The aim of this research was to evaluate the possible renal and Hepato-protective effects of ethanolic extract of Buchholzia coriacea seed compared to N-acetylcysteine, on gene expression in the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats subjected to sub-chronic dose of paracetamol. Forty wistar rats were divided into eight groups of five rats in each group. Group 1 received only normal diet as control (CTRL). Groups 2-6 received 14.28 mg/kg body weight of Paracetamol (PM). After 6 hours, 200 mg/kg body weight of extract (E1) was given to group 3, 400 mg/kg body weight extracts (E2) given to group 4, 70 and 150 mg/kg body weight of N-acetylcysteine was administered to group 5 and 6 respectively. Groups 7 and 8 received only 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of extract (E1 and E2) respectively. This schedule was maintained for 90 days.
Nigeria is among the countries with the highest population cases of infections with intestinal parasites in sub-Saharan Africa. The increase in consumption of leafy and root vegetables by population in Kano metropolis necessitated the need for a study to assess the types and scope of these parasitic organisms in vegetables consume in urban Kano. Vegetables produce obtained from most markets within Kano metropolis are mostly sourced from nearby irrigation farms that used relatively contaminated waters which provides suitable growth condition for disease causing organisms. This research study determines the presence of parasites of health importance and their level of contamination in selected vegetables (cabbage, lettuce Cucumber, carrot and onions) sold at various markets in Kano metropolis. Vegetable samples were purchased randomly under normal purchased conditions and about 200g each was weighed and washed according to the generally used method for washing vegetables. The samples were eluted followed by sonication in an already prepared buffered solution, filtered and examined for the presence of cysts, oocysts, and helminthes eggs and larvae. The eggs/cysts of Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba species, Giardia intestinalis and Trichuiris species were observed. Among all the four markets involved in the study, “GanaKwari market recorded the highest number of eggs/cysts, been present in all the samples, followed by Kwa-kwaci Market with the presence of eggs/cysts in all the samples excluding cabbage. These are followed by Kofar Naisa market with all the samples contaminated but with less number of eggs/cysts. However, Sharada market recorded the lowest level of contaminants with only three of the samples containing eggs/cysts. However, among all the (5) samples collected, onions recorded the highest contamination, followed by cabbage and lettuce having the same, then cucumber and lastly carrots. The variation in the level of contamination among these markets may be attributed to the market type and the different water sources and means of display of these vegetables.
The present study investigated the effects of sublethal concentrations of dichlorvos on liver marker enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase), acid phosphatase (ACP), serum total protein (STP), bilirubin, urea and creatinine in African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles at sub acute period under laboratory conditions. A total of 90 juveniles of Clarias gariepinus with average weight and length of 200.15 ± 0.09g and 26.00 ± 0.00cm respectively were kept in three experimental groups of 30 per group in triplicate of 10 fishes. Groups 1 and 2 were exposed to dichlorvos at dosages of 21 and 43mg/l respectively and group 3 served as control for 15 experimental days. Analyses were carried out on days 1, 5, 10 and 15. From the results, there was no significant changes in the biochemical parameters tested on day 1 of the experiment but levels of the liver enzymes, ACP and bilirubin increased significantly (p<0.05) on other experimental days when compared with the control group. However, there was insignificant increase in the urea level and also a non-significant decrease in the creatinine and Serum total protein (STP) levels of the experimental groups when compared with the control group. From the analyses and observations made, we conclude that the administration of sublethal concentrations of dichlorvos to African catfish induced some damages to the liver which affected the levels of the liver enzymes and the increase in ACP level is indicative of carcinogenicity.
clear in logic development, (2) completely transparent in operation, (3) easily to repeat the reported results by other investigators, (4) with high potential in stimulating other sequence-analyzing methods, and (5) very convenientto be used by the majority of experimental scientists (3)."Using graphic approaches to study biological and medical systems can provide an intuitive vision and useful insights for helping analyze complicated relations there in as shown by the eight master pieces of pioneering papers from the then Chairman of Nobel Prize Committee Sture Forsen (see, e.g., [3,4], and many follow-up papers (see, e.g., [5] and a long list paper cited in a comprehensive review [6]) Study Results In DetailThe study indicates that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are effective in SARS-CoV-2 experimentally.It has also been effective in COVID 19 patients in China.The study was evaluated according to the hydroxychloroquine effect of viral loads of the virus on the respiratory tract.In the study, viral loadings of nasopharyngeals wabs were determined by using 600mg hydroxychloroquine daily between 1-16 March in COVID 19 patients living in France.Azithromycin addition was made depending on their clinical appearance.Patients who
Ferritin is present in all cells of an organism, present in plasma and serum and considered a reflection of iron stores. Ferritin can be measured using enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA), radioimmunoassays (RIA), immunoradiometric assays (IRMA), agglutination methods and chemiluminescent methods. The i-CHROMATM Ferritin is a point of care test (POCT) lateral flow chromatography, fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) for the quantitative determination of ferritin in serum or plasma. In this study, the performance of the i-CHROMATM Ferritin method was evaluated with other laboratory ferritin methods using Cycle 41 from the Randox International Quality Assessment Service (RIQAS). The i-CHROMATM Ferritin correlated well with other laboratory ferritin methods: Abbott Axsym, Abbott Architect Chemiluminescence, Beckman AU400/600/640/2700/5400, bioMerieux, VIDAS, Roche Cobas C501/502/701, Roche Cobas E601/602, Siemens Centaur CP, Siemens Centaur XP/XPT/Classic, Siemens Dimension, Siemens/DPC Immulite 2000/2500, Siemens/DPC Immulite 1000, Beckman DxI 600/800, Roche Integra, DiaSorin, Liaison, Monobind Inc. ELISA, Roche Cobas 4000/c311, Roche Modular E170/Cobas e601/e602, Beckman, Access/LXi725 and Ortho Vitros 3600/5600/ECi. The results of this comparative study have shown that the i-CHROMATM Ferritin estimations were consistently lower ranging between +6% to -125%, but there was very good linear regression and correlation. The laboratory methods that were closest to the estimations of the i-CHROMATM Ferritin method were the Monobind Inc ELISA(Y=1.1082X 31.819; r2=0.9571), Ortho Vitro 3600/5600/ECi(Y=0.9805X-21.052; r2=0.9346) and the Beckman Dxl 600/800(Y=0.9012X-16.848; r2=0.9171). In summary, the i-CHROMATM Ferritin method correlated well with other laboratory methods, however, there was a significant negative bias seen. Therefore, it is important to take these negative biases into consideration when applying reference values.
severe rejection, such as fever, pain over the graft, or decreased urine output may be present, but are infrequent findings with current immunosuppressive regimens.Thus, current non-invasive monitoring only detects rejection when it is advanced and only after significant, and potentially irreversible damage to the graft has occurred.Indication or for cause biopsies are typically performed to determine the cause of acute renal dysfunction.Biopsies are expensive, invasive, and suffer from significant variability in interpretation [12].Moreover, biopsies put patients at risk for significant complications such as infection, bleeding, and even graft loss, in addition to being painful and inconvenient [13].However, indication biopsies remain essential in the management of patients with renal dysfunction and are used ubiquitously by transplant programs.In sharp contrast, while a number of transplant programs have adopted the routine use of surveillance biopsies to detect subclinical acute rejection (subAR) in patients with stable renal function, several factors have discouraged other programs from following suit.These include but are not limited to all the issues stated above, but, in addition, stable patients undergo indiscriminate biopsies resulting in negative (unnecessary) invasive procedures the vast majority of the time.Thus, a noninvasive monitoring strategy that replaces invasive protocol biopsies is sorely needed and has been the focus of several investigators in the past few years.
Background and objective: Rats were first used for experimental purposes in the mid-18th century. The availability of these rats and their survival rate for experimental purposes has been a major challenge throughout most research institutes and universities across Nigeria. Materials and methods: Twenty albino rats were separated in twos (male and female) into ten (10) groups. Each couple was allowed access to composite feed (1:1 vital feed and maize husk) and clean tap water ad libitum for 21 weeks. The different temperature conditions of the weather as well as the body weight of the animals, birth rate and death rate were monitored and computed averagely. Results: The temperature was numerically lower in the month of December (25.6°C) and higher in March (32.4°C). However, there was a progressive increase in the average temperature from December through April.The highest body weight was recorded in December (156.4 g) and subsequently falls as reproduction begins showing strong linear negative correlation (0.5884) between body weight and temperature. In another case, December and January recorded more births, 4.6% and 3.8% rates respectively; however, it dropped to 1.2% in April giving an overall indication of a weak linear negative correlation (0.3812) between birth rate temperatures. On the other hand, the death rate showed a strong positive correlation (0.9402) between the death rate and temperature. Conclusion: It was evident from the results that, increased temperature generates heat stress that was capable to depreciate the survival and reproductive rates of albino rats.
SA is widely used as a model protein for the investigation of protein surface binding and drug binding mechanisms because of its unique microenvironment (~seven hydrophobic grooves on its surface), and because it acts as a universal receptor for many drug molecules [10,11].Both BSA and HSA are studied extensively side by side for protein-protein or protein-drug interaction because of their 76% similar structural sequence homology (583 and 585 amino acid residues respectively) [12].They both are a single chain globular protein containing three structurally homologues domains, I, II and III along with two sub-domains (A and B) within each.Two specific drug binding sites were identified in the hydrophobic cavities in the sub-domains, known as sites I (in subdomain IIA) and II (in subdomain IIIA) of albumin [13][14][15].Protein fluorescence originates from amino acid residues such as tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine present at these sites or from the fluorescence of the bound drug molecule itself.In BSA, the two dominant fluorescence sites are Trp 134 located on the surface of sub-domain IB, and Trp 212 located within the hydrophobic pocket of sub-domain IIA.The amino acids responsible for its intrinsic fluorescence in HSA are Trp 214 (most dominant) which resides in sub-domain IIA, and several tyrosine residues located in different sub-domains [14][15][16].Fluorescence spectroscopy is a commonly used analytical technique in the study of interactions between drugs and serum albumin because
study showed that gripe water administered babies showed increased occurrences of constipation, colic and vomiting, as compared to babies that were not given any doses of gripe water [3].The unscrupulous and random use of gripe water is a cause of concern when administered without medical prescription.There are very scant studies available on the effects and constitution of gripe water samples administered to infants over generations. Materials and MethodsGripe water samples were procured from medical stores and online markets.Sodium bicarbonate, hydrochloric acid (35-38%) and buffer tablets (pH 4 and 7) were all purchased from S. D. Fine Chemicals Limited, Mumbai, India. Construction of calibration graph of NaHCO 3Standard solutions of NaHCO 3 were prepared by dissolving 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg and 100 mg NaHCO 3 each in conductivity water, to a final volume of 50 mL in a volumetric flask.Each standard solution (50 mL volume) taken in 250 mL beaker.The solution was stirred on magnetic stirrer, and 0.1N HCl solution was added in 1 mL aliquots and pH change was measured.The volume range that showed maximum change in pH was noted.The titration was repeated and the change in pH recorded with each addition of
anticancerous activities [5,6].A study performed in Norway revealed that consuming 2-3 kiwifruit daily for 28 days can replace aspirin therapy and can significantly thin the blood.Thus, it can help in reducing the risk of clots and in lowering the fats in the blood which are prominent causes of blockages [7].According to many studies, the intake of kiwifruit plant products caused reduced risk of chronic diseases that have been associated with the compounds possessing antioxidant activities [8].Carotenoids and Vitamin E contributes to the first defence system against oxidative stress by quenching singlet oxygen [9].These antioxidants act together and reduce free radicals or reactive oxygen species which are harmful to the living system [10].Furthermore, the methanolic extracts of kiwifruit showed regulation of adipogenesis in adipocyte differentiation and function which is important in prevention of diabetes [11].Keeping in view an array of medicinal benefits of kiwifruit, the present study was performed to check the phytoconstituents present in the fruit.However, some of phyto-constituents such as cardiac glycosides have not been quantified in previous
PURPOSE:Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of brain tumor and has a uniformly poor prognosis. Development of prognostic biomarkers in easily accessible serum samples have the potential to improve the outcomes of patients with GBM through personalized therapy planning.MATERIAL/METHODS:In this study pre-treatment serum samples from 30 patients newly diagnosed with GBM were evaluated using a 40-protein multiplex ELISA platform. Analysis of potentially relevant gene targets using The Cancer Genome Atlas database was done using the Glioblastoma Bio Discovery Portal (GBM-BioDP). A ten-biomarker subgroup of clinically relevant molecules was selected using a functional grouping analysis of the 40 plex genes with two genes selected from each group on the basis of degree of variance, lack of co-linearity with other biomarkers and clinical interest. A Multivariate Cox proportional hazard approach was used to analyze the relationship between overall survival (OS), gene expression, and resection status as covariates.RESULTS:Thirty of 40 of the MSD molecules mapped to known genes within TCGA and separated the patient cohort into two main clusters centered predominantly around a grouping of classical and proneural versus the mesenchymal subtype as classified by Verhaak. Using the values for the 30 proteins in a prognostic index (PI) demonstrated that patients in the entire cohort with a PI below the median lived longer than those patients with a PI above the median (HR 1.8, p=0.001) even when stratified by both age and MGMT status. This finding was also consistent within each Verhaak subclass and highly significant (range p=0.0001-0.011). Additionally, a subset of ten proteins including, CRP, SAA, VCAM1, VEGF, MDC, TNFA, IL7, IL8, IL10, IL16 were found to have prognostic value within the TCGA database and a positive correlation with overall survival in GBM patients who had received gross tumor resection followed by conventional radiation therapy and temozolomide treatment concurrent with the addition of valproic acid.CONCLUSION:These findings demonstrate that proteomic approaches to the development of prognostic assays for treatment of GBM may hold potential clinical value.
The present study illustrates the purification and kinetic characterization of an alkaline protease from UV-90 mutant strain of Bacillus subtilis. The enzyme was purified using four steps purification Ammonium Sulfate Precipitation, Dialysis, Ion Exchange Chromatography and Gel Filtration Chromatography. The protease produced under optimum conditions (pH 8 temperature 50°C, inoculums, 2.5 mL and fermentation time 72 hours with enzyme activity 95.89 U/mL) was 2.47-fold purified through four steps purification protocol and the purified enzyme was characterized by studying the effect of varying pH, temperature and substrate concentrations. Kinetic Studies showed that Km and Vmax values for purified protease (UV-90) were 0.03064 μM and 69.76 U/mL, respectively as compared to 0.02669 μM and 56.73 U/mL of native protease respectively. These characteristics render its potential use in biotechnological and industrial sectors.
Introduction: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a high-molecular weight polymer with many applications in cosmetic and human medicine. HA is witnessing an increasing demand over recent years and it can be found in two forms; linear and chemically cross-linked. The cross-linked HA is more durable than linear HA after administration into the human body. Characterizing the two forms of HA has become a matter of great importance. Objective: The objective of this work is to characterize linear and cross-linked HA with data generation on their structural composition, similarities and differences using various analytical techniques. Method: A linear hyaluronic acid solution and a cross-linked hyaluronic acid scaffold modified with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) were prepared following a reported method with a little modification. The two formulations were characterized using FTIR, ESI-MS, NMR, and SEM. Results: Data obtained from all techniques showed different characteristics and chemical structures. For instance, the cross-linked BDDE-HA appeared with much less peak intensity at about 3343 cm-1 in FTIR, higher mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) in ESI-MS, an additional distinctive peak at 1.5 ppm in NMR and a more porosity structure in SEM compared to the linear HA. Conclusion: The matrix structures of linear and cross-linked HA have different characteristics. These findings were identified and confirmed via applications of four different analytical techniques.
The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, including goiter and cancer, is higher in the elderly as compared to the younger population. An excess or deficiency of specific chemical element contents in thyroid parenchyma plays an important role ingoitroand carcinogenesis of this gland. The variation with age of the mass fraction of twenty elements (Al, B, Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, I, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Si, Sr, V, and Zn) in normal thyroids of 33 females (mean age 54.5 years, range 3.5-87) was investigated. Measurements were performed using a combination of non-destructive and destructive methods: instrumental neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, respectively. Tissue samples were divided into two portions. One was used for morphological study while the other was intended for chemical element analysis. This work revealed that there is a statistically significant increase in Al, Br, Ca, Cu, Fe, P, S and Zn mass fraction, as well as a decrease in the Cl mass fraction in the normal thyroids of females during a lifespan. Results of the study showed that for elderly females there is a goitrogenic and carcinogenic association with elevated levels of the thyroid parenchymal chemical elements as Al, Br, Ca, Cu, Fe, and Zn, which increase intra-thyroidal oxidative stress.
Wax esters are esters of fatty acids with fatty alcohols and represent a lipid class showing two different descriptions when it comes to their metabolism and absorbance in humans. On one side, they are described as non-digestible materials, such as for instance in the case of spermaceti and jojoba oil. On the other side, they are major constituents of roe and, as such, they are currently consumed as a part of traditional food all over the world. Moreover, an oil rich in wax ester from Calanus finmarchicus has been recently launched commercially. The present paper describes competitive kinetics of hydrolysis of two different wax esters catalysed by three different lipases, namely porcine pancreas lipase, Candida cylindracea lipase, and Candida antarctica lipase. Wax esters were synthesized by condensing ethyl ester from tuna and sardine oil, respectively, with behenyl alcohol and oleyl alcohol, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that apparent constants kapp are related to both the length and the number of double bonds of the acid moiety. The higher these values, the higher the hydrolysis rate. This is not affected by the fatty alcohol moiety. Similar results were obtained from the three lipases. For porcine pancreas lipase, the correlation takes the form krel hydrolysis=0.0222 nCacid+0.0571 n∆acid, where n∆acid is the number of carbon atoms in the fatty chain and n∆acid is the number of C-C double bonds in the same chain. Results will be discussed in order to clarify differences in digestibility of different wax esters.
Copyright: © 2016 Parker KC. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. *Corresponding author: Kenneth C Parker, Virgin Instruments, Suite 100, 261 Cedar Hill Street, Marlborough, MA 01752. Tel: 508-460-1600 ext. 125. E-mail: kenneth.parker@simultof.com
Copyright: © 2016 Wang S, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. *Corresponding author: Shaoqing Wang, College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), D11, Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, P.R China, Tel: +86-10-6233-1657; E-mail: wangzq@cumtb.edu.cn
Copyright: © 2017 Luo Z, et al. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. *Corresponding author: Zhihui Luo, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology, Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory for Efficient Use of Agricultural Resources in the Southeast of Guangxi, College of Chemistry and Food Science, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, Guangxi, China, E-mail: lzhui_1980@163.com
