Altered amount and activity of superoxide dismutase in sickle cell anemia

The amount and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (EC 1.15.1.1) were measured in red cells collected from 50 white controls, 101 black controls, 50 patients with sickle hemoglobin (SS Hb), 12 with sickle trait, and 11 with other sickling hemoglobinopathies. Red cells from normal black subjects had more SOD amount and activity than normal whites (1.77 U/mg Hb and 2.96 micrograms/mg Hb vs. 1.47 U/mg Hb and 2.64 micrograms/mg Hb, respectively) or blacks with SS Hb or other sickling hemoglobinopathies. Patients with more severe manifestations of SS Hb had lower levels of SOD activity than those with milder symptoms but had the same amount of enzyme protein. Individuals with sickle trait had amounts and activities of SOD comparable to black controls. An alteration in defense to free radical oxygen may play a role in the severity of symptoms experienced by patients with homozygous sickle cell disease.     

Efficacy of medicinal plant (Andrographis peniculata) extract on aflatoxin production and growth of Aspergillus flavus

The efficacies of four different concentrations (3, 5, 8 and 10 mg/ml) of an aqueous extract of the Andrographis peniculata were tested on growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus in liquid SMKY medium. The maximum inhibition of aflatoxin production and growth of A. flavus were marked at 10 mg/ml (i.e. 78.6% aft. B₁ and 75.1% growth). Growth and aflatoxin production were co-related processes.     

Serum antioxidant enzyme activity in Parkinson's disease

Summary The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHP_x; EC 1.11.1.9.), the enzymes that metabolize the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, respectively, were measured in serum from healthy subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The activities of SOD and GSHP_x in patients with PD were higher than those in normal healthy individuals. These results suggest that the increased activities of these enzymes could be due to oxidative stress in the initial stages of this disease.     

Oxygen free radicals in volume overload heart failure

It has been suggested that oxygen free radicals (OFR) depress the excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle. It is possible that a decrease in the cardiac contractility in the failing heart may be due to an increased OFR producing activity of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes. We studied the OFR producing activity (chemiluminescence) of PMN leukocytes from blood in dogs with heart failure due to chronic volume overload. The animals were divided into two groups: I) normal, (n = 10): II) dogs with mitral insufficiency (MI) of 6 to 9 months duration, (n = 10). Hemodynamic studies were done to establish the presence of heart failure. Blood samples were collected to measure PMN leukocyte chemiluminescence. There was a decrease in the cardiac index and index of myocardial contractility (dp/dt/IIP) and an increase in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in dogs with MI indicating left ventricular failure. The peak chemiluminescent activity of the PMN leukocytes in blood of dogs with failure was about four folds greater than that in the blood from normal dogs. These results suggest that there may be an increased OFR generation in dogs with volume overload heart failure. The decrease in the myocardial contractility in the failing heart might be due to an increase in the OFR produced by the PMN leukocytes.     

Oxygen-derived free radicals and hemolysis during open heart surgery

Reperfusion injury occurs during open-heart surgery after prolonged cardioplegic arrest. Cardiopulmonary bypass also is known to cause hemolysis. Since reperfusion of ischemic myocardium is associated with the generation of oxygen free radicals, and since free radicals can attack a protein molecule, it seems reasonable to assume that hemolysis might be the consequence of free radical attack on hemoglobin protein. The results of this study demonstrated that reperfusion following ischemic arrest caused an increase in free hemoglobin and free heme concentrations, simultaneously releasing free iron and generating hydroxyl radicals. In vitro studies using pure hemoglobin indicated that superoxide anion generated by the action of xanthine oxidase on xanthine could release iron from the heme ring and cause deoxygenation of oxyhemoglobin into ferrihemoglobin. This study further demonstrated that before the release of iron from the heme nucleus, oxyhemoglobin underwent deoxygenation to ferrihemoglobin. The released iron can catalyze the Fenton reaction, leading to the formation of cytotoxic hydroxyl radical (OH·). In fact, the formation of OH. in conjunction with hemolysis occurs during cardiac surgery, and when viewed in the light of the in vitro results, it seems likely that oxygen-derived free radicals may cause hemolysis during cardiopulmonary bypass and simultaneously release iron from the heme ring, which can catalyze the formation of OH·.     

Abortion in Canada: religious and ideological dimension's of women's attitudes

This paper examines a number of demographic and sociocultural factors (e.g., age, marital status, family size, religion, religious assiduity, sex-role ideology) as predictors of women's attitudes toward abortion, using data from the Canadian Fertility Survey of 1984. The findings suggest that women's abortion attitudes are to a greater extent based on ideological positions. It appears that anti-abortion stance affects those women who are religious, presumably by increasing the relationship between their general sex-role ideological stances and abortion attitudes. Abortion attitudes also vary according to a woman's education, her size, and province/region of residence.     

Effect of atrazine on some aspects of lipid metabolism in fresh water fish

The impact of atrazine, a triazine herbicide, on the lipid metabolism of fish, Sarotherodon mossambica was studied. Significant changes were reported in the lipid profiles of liver and muscle as a function of exposure period.     

Effect of nitrogen and chlormequat chloride on the seed yield and oil content of mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss)

The growth of mustard was increased significantly when treated with up to 80 kg N ha^–1 (N₈₀). Spraying with (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammoniumchloride (chlormequat chloride) increased seed yield and seed protein content. Spraying nitrogen fertilized plots with chlormequat chloride, increased leaf area, leaf area ratio, leaf area duration, number of siliquae plant^–1, number of seeds siliqua^–1 and length of siliqua. Reducing, non-reducing and total sugars in the leaves at 80 days after sowing were also affected significantly. Chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll were little affected. The number of siliquae plant^–1 was highly correlated with seed yield in both the seasons of experimentation. The correlation coefficient value () was 0.586 in 1982/83 and 0.912 in 1983/84.The total accumulation of nutrients, i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in seed and straw was significantly affected by N₈₀ × chlormequat chloride interaction.     

Monitoring and control of biotechnological production processes by Bio-FET-FIA-sensors

Summary Single and multisensor field effect transistors (FET) with a pH-sensitive Si/SiO₂/Si₃N₄/Ta₂O₅-gate and reference electrode (for single sensor) were developed and used for manufacturing the following biological (Bio)-FETs: for glucose analysis, glucose oxidase-FET (GOD-FET); for urea analysis, urease-FET; and for cephalosporin C analysis, cephalosporinase-FET. The GOD-FETs were integrated into flow injection analysis (FIA) of the Eppendorf variables analyser (EVA) system and used for monitoring the glucose concentration in microbial cultivation and production processes with recombinant Escherichia coli K12 MF, recombinant E. coli JM103, Saccharomyces cerevisiae H620, and Candida boidinii. Urease-FET-FIA was used to monitor the urea concentration in a simulated cultivation of Cephalosporium acremonium and urease-FET-FIA and GOD-FET-FIA for the monitoring of urea and glucose concentrations in simulated S. cerevisiae cultivations.