Variations in total phenolics during ontogenetic, morphogenetic, and diurnal cycles inHypericum species from Turkey

Several species ofHypericum are used in traditional Turkish folk medicine. Their most medicinally important secondary metabolites are the hypericins, hyperforins, and phenolics. Here, we determined the ontogenetic, morphogenetic, and diurnal variations in total phenolics contents fromH. aviculariifolium subsp.depilatum var.depilatum (endemic),H. perforation, andH. pruinatum. Plants of wild-growingH. aviculariifolium subsp.depilatum var.depilatum andH. perforatum, and greenhouse-grownH. pruinatum were harvested four times per day during their vegetative, floral-budding, full-flowering, fresh-fruiting, and mature-fruiting stages. They were then dissected into stem, leaf, and reproductive tissues to be dried separately and assayed. The highest level of phenolics inH. aviculariifolium subsp.depilatum var.depilatum andH. pruinatum was found in the leaves, whereas the floral buds produced the greatest amount inH. perforatum. Variations in contents from whole plants fluctuated diurnally, differing among species over the course of ontogenesis, reaching the highest level at floral-budding and tending to increase at mid-day inH. aviculariifolium subsp.depilatum var.depilatum. ForH. perforatum andH. pruinatum, contents also were the highest during floral development, although no diurnal fluctuations were observed in those species.     

Cox-2 gene variants in migraine

Purpose

Migraine is a multifactorial and complex disorder, and any clear diagnostic marker to assess the status of the migraineurs has not been established, yet. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce production of prostanoids including PGE2 by inhibiting COX-1 and/or COX-2, and thereby suppress inflammatory pain in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and migraine. Thus, COX-2 regulation is important in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraine. We prospectively investigated COX-2-765G → C and COX-2-1195A → G gene polymorphisms which may account for an increased risk of migraine.

Methods

The present analyses are based on 144 case subjects with migraine disease and 123 non-case subjects. Genotyping of COX-2 gene polymorphisms (COX-2-765G → C, COX-2-1195A → G) was detected by PCR-RFLP.

Results

We, for the first time, demonstrated positive association of COX-2 gene variants with an increased risk for development of migraine. Carriers of COX-2-765 C + genotype in controls were higher than in the patients (57.7% and 36.1% respectively; P < 0.0001) and the frequencies of G + genotype in patients were higher than in the controls (97.9% and 88.6% respectively; P: 0.002). In addition, frequencies of COX-2-765 GG and GC genotypes in patients were higher than in the controls (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 respectively). It seems that COX-2-765 G + genotype had increased and COX-2-765 C + genotype had decreased risk for migraine. In COX-2-1195 polymorphism only AG genotype was statistically significantly different in patients than in the controls (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our findings have suggested that COX-2-765 G + genotype could facilitate the development of migraine disease.     

The effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on Krüppel-like factor-4 expression,redox homeostasis,and inflammation in the kidney of diabetic rat

Diabetes mellitus is a complex, multifactorial disorder that is attributed to pancreatic β cell dysfunction. Pancreatic β cell dysfunction results in declining utilization of glucose by peripheral tissues as kidney and it leads to nephropathy. Excessive production and accumulation of free radicals and incapable antioxidant defense system lead to impaired redox status. Macromolecular damage may occur due to impaired redox status and also immune imbalance. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main active ingredient in cannabis. THC acts as an immunomodulator and an antioxidant agent. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of THC in the diabetic kidney. We analyzed macromolecular damage biomarkers as protein carbonyl (PCO), lipid hydroperoxide (LHP), malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and antioxidant defense system biomarkers as thiol fractions (T-SH, NP-SH, P-SH) and Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase activity for the antioxidative effects of THC. Furthermore, mRNA expression of Krüppel-like factor-4, secreted immunopositive cell number changes of interleukin-6, nuclear factor κβ (NF-κβ), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels were analyzed for the immunomodulatory activity of THC. Diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of PCO, LHP, MDA, and 8-OHdG when compared with controls (P < 0.05 for each parameter). THC significantly reduced the elevated levels of PCO and 8-OHdG (P < 0.05 for both parameters) and also LHP and MDA levels were insignificantly reduced by THC. Also, thiol fractions insignificantly increased in THC administered diabetic kidney when compared with diabetic rats. The NF-κβ cell number significantly decreased in the diabetic rats treated with THC compared with the diabetic group. According to our data, THC has ameliorative effects on the impaired redox status of diabetic kidney and also it acts as an immunomodulator. Therefore, THC might be used as a therapeutic agent for diabetic kidneys but its usage in the healthy kidney may show adverse effects.     

Contact and residual toxicities of 30 plant extracts to Colorado potato beetle larvae

Abstract

Contact and residual toxicities of 30 plant extracts were investigated on third instar larvae of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. The plant samples were collected during the spring and summer of 2002 and were dried and ground. The plant samples were treated with methanol and the residue was eluted with distilled water containing 10% acetone, resulting in plant extracts. In contact bioassays, the beetle larvae were treated with 40% (w/w) plant extract using a Potter Spray Tower. The insects were incubated at 28±2°C under a 16 h: 8 h photo regime and the mortality was recorded at 24 h intervals for 7 days. The plant extracts exhibited varying toxicity to the larvae ranging from 0 – 91% after 24 h incubation and Artemisia vulgaris, Hedera helix, Humulus lupulus, Lolium temulentum, Rubia tinctoria, Salvia officinalis, Sambucus nigra, Urtica dioica, Verbascum songaricum, and Xanthium strumarium extracts resulted in significantly higher mortality than the control. Generally, prolonged incubation time did not result in an increase in mortality. After 48 h of incubation, 10 plant extracts yielded a significant mortality and H. lupulus extract, the most toxic extract among those tested, caused 99% mortality which is similar the mortality caused by the chemical standard, imidacloprid. In residual assays, potato leaflets were treated with 20% (w/w) plant-extract concentrations using a Potter Spray Tower. Third instar larvae were added to a glass jar to which treated leaflets were transferred before incubation at the temperature and photo regime described above. Mortality was recorded at 24 h intervals for 7 days. Five plant extracts, H. lupulus, L. temulentum, Reseda lutea and Solanum nigrum, induced significantly higher mortalities compared with controls. Chenopodium album extract was the most toxic, killing 34.9% of exposed larvae, followed by L. temulentum, H. lupulus and S. nigrum after 72 h incubation. The results exhibited that certain plant extracts were toxic to the beetle larvae and may have potential for controlling this destructive pest under field conditions.     

The expression level of fibulin-2 in the circulating RNA (ctRNA) of epithelial tumor cells of peripheral blood and tumor tissue of patients with metastatic lung cancer

Molecular Biology Reports - The Fibulins are a recently discovered family of extracellular matrix proteins. In this study, expression levels of the fibulin-2 (FBLN2) gene and its role in the...     

Liver abscess due to Yersinia bacteremia in a well-controlled type I diabetic patient

Yersiniae enterocolitica, a gram negative rod-like organism, causes terminal ileitis and mesenteric adenitis in adolescents and adults. Some forms present with liver and spleen abscesses and have worse prognosis. We report a type 1 diabetic patient with a liver abscess mimicking metastatic liver disease who was successfully treated with percutaneous drainage and antibiotic administration; culture from blood was positive for Yersinia enterocolitica, but drainage material from the liver abscess did not yield a positive result for Yersinia enterocolitica. Although the prognosis is not good in such cases, with high mortality rates, our patient recovered from the disease with appropriate treatment.     

Age at maturity of some fish species distributed in Turkish marine waters (Actinopterygii and Elasmobranchii)

We collected data on the age at maturity (t_m) and maximum reported age (t_max) for 153 stocks of marine fishes in Turkey, belonging to 59 species, 24 families and 2 classes (Actinopterygii and Elasmobranchii). Among Actinopterygii t_m had an average of 1.8 years (1 to 4 years) while among Elasmobranchii it had an average of 11.9 years (2 to 11.9 years). Overall, t_max ranged between two years (for Sarda sarda) and 34 years (for Squalus acanthias). Mean t_max was found to be 6.24 years for Actinopterygii and 10.11 years for Elasmobranchii. t_m showed a positive linear correlation with t_max for both Actinopterygii and Elasmobranchii. Mean t_m?t_max did not differ significantly with sex within the Actinopterygii and Elasmobranchii. The ratio t_m?t_max was found to be significantly lower for Actinopterygii than for Elasmobranchii.     

Plant extract contact toxicities to various developmental stages of Colorado potato beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The contact toxicities of methanol extracts from the nine plant species Hedera helix, Artemisia vulgaris, Xanthium strumarium, Humulus lupulus, Sambucus nigra, Chenopodium album, Salvia officinalis, Lolium temulentum and Verbascum songaricum were tested on the developmental stages of Colorado potato beetle (CPB) (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). About 2 mL of plant extract, 40% (w/w), was applied to the first instar to fourth instar larvae and adult beetles using a Potter spray tower. Most of the tested plant extracts caused relatively low mortality in all the beetle instars. Among the plant extracts, H. lupulus extract was the most toxic to all stages of the insect, except for the adult beetles. Larval mortality ranged from 40% in the fourth instars to 84% in the third instars. In a second series of experiments, dose–response bioassays using H. lupulus extract produced lethal concentration 50 (LC₅₀) values ranging from 10%, 12%, 17% to 46% (w/w) active ingredient (plant material) for instars 1–4, respectively. This increasing mortality trend, however, did not extend to the adult stage where even the maximum dose of 40% plant material did not provide sufficient mortality to allow estimation of a LC₅₀. These results demonstrated that the extract from H. lupulus has potential as an active ingredient in biological pesticides developed to manage larval instars of the CPB. The potential uses of this plant extract may be in conventional and organic pest management or as part of a mixture of plant extracts or conventional insecticides. Before extracts can be considered as biological control agents, their impact on natural enemies should be assessed.     

Detection of protamine based on competitive adsorption onto the surface of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes

This study developed an adsorption-based determination system for protamine. A multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), which is a strong adsorbent, was used. The competitive adsorption process between dyes and protamine formed the basis of the sensor system. The adsorption process was followed over the dyes by UV–Vis. absorption spectroscopy. This sensor system was developed using the thermodynamic parameters. Transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy techniques were used for the characterization of the sensor system. It was determined that the sensor system remained stable at physiological temperature and pH range. Limit of detection values of PyB-COO-MWCNT and PyY-COO-MWCNT systems were found to be 1.32 and 1.12 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The applicability of the sensor systems was demonstrated using bovine serum solutions.