Effect of long-term shock-avoidance training on certain biochemical constituents of rat brain

A few constituents of the brain of rats subjected to long-term shock avoidance training in the jump-box were investigated. The effects of training and that of the concomitant stress on these constituents were differentially examined. Brain DNA increased in both the trained rats and those subjected to stress. The total RNA showed a specific decrease in the trained rats. The total protein content remained unaffected, while the content of soluble protein showed a greater increase in the trained rats compared to that in animals subjected to stress. The Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in the brain decreased in the trained rats, whereas the glial carbonic anhydrase activity increased in the stressed as well as the trained rats. No change was found in the activities of Mg⁺⁺-ATPase and pseudocholinesterase in the experimental groups.     

Effect of allyl isothiocyanate on plasma and urinary concentrations of some biochemical entities in the rat.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a constituent of several plants of the family Cruciferae that are commonly used as food. This study investigated the effect of feeding AITC to male Sprague-Dawley rats on their plasma glucose and uric acid levels as well as on the urinary concentrations of glucose, 17-ketosteroids (17-KS), creatinine, and uric acid. Other test compounds included were thyroxine (T4) and thiouracil (TU). AITC caused a highly significant (P smaller than or equal to 0.01) depression in the plasma glucose and uric acid levels compared with the control. TU caused a significant depression only of the plasma glucose. T4, on the other hand, significantly increased the levels of both glucose and uric acid. The AITC-treated rats voided twice as much urine as the controls or those receiving TU or injected with T4. The 24-h excretion of glucose, uric acid, and creatinine was significantly (P smaller than or equal to 0.01) higher in animals fed AITC than in those consuming the control diet, while the excretion of 17-KS was significantly lower. Results on an equal urine volume basis showed that differences in the excretion of glucose and creatinine were related to differences in the urine volume. TU significantly depressed excretion of all the compounds but glucose. The effect of T4 on the excretion of 17-KS and uric acid resembled that of AITC and TU, thus showing that these compounds depressed the androgenic function of the animal.     

不同地区绞股蓝中几种生化成分动态特征

1　引　　言绞股蓝(Ｇｙｎｏｓｔｅｍｍａｐｅｎｔａｐｈｙｌｌｕｍ)是一种重要的中药材,全草入药,具有较高的经济价值[4].1986年被列为“星火计划”以来,已从资源调查、药理、栽培抚育、收储加工、开发利用、生态等方面对此进行了大量研究[8].但有关气候因子对绞股蓝生化...     

Effect of relaxin on bound cAMP in rat uterus

Relaxin was able to elevate uterine bound cAMP in the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-xanthine in buffers of low or high (0.5 M NaCl) ionic strength. Significant elevation was observed 10 min after exposure to the hormone. The peak in bound cAMP preceded that in total cAMP (15 vs 20 min, respectively, under isometric conditions). The response was concentration-dependent, with maximal elevation in bound cAMP observed at 0.1-0.4 microgram/ml relaxin. The effect of relaxin on bound cAMP represented a change in a sizable proportion of the total available binding sites. However, relaxin did not elevate bound cAMP in the absence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors under conditions where it clearly inhibited contractile activity. These data suggest that although relaxin can alter the level of bound cAMP in the rat uterus under some conditions, these effects may not be involved in the acute changes elicited by this hormone which result in the rapid inhibition of spontaneous contractile activity.     

Effect of seaweed extracts on the growth and biochemical constituents of Vigna sinensis

The effect of seaweed liquid fertilizers (SLF) of Sargassum wightii and Caulerpa chemnitzia on growth and biochemical constituents of Vigna sinensis was studied. The seeds soaked with aqueous extract of seaweeds performed better when compared to the water soaked controls. Hundred per cent germination was recorded both in aqueous extract soaked and water soaked treatments. The low concentration (20%) of aqueous extracts of S. wightii and C. chemnitzia promoted the seedling growth including the parameters of shoot length (15.87, 14.13 cm/seedling), root length (6.42, 5.38 cm/seedling), fresh weight (4.017, 4.012 g/seedling) and dry weight (0.878, 0.865 g/seedling), chlorophyll (1.599, 1.491 mg g-1 fr. wt.), carotenoids (0.899, 0.875 mg g-1 fr. wt.), protein content of shoot (3.956, 3.474 mg g-1 fr. wt.) and root (2.926, 2.890 mg g-1 fr. wt.), amino acid content of shoot (1.447, 1.429 mg g-1 fr. wt.) and root (0.698, 0.680 mg g-1 fr. wt.), reducing sugar content of shoot (6.426, 6.233 mg g-1 fr. wt.) and root (5.118, 5.103 mg g-1 fr. wt.), total sugar content of shoot (11.846, 11.350 mg g-1 fr. wt.) and root (10.368, 10.102 mg g-1 fr. wt.), alpha-amylase (1.927, 1.819 microg min-1 mg-1 protein) and beta-amylase (1.730, 1.617 microg min-1 mg-1 protein) activities in V. sinensis. Among the two seaweeds tested, S. wightii exhibited better responses.     

The effect of age and selenium on some biochemical parameters in rat liver

Two age groups, 3 and 15 mo, were used to investigate whether age-associated changes in some parameters related to lipid peroxidation occur in the liver of male Wistar rats and to observe possible effects of dietary selenium supplementation (0.25 and 0.50 ppm) for 12 mo on the same parameters. At these experimental conditions, the most important observation was that peroxidation did not change by aging, at least until 15 mo of age. In addition, the activity of Sedependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, EC 1.11.1.9) was higher in the liver of the older animals. It is suggested that the enzyme could have a role in the unchanged hepatic peroxidation observed in aged male rats. On the other hand, an effect of dietary selenium supplementation on those parameters was not observed, probably because the selenium levels were still at an adequate plateau.     

Effect of melatonin on torsion and reperfusion induced pathogenesis of rat uterus

ABSTRACT

We investigated the use of melatonin to improve fertility and reduce uterine damage caused by torsion of the uterus in pregnant rats. We used 35 pregnant rats at gestational age 18 days. The animals were randomized into five groups. Group 1 was anesthetized only. Group 2 was subjected to experimental uterine torsion of 360° and the torsion was corrected after 6 h. Group 3 was subjected to uterine torsion of 360°, the torsion was corrected after 6 h and melatonin was administered at the time of correction. Group 4 rats were subjected to 360º uterine torsion and melatonin was administered 6 h later at the time of correction. Group 5 was administered melatonin followed by uterine torsion of 360 degrees followed by correction of torsion 6 h later. Samples were obtained from the uterine horns on the day 1 postpartum. We used Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase 3 staining to measure apoptosis in the uterine tissues. The mRNA levels of Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinases 1 (ROCK1), homeobox D10 (Hox4 HoxD10), TLR4, NFκB1, caveolin 1 (Cav1) heat shock protein 90 alpha (cytosolic), class B member 1 (Hsp90ab1) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis (qRT-PCR). Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase 3 were detected using immunohistochemistry. No difference was observed among groups with respect to abortion, neonatal mortality or congenital abnormalities. Compared to the control group, the mRNA levels of Rock1, Hox4, TLR4, NFκB1, Cav1 and Hsp90 genes were decreased significantly in the study groups; the decrease was greater in groups 3 and 4, which were treated with melatonin. The greatest amount of Bax staining was found in group 1 and the least amount of Bcl-2 staining was found in groups 4 and 5; the greatest amount of caspase 3 staining was found in group 2. Our findings indicate that melatonin reduced uterine torsion related tissue damage and that its application during torsion was more effective than application following removal of torsion.     

Effect of ABA and GA3 on tuberization and some chemical constituents of potato

The effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃)on the chemical composition of and tuberization in the potatowere studied. GA₃ at 10^–6 M inhibited and ABA at an equimolarconcentration promoted tuberization. The inhibitory effect ofGA₃ was relieved by the addition of ABA. The fresh weight ofthe shoot, chlorophyll content and the total glycoalkaloidslevel were increased by GA₃ treatment, but decreased by ABAtreatment. In contrast, total proteins were increased by ABA,but decreased by GA₃ treatment. ¹This work was supported by a PL-480 research grant (FG-Pa-262)from the United States Department of Agriculture widi co-ordinationby the Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan. (Received August 29, 1980; )     

Effect of ABA and GA3 on tuberization and some chemical constituents of potato

The effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃)on the chemical composition of and tuberization in the potatowere studied. GA₃ at 10^–6 M inhibited and ABA at an equimolarconcentration promoted tuberization. The inhibitory effect ofGA₃ was relieved by the addition of ABA. The fresh weight ofthe shoot, chlorophyll content and the total glycoalkaloidslevel were increased by GA₃ treatment, but decreased by ABAtreatment. In contrast, total proteins were increased by ABA,but decreased by GA₃ treatment. ¹This work was supported by a PL-480 research grant (FG-Pa-262)from the United States Department of Agriculture widi co-ordinationby the Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan. (Received August 29, 1980; )     

Effect of nitrendipine on isolated uterus and other smooth muscles of the rat

Increasing concentrations of nitrendipine were found to inhibit various types of muscular activation (electrical stimulation, acetylcholine, oxytocin, potassium chloride), as well as the spontaneous rhythmic activity of the isolated rat uterus. The degree of the inhibitory effect of nitrendipine depends on the type of activation. Nitrendipine showed an exceptionally high efficacy in inhibiting contractions induced by electrical stimulation and of spontaneous rhythmic activity. For inhibition of these contractions even osmolar concentrations of nitrendipine were sufficient. The relaxant effect of nitrendipine depended on the concentration of extracellular calcium and the time of incubation of nitrendipine in the bathing medium. Nitrendipine showed high selectivity for the uterine smooth muscle because in a very high concentrations is exerted an insignificant relaxation of the other isolated smooth muscles (oesophagus, urinary bladder). Our experiments indicate that nitrendipine might have a role in therapy of premature delivery and abortion because of its great selectivity for the uterine smooth muscle. Addition of calcium into the medium restores completely all types of muscular activation after the inhibitory action of nitrendipine except its depressive action on the phasic component of oxytocin-induced contractions. These findings that individual types of activation, after inhibitory action of nitrendipine, are reestablished in various degrees by the addition of calcium into the medium, are also an additional confirmation about the existence of various types of calcium channels.     

Partial purification and some biochemical properties of neonatal rat cutaneous glutathione S-transferases

1. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of glutathione S-transferases in the skin of rodents and humans. This study represents the first attempt to purify cytosolic glutathione S-transferases from skin of 3-day-old rats. 2. A partial purification of the enzyme was achieved by a two-step procedure: affinity chromatography followed by HPLC. Two peaks, one major (P-1) and one minor (P-2), were resolved by HPLC containing about 82% and 10% of the recovered activity, respectively. 3. The major form exhibited an overall purification of about 2270-fold with a specific activity of about 73 mumoles/min/mg protein towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. 4. The kinetic data for P-1 yielded mean Km values of 2.39 mM for 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and 0.72 mM for reduced glutathione, while the respective average Vmax values were found to be 212 and 101 mumoles/min/mg protein. 5. Significantly inhibition of enzyme activity was noted in the presence of 0.2 mM HgCl2, 0.63 microM 1.2-naphthoquinone, 1.0 microM triphenyltin chloride, and 12.5 microM 17 beta-estradiol-3-sulfate.