The antidepressant-like effect of Ocimum basilicum in an animal model of depression

We investigated the efficacy of Ocimum basilicum (OB) essential oils for treating depression related behavioral, biochemical and histopathological changes caused by exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in mice and to explore the mechanism underlying the pathology. Male albino mice were divided into four groups: controls; CUMS; CUMS plus fluoxetine, the antidepressant administered for pharmacological validation of OB; and CUMS plus OB. Behavioral tests included the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the open ?eld test (OFT); these tests were performed at the end of the experiment. We assessed serum corticosterone level, protein, gene and immunoexpression of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) as well as immunoexpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Ki67, caspase-3 in the hippocampus. CUMS caused depression in the mice as evidenced by prolonged immobility in the FST, prolonged time spent in the open arms during the EPM test and reduction of open field activity in the OFT. OB ameliorated the CUMS induced depressive status. OB significantly reduced the corticosterone level and up-regulated protein and gene expressions of BDNF and GR. OB reduced CUMS induced hippocampal neuron atrophy and apoptosis, and increased the number of the astrocytes and new nerve cells. OB significantly increased GFAP-positive cells as well as BDNF and GR immunoexpression in the hippocampus.     

Limb ablation and regeneration in Harmonia axyridis: costs for regenerators,but benefits for their progeny

Previous work revealed that Harmonia axyridisPallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Beijing, China, were capable of regenerating a forelimb amputated in the fourth instar; 75% of surviving individuals fully regenerated the limb during pupation. In this study, we tested a population of H. axyridis invasive in North America and found that virtually 100% of beetles surviving the operation successfully regenerated the limb. Ablated/regenerated beetles spent longer in pupation, and emerging females were smaller than controls. However, reproductive success was unaffected in all pairwise crosses of control/regenerated adults; there were no differences in pre‐oviposition period, the time required to produce 10 clutches, 10‐day fecundity, or the fertility of eggs, whereas ablated/regenerated parents paid a developmental cost, their progeny obtained benefits. Offspring of crosses that included a regenerated parent tended to have faster larval development than the control cross, although not all were significantly different from controls. However, when either or both parents were ablated and regenerated, their daughters were heavier than controls at emergence. Limb regeneration during pupation appears to activate a physiological cascade which increases the magnitude of beneficial parental effects normally conferred to progeny, possibly via pleiotropic effects. The invasive North American H. axyridis population appears to have higher regeneration capacity than the Chinese population tested previously, although how regeneration capacity might be associated with invasiveness remains unclear. Limb regeneration ability may be a side effect of selection on other traits that confer high fitness under either natural or sexual selection, as it seems unlikely to confer fitness benefits directly in this species.     

A cascade synthesis, in vitro cholinesterases inhibitory activity and docking studies of novel Tacrine-pyranopyrazole derivatives

In this work, we describe the preparation of some new Tacrine analogues modified with a pyranopyrazole moiety. A one-pot multicomponent reaction of 3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one, aryl(or hetero)aldehydes, malononitrile and cyclohexanone involving a Friedländer condensation led to the title compounds. The synthesized heterocyclic analogues of this molecule were evaluated in vitro for their AChE and BChE inhibitory activities in search for potent cholinesterase enzyme inhibitors. Most of the synthesized compounds displayed remarkable AChE inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.044 to 5.80?µM, wherein compounds 5e and 5j were found to be most active inhibitors against AChE with IC₅₀ values of 0.058 and 0.044?µM respectively. Molecular modeling simulation on AChE and BChE receptors, showed good correlation between IC₅₀ values and binding interaction template of the most active inhibitors docked into the active site of their relevant enzymes.     

Effectiveness of liposomal paclitaxel against MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Paclitaxel is an effective chemotherapeutic agent that is widely used for the treatment of several cancers, including breast, ovarian, and non-small-cell lung cancer. Due to its high lipophilicity, paclitaxel is difficult to administer and requires solubilization with Cremophor EL (polyethoxylated castor oil) and ethanol, which often lead to adverse side effects, including life-threatening anaphylaxis. Incorporation of paclitaxel in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine:dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPC:DMPG) liposomes can facilitate its delivery to cancer cells and eliminate the adverse reactions associated with the Cremophor EL vehicle. Accordingly, the effectiveness of liposomal paclitaxel on MCF-7 breast cancer cells was examined. The results from this study showed that (i) the lipid components of the liposomal formulation were nontoxic, (ii) the cytotoxic effects of liposomal paclitaxel were improved when compared with those seen with conventional paclitaxel, and (iii) the intracellular paclitaxel levels were higher in MCF-7 cells treated with the liposomal paclitaxel formulation. The results of these studies showed that delivery of paclitaxel as a liposomal formulation could be a promising strategy for enhancing its chemotherapeutic effects.     

Pesticide exposure: the hormonal function of the female reproductive system disrupted?

Some pesticides may interfere with the female hormonal function, which may lead to negative effects on the reproductive system through disruption of the hormonal balance necessary for proper functioning. Previous studies primarily focused on interference with the estrogen and/or androgen receptor, but the hormonal function may be disrupted in many more ways through pesticide exposure. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the various ways in which pesticides may disrupt the hormonal function of the female reproductive system and in particular the ovarian cycle. Disruption can occur in all stages of hormonal regulation: 1. hormone synthesis; 2. hormone release and storage; 3. hormone transport and clearance; 4. hormone receptor recognition and binding; 5. hormone postreceptor activation; 6. the thyroid function; and 7. the central nervous system. These mechanisms are described for effects of pesticide exposure in vitro and on experimental animals in vivo. For the latter, potential effects of endocrine disrupting pesticides on the female reproductive system, i.e. modulation of hormone concentrations, ovarian cycle irregularities, and impaired fertility, are also reviewed. In epidemiological studies, exposure to pesticides has been associated with menstrual cycle disturbances, reduced fertility, prolonged time-to-pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, stillbirths, and developmental defects, which may or may not be due to disruption of the female hormonal function. Because pesticides comprise a large number of distinct substances with dissimilar structures and diverse toxicity, it is most likely that several of the above-mentioned mechanisms are involved in the pathophysiological pathways explaining the role of pesticide exposure in ovarian cycle disturbances, ultimately leading to fertility problems and other reproductive effects. In future research, information on the ways in which pesticides may disrupt the hormonal function as described in this review, can be used to generate specific hypotheses for studies on the effects of pesticides on the ovarian cycle, both in toxicological and epidemiological settings.     

Specific localization of epidermal-type fatty acid binding protein in dendritic cells of splenic white pulp

Dendritic cells in the splenic white pulp of mice were intensely immunoreactive for epidermal-type fatty acid binding protein (E-FABP). This specific immunostaining revealed a clear difference in morphology between the dendritic cells in the periarterial lymphoid sheath (PALS) and follicular dendritic cells in the follicles in terms of cell sizes and process branching. No immunoreactivity was detected in dendritic cells in the marginal zones and the red pulp, although endothelial cells of almost all capillaries in the red pulp were immunoreactive for E-FABP. After peritoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide, the immunoreactive cells in PALS progressively enlarged and became rounded in shape with a peak in size at 24 h postinjection and they eventually resumed the dendritic form at 48 h postinjection. Within each of the enlarged immunoreactive cell perikarya were included small immunonegative apoptotic cells, presumptive lymphocytes. Taken together, E-FABP is useful as a marker for dendritic cells in the splenic white pulp, and may be involved through combination with fatty acids in antigen presentation and retention as well as in cytokine production.     

Phylogeny of the Drosophila saltans species group based on combined analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

Nucleotide sequences from two nuclear loci, alcohol dehydrogenase and internal transcribed spacer-1 of the nuclear ribosomal DNA repeats, and two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome oxidase II, were determined from nine species in the Drosophila saltans species group. The partition homogeneity test and partitioned Bremer support were used to measure incongruence between phylogenetic hypotheses generated from individual partitions. Individual loci were generally congruent with each other and consistent with the previously proposed morphological hypothesis, although they differed in level of resolution. Since extreme conflict between partitions did not exist, the data were combined and analyzed simultaneously. The total evidence method gave a more resolved and highly supported phylogeny, as indicated by bootstrap proportions and decay indices, than did any of the individual analyses. The cordata and elliptica subgroups, considered to have diverged early in the history of the D. saltans group, were sister taxa to the remainder of the saltans group. The sturtevanti subgroup, represented by D. milleri and D. sturtevanti, occupies an intermediate position in this phylogeny. The saltans and parasaltans subgroups are sister clades and occupy the most recently derived portion of the phylogeny. As with previous morphological studies, phylogenetic relationships within the saltans subgroup were not satisfactorily resolved by the molecular data.      

Timing of migration dates and detection of first wintering sites for the Turtle Dove in Northwest Africa

The identification of migration dates and wintering zones for migratory birds are key elements for the understanding of the Afro-Palearctic migration system. From 2015 to 2022, a large-scale survey of Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur, a vulnerable species, was established in Northwest Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. We monitored migration dates and wintering individuals using the line-transect method. We found that Turtle Doves arrived in the last week of March and left the North African region in mid-October. Compared with Morocco, Doves arrived significantly earlier in Algeria and Tunisia. Moreover, Doves were discovered wintering on nine Northwest African sites, from October to February, where individuals feed in groups. We found that the occurrence probability of wintering Turtle Doves decreased significantly with increasing temperature and rainfall. Birds wintered most often close to wetlands since the overwintering probability decreased with the increasing distance from the recording area to the nearest water body. These are the first and only detailed findings on the migration phenology of the globally vulnerable Turtle Dove in north western Africa.