The protective effect of arbutin against potassium bromate-induced oxidative damage in the rat brain

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of arbutin (ARB) against brain injury induced in rats with potassium bromate (KBrO₃). The rats were divided into four groups as Group 1: Control (0.9% NaCl ml/kg/day p.), Group 2: KBrO₃ (100 mg/kg (gavage), Group 3: ARB (50 mg/kg/day p.), and Group 4: KBrO₃ + ARB (100 mg/kg (gavage) + 50 mg/kg/day p.). At the end of the fifth day of the study, the rats in all groups were killed, and their brain tissues were collected. In the collected brain tissues, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) levels were measured, and routine histopathological examinations were made. The MDA levels in the group that was exposed to KBrO₃ were significantly higher than those in the control group (p ˂ 0.001). In comparison to the KBrO₃ group, the MDA levels in the KBrO₃ + ARB group were significantly lower (p ˂ 0.001). It was observed that SOD and CAT enzyme activity levels were significantly lower in the KBrO₃ group compared to the control group (p ˂ 0.001), while these levels were significantly higher in the KBrO₃ + ARB group than in the KBrO₃ group (p ˂ 0.001). Additionally, the group that was subjected to KBrO₃ toxicity, as well as ARB administration, had much lower levels of histopathologic signs than the group that was subjected to KBrO₃ toxicity only. Consequently, it was found that KBrO₃ exposure led to injury in the brain tissues of the rats, and using ARB was effective in preventing this injury.     

Suppression of TLR4/MyD88/TAK1/NF-κB/COX-2 Signaling Pathway in the Central Nervous System by Bexarotene,a Selective RXR Agonist,Prevents Hyperalgesia in the Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Pain Mouse Model

Neurochemical Research - A selective RXR agonist, bexarotene, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and neuroprotective effects in several models of numerous neurological...     

Effects of subthalamic deep brain stimulation on fixational eye movements in Parkinson’s disease

Journal of Computational Neuroscience - Miniature yoked eye movements, fixational saccades, are critical to counteract visual fading. Fixational saccades are followed by a return saccades forming...     

Lessons learned from the syndrome of oculopalatal tremor

Journal of Computational Neuroscience - The syndrome of oculopalatal tremor (OPT) featuring the olivo-cerebellar hypersychrony leads to disabling pendular nystagmus and palatal myoclonus. This rare...     

Protective Effect of Nigella sativa and Nigella damascena Fixed Oils Against Aflatoxin Induced Mutagenicity in the Classical and Modified Ames Test

The antioxidant and mutagenic/antimutagenic activities of the fixed oils from Nigella sativa (NSO) and Nigella damascena (NDO) seeds, obtained by cold press-extraction from the cultivar samples, were comparatively investigated for the first time. The antimutagenicity test was carried out using classical and modified Ames tests. The fatty acid composition of the fixed oils was characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the quantification of thymoquinone in the fixed oils was determined by UPC². The main components of the NSO and NDO were found to be linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The results of the Ames test confirmed the safety of NSO and NDO from the viewpoint of mutagenicity. The results of the three antioxidant test methods were correlated with each other, indicating NDO as having a superior antioxidant activity, when compared to the NSO. Both NSO and NDO exhibited a significant protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains. When microsomal metabolism was terminated after metabolic activation of the mycotoxin, a significant increase in antimutagenic activity was observed, suggesting that the degradation of aflatoxin B1 epoxides by these oils may be a possible antimutagenic mechanism. It is worthy to note that this is the first study to assess the mutagenicity of NSO and NDO according to the OECD 471 guideline and to investigate antimutagenicity of NDO in comparison to NSO against aflatoxin.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activities of Novel Aziridinyl Phosphonic Acid Derivatives

New aziridine 2‐phosphonic acids were prepared by monohydrolysis of the aziridine 2‐phosphonates that were obtained by the modified Gabriel?Cromwell reaction of vinyl phosphonate or α‐tosylvinyl phosphonate with a primary amine or a chiral amine. The cellular cytotoxicity of these compounds was tested against the HCT‐116 colorectal cancer cell lines and the CCD‐18Co normal colon fibroblast lines using the MTT assay. Three of the synthesized phosphonic acid derivatives 2e (ethyl hydrogen {(2S)‐1‐[(1S)‐1‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)ethyl]aziridin‐2‐yl}phosphonate), 2h (ethyl hydrogen (1‐benzylaziridin‐2‐yl)phosphonate), and 2i (ethyl hydrogen (1‐cyclohexylaziridin‐2‐yl)phosphonate) showed higher cytotoxicity than the reference cancer treatment agent etoposide. Cell death was through a robust induction of apoptosis even more effectively than etoposide, a well‐known apoptosis inducing agent.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial actions of the clubmoss <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lycopodium clavatum</Emphasis> L.

Purpose of the present study was to evaluate antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities of the petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts as well as the alkaloid fraction of Lycopodium clavatum L. (LC) from Lycopodiaceae growing in Turkey. Antioxidant activity of the LC extracts was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging method at 0.2 mg/ml using microplate-reader assay. Antiviral assessment of LC extracts was evaluated towards the DNA virus Herpes simplex (HSV) and the RNA virus Parainfluenza (PI-3) using Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) and Vero cell lines. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the extracts were tested against standard and isolated strains of the following bacteria; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Acinobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis as well as the fungi; Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis. All of the extracts possessed noteworthy activity against ATCC strain of S. aureus (4 μg/ml), while the LC extracts showed reasonable antifungal effect. On the other hand, we found that only the chloroform extract was active against HSV (16–8 μg/ml), while petroleum ether and alkaloid extracts inhibited potently PI-3 (16–4 μg/ml and 32–4 μg/ml, respectively). However, all of the extracts had insignificant antiradical effect on DPPH. In addition, we also analyzed the content of the alkaloid fraction of the plant by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and identified lycopodine as the major alkaloid.     

Sexual dimorphism in IVM-IVF bovine embryos produced from X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa sorted by high speed flow cytometry

The objective of this study was to examine preimplantation development and sperm aster characteristics of bovine male and female embryos produced by using spermatozoa sorted for the X or Y chromosome. In vitro matured oocytes were inseminated at 24 h of maturation with sorted X or Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa, using either fresh or frozen-thawed semen. Samples were taken from each sperm group 12 h post insemination (hpi), fixed, and immunostained for the microtubule cytoskeleton. Confocal microscopy enabled visualization of sperm aster formation and microtubule characteristics of each zygote during early fertilization. Cultured embryos were checked for cleavage at 30, 35, 40 and 45 hpi, embryo development was examined daily until Day 8 of culture. Blastocyst cell numbers were determined at the end of the experiments. Reanalysis of the sorted sperm cells for DNA content showed purity rates of 90.1 and 92.1% for X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa, respectively. Reduced fertilization and development rates were observed when sorted spermatozoa were used compared with fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Penetration rates at 12 hpi were 39.5, 44.7, 55.9 and 79.0%, while blastocyst formation rates at Day 8 were 26.7, 26.5, 31.7 and 40.7% for X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa, using fresh and frozen-thawed semen groups, respectively. Sperm aster size was larger in males than females, while the size of pronuclei and subjective grade of sperm aster quality showed no differences between sexes. In this study, a greater cleavage rate and sperm aster size in male embryos indicated a dimorphic pattern of development in male and female embryos during fertilization and first cleavage.     

The effect of high dose digoxin on cytokines in healthy dogs

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta are pro-inflammatory cytokines, causing myocardial dysfunction and a negative inotropic effect. The drugs used to treat heart failure affect the production of cytokines. Digoxin, on which this study was focused, is one of the drugs for the treatment of heart failure. AIM: The present study was designed to examine the early effects of high doses of digoxin on the production of cytokines in healthy dogs. METHODS: Digoxin was given parenterally to dogs at 0.15 mg/kg. IL-1beta and TNF-alpha production and levels of digoxin in the serum were measured 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h following administration of digoxin. RESULTS: As the levels of serum digoxin taken at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of administration were considered significantly high compared with preceding values (p < 0.001), no notable change in serum IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels was observed. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that high doses of digoxin do not cause a significant cytokine production in heart muscle in the early phase.