Antinociceptive Effects in Normal and Diabetic Rats Exposed to 50?Hz Magnetic Field

The effects of repeated applications of alternating sinusoidal 50 Hz magnetic field, MF (B = 5.0 mT, 165-minlong sessions everyday, each including four 30-min-long exposures separated by 15-min-long intervals, carried out for 30 days), on thermonociception (estimated using the tail-flick test) were examined in intact rats, diabetic rats (induction by streptozotocin), and diabetic rats treated with insulin. Exposures to MF led to mild (several percent) increases in the tail-flick latency, TFL, immediately after each session and a sustained rather significant rise in this parameter (increment up to 40 %) developing with some delay, from 2 to 4 days. The latter effect was limited in time (lasting 2 days long); then, the TFLs tended to rapidly return to initial (or nearly initial) values. This intense hypoalgesic effect induced by MF exposures was observed on days 3 and 4 in normal rats, on days 4 and 5 in diabetic rats, and on days 5 and 6 in diabetic rats treated with insulin. Significant increases in the mean arterial blood pressure were observed in diabetic rats; exposures to MF exerted no significant influence on this parameter in both normal and diabetic animals. Mechanisms of the development of diabetic neuropathy and those of the hypoalgesic actions of MF are discussed. The MF-induced antinociception seems to be, in future, an attractive choice for the relief of acute and chronic symptoms in diabetic neuropathy, but further detailed studies are necessary to find optimum MF parameters, modes of application, and “time windows.”     

Hydrogels Composed of Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes with PLGA-PEG-PLGA Triblock Copolymers as Drug Delivery Systems

Although conventional pharmaceuticals have many drug dosage forms on the market, the development of new therapeutic molecules and the low efficacy of instant release formulations for the treatment of some chronic diseases and specific conditions encourage scientists to invent different delivery systems. To this purpose, a supramolecular hydrogel consisting of the tri-block copolymer PLGA-PEG-PLGA and α-cyclodextrin was fabricated for the first time and characterised in terms of rheological, morphological, and structural properties. Naltrexone hydrochloride and vitamin B12 were loaded, and their release profiles were determined.     

Effect of salt stress on lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities of Lycopersicon esculentum and L. pennellii

In this study, a relationship between lipid peroxidation, the antioxidant defense system and salt stress in salt-sensitive cultivated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and its salt-tolerant wild relative (L. pennellii) was established. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly higher in the leaves of L. pennellii than those of L. esculentum after 12 and 84 d. POX activity showed a gradual increase in both cultivars under 70 mM NaCl. POX activity in L. pennellii significantly increased after 6 and 84 d whereas showed no remarkable change in leaves of L. esculentum under 140 mM NaCl. A higher salinity tolerance of L. pennellii was also correlated with a lower lipid peroxidation, which might be due to a higher content of antioxidant enzymes studied.     

Arginine Silicate Inositol Complex Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing

The objective of this study was to assess the accumulation and depletion of cadmium in the blood, milk, hair, feces, and urine of Holstein cows during and after treatment. Three Holstein cows received daily oral cadmium administrations (as cadmium chloride) of 0.182 mg/kg body weight/day for 21 days followed by a 63-day withdrawal period. Blood, milk, hair, feces, and urine were collected during treatment and withdrawal periods. Cadmium concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Cadmium concentrations in blood (0.61–1.12 μg/L), milk (0.39–1.04 μg/L), and urine (0.41–2.05 μg/L) were low. Comparatively, cadmium concentrations in feces were higher, especially on treatment day 14 (20.11 mg/kg dry matter). Fecal cadmium concentrations decreased to baseline levels (0.12 mg/kg dry matter) on withdrawal day 21. Hair cadmium concentrations increased with treatment, reaching the highest levels on withdrawal day 7 (24.33 μg/kg). Most of the cadmium was excreted via the feces and very little was present in urine or milk. Cadmium residues were detected in blood and milk more than 63 days after cadmium withdrawal. Hair cadmium concentrations may reflect exposure to the metal.