Protective Effects of Dexazoxane on Rat Ferroptosis in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy Through Regulating HMGB1

Dexrazoxane (DXZ) reduces cytotoxicity caused by Doxorubicin (DOX). However, the mechanism of DXZ in ferroptosis and cardiomyopathy remains unclear. This research, therefore, explores the role and mechanism of DXZ in DOX-induced ferroptosis and cardiomyopathy in rats. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed in rats treated by DOX in combination with ferroptosis inhibitor (FER-1) or other cell death–associated inhibitors. The ferroptosis, cardiotoxicity, and expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in rats treated by DOX in combination with FER-1 or with DXZ were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining, echocardiographic analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR. The ferroptosis in DOX-treated rats that received HMGB1 knockdown or overexpression was further detected using molecular experiments. Finally, the viability, level of malondialdehyde (MDA), and expressions of ferroptosis-related markers (PTGS2, GPX4, and FTH1) of rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 exposed to DOX combined with FER-1, zVAD (an apoptosis inhibitor), DXZ, or not were detected by performing molecular experiments. FER-1 increased the survival of the rats induced by DOX. The DOX-induced ferroptosis and cardiotoxicity could be reversed by FER-1 or DXZ. HMGB1 was induced by DOX but was inhibited by DXZ or FER-1. Overexpression of HMGB1 promoted the ferroptosis and cardiotoxicity induced by DOX in the rats although silencing of HMGB1 showed opposite effects. The data indicate that DOX suppressed the viability and increased the MDA level in H9c2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, DOX-induced increase of PTGS2 and decrease of GPX4 and FTH1 in H9c2 cells was reversed by DXZ or FER-1. Therefore, DXZ has protective effects on ferroptosis and cardiomyopathy in rats through regulating HMGB1.

Sustainability of Cultural Heritage in World Heritage Site, Melaka

Cultural heritage is constructed from the intrinsic relationship between three fundamentals: society; tangible cultural heritage (TCH); and intangible cultural heritage (ICH). To sustain, cultural heritage relies on the social behaviour of society. Thus, reflecting fragility of heritage. Hence, this paper attempts to discourse the society’s behaviour towards ICH. Exploratory case study was employed by adapting five social behaviour related-criterions required by UNESCO. The data was analysed using two techniques: (1) simple statistical; and (2) thematic. The results indicate that the status of ICH is threatened due to the weak viability level and minimal safeguarding effort by the ‘society’.2398-4295 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: social behaviour; intangible cultural heritage; world heritage site; threatened

Influence of Social Behaviors toward Cultural Heritage Sustainability in World Heritage Site, Melaka

Cultural heritage is constructed from the intrinsic relationship between three fundamentals: society; tangible cultural heritage (TCH); and intangible cultural heritage (ICH). To sustain, cultural heritage relies on the social behavior of society. Thus, reflecting fragility of heritage. Hence, this paper attempts to discourse the society’s behavior towards ICH. Exploratory case study was employed by adapting five social behavior related-criterions required by UNESCO. The data was analysed using two techniques: (1) simple statistical; and (2) thematic. The results indicate that the status of ICH is threatened due to the weak viability level and minimal safeguarding effort by the ‘society’.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies, Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Social behavior; intangible cultural heritage; world heritage site, threatened

Toxicity and oxidative stress of canine mesenchymal stromal cells from adipose tissue in different culture passages

Stem cells in regenerative therapy have received attention from researchers in recent decades. The culture of these cells allows studies about their behavior and metabolism. Thus, cell culture is the basis for cell therapy and tissue engineering researches. A major concern regarding the use of cultivated stem cell in human or veterinary clinical routine is the risk of carcinogenesis. Cellular activities require a balanced redox state. However, when there is an imbalance in this state, oxidative stress occurs. Oxidative stress contributes to cytotoxicity, which may result in cell death or genomic alterations, favoring the development of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the behavior of cultured mesenchymal stem cells from canine adipose tissue according to its site of collection (omentum and subcutaneous) evaluating the rate of proliferation, viability, level of oxidative stress and cytotoxicity over six passages. For this experiment, two samples of adipose tissue from subcutaneous and omentum where taken from a female dog corpse, 13 years old, Pitbull. The results showed greater levels of oxidative stress in the first and last passages of both groups, favoring cytotoxicity and cell death.

The effects of fosetyl-Al application on morphology and viability of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. pollen

In the present study, the effects of fungicide Aliette WG 800 [80% fosetyl-Al (aluminium tris-o-ethyl phosphonate)], widely used against <I>Phytophtora infestans</I> on tomatoes grown in greenhouse in Turkey, were studied on the morphology and viability of tomato (<I>Lycopersicon esculentum</I> Mill.) pollens. The fungicide was applied to tomatoes grown in greenhouse at recommended dosage (200 g/100 l water) and at double the recommended dosage (400 g/100 l water). The fungicide caused changes in the morphological structures of tomato pollens. Some pollen morphological structures that are not observed in the control group were encountered in the pollens in equatorial view and in polar view at 200 g/100 l treated groups. On the other hand, pollen viability level decreased as the dosage increased. Especially, non-viable pollen types such as wrinkled pollen or pollen with abnormal shape were encountered in the fungicide groups. It was expected that the pollen fertility as well as yield would decrease in future.

Cultivation conditions preferable for yeast cells to be immobilized into poly(vinyl alcohol) and used in bottled sparkling wine production

An effective approach to the improvement of the biochemical status of yeast cells before their immobilization was applied to develop a biocatalyst with a high level of cell metabolic activity and viability that could be used for sparkling wine production. According to the approach, the wine-containing medium (pH 3.0) routinely used for the accumulation of champagne yeast biomass under aerobic conditions was replaced by a semi-synthetic one (pH 5.6), usually applied for aerobic yeast growth. The variation of temperature and pH conditions of cell growth showed a modification of the fatty acid pool of yeasts and its importance for the further immobilization of cells into a poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel. Measurement of the specific intracellular ATP concentration by the bioluminescent method revealed the growth phase favorable for yeast immobilization. The main characteristics of the sparkling wine obtained after four-week fermentation with application of both the free and immobilized cells were similar but, according to the detected energetic status, the viability level of the immobilized cells was considerably higher compared to the free yeast. The CO2 pressure accumulated in the bottles with immobilized cells (up to 500 kPa) after fermentation also appeared notably higher than in the bottles with free yeast.

90EFFECTIVE VIABILITY THRESHOLD FOR PRESERVED HONEY BEE SEMEN

The honey bee, Apis mellifera, is one of very few insects for which artificial insemination is possible, and preservation of semen has been attempted. Honey bee queens normally mate with 7–20 males early in life, store the semen in the spermatheca and release approximately 30 sperm to fertilize each egg. Fertilized eggs are females (queens or workers) and unfertilized eggs are males (drones). The queen controls release of spermatozoa, laying only worker eggs across large areas of comb, and drone eggs in small separate groups. As stored spermatozoa are depleted, a queen will begin to lay mixed groups of workers and drones. Semen cryopreserved following existing protocols (Harbo JR 1983 Annals Entomol. Soc. Amer. 76, 890–891) has less than 20–25% live spermatozoa (based on percentage of workers reared). This viability level is insufficient to successfully fertilize all of the 1000–1500 eggs per day from an active queen, and the colony slowly dwindles and dies. Using dual fluorescent staining (Collins AM and Donoglye AM 1999 Theriogenology 51, 1513–1523). I have determined that semen with 46% live spermatozoa (50% fresh and 50% freeze-killed semen v/v) or more, produces consistent laying patterns with all fertilized eggs (workers) from inseminated queens (Collins AM 2000 Apidologie 31, 421–429). The current study was done to determine how long queens inseminated with mixed fresh:frozen semen would continue to produce normal brood (collective term for all eggs, larvae and pupae), as compared to those inseminated with all fresh semen, or naturally mated in flight. In spring, sister queens were reared and inseminated with [1] all fresh semen, [2] half fresh and half freeze-killed semen, or [3] ¼ fresh and ¾ freeze-killed semen, or [4] were allowed to mate naturally. The queens were evaluated monthly in individual colonies for percentage of worker offspring v. drone offspring and area of comb with eggs, larvae and pupae, until the queen failed. As expected, the inseminated queens produced less brood than did the naturally mated [4] queens. All of the queens with only fresh semen [1] produced normal brood with 100% workers, and lived well into the winter. Eighty-eight percent of the queens inseminated with half freeze-killed semen [2] performed as well, although some of those failed within a few months. The remaining 22% began laying with mixed worker and drone brood. In treatment [3], 60% of the queens produced variable but high levels of drones in reduced areas of egg laying. Those queens in this group that did lay well (40%) also survived into the winter. These results mean that preserved semen that has 50% or better viable sperm has a good probability of producing inseminated queens that will lay normally for a complete beekeeping season. This is sufficient time for breeders to rear daughter queens from such matings, and incorporate desirable genotypes into a breeding program.

Viability and Virulence of Experimentally Stressed Nonculturable Salmonella typhimurium

ABSTRACT Maintenance of pathogenicity of viable but nonculturableSalmonella typhimurium cells experimentally stressed with UV-C and seawater, was investigated relative to the viability level of the cellular population. Pathogenicity, tested in a mouse model, was lost concomitantly with culturability, whereas cell viability remained undamaged, as determined by respiratory activity and cytoplasmic membrane and genomic integrities.

Effect of Seed Treatment on Germination of Wild Safflower

Seeds of wild safflower (Carthamus oxyacanthaBieb.) collected from the Bajgah area, Iran, in 2 successive years were subjected to stratification and scarification treatments and their germination percentage and subsequent seedling growth (length) were measured at room temperature (23 ± 2 C). Maximum germination and seedling length occurred in the seeds stratified in moist sand at 4 C for 2 weeks. The response of the freshly-harvested seed to scarification was linear while that for 1-yr-old seed was quadratic. Both scarification and stratification independently increased germination but germination never reached the viability level of the seed.