Lung injury by amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic drug, in male rats.

Administration of single dose (175 mg/kg body wt) of amiodarone dissolved in water through gavage for 3 weeks damaged the lung and changed the content of lung lavage. Activities of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased significantly. Also, the protein and lactate content of the lavage fluid increased significantly over the control. The drug also produced marked changes in morphology of the lung of experimental animals.     

Monocytes treated with ciprofloxacin and oxyLDL express myristate,priming atherosclerosis

Antibiotics are essential in many life‐threatening diseases. On the other hand, improper use of antibiotics can be disastrous. Cell morphological changes were observed in the ciprofloxacin‐treated cells starting at 48 hours. Changes in cell morphology were continuously observed up to 14 days, which showed gradual morphological changes from monocyte to plaque‐like cells at day 12, and foam cell, which is an intermediate stage in atherosclerosis was observed at day 8, which was confirmed with Oil Red O staining. Flow cytometry data revealed that oxidized LDL (oxyLDL)‐induced cells showed 60.16% of CD64 (proinflammatory macrophage markers) and no expression of CD23 (anti‐inflammatory macrophage markers), whereas ciprofloxacin‐treated cells expressed 67.97% of CD64 and 13.78% of CD23. Chemokine antibody array analysis revealed that ciprofloxacin exposed cells showed a proinflammatory role (ENA78, Eotaxin1, Eotaxin2, IP‐10, MIG, MIP‐3β, SDF‐1β, TECK, CXCL16, and Fractalkine). Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) revealed that myristic acid was incorporated into a protein with 68 kDa molecular mass in exposing oxyLDL‐induced monocytes with ciprofloxacin, which could be a reason for the observed foam cells and in vitro plaque formation. As myristic acid primes atherosclerosis, it is better to limit the intake of antibiotics like ciprofloxacin for common illness, specifically the high‐risk patients, which may contribute to atherosclerosis.     

Green synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Cayratia pedata leaf extract

The synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles using a plant-mediated approach is presented in this paper. The nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using the Nitrate derivative of Zinc and plant extract of the indigenous medicinal plant Cayratia pedata. 0.1 mM of Zn (NO₃)₂.6H₂O was made to react with the plant extract at different concentrations, and the reaction temperature was maintained at 55 °C, 65 °C, and 75 °C. The yellow coloured paste obtained was wholly dried, collected, and packed for further analysis. In the UV visible spectrometer (UV–Vis) absorption peak was observed at 320 nm, which is specific for Zinc oxide nanoparticles. The characterization carried out using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) reveals the presence of Zinc oxide nanoparticles in its agglomerated form. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, the average size of the nanoparticles was estimated to be 52.24 nm. Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDX) results show the composition of Zinc and Oxygen, giving strong energy signals of 78.32% and 12.78% for Zinc and Oxygen, respectively. Fourier Transform - Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis shows absorption peak of Zn–O bonding between 400 and 600 cm^?1. The various characterization methods carried out confirm the formation of nano Zinc oxide. The synthesized nanoparticles were used in the immobilization of the enzyme Glucose oxidase. Relative activity of 60% was obtained when Glucose oxidase was immobilized with the green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. A comparative study of the green synthesized with native ZnO was also carried out. This green method of synthesis was found to be cost-effective and eco-friendly.     

Oxidative Stress,Inflammation, and Diabetic Vasculopathies: The Role of Alpha Tocopherol Therapy

The diabetic state confers an increased propensity to accelerated atherogenesis. In addition to the established risk factors, there is evidence for increased oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetes. Increased oxidative stress is manifested by increased lipid peroxidation (e.g. increased F 2 -isoprostanes) and increased DNA damage. Evidence for increased inflammation includes increased monocyte superoxide and pro-inflammatory cytokine release (IL-1, IL-6, and TNF- &#102 ), increased monocyte adhesion to endothelium and increased levels of plasma C-reactive protein, the prototypic marker of inflammation. Most importantly, alpha tocopherol therapy, especially at high doses, clearly shows a benefit with regards to LDL oxidation, isoprostanes and a decrease in inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, pro-inflammatory cytokines and PAI-1 levels. Thus, it appears that, in diabetes, alpha tocopherol therapy could emerge as an additional therapeutic modality.     

Isolation and molecular characterization of the fungal endophytic microbiome from conventionally and organically grown avocado trees in South Florida

Fungal endophytes are the most ubiquitous and highly diverse microorganisms that inhabit the interior of healthy plants. They are important in plant ecology and offer untapped potential to improve plant health and productivity in agroecosystems. The endophytic assemblage of avocado is poorly understood; therefore, surveys of fungal endophytes of Persea americana Mill. (Avocado) in South Florida organic and conventional orchards were conducted. A total of 17 endophytic fungal species were recovered from healthy avocado terminal branches. Endophytic fungal species were identified by rDNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, using UNITE Species Hypotheses to reliably assign a taxon name, and determined as belonging to the genera Alternaria, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Corynespora, Diaporthe, Lasiodiplodia, Neofusicoccum, Neopestalotiopsis, Phyllosticta, and Strelitziana. Endophyte community assemblage differed between organic and conventional agroecosystems. This is the first report of Alternaria eichhorniae, Cladosporium tenuissimum, Corynespora cassiicola, Colletotrichum alatae, Diaporthe fraxini-angustifoliae, Lasiodiplodia gonubiensis, Neofusicoccum algeriense, Neofusicoccum andinum, Neopestalotiopsis foedans, Phyllosticta capitalensis, and Strelitziana africana as endophytes of avocado. Evaluation using pathogenicity tests on avocado leaves and terminal branches showed that endophytic fungal isolates did not cause disease symptoms.