Thymoquinone is protective against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin induced hepatotoxicity

We investigated changes in rat liver tissues following administration of thymoquinone (TQ) against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induced hepatotoxicity. Fifty rats were assigned randomly to five groups of 10 as follows: control, corn oil, TCDD, TQ and TCDD + TQ. Biochemical and histopathological analyses were conducted on liver tissue. We found that 30 day TCDD administration caused histopathological changes in liver including thickening of Glisson’s capsule, intracytoplasmic vacuolization in hepatocytes, sinusoidal dilation, vascular and sinusoidal congestion and inflammatory cell infiltration. TCDD administration increased malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in rat liver tissue and reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels compared to all other groups. In the TQ treated group, GSH, SOD, CAT and TAS levels increased compared to all other groups. MDA, TOS, ALT, AST, ALP levels decreased compared to all other groups. Our histological findings were consistent with the biochemical findings. The oxidative and histologic effects of TCDD were eliminated by TQ treatment. TCDD administration caused oxidative stress in rat liver and TQ administered with TCDD prevented TCDD induced hepatotoxicity. TQ could be considered an alternative anti-TCDD toxicity agent.     

Diet of the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris galeata Pallas) in the Waza region of North Cameroon

Through laboratory and field experiments, we investigated the effect of food availability and food nutritive value on food selection by helmeted guineafowl ( Numida meleagris galeata Pallas) during the dry season in the Waza region of North Cameroon. Field study and crop analysis shows that a wide variety of food types are eaten by guineafowl during the dry season. Analysis of 101 crops from wild birds reveals a statistically significant positive correlation between the sodium and water content of food items and the quantity found in the crops. Rhizomes of Stylochiton lancifolius and termites form the bulk of the diet of this species during the dry season. It is concluded that the selection of water‐rich food may be an adaptation to dry environment.     

Acriflavin Induction of Dyskinetoplasy in Leptomonas karyophilus*

SYNOPSIS. Acriflavin concentrations of 0.025 μg/ml and higher were Lo Leptomonas karyophilus in NNN medium to which no ribohad been added, and did not bring about the production of dys plastic forms. Upon addition of 0.4 μg/ml of riboflavin, contions of acriflavin up to 10.0 μg/ml allowed growth and rein the production of up to 86% dyskinetoplastic forms. Under conditions, increasing concentrations of acriflavin decreased the growth rate while increasing the rate of production of dyskinetoplastic forms. The number of dyskinetoplastic forms increased with time while the number of kinetoplastic forms remained approximately constant or decreased due to death. At a concentration of 1.0 μg/ml acriflavin and 0.4 μg/ml riboflavin, growth was primarily due to the production of dyskinetoplastic forms.     

Changes in Structure of Phytomonas elmassiani in Experimental Infections of Apocynaceae, a Presumably Foreign Plant Host

SYNOPSIS. Allamanda nereifolia and Plumeria rubra, plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae were infected experimentally with the trypanosomatid flagellate, Phytomonas elmassiani. In these presumably exotic hosts, P. elmassiani, ordinarily infecting plants belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae, underwent marked structural changes. The presence of numerous choanomastigote like organisms along with a certain proportion of promastigotes and amastigotes, would, under ordinary circumstances, result in classification of the infecting organisms as Crithidia. Obviously, the change in environment from Asclepiadaceae to the closely related Apocynaceae, exerts a profound influence on structure of the organism.