Decrease of Serotonin Transporters in Blood Platelets after Epileptic Seizures

Serotonin transporter (SERT) was studied by [³H]-paroxetine binding in blood platelets from controls and epileptic patients with generalized convulsive seizures. The average K_D and B_Max were not different in the two cases. However, a significant decrease was found in the serotonin transporter density in the platelet membranes from patients having undergone an epileptic seizure less than 4 days before. This circumstance may indicate a homeostatic reaction to the epileptic attack.     

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats fed via total enteral nutrition

The effects of the dietary antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on alcoholic liver damage were examined in a total enteral nutrition (TEN) model of ethanol toxicity in which liver pathology occurs in the absence of endotoxemia. Ethanol treatment resulted in steatosis, inflammatory infiltrates, occasional foci of necrosis, and elevated ALT in the absence of increased expression of the endotoxin receptor CD 14, a marker of Kupffer cell activation by LPS. In addition, ethanol treatment induced CYP 2 E1 and increased TNFalpha and TGFbeta mRNA expression accompanied by suppressed hepatic IL-4 mRNA expression. Ethanol treatment also resulted in the hepatic accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroxynonenal (HNE) protein adducts, decreased antioxidant capacity, and increased antibody titers toward serum hydroxyethyl radical (HER), MDA, and HNE adducts. NAC treatment increased cytosolic antioxidant capacity, abolished ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation, and inhibited the formation of antibodies toward HNE and HER adducts without interfering with CYP 2 E1 induction. NAC also decreased ethanol-induced ALT release and inflammation and prevented significant loss of hepatic GSH content. However, the improvement in necrosis score and reduction of TNFalpha mRNA elevation did not reach statistical significance. Although a direct correlation was observed among hepatic MDA and HNE adduct content and TNFalpha mRNA expression, inflammation, and necrosis scores, no correlation was observed between oxidative stress markers or TNFalpha and steatosis score. These data suggest that ethanol-induced oxidative stress can contribute to inflammation and liver injury even in the absence of Kupffer cell activation by endotoxemia.     

Mechanisms responsible for carbon tetrachloride-induced perturbation of mitochondrial calcium homeostasis

Incubation of isolated hepatocytes with CCl4 results in early reduction of the intracellular calcium content, mostly due to loss from the mitochondrial compartment. CCl4 treatment directly affects mitochondrial functions as indicated by the inhibition of Ca2+ uptake in cells permeabilized to the ion by digitonin exposure and by the reduction of intracellular ATP content in hepatocytes incubated in a glucose-free medium. Such mitochondrial damage is not caused by CCl4-induced stimulation of lipid peroxidation since it is not prevented by alpha-tocopherol, used at a concentration able to inhibit completely peroxidative reactions without interfering with CCl4 activation. All data together are in favour of a direct action of CCl4-reactive metabolites on liver cell calcium homeostasis.     

Changes in the erythrocyte in liver cirrhosis: role of cholesterol and plasma phospholipids

To investigate the role played by plasmatic lipids in the altered erythrocyte deformability observed in cirrhotic patients we studied 15 patients with liver cirrhosis (histologically diagnosed) and 10 healthy volunteers. Erythrocyte filtration time, plasmatic free and esterified cholesterol and phospholipids were measured in all subjects. The erythrocyte filtration time resulted to be significantly increased in cirrhotic patients (35' +/- 3, 35 M +/- SEM) when compared to control subjects (26' +/- 2, 53: M +/- SEM) (t = 2,078 p less than 0,05). This increase correlated in cirrhotic patients (but not in control subjects) with free/esterified cholesterol ratio (p less than 0,01) as well as free cholesterol/phospholipid ratio (p less than 0,001). Our results confirm that decreased erythrocyte deformability in cirrhotic patients which is accompanied by altered erythrocyte morphology is due, at least in part, to the altered lipids blood levels.     

Hepatic glutathione content in patients with alcoholic and non alcoholic liver diseases

Reduced and oxidized hepatic glutathione was evaluated during alcoholic and non alcoholic liver injury. We studied 35 chronic alcoholics, 20 patients with non alcoholic liver diseases, 15 control subjects. Hepatic glutathione was measured in liver biopsies and correlated with histology and laboratory tests. Alcoholic and non alcoholic patients exhibited a significant decrease of hepatic glutathione compared to control subjects (controls: 4.14 +/- 0.1 mumol/g liver; alcoholics: 2.55 +/- 0.1, p less than 0.001; non alcoholics 2.77 +/- 0.1, p less than 0.001). Oxidized glutathione was significantly higher in the two groups of patients compared to controls (controls: 4.4 +/- 0.2% of total; alcoholics 8.2 +/- 0.3, p less than 0.001; non alcoholics: 8.5 +/- 0.8, p less than 0.001). The decreased hepatic glutathione levels in patients with alcoholic and non alcoholic liver diseases may represent a contributing factor of liver injury and may enhance the risk of toxicity in these patients.     

Ultrastructural alterations in glomerulopathy associated with hydatidosis in sheep.

In the present study we investigated the ultrastructural alterations occurring in the renal glomeruli of sheep with hydatidosis. Renal samples from 39 sheep, 34 with hydatidosis and 5 without parasitosis, were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, biochemical analysis was performed by determining serum concentrations of creatinine, urea, total protein and albumin. The ultrastructural alterations identified were the presence of dense mesangial, subendothelial and intra-membranous deposits, mesangial cell proliferation with areas showing segmental sclerosis and interposition of mesangial cells with the formation of a neomembrane. Biochemical analysis revealed a significant increase in total serum protein in the experimental group compared with the control. Our results demonstrated that glomerulonephritis associated with hydatidosis in sheep can be classified into four categories: minimal lesions, mesangial glomerulonephritis, segmental and focal glomerulonephritis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, being membranoproliferative and mesangial glomerulonephritis the most predominant categories.     

pks+ Escherichia coli more prevalent in benign than malignant colorectal tumors

Molecular Biology Reports - Some E. coli strains that synthesize the toxin colibactin within the 54-kb pks island are being implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Here, the prevalence...     

Plasma metabolite levels predict bird growth rates: A field test of model predictive ability

Bird growth rates are usually derived from nonlinear relationships between age and some morphological structure, but this procedure may be limited by several factors. To date, nothing is known about the capacity of plasma metabolite profiling to predict chick growth rates. Based on laboratory-trials, we here develop predictive logistic models of body mass, and tarsus and wing length growth rates in Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica chicks from measurements of plasma metabolite levels at different developmental stages. The predictive model obtained during the fastest growth period (at the age of 12 days) explained 65-68% of the chicks' growth rates, with fasting triglyceride level explaining most of the variation in growth rate. At the end of pre-fledging period, β-hydroxybutyrate level was also a good predictor of growth rates. Finally, we carried out a field test to check the predictive capacity of the models in two colonies of wild Gull-billed Tern, comparing field-measured and model-predicted growth rates between groups. Both, measured and predicted growth rates, matched statistically. Plasma metabolite levels can thus be applied in comparative studies of chick growth rates when semi-precocial birds can be captured only once.