scholarly journals Morphological and Molecular Alterations Induced by Lead in Embryos and Larvae of Danio rerio

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 7464
Author(s):  
Vittoria Curcio ◽  
Rachele Macirella ◽  
Settimio Sesti ◽  
Daniela Pellegrino ◽  
Abdalmoiz I. M. Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Hazard ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Early Warning Indicators ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Warning Indicators

Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic and persistent elements and may adversely affect both humans and wildlife. Given the risks posed to humans, lead is listed among priority substances of public health importance worldwide. In fish, available studies deal with high doses, and the potential hazard of Pb at low concentrations is largely unknown. Given its well-demonstrated translational value for human toxicity research, we used zebrafish as a model species. Embryos were exposed to two environmentally relevant concentrations of lead (2.5 and 5 µg/L) from 6 h post-fertilization and analyzed after 48, 96, and 144 h. The morphological abnormality arose after 48 h, and the incidence and intensity were dose and time dependent. Spinal and tail deformities were the most frequently detected alterations. Pb also modulated the expression of genes involved in the toxicological responses (sod and mt), thus demonstrating that zebrafish’s early stages are able to mount an adaptive response. Moreover, ldh and β-catenin were significantly upregulated in all groups, whereas wnt3 expression was increased in the high concentration group. Our results confirm that zebrafish embryos and larvae are valuable early warning indicators of pollution and may play a major role in ecosystems and human health monitoring.

Effects of Vancomycin on Platelets, Plasma Proteins and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

1975 ◽  
Vol 34 (01) ◽  
pp. 083-093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry S Coller ◽  
W. B Lundberg ◽  
Harvey R Gralnick
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Factor Viii ◽  
Surface Antigen ◽  
Plasma Proteins ◽  
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen ◽  
Infusion Site ◽  
Vancomycin Therapy ◽  
Intravenous Injections ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
High Doses

SummaryThe antibiotic vancomycin shares many similarities with ristocetin, an agent noted for its effects on platelets and plasma fibrinogen. Vancomycin did not aggregate platelets as ristocetin, but platelets were incorporated into precipitates induced by vancomycin. Fibrinogen and factor VIII were precipitated from plasma at low concentrations of vancomycin. The precipitated fibrinogen remained clottable. Hepatitis B surface antigen was selectively precipitated from serum and could be recovered from the precipitate. Rabbits receiving bolus intravenous injections of high doses of vancomycin developed hypofibrinogenemia and thrombocytopenia within minutes and often went on to die. Studies with 125I-vancomycin revealed little stable binding of the antibiotic to platelets or fibrinogen. A relationship is suggested between the potent protein precipitating effects and phlebitis at the infusion site commonly associated with vancomycin therapy.

Small-volume vitrification and rapid warming yield high survivals of one-cell rat embryos in cryotubes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuyoshi Fukuda ◽  
Misako Higashiya ◽  
Takahiro Obata ◽  
Keita Basaki ◽  
Megumi Yano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cooling Rate ◽  
Small Volume ◽  
Sucrose Solution ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Rat Embryos ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Intracellular Ice Formation ◽  
Intracellular Ice ◽  
Warming Rate ◽  
Very High

Abstract To cryopreserve cells, it is essential to avoid intracellular ice formation during cooling and warming. One way to achieve this is to convert the water inside the cells into a non-crystalline glass. It is currently believed that to accomplish this vitrification, the cells must be suspended in a very high concentration (20–40%) of a glass-inducing solute, and subsequently cooled very rapidly. Herein, we report that this belief is erroneous with respect to the vitrification of one-cell rat embryos. In the present study, one-cell rat embryos were vitrified with 5 μL of EFS10 (a mixture of 10% ethylene glycol, 27% Ficoll, and 0.45 M sucrose) in cryotubes at a moderate cooling rate, and warmed at various rates. Survival was assessed according to the ability of the cells to develop into blastocysts and to develop to term. When embryos were vitrified at a 2,613 °C/min cooling rate and thawed by adding 1 mL of sucrose solution (0.3 M, 50 °C) at a warming rate of 18,467 °C/min, 58.1 ± 3.5% of the EFS10-vitrified embryos developed into blastocysts, and 50.0 ± 4.7% developed to term. These rates were similar to those of non-treated intact embryos. Using a conventional cryotube, we achieved developmental capabilities in one-cell rat embryos by rapid warming that were comparable to those of intact embryos, even using low concentrations (10%) of cell-permeating cryoprotectant and at low cooling rates.

scholarly journals A Synergistic Anti-Diabetic Effect by Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 through Adipogenic and Insulin Signaling Pathways in 3T3-L1 Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1725
Author(s):  
Hee-Do Hong ◽  
Sun-Il Choi ◽  
Ok-Hwan Lee ◽  
Young-Cheul Kim
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Insulin Signaling ◽  
Adipocyte Differentiation ◽  
Red Ginseng ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Maximal Expression

Although ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 have been identified as the significant ginsenosides found in red ginseng that confer anti-diabetic actions, it is unclear whether insulin-sensitizing effects are mediated by the individual compounds or by their combination. To determine the effect of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 on adipocyte differentiation, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate the standard hormonal inducers in the absence or presence of ginsenosides Rb1 or Rg3. Additionally, we determined the effects of Rb1, Rg3, or their combination on the expression of genes related to adipocyte differentiation, adipogenic transcription factors, and the insulin signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 cells using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Rb1 significantly increased the expression of CEBPα, PPARγ, and aP2 mRNAs. However, Rg3 exerted its maximal stimulatory effect on these genes at 1 μM concentration, while a high concentration (50 μM) showed inhibitory effects. Similarly, treatment with Rb1 and Rg3 (1 μM) increased the expression of IRS-1, Akt, PI3K, GLUT4, and adiponectin. Importantly, co-treatment of Rb1 and Rg3 (9:1) induced the maximal expression levels of these mRNAs. Our data indicate that the anti-diabetic activity of red ginseng is, in part, mediated by synergistic actions of Rb1 and Rg3, further supporting the significance of minor Rg3.

PHM Features for Large Circuit Boards to Be Implemented Into Electric Drivetrain Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Otto ◽  
Eberhard Kaulfersch ◽  
Prashant Kumar Singh ◽  
Claudio Romano ◽  
Marcus Hildebrandt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Printed Circuit Boards ◽  
Experimental Methods ◽  
Accelerated Ageing ◽  
Deformation Analysis ◽  
Electronic Control ◽  
Circuit Boards ◽  
Electronic Components ◽  
Printed Circuit ◽  
Early Warning Indicators ◽  
Warning Indicators

Abstract Canary structures being used as early warning indicators represent an important tool for condition and health monitoring of electronic components and systems. In this paper, printed circuit boards with canary structures based on SMD 2512 ceramic chip resistors with reduced solder pad sizes were studied. Focus of these investigations was set on thermo-mechanical and mechanical stresses caused by passive thermal cycling as well as by vibrational loads. For this purpose, experimental methods such as deformation analysis and accelerated ageing tests as well as finite element based methods were applied. In addition, an outlook on the implementation of these canary structures into dual inverter electronic control boards for electrical powertrain applications will be given.

Drosophila cell fusion induced by wheat germ agglutinin

1975 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-121
Author(s):  
R.M. Rizki ◽  
T.M. Rizki ◽  
C.A. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Wheat Germ Agglutinin ◽  
Wheat Germ ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Drosophila Cell ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Embryonic Cell Lines ◽  
Scanning Electron

The effects of wheat germ agglutinin on Drosophila embryonic cell lines growing on cover-glasses was examined by scanning electron microscopy. At low concentrations of the lectin (5-10 mug/ml), cells spread against the glass surface and fused to form syncytia. At high concentration, damage to the cell surface was evidenced as extensive membrane shrivelling and loss of surface microfilaments. Fusion also occurred under these conditions. There was some indication that the morphology of cells in division remains undisturbed by wheat germ agglutinin. The coalescence of cells and morphologic disotrtion induced by wheat germ agglutinin were not inhibited by N-acetylglucosamine, the hapten inhibitor of the lectin, under the conditions utilized in this study.

scholarly journals The Roles of Dietary Glutamate in the Intestine

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (Suppl. 5) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Tomé
Keyword(s):  
Monosodium Glutamate ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Intestinal Lumen ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Umami Taste ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Cephalic Phase ◽  
Gut Function ◽  
High Doses

Glutamate (Glu), either as one of the amino acids of protein or in free form, constitutes up to 8–10% of amino acid content in the human diet, with an intake of about 10–20 g/day in adults. In the intestine, postprandial luminal Glu concentrations can be of the order of mM and result in a high intra-mucosal Glu concentration. Glu absorbed from the intestinal lumen is for a large part metabolized by enterocytes in various pathways, including the production of energy to support intestinal motility and functions. Glu is the most important fuel for intestinal tissue, it is involved in gut protein metabolism and is the precursor of different important molecules produced within the intestinal mucosa (2-oxoglutarate, L-alanine, ornithine, arginine, proline, glutathione, γ-aminobutyric acid [GABA]). Studies in adult humans, pigs, piglets or preterm infants indicate that a large proportion of Glu is metabolized in the intestine, and that for the usual range of Glu dietary intake (bound Glu and free Glu including added Glu as a food additive in normal amounts up to 1 g/day), circulating Glu is tightly maintained at rather low concentrations. Systemic blood levels of Glu transiently rise when high doses monosodium glutamate (> 10–12 g), higher than normal human dietary consumption, are ingested and normalize within 2 h after the offset of consumption. Glu is also involved in oral and post oral nutrient chemosensing that involves gustatory nerves and both humoral and neural (vagal) gut-brain pathways with an impact on gut function and feeding behavior. Glu functions as a signaling molecule in the enteric nervous system and modulates neuroendocrine reflexes in the gastrointestinal tract. The oral taste sensation of Glu involves its binding to the oral umami taste receptors that triggers the cephalic phase response of digestion to prepare for food digestion. Glu is sensed again in the gut, inducing a visceral sensation that enhances additional gut digestive processes through the visceral sense (vago-vagal reflex).

scholarly journals Blooms of bryozoans and epibenthic diatoms in an urbanized sandy Beach (Balneário Camboriú - SC - Brazil): dynamics, possible causes and biomass characterization

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 678-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Rubi Rörig ◽  
Maevi Ottonelli ◽  
Ana Gabriela Itokazu ◽  
Marcelo Maraschin ◽  
João Vitor Heberle Lins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Adjacent Area ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Local Pollution ◽  
Organic Debris ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Environmental Health Problem

Abstract Balneário Camboriu (SC - Brazil) is a touristic city where the disordered growth of the urban population and the implementation of coastal works without proper evaluation generated environmental impacts and affected the sanitary quality of water and sediment of Camboriu River and marine adjacent area. One of the most recent and alarming phenomena observed are the blooms of invasive bryozoans (Arboscuspis bellula and Membraniporopsis tubigera) associated with epibenthic diatoms (Amphitetras antediluviana and Biddulphia biddulphiana). Several clues associate these phenomena, started in 2003, with the excess of nutrients and organic matter in the Camboriú cove and large coastal works such as dredging, landfills and construction of jetties, leading to changes in benthic ecological structure. Being an aesthetic and environmental health problem, the concern of the scientific community and government agencies intensified as the occurrences become more frequent and persistent. This research addresses this issue through environmental and experimental studies. Samplings of the benthic material collected by boat and diving, and blooms monitoring were the environmental approach. The laboratory work included the algal isolation and culture, in addition to growth conditions assessment and chemical biomass analysis. Monitoring data showed a seasonal trend in the blooms, with more conspicuous events in warmer months. Diatoms increase in abundance in colder months and bryozoans in the warmer ones. The diatom A. antediluviana, predominant in the blooms, grew satisfactorily in laboratory cultivation, showing better growth in media with higher concentrations of silicate and phosphate. Bryozoans showed slow growth in laboratory conditions. The deposited material collected in the environment showed low concentrations of saturated fatty acids, but the high biomass suggest a possible use for biofuels production. Biomass samples dominated by bryozoans showed moderate antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae. The explanation for the occurrence of these blooms are still inconclusive, but there is considerable evidence that it is a synergistic effect between the high concentration of bacteria and organic debris in the water related to local pollution and the elimination of natural competitors by coastal works.

scholarly journals Effects of Bacterial Cell-Free Supernatant on Nutritional Parameters of Apis Mellifera and Their Toxicity Against Varroa Destructor

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
Fiorella G. De Piano ◽  
Matias D. Maggi ◽  
Facundo R. Meroi Arceitto ◽  
Marcela C. Audisio ◽  
Martín Eguaras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Nutritional Parameters ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Contact Exposure ◽  
Fat Bodies ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractApis mellifera L. is an essential pollinator that is currently being affected by several stressors that disturb their ecological function and produce colony losses. Colonies are being seriously affected by the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. The relationship between stressors and bee symbionts is being studied in order to enhance bee health. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of cell-free supernatants (CFSs) produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii AJ5, Enterococcus faecium SM21 and Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis Mori2 on A. mellifera nutritional parameters and their toxicity against V. destructor. Toxicity and survival bioassays were conducted on adult bees with different concentrations of CFSs. Nutritional parameters such as soluble proteins and fat bodies in abdomens were measured. Varroa destructor toxicity was analyzed by a contact exposure method and via bee hemolymph. At low concentrations, two of CFSs tends to enhance bee survival. Remarkably fat bodies maintained their levels with all CFS concentrations in the abdomens, and soluble protein increased at a high concentration of two CFSs. Toxicity against V. destructor was observed only via hemolymph, and results were in agreement with the treatment that produced an increase in bee proteins. Finally, CFS produced by L. johnsonii AJ5 could be a promising natural alternative for strengthening bee health.

scholarly journals Sexual dimorphism in prostacyclin-mimetic responses of rat mesenteric and coronary arteries.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Baldwin ◽  
Elizabeth Forrester ◽  
Lauren McEwan ◽  
Iain Greenwood
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Mesenteric Arteries ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Sexual Dimorphisms ◽  
Kv7 Channels ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Ip Receptor ◽  
Female Wistar Rats ◽  
Arterial Tone

Background and purpose- Prostacyclin mimetics are widely used clinically. As such it is pertinent to understand the mechanisms underlying the vasoactive response to such agents, yet to date, no study has considered sex as a factor. The aim of this study was to characterise the effect of prostacyclin mimetics, Iloprost and MRE-269, on precontracted arterial tone from male and female Wistar arteries. As a secondary consideration, we investigated Kcnq-encoded KV7 channels as potential downstream targets of prostacyclin-IP-receptor mediated signalling. Experimental approach- Relative mRNA transcript and protein abundance were determined by RT-qPCR and immunocytochemistry respectively. The effect of Iloprost and MRE-269 was determined on pre-contracted arterial tone in the presence of pharmacological modulators of potassium channels and molecular interreference of KV7.1 within 2nd order mesenteric and left anterior descending arteries from male and female Wistar rats. Key results- Iloprost evoked a bi-phasic response in male mesenteric arteries, at low concentrations relaxing, then contracting the vessel at high concentration in a process attributed to IP and EP3 receptors respectively. Secondary contraction was absent in the females, potentially underpinned by a reduction in Ptger3. Pharmacological inhibition and molecular interference of KV7.1 significantly attenuated MRE-269 mediated relaxation in male and female Wistar in Diestrus / Metoestrous, but not Pro-oestrus / Oestrus. Conclusions and implications- Stark sexual dimorphisms in Iloprost mediated vasoactive responses are present within mesenteric arteries. KV7.1 is implicated in IP-receptor mediated vasorelaxation and is impaired by the Oestrus cycle.

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