Retinal response in the post metamorphic American eel (Anguilla rostrata) (Pisces,Teleostei)

Retinas of light and dark adapted post metamorphic American eelAnguilla rostrata were examined. The retinal epithelial pigment migrates vitreally in light and sclerally in darkness. Two layers of rods and a layer of single cones are present. Some cones elongate slightly in the dark and contract in the light. The cone synaptic ribbons show no difference between the light and dark adapted stages. It appears that this eel stage is capable of functioning in bright and dim environments.     

Curcumin mediated epigenetic modulation inhibits TREM-1 expression in response to lipopolysaccharide

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily expressed on macrophage and neutrophils and is emerging as a potent amplifier of TLR initiated inflammatory responses. Blockade of TREM-1 improves survival in animal models of sepsis. In this study, we show that curcumin or diferuloylmethane, a yellow pigment present in turmeric, a major ingredient of curry spice inhibited the expression of TREM-1 in vitro in primary bone marrow derived macrophages and in vivo in lungs of mice with sepsis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that curcumin inhibits the binding of p65 to TREM-1 promoter in response to LPS. Further we show that curcumin inhibited p300 activity in the TREM-1 promoter region leading to hypoacetylation of histone 3 and 4 in the lysine residues. Inhibition of TREM-1 by curcumin is oxidant independent. These studies are the first report to define a detailed molecular mechanism by which curcumin exerts anti-inflammatory effects through regulation of TREM-1 gene activity and provide additional mechanistic insights into the anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin.     

Pulmonary vagal innervation is required to establish adequate alveolar ventilation in the newborn lamb

To investigate the effects of bilateralintrathoracic vagotomy on the establishment of continuous breathing andeffective gas exchange at birth, we studied 8 chronically instrumented, unanesthetized, sham-operated and 14 vagotomized newborn lambs after aspontaneous, unassisted vaginal delivery. Fetal lambs wereinstrumented in utero to record sleep states, diaphragmatic electromyogram, blood pressure, arterial pH, and blood-gas tensions. Six of eight sham-operated lambs established effective gas exchange within 10 min of birth, whereas 12 of 14 vagotomized animals developed respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia (P = 0.008). Breathing frequency in vagotomized newborns was significantlylower during the entire postnatal period compared with sham-operatednewborns. Vagotomized subjects also remained hypothermic during theentire postnatal period (P < 0.05).Bronchoalveolar lavage indicated an increased minimum surface tension,whereas lung histology showed perivascular edema and partialatelectasis in the vagotomized group. We conclude that stimulation ofbreathing and effective gas exchange are critically dependent on intactvagal nerves during the transition from fetal to neonatallife.

     

Nanoemulsions in Translational Research—Opportunities and Challenges in Targeted Cancer Therapy

Nanoemulsion dosage form serves as a vehicle for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients and has attracted great attention in drug delivery and pharmacotherapy. In particular, nanoemulsions act as an excellent vehicle for poorly aqueous soluble drugs, which are otherwise difficult to formulate in conventional dosage forms. Nanoemulsions are submicron emulsions composed of generally regarded as safe grade excipients. Particle size at the nanoscale and larger surface area lead to some very interesting physical properties that can be exploited to overcome anatomical and physiological barriers associated in drug delivery to the complex diseases such as cancer. Along these lines, nanoemulsions have been engineered with specific attributes such as size, surface charge, prolonged blood circulation, target specific binding ability, and imaging capability. These attributes can be tuned to assist in delivering drug/imaging agents to the specific site of interest, based on active and passive targeting mechanisms. This review focuses on the current state of nanoemulsions in the translational research and its role in targeted cancer therapy. In addition, the production, physico-chemical characterization, and regulatory aspects of nanoemulsion are addressed.     

Range extension and species confirmation of Rhyneptesicus nasutus (Sind Serotine Bat) (Mammalia:Chiroptera) from Bajaur Agency,FATA, Pakistan

Molecular Biology Reports - The lack of morphological differentiation among chiropteran species and cryptic speciation impedes species identification. DNA-based approaches help species...     

Manganese-doped cerium oxide nanocomposite as a therapeutic agent for MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell line

The preparation of a manganese-doped cerium oxide (Mn:CeO₂) nanocomposite via hydrothermal route is described. Cubic fluorite structure of single phase was exhibited by studying structural analysis through x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and morphological analysis was conducted by scanning electron microscope. Surface analytic technique of energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was conducted to analyze the relative amount of any impurity and doping. Structural changes due to manganese doping such as increment in production of vacancies of oxygen within crystal of cerium oxide, and reduction in size of crystallite and constant of lattice was observed in our research study. Moreover, the Mn:CeO₂ nanocomposite demonstrates differential cytotoxicity against MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell line, which renders it a promising candidate for targeted cancer therapy. The anti-tumorous activity of the cerium oxide nanocomposite was significantly enhanced with doping of manganese, which is directly linked with the generation of highly reactive oxygen facets. The experimental results are supported by a mathematical model that confirms a confidence level of 95%. This research has paved the way for many utilities in therapeutics and magnetic resonance imaging diagnostics through new observations, and hence verified their math model.