FTIR Assessment of the Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ginkgo biloba</Emphasis> Leave Extract (EGb 761) on Mammalian Retina

Ginkgo biloba extract has been therapeutically used for several decades to increase peripheral and cerebral blood flow as well as for the treatment of dementia. The extract contains multiple compounds such as flavonoids and terpenoids that are thought to contribute to its neuroprotective and vasotropic effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged administration of EGb 761, up to 10 weeks, on mammalian retina using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Two main groups were involved in this study: the normal group (n = 10); and EGb-administrated group (n = 50) that received—orally—a dose of 40 mg/kg/day EGb 761. The results demonstrated that EGb administration was associated with different beneficial effects on the retinal constituents especially the underlying amide I protein secondary structure components as well as the NH-OH region. It concluded that the optimum daily administration period of EGb (40 mg/kg) for ophthalmic applications that targeting the retina ranges from 5 to 8 weeks.     

Rare trisubstituted sesquiterpenes daucanes from the wild Daucus carota

Phytochemical and biological investigation of the roots of the wild Daucus carota ssp. carota afforded three new and four known compounds, including four sesquiterpenes daucane esters (1-3 [new], and 4), one polyacetylene (5), one sesquiterpene coumarin (6), and sitosterol glucoside. The structures of the new compounds were determined by comprehensive NMR studies, including DEPT, COSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC analyses. Based on an agar diffusion assay, 1, 2 and 4-6 were screened and found to contain a range of low antibacterial activities against four gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptomyces scabies, Bacillus subtilus, Bacillus cereus) and two gram negative species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) as well as antifungal against Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger using cup agar diffusion assay.     

Anal cytology in an HIV-positive population: a retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate cellularity and correlate the presence of columnar cells with specimen interpretation in conventionally prepared anal cytologic smears from an HIV-positive population. STUDY DESIGN: Two cytopathologists and 1 senior cytotechnologist, blinded to the original diagnosis, screened 114 samples from 110 patients collected between 1997 and 2002. One hundred nine males and 1 female were included, age ranging from 23 to 52 years. Discrepancies were reviewed for consensus. The interpretations, cellularity, and presence or absence of columnar cells were noted. The relationships between diagnosis and presence of columnar cells, visible anal lesions, concurrent HIV viral load and CD4+ T-cell counts were assessed. RESULTS: The cytologic findings were as follows: 7, unsatisfactory (6%); 29, negative (25%); 25, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (22%); and 53, dysplasia (47%) (42 anal intraepithelial lesion 1 [37%] and 11 anal intraepithelial lesion 2/3 [10%]). Nearly 50% of the smears, 51, showed the presence of columnar cells (45%); 37 of those specimens had some degree of dysplasia (74%). Of the 63 specimens with no columnar cells, 16 (25%) showed dysplasia. Columnar cells were absent from all unsatisfactory specimens. CONCLUSION: A highly significant association between the presence of columnar cells and anal intraepithelial lesion (p<0.001) and a significant association between the presence of columnar cells and atypical cytology when a visible lesion was absent (p=0.0019) were found. No significant relationship was found between the presence/degree of dysplasia and CD4+ T-cell counts or HIV viral load. Lack of clinical follow-up precluded evaluation of the false negative rates in this data set.     

Development of a shuttle vector for Moraxella catarrhalis

Efforts to perform genetic analysis in Moraxella catarrhalis have been hampered by the lack of a cloning vector. M. catarrhalis strain E22 was previously shown to contain plasmid pLQ510 which lacked a selectable antibiotic resistance marker. Several methods were used to eliminate unnecessary DNA from pLQ510. Then, a 1.2 kb spectinomycin resistance cartridge, a multiple cloning site, and the origin of replication from pACYC184 were cloned into this plasmid backbone to obtain the 7.2 kb plasmid pWW102B. This new plasmid could replicate in M. catarrhalis as well as in both Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae. This shuttle vector was used to clone and express two different M. catarrhalis genes, respectively, encoding an adhesin and a protein involved in serum resistance. When these two plasmids were introduced into appropriate M. catarrhalis mutants, they complemented the phenotypic deficiency of each mutant. This is the first report of functional complementation in trans in this pathogen.     

Sounds produced by the cichlid fish Metriaclima zebra allow reliable estimation of size and provide information on individual identity

Sounds produced by male cichlids Metriaclima zebra during aggressive interactions were recorded to conduct a detailed analysis and to search for potential individual acoustic signatures. Fish from two different size groups (small and large individuals) were analysed. The two groups were significantly different for all acoustic variables considered; six of seven features demonstrated a significant interindividual variability and most of them were correlated with the size of the emitter. A cross-validated and permuted discriminant function analysis (pDFA) separated the two groups and correctly classified around 50% of the sounds to the correct individuals. Acoustic features that best distinguished among males were the instantaneous frequency of sounds and the modulation of pulse amplitude. These results suggest that acoustic signals could bear information about individual identity. The long-term stability of this signature is likely to be weak since the signature of a growing individual may change over time.     

Deleterious impact of elaidic fatty acid on ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux from mouse and human macrophages

Consumption of trans fatty acids (TFA) increase cardiovascular risk more than do saturated FA, but the mechanisms explaining their atherogenicity are still unclear. We investigated the impact of membrane incorporation of TFA on cholesterol efflux by exposing J774 mouse macrophages or human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) to media enriched or not (standard medium) with industrially produced elaidic (trans-9 18:1) acid, naturally produced vaccenic (trans-11 18:1) acid (34 h, 70 μM) or palmitic acid. In J774 macrophages, elaidic and palmitic acid, but not vaccenic acid, reduced ABCA1-mediated efflux by ~23% without affecting aqueous diffusion, SR-BI or ABCG1-mediated pathways, and this effect was maintained in cholesterol-loaded cells. The impact of elaidic acid on the ABCA1 pathway was weaker in cholesterol-normal HMDM, but elaidic acid induced a strong reduction of ABCA1-mediated efflux in cholesterol-loaded cells (-36%). In J774 cells, the FA supplies had no impact on cellular free cholesterol or cholesteryl ester masses, the abundance of ABCA1 mRNA or the total and plasma membrane ABCA1 protein content. Conversely, TFA or palmitic acid incorporation induced strong modifications of the membrane FA composition with a decrease in the ratio of (cis-monounsaturated FA+polyunsaturated FA):(saturated FA+TFA), with elaidic and vaccenic acids representing each 20% and 13% of the total FA composition, respectively. Moreover, we demonstrated that cellular ATP was required for the effect of elaidic acid, suggesting that it contributes to atherogenesis by impairing ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux in macrophages, likely by decreasing the membrane fluidity, which could thereby reduce ATPase activity and the function of the transporter.     

The Arabidopsis‐related halophyte Thellungiella halophila: boron tolerance via boron complexation with metabolites?

Tolerance to boron (B) is still not completely understood. We tested here the hypothesis that Thellungiella halophila, an Arabidopsis thaliana-related 'extremophile' plant, with abundance of B in its natural environment, is tolerant to B, and examined the potential mechanisms of this tolerance. With 1-10 mm B applied ([B](ext)) to Thellungiella and Arabidopsis grown in hydroponics, the steady-state accumulated B concentration ([B](int)) in the root was below [B](ext), and was similar in both, suggesting both extrude B actively. Whether grown in soil or hydroponically, the shoot [B](int) was higher in Arabidopsis than in Thellungiella, suggesting more effective net B exclusion by Thellungiella root. Arabidopsis exhibited toxicity symptoms including reduced shoot fresh weight (FW), but Thellungiella was not affected, even at similar levels of shoot-accumulated [B](int) (about 10 to 40 mm B in 'shoot water'), suggesting additional B tolerance mechanism in Thellungiella shoot. At [B](ext) = 5 mm, the summed shoot concentration of the potentially B-binding polyhydroxyl metabolites (malic acid, fructose, glucose, sucrose and citric acid) in Arabidopsis was below [B](int) , but in Thellungiella it was over twofold higher than [B](int) , and therefore likely to allow appreciable 1:2 boron-metabolite complexation in the shoot. This, we suggest, is an important component of Thellungiella B tolerance mechanism.     

Efficacy of Ginkgo biloba on Vaginal Estrous and Ovarian Histological Alterations for Evaluating Anti‐Implantation and Abortifacient Potentials in Albino Female Mice

Ginkgo extract, EGb 761 is known as a vasoregulatory variable for the conventional reproduction therapy. EGb 761 was orally administered in 0 (control), 3.7, 7.4, and 14.8 mg/kg bw/day for 28 days (thereafter mated with normal fertile male), from day 1 to day 7 of pregnancy or from the 10th to 18th day of pregnancy, respectively. Vaginal smears were performed daily. On 20th day of pregnancy, the females were killed by cervical dislocation and their kidneys, liver, brain, placenta, spleen and ovaries were removed and weighed. The ovaries were prepared for histological examinations, and then ovarian follicles were counted. Maternal toxicity, estrous cycle, reproductive hormones, ovarian follicle counts, resorption index, implantation index, fetal viability and fetuses, and placenta mean weights were evaluated. There was a dose‐dependent ovarian toxic effect of EGb 761. Ovarian follicle counts, resorption index, implantation index, fetal viability were significantly reduced in 14.8 mg/kg bw/day dose. Treatment with 14.8 mg/kg bw/day EGb 761 induced disruption of estrous cycle and caused maternal toxicity, in addition to fetal toxicity. Therefore, the data obtained indicate that Ginkgo biloba extract at 14.8 mg/kg bw/day dose level exhibit toxic effect on reproductive cyclicity and could have anti‐implantation and abotifacient properties in female mice.