Polyamines in liver and their influence on chromatin condensation after 17-β estradiol treatment of Atlantic salmon

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were treated with 17- estradiol to induce vitellogenin synthesis in liver. This led to an increase in liver wet weight and total DNA. After incubation with micrococcal nuclease (EC 3.1.31.1) less soluble chromatin was obtained from nuclei of the estradiol treated than the control fish, but active gene regions were solubilized by the nuclease. Thus, in the estradiol treated fish soluble mononucleosomes contained hybridizable vitellogenin gene sequences. As a result of estradiol treatment the content in total liver of putrescine rose 3-fold, that of spermidine 2-fold, while spermine was unchanged. In muscle no significant changes were observed. The regulatory functions of polyamines during gene expression were investigated by binding (¹⁴C)spermine to isolated liver nuclei depleted of endogenous polyamines. The number of binding sites was higher in nuclei of estradiol treated than control fish. (^14C)spermine associated preferentially with micrococcal nuclease insensitive chromatin. Thus, the high content of putrescine and spermidine in liver supported the view of polyamine accumulation in proliferating tissues. The preferential binding to condensed chromatin indicated a stabilizing effect of polyamines on the organization of inactive chromatin structures.Abbreviations MNase micrococcal nuclease - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride     

Inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by adriamycin

The antitumour antibiotic, adriamycin, inhibited oxidative phosphorylation in freshly prepared mitochondria from the heart, liver and kidney of the rat. It abolished respiratory control and stimulated ATPase activity. Succinate oxidation by heart mitochondria was extremely sensitive to the drug when hexokinase was present in the reaction medium. The sensitive site has been identified to lie in the region between the succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein and ubiquinone of the respiratory chain.     

Petiolar felt-sheath of palm: A new matrix for fungal immobilization

Summary Petiolar felt-sheath of palm (Livistona chinensis) has been successfully used as a new biostructural matrix for the immobilization of fungal hyphae. The reticulated felt-sheath is made up of fibrous bundles having irregularly scattered membranous-foliose and fibrous outgrowths woven into a cohesive multi-layered mesh. Immobilization of Aspergillus niger was achieved with both spore and hyphal suspensions as the inoculum. Growth in immobilized cultures was 19% greater than in free cultures.     

Unveiling the Anthelminthic Potential of Merremia vitifolia Stem through in Vitro and in Silico Approach

This study aimed to assess the anthelmintic activity of methanol extracts from Merremia vitifolia stems using a combination approach encompassing experimental, in vitro, and in silico evaluations. Despite the well-recognized pharmacological properties of M. vitifolia, its potential as an anthelmintic agent remained unexplored. This plant's anthelmintic potential was assessed on adult earthworms (Pheretima posthuma), revealing a dose-dependent reduction in spontaneous motility leading to paralysis and eventual mortality. The most effective dose of M. vitifolia (200 mg/ml) for anthelmintic effects on Pheretima posthuma was identified. Complementary in silico investigations were also conducted, employing Autodock PyRx 0.8 for docking studies of reported M. vitifolia compounds. Notably, quercetin emerged as a promising candidate with superior binding energies against β-tubulin (−8.3 Kcal/mol). Moreover, this comprehensive research underlines the anthelmintic potential of Merremia vitifolia stem extract and highlights quercetin as a noteworthy compound for further investigation in the quest for novel anthelmintic agents.     

Influence of ubiquinone on the inhibitory effect of adriamycin on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.

The inhibition of succinate oxidation in both heart and liver mitochondria by the cardiotoxic anticancer antibiotic adriamycin in vitro was reversed to a large extent by exogenous ubiquinone-45. Inhibition of the oxidation of NAD+-linked substrates in heart and liver mitochondria responded differently to ubiquinone, the inhibition being reversed only in liver organelles. Administration of adriamycin inhibited oxidative phosphorylation in rat heart, kidney and liver mitochondria, the inhibition being highest in the heart organelles (about 50% for both NAD+-linked substrates and succinate). Exogenous addition of ubiquinone to mitochondria isolated from drug-treated animals did not reverse the inhibition. Administration of ubiquinone along with adriamycin did not change effectively the pattern of drug-mediated decrease in oxidative activity of the organelles, particularly in the heart.     

Association of Allergic Symptoms with Dengue Infection and Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The relationship between the severity of dengue infection and allergy is still obscure. We conducted an electronic search across 12 databases for relevant articles reporting allergic symptoms, dengue infection, and dengue classification. These studies were categorized according to dengue severity and allergy symptoms, and a meta-analysis was performed by pooling the studies in each category. Among the included 57 articles, pruritus was the most common allergic sign followed by non-specified allergy and asthma(28.6%, 13%, and 6.5%, respectively). Despite the reported significant association of dengue with pruritus and total Ig E level(P \ 0.05), in comparison with non-dengue cases and healthy controls, there was no association between the different severe dengue group with pruritus, skin allergy, food allergy or asthma. However,removing the largest study revealed a significant association between asthma with dengue hemorrhagic fever(DHF) rather than dengue fever(DF). In comparison with DF, DHF was associated with Ig E positivity. Furthermore, specific-Ig E level was higher in secondary DF rather than primary DF. There was a possible association between allergy symptoms and dengue severity progression. Further studies are needed to clarify this association.     

Metabolomic Profiling and Neuroprotective Effects of Purslane Seeds Extract Against Acrylamide Toxicity in Rat’s Brain

Neurochemical Research - Acrylamide (ACR) is an environmental pollutant with well-demonstrated neurotoxic and neurodegenerative effects in both humans and experimental animals. The present study...     

Comparison of outpatient and inpatient spa therapy in knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition that impacts many people worldwide and involves weight-bearing joints, resulting in chronic pain. In this study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of inpatient and outpatient physical therapy modalities and spa combination treatments on pain and functional status in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Seventy-four patients diagnosed with primary knee osteoarthritis were included in this study. The patients were randomized into two groups, inpatient (n?=?37) and outpatient (n?=?37) physical therapy. All patients received a physical therapy program (superficial heater + deep heater + transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) for 2 weeks and spa therapy. All cases were evaluated clinically, laboratory, and radiographically. In order to evaluate pain and functional status, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test were used before and after treatment. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the TUG test and WOMAC scores (p?>?0.05). However, a significant difference was found in VAS scores in favor of the outpatient group (p?<?0.05). As a result, although there was a significant improvement in pain scores in the outpatient group, multicenter studies with larger patient groups may provide more evidence.

     

Curcumin prevents liver fat accumulation and serum fetuin-A increase in rats fed a high-fat diet

Fetuin-A is synthesized in the liver and is secreted into the bloodstream. Clinical studies suggest involvement of fetuin-A in metabolic disorders such as visceral obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty liver. Curcumin is extracted from the rhizome Curcuma longa and has been shown to possess potent antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of curcumin treatment on serum fetuin-A levels as well as hepatic lipids and prooxidant–antioxidant status in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into six groups. Group 1 was fed control diet (10 % of total calories from fat). Groups 2 and 3 were given curcumin (100 and 400 mg/kg bw/day, respectively ) by gavage for 8 weeks and were fed control diet. Group 4 was fed with HFD (60 % of total calories from fat). Groups 5 and 6 received HFD together with the two doses of curcumin, respectively. Curcumin treatment appeared to be effective in reducing liver triglycerides and serum fetuin-A levels. These findings suggest that the reduction of fetuin-A may contribute to the beneficial effects of curcumin in the pathogenesis of obesity.