Eldorado Collection:
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/31794
2024-03-28T13:04:01ZProbing the origins of aromatase inhibitory activity of disubstituted coumarins via QSAR and molecular docking
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/34007
Title: Probing the origins of aromatase inhibitory activity of disubstituted coumarins via QSAR and molecular docking
Authors: Worachartcheewan, Apilak; Suvannang, Naravut; Prachayasittikul, Supaluk; Prachayasittikul, Virapong; Nantasenamat, Chanin
Abstract: This study investigated the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) of imidazole derivatives of 4,7-disubstituted coumarins as inhibitors of aromatase, a potential therapeutic protein target for the treatment of breast cancer. Herein, a series of 3,7- and 4,7-disubstituted coumarin derivatives (1-34) with R1 and R2 substituents bearing aromatase inhibitory activity were modeled as a function of molecular and quantum chemical descriptors derived from low-energy conformer geometrically optimized at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. Insights on origins of aromatase inhibitory activity was afforded by the computed set of 7 descriptors comprising of F10[N-O], Inflammat-50, Psychotic-80, H-047, BELe1, B10[C-O] and MAXDP. Such significant descriptors were used for QSAR model construction and results indicated that model 4 afforded the best statistical performance. Good predictive performance were achieved as verified from the internal (comprising the training and the leave-one-out cross-validation (LOO-CV) sets) and external sets affording the following statistical parameters: R2Tr = 0.9576 and RMSETr = 0.0958 for the training set; Q2CV = 0.9239 and RMSECV = 0.1304 for the LOO-CV set as well as Q2Ext = 0.7268 and RMSEExt = 0.2927 for the external set. Significant descriptors showed correlation with functional substituents, particularly, R1 in governing high potency as aromatase inhibitor. Molecular docking calculations suggest that key residues interacting with the coumarins were predominantly lipophilic or non-polar while a few were polar and positively-charged. Findings illuminated herein serve as the impetus that can be used to rationally guide the design of new aromatase inhibitors.2014-12-08T00:00:00ZDrosophila melanogaster - an embryonic model for studying behavioral and biochemical effects of manganese exposure
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/34006
Title: Drosophila melanogaster - an embryonic model for studying behavioral and biochemical effects of manganese exposure
Authors: Ternes, Ana Paula Lausmann; Zemolin, Ana Paula; da Cruz, Litiele Cezar; da Silva, Gustavo Felipe; Saidelles, Ana Paula Fleig; de Paula, Mariane Trindade; Wagner, Caroline; Golombieski, Ronaldo Medeiros; Flores, Érico Marlon de Moraes; Picoloto, Rochele Sogari; Pereira, Antônio Batista; Franco, Jeferson Luis; Posser, Thaís
Abstract: Embryonic animals are especially susceptible to metal exposure. Manganese (Mn) is an es-sential element, but in excess it can induce toxicity. In this study we used Drosophila mela-nogaster as an embryonic model to investigate biochemical and behavioral alterations due to Mn exposure. Flies were treated with standard medium supplemented with MnCl2 at 0.1 mM, 0.5 mM or 1 mM from the egg to the adult stage. At 0.5 mM and 1 mM Mn, newly ecloded flies showed significantly enhanced locomotor activity when assessed by negative geotaxis behavior. In addition, a significant increase in Mn levels (p < 0.0001) was observed, while Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn and S levels were significantly decreased. A significant drop in cell viability occurred in flies exposed to 1 mM Mn. There was also an induction of reactive oxygen species at 0.5 mM and 1 mM Mn (p < 0.05). At 1 mM, Mn increased Catalase (p < 0.005), Superoxide Dismutase (p < 0.005) and Hsp83 (p < 0.0001) mRNA expression, without altering Catalase or Superoxide Dismutase activity; the activity of Thioredoxin reductase and Glutatione-S-transferase enzymes was increased. Mn treatment did not alter ERK or JNK1/2 phosphorylation, but at 1 mM caused an inhibition of p38MAPK phosphorylation. Together these data suggest mechanisms of adaptation in the fly response to Mn exposure in embryonic life.2014-11-21T00:00:00ZBiological activities and chemical composition of lichens from Serbia
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/34005
Title: Biological activities and chemical composition of lichens from Serbia
Authors: Kosanić, Marijana; Ranković, Branislav; Stanojković, Tatjana; Vasiljević, Perica; Manojlović, Nedeljko
Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate chemical composition of acetone extracts of the lichens Parmelia arseneana and Acarospora fuscata and in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities of these extracts and gyrophoric acid isolated from A. fuscata. The HPLC-UV method was used for the identification of secondary metabolites. Stictic acid, norstictic acid, gyrophoric acid, usnic acid, atranorin and chloroatranorin were identified in the A. fuscata. In P. arseneana, we detected stictic acid, norstictic acid, usnic acid and atranorin, while gyrophoric acid was not identified. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the scavenging capacity of tested samples on DPPH and superoxide anion radicals, reducing the power of samples and determination of total phenolic compounds in extracts. As a result of the study, gyrophoric acid was found to have the largest DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 105.75 μg/ml. Moreover, the tested samples had an effective superoxide anion radical scavenging and reducing power. The total content of phenol in extracts was determined as pyrocatechol equivalent. The antimicrobial activity was estimated by determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration by the broth microdilution method. The most active was also gyrophoric acid, with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 0.019 to 1.25 mg/ml. Anticancer activity was tested against LS174 (human colon carcinoma cell line), A549 (human lung carcinoma cell line), Fem-x (malignant melanoma cell line), and a chronic myelogeneous leukaemia K562 cell line using the MTT method. Extract of P. arseneana expressed the strongest anticancer activity against all cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 11.61 to 47.06 μg/ml.2014-11-18T00:00:00ZSynthesis of novel antimicrobial aryl himachalene derivatives from naturally occurring himachalenes
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/34004
Title: Synthesis of novel antimicrobial aryl himachalene derivatives from naturally occurring himachalenes
Authors: Chaudhary, Abha; Sood, Swati; Das, Pralay; Kaur, Pushpinder; Mahajan, Isha; Gulati, Arvind; Singh, Bikram
Abstract: Five new 2,9,9-trimethyl-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-benzocyclohepten-5-ylidene-amine derivatives (16a-16e) were synthesized from α-dehydro-ar-himachalene (11) that was originally prepared from an isomeric mixture of α, β and γ himachalenes (10), the abundant sesquiterpenes of Cedrus deodara essential oil. In addition, different aryl himachalenes derivatives (9, 12, 14 and 15) were also formed from 11. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed on the basis of their NMR, IR and mass spectral data. The prepared compounds were tested against a group of sixteen organisms including gram positive and gram negative bacterial and fungal strains. The introduction of a series of substituted imine groups into aryl himachalenes at 5th position (16a-16e) enhanced antimicrobial activity as compared to the aromatized derivatives (9, 12, 14 and 15) against gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus, and mycotoxigenic fungi Aspergillus parasiticus, A. ochraceous and A. sydowii.2014-11-18T00:00:00ZThermography based breast cancer detection using texture features and minimum variance quantization
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/34003
Title: Thermography based breast cancer detection using texture features and minimum variance quantization
Authors: Milosevic, Marina; Jankovic, Dragan; Peulic, Aleksandar
Abstract: In this paper, we present a system based on feature extraction techniques and image segmentation techniques for detecting and diagnosing abnormal patterns in breast thermograms. The proposed system consists of three major steps: feature extraction, classification into normal and abnormal pattern and segmentation of abnormal pattern. Computed features based on Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrices (GLCM) are used to evaluate the effectiveness of textural information possessed by mass regions. A total of 20 GLCM features are extracted from thermograms. The ability of feature set in differentiating abnormal from normal tissue is investigated using a Support Vector Machine classifier, Naive Bayes classifier and K-Nearest Neighbor classifier. To evaluate the classification performance, five-fold cross validation method and Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. The verification results show that the proposed algorithm gives the best classification results using K-Nearest Neighbor classifier and a accuracy of 92.5 %. Image segmentation techniques can play an important role to segment and extract suspected hot regions of interests in the breast infrared images. Three image segmentation techniques: minimum variance quantization, dilation of image and erosion of image are discussed. The hottest regions of thermal breast images are extracted and compared to the original images. According to the results, the proposed method has potential to extract almost exact shape of tumors.2014-11-04T00:00:00ZChemical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus potentiated the sensitization to morphine in rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33739
Title: Chemical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus potentiated the sensitization to morphine in rats
Authors: Razavi, Yasaman; Karimi, Sara; Bani-Ardalan, Mahtash; Haghparast, Abbas
Abstract: Orexin plays a crucial role in drug-seeking behavior. The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is a central region that produces orexin, and its projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play an important role in reward and
addiction-related behaviors. In this study, we investigated the role of LH stimulation and the involvement of the orexin-1 receptor (Ox1r) in the VTA in relation to morphine sensitization. In all animals, cannulae were
implanted unilaterally into the LH and VTA to inject different doses of carbachol (62.5, 125 and 250 nmol/0.5
μl saline) as a cholinergic agonist and SB334867 (1, 10 and 20 nmol/0.3 μl DMSO) as a selective Ox1r antagonist for three consecutive days (sensitization period) respectively. These drugs were injected five minutes before administration of an ineffective dose of morphine (0.5 mg/kg; sc) during the sensitization period. In all groups, the sensitization period occurred in a separate room from which the conditioning occurred. After this period, all groups exceeded five days under the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm without any treatment. For evaluation of morphine sensitization, place preference was induced by ineffective dose of morphine (0.5 mg/kg) and the CPP score was represented by the difference in time spent in drug- and saline-paired compartments. The results revealed that concurrent intra-LH administration of carbachol (125 nmol/0.5 μl saline) and an ineffective dose of morphine (0.5 mg/kg) significantly induce CPP. Additionally, the blockade of Ox1r in the VTA by SB334867 can attenuate the conditioning score induced by concurrent administration of carbachol and an ineffective dose of morphine. Our findings suggest that LH stimulation potentiates the effect of an ineffective dose of morphine, and induces morphine sensitization. It seems that the chemical stimulation of LH potentiates sensitization to morphine through the orexinergic system in the VTA in rats.2014-09-26T00:00:00ZIn vitro control of plant pathogenic Xanthomonas spp. using Poncirus trifoliata Rafin
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33738
Title: In vitro control of plant pathogenic Xanthomonas spp. using Poncirus trifoliata Rafin
Authors: Rahman, Atiqur; Islam, Rafiquel; Al-Reza, Sharif M.; Kang, Sun Chul
Abstract: The secondary metabolites such as essential oil and pure compounds (limonin and imperatorin) from
Poncirus trifoliata Rafin were tested for in vitro control of phytopathogenic bacteria of Xanthomonas spp. In vitro studies showed that the oil had inhibitory effect on Xanthomonas campestris pv. compestris KC94-17-XCC, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria YK93-4-XCV, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae KX019-XCO and Xanthomonas sp. SK12 with their inhibition zones and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 13.1~22.1 mm and 62.5~125 μg/ml, respectively. Limonin and imperatorin also had
in vitro antibacterial potential (MIC: 15.62~62.5 μg/ml) against all the tested Xanthomonas spp. Furthermore, the SEM studies demonstrated that limonin and imperatorin caused morphological changes of Xanthomonas
sp. SK12 at the minimum inhibitory concentration (15.62 μg/ml). These results of this study support the possible use of essential oil and natural compounds from P. Trifoliata in agriculture and agro-industries to
control plant pathogenic microorganisms.2014-09-23T00:00:00ZNeuroprotection by diarylpropionitrile in mice with spinal cord injury
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33736
Title: Neuroprotection by diarylpropionitrile in mice with spinal cord injury
Authors: Suwanna, Nirut; Thangnipon, Wipawan; Kumar, Shalini; de Vellis, Jean
Abstract: The initial impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in inflammation leading to irreversible damage with consequent loss of locomotor function. Minimal recovery is achieved once permanent damage has occurred. Using a mouse model of SCI we observed a transitory increase followed by a rapid decline in gene expression and protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of cellular anti-oxidative genes. Immediate treatment with diarylpropionitrile (DPN), a non-steroidal selective estrogen receptor β ligand, resulted in a significant increase in Nrf2 levels, and reduction of inflammation and
apoptosis compared to untreated SCI animals. Furthermore, DPN-treatment improved locomotor function within 7 days after induction of SCI. DPN acted through activation of PI3K/Akt pathway, known to be involved in down-regulation of apoptosis and up-regulation of cell survival in injured tissues. These findings suggest that immediate activation of cellular anti-oxidative stress mechanisms should provide protection against irreversible tissue damage and its profound detrimental effect on locomotor function associated with SCI.2014-09-22T00:00:00ZAnti-inflammatory effect of selagin-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-)-ß-D-glycoside isolated from Cancrinia discoidea on lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33735
Title: Anti-inflammatory effect of selagin-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-)-ß-D-glycoside isolated from Cancrinia discoidea on lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells
Authors: Xiao, Kai-Jun; Wang, Wen-Xia; Dai, Jia-Li; Zhu, Liang
Abstract: Selagin-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-)-β-D-glycoside, a new flavone glycoside isolated from Cancrinia discoidea, is known to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. This study aimed to investigate the protection of this flavone glycoside on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The effects of selagin-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-)-β-D-glycoside on inflammatory cytokines and signaling pathways were analyzed by
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and western blot. Results show that selagin-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-)-β-D-glycoside protected LPS-induced macrophage RAW 264.7 cells from injury. The flavone glycoside markedly inhibited the LPS-induced production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 and increased interleukin-10 release in a concentration-dependent
manner. Furthermore, treatment with the flavone glycoside decreased nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in LPS-challenged RAW 264.7 cells. These decreases were associated with the down-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX-2), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity. These
findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of selagin-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-)-β-D-glycoside were associated with the adjustment of in flammatory cytokines, and attributed to the down-regulation of NF-κB and consequent suppression of the expression of iNOS and COX-2.2014-09-09T00:00:00ZEndoplasmic reticulum membrane potassium channel dysfunction in high fat diet induced stress in rat hepatocytes
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33733
Title: Endoplasmic reticulum membrane potassium channel dysfunction in high fat diet induced stress in rat hepatocytes
Authors: Khodaee, Naser; Ghasemi, Maedeh; Saghiri, Reza; Eliassi, Afsaneh
Abstract: In a previous study we reported the presence of a large conductance K+ channel in the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) from rat hepatocytes. The channel open probability (Po) appeared voltage dependent and reached to a minimum 0.2 at +50 mV. Channel activity in this case was found to be totally inhibited at ATP concentration 2.5 mM, glibenclamide 100 μM and tolbutamide 400 μM. Existing evidence
indicates an impairment of endoplasmic reticulum functions in ER stress condition. Because ER potassium channels have been involved in several ER functions including cytoprotection, apoptosis and calcium homeostasis, a study was carried out to consider whether the ER potassium channel function is altered in a
high fat diet model of ER stress. Male Wistar rats were made ER stress for 2 weeks with a high fat diet. Ion channel incorporation of ER stress model into the bilayer lipid membrane allowed the characterization of K+
channel. Our results indicate that the channel Po was significantly increased at voltages above +30 mV. Interestingly, addition of ATP 7.5 mM, glibenclamide 400 μM and tolbutamide 2400 μM totally inhibited the channel activities, 3-fold, 4-fold and 6-fold higher than that in the control groups, respectively. Our results thus demonstrate a modification in the ER K+ channel gating properties and decreased sensitivity to drugs in membrane preparations coming from ER high fat model of ER stress, an effect potentially linked to a change in ER K+ channel subunits in ER stress condition. Our results may provide new insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying ER dysfunctions in ER stress.2014-09-09T00:00:00ZAntidiabetic activity of 3-hydroxyflavone analogues in high fructose fed insulin resistant rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33732
Title: Antidiabetic activity of 3-hydroxyflavone analogues in high fructose fed insulin resistant rats
Authors: Nayak, Yogendra; Venkatachalam, H.; Daroji, Vijay Kumar; Mathew, Geetha; Jayashree, B. S.; Unnikrishnan, M. K.
Abstract: Synthetic 3-hydroxyflavone analogues (JY-1, JY-2, JY-3, JY-4), were tested for antidiabetic activity in high-fructose-diet-fed (66 %, for 6 weeks) insulin-resistant Wistar rats (FD-fed rats). The fasting blood glucose, insulin, creatinine and AGEs were decreased to near normal upon treatment with test compounds. Insulin resistance markers such as HOMA-IR, K-ITT, plasma triglycerides, lipids, endogenous antioxidant defense and glycogen were restored in FD-fed rats after treatment with 3-hydroxyflavones. It is known that insulin resistance is partly because of oxidative stress and hence antioxidant activity was determined. They exhibited significant in vitro DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50: 10.66-66.63 μM). Test
compounds inhibited ROS and NO production in RAW 264.7 cells (IC50: 10.39–42.63 μM) and they were found as potent as quercetin. Further, the test compounds inhibited lipid peroxidation at low concentrations (IC50: 99.61-217.47 μM). All test compounds at concentrations 100-200 μM protected calf thymus DNA-damage by Fenton reaction. In addition, test compounds inhibited protein glycation in different in vitro
antiglycation assays. JY-2 showed maximum potency in all the stages of glycation which was comparable to the standard quercetin and aminoguanidine. Test compounds also enhanced the glucose uptake by L6 myotubes at an EC50 much lower than that of quercetin. Thus the synthetic 3-hydroxyflavones were found to have good antidiabetic activity by pleotropic and multimodal suppression of insulin resistance and enhancement of glucose uptake by skeletal muscles. These compounds are non-toxic at the doses tested. Further, the combined antioxidant and antiglycation activities of these molecules have complementary benefits in management of diabetes.2014-09-09T00:00:00ZScientific validation of cardioprotective attribute by standardized extract of Bombyx mori against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in murine model
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33730
Title: Scientific validation of cardioprotective attribute by standardized extract of Bombyx mori against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in murine model
Authors: Khan, Masood S.; Mhaveer Singh, Mhaveer; Khan, Mohammad A.; Arya, D. S.; Ahmad, Sayeed
Abstract: Doxorubicin (DOX) is an excellent antineoplastic agent used for the treatment of hematological and solid malignancies. The aqueous extract of Bombyx mori (BMAE) contains amino acids and some flavonoids with obvious cardioprot ective effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effect of BMAE against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and its underlying mechanisms on murine model. The metabolic profiling of BMAE was carried out by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and the amino acid profiling by HPLC method using fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). The biochemical parameter like caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor–alpha (TNF—α), interleukin -6 (IL-6), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were studied. Tissue damage was further evaluated by histopathological studies. The metabolic profiling of BMAE exhibited presence of quercetin 7-O-β-D-glucoside, kaempferol7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, coumaric acid glucoside, 2-hydroxy-nonadecanoic acid and 9,12-dihydroxy stearic acid as important constituents. The amino acid profile by HPLC-FLD showed presence of 17 amino acids. The BMAE showed prominent free radical scavenging activity when assessed by the H2O2 and super-oxide method. The results of present investigation showed protection against DOX-induced oxid ative stress (lipid peroxidation), by reverting activities of apoptotic markers (caspase-3 and TNF-α), cardiac markers (CK-MB and LDH activities) as well as pro-inflammatory marker IL-6 followed by oral administration of BMAE. In addition, results of histopathology also supported well the above results. It was observed that BMAE protects DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by virtue of its antioxidants possibly by flavonoids and amino acids.2014-09-05T00:00:00ZCombined anti-ages and antioxidant activities of different solvent extracts of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav (Solanacea) fruits during ripening and related to their phytochemical compositions
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33728
Title: Combined anti-ages and antioxidant activities of different solvent extracts of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav (Solanacea) fruits during ripening and related to their phytochemical compositions
Authors: Houda, Mejri; Derbré, Séverine; Jedy, Ahmed; Tlili, Nizar; Legault, Jean; Richomme, Pascal; Limam, Ferid; Saidani-Tounsi, Moufida
Abstract: Oxidative stress and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are known as key factors for the development of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, cataract as well as atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s diseases. In this context, natural products have been previously identified as
promising sources for antioxidant and anti-glycation compounds. The current study focuses on the evaluation of antioxidant and glycation inhibitory activities of different solvent extracts of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav (Solanaceae) fruits at different ripening stages. The results showed that antioxidant and anti-AGEs activities were significantly influenced by solvents polarities and ripening stages of S. elaeagnifolium Cav. With one exception, methanolic extract of overripe S. elaeagnifolium Cav fruit showed important protective effects against cellular oxidative stress. The aqueous extract showed the highest ABTS+
scavenging ability. Principal component analysis showed that total phenolic and flavonoid contents correlated well with observed antioxidants and anti-glycation activities. These results bring attention to the possible use of S. elaeagnifolium Cav as a valuable source of bioactive compounds exhibiting antioxidant effects and potentially alleviating diabetic complications.2014-09-05T00:00:00ZSynthesis and antibacterial activity of a new derivative of the meldrun acid: 2,2-dimethyl-5-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-ylaminomethylene)-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione (C9H10N4O4)
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33726
Title: Synthesis and antibacterial activity of a new derivative of the meldrun acid: 2,2-dimethyl-5-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-ylaminomethylene)-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione (C9H10N4O4)
Authors: Sampaio, Gillena M. M.; Teixeira, Alexandre M. R.; Coutinho, Henrique D. M.; Junior, Diniz M. Sena; Freire, Paulo T. C.; Bento, Ricardo R. F.; Silva, Luiz E.
Abstract: The discovery of new substances with proven antimicrobial activity is the current study goal of various researchers. Usage of synthetic products has grown considerably in the past few years due to processing agility, and capability of going through previous chemical modifications in order to enhance its biological activity. Widespread careless use of antimicrobials has made the number of resistant microorganisms rise significantly, thus demanding more efficient drugs to fight them. One of these synthetic candidates for this purpose is the substance 2,2-Dimethyl-5-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-ylaminomethylene)-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione (C9H10N4O4), aminomethylene derivative from Meldrum's acid. This substance, alone and in association
with common antibiotics, were evaluated in vitro for antimicrobial activity, and had their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) towards Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442, as well as multiresistant strains Escherichia coli 27, Staphylococcus aureus 358 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 03 determined. The antimicrobial modulation action tests of the aminoglycosides with C9H10N4O4 were performed according to the microdilution method, and resulted in observation of a positive synergic effect.2014-09-01T00:00:00ZSuppressive effects of Mimosa pudica (L.) constituents on the production of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33713
Title: Suppressive effects of Mimosa pudica (L.) constituents on the production of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators
Authors: Patel, Neeraj K.; Bhutani, Kamlesh K.
Abstract: The present study deals with the isolation of fourteen compounds from the active ethyl acetate (MPE) extract of M. pudica (L.) whole plant and their subsequent evaluation for the nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) inhibitory activities in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.7 and J774A.1 cells. Among the tested compounds, L-mimosine (12; IC50= 19.23 to 21.15 μM), crocetin (4; IC50= 23.45 to 25.57 μM), crocin (14; IC50= 27.16 to 31.53 μM) and jasmonic acid (11; IC50= 21.32 to 29.42 μM) were identified as potent NO inhibitor when tested on the macrophages. Similarly, towards TNF-α
and IL-1β inhibition, including these four compounds, and ethyl gallate (3), gallic acid (10) and caffeic acid (7) were found to be more active with half maximal concentration, 17.32 to 62.32 μM whereas the other compounds depicted moderate and mild effects (IC50= 59.32 to 95.01 μM). Also, at a dose of 40 mg/Kg, L-mimosine (12), jasmonic acid (11), crocin (14) and its de-esterified form, crocetin (4) were found to significantly (p < 0.05 and 0.001) reduce 60.7 %, 48.9 %, 48.4 % and 43.6 % respectively of TNF-α production in female Sprague Dawley rats. However, in case of IL-1β, with the same dose (40 mg/Kg), jasmonic acid (11) exhibited significant reduction with 54.2 % followed by crocin (14) (50.2 %) and crocetin (4) (39.8 %) while L-mimosine (12) was found to reduce only 16.3 %. Based on the results, it can be estimated that these compounds imparting greatly to anti-inflammatory effects of M. pudica in vitro as well as
in vivo through reduction of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators which affirm the ethno-pharmacological use of this plant for prevention of inflammatory-related disorders.2014-08-29T00:00:00Z6,7-Dimethoxy-4-methylcoumarin suppresses pro-inflammatory mediator expression through inactivation of the NF-kappaB and MAPK pathways in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33712
Title: 6,7-Dimethoxy-4-methylcoumarin suppresses pro-inflammatory mediator expression through inactivation of the NF-kappaB and MAPK pathways in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells
Authors: Kim, Kil-Nam; Yang, Hye-Won; Ko, Seok-Chun; Ko, Yeong-Jong; Kim, Eun-A; Roh, Seong Woon; Ko, Eun-Yi; Ahn, Ginnae; Heo, Soo-Jin; Jeon, You-Jin; Yoon, Weon-Jong; Hyun, Chang-Gu; Kim, Daekyung
Abstract: In this study, we investigated the ability of 6,7-dimethoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DMC) to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in mouse macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells, and the molecular mechanism through which this inhibition occurred. Our results indicated that DMC down regulated LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, thereby reducing the production of NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, DMC suppressed LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the anti-
inflammatory activity of DMC, we assessed its effects on the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the activity and expression of nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-κB). The experiments demonstrated that DMC inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. In addition, it attenuated LPS-induced NF-κB activation via the inhibition of IκB-α phosphorylation. Taken together, these data suggest that DMC exerts its anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 cells through the inhibition of LPS-stimulated NF-κB and MAPK signaling, thereby downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators.2014-07-21T00:00:00ZAnti-inflammatory activity and chemical composition of the essential oils from Senecio flammeus
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33711
Title: Anti-inflammatory activity and chemical composition of the essential oils from Senecio flammeus
Authors: Xiao, Kai-Jun; Wang, Wen-Xia; Dai, Jia-Li; Zhu, Liang
Abstract: Many species from Senecio genus have been used in traditional medicine, and their pharmacological activities have been demonstrated. This study investigated the chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oils from Senecio flammeus. A total of 48 components representing 98.41 % of the total oils were identified. The main compounds in the oils were α-farnesene (11.26 %), caryophyllene (8.69 %), n-hexadecanoic acid (7.23 %), and α-pinene (6.36 %). The anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oils was evaluated in rodents (10–90 mg/kg bw) in classical models of inflammation [carrageenan-induced paw edema, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema, and cotton pellet-induced granuloma]. The essential oils at doses of 10, 30, and 90 mg/kg bw significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw edema by 17.42 % (P < 0.05), 52.90 % (P < 0.05), and 66.45 % (P < 0.05) 4 h after carrageenan injection, respectively, and significantly reduced myeloperoxidase activity (P < 0.05). The essential oils (10, 30, and 90 mg/kg) also produced asignificant dose-dependent response to reduce
TPA-induced ear edema by 20.27 % (P < 0.05), 33.06 % (P < 0.05), and 53.90 % (P < 0.05), respectively. The essential oils produced significant dose-response anti-inflammatory activity against cotton pellet-induced granuloma that peaked at the highest dose of 90 mg/kg (49.08 % wet weight and 47.29 % dry weight). Results demonstrate that the essential oils of S. flammeus were effective in the treatment of both acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, there by supporting the traditional use of this herb.2014-07-18T00:00:00ZChemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from leaves of Algerian Melissa officinalis L.
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33710
Title: Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from leaves of Algerian Melissa officinalis L.
Authors: Abdellatif, Fahima; Boudjella, Hadjira; Zitouni, Abdelghani; Hassani, Aicha
Abstract: The essential oil obtained from leaves of Melissa officinalis L. (Family of Lamiaceae) growing in Algeria, was investigated for its chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity. The chemical composition was determined by hydro-distillation and analyzed by GC/MS and GC-FID. Sixty-three compounds were identified in the essential oil, representing 94.10 % of the total oil and the yields were 0.34 %. The major component was geranial (44.20 %). Other predominant components were neral (30.20 %) and citronellal (6.30 %). The
in vitro antimicrobial activity was determined by paper disk agar diffusion testing and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using 7 bacteria (3 Gram-positive and 4 Gram-negative), 2 yeasts and 3 fungi. The results showed that the essential oil presented high antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms targeted mainly against five human pathogenic bacteria, one yeast Candida albicans and two phytopathogenic fungi tested. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranged from 1.00 to 5.00 μL/mL.2014-07-17T00:00:00ZSerum protein electrophoresis under effective control of HIV-1 disease progression
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33709
Title: Serum protein electrophoresis under effective control of HIV-1 disease progression
Authors: Adedeji, Adebayo Lawrence; Adenikinju, Rufus Omotayo; Ajele, Joshua Olufemi; Olawoye, Theophilus Ladapo
Abstract: In this report, we compared the serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) patterns in a subset of HIV-1-infected subjects who did not progress to AIDS without antiretroviral treatment with those in whose control of disease progression was achieved by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). SPE and immunofixation electrophoresis were performed on Helena Electrophoresis System according to manufacturer’s instructions. The percentage of SPE abnormalities, resembling chronic inflammation, was significantly higher in HIV-1-infected subject without HAART compared with those under HAART (p = 0.001). The majority of individuals under HAART showed evidence of oligoclonal bands on the γ-band against a polyclonal background compared with those without HAART but β-γ-band bridging was more evident. Immunofixation pattern was consistent with oligoclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia of IgG kappa type, which was found to be more intense in group without HAART. HIV clinical status did not show appreciable effect on the SPE pattern in subjects without HAART. However, under effective HAART, subjects with better CD4 T-cell count were associated with higher γ-globulin band. In group without HAART, acute infection was found to be associated the higher γ-globulin fraction compared with chronic infection. The opposite was the case under effective HAART. HIV
infected subjects that did not progress to AIDS were associated with markedly abnormal SPE pattern. Overall results reflect the host ability compensate defective cellular immunity in HIV-1 infection with humoral immune responses. These findings underscore the usefulness of SPE monitoring HIV disease management and
identifying individuals that may not progress to full-blown AIDS in the absence of treatment.2014-07-15T00:00:00ZInduction of spinal long-term synaptic potentiation is sensitive to inhibition of neuronal NOS in L5 spinal nerve-transected rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33708
Title: Induction of spinal long-term synaptic potentiation is sensitive to inhibition of neuronal NOS in L5 spinal nerve-transected rats
Authors: Bahari, Zahra; Manaheji, Homa; Hosseinmardi, Narges; Meftahi, Gholam Hossein; Sadeghi, Mehdi; Danialy, Samira; Noorbakhsh, Seyed Mohammad
Abstract: The role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the central mechanism of neuropathic pain and long-term potentiation (LTP) of peripheral afferents remains obscure. The current study investigated the effect of intrathecal application of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a selective nNOS inhibitor (8.15 μg/5μl), on mechanical allodynia on day 14 after L5 spinal nerve transection. Furthermore, using in vivo single unit extracellular recording, we examined the effect of 7-NI on the induction of LTP of Aδ- and C-fiber-evoked responses. We have demonstrated that 7-NI attenuates nerve-injury-evoked mechanical allodynia. Additionally, our electrophysiological study has shown that the spinal administration of 7-NI significantly inhibits the induction of the LTP of Aδ- and C-fiber-evoked responses on day 14 after neuropathy. These
data suggest that activation of nNOS may be crucial for the induction of the spinal LTP of Aδ- and C-fiber-evoked responses following peripheral nerve damage.2014-07-14T00:00:00ZIdentification of circulating miRNA profiles that distinguish malignant pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33707
Title: Identification of circulating miRNA profiles that distinguish malignant pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Gayosso - Gómez, L. V.; Zárraga - Granados, G.; Paredes - Garcia, P.; Falfán - Valencia, R.; Vazquez - Manríquez, M. E.; Martinez - Barrera, L. M.; Castillo - Gonzalez, P.; Rumbo - Nava, U.; Guevara - Gutierrez, R.; Rivera - Bravo, B.; Ramirez - Venegas, A.; Sansores, R.; Negrete - Garcia, M. C.; Ortiz - Quintero, B.
Abstract: Accurate diagnosis of malignant pleura mesothelioma (MPM) is challenging. Differential diagnosis of MPM versus lung adenocarcinoma (AD) is particularly difficult, yet clinically important since the two neoplasias call for different treatment approaches. Circulating miRNA-profiling to identify miRNAs that can be used to distinguish MPM from AD has not been reported. We conducted a wide screening study of miRNA profiles in serum pools of MPM patients (N = 11), AD patients (N = 36), and healthy subjects (N = 45) to identify non-invasive biomarkers for differential diagnosis of MPM and AD, using deep sequencing. Sequencing
detected up to 300 known miRNAs and up to 25 novel miRNAs species in the serum samples. Among known miRNAs, 7 were upregulated in MPM and 12 were upregulated in AD compared to healthy controls. Of these, eight were distinctive for AD and three were unique for MPM. Direct comparison of the miRNA profiles for MPM and AD revealed differences in miRNA levels that could be useful for differential diagnosis. No differentially expressed novel miRNAs were found. Further bioinformatics analysis indicated that three upregulated miRNAs in MPM are associated with the p38 pathway. There are unique alterations in serum miRNAs in MPM and AD compared to healthy controls, as well as differences between MPM and AD profiles. Differing miRNA levels between MPM and AD may be useful for differential diagnosis. A potential association to p38 pathway of three upregulated miRNAs in MPM was revealed.2014-07-08T00:00:00ZCancer incidence in North West Algeria (Mascara) 2000-2010
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33706
Title: Cancer incidence in North West Algeria (Mascara) 2000-2010
Authors: Benarba, Bachir; Meddah, Boumedienne; Hamdani, Houria
Abstract: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide accounting for 7.4 million deaths. Cancer has become a major public health concern in Algeria. The aim of the present study was to estimate cancer incidence in Mascara Province based on the population-based cancer registry. We analyzed data from the cancer registry of Mascara covering all cancer cases diagnosed by all methods and included in the registry from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2010. The results are presented as incidence rates of cases by site, sex, age, and crude rate. Age-standardized rates per 100,000 person-years (ASRs) were calculated, using the direct method of standardization to the world population. A total of 1875 cases of invasive cancer were recorded. The mean age of diagnosis for all cancers was 52.66 ± 0.5 in men and 59.18 ± 0.6 in women. The ASR for all cancers in females was 27.8 per 100,000, and that for males was 23.6 per 100,000. The most important
finding of the present study was the high incidence of liver cancer among males and females in Mascara. Among females, breast cancer was the most frequently reported followed by Cervix uteri, liver and colon. The most frequent cancer types in males were lung, colon, esophagus and stomach and liver. Cancer incidence in Mascara province was lower than that reported in other national and regional registries. Findings of the present study revealed high incidence of liver cancer in the province, the highest in Algeria, suggesting high prevalence of risk factors.2014-06-23T00:00:00ZAntimicrobial and antioxidative activities in the bark extracts of Sonneratia caseolaris, a mangrove plant
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33705
Title: Antimicrobial and antioxidative activities in the bark extracts of Sonneratia caseolaris, a mangrove plant
Authors: Simlai, Aritra; Rai, Archana; Mishra, Saumya; Mukherjee, Kalishankar; Roy, Amit
Abstract: The present study deals with the phytochemical contents, antimicrobial and antioxidative activities of bark tissue of Sonneratia caseolaris, a mangrove plant from Sundarban estuary, India. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of high amounts of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and saponins. Antimicrobial efficacies of various extracts of S. caseolaris were assessed by disc diffusion method against two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus coagulans), two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris) bacteria and one fungus (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The methanolic extract among others showed significant minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The antioxidant activity as indicated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity of the bark tissue extract from the species was found to be quite appreciable. The extracts were found to retain their antimicrobial activities despite pH and thermal treatments, thus indicating the stability of their activity even at extreme conditions. The antioxidant activity was also found to be considerably stable after thermal treatments. The components of the tissue extracts were subjected to separation using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The constituents with antimicrobial and antioxidative properties were identified using TLC-bioautography by agar-overlay and DPPH spraying methods respectively. A number of bioactive constituents with antimicrobial and radical scavenging properties were observed on the developed bioautography plate. The fractions with antimicrobial properties were isolated from the reference TLC plates and subjected to gaschromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis for partial characterization and identification of the metabolites that might be responsible for the activities. The study suggests Sonneratia caseolaris bark as a potential source of bioactive compounds with stable antimicrobial and antioxidative properties and can be used as natural antimicrobial/antioxidative agents in clinical, pharmaceutical and food processing industries.2014-08-29T00:00:00ZMutant p53 protein expression and antioxidant status deficiency in breast cancer
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33704
Title: Mutant p53 protein expression and antioxidant status deficiency in breast cancer
Authors: Milićević, Zorka; Kasapović, Jelena; Gavrilović, Ljubica; Milovanović, Zorka; Bajić, Vladan; Spremo-Potparević, Biljana
Abstract: It is well recognized that cancers develop and grow as a result of disordered function of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, which may be exploited for screening purposes. Extensive evidence indicated tumor suppressor protein p53 as candidate marker for mutation identification. We have investigated mutant p53 protein expression in human breast tumors in relation to antioxidant status deficiency. The study included 100 breast cancer patients. p53 protein expression was evaluated by Western blot assay and immunostaining using a CM-1, DO-7 and Pab240 antibodies. Antioxidant parameters and lipid peroxidation were estimated by biochemical analyses. Western blotting with epitopespecific monoclonal antibody Pab240
strongly suggests that nuclear extracts from breast cancer cells express mutant forms of p53. It is of interest that the mutant forms of p53 overexpression in conjunction with the appearance of nuclear bodies are observed in highly aggressive carcinomas. Expression of isoform Δp53 (45 kDa) and isoform of ~ 29 kDa were more common in cases with LN metastasis. These studies point out the molecular consequences of oxidative stress (lipid peroxides, LP, p<0.001) and antioxidant status deficiency (copper, zinc superoxid dismutase, SOD, p<0.001; catalase, CAT, p<0.01; glutathione reductase, GR, p<0.001; glutathione, GSH, p<0.05) and indicate the importance of p53 mutation as the commonest genetic alteration detected in breast cancer cells. The expression of mutant p53 is correlated to increased lipid peroxides (0.346, p<0.05) and
lowered antioxidant activity of CAT (- 0.437, p<0.01) in the breast cancer patients.2014-06-12T00:00:00ZBiochemical composition and bioactivity screening of various extracts from dunaliella salina, a green microalga
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33703
Title: Biochemical composition and bioactivity screening of various extracts from dunaliella salina, a green microalga
Authors: Cakmak, Yavuz Selim; Kaya, Murat; Asan - Ozusaglam, Meltem
Abstract: The current study examines the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of different extracts of the microalga
Dunaliella salina Teodoresco (Dunaliellaceae), their fatty acid composition and the antimicrobial activity of the oil. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were evaluated by obtaining extracts of D. salina in n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethanol, and methanol. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity, the extracts, and fatty acids from D. salina were assessed by the disc diffusion and microdilution techniques against pathogenic microorganisms including fish and clinical/food-borne. The MBC or MFC values of the extracts and fatty acids ranged from 0.63 to 10.00 mg/ml. The antioxidant activity was studied by phosphomolybdenum and DPPH assays and β-carotene/linoleic acid tests. In addition, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated and the fatty acid composition was determined using gas chromatography. Palmitic, alpha-linolenic, and oleic acids were discovered to be the major components of the fatty acids. These findings have demonstrated that the extracts and oil from D. salina could be used as natural antimicrobials and antioxidants in the food/feed and pharmaceutical industry and as a biodiesel because of its high unsaturated fatty acid content.2014-06-13T00:00:00ZPlatismatia glauca and Pseudevernia furfuracea lichens as sources of antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33702
Title: Platismatia glauca and Pseudevernia furfuracea lichens as sources of antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents
Authors: Mitrović, Tatjana; Stamenković, Slaviša; Cvetković, Vladimir; Radulović, Niko; Mladenović, Marko; Stanković, Milan; Topuzović, Marina; Radojević, Ivana; Stefanović, Olgica; Vasić, Sava; Čomić, Ljiljana
Abstract: The antioxidative, antimicrobial and antibiofilm potentials of acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of lichen species Platismatia glauca and Pseudevernia furfuracea were evaluated. The phytochemical analysis by GC, GC/MS and NMR revealed caperatic acid, atraric acid, atranorin and chloroatranorin as the predominant compounds in Platismatia glauca. Atraric acid, olivetoric acid, atranorin and chloroatranorin were the major constituents in Pseudevernia furfuracea. The strong antioxidant capacities of the Platismatia glauca and Pseudevernia furfuracea extracts were assessed by their total phenolic and flavonoid contents
and DPPH scavenging activities. The methanol extracts of both species exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities with the highest IC50 value for Pseudevernia furfuracea (95.33 μg/mL). The lichen extracts demonstrated important antibacterial activities against 11 bacterial strains with detectable MIC values from 0.08 mg/mL to 2.5 mg/mL for Platismatia glauca and from 0.005 mg/mL to 2.5 mg/mL for Pseudevernia furfuracea. While the antibacterial activities of Pseudevernia furfuracea were solvent–independent, the acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of Platismatia glauca showed higher antibacterial activities compared to its
methanol extract. The methanol extracts of both species demonstrated significant antifungal activities against 9 fungal strains with detectable MIC values from 0.04 mg/mL to 2.5 mg/mL. The best antifungal activities were determined against Candida species in Pseudevernia furfuracea extracts with remarkable MIC values which were lower than the MIC values of the positive contol fluconazole. The acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of Platismatia glauca showed better antibiofilm activities on Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis with BIC value at 0.63 mg/mL then its methanol extract. On the other hand, the methanol extract of
Pseudevernia furfuracea was more potent with BIC value at 1.25 mg/mL on Staphylococcus aureus and 0.63 mg/mL on Proteus mirabilis compared to other types of extracts. Our study indicates a possible use of lichens
Platismatia glauca and Pseudevernia furfuracea as natural antioxidants and preservatives in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.2014-08-26T00:00:00ZIsolation and structure elucidation of polyphenols from Loranthus micranthus Linn. parasitic on Hevea brasiliensis with antiinflammatory property
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33700
Title: Isolation and structure elucidation of polyphenols from Loranthus micranthus Linn. parasitic on Hevea brasiliensis with antiinflammatory property
Authors: Agbo, Matthias Onyebuchi; Nworu, Chukwuemeka Sylvester; Okoye, Festus Basden Chiedu; Osadebe, Patience Ogoamaka
Abstract: The present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of polyphenols isolated from the leaves of mistletoe (Loranthus micranthus Linn.) parasitic on Hevea brasiliensis. The anti-inflammatory properties of the isolated compounds were evaluated on the basis of their ability to inhibit the production of
nitric oxide (NO) and tumuor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. Semipreparative HPLC separation of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (n-BuOH) fractions of the leaves of mistletoe (Loranthus micranthus Linn) parasitic on Hevea brasiliensisled to the
isolation of four polyphenols: 3-O-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)-(-)-epicatechin (TMECG) (1);(-)-epicatechin-3-O-(3′′-O-methyl)-gallate (ECG3′′Me) (2); rutin (3) and peltatoside (4). Compounds 1-4 were isolated for the first time from this plant while 1 was isolated for the first time in nature. These compounds (1-4) were readily identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. The polyphenols proved to have anti-inflammatory activity as evidenced by the suppression of inducible nitric oxide (iNO) and cytokine (TNF-α) levels in the culture supernatant of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. However, the study showed that the quercetin diglycosides showed stronger inhibition of proinflammatory mediators than the epicatechin derivates. These data provide evidence that polyphenolic compounds isolated from the mistletoe parasitic on Hevea brasiliensis may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting the expression of inducible nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α.2014-08-20T00:00:00ZAtrial natriuretic peptide gene - a potential biomarker for Long QT syndrome
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33699
Title: Atrial natriuretic peptide gene - a potential biomarker for Long QT syndrome
Authors: Qureshi, Sameera Fatima; Ali, Altaf; Venkateshwari, Ananthapur; Rao, Hygriv; Jayakrishnan, M. P.; Narasimhan, Calambur; Shenthar, Jayaprakash; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Nallari, Pratibha
Abstract: This study highlights the possible implication of NPPA (natriuretic peptide precursor A) gene in the etiology of Long QT syndrome (LQTS) by population-based as well as familial study. Three SNPs of NPPA- C-664G, C1363A and T1766C were examined by molecular analyses in LQTS, controls and first degree relatives (FDRs). This study revealed a possible association of 1364 C>A SNP ‘C’ allele with LQTS (p = 0.0013). All three SNPs were in tight linkage disequilibrium. The familial study highlights the association of NPPA SNP with cLQTS and implicating it as a potential biomarker in South Indian population.2014-08-15T00:00:00ZAlleviation of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia by Phyllanthus virgatus forst extract and its partially purified fraction in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33698
Title: Alleviation of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia by Phyllanthus virgatus forst extract and its partially purified fraction in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats
Authors: Hashim, Arshya; Khan, M. Salman; Ahmad, Saheem
Abstract: Since, we previously demonstrated that sequentially extracted methanolic fraction showed marked antioxidant and antidiabetic property in vitro, the present study was design to evaluate the beneficial effects of Phyllanthus virgatus methanolic extract and its partially purified fraction on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. The plant extract was subjected to repeated thin
layer chromatographic fractionation followed by GC-MS analysis of active fraction. TLC data illustrated the presence of six prominent bands and the prelimnary screening of these bands against α-amylase inhibitory activity showed that the band with Rf value 0.514 has marked inhibitory property (IC50, 48 μg/ml). The diabetic rats were treated for four weeks with methanolic extract of P. virgatus (50 and 10mg/rat/day), partially isolated active fraction (0.5 and 0.1 mg/rat/day) and glibenclamide (0.1 mg/rat/day). The level of fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and insulin were significantly alleviated in plant extract and partially purified fraction treated group after 28 days of administration. Moreover, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were also markedly
ameliorated in the entire treatment group, with a maximum restoration observed in group treated with partially purified fraction (0.5 mg/rat/day). The results demonstrate a strong anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic impact of plant extract and its partially purified fraction coupled with their potent antioxidative property, which can provide additional benefits in the inhibition of oxidative stress and hence in the prevention and treatment of diabetes as well as diabetes linked hyperlipidemia.2014-08-12T00:00:00ZAn overview of platelet indices for evaluating platelet function in children with scorpion envenomation
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33697
Title: An overview of platelet indices for evaluating platelet function in children with scorpion envenomation
Authors: Konca, Capan; Tekin, Mehmet; Colak, Pinar; Uckardes, Fatih; Turgut, Mehmet
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between platelet indices and scorpion envenomations (SE). Medical records of 76 children who were hospitalised for scorpion stings in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) between February 2013 and November 2013, and 55 healthy children who were similar to the patient group in terms of age and sex, were analysed retrospectively. The leucocyte (WBC), thrombocyte (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT), platelet distribution width (PDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV) values of the 76 children with SE were recorded. These values were compared with the healthy control group. Significantly higher WBC and PDW values were noted in patients with SE in comparison to the controls. Patients with SE had significantly lower mean MPV values compared to the healthy controls (9.03 ± 1.26 compared to 10.43 ± 1.44 fL, respectively; p < 0.001). Although the mean platelet count was slightly elevated in the SE group, no statistically significant difference existed between the two groups (p = 0.097). Furthermore, the mean PCT values in the SE group compared to the control group were slightly decreased, but this decrease was not
statistically significant (p = 0.141). A significant inverse correlation existed between the MPV values and the WBC (r = -0.450, p < 0.01) and PLT counts (r = -0.420, p < 0.01). The PLT values were significantly correlated with the PCT values (r = 0.687, p < 0.01). This study demonstrated that SE may lead to several alterations in platelet indices. Significantly lower values of MPV and higher values of PDW were detected in SE patients. However, the increase in the platelet counts and the decrease in the PCT values were not significant.2014-07-25T00:00:00ZSodium valproate enhances urethane tumorigenicity in lungs of male but not female mice
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33693
Title: Sodium valproate enhances urethane tumorigenicity in lungs of male but not female mice
Authors: Stakisaitis, Donatas; Uleckiene, Saule; Didziapetriene, Janina; Valanciute, Angelija; Mozuraite, Raminta; Matusevicius, Paulius
Abstract: In the study, the possible effect of sodium valproate (NaVP) on urethane-induced lung tumors in mice has been evaluated. BALB/c mice (n = 120; 4–6 weeks old, both sexes) were used in the following groups: 1) urethane-treated, 2) urethane–NaVP-treated, 3) only NaVP-treated, 4) control. In the same groups, castrated male mice (n = 48) were investigated. Urethane was given by intraperitoneal injections 10 mg/mouse, twice a week, the total dose 50 mg/mouse. In NaVP-treated mice, the 0.4 % NaVP aqueous
solution was offered to mice ad libitum. The duration of the experiment was 6 months. The number of tumors per mouse in urethane–NaVP-treated males was significantly higher than in those treated with urethane only (13.82 ± 1.12 vs 6.77 ± 0.43, p < 0.0001). No significant difference in the number of tumors per mouse was revealed while comparing the female urethane- and urethane–NaVP-treated groups (6.50 ± 0.79 vs 8.15 ± 0.55, p = 0.105). No difference in the number of tumors per mouse was found in urethane–NaVP-treated castrated males as compared with urethane-treated castrated males. However, in the urethane–aVP-treated castrated males the number of tumors per mouse was significantly lower than in analogous non-castrated males (7.8 ± 1.67 vs 13.82 ± 1.12, p < 0.01). NaVP combined with urethane potentiates urethane tumorigenicity in BALB/c non-castrated but not in female and castrated male mice. These data indicate an important role of testosterone in the urethane-NaVP induced lung tumorigenesis.2014-06-05T00:00:00ZTreatment with platelet lysate induces endothelial differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under fluid shear stress
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33692
Title: Treatment with platelet lysate induces endothelial differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under fluid shear stress
Authors: Homayouni Moghadam, Farshad; Tayebi, Tahereh; Moradi, Alireza; Nadri, Hamid; Barzegar, Kazem; Eslami, Gilda
Abstract: By considering stem cell-based therapies as a new hope for the treatment of some tragic diseases, marrow stromal cells or marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were considered as a suitable and safe multipotential cell source for this new therapeutic approach. For this purpose, many investigations have been performed on differentiation of MSCs toward specific cell lines to overcome the demand for providing the organ specific cells for cell therapy or preparation of engineered tissues. In the present study, differentiation of MSCs to endothelial cells (ECs) by mechanical and chemical stimulation was evaluated. Fluid shear stress (FSS) was used as mechanical inducer, while platelet lysate (PL) and estradiol (E) were used as chemical induction factors. MSCs were placed under FSS with different forces (2, 5 and 10 dyn/cm²) for different periods (6, 12 and 24 hours). In some groups, PL and E were added to the culture media to evaluate their effect on expression of EC specific markers. This investigation revealed that FSS with low tension (2.5-5 dyn/cm²) for a long time (24 hours) or high tension (10 dyn/cm²) in short time (6 hours) in the presence of PL could differentiate MSCs toward ECs. The presence of PL was necessary for initiation of endothelial differentiation, and in the absence of PL, there was not any expression of CD34 and Cadherin5 (Cdh5)
among cells. Adding E to the culture medium did not change the rate of endothelial differentiation under FSS. Generated endothelial progenitors could produce von Willebrand factor (vWF) after two weeks culture and also they formed tubular structures after culture on matrigel.2014-06-03T00:00:00ZTesting chemical carcinogenicity by using a transcriptomics HepaRG-based model?
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33541
Title: Testing chemical carcinogenicity by using a transcriptomics HepaRG-based model?
Authors: Doktorova, Tatyana Y.; Yildirimman, Reha; Ceelen, Liesbeth; Vilardell, Mireia; Vanhaecke, Tamara; Vinken, Mathieu; Ates, Gamze; Heymans, Anja; Gmuender, Hans; Bort, Roque; Corvi, Raffaella; Phrakonkham, Pascal; Li, Ruoya; Mouchet, Nicolas; Chesne, Christophe; van Delft, Joost; Kleinjans, Jos; Castell, Jose; Herwig, Ralf; Rogiers, Vera
Abstract: The EU FP6 project carcinoGENOMICS explored the combination of toxicogenomics and
in vitro cell culture models for identifying organotypical genotoxic- and non-genotoxic carcinogen-specific gene signatures. Here the performance of its gene classifier, derived from exposure of metabolically competent human HepaRG cells to prototypical non-carcinogens (10 compounds) and hepatocarcinogens (20 compounds), is reported. Analysis of the data at the gene and the pathway level by using independent
biostatistical approaches showed a distinct
separation of genotoxic from non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogens and non-carcinogens (up to
88 % correct prediction). The most characteristic pathway responding to genotoxic exposure was DNA damage. Interlaboratory reproducibility was assessed by blindly testing of three compounds, from the set of 30 compounds, by three independent laboratories. Subsequent classification of these compounds resulted in correct prediction of the genotoxicants. As expected, results on the non-genotoxic carcinogens and the non-carcinogens were less predictive. In conclusion, the combination of transcriptomics with the HepaRG in vitro cell model provides a potential weight of evidence approach
for the evaluation of the genotoxic potential
of chemical substances.2014-05-28T00:00:00ZConformational changes of a chemically modified HRP
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33539
Title: Conformational changes of a chemically modified HRP
Authors: Bamdad, Kourosh; Ranjbar, Bijan; Naderi-Manesh, Hossein; Sadeghi, Mehdi
Abstract: Horseradish peroxidase is an all alpha-Helical enzyme, which widely used in biochemistry applications mainly because of its ability to enhance the weak signals of target molecules. This monomeric heme-containing plant peroxidase is also used as a reagent for the organic synthesis, biotransformation, chemiluminescent assays, immunoassays, bioremediation, and treatment of wastewaters as well. Accordingly, enhancing stability and catalytic activity of this protein for biotechnological uses has been one of the important issues in the field of biological investigations in recent years. In this study, pH-induced structural alterations of native (HRP), and modified (MHRP) forms of Horseradish peroxidase have
been investigated. Based on the results, dramatic loss of the tertiary structure and also the enzymatic activity for both forms of enzymes recorded at pH values lower than 6 and higher than 8. Ellipticiy measurements, however, indicated very slight variations in the secondary structure for MHRP at pH 5. Spectroscopic analysis also
indicated that melting of the tertiary structure of MHRP at pH 5 starts at around 45° C, which is associated to the pKa of His 42 that has a serious role in keeping of the heme prostethic group in its native position through natural hydrogen bond network in the enzyme structure. According to our data, a molten globule like structure of a chemically modified form of Horseradish peroxidase at pH 5 with initial steps of conformational transition in tertiary structure with almost no changes in the secondary structure has been detected. Despite of some conformational changes in the tertiary structure of MHRP at pH 5, this modified form still keeps its catalytic activity to some extent besides enhanced thermal stability. These findings also indicated that a molten globular state does
not necessarily preclude efficient catalytic activity.2014-05-27T00:00:00ZEGFR tyrosine kinase targeted compounds
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33538
Title: EGFR tyrosine kinase targeted compounds
Authors: Gabr, Moustafa T.; El-Gohary, Nadia S.; El-Bendary, Eman R.; El-Kerdawy, Mohamed M.
Abstract: In this study, we illustrate computer aided drug design of new benzothiazole and pyrimido[2,1-b]benzothiazole derivatives as epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) inhibitors. Compounds 1-5
were screened at NCI, USA, for antitumor activity against non-small cell lung cancer (NCI-H522), colon cancer (HCT-116, HCT-15 and HT29) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231/ATCC) cell lines in which EGFR is
overexpressed in varying levels. Results indicated that these compounds are more potent antitumor agents compared to erlotinib against HT29 and MDA-MB-231/ATCC cell lines. Compound 3 showed GI50
value of 22.3 nM against NCI-H522 cell line, while erlotinib exhibited GI50 value of 1 μM against the same cell line. In addition, these compounds were studied for their EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity. Virtual screening utilizing molecular modeling and QSAR techniques enabled the understanding of the pharmacophoric requirements for antitumor activity. Docking the designed compounds into the ATP binding site of EGFR-TK domain was done to predict the analogous binding mode of these compounds to the EGFR-TK inhibitors.2014-05-26T00:00:00ZExercise protects against obesity induced semen abnormalities via downregulating stem cell factor, upregulating Ghrelin and normalizing oxidative stress
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33537
Title: Exercise protects against obesity induced semen abnormalities via downregulating stem cell factor, upregulating Ghrelin and normalizing oxidative stress
Authors: Alhashem, Fahaid; Alkhateeb, Mahmoud; Alshahrani, Mesfer; Elrefaey, Hesham; Alsunaidi, Mohammad; Alessa, Riyad; Sakr, Hussein; Sarhan, Mohammad; Eleawa, Samy M.; Khalil, Mohammad A.
Abstract: Increased oxidative stress and hormonal imbalance have been hypothesized to underlie infertility in obese animals. However, recent evidence suggests that Ghrelin and Stem Cell Factor (SCF) play an important role in fertility, in lean individuals. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating whether changes in the levels of Ghrelin and SCF in rat testes underlie semen abnormal parameters observed in obese rats, and secondly, whether endurance exercise or
Orlistat can protect against changes in Ghrelin, SCF, and/or semen parameters in diet induced obese rats. Obesity was modelled in male Wistar rats using High Fat Diet (HFD) 12-week protocol. Eight week-old rats (n=40) were divided into four groups, namely, Group I: fed with a standard diet (12 % of calories as fat); Group II: fed HFD (40 % of calories as fat); Group III: fed the HFD with a concomitant dose of Orlistat (200 mg/kg); and Group IV: fed the HFD
and underwent 30 min daily swimming exercise.
The model was validated by measuring the
levels of testosterone, FSH, LH, estradiol, leptin, triglycerides, total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, and final change in body weight. Levels were consistent with published obesity models (see Results). As predicted, the HFD group had a 76.8 % decrease in sperm count, 44.72 % decrease in sperm motility, as well as 47.09 % increase in abnormal sperm morphology. Unlike the control group, in the HFD group (i.e. obese
rats) Ghrelin mRNA and protein were elevated, while SCF mRNA and protein were diminished in the testes. Furthermore, in the HFD group, SOD and GPx activities were significantly reduced, 48.5±5.8 % (P=0.0012) and 45.6±4.6 % (P=0.0019), respectively, while TBARS levels were significantly increased (112.7±8.9 %, P≤0.0001). Finally, endurance exercise training and Orlistat administration individually and differentially protected semen parameters in obese rats. The mechanism includes, but is not limited to, normalizing the levels of Ghrelin, SCF, SOD, GPx and TBARS. In rat testes, diet induced obesity down regulates SCF expression, upregulates Ghrelin expression, and deteriorate oxidative stress levels, which are collectively detrimental to semen parameters. Exercise, and to a lesse
r extent Orlistat administration, protected effectively against this detrimental effect.2014-05-26T00:00:00ZEnriched environment attenuates changes in water-maze performance and BDNF level caused by prenatal alcohol exposure
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33536
Title: Enriched environment attenuates changes in water-maze performance and BDNF level caused by prenatal alcohol exposure
Authors: Tipyasang, Rungpiyada; Kunwittaya, Sarun; Mukda, Sujira; Kotchabhakdi, Nittaya J.; Kotchabhakdi, Naiphinich
Abstract: Prenatal exposure to alcohol can result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), characterized by significant changes in the physiology, structural plasticity of hippocampal function, including long-term deficits in learning and memory. Environmental enrichment has long been known to improve motor and cognitive function levels, causes several neurochemical and morphological alterations in the brain. Therefore, the effects of environmental enrichment on the neurobehavioral and neurotrophic changes in mice exposed prenatally to alcohol were investigated in this study. The pregnant dams were given 25 % ethanol (w/v) or isocaloric sucrose by liquid diet from gestation day 7 to 20. After we aning on postnatal day 28, offspring were exposed to standard cage (CC, CFAS) or enriched living conditions (CE, EFAS) for 8 weeks.
Neurobehavioral studies both on hippocamus-dendent spatial learning and place and cue
learning strategy, a striatum-dependent test, were measured by the Morris water maze task. Moreover, the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was also used in order to study the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in both the hippocampus and striatum of mice. Neurobehavioral studies show that animals exposed prenatally to alcohol were impaired as shown in both hippocampal-dependent spatial/place and striatal-dependent response/cue learning tests. Moreover, the levels of BDNF expression both in the hippocampus and striatum of mice were also decreased. Interestingly, environmental enrichment can ameliorate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure both on the neurobehavioral and neurotrophic levels. These observations indicated that enriched environment attenuated memory impairment of prenatal alcohol exposure both in hippocampal and
striatal circuitry.2014-05-15T00:00:00ZChemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from the Tunisian Allium nigrum L.
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33535
Title: Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from the Tunisian Allium nigrum L.
Authors: Rouis-Soussi, Lamia Sakka; Ayeb-Zakhama, El Asma; Mahjoub, Aouni; Flamini, Guido; Jannet, Hichem Ben; Harzallah-Skhiri, Fethia
Abstract: The chemical composition of the essential oils of different Allium nigrum L. organs and the antibacterial activity were evaluated. The study is particularly interesting because hitherto there are no reports on the antibacterial screening of this species with specific chemical composition. Therefore, essential oils from different organs (flowers, stems, leaves and bulbs) obtained separately by hydrodistillation were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The antibacterial activity was evaluated using the disc and microdilution assays. In total, 39 compounds, representing 90.8-96.9 % of the total oil composition, were identified. The major component was hexadecanoic acid (synonym: palmitic acid) in all the A. nigrum organs oils (39.1-77.2 %). We also noted the presence of some sesquiterpenes, mainly germacrene D (12.8 %) in leaves oil) and some aliphatic compounds such as n-octadecane (30.5 %) in bulbs oil. Isopentyl isovalerate, 14-oxy-α-muurolene and germacrene D were identified for the first time in the genus Allium L. All the essential oils exhibited antimicrobial
activity, especially against Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. The oil obtained from the leaves exhibited an interesting antibacterial activity,
with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 62.50 μg/mL against these two latter strains. The findings showed that the studied oils have antibacterial activity, and thus great potential for their application in food preservation and natural health products.2014-05-13T00:00:00ZThe obesity paradox is not observed in chronic heart failure patients with metabolic syndrome
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33534
Title: The obesity paradox is not observed in chronic heart failure patients with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Narumi, Taro; Watanabe, Tetsu; Kadowaki, Shinpei; Otaki, Yoichiro; Honda, Yuki; Nishiyama, Satoshi; Takahashi, Hiroki; Arimoto, Takanori; Shishido, Tetsuro; Miyamoto, Takuya; Kubota, Isao
Abstract: Although being overweight or obese is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obese subjects often live longer than their lean peers, and this is known as the obesity paradox. We investigated the impact of obesity on cardiac prognosis in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, with or without metabolic syndrome. Design and Methods: We divided 374 consecutive CHF patients into two groups according to their mean body mass index (BMI) and prospectively followed them for 2 years. Results: There were 126 cardiac events, including 32 cardiac deaths and 94 re-hospitalizations.
Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly lower cardiac event rate in the higher BMI group (log-rank test P < 0.001) in all patients and those patients without metabolic syndrome. There was no association between BMI and cardiac prognosis in patients with metabolic syndrome. Cox hazard analysis revealed that a higher BMI was associated with favorable cardiac outcomes in all patients and patients without metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for confounding factors. However, this finding did not extend to patients with
metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: The advantages of obesity are not found in CHF patients with metabolic syndrome.2014-05-12T00:00:00ZEffects of Khaya senegalensis leaves on performance, carcass traits, hematological and biochemical parameters in rabbits
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33533
Title: Effects of Khaya senegalensis leaves on performance, carcass traits, hematological and biochemical parameters in rabbits
Authors: Abdel-Wareth, A. A. A.; Hammad, Seddik; Ahmed, Hassan
Abstract: One of the challenges facing farmers today is to ensure adequate integration of natural resources into animal feeds. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of Khaya senegalensis (KS) leaves on the performance of growing male rabbits, carcass traits and biochemical as well as hematological parameters. Thirty New Zealand White male growing rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (10 rabbits per group). Group I (control) received standard rabbit diet. Rabbits in group II and group III were fed standard rabbit diet supplemented with 35 % and 65 % KS leaves, respectively. All rabbits were fed daily for 25 days. The performance parameters and carcass criteria, including daily body weight gain, final body weight, and the percentage of dressing, were increased in rabbits fed 35 % KS when compared to the control group. Kidney and liver weight ratios increased significantly in group II but dropped in group III. Furthermore, liver enzymes - alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase and kidney function parameters - urea, and creatinine - increased in both group II (significant P<0.05) and in group III (significant P<0.01) when compared to the
control group. Moreover, KS leaves induced a significant increase (P<0.05) in the total white blood cell count, the percentage of granulocytes and the platelet count; whereas, the percentage of lymphocytes, red blood cell count, hemoglobin content, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration were not statistically significantly changed. This study demonstrates that the performance parameters and carcass traits are improved by the
replacement of rabbit's diet with KS leaves. However, KS leaves may adversely affect liver and kidney function in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, further studies are required to elucidate the maximum tolerable and toxic, as well as lethal doses, and to isolate the pharmacologically active components from KS leaves.2014-05-09T00:00:00ZRisks to health professionals from hazardous drugs in Iran
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33532
Title: Risks to health professionals from hazardous drugs in Iran
Authors: Shahrasbi, Abdol ali; Afshar, Minoo; Shokraneh, Farnaz; Monji, Faezeh; Noroozi, Mahjabin; Ebrahimi-Khojin, Maryam; Madani, Seyed Farzam; Ahadi-Barzoki, Mehdi; Rajabi, Mehdi
Abstract: Ongoing concerns exist regarding the dangers
inherent when handling cytotoxics, particularly drugs which are in parenteral formulations. On occasions, nurses and medical doctors have been preparing and administrating these drugs in the open spaces of wards in the absence of suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety cabinets. To explore further into the
severity of occupational hazards, we conducted our research in order to evaluate the healthcare’s understanding of occupational exposure to cytotoxics and occurrence of any side effects. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongst oncology nurses in nine specialized cancer
centers in Tehran. The questionnaire was
based on most reputable international guidelines, aiming to evaluate the attitude, knowledge and safe practices of nurses' handling cytotoxic drugs. The gathered data and reported side effects were compared between “oncology/hematology” and “non-oncology” participants. The majority of nurses from oncology wards were aware of the potential hazards associated with handling of chemotherapy and reported high levels of compliance with the use of PPE during reconstitution of antineoplastic agents. Almost all nurses reported the use of a safety cabinet during preparation, however only 55 % reported that they have annual medical check-ups and 45 % reported having received specialized training. This work was also to evaluate the experimental procedures as well as cleaning solutions used to reduce the level exposure. While the level of knowledge about antineoplastic agents is
high among nurses, along with the level of PPE use, medical surveillance and employee training seems to be lagging behind.2014-05-09T00:00:00ZEncapsulation of catechin and epicatechin on BSA NPS improved their stability and antioxidant potential
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33531
Title: Encapsulation of catechin and epicatechin on BSA NPS improved their stability and antioxidant potential
Authors: Ramdhan, Yadav; Kumar, Dharmesh; Kumari, Avnesh; Sudesh Kumar, Yadav
Abstract: Nanoencapsulation of antioxidant molecules on protein nanoparticles (NPs) could be an advanced approach for providing stable, better food nutraceuticals and anticancer drugs. The bioavailability and stability of catechin (CAT) and epicatechin (ECAT) were very poor. In the present study, the CAT and ECAT were loaded on bovine serum albumin (BSA) NPs following desolvation method. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) recorded size of CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs were 45 ± 5 nm and 48 ± 5 nm respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of CAT and ECAT on BSA NPs was found to be 60.5 and 54.5 %
respectively. CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs show slow and sustained in vitro release. The CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs were stable in solution at various temperatures 37°C, 47°C and 57°C. DPPH assay revealed that CAT and ECAT maintained their functional activity even after encapsulation on BSA NPs. Furthermore, the efficacy of CAT-BSA NPs and ECAT-BSA NPs determined against A549 cell lines was found to be improved. CAT and ECAT aptly encapsulated in BSA NPs, showed satisfactory sustained release, maintained antioxidant potential and found improved efficacy. This has thus suggested their more effective use in food and nutraceuticals as well as in medical field.2014-04-01T00:00:00ZDNA damaging and biochemical effects of potassium tetraborate
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33530
Title: DNA damaging and biochemical effects of potassium tetraborate
Authors: Çelikezen, Fatih Çaglar; Turkez, Hasan; Togar, Basak; Izgi, Mehmet Sait
Abstract: Potassium tetraborate (PTB) is a product resulting from the controlled reaction of potassium hydroxide, water and boric acid (BA). It is used in many areas of industry such as disinfectant, detergent and treatment of contact lenses. PTB is one of the boron compounds which is most commonly used in many areas of industry although very limited information is available concerning its toxicity. Therefore, in this study, it is aimed to determine genetic and biochemical effects of PTB in human blood cell cultures (n=4). PTB was added into culture tubes at various concentrations (0-1280 μg/ml). Micronucleus (MN) and chromosomal aberration (CA) tests were performed for genotoxic damage influences estimation. In addition, biochemical parameters (total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative status (TOS) were examined to determine oxidative effects. The results indicated that all tested concentrations of PTB were found to be non-genotoxic. In addition, low concentrations (1.25, 2.5 and 5 μg/ml) of
PTB caused increases of TAC levels. Furthermore, all concentrations of PTB were not changed the TOS levels in cultured human blood cells. Based on these results, in this study it has been reported for the first time that PTB is not genotoxic and it in
creases the antioxidant capacity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.2014-04-30T00:00:00ZEST sequencing and gene expression profiling in Scutellaria baicalensis
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33529
Title: EST sequencing and gene expression profiling in Scutellaria baicalensis
Authors: Park, Nam Il; Choi, Ik Young; Choi, Beom-Soon; Kim, Young Seon; Lee, Mi Young; Park, Sang Un
Abstract: Scutellaria baicalensis is an important medicinal plant, but few genomic resources are available for this species, as well as for other non-model plants. One of the major new directions in genome research is to discover the full spectrum of genes transcribed from the whole genome. Here, we report extensive transcriptome data of the early growth stage of S. baicalensis. This
transcriptome consensus sequence was constructed by de novo assembly of shotgun sequencing data, obtained using multiple next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) platforms (Roche/454 GS_FLX+ and Illumina/Solexa HiSeq2000). We show that this new approach to obtain extensive mRNA is an efficient strategy for genome-wide transcriptome analysis. We obtained 1,226,938 and 161,417,646 reads using the GS_FLX and the Illumina/Solexa HiS-eq2000, respectively. De novo assembly of the high-quality GS_FLX and Illumina reads
(95 % and 75 %) resulted in more than 82 Mb
of mRNA consensus sequence, which we assembled into 51,188 contigs, with at least 500 bp per contig. Of these contigs, 39,581 contained known genes, as determined by BLASTX searches against non-redundant NCBI database. Of these, 20,498 different genes were expressed during the early growth stage of S. baicalensis. We have made the expressed sequences available on a public database. Our results demonstrate the utility of combining NGS technologies as a basis for the development of genomic tools in non-model, medicinal plant species. Knowledge of all described genes and
quantitation of the expressed genes, including the transcription factors involved, will be useful in studies of the biology of S. baicalensis gene regulation.2014-04-07T00:00:00ZPolyacrylamide hydrogel encapsulated E. coli expressing metal-sensing green fluorescent protein as a potential tool for copper ion determination
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33528
Title: Polyacrylamide hydrogel encapsulated E. coli expressing metal-sensing green fluorescent protein as a potential tool for copper ion determination
Authors: Tantimongcolwat, Tanawut; Isarankura-Na-Ayudhya, Chartchalerm; Srisarin, Apapan; Galla, Hans-Joachim; Prachayasittikul, Virapong
Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and field applicable metal determination system would be a powerful tool for the efficient control of metal ion contamination in various sources e.g. drinking-water, water reservoir and waste discharges. In this study, we developed a cell-based metal sensor for specific and real-time detection of copper ions. E. coli expressing metal-sensing green fluorescent protein (designated as TG1/(CG)6GFP and TG1/H6CdBP4GFP) were constructed and served as a metal analytical system. Copper ions were found to exert a fluorescence quenching effect, while zinc and cadmium ions caused minor fluorescence enhancement in the engineered bacterial suspension. To construct a user-friendly and
reagentless metal detection system, TG1/H6CdBP4GFP and TG1/(CG)6GFP were encapsulated in polyacrylamide hydrogels that were subsequently immobilized on an optical fiber equipped with a fluorescence detection module. The sensor could be applied to measure metal ions by simply dipping the encapsulated bacteria into a metal solution and monitoring fluorescence changes in real time as a function of the metal concentration in solution. The sensor system demonstrated high specificity toward copper ions. The fluorescence intensities of
the encapsulated TG1/(CG)6GFP and TG1/H6CdBP4GFP were quenched by approximately 70 % and 80 % by a high-dose of copper ions (50mM), respectively. The level of fluorescence quenching exhibited a direct correlation with the copper concentration, with a linear correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99. The cell-based metal sensor was able to efficiently monitor copper concentrations ranging between 5 µM and 50 mM, encompassing the maximum allowed copper contamination in drinking water (31.15 µM) established by the WHO. Furthermore, the cell-based metal sensor could undergo prolonged storage for at least 2 weeks without significantly influencing
the copper sensitivity.2014-04-07T00:00:00ZArylesterase activity is associated with antioxidant intake and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene methylation in metabolic syndrome patients following an energy restricted diet
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33527
Title: Arylesterase activity is associated with antioxidant intake and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene methylation in metabolic syndrome patients following an energy restricted diet
Authors: de la Iglesia, Rocio; Mansego, Maria L.; Sánchez-Muniz, Francisco J.; Zulet, M. Angeles; Martinez, J. Alfredo
Abstract: The arylesterase (ARE) activity linked to the
paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene is known to protect
lipoproteins from oxidation and provide defense against metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases. The epigenetic regulation of enzymatic activities is gaining importance nowadays. This research aimed to assess the potential relationships between the ARE activity with the methylation levels of the PON1 gene transcriptional regulatory region, anthropometrics, biochemical markers and antioxidant dietary components. Forty-seven subjects (47 ± 10 y.o; BMI 36.2 ± 3.8 kg/m² 46.8 % female) with MetS features, who followed a six-month energy-restricted dietary weight-loss intervention, were included in this study (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01087086). Anthropometric, biochemical, enzymatic and dietary data were assessed using validated procedures. PON1 transcriptional regulatory region methylation was analyzed by a microarray technical approach. Volunteers reduced ARE activity in parallel with body weight (p = 0.005), BMI (p = 0.006),
total fat mass (p = 0.020), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.018), mean blood pressure (p = 0.022) and triglycerides (p = 0.014). Methylation levels of some CpG sites of the
PON1 gene correlated negatively with ARE activity (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary vitamin C (p = 0.001), tocopherols (p = 0.009) and lycopene (p = 0.038) were positively associated with ARE activity and
showed an inverse correlation (p = 0.004, p
= 0.029 and p = 0.021, respectively) with the
methylation of some selected CpG sites of the
PON1 gene. In conclusion, ARE activity decreased in parallel with MetS-related markers associated to the energy restriction, while dietary antioxidants might enhance the ARE activity by lowering the PON1 gene methylation in patients with MetS features.2014-04-09T00:00:00ZAntifungal potential of essential oil and ethanol extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. against dermatophytes
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33526
Title: Antifungal potential of essential oil and ethanol extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. against dermatophytes
Authors: Rahman, Atiqur; Al-Reza, Sharif M.; Siddiqui, Shah Alam; Chang, Taehyun; Kang, Sun Chul
Abstract: The antifungal potential of essential oil and ethanolic leaf extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. was evaluated for controlling the growth of dermatophytes. The oil (1,000 ppm) and extracts (1,500 ppm) of
L. japonica revealed 55.1–70.3 % and
40.1–65.5 % antidermatophytic effect against
Microsporum canis KCTC 6348, 6349, 6591,
Trichophyton rubrum KCTC 6345, 6352, 6375,
Trichophyton mentagrophytes KCTC 6077 and 6085, respectively, along with their respective minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 62.5-500 and 125-1,000 μg/ml. Also, the oil had strong detrimental effect on spore germination of all the tested
dermatophytes as well as concentration and time-dependent kinetic inhibition of M. canis
KCTC 6348. The results demonstrated that
L. japonica oil and extracts could be potential sources of natural fungicides to protect human and animals from fungal infections.2014-04-28T00:00:00ZSynthesis, preclinical evaluation and antidepressant activity of 5-substituted phenyl-3-(thiophen-2-yl)-4, 5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamides
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33525
Title: Synthesis, preclinical evaluation and antidepressant activity of 5-substituted phenyl-3-(thiophen-2-yl)-4, 5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamides
Authors: Mathew, Bijo; Suresh, Jerad; Anbazhagan, S.
Abstract: A series of phenyl-3-(thiophen-2-yl)-4, 5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamides (TTa-TTg) were synthesized by the ring closure reaction of phenyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl) prop-2-en-1-ones with thiosemicarbazide in alcoholic basic medium. All the final derivatives were evaluated for their antidepressant and neurotoxicity screening. The structures of the compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, Mass and elemental analyses. Preclinical evaluation of the compounds were ascertained by in silico toxicity, blood-brain barrier and human oral absorption prediction. In this series, 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(thiophen-
2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1 carbothioamide (TTg) reduced immobility time 61.17 and 62.05 % in both force swimming and tail suspension test respectively at 10 mg/kg dose level when compared to the standard Imipramine without influencing the baseline locomotion. Moreover it was observed
that the titled scaffold possessing electron withdrawing chlorine atom in the 4th position of aromatic ring of the scaffold also showed good the antidepressant activity. In conclusion, the behavioural investigation revealed that thiophene based pyrazolines having a carbothioamide tail unit in the N1 position may be therapeutically useful as potential
antidepressant medications.2014-04-29T00:00:00ZAntioxidant and antiulcer potential of aqueous leaf extract of Kigelia africana against ethanol-induced ulcer in rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33412
Title: Antioxidant and antiulcer potential of aqueous leaf extract of Kigelia africana against ethanol-induced ulcer in rats
Authors: dos Santos, Matheus M.; Olaleye, Mary T.; Ineu, Rafael P.; Boligon, Aline A.; Athayde, Margareth L.; Barbosa, Nilda B. V.; Rocha, João B. T.
Abstract: Ethnobotanical claims regarding Kigelia africana reported antiulcer properties as part of its medicinal application. In this work, aqueous leaf extract from K. africana
was investigated for its phytochemical constituents and antiulcer potential against ethanol-induced ulcer in rats. The participation of oxidative stress on ethanol-induced ulcer and the potential protective
antioxidant activity of K. africana extracts were investigated by determining vitamin C and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) contents in the gastric mucosa of rats. The HPLC analysis showed the presence of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and also the flavonoids rutin, quercetin and kaempferol in the aqueous plant extract. Oral treatment with K. africana extract (1.75; 3.5; 7 and 14mg/kg) one hour after ulcer induction with ethanol
decreased in a dose dependent manner the ulcer index. Ethanol increased significantly
stomachal TBARS levels and decreased vitamin C content when compared to the control animals. K. africana blunted the ethanol-induced oxidative stress and restored vitamin C content to the control levels. The present results indicate that the aqueous leaf extract from K. africana possesses antiulcer potential. The presence of flavonoids in plant extract suggests that its antiulcerogenic potential is associated with antioxidant activity. Of particular
therapeutic potential, K. africana was effective against ethanol even after the induction of ulcer, indicating that it can have protective and curative effects against gastric lesion.2014-03-31T00:00:00ZIn vitro study of parasite elimination and endothelial protection by curcumin
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33411
Title: In vitro study of parasite elimination and endothelial protection by curcumin
Authors: Kunwittaya, Sarun; Treeratanapiboon, Lertyot; Srisarin, Apapan; Isarankura-Na-Ayudhya, Chartchalerm; Prachayasittikul, Virapong
Abstract: Plasmodium falciparum infection can abruptly progress to severe malaria and cerebral malaria. Despite the current efficiency of antimalarial drugs in killing parasites, no specific effective treatment has been found for cerebral malaria. Thus, a new strategy targeting both parasite elimination and endothelial cell protection is urgently needed in this field. In this study, we determined whether curcumin, which has
blood-brain permeability, antioxidative activity and/or immunomodulation property,
provided a potential effect on both parasite elimination and endothelial protection. Murine brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3; ATCC) were cocultured with Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (Pf-IRBC), peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and platelets. Apoptosis of endothelial cells was demonstrated by annexin V staining. Interestingly, curcumin exhibited high efficiency of antimalarial activity (IC50~10μM) and decreased bEnd.3 apoptosis down to 60.0% and 79.6% upon pre-treatment and co-treatment, respectively, with
Pf-IRBC, platelets and PBMC. Our findings
open up a high feasibility of applying curcumin as a potential adjunctive compound for cerebral malaria treatment in the future.2014-03-20T00:00:00ZLevel set method for segmentation of infrared breast thermograms
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33410
Title: Level set method for segmentation of infrared breast thermograms
Authors: Golestani, N.; EtehadTavakol, M.; Ng, E. Y. K.
Abstract: Breast thermography is a physiological test that provides information based on the temperature changes in breast. It records the temperature distribution of a body using the infrared radiation emitted by the surface of that body. Precancerous tissue and the area around a cancerous tumor have higher temperature due to angiogenesis, and
higher chemical and blood vessel activity than a normal breast; hence breast thermography has potential to detect early
abnormal changes in breast tissues. It can
detect the first sign of forming up cancer before mammography can detect. The thermal information can be shown in a pseudo colored image where each color represents a specific range of temperature. Various methods can be applied to extract hot regions for detecting
suspected regions of interests in the breast infrared images and potentially suspicious tissues. Image segmentation techniques can
play an important role to segment and extract
these regions in the breast infrared images. Shape, size and borders of the hottest regions of the images can help to determine features which are used to detect abnormalities. In this paper, three image segmentation methods: k-means, fuzzy c-means and level set are discussed and compared.
These three methods are tested for different
cases such as fibrocystic, inflammatory cancer cases. The hottest regions of thermal breast images in all cases are extracted and compared to the original images. According to the results, level set method is a more accurate approach and has potential to extract almost exact shape of tumors.2014-03-12T00:00:00ZDesign, synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of some new 6,8-halo-substituted-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indole-3(5H)-one/-thione and 6,8-halo-substituted 5-methyl-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indol-3(5H)-one/-thione
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33409
Title: Design, synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of some new 6,8-halo-substituted-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indole-3(5H)-one/-thione and 6,8-halo-substituted 5-methyl-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indol-3(5H)-one/-thione
Authors: Kumar, Rajeev; Singh, Tejendra; Singh, Hariram; Jain, Sandeep; Roy, R. K.
Abstract: A new series of 6,8-halo-substituted-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indole-3(5H)-one/-thione and
6,8-halo-substituted 5-methyl-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indol-3(5H)-one/-thione (5a-5l) were designed and synthesized keeping in view of the structural
requirement of pharmacophore. The above compounds were characterized by thin layer chromatography and spectral analysis. Anticonvulsant activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated by the maximal electroshock (MES) test. Neurotoxicity and CNS depressant effects were evaluated by the rotarod motor impairment and Porsolt’s force swim tests, respectively. A computational study was carried out, for calculation of pharmacophore pattern, prediction of pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity properties. The above study revealed that the compounds 8-chloro-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indol-3(5H)-one (5e), 6,8-dibromo-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indol-3(5H)-one (5i) and 6,8-dibromo-5-methyl-2H-[1,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indol-3(5H)-one (5k) possess excellent anticonvulsant activity in the series with little CNS depressant effect and no neurotoxicity as compared to standard drugs phenytoin and carbamazepine.2014-03-10T00:00:00ZConformational instability of human prion protein upon residue modification: a molecular dynamics simulation study
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33408
Title: Conformational instability of human prion protein upon residue modification: a molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Bamdad, Kourosh; Naderi-manesh, Hossein; Baumgaertner, Artur
Abstract: Technical strategies like amino acid substitution and residue modification have been widely used to characterize the importance of key amino acids and the role that each residue plays in the structural and functional properties of protein molecules. However, there is no systematic
approach to assess the impact of the substituted/modified amino acids on the conformational dynamics of proteins. In this investigation to clarify the effects of residue modifications on the structural dynamics of human prion protein (PrP), a comparative molecular dynamics simulation study on the native and the amino acid-substituted analog at position 208 of PrP has been performed. It is believed that Arginine to Histidine mutation at position 208 is responsible for the structural transition of the native form of human prion protein to the pathogenic isoform causing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). So, three 10 ns molecular dynamics simulations on three model constructs have been performed. Simulation results indicated considerable
differences of conformational fluctuations
for Alanine substituted construct (PrPALA) and the analog form (PrPSB) comprising the neutralized state of the Arginine residue at position 208 of the human prion protein.
According to our data, substitution of the Arginine residue by the uncharged state of this residue induces some reversible structural alterations in the intrinsically flexible loop area including residues 167–171 of PrP. Thus, deprotonation of Arg208
is a weak perturbation to the structural fluctuations of the protein backbone and the resulting construct behaves almost identical as its native form. Otherwise, Alanine substitution at position 208 imposed an irreversible impact on the secondary and tertiary structure of the protein, which leads to conformational instabilities in the remote hot region comprising residues 190–195 of the C–terminal part of helix 2.
Based on the results, it could be deduced that the observed conformational transitions upon Arg208 to His point mutation, which is the main reason for CJD, may be mainly related to the structural instabilities due to the induced-conformational changes that caused alterations in local/spatial arrangements of the force distributions in the backbone of the human prion protein.2014-03-03T00:00:00ZAnalysis of concentration-dependent effects of copper and PCB on different Chattonella spp. microalgae (Raphidophyceae) cultivated in artificial seawater medium
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33407
Title: Analysis of concentration-dependent effects of copper and PCB on different Chattonella spp. microalgae (Raphidophyceae) cultivated in artificial seawater medium
Authors: Niestroy, Jeanette; Martínez, Alfonso Bárbara; Band-Schmidt, Christine J.
Abstract: In the present study, the effect on the chlorophyll a and the total protein content as well as the Chattonella spp. cell viability were examined after concentration-dependent exposure to CuCl2 and Aroclor 1242. The comparison between various raphidophyte strains provides an insight into the different susceptibilities to contaminants of Chattonella subsalsa
(CSNAV-1), C. marina var . marina (CMCV-1) and C. marina var. ovata (COPV-2). The microalgae were cultivated in artificial seawater medium. Exponentially growing microalgae (8-10 days in culture) were used for exposure experiments. We observed in all three raphidophyte species cytotoxicity-mediated modifications beginning at concentrations of 150 and 200μM of the
heavy metal copper after 24 hours exposure. But interestingly, the three strains exhibited only slight differences in their susceptibility to CuCl2. C. subsalsa and C. marina var. marina cells were first affected at the chlorophyll a level and in cell viability. The total protein amount was reduced significantly only after exposure to 300μM of CuCl2. However, C. marina var.
ovata microalgae showed similar reduction curves for all three analysed cytotoxicity endpoints after heavy metal exposure. On the other hand, after Aroclor 1242 incubation the cytotoxic modification pattern indicated clearly the different susceptibilities of
the three raphidophyte strains. C. subsalsa
cells noticeably exhibited a decrease in the analysed pigment amount (30-20% compared to that of the control) already after 0.007mg/L PCB exposure. In contrast, cell viability and total protein content were slightly reduced and fell below the 50% threshold after 0.7 and 3.3mg/L of Aroclor 1242, respectively. Interestingly, C. marina
var. ovata showed almost no cytotoxic modification caused by the PCB mixture. Only the concentration of 0.7mg/L Aroclor 1242 clearly affected the cell viability. As opposed to that we observed a concentration-dependent decrease of cell viability and chlorophyll a amount in CMCV-1 microalgae. These observations confirmed that the susceptibility of the raphidophytes strains
CSNAV-1, CMCV-1 and COPV-2 is contaminant-
dependent. We showed differences even between two variants of Chattonella (Chattonella marina var. marina and C. marina
var. ovata). Furthermore, we were able to show the different mode of action of two common pollutants by simple cytotoxic parameters like total protein and chlorophyll a content as well as by cell counting analysis.2014-02-28T00:00:00ZInfluence of environmental variability on phylogenetic diversity and trait diversity within Calligonum communities
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33399
Title: Influence of environmental variability on phylogenetic diversity and trait diversity within Calligonum communities
Authors: Wang, Jian-Cheng; Yang, Hong-Lan; Wang, Xi-Yong; Shi, Wei; Pan, Bo-Rong
Abstract: Since phylogenetic data provide the evolutionary history of the species and traits are the result of adaptation to the environmental conditions, joint analysis of these two aspects and ecological data may illuminate that how ecological processes affect the evolution of species and assembly of communities. In this study, we compared the community structure of sibling communities in order to illuminate the influence of environmental variability. We chose different Calligonum communities as research subjects which grow in active sand dunes and stabilized sand fields. Our results show that species which co-occurred in C. rubicundum community have greater phylogenetic evenness compared to species in other communities where co-occurring plants had similar traits. Soil variability might legitimately explain this result. Based on the similarity between the pattern of trait diversity and the pattern of phylogenetic
diversity, we inferred that the evolution of traits is conservative and species of all but C. rubicundum communities are under more intense selection pressure.2014-02-24T00:00:00ZResponse of liver antioxidant defense system to acute and chronic physical and psychological stresses in male rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33394
Title: Response of liver antioxidant defense system to acute and chronic physical and psychological stresses in male rats
Authors: Jafari, Mahvash; Salehi, Maryam; Zardooz, Homeira; Rostamkhani, Fatemeh
Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acute and chronic physical and psychological stressors on the induction of oxidative stress in male rat liver. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups as following: control, physical and psychological stress groups. Stress was induced by communication box for one (acute), fifteen and thirty (chronic) days. Once stressor periods ended, rats were anesthetized and their liver dissected out for later assessments. Exposure to physical stress enhanced liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) (19.44 %) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) (21.84 %) activities and decreased glutathione (GSH) (30.03 %) level on the 1st day (p<0.05). SOD (24.13 and 18.43 %) and GST (27.77 and 21.27 %) activities were significantly increased, while catalase activity (29.74 and 24.41 %)
and GSH level (35.05 and 31.05 %) were decreased in psychological stress group after 1 and 15 days (p<0.01 and p<0.05) compared to the 1st day value in control group, respectively. Psychological stress induced an increase in liver malondialdehyde (MDA) (46 %) and plasma corticosterone (36 %) levels on the 1st day (p<0.05). However,
all parameters returned to their basal value after 30 days of stress. The results suggest that exposure to acute physical and psychological stressors induce the
production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in rat liver due to GSH depletion and the decreased catalase activity. The elevation of lipid peroxidation and corticosterone level in acute psychological stress may lead to more profound oxidative damage than acute physical stress. Moreover, cell protection in hepatic tissue of chronically stressed rats is indicative
of possible late adaptation of the animals to stress.2014-02-24T00:00:00ZDetrimental effects of bisphenol A on development and functions of the male reproductive system in experimental rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33356
Title: Detrimental effects of bisphenol A on development and functions of the male reproductive system in experimental rats
Authors: Gurmeet, K. S. S.; Rosnah, I.; Normadiah, M. K.; Das, Srijit; Mustafa, A. M.
Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in manufacturing industries. It is commonly detected in the environment and was reported to exert oestrogenic effects which may be harmful to the reproductive system. The present study was carried out to observe the effects of oral administration of BPA on the development of the reproductive organs and plasma sex hormone levels in prepubertal male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Prepubertal male SD rats (n=8 in each group) were administered BPA in the doses of 1, 5, 10 and 100 mg/kg BW (body weight) via oral
gavage for a period of 6 weeks. The control
animals received the vehicle for BPA (Tween 80 in distilled water). Following 6 weeks of BPA exposure, the rats exhibited less evidence of spermatogenesis. There was seminiferous epithelial damage which included disruption of intercellular junctions and sloughing of germ cells into the seminiferous tubular lumen. Furthermore, the lumina of the seminiferous tubules and the epididymis of these animals were
filled with immature germ cells and cellular debris. This damage may lead to the significant reduction in the seminiferous tubular diameter in BPA-treated animals. These findings were associated with the significant lower plasma testosterone and 17β-oestradiol levels. There was no significant difference between the body weight gain, the absolute as well as relative testis weight or epididymal weight of BPA-treated animals when compared to the control animals. The findings provided further evidence of the detrimental effects of BPA on the male reproductive system.2014-02-18T00:00:00ZThymoquinone and curcumin attenuate gentamicin-induced renal oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in rats
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33131
Title: Thymoquinone and curcumin attenuate gentamicin-induced renal oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in rats
Authors: Mahmoud, Ayman M.; Ahmed, Osama M.; Galaly, Sanaa R.
Abstract: The present study was aimed to investigate the possible protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) and curcumin (Cur) on gentamicin (GM)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Rats were divided into four groups as follows: group 1 received normal saline and served as normal controls, group 2 received GM only, group 3 concurrently received GM and TQ and group 4 concurrently received GM and Cur. At day 21, rats were sacrificed and samples were collected for assaying serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), urea and creatinine levels, and renal lipid peroxidation, glutathione (GSH) content as well as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. In addition, kidneys were collected for histopathological examination and immunohistochemical determination of the antiapoptotic protein, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). The biochemical results showed that GM-induced nephrotoxicity was associated with a significant increase in serum TNF-α, urea and creatinine as well as renal lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, renal GSH content and GPx and SOD activities were
significantly declined. Concomitant administration of either TQ or Cur efficiently alleviated the altered biochemical and histopathological
features. In conclusion, both TQ and Cur
showed more or less similar marked renoprotective effect against GM-induced nephrotoxicity through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic efficacies.2014-02-13T00:00:00ZHypochoeris radicata attenuates LPS-induced inflammation by suppressing P38, ERK, and JNK phosphorylation in Raw 264.7 macrophages
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33130
Title: Hypochoeris radicata attenuates LPS-induced inflammation by suppressing P38, ERK, and JNK phosphorylation in Raw 264.7 macrophages
Authors: Kim, Min-Jin; Kim, Se-Jae; Kim, Sang Suk; Lee, Nam Ho; Hyun, Chang-Gu
Abstract: Hypochoeris radicata, an invasive plant species, is a large and growing threat to ecosystem integrity on Jeju Island, a UNESCO
World Heritage site. Therefore, research into the utilization of H. radicata is important and urgently required in order to solve this invasive plant problem in Jeju Island. The broader aim of our research is to elucidate the biological activities of
H. radicata, which would facilitate the conversion of this invasive species into high value added products. The present study was undertaken to identify the pharmacological effects of H. radicata
flower on the production of inflammatory
mediators in macrophages. The results indicate that the ethyl acetate fraction of
H. radicata extract (HRF-EA) inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory molecules such as NO, iNOS, PGE2, and COX-2, and cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of MAPKs such as p38, ERK, and JNK was suppressed by HRF-EA in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, through HPLC and UPLC fingerprinting, luteolins were also identified and quantified as extract constituents. On the basis of these results, we suggest that
H. radicata may be considered possible anti-inflammatory candidates for pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic applications.2014-02-17T00:00:00ZImmunomodulatory potential of a bioactive fraction from the leaves of Phyllostachys bambusoides (Bamboo) in Balb/c mice
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33129
Title: Immunomodulatory potential of a bioactive fraction from the leaves of Phyllostachys bambusoides (Bamboo) in Balb/c mice
Authors: Kumar, Sunil; Sharma, Gaurav; Sidiq, Tabasum; Khajuria, Anamika; Jain, Mahendra; Bhagwat, Deepak; Dhar, KL
Abstract: In order to evaluate the role of ethyl acetate fraction (PB-EtAC) obtained from the
Phyllostachys bambusoides leaves in the modulation of immune responses, detailed studies were carried out using a panel of
in vivo assays. Oral administration of PB-EtAC (50–200 mg/Kg) stimulated the IgM and IgG titre expressed in the form of haemagglutination antibody (HA) titre. Further, it elicited a dose related increase in the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction
(DTH) after 24 and 48 h in BALB/c mice. Besides augmenting the humoral and cell mediated immune response, the concentration of cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4) in serum with respect to T cell interactions also increased significantly. It also induced macrophage phagocytosis, and nitric oxide (NO) production which resulted in a high degree of protection against Candida albicans and carbon clearance. Moreover, the enhancement in CD4 and CD8 cell populations as revealed by flow cytometry. Taken together this in vivo and ex vivo preclinical
data, our results suggested that PB-EtAC acts as an effective immunostimulator eliciting both Th1 and Th2 immune responses. We are reporting first time the immunostimulatory potential of P. bambusoides and it might be regarded as a biological response modifier.2014-02-17T00:00:00ZOn-site cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei 3EMS35 mutant and same vessel saccharification and fermentation of acid treated wheat straw for ethanol production
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33125
Title: On-site cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei 3EMS35 mutant and same vessel saccharification and fermentation of acid treated wheat straw for ethanol production
Authors: Khokhar, Zia-ullah; Syed, Qurat-ul-Ain; Wu, Jing; Athar, Muhammad Amin
Abstract: Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic raw materials involves process steps like pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and distillation. In this study, wheat straw was explored as feedstock for on-site cellulase production by T. reesei
3EMS35 mutant, and as a substrate for second generation bioethanol production from baker yeast. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractography (XRD) of untreated wheat straw (UWS) and acid treated wheat straw (TWS) were done to understand the
structural organization and changes in the cellulase accessibility and reactivity. The effect of delignification and structural modification for on-site cellulase enzyme production was comparably studied. The efficiency of crude cellulase enzyme for digestion of UWS and TWS and then production of ethanol from TWS was studied using same-vessel saccharification and fermentation (SVSF) technique, both in shaking flasks as well as in fermenters. Two different methods of operation were tested, i.e. the UWS Enz method, where UWS was used
for on-site enzyme production, and TWS Enz
method where TWS was applied as substrate for cellullase production. Results obtained showed structural modifications in cellulose of TWS due to delignification, removal
of wax and change of crystallinity. UWS was better substrate than TWS for cellulase production due to the fact that lignin did not hinder the enzyme production by fungus but acted as a booster. On-site cellulase enzyme produced by T. reesei 3EMS35
mutant hydrolyzed most of cellulose (91 %) in TWS within first 24 hrs. Shake flasks experiments showed that ethanol titers and yields with UWS Enz were 2.9 times higher compared to those obtained with TWS Enz
method respectively. Comparatively, titer of ethanol in shake flask experiments was 10 %
higher than this obtained in 3 L fermenter with UWS Enz. Outcomes from this investigation clearly demonstrated the potential of on-site cellulase enzyme production and SVSF for ethanol production from wheat straw.2014-02-10T00:00:00ZEvaluation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) isoenzymes activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) concentration in chronic heart failure
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33124
Title: Evaluation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) isoenzymes activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) concentration in chronic heart failure
Authors: Khodadadi, Iraj; Vahedi, Mohammad Saleh; Abdi, Mohammad; Daneshkhah, Nasrin; Rahbari, Rezgar; Menbari, Shahoo; Ahmadi, Dara; Ahmadi, Abbas; Lahoorpour, Fariba; Hakhamaneshi, Mohammad Saied; Javid, Saman; Nikkhoo, Bahram
Abstract: Chronic heart failure (CHF) has recently been considered as an inflammatory disease. Enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) in CHF patients has been proved. To compensate deleterious effects of TNFα, the concentration of adenosine is increased in CHF. However, concurrent determination of serum TNFα and enzymatic activities
of ADA and its ADA1 and ADA2 isoenzymes, as the main regulators of adenosine concentration, has not yet been carried out.
Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 52 CHF patients and 55 healthy
controls. Laboratory routine tests were performed, and after determining the concentration of TNFα, total ADA (tADA) as well as ADA1 and ADA2 isoenzyme activities were measured. Results: Mean concentration of TNFα increased over 2-fold in CHF patients (12.54± 11.69 pg/ml compared with 6.0± 6.58 pg/ml in controls). The highest level of TNFα was observed in patients with the final stage of the disease (NHYA-IV subgroup), according to the New York Heart Association classification. tADA activity was significantly lower in CHF patients compared with controls (19.29 ± 9.73 and 24.3
± 6.01 U/L, respectively). ADA2 activity
markedly decreased in CHF patients and showed a direct correlation with tADA
(r = 0.641, P = 0001). In addition, the lowest levels of tADA and ADA2 activities were observed in patients from the 4th
quartile of NYHA classification. Conclusion:
Adenosine deaminase activity is reduced in CHF patients to give rise to the concentration of adenosine, thereby attenuating pathologic consequences of CHF. Therefore, it is concluded that ADA activity is of paramount importance in pathophysiology of heart failure and might be used for diagnostic purposes or treatment targets.2014-02-03T00:00:00ZAutomatic quantitative analysis of morphology of apoptotic HL-60 cells
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33123
Title: Automatic quantitative analysis of morphology of apoptotic HL-60 cells
Authors: Liu, Yahui; Lin, Wang; Yang, Xu; Liang, Weizi; Zhang, Jun; Meng, Maobin; Rice, John R.; Sa, Yu; Feng, Yuanming
Abstract: Morphological identification is a widespread procedure to assess the presence of apoptosis by visual inspection of the morphological characteristics or the fluorescence images. The procedure is lengthy and results are observer dependent. A quantitative automatic analysis is objective and would greatly help the routine work. We developed an image processing and segmentation method which combined the
Otsu thresholding and morphological operators
for apoptosis study. An automatic determination method of apoptotic stages of HL-60 cells with fluorescence images was developed. Comparison was made between normal cells, early apoptotic cells and late apoptotic cells about their geometric parameters which were defined to describe the features of cell morphology. The results
demonstrated that the parameters we chose
are very representative of the morphologic
al characteristics of apoptotic cells.
Significant differences exist between the cells in different stages, and automatic quantification of the differences can be achieved.2014-01-29T00:00:00ZEffect of drought on safflower natural dyes and their biological activities
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/33122
Title: Effect of drought on safflower natural dyes and their biological activities
Authors: Salem, Nidhal; Msaada, Kamel; Dhifi, Wissal; Sriti, Jezia; Mejr, Houda; Limam, Ferid; Marzouk, Brahim
Abstract: Drought is the main abiotic constraint that
affects crop species behaviour regarding biochemical responses. The current study was conducted to examine the effect of water deficit on growth, phenolic and carotenoid
contents as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of two Carthamus tinctorius varieties (Jawhara and 104) flowers. Hence, plants were treated with different levels of water deficit: control (100 %), moderate water deficit (50 %) and severe water deficit (25 %). Obtained results
showed that plant growth was significantly
(p < 0.05) reduced under 50 %. Drought increased flower phenolic acids contents especially gallic acid where they increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 2.73 fold (104) and by 2.87 fold (Jawhara) with respect to controls under 50 %. However, the amounts of this major compound were reduced at 25 % by 9.66 % (104) and 3.83 % (Jawhara). Similar to phenolic compounds, total carotenoid content was at its highest level especially for Jawhar a with an increase by 35.19 % at 50 %. On the other hands, C. tinctorius
flowers extracts exhibited high antiradical
activity as compared to BHT. A gradual
increase by 35.29 % (Jawhara) and 33.33 % (104) especially under 25 % was observed. Moreover, under 50 %, the antimicrobial activity increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 30 % and 10.05 % against Aspergillus carbonarus and Pseudomonas aerogenosa,
respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that C. tinctorius could be a raw material for production of natural dyes under moderate salinity conditions.2014-01-28T00:00:00Z