Histological changes of liver glycogen storage in mice (Mus musculus) caused by high-protein diets

High Protein diets (HP) have been popular for people who want to lose weight since the 1960s. Even though these diets do not harm healthy people in the short term, there is insufficient data to support their safe use and efficiency over a long period. Because of the fact that the proteins in these diets are mainly from animal sources, it induces a higher intake of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. It is proven that high protein diets cause both physical and pathological abnormalities in the body. However, there exist very few studies about the effects of high protein nutrition on liver glycogen storage. For this study 40 Swiss albino mice consisting of two groups were used. The first group was fed with 25% High Protein; the other was fed with standard meal. The two groups were fed with respect to their diets for 30 days. At the end of 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th days 5 from each group were killed with cervical dislocation. The livers were removed after perfusion then fixated. The routine paraffin pursuit was applied before cutting into 5 micrometer sections and staining with H-E, PAS and silver. There were major differences in weight loss between the first and the fifteenth days. Glycogen storage was significantly reduced in HP (15) stained with PAS. Hydropic degeneration and regenerative activity was observed in H-E and silver stained HP group. As a result for the high protein diet group, weight loss at the 15th day and a significant decrement in glycogen storage at the 30th day was observed.     

Activation of pine cone using Fenton oxidation for Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal

This paper describes activation of pine cone with Fenton reagent and determines the removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution. Changes of the surface properties of adsorbent materials were determined by the FT-IR and SEM analysis after activation of pine cone. The effect of Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2) ratio, ORP, pH and contact time were determined. Different adsorption isotherms were also obtained using concentrations of heavy metal ions ranging from 0.1 to 150mgL(-1). The adsorption process follows pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics and follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The study discusses thermodynamic parameters, including changes in Gibbs free energy, entropy, and enthalpy, for the adsorption of Cd(II) and Pb(II) on activated cone, and revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic under natural conditions. The maximum removal efficiencies were obtained as 91% and 89% at pH 7 with 90 and 105-min contact time for Cd(II) and Pb(II), respectively.     

Lack of association between prohibitin 3' untranslated region C-->T polymorphism and breast cancer in a Turkish population

The 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the prohibitin gene has a positive effect on arresting cell proliferation between G1 and S phases and inhibits DNA synthesis. A C-to-T transition within this region creates a variant that alters mRNA function and has been shown to be associated with an increased breast cancer risk among young North Americans who are under 50 years and have at least one first-degree relative with breast cancer. We carried out a population-based case-control study to assess whether this association exists in Turkish women. We examined 106 breast cancer patients and 154 healthy controls by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. In the prohibitin 3'UTR, we did not detect a difference in CT/TT genotype frequency (p = 0.694; odds ratio [OR], 1.106; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.659-1.86) or in C/T allele frequency (p = 0.850; OR, 1.043; 95% CI, 0.667-1.62) between the all breast cancer patients and the controls. The results did not change in subgroups defined by age or family history. Hence our results do not lend support to the hypothesis that this polymorphism contributes to risk of breast cancer. The prohibitin T variant is not associated with the risk of breast cancer in Turkish women.     

Biological monitoring of n-hexane exposure in shoe workers

To analyse working conditions and to provide information about the degree to which shoe workers are exposed to n-hexane, the urinary excretion of total 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) was determined in 81 employees in 12 shoe factories. Twenty-five individuals who had experienced no exposure to solvents were used as controls. 2,5-HD was measured in spot urine samples collected from workers at the end of shift. In the urine of shoe workers, the 2,5-HD presented a mean value of 2.33 mg g^-1 creatinine, a median of 1.96 mg g^-1 creatinine. The mean 2,5-HD concentration in the urine samples from non-exposed subjects was 0.28 mg g^-1 creatinine, the median value was 0.18 mg g^-1 creatinine. The mean time-weighted average (TWA) concentration of n-hexane in 12 shoe workshops was 126.1 ppm, ranging from 23 to 215 ppm. We found a significant, but low, correlation (r = 0.40; p < 0.001) between TWA intensity of environmental exposure to n-hexane and the concentration of 2,5-HD in urine. The probable effect of toluene on the concentration of 2,5-HD was also discussed in the present study.     

Loss of UCP2 Attenuates Mitochondrial Dysfunction without Altering ROS Production and Uncoupling Activity

Although mitochondrial dysfunction is often accompanied by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, we previously showed that an increase in random somatic mtDNA mutations does not result in increased oxidative stress. Normal levels of ROS and oxidative stress could also be a result of an active compensatory mechanism such as a mild increase in proton leak. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) was proposed to play such a role in many physiological situations. However, we show that upregulation of UCP2 in mtDNA mutator mice is not associated with altered proton leak kinetics or ROS production, challenging the current view on the role of UCP2 in energy metabolism. Instead, our results argue that high UCP2 levels allow better utilization of fatty acid oxidation resulting in a beneficial effect on mitochondrial function in heart, postponing systemic lactic acidosis and resulting in longer lifespan in these mice. This study proposes a novel mechanism for an adaptive response to mitochondrial cardiomyopathy that links changes in metabolism to amelioration of respiratory chain deficiency and longer lifespan.     

Tocopherol,Carotene, Phenolic Contents and Antibacterial Properties of Rose Essential Oil,Hydrosol and Absolute

The antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and total phenolic contents of Rosa damascena Mill. flower extracts (absolute, essential oil and hydrosol) were investigated. The chemical compositions of these extracts were analysed by GC-MS. Phenylethyl alcohol (78.38%) was found to be the main constituent of rose absolute, while citrenellol and geraniol were the major compounds (>55%) of rose essential oil and hydrosol. Tocopherol and carotene levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The levels of beta carotene (422.3±35.6 ppm), alpha tocopherol (2397.1±72.5 ppm) and gamma tocopherol (343.1±28.4 ppm) of rose absolute were found to be higher than that of essential oil and hydrosol. Their total phenolic contents were also evaluated. The total phenolic content of the tested extracts varied from 5.2 to 2134.3 GAE/mg L⁻¹. Rose absolute and essential oil contained high levels of phenolics and demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Chromobacterium violaceum (ATCC 12472) and Erwinia carotovora (ATCC 39048) strains.     

The Oxidative and Morphological Effects of High Concentration Chronic Toluene Exposure on Rat Sciatic Nerves

This study was designed to investigate the effects of chronic toluene inhalation in high concentration on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activities and ultrastructural changes in the sciatic nerves of rats. Male Wistar albino rats (150–250 g) were divided in two experimental groups: the control and the toluene treated group (n=10 for each). Toluene treatment was performed by inhalation of 3000 ppm toluene, in a 8 h/day and 6 day/week order for 16 weeks. Blood and tissue samples were obtained for biochemical and histopathological investigation. The blood and sciatic nerves were assayed for toluene by gas chromatography. Toluene significantly increased blood and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), but not tissue catalase (CAT) levels when compared with controls. Electron micrographs of sciatic nerve in the toluene group shows myelin destructions with onion-bulb and bubble form protrusion on the myelin sheath and axolemma border of myelinated axons. The area of injury on the myelin sheath were measured by Image-Pro Plus. Mean of the injury area were estimated 34% each myelin. These findings indicate that chronic toluene inhalation might be involved with free radical processes.