Conserved and non-conserved loci of the glucagon gene in old world ruminating ungulates

The homology and diversification of genomic sequence encoding glucagon gene among native Egyptian buffalos, camel and sheep were tested using cattle as model. Oligodeoxynucleotide primers designed from the available GenBank data were used for PCR probing of the glucagon gene encoding sequence at different loci. The DNA oligomer probes were constructed to flank either the whole gene encoding sequence or different intra-gene encoding sequences. The PCR products were visualized using agarose gel electrophoresis. All species showed a same size band of prepro-glucagon when PCR was used to amplify the whole gene encoding sequence. In contrary, amplifications of different intra-gene loci failed to give the same results. The results indicated variable degrees of diversity among old world ruminating ungulates in the glucagon gene encoding sequence. Compared with other ruminants, the variation appears predominantly in camel. Surprisingly, the similarity in size between both amplification products of whole gene encoding sequence and the proposed size of glucagon cDNA definitely excludes the possibility of large intervening introns spanning the genomic sequence of the glucagon gene in these species. This indicates that, in contrast to other tested mammals, the glucagon gene includes an essentially full-length copy of glucagon mRNA. The study revealed a possible new aspect of glucagon gene evolution in order to correlate its corresponding protein function among different ruminant species.     

Diacerein ameliorates acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in rats via inhibiting HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB and upregulating PPAR-γ signal

Molecular Biology Reports - Acetaminophen (APAP) is a worldwide antipyretic as well as an analgesic medication. It has been extensively utilized during the outbreak of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)....     

Mechanistic Insights into Ameliorating Effect of Geraniol on d-Galactose Induced Memory Impairment in Rats

Geraniol (GE), an important ingredient in several essential oils, displayed pleiotropic biological activities through targeting multiple signaling cascades. In the current study, we aimed to examine the protective effect of GE on d-galactose (d-gal) induced cognitive impairment and explore the underlying mechanisms. Forty male Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were randomly categorized into 4 groups; Group I (saline?+?vehicle [edible oil]), group II (saline?+?geraniol) (100 mg/kg/day orally), group III (d-galactose) (100 mg/kg/day subcutaneously injected), and group IV (d-galactose?+?geraniol). Behavioral impairments were evaluated. Brain levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activities were estimated. The levels of inflammatory markers [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kβ)], endoplasmic reticulum stress sensors [inositol requiring protein 1(IRE1) and protein kinase RNA–like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)], brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway were measured by ELISA. Also, hippocampal histopathological assessment and immunohistochemical analysis of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and caspase-3 were performed. Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) mRNA expression and protein levels were assessed. GE effectively ameliorated aging-related memory impairment through increasing GSH, BDNF, Ach levels, and SOD activity. Additionally, GE treatment caused a decrease in the levels of MDA, inflammatory mediators, and ER stress sensors as well as the AchE activity together with concomitant down-regulation of GRP78 and CHOP mRNA expression. Moreover, GE improved neuronal architecture and rat's spatial memory; this is evidenced by the shortened escape latency and increased platform crossing number. Therefore, GE offers a unique pharmacological approach for aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders.

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Systemic Regulation of Host Energy and Oogenesis by Microbiome-Derived Mitochondrial Coenzymes

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Lycopene is superior to moringa in improving fertility markers in diet-induced obesity male rats

Obesity is a condition of chronic tissue inflammation and oxidative stress that poses as a risk factor for male infertility. Moringa oleifera oil extract is known to have cholesterol-lowering properties and a potential to treat obesity, while lycopene is a potent antioxidant. We hypothesize that Moringa or lycopene may improve male fertility markers in an animal model of diet-induced obesity. Male Albino rats (n = 60) were randomized to receive regular chow (RC) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks (n = 30 each). Animals in each arm were further randomized to receive gavage treatment with corn oil (vehicle), lycopene (10 mg/kg), or Moringa (400 mg/kg) for four weeks starting on week 9 (n = 10 each). Animals were sacrificed at 12 weeks, and blood was collected to assess lipid profile, serum testosterone, and gonadotropin levels. The testes and epididymides were removed for sperm analysis, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, and histopathological assessment. In comparison to their RC littermates, animals on HFD showed an increase in body weights, serum lipids, testosterone and gonadotrophin levels, testicular oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, as well as sperm abnormalities and disrupted testicular histology. Moringa or lycopene reduced body weight, improved oxidative stress, and male fertility markers in HFD-fed animals with lycopene exhibiting better anti-antioxidant and anti-lipidemic effects. Lycopene is superior to Moringa in improving male fertility parameters, possibly by attenuating oxidative stress.     

Urinary gonadotropin and estrogen excretion during the postpartum estrus,conception, and pregnancy in the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus oedipus)

Hormonal profiles during postpartum estrus, time of conception, and pregnancy were determined in urine samples from six cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus oedipus). Noninvasive collection techniques permitted daily sampling throughout lactation and pregnancy. Urinary estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and both bioactive and immunoreactive luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) measures revealed an interval of 19 ± 2.07 (S E M) days between parturition and the postpartum ovulatory LH peak. An increase in both E1 and E2 was seen prior to the LH peak; however, E1 and E2 continued to increase to their highest concentrations after the LH peak. Since postpartum ovulations resulted in pregnancy, neither postpartum estrus nor conception was suppressed by lactation. The length of gestation (measured from the LH peak to parturition) was 183.7 ± 1.14 (S E M) days, which is at least 30 days longer than that previously reported for other callitrichid species. Both E1 and E2 reached their maximum levels during midpregnancy but showed a rapid decline at parturition. Gestational levels of CG were first detectable approximately 20 days after the LH peak and continued to be elevated for approximately 80 days. The Sub-Human Primate Tube Test (SHPTT) for pregnancy did not detect the LH Peak and was less sensitive than other methods in detecting CG. Two RIA methods and a bioassay technique could not distinguish between LH and CG. We concluded that monitoring both estrogen and LH concentration was needed to determine when ovulation occurs in the cotton-top tamarin, since peak values of estrogen are seen after the ovulatory LH peak. Also, these tamarins were pregnant the majority of the time, indicating an unusually high fertility rate in contrast to most noncallitrichid primate species.     

GABAA receptor subunit polypeptides increase in parallel but exhibit distinct distributions in the developing rat cerebellum

The GABA_A receptor, a multisubunit ligand-gated ion channel, plays a central role in cell–cell communication in the developing and adult nervous system. Although the developmental expression of mRNAs encoding many subunit isoforms has been extensively characterized throughout the central nervous system, little is known concerning the relationship between subunit mRNA and polypeptide expression. To address this issue, we examined the developmental expression of the α1, β2/3, and γ2 subunit polypeptides, subunits that are thought to coassemble in many brain regions. Western blot analysis using subunit-specific antibodies revealed that the levels of these polypeptides in both the cerebral cortex and cerebellum increased severalfold during the second postnatal week. Whereas polypeptide expression in the cerebellum paralleled that of the corresponding subunit mRNAs, increase in β2/3 and γ2 polypeptide expression in the cerebral cortex occurred in the absence of detectable changes in the mRNA levels. To determine whether the increases in subunit polypeptide expression in the cerebellum were accompanied by changes in distribution, immunohistochemistry was performed. These studies demonstrated that the subunits exhibited different but partially overlapping distributions that remained constant throughout postnatal development. Our findings suggest that although GABA_A receptor subunit polypeptide expression may be regulated primarily at the level of the mRNA, additional regulatory mechanisms may play role. Furthermore, the observation that subunit distribution remains constant in the cell bodies of cerebellar Purkinje neurons, which express the α1, β2, β3, and γ2 subunit mRNAs exclusively, suggests that GABA_A receptor subunit composition in this cell population does not change during postnatal maturation. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Natural occurrence of mycotoxins in different spices in Egypt

A total of 120 different samples belonging to 24 kinds of spices collected from different places atAssiut Governorate (Egypt) were examined for the natural occurrence of mycotoxins. TLC analysis of spice extracts revealed the presence of aflatoxins (8–35 μg/kg) in 16 samples of anise, black pepper, caraway, black cumin, fennel, peppermint, coriander and marjoram, sterigmatocystin (10–23 μg/kg) in ten samples of red pepper, caraway, cumin and marjoram and citrinin (8–12 ⧎g/kg) in two samples of black cumin, while ochratoxin A and zearalenone could not be detected.