Ethnopharmacological Survey of Plants Used for the Treatment of Stomach, Diabetes, and Ophthalmic Diseases in Sudhan Gali, Kashmir, Pakistan

IntroductionSudhan Gali is situated at about2100mabovesea level andlies between latitude34°3′35″-34°6′35″andlongitude73°44′30″-70°48′15″.It is60kmawayfromState Capital Muzaffarabad,Kashmir,Pakistan.The highest point of Sudhan Gali is Ganga Choti.Itsheight is about3045m,whichis famous for its fasci-natinglandscape.The soil of Sudhan Gali varies fromclay loamtosandyloamand calcareousin nature.Itis veryshallowon slopes and deep in valley floors.The area has ex-treme climate with…     

Alloxan reduces amplitude of ventricular myocyte shortening and intracellular Ca2+ without altering L-type Ca2+ current, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content or myofilament sensitivity to Ca2+ in Wistar rats

Alloxan is widely used to induce diabetes mellitus in experimental animals. Recent studies have provided evidence that alloxan has direct actions on cardiac muscle contraction. The aim of this study was to further investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of alloxan on ventricular myocyte shortening and intracellular Ca²⁺ transport. Amplitude of myocyte shortening was reduced in a dose-dependent manner as the concentration of alloxan was increased in the range 10^?7–10^?4 M. Amplitude of shortening was reduced (56.8 ± 6.6%, n = 27) by 10^?6 M alloxan and was partially reversed during a 10 min washout. Amplitude of the Ca²⁺ transient was also reduced (79.7 ± 2.9%, n = 29) by 10^?6 M alloxan. Caffeine-evoked sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release, fractional release of Ca²⁺, assessed by comparing the amplitude of electrically evoked with that of caffeine-evoked Ca²⁺ transients, and fura-2-cell length trajectory during the late stages of relaxation of myocyte twitch contraction were not significantly altered by alloxan. The amplitude of L-type Ca²⁺ current was not altered by alloxan. Alterations in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ transport, myofilament sensitivity to Ca²⁺, and L-type Ca²⁺ current do not appear to underlie the negative inotropic effects of alloxan.     

Modulation of high sensitivity C-reactive protein by soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is synthesized mainly by hepatocytes in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) increases the expression of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6. Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) competes with RAGE for binding with AGEs. Hence, low sRAGE levels may increase interaction of AGEs with RAGE resulting in the increased production of cytokines. It is hypothesized that serum levels of sRAGE modulate serum levels of hs-CRP. The objectives are to determine if (i) serum levels of sRAGE are lower and those of TNF-α and hs-CRP are higher in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients compared to control subjects; (ii) serum levels of TNF-α and hs-CRP are positively correlated; and (iii) sRAGE is negatively correlated with hs-CRP and TNF-α. The study consisted of 36 patients with NSTEMI and 30 age-matched healthy male subjects. Serum levels of sRAGE and TNF-α were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay and hs-CRP was measured using near infrared immunoassay. Serum levels of sRAGE were lower, while those of TNF-α and hs-CRP were higher in patients with NSTEMI compared to controls. The levels of sRAGE were negatively correlated with those of TNF-α and hs-CRP, while TNF-α was positively correlated with hs-CRP in both the control subjects and NSTEMI patients. The data suggest that sRAGE modulates the synthesis of hs-CRP through TNF-α.     

Monoclonal antibodies reactive with chicken peritoneal macrophages: identification of macrophage heterogeneity

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MCAs) were prepared against chicken inflammatory macrophages for the purpose of analyzing macrophage heterogeneity. Macrophage-rich adherent peritoneal exudate cells harvested from Cornell K-strain chickens 42 hr after stimulation with Sephadex were used as immunogens in the production of the monoclonal antibodies. Eight hybridoma clones producing antibodies reactive with chicken peritoneal macrophages were subjected to characterization. While six of the monoclonal antibodies cross-reacted with various hematopoietic cell types, two MCAs (CMTD-1 and -2) were restricted in reactivity to macrophages. CMTD-1 was found to react with activated peritoneal macrophages generated by several irritants. In contrast, CMTD-2 identified a subpopulation of macrophages elicited by specific carbohydrate-based stimulants. This presumably was based on the cross-reaction of this MCA with specific carbohydrate linkages. Analysis using flow cytometry revealed the time-dependent appearance of CMTD-2-positive peritoneal macrophages between 24 and 52 hr after ip Sephadex injection. This subpopulation of peritoneal macrophages was found to be heterogeneous for the ability to undergo in vitro phagocytosis of sheep erythrocytes. CMTD-2-positive cells were also detected in the thyroids of 2-week-old Obese strain chickens with spontaneous autoimmune thyroiditis and at a low incidence in the spleens of normal chickens.     

Histo-physiological studies on the interrenal gland of a catfish, Clarias batrachus (Linn.)

The effects of three drugs namely, reserpine, atropine, and adrenaline have been investigated on the interrenal gland of Clarias batrachus. All the drugs bring about lesser or greater degree of hypertrophy in the interrenal gland of this fish. Atropine exhibits more vigorous effect than reserpine and adrenaline.     

Brain Organization in a Reptile Lacking Sex Chromosomes: Effects of Gonadectomy and Exogenous Testosterone

In mammals, males and females differ both genetically and hormonally, making it difficult to assess the relative contributions of genetic constitution and fetal environment in the process of sexual differentiation. Many reptiles lack sex chromosomes, relying instead on the temperature of incubation to determine sex. In the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), an incubation temperature of 26°C produces all females, whereas 32.5°C results in mostly males. Incubation temperature is the primary determinant of differences both within and between the sexes in growth, physiology, and sociosexual behavior, as well as the volume and metabolic capacity of specific brain nuclei. To determine if incubation temperature organizes the brain directly rather than via gonadal sex hormones, the gonads of male and female leopard geckos from the two incubation temperatures were removed and, in some instances, animals were given exogenous testosterone. In vertebrates with sex chromosomes, the size of sexually dimorphic nuclei are sensitive to hormone levels in adulthood, but in all species studied to date, these changes are restricted to the male. Therefore, after behavior tests, morphometrics of certain limbic and nonlimbic brain areas were determined. Because nervous system tissue depends on oxidative metabolism for energy production and the level of cytochrome oxidase activity is coupled to the functional level of neuronal activity, cytochrome oxidase histochemistry also was performed on the same brains. Hormonal manipulation had little effect on the volume of the preoptic area or ventromedial hypothalamus in geckos from the all-female incubation temperature, but significantly influenced the volumes of these brain areas in males and females from the male-biased incubation temperature. A similar relationship was found for cytochrome oxidase activity of the anterior hypothalamus, amygdala, dorsal ventricular ridge, and septum. The only sex difference observed was found in the ventromedial hypothalamus; males showed no significant changes in cytochrome oxidase activity with hormonal manipulation, but females from both incubation temperatures were affected similarly. The results indicate that incubation temperature organizes the brain directly rather than via hormones arising from its sex-determining function. This is the first demonstration in a vertebrate that factors other than steroid hormones can modify the organization and functional activity of sexually differentiated brain areas.     

Development and inducibility of the hepatic and renal hippurate-synthesizing system in sparse-fur (spf) mutant mice with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency

The development of the hepatic and renal hippurate-synthesizing system, as represented by the overall reaction of the benzoyl CoA: glycine N-acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.13) was studied in 0, 4, 8, 13, 17, 21-day and 8-week old sparse-fur (spf) mutant mice with X-linked ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency. The enzyme system in mutant males (spf/Y) showed a retarded development in both liver and kidney cortex, which was statistically significant between 13 and 21 days of age, as compared to normal males (+/Y). Hippurate synthesis in preparations from adult (8-week old) spf/Y mice was not significantly different than the normal. Daily intraperitoneal injections of sodium benzoate in increasing concentrations (125-375 mg/kg), given between 17 and 21 days, did not cause any induction in spf/Y or +/Y mice. However, intraperitoneal sodium phenobarbital (80 mg/kg) increased the specific and total activities of the hepatic enzyme system in normal +/Y mice significantly. spf/Y tolerated a dose of 40 mg/kg only, which resulted in no significant increase of hepatic enzyme activity. The results indicate that barbiturates may induce the hippurate-synthesizing system, whereas benzoate treatment has no effect on changing its developmental profile.