investigate the effect of three key parameters (extraction time (20–60?min), extraction temperature (40–80?°C) and ultrasound power (500–700?W) on extraction efficiency. The variance analysis suggested that the dependent response variable of yield of colchicine may be expressed by a quadratic polynomial model. The optimal theoretical extraction conditions were found to be an ultrasonication power of 602.4?W, an extraction time of 42?min and a temperature of 64?°C. Under these conditions, the optimum foreseen yield was 0.237%. The experimental colchicine yield obtained by following the optimized conditions was found to be 0.238%. These values are very well compatible with each other.     

Implications for catch composition and revenue in changing from diamond to square mesh codends in the northeastern Mediterranean

The objective of this study was to estimate the potential short‐term economic loss as a result of replacing the commercial diamond codend with a square mesh codend, and to compare fish lengths captured in 40 mm square (S40) vs 44 mm commercial hand‐woven diamond (CD44) mesh codends for red mullet (Mullus barbatus), common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus), bogue (Boops boops), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne), and brushtooth lizardfish (Saurida undosquamis). A total of 20 hauls (10 hauls for S40 and 10 hauls for CD44) were conducted onboard a commercial trawler between 27 February and 11 April 2012 in Mersin Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean. Results showed that the 40 mm square mesh codend caught significantly fewer juveniles of all aforementioned species. However, when changing from the commercial diamond codend to the 40 mm square mesh codend the potential economic loss of revenue was found to be 40% in the study period, which covered the final 6 weeks of the fishing season.