The Effects of Ziprasidone, Clozapine and Haloperidol on Lipid Peroxidation in Human Plasma (in vitro): Comparison

Oxidative injury in schizophrenia can be caused by the disease itself and probably by antipsychotics treatment. The aim of the study was to establish whether there is a difference between ziprasidone, clozapine and haloperidol effect on lipid peroxidation in human plasma, measured by the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The samples of plasma from healthy subjects were incubated with the drugs (1 and 24 h) and compared with control samples. The levels of TBARS were measured spectrophotometrically, according to the Rice-Evans method. The multifactorial variance analysis ANOVA II test showed that the differences in TBARS levels significantly depended on the studied drugs (ziprasidone 40 ng/ml, haloperidol 4 ng/ml and clozapine 350 ng/ml) (F = 3.248 p = 0.047) and (ziprasidone 139 ng/ml, haloperidol 20 ng/ml and clozapine 420 ng/ml) (F = 2.248, p = 2.9 × 10^?5). Statistically increased levels of TBARS after 24 h incubation of plasma with ziprasidone 139 ng/ml and haloperidol 20 ng/ml (p < 0.001, p < 0.05 respectively) in comparison with control samples were observed. Clozapine did not significantly (p > 0.05) increase TBARS level in plasma in comparison with control samples. The results obtained in the study showed that ziprasidone and haloperidol contrary to clozapine induced a significant increase in plasma lipid peroxidation.     

Interleukin-6 and Lipopolysaccharide Modulate Hepcidin mRNA Expression by Hepg2 Cells

Iron homeostasis is controlled by hepcidin (Hpc) as well as other ways. Hpc expression is regulated by iron (Fe) storage and by inflammation, but the joint effect of both stimuli remains unclear. We studied the modulatory role of inflammatory agents (IL6 and LPS) over Hpc and DMT1 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells preloaded with Fe. HepG2 cells were preloaded with different Fe concentrations (holo-Tf or Fe-NTA) and then incubated with IL6 or LPS. We measured intracellular Fe levels by AAS with graphite furnace, transferrin receptor (TfR) by ELISA and mRNA relative abundance of Hpc and DMT1 by qRT-PCR. The maximum effect on Fe uptake was observed in cells incubated with 30?ng/ml IL6 (p?<?0.01) and 500?ng/ml LPS (p?<?0.05). In HepG2 cells preloaded with holo-Tf or Fe-NTA and challenged with IL6 and LPS, we observed a decreased: (a) Hpc mRNA relative abundance (two-way ANOVA: p?<?0.05 and p?<?0.001, respectively), (b) DMT1 mRNA relative abundance and TfR1 protein levels (two-way ANOVA: p?<?0.001), and (c) intracellular Fe concentration (two-way ANOVA: p?<?0.001 and p?<?0.01, respectively) compared to control cells incubated only with Fe (holo-Tf or Fe-NTA). Our results support the idea that Fe storage and inflammation act together to regulate Fe homeostasis and suggest a negative regulation in this hepatic cellular model to prevent excessive increases in Hpc.     

Effect of heavy metals (Cu,Cd and Pb) on aspartate and alanine aminotransferase in Ruditapes philippinarum (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

The accumulation of cadmium, copper and lead and their effects on aspartate and alanine aminotransferases in digestive gland, gills, foot and soft body in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum were examined. The animals were exposed to different concentrations: Cd (200–600 μg·l⁻¹), Pb (350–700 μg·l⁻¹) and Cu (10–20 μg·l⁻¹) for 7 days. The highest concentrations were found in digestive gland for cadmium and copper, and in gills for lead, and the lowest values were observed in the foot. Aspartate aminotransferase activity (AST), in general, was not inhibited by cadmium, lead or copper during the exposure. Only in clams exposed to cadmium (600 μg·l⁻¹, 7 days) and copper (20 μg·l⁻¹, 5 days) were observed significant differences (P<0.05) in foot and gills, respectively, with respect to control. In the case of alanine aminotransferase activity (ALT), significant differences were observed for cadmium and lead in treated animals with respect to control. With regard to copper, a decrease in ALT was observed in gills and foot exposed to 20 μg·l⁻¹. A significant correlation (P<0.05) was observed between ALT and metal accumulation for cadmium, copper and lead in gills. In the case of soft body, only cadmium and lead showed a significant correlation. In summary, R. philippinarum can be considered a bioindicator species for cadmium and lead accumulation and ALT could be useful as biomarker of sublethal stress for these metals in soft tissues and gills. Only gills can be considered an adequate target tissue for copper.     

Multi-biomarker analysis in patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

Abstract

Background: In this study we sought to examine whether transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is followed by a change in the plasma levels of novel cardiovascular biomarkers.

Methods: We collected blood samples of 79 patients with severe aortic valve stenosis undergoing TAVI before and at 7 days, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post TAVI and analyzed the plasma concentrations of GDF-15, H-FABP, fetuin-A, galectin 3, sST2 and suPAR by means of ELISA.

Results: There was a significant increase in the concentration of fetuin-A (median: 52.44 mg/ml to 113.2 mg/ml, p?<?0.001) and a significant decrease of H–FABP after TAVI (median: 4.835 ng/ml to 2.534 ng/ml, p?<?0.001). The concentrations of suPAR and sST2 showed an initial increase (suPAR median: 2755 pg/ml 3489 pg/ml, p?<?0.001; sST2 median: 5832 pg/ml to 7137 pq/ml, p?<?0.001) and subsequently decreased significantly.

Conclusion: We hypothesize that the decrease of H-FABP and the increase of fetuin-A could be due to a hemodynamic improvement after valve replacement. The initial increase of suPAR could indicate an inflammatory stimulus and the significant increase in sST2 could be due to the mechanical strain caused by implantation of the valve.     

Difference in iron metabolism may partly explain sex-related variability in the manifestation of Wilson’s disease

Background/aimWilson’s disease (WD) is a hereditary disorder characterized by abnormal metabolism of copper. For unknown reasons, the clinical picture of this disease appears to be sex-dependent. Because the metabolism of copper and iron is interrelated, we aimed to evaluate whether the variability in the clinical picture of WD could be explained by the sex difference in iron metabolism.MethodsA total of 138 WD patients were examined in this study: 39 newly diagnosed, treatment naive patients and 99 individuals already treated with decoppering drugs. The serum concentration of ceruloplasmin (Cp) and copper were measured using an enzymatic colorimetric assay and by atomic absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The parameters of iron metabolism were determined by using standard laboratory methods and enzyme immunoassays.ResultsIn the treatment naive group men had a higher median serum concentration of ferritin (290.5 vs. 81.0 ng/mL, p < 10⁻⁴), and hepcidin (Hepc) (55.4 vs. 22.8 ng/mL, p < 10^-3) compared to women, and tended to have higher concentration of iron, hemoglobin (HGB) and number of red blood cells (RBC). In the treated group men had higher median ferritin (122.0 vs. 46.0 ng/mL, p < 10⁻⁴), Hepc (23.5 vs. 10.8 ng/mL, p < 10⁻⁴), iron (102.5 vs. 68.0 μg/dL, p < 10⁻⁴), HGB (15.0 vs. 13.2 g/dL, p < 10⁻⁴), and RBC (5.0 vs. 4.5 M/L, p < 10⁻⁴) than women.ConclusionIron metabolism differs between men and women with WD, which may partly explain the sex difference noted in the disease manifestation.     

Measurement of phenol and p-cresol in urine and feces using vacuum microdistillation and high-performance liquid chromatography

In this article, we describe a simple, sensitive, accurate, and repeatable method for the measurement of phenol and p-cresol (4-methylphenol) in human urine and feces. We examined a number of parameters to identify an optimal extraction protocol. Purification of sample extracts was achieved by low-temperature vacuum microdistillation. Separation was achieved in approximately 15 min by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with quantification by fluorescence at 284/310 nm. Limits of detection for phenol were 2 ng/ml for urine and 20 ng/g for feces, and those for p-cresol were 10 ng/ml for urine and 100 ng/g for feces. For comparison, approximate mean values for urine are 3 μg/ml for phenol and 30 μg/ml for p-cresol, and those for feces are 1 μg/g for phenol and 50 μg/g for p-cresol. An experienced analyst can process 60 samples each day using this method.     

Effects of Selenium Supplementation on Expression of Endothelin-1 and Its Receptors in Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Chick Embryos

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplemental selenium (Se) on expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptors in cultured chick embryos pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs). To accomplish this, PMVECs were treated in Se-deficient or Se-supplement (12, 24, 50, 100?ng/ml) culture medium for 48?h. Low Se medium was achieved by reducing serum concentrations and the essential growth factors were added. After the incubation, the effects of supplemental Se on ET-1 and its receptors gene expression were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Compared with the control group, our results showed that among the different concentrations of Se supplement, the levels of ET-1 gene expression treated with both the moderate Se doses (24, 50?ng/ml, P?<?0.01, P?<?0.01, respectively) and the high doses (100?ng/ml, P?<?0.05) were noticeably decreased, the low-dose group (12?ng/ml), which showed no changes. Meanwhile, Se supplement (24, 50, 100?ng/ml) was found to be effective in reducing the expression levels of ETA (P?<?0.01, P?<?0.05, P?<?0.05, respectively) in cultured PMVECs grown in low Se medium. However, there were no significant changes (P?>?0.05) in ETB mRNA levels during the cell proliferation. These observations indicated that Se may play both direct and indirect role in the regulation of ET-1 and its receptors gene expression and their production in avian PMVECs. Se supplement decreases in ET-1 and ETA production in Se-deficient PMVECs may partly explain the mechanism of the protective effects of the Se on the cardiovascular system.     

Microbial cell components induced tolerance to flagellin-stimulated inflammation through Toll-like receptor pathways in intestinal epithelial cells

In the intestine, bacterial components activate innate responses that protect the host. We hypothesize that bacterial components reduce Interleukin-8 (IL-8) production in intestinal epithelial cells stimulated by flagellin via the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Caco-2 cells were pretreated with various doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), or low-dose flagellin (LDFL) for 24 h. Cells were then treated with flagellin (FL) 500 ng/ml (HDFL) for another 48 h. IL-8 production was measured in the cell culture medium by ELISA. Eighty-four genes in the TLR pathway were evaluated by RT Profiler PCR Array. Pathway Studio 8.0 software was used for altered pathway analysis. HDFL induced IL-8 production by 19-fold (p < 0.01). Pretreatment with LDFL at 20, 10 or 1 ng/ml reduced HDFL-induced IL-8 production by 61%, 52% and 40%, respectively (p < 0.05). LPS at 50 μg/ml decreased HDFL–induced IL-8 production by 38% (p < 0.05). HDFL up-regulated CXCL10, IL1B, IL-8, IRAK2, NF-κB1 and I-κB (all p < 0.05). Pathway Studio analysis showed that HDFL induced cell processes including inflammation, cell death and apoptosis. Pretreatment with LDFL at 10 ng/ml down-regulated FADD, FOS, MAP4K4, MyD88, TLR2, TLR3 and TNFERSF1A compared to HDFL (all p < 0.05). These down-regulated genes are integral for numerous cell functions including inflammatory response, cell death, apoptosis and infection. These results demonstrate that LPS and LDFL provoke tolerance to HDFL-induced IL-8 production. This tolerance effect was accompanied by a complex interaction of multiple genes related to inflammatory as well as other responses in the TLR pathway rather than a single gene alteration.     

Mutagenic and physiological responses in the juveniles of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) following short term exposure to praziquantel

Praziquantel (PZQ) is an acylated quinoline-pyrazine originally developed for veterinary application but now one of the most used anti-helminthic drugs for treatment of certain trematodes and cestodes in both human and other animals. The present study investigated the mutagenic and physiological responses in the juveniles of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus following short term exposure to praziquantel. Based on the 53.52 mg/l 96 h LC₅₀ of PZQ obtained, two sublethal concentrations of 5.35 and 10.70 mg/l of the drug were selected and fish were exposed to these concentrations and control for 15 days. Micronuclei induction in the peripheral blood of PZQ-exposed fish was highest on day 10 but the fish morphological parameters were not affected. The packed cell volume (PCV) was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) from day 5 while red blood cells (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) significantly declined (p < 0.05) on day 15. Macrocytic anemia was observed on day 1 of study and thereafter microcytic anemia developed on day 5 of study. The white blood cell (WBC) was significantly (p < 0.05) elevated from day 10 of exposure while values of mean cellular volume (MCV), mean cellular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean cellular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the control. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and glucose levels significantly increased while protein reduced (p < 0.05) throughout the exposure period but a mixed trend was observed in the leukocyte differentials. PZQ should be used with caution as sublethal exposure elicited micronucleus induction and alterations of hematological and biochemical parameters in the fish.     

High mobility group box 1 levels in large vessel vasculitis are not associated with disease activity but are influenced by age and statins

IntroductionTakayasu arteritis (TA) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are large vessel vasculitides (LVV) that usually present as granulomatous inflammation in arterial walls. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that acts as an alarmin when released by dying or activated cells. This study aims to evaluate whether serum HMGB1 can be used as a biomarker in LVV.MethodsTwenty-nine consecutive TA patients with 29 healthy controls (HC) were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Eighteen consecutive GCA patients with 16 HC were evaluated at the onset of disease and some of them during follow-up. Serum HMGB1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsIn GCA patients at disease onset mean serum HMGB1 levels did not differ from HC (5.74 ± 4.19 ng/ml vs. 4.17 ± 3.14 ng/ml; p = 0.230). No differences in HMGB1 levels were found between GCA patients with and without polymyalgia rheumatica (p = 0.167), ischemic manifestations (p = 0.873), systemic manifestations (p = 0.474) or relapsing disease (p = 0.608). During follow-up, no significant fluctuations on serum HMGB1 levels were observed from baseline to 3 months (n = 13) (p = 0.075), 12 months (n = 6) (p = 0.093) and at the first relapse (n = 4) (p = 0.202). Serum HMGB1 levels did not differ between TA patients and HC [1.19 (0.45–2.10) ng/ml vs. 1.46 (0.89–3.34) ng/ml; p = 0.181] and no difference was found between TA patients with active disease and in remission [1.31 (0.63–2.16) ng/ml vs. 0.75 (0.39–2.05) ng/ml; p = 0.281]. HMGB1 levels were significantly lower in 16 TA patients on statins compared with 13 patients without statins [0.59 (0.29–1.46) ng/ml vs. 1.93 (0.88–3.34) ng/ml; p = 0.019]. Age was independently associated with higher HMGB1 levels regardless of LVV or control status.ConclusionsPatients with TA and GCA present similar serum HMGB1 levels compared with HC. Serum HMGB1 is not useful to discriminate between active disease and remission. In TA, use of statins was associated with lower HMGB1 levels. HMGB1 is not a biomarker for LVV.     

Heat acclimation increases mitochondrial respiration capacity of C2C12 myotubes and protects against LPS-mediated energy deficit

This work investigated the effect of a 6-day heat acclimation (HA) protocol on myotube metabolic responses at baseline and in response to a subsequent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. C2C12 myotubes were incubated for 2 h/day at 40 °C for 6 days (HA) or maintained at 37 °C (C). Following 24-h recovery, myotubes were challenged with 500 ng/ml LPS for 2 h, then collected for analysis of protein markers of mitochondrial biogenesis and macronutrient storage. Functional significance of these changes was confirmed with mitochondrial respiration and glycolytic measurements on a Seahorse XF-96 analyzer. HA stimulated mitochondrial biogenesis and increased indicators of mitochondrial content [SIRT1 (+?62%); PGC-1α (+?57%); NRF-1 (+?40%); TFAM (+?141%); CS (+?25%); CytC (+?38%); all p?<?0.05]. Altered lipid biosynthesis enzymes [p-ACCa:ACC (+?59%; p?=?0.04) and FAS (??86%; p?<?0.01)] suggest fatty acid generation may have been downregulated, whereas increased GLUT4 (+?69%; p?<?0.01) and LDH-B (+?366%; p?<?0.01) suggest aerobic glycolytic capacity may have been improved. Mitochondrial biogenesis signaling in HA myotubes was suppressed by 500 ng/ml LPS (PGC-1α, NRF-1, TFAM; all p?> 0.05) but increased LDH-B (+?30%; p?=?0.02) and CPT-1 (+?55%; p?<?0.01) suggesting improved catabolic function. Basal respiration was increased in HA myotubes (+?8%; p?<?0.01) and HA myotubes maintained elevated basal respiration during LPS challenge (+?8%; p?<?0.01). LPS reduced peak respiration in C myotubes (??6%; p?<?0.01) but did not impair peak respiration in HA myotubes (p?>?0.05). Oxidative reliance was elevated in HA over that in control (+?25%; p?<?0.01) and in HA?+?LPS over C?+?LPS (+?30%; p?<?0.01). In summary, HA stimulated mitochondrial biogenesis in C2C12 myotubes. HA myotubes exhibited (1) elevated basal/peak mitochondrial respiration capacities; (2) greater oxidative reliance; and (3) protection against LPS-mediated respiration impairment. Collectively, these data suggest HA may improve aerobic metabolism in skeletal muscle and protect against LPS-mediated energy deficit.     

Copper and Resveratrol Attenuates Serum Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and Element Values in Rats with DMBA-Induced Mammary Carcinogenesis

In this paper, a hypothesis was assessed whether or not the intoxication with copper and supplementation with copper plus resveratrol would result in changes in the activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase and moreover if the characteristic changes would appear in concentrations of copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc in the serum of rats with chemically induced carcinogenesis. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into study groups which, apart from the standard diet, were treated with copper (42.6 mg Cu/kg food as CuSO₄·5H₂O) or copper plus resveratrol (0.2 mg/kg body) via gavage for a period from 40 days until 20 weeks of age. In cancer groups, the rats were treated with a dose of 80 mg/body weight of 7,12-dimethyl-1,2-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) given in rapeseed oil at 50 and 80 days of age to induce mammary carcinogenesis. The control groups included the rats kept in the same conditions and fed with the same diet as the animals from the study groups, but not DMBA-treated. The activity of catalase significantly decreased in groups of rats with mammary carcinogenesis that were supplemented with copper (p?<?0.05) or copper plus resveratrol (p?<?0.001) in comparison with the control groups that received the same diets. In cancer groups of nonsupplemented rats, the increase of glutathione peroxidase activity was observed. The process of carcinogenesis and the applied supplementation significantly altered the concentrations of trace elements in serum, in particular as concerns iron and copper. The mean serum iron levels in rats with breast cancer were significantly lower than those in the control groups (p?<?0.001). The mean serum copper levels significantly decreased in the groups of rats with mammary carcinogenesis that were supplemented with copper or copper plus resveratrol in comparison with the control groups that received the same diets (p?<?0.001). The characteristic changes in iron content and the zinc/copper and zinc/iron ratios in blood may be used as one of the prognostic factors in breast cancer research.     

Spilanthes acmella ethanolic flower extract: LC-MS alkylamide profiling and its effects on sexual behavior in male rats

According to Indian Systems of Medicine, Spilanthes acmella (L.) Murr. (Family - Asteraceae), is considered effective in the treatment of sexual deficiencies especially due to ageing. In the present study, characterization of ethanolic extracts of the Spilanthes acmella flower and its effect on general mating pattern, penile erection and serum hormone levels of normal male Wistar albino rats were investigated and compared with sildenafil citrate. In vitro nitric oxide release was also investigated in human corpus cavernosum cell line. As N-alkylamides are a promising group, their profiling was performed using a gradient reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) method on an embedded polar column. MS¹ and MS² fragmentation data were used for identification purposes. For assessment of sexual behavior, animals were divided into five groups of eight male rats. The extracts (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight/day) and sildenafil citrate (5 mg/kg body weight/day) (positive control) were administered orally for 28 days. The behavioral and sexual parameters were observed at days 0, 15, 28 and after a lapse of 7 and 14 days of discontinuance of drug treatment. Five N-isobutylamides, one 2-methylbutylamide and one 2-phenylethylamide were identified. The orally administered extract had a dose dependent positive effect on mounting frequency, intromission frequency and ejaculation frequency and the most significant effects (p < 0.05) were observed at 150 mg/kg treatment, even after a lapse of 7 and 14 days of discontinuance of drug treatment. A dose dependent effect was also observed on the FSH, LH and testosterone serum levels. With 150 mg/kg of ethanolic extract the values for FSH, LH and testosterone were 3.10 ± 0.25 mlU/ml, 6.87 ± 0.18 mlU/ml and 3.72 ± 0.12 ng/ml, respectively. In vitro nitric oxide release was 21.7 ± 2.9 μM, which was significantly higher compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Sildenafil citrate exhibited also a significant effect on NO release, but no effect on hormone levels of rats was observed. The aphrodisiac potential of an ethanolic Spilanthes acmella extract was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. N-Alkylamides might attribute to the improved sexual potential. Study lends support to the traditional utilization of S. acmella as a sexual stimulating agent.     

Increased antitumor efficacy by the combined administration of swainsonine and cisplatin in vivo

Swainsonine is a natural α-mannosidase inhibitor found in numerous poisonous plants, such as Astragalus lentiginosus. Its mechanism of action is through the inhibition of Golgi α-mannosidase II activity in the N-glycan biosynthesis pathway. As a result, swainsonine inhibits the production of complex β1,6-branched N-linked glycans, which are related to the malignant phenotype of tumor cells. In this study, we investigated whether treatment with swainsonine affects the sensitivity of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells to cisplatin. To this end, male C57BL/6 mice were treated with swainsonine (SW - 0.5 mg/kg, i.p., twice-daily for ten days) and/or cisplatin (Cis - 0.25 mg/kg, i.p., every other day for a total of five applications) two days after transplantation with EAC cells. The results showed a greater reduction in the ascites volume in mice from the CisSW group (63.5%) than in mice from the Cis group (45.7%), an elevated induction of apoptosis by CisSW treatment when compared to Cis alone, as demonstrated by higher percentage of cells in the subG1 phase in that group (p < 0.0001 Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.0001 control vs. CisSW, p < 0.001 Co vs. Cis post-test Dunn), and an increase in the median survival from 12.5 days observed in the control group to 27 days in the CisSW group, which corresponds to a 116% survival increase (p = 0.0022 Co vs. CisSW Log-rank test). In addition, the mice from the Cis group had a median survival of only 15 days, an increase of just 20% compared to controls. Our results indicate that swainsonine increases the sensitivity of EAC cells to cisplatin.     

Concentrations of LH,prolactin and progesterone in early-pregnant and oestradiol-treated pigs

Fifteen gilts (n = 5 per group) were used to study plasma LH, prolactin and progesterone concentrations on days 13–19 after oestrus in early-pregnant, oestradiol-treated (5 mg, administered on days 11–15) and control cycling pigs.Peripheral blood samples were taken without stress at one-hour intervals for 12 h on days 13–14, 15–16 and 18–19. There was no difference amongst groups in LH levels on days 13–14 and 15–16. The LH levels in the cycling untreated pigs was lower (P < 0.05) than in pregnant gilts on days 18–19. Concentrations of prolactin in oestradioltreated pigs were 7–20 times higher than in pregnant pigs. The greatest differences in progesterone concentrations were recorded on days 18–19. Progesterone levels were less (P < 0.01) in oestrogen-treated gilts (14.54±1.09 ng/ml) when compared with pregnant gilts (24.23 ± 4.10). A comparison of the secretion patterns for the three hormones showed that injections of oestradiol given to the cycling gilt did not result in patterns which fully imitate the implantation period of natural pregnancy in the pig.     

Comparative Analysis of the Protective Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) on Pulmonary Contusion Lung Oxidative Stress and Serum Copper and Zinc Levels in Experimental Rat Model

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) in the lungs by biochemical and histopathological analyses in an experimental isolated lung contusion model. Eighty-one male Sprague–Dawley rats were used. The animals were divided randomly into four groups: group 1 (n?=?9) was defined as without contusion and without CAPE injection. Group 2 (n?=?9) was defined as CAPE 10 μmol/kg injection without lung contusion. Group 3 (n?=?36) was defined as contusion without CAPE-administrated group which consisted of four subgroups that were created according to analysis between days?0, 1, 2, and 3. Group 4 (n?=?27) was defined as CAPE 10 μmol/kg administrated after contusion group divided into three subgroups according to analysis on days?1, 2, and 3. CAPE 10 μmol/kg was injected intraperitoneally 30 min after trauma and on days?1 and 2. Blood samples were obtained to measure catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and for blood gas analysis. Trace elements such as zinc and copper were measured in serum. The lung tissue was also removed for histopathological examination. Isolated lung contusion increased serum and tissue SOD and CAT activities and MDA levels (p?<?0.05). Both serum and tissue SOD, MDA, and CAT levels on day?3 were lower in group 4 compared to group 3 (p?<?0.05). Further, the levels of SOD, MDA, and CAT in group 4 were similar compared to group 1 (p?>?0.05). CAPE also had a significant beneficial effect on blood gases (p?<?0.05). Both serum zinc and copper levels were (p?<?0.05) influenced by the administration of CAPE. Histopathological examination revealed lower scores in group 4 compared to group 3 (p?<?0.05) and no significant differences compared to group 1 (p?>?0.05). CAPE appears to be effective in protecting against severe oxidative stress and tissue damage caused by pulmonary contusion in an experimental setting. Therefore, we conclude that administration of CAPE may be used for a variety of conditions associated with pulmonary contusion. Clinical use of CAPE may have the advantage of prevention of pulmonary contusion.     

Effect of Molybdenum Nanoparticles on Blood Cells,Liver Enzymes,and Sexual Hormones in Male Rats

Despite an increasing surge in application of nanoparticles in industries, there is a serious lack of information concerning their impact on human health and the environment. The present study investigated effects of molybdenum nanoparticles (Mo NPs) injected intraperitoneally into Sprague-Dawley rats at different doses of Mo NPs (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg BW per day) during a period of 28 days. Hematological and biochemical parameters as well as sexual hormones and histopathological examinations of the liver and testis were assessed and compared with control group. The results showed that the serum levels of testosterone decreased significantly in both groups of 10 and 15 mg (Mo NPs)/kg BW in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). However, there were insignificant differences observed in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and hematological parameters when compared with the control group (p > 0.05). The results of liver enzymes showed that serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased significantly in both dosage groups of 5 and 10 mg/kg BW (Mo NPs) when compared with the control group (p < 0.05), and significant decrease obtained in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels at dose of 5 mg/kg BW in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). The histopathological examination of testis showed a decrease in number of Leydig cells. Also, the number of chronic inflammatory cells increased in portal triad and parenchyma in liver tissue of rats exposed to Mo NPs.     

Age-related changes and circadian variations in peripheral levels of thyroid hormones in Murrah buffaloes

The aim of this study was to investigate the variations in plasma triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄) with the advancement of age and to determine their circadian patterns in prepubertal and pubertal Murrah buffaloes. The variations in plasma T₃ and T₄ with the advancement of age were observed from day 1 to 24 months of age. Significant higher levels of T₃ and T₄ were observed after birth and a gradual decrease in their concentrations occurred until 15 days of age. The mean plasma T₃ and T₄ ranged between 1.26–3.79 and 60.7–166 ng/ml, respectively, during 1–30 days of age. During 1–24 months of age, the variations in plasma T₃ did not differ (p > 0.05) with the advancement of age, whereas significant (p < 0.0001) changes were observed in plasma T₄. The circadian patterns of T₃ and T₄ were evaluated in prepubertal Murrah buffaloes (n = 8) aged between 14 and 16 months. The mean plasma T₃ and T₄ ranged between 1.04–1.85 and 43.0–76.1 ng/ml, respectively. Significant (p > 0.0001) changes in the secretory pattern of T₃ were observed, whereas the secretory pattern of T₄ did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). In addition, the circadian patterns of T₃ and T₄ in pubertal buffaloes (n = 4) aged between 28 and 30 months were observed and compared to that of prepubertal group (n = 4). The prepubertal group showed significant (p < 0.001) higher plasma T₃ concentrations over 24 h than the pubertal group.