Structural organization of the normal and anoxic heart of Scyllium stellare

Summary The general and ultrastructural organization of the heart of the elasmobranch, Scyllium stellare, was studied in normal and in anoxic animals. The rich coronary supply was revealed three-dimensionally by the use of corrosion casts, showing a thebesian system of coronary arterioles and capillaries in the thin, outer compact layer as well as in the predominant, inner spongy layer of trabeculae.Only the sinus venosus received a neuronal input of large bundles of granule-containing axons terminating at fenestrated regions of the endocardium and suggesting a neurohormonal function.A simple, tubular sarcoplasmic reticulum with flattened junctional cisternae was present in myocardial cells of 1–5 m diameter, which contained one or two bundles of myofibrils. The latter were closely apposed to the inner aspect of the plasmalemma. Mitochondria were located centrally in the cells, which were joined by unfolded desmosomes involving Z-band material.Long periods of anoxia were tolerated without loss of heart function, but at the expense of cytoplasmic glycogen. Lipid granules were abundant in all layers and chambers, notably in animals prepared in the summer. The lipid granules displayed a marked increase in electron density when the heart was incubated in a buffered oxalate solution prior to fixation. A glycogen-sparing effect of the lipids during anoxia was observed.     

Salmonella in wildlife from Trinidad and Grenada, W.I.

Forty-four of 219 animals from Trinidad and Grenada, W.I., yielded 20 serotypes of Salmonella, 16 of which are known to have been associated with human infection in the United States in recent years. Toads (Bufo marinus) provided the greatest number of isolates. Other carriers were mammals, vultures, lizards, a tree-frog and a cave cockroach.     

Amino acid composition and physico-chemical properties of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) myoglobin.

1. The heart ventricle myoglobin of Atlantic bluefin tuna has been purified and its amino acid composition has been determined. 2. The perturbing effect of guanidine hydrochloride on the molecular structure of tuna ferrimyoglobin and its corresponding apoprotein has been investigated by Soret absorbance and ultraviolet fluorescence. 3. The conformation-free energy of unfolding delta G0 has been calculated by thermodynamic treatments of the data concerning guanidine unfolding. 4. The results have been compared with other known myoglobins, particularly those of yellowfin tuna.     

InDiaMed: A Comprehensive Database of Indian Medicinal plants for Diabetes

According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India has 62.4 million people with diabetes and by 2030 it is predicted that the number will rise to 100 million. Studies claim that there are around 410 experimentally proven Indian medicinal plants which have anti-diabetic activity, of which the mechanism of action of 109 plants has been elucidated or reported. So, the need of the hour is to explore the claims of Indian medicinal flora and open up the facets of many Indian plants which are being examined for their beneficial role in diabetes. So, we created a database (InDiaMed) of Indian medicinal plants that captures their role in anti-diabetic activity. InDiaMed''s features include chemical, pharmacological, biochemical and geographical information of the medicinal plant, scientifically relevant information of the plant, and the coherent research done on it in the field of diabetes. The database also includes the list of poly-herbal formulations which are used for treatment of diabetes in India.

Availability

http://www.indiamed.info     

Nitric oxide-cGMP-mediated vasoconstriction and effects of acetylcholine in the branchial circulation of the eel

Information about the presence and effects of nitric oxide (NO) in fish vasculature is scant and contradictory. We have studied the NO/cGMP system in the branchial circulation of the teleost Anguilla anguilla using a branchial basket preparation under basal conditions and cholinergic stimulation. The effects of endogenous and exogenous NO were tested with L-arginine, the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) substrate, and the NO donors 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively. L-arginine (from 10(-11) to 10(-6) M) and the NO donors (starting from 10(-14) M) caused dose-dependent vasoconstriction. Conversely, in the ACh-pre-contracted preparations both donors elicited vasodilation. SIN-1-induced vasoconstriction was due to NO generation: it was increased by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blocked by NO scavenger hemoglobin. Pre-treatment with sGC inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) inhibited the effects of SIN-1 and SNP. The stable cGMP analogue 8-bromo-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br cGMP) induced dose-dependent vasoconstriction. Unexpectedly, three NOS inhibitors, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), L-N(5)-(1-iminoethyl) ornithine (L-NIO), caused mild vasoconstriction. ACh caused vasoconstriction, but at pico- and nanomolar concentrations it caused mild but significant vasodilation in 40% of the preparations. Both responses, blocked by atropine and pirenzepine, required an intact endothelium. The ACh-induced vasoconstriction was substantially independent of a NO-cGMP mechanism.     

Human beta3-adrenergic receptor agonists containing 1,2,3-triazole-substituted benzenesulfonamides

Compounds containing a 1,2,3-triazole-substituted benzenesulfonamide were prepared and found to be potent and selective human beta3-adrenergic receptor agonists. The most interesting compound, trifluoromethylbenzyl analogue 12e (beta3 EC50 = 3.1 nM with >1500-fold selectivity over binding to both beta1- and beta2 receptors), stimulates lipolysis in the rhesus monkey (ED50 = 0.36 mg/kg) and is 25% orally bioavailable in the dog.     

Tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives containing a benzenesulfonamide moiety as potent, selective human beta3 adrenergic receptor agonists

Tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives containing a 4-(hexylureido)benzenesulfonamide were examined as human beta3 adrenergic receptor (AR) agonists. Notably, 4,4-biphenyl derivative 9 was a 6 nM full agonist of the beta3 AR. Naphthyloxy compound 18 (beta3 EC50 = 78 nM) did not activate the beta1 and beta2 ARs at 10 microM, and showed >1000-fold selectivity over binding to the beta1 and beta2 ARs.     

Quinonoid and other constituents of Aristea ecklonii

Plumbagin, 3,3′-biplumbagin, 8,8′-biplumbagin, neoisoshinanolone and sitosterol were isolated from the leaves and rhizomes of Aristea ecklonii. The rhizomes also contained α-spinasterol. This is the first report of plumbagin, previously found in several dicotyledonous families, in a monocotyledon.     

Protective effect of curcumin against intracerebral streptozotocin induced impairment in memory and cerebral blood flow

AimsThe aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of curcumin on cerebral blood flow (CBF), memory impairment, oxidative stress and cholinergic dysfunction in intracerebral (IC) streptozotocin (STZ) induced memory impairment in mice.Main methodsMemory impairment was induced by STZ (0.5 mg/kg, IC) administered twice with an interval of 48 h in mice. Memory function was assessed by Morris water maze and passive avoidance test. CBF was measured by Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF). To study the preventive effect, curcumin (10, 20 and 50 mg/kg, PO) was administered for 21 days starting from the first dose of STZ. In another set of experiment, curcumin was administered for 7 days from 19th day after confirming STZ induced dementia to observe its therapeutic effect. Biochemical parameters of oxidative stress and cholinergic function were estimated in brain on day 21.Key findingsThe major finding of this study is that STZ (IC) caused a significant reduction in CBF along with memory impairment, cholinergic dysfunction and enhanced oxidative stress. Curcumin dose dependently improved CBF in STZ treated mice together with amelioration of memory impairment both in preventive and therapeutic manner.SignificanceThe present study clearly demonstrates the beneficial effects of curcumin, the dietary staple of India, on CBF, memory and oxidative stress which can be exploited for dementia associated with age related vascular and neurodegenerative disorders.     

Genetic base of tea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia sinensis</Emphasis> L.) cultivars in Sri Lanka as revealed by pedigree analysis

An understanding of genetic diversity and relationships among breeding materials is a prerequisite for crop improvement. Coefficient of parentage (COP) can be used to measure the genetic diversity among genotypes on the basis of pedigree information. In the present study, COP was estimated for 56 cultivars, including commercial tea cultivars developed by the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka and their parental lines. Mean COP of the 56 accessions studied was 0.097 and the value was raised up to 0.272 when non-related pair-wise comparisons were excluded. A single cultivar (Assam/Cambod introduction) was the nucleus of the commercial cultivars. Group mean COP of the cultivars derived from Assam/Cambod parentage was 0.17. Thirty-three percent of the pair-wise comparisons had 0.00 COP, highlighting that many cultivars were unrelated. Within the pedigree, 2 major COP clusters were identified: Assam/Cambod open-pollinated half-sib progenies, and full-sib progenies derived from crosses between Assam/Cambod and other parental lines. The elite groups within the pedigree, where Assam/Cambod parentage was concentrated, were also identified. Information generated in this study should be useful for effective utilization of available diversity in future breeding programmes as well as for proper conservation of genetic diversity in the adapted germplasm. This is the first report on estimates of genetic diversity based on COP in a woody perennial crop, such as tea.