Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on treatment of experimentally induced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis in a rabbit model

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a natural bee-produced compound, and compared it with corticosteroids in the treatment of experimentally induced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) endophthalmitis in addition to intravitreal antibiotics. An experimental endophthalmitis model was produced in 24 New Zealand albino rabbits by unilateral intravitreal injection of 0.1 ml of 4.7 x 10(4) colony-forming units (CFU) methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. The animals were then divided randomly into three treatment groups and a control group, group 1 (six rabbits), received only intravitreal vancomycin (1.0 mg/0.1 ml); group 2 (six rabbits), received both intravitreal vancomycin (1.0 mg/0.1 ml) and intravitreal dexamethasone (400 microg/0.1 ml) and group 3 (six rabbits), received both intravitreal vancomycin (1.0 mg/0.1 ml) and subtenon CAPE (10 mg/0.3 ml) after 24 h post-infection. No treatment was given to the control group. Treatment efficacy was assessed by clinical examination, vitreous culture and histopathology. There were no statististically significant differences between clinical scores of all groups in examinations at 24 and 48 h post-infection (p = 0.915 and p = 0.067 respectively), but in examinations at 72 h post-infection and after 7 days post-infection, although the clinical scores of treatment groups were not significantly different from each other, they were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). The culture results of all groups were sterile. As a result, CAPE was found to be as effective as dexamethasone in reducing inflammation in the treatment of experimental MRSE endophthalmitis when used with antibiotics. More studies are needed to determine the optimal administration route and effective dosage of this compound.     

Irbesartan decreased mitochondrial stress related apoptosis in cisplatin induced acute kidney injury via regulating BCL-2/BAX signaling

Molecular Biology Reports - Cisplatin (CPN) is used in the treatment of various cancers. However, the especially nephrotoxic effect is limiting its use. We aimed to evaluate the renoprotective...     

Lower plasticity exhibited by high- versus mid-elevation species in their phenological responses to manipulated temperature and drought

Background and Aims Recent global changes, particularly warming and drought, have had worldwide repercussions on the timing of flowering events for many plant species. Phenological shifts have also been reported in alpine environments, where short growing seasons and low temperatures make reproduction particularly challenging, requiring fine-tuning to environmental cues. However, it remains unclear if species from such habitats, with their specific adaptations, harbour the same potential for phenological plasticity as species from less demanding habitats.Methods Fourteen congeneric species pairs originating from mid and high elevation were reciprocally transplanted to common gardens at 1050 and 2000 m a.s.l. that mimic prospective climates and natural field conditions. A drought treatment was implemented to assess the combined effects of temperature and precipitation changes on the onset and duration of reproductive phenophases. A phenotypic plasticity index was calculated to evaluate if mid- and high-elevation species harbour the same potential for plasticity in reproductive phenology.Key Results Transplantations resulted in considerable shifts in reproductive phenology, with highly advanced initiation and shortened phenophases at the lower (and warmer) site for both mid- and high-elevation species. Drought stress amplified these responses and induced even further advances and shortening of phenophases, a response consistent with an ‘escape strategy’. The observed phenological shifts were generally smaller in number of days for high-elevation species and resulted in a smaller phenotypic plasticity index, relative to their mid-elevation congeners.Conclusions While mid- and high-elevation species seem to adequately shift their reproductive phenology to track ongoing climate changes, high-elevation species were less capable of doing so and appeared more genetically constrained to their specific adaptations to an extreme environment (i.e. a short, cold growing season).     

The effect of glutamine on radiation-induced organ damage

Radiation enteritis is a significant clinical problem in patients receiving ionizing radiation directed to the abdomen or pelvis. Although radiation is aimed to be directed against the malignant tissue, adjacent healthy tissues are also affected. The small intestine is the most sensitive organ to radiation. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effect of glutamine against radiation-induced intestinal, hepatic and pancreatic toxicity. Rats received 1 g/kg/day glutamine for seven days before irradiation and continued for three days after irradiation until sacrifice. Then intestinal, pancreatic and hepatic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and caspase-3 activities of the sacrificed rats were measured. Irradiation significantly increased the intestinal and pancreatic MPO and caspase-3 activities and MDA levels in comparison to sham group. Glutamine treatment significantly decreased this elevation. Histopathological examination revealed that the intestinal mucosal structure was preserved and pancreatic inflammation decreased in the glutamine treated group. In irradiation group, NF-kappaB over expression was detected. There was no significant difference in histopathological and biochemical examinations of the liver between the groups. In conclusion, glutamine has beneficial effects on intestinal and pancreatic damage in abdominal irradiation through the inflammatory process and apoptosis.     

Purification of carbonic anhydrase from dog erythrocytes and investigation of in vitro inhibition by various compounds

The enzyme carbonic anhydrase (E.C. 4.2.1.1) has a stimulatory effect on glaucoma, an eye disease that has a risk to dogs, which are models for the human eye disease, that is similar to that in humans. In this study, some sulfonamide derivatives, 2-(3-cyclohexene-1-carbamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-5-sulfonamide (CCTS), 4-(3-cyclohexene-1-carbamido) methyl-benzenesulfonamide (CCBS), 2-(9-octadecenoylamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-5-sulfonamide (ODTS), 2-(4,7,10-trioxa-tetradecanoylamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-5-sulfonamide (TDTS), and 2-(8-methoxycoumarine-3-carbamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-5-sulfonamide (MCTS), as well as some anionic compounds (perchlorate and chloride) and existing medicines (dorzolamide-HCl, gentamicine sulphate, tropicamide, and procaine-HCl) were assayed for their inhibition of dog carbonic anhydrase (dCA), which was purified from erythrocytes on an affinity gel of L-tyrosine-sulfonamide-Sepharose 4B. ODTS showed the highest potency amongst the synthetic compounds with IC50 value 1.18 x 10(-5) M. Amongst the medicines tested, only dorzolamide showed inhibition with IC50 value 5.05 x 10(-4) M. Procaine and tropicamide actually showed an activatory effect, whereas gentamicine sulfate had no significant effect. The inhibitory effects of anionic compounds such as perchlorate and chloride were also investigated; whereas perchlorate showed inhibition, chloride did not.     

Generation,characterization, and heterologous expression of wild-type and up-regulated forms of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a key enzyme in starch biosynthesis of higher plants, consists of a pair of regulatory large (LS) and catalytically small (SS) subunits. In plants, these subunits are coded by multiple genes resulting in the formation of tissue-specific enzyme forms, which are differentially regulated during plant growth and development. Some AGPase isoforms differ in catalytic and regulatory properties as well as intracellular location. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the role of the leaf AGPase in carbon partitioning and its effect on plant productivity, the Arabidopsis leaf AGPase containing the mature forms of the SS and LS was expressed in a heterologous expression system and characterized enzymatically. The Arabidopsis recombinant AGPase had kinetic values for 3-phosphoglyceric acid, glucose-1-phosphate and Mg(2+) similar to those of the native enzyme. As the N-terminus of the LS has been suggested to be involved in enzyme function, the length of the N-terminal region was extended or shortened. Of the five modified LSs analyzed, only the T5 form lacking six residues of the mature N-terminus was able to form detectable levels of enzyme activity, indicating that the N-terminal region is critical for enzyme function. Two up-regulatory LS mutations that allosterically activate the potato enzyme, a stem isoform, were introduced into the corresponding Arabidopsis LS sequences and co-expressed with wild-type SS. Both modified enzymes showed up-regulatory properties, indicating that these specific residue changes were also operational in the leaf isoform.     

The Effects of Levosimendan Exposure on Oxidant/Antioxidant Status and Trace Element Levels in the Pulmonary Artery of Rats

We investigated both the effect of levosimendan and the role of oxidant/antioxidant status and trace element levels in the pulmonary artery of rats. Fourteen male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into two groups of seven animals each. Group 1 was not exposed to levosimendan and served as a control. Levosimendan (12 μg/kg) diluted in 10 ml 0.9 % NaCl was administered intraperitoneally to group 2. Animals of both groups were killed after 3 days, and their pulmonary arteries were harvested to determine changes in tissue oxidant/antioxidant status and trace element levels. The animals in both groups were killed 72 h after the levosimendan exposure treatment, and pulmonary arteries were harvested to determine levels of the lipid peroxidation product MDA and the antioxidant GSH as well as the decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GSH-Px and CAT. It was found that MDA levels increased in pulmonary artery tissues of rats after levosimendan administration. The GSH level decreased in the pulmonary artery of rats after levosimendan treatment. Co, Mn, Fe, Cd and Pb levels were significantly higher (P < 0.001) and Mg, Zn and Cu levels significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the levosimendan group compared to the control group. These results suggest that levosimendan treatment caused an increase in free radical production and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity in the pulmonary artery of levosimendan-treated rats. It also caused a decrease or increase in the levels of many minerals in the pulmonary artery, which is an undesirable condition for normal pharmacological function.     

沙尘胁迫对阿月浑子光合作用及叶绿素荧光特性的影响

为了探讨长期沙尘胁迫下阿月浑子叶片光合性能的变化机制,以室内盆栽阿月浑子为材料,对叶片进行覆盖厚度为2mg/cm2(轻度),9 mg/cm2(重度)的沙尘处理,无沙尘覆盖为对照,并分别在处理后第7天、14天、28天和42天,测定叶片光合CO2同化速率,叶绿素含量以及叶绿素荧光特性等参数。结果表明,阿月浑子叶片的净光合速率(Pn)和气孔导度(Gs)随沙尘处理时间延长而下降,重度沙尘处理下Pn和Gs下降幅度比轻度大,胞间CO2浓度(Ci)处理前期增加而后期下降,重度沙尘处理下Ci增幅比轻度小;叶绿素a(Chl-a)、叶绿素b(Chl-b)和总叶绿素含量均随处理时间的延长而下降,在重度沙尘处理下下降幅度比轻度沙尘处理大,Chl-a的下降速率大于Chl-b,叶绿素a和b的比值(Chl-a/Chl-b)在重度沙尘处理下逐渐下降,而在轻度沙尘处理下呈升-降-升趋势;PSⅡ最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)不同程度下降,在重度沙尘处理下下降幅度比轻度沙尘处理大;轻度沙尘覆盖下实际光化学效率(ΦPSⅡ)及非环式电子传递效率(ETR)在处理第42天显著下降,而重度覆盖处理先急剧下降,后期逐渐恢复;非光化学荧光猝灭(NPQ)在轻度胁迫下先下降而后逐步上升,在重度处理下则在处理前期就迅速上升。从而得出结论,阿月浑子轻度沙尘胁迫条件下前期其光合作用非气孔限制贡献率大于气孔限制,随胁迫时间气孔限制逐渐占优势,并且随处理时间的延长其吸收的光能用于保护性耗散量逐渐增加,使其光合CO2同化效率下降。