Effects of neonatal gonadal steroids on adult CA3 pyramidal neuron dendritic morphology and spatial memory in rats

The hippocampus is implicated in spatial cognition, which is sexually dimorphic and developmentally sensitive to gonadal steroids. Previously we have shown a sex difference in CA3 pyramidal cell layer volume and neuronal soma size that was reversible with neonatal castration in males or prenatal treatment of females with either testosterone propionate (TP) or a nonaromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone propionate, but not estradiol benzoate, all of which correlated with adult water maze navigation. The present study further investigates developmental androgen sensitivity of CA3 pyramidal neurons by measuring dendritic morphology and its relation to adult spatial ability. Female rats were injected with TP on postnatal day (P) 3 and P5 or ovariectomized (OVX) on P2, and male rats were castrated on P2, with or without testosterone replacement (Cas+T). Sham surgery controls were also included. Animals were tested on a water maze in adulthood, sacrificed, and CA3 pyramidal neurons were Golgi-stained and reconstructed in three dimensions using a computer-interfaced morphometry system. High-androgen groups (control males, Cas+T, TP females) performed better in spatial navigation and exhibited CA3 neurons with longer dendrites, a larger number of dendritic branches, and volumes of influence compared to low-androgen groups (control females, castrated males, OVX). Collectively, these findings indicate that the critical time period for organizational effects of androgens on the CA3 pyramidal neurons includes both prenatal and postnatal life, during which time androgens regulate developmental events such as somal growth and neuronal differentiation, all of which significantly contribute to establishing the sex difference in adult spatial navigation.     

Antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in type II diabetes mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), a state of chronic hyperglycaemia, is a common disease affecting over 124 million individuals worldwide. In this study, erythrocyte glutathione levels, lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase and some extracellular antioxidant protein levels of patients with type II diabetes mellitus and healthy controls were investigated. Thirty-eight patients (21 males; with age of mean +/- SD, 53.1+/-9.7 years) and 18 clinically healthy subjects (10 males; with age of mean +/- SD, 49.3+/-15.2 years) were included in the study. Levels of erythrocyte lipid peroxidation, serum ceruloplasmin and glucose levels, HbA1C levels, and erythrocyte catalase activity were significantly increased, whereas serum albumin and transferrin levels, erythrocyte glutathione levels, and glutathione peroxidase activity were significantly decreased compared to those of controls. There was no significant difference in superoxide dismutase activity compared to controls. The results suggest that the antioxidant deficiency and excessive peroxide-mediated damage may appear in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.     

Effect of Coronatine on Antioxidant Enzyme Response of Chickpea Roots to Combination of PEG-Induced Osmotic Stress and Heat Stress

Abiotic stresses, such as high temperature and drought, are major limiting factors of crop production and growth. Coronatine (COR), a structural and functional analog of jasmonates, is suggested to have a role in abiotic stress tolerance. The aim of our study was to examine whether pretreatment with COR enhances the tolerance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv ICC 4958) roots to PEG-induced osmotic stress, heat stress, and their combination. Therefore, seedlings raised hydroponically in a growth chamber for 15 days were pretreated with or without COR at 0.01 μM for 24 h and then exposed to 6 % PEG 6000-induced osmotic stress or heat (starting at 35 °C and then gradually increased 1 °C every 15 min and kept at 44 °C for 1 h) stress for 3 days. After different treatment periods, the changes in relative growth rate (RGR); malondialdehyde (MDA), proline (Pro), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) contents; and the activities of antioxidant enzymes/isoenzymes in roots of chickpea seedlings with or without 0.01 μM COR application were studied. RGR in roots was increased by COR application. Under all stress conditions, H₂O₂, MDA, and Pro levels increased sharply, but pretreatment with COR significantly reduced them. Moreover, COR increased the activities of H₂O₂ scavenger enzymes such as catalase (CAT) under heat stress, ascorbate peroxidase (POX) under PEG stress, and CAT and POX under combined stresses. Therefore, COR might alleviate adverse effects of PEG stress and heat stress and combined stresses on roots of chickpea by reduction of H₂O₂ production, enhancing or keeping the existent activity of antioxidant enzymes, thereby preventing membrane peroxidation.     

Dosimetric and physical comparison of IMRT and CyberKnife plans in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

Aim

The aim of our study was the dosimetric and physical evaluation of the CK and IMRT treatment plans for 16 patients with localized prostate cancer.

Background

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is one of the recent technical advances in radiotherapy. The prostate is a well suited site to be treated with IMRT. The challenge of accurately delivering the IMRT needs to be supported by new advances such as image-guidance and four-dimensional computed conformal radiation therapy (4DCRT) tomography. CyberKnife (CK) provides real time orthogonal X-ray imaging of the patient during treatment course to follow gold fiducials installed into the prostate and to achieve motion correlation between online acquired X-ray imaging and digital reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) which are obtained from planning computed tomography images by translating and rotating the treatment table in five directions.

Methods and materials

Sixteen IMRT and CK plans were performed to be compared in terms of conformity (CI), heterogeneity indices (HI), percentage doses of 100% (V100), 66% (V66), 50% (V50), 33% (V33) and 10% (V10) volumes of the bladder and rectum. Dose-volume histograms for target and critical organs, (CI) and indices (HI) and isodose lines were analyzed to evaluate the treatment plans.

Results

Statistically significant differences in the percentage rectal doses delivered to V10, V33, and V50 of the rectum were detected in favor of the CK plans (p values; <0.001, <0.001 and 0.019, respectively). The percentage doses for V66 and V100 of the rectum were larger in CK plans (13%, 2% in IMRT and 21%, 3% in CK plans, respectively). Percentage bladder doses for V10 and V33 were significantly lower in CK plans [96% in IMRT vs 48% in CK (p < 0.001) and 34% in IMRT vs 24% in CK (p = 0.047)]. Lower percentage doses were observed for V50, V66 of the bladder for the IMRT. They were 5.4% and 3.45% for IMRT and 13.4% and 8.05% for CK, respectively. Median CI of planning target volume (PTV) for IMRT and CK plans were 0.94 and 1.23, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Both systems have a very good ability to create highly conformal volumetric dose distributions. Median HI of PTV for IMRT and CK plans were 1.08 and 1.33, respectively (p < 0.001).     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel 1‐(4‐(Hydroxy(1‐oxo‐1,3‐dihydro‐2H‐inden‐2‐ylidene)methyl)phenyl)‐3‐phenylurea Derivatives

A series of novel phenylurea containing 2‐benzoylindan‐1‐one derivatives 3a  –  3j were synthesized from the reaction of phenylurea‐substituted acetophenones 1a  –  1j with phthalaldehyde 2 under mild reaction conditions in good yields. All synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The obtained compounds ( 3a  –  3j ) were evaluated for anticancer activity against HeLa and C6 cell lines. Antiproliferative activity was determined by the BrdU proliferation ELISA assay, 3f and 3g were found to be most active compounds. The compounds were also screened for antimicrobial activity and all compounds showed remarkable activity against used microorganisms.     

Issue information

Benzothiazepine compounds have a wide range of applications such as antibacterial, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antihypertensives, antibiotics, antifungal, hypnotic, enzyme inhibitors, antitumor, anticancer and anti‐HIV agents. In this study, the synthesis of novel tetralone‐based benzothiazepine derivatives ( 1–16 ) and their in vitro antibacterial activity and human carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I and II (hCA I and II) inhibitory effects were investigated. Both isoenzymes were purified by sepharose‐4B‐l ‐tyrosine‐sulfanilamide affinity chromatography from fresh human red blood cells. All compounds demonstrated the low nanomolar inhibitory effects on both isoenzymes using esterase activity. Benzothiazepine derivative 2 demonstrated the best hCA I inhibitory effect with K_i value of 18.19 nM. Also, benzothiazepine derivative 7 showed the best hCA II inhibitory effect with K_i value of 11.31 nM. On the other hand, acetazolamide clinically used as CA inhibitor, showed K_i value of 19.92 nM against hCA I and 33.60 nM against hCA II, respectively.     

Effects of drag reducing polymer on atherosclerosis

In order to determine the effect of drag reducing polymers on the occurrence of atherosclerosis, the Guinea pigs were used as the experimental animals. The inhibitory effect of a drag reducing polymer (polyacrylamide) on atherosclerosis in the aortas of Guinea pigs on a high cholesterol diet (2%) was investigated over a period of 6 months. The aortas, livers, kidneys and lungs of the animals, which were separated into four experimental groups (control, polymer, cholesterol and cholesterol + polymer) were also investigated both macroscopically and light microscopically. The selected physiological parameters such as, plasma cholesterol levels, plasma hemoglobin, hematocrit and total lipid values were determined at regular intervals for each group. The results indicate that the atherosclerosis in aorta of the animals receiving the polymer injection is suppressed significantly and the drag reducing water soluble polymers may be effectively applied against atherosclerosis.     

Secretory Expression of Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF165) in Kluyveromyces lactis and Characterization of Its Biological Activity

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) is the best characterized member and most potent endothelial cell mitogenic factor...