Effect of Theaflavin on Inflammatory and Remolding of Airway in the Asthma Mice

To study the effect of theaflavin on the airway’s inflammation and remodeling in mice with asthma. The mice were divided into the control, asthma model, and the theaflavin treatment groups to analyze the changes in pulmonary compliance and lung resistance of the mice with asthma to theaflavin treatment. The theaflavin treatment groups consisted of the low-dose (15 mg/kg theaflavin-intragastric administration), medium-dose (30 mg/kg), and high-dose (60 mg/kg) groups. Alveoli lavage liquid was gathered from the mice to count the number of inflammatory cells, and the levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 13 (IL-13), and eotaxin were detected by ELISA. The levels of proteins, such as transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CyclinD1,CyclinD2, Toll-like receptors-4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and NF-κBp65, which showed the performance of lung tissue was tested by Western blotting. Compared to the control group, the lung resistance of the asthma model mice was increased, and compliance was decreased after increasing concentrations of acetylcholine (Mch) stimulation. Compared to the asthma model group, the pulmonary resistance was decreased, and pulmonar compliance was increased according to the rising concentration of Mch in theaflavin-L, theaflavin-M and theaflavin-H mice. Compared to the control group, the number of cells, macrophages, acidophilic cells, lymph, and neutrophile granulocytes increased in the alveolar perfusion fluid of asthmatic mice. The level of interleukin 4, interleukin 5, interleukin 13, and eotaxin, TGF-β1, α-SMA, Cyclin D1, MyD88, TLR4, Cyclin D2, and NF-κBp65 proteins of the lung was also increased. Compared to the model group, the number of cells, macrophages, acidophilic cells, lymph, and neutrophile granulocytes were decreased successively in the alveolar lavage fluid in the theaflavin-L, theaflavin-M, and theaflavin-H mice. Meanwhile, the content of interleukin 4, interleukin 5, interleukin 13, and eotaxin were decreased successively, and the level of TGF-β1, α-SMA, Cyclin D1, MyD88, TLR4, Cyclin D2, and NF-Bp65 protein increased successively in the theaflavin-L, theaflavin-M, and theaflavin-H mice. Theaflavin has been found to reduce airway inflammation, impede airway remodeling, and decrease the TLR 4/MyD88/NF-B signaling in asthmatic mice.

Evaluation of Biochemical, Haematological, and Histopathological Responses and Recovery Ability of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpioL.) after Acute Exposure to Atrazine Herbicide

The aim of study was to evaluate the effect of atrazine exposure (5, 15, 20, and 30 mg·L−1) on common carp and the ability of regeneration. During 96 h exposure we observed abnormal behavior in fish exposed to 20 and 30 mg·L−1. Mortality and histological alterations were noticed only in the group exposed to 30 mg·L−1. Most experimental groups showed significantly (P<0.05) lower values of haemoglobin, haematocrit, leukocyte, and lymphocyte and significantly higher values of monocytes, segmented and band neutrophile granulocytes, and also metamyelocytes and myelocytes. A significantly lower (P<0.05) leukocyte count was also recorded in experimental groups (5 and 15 mg·L−1) after recovery period. Statistically significant (P<0.05) alterations in glucose, total protein, lactate, phosphorus, calcium, and biopterin as well as in activities of ALT, AST, ALP, and LDH were found in most experimental groups. These changes were most apparent in the groups exposed to 20 and 30 mg·L−1. Most of the indices were found to be restored after the 7-day recovery period with the exception of LDH, ALT, and lactate in the group exposed to 15 mg·L−1. Our results showed that atrazine exposure had a profound negative influence on selected indices and also on histological changes of common carp.

Effects of cypermethrin on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cypermethrin [(R,S)-&alpha;-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (1RS)-cis,tra-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl cyclopropane carboxylate] on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The effect was assessed on the basis of the results of acute toxicity tests and on the comparison of results of haematological, biochemical and histopathological tissue examinations of a control and experimental group exposed to Alimetrine 10 EM pesticide preparation (active substance 100 g/l of cypermethrin). The acute semistatical toxicity test lasting 96 h was performed on rainbow trout juveniles. The 96hLC50 value of Alimethrine 10 EM was 31.4&nbsp;&micro;g/l. Examination of erythrocyte, leukocyte and biochemical profile and histopathological tissue examination was performed on 15 control and 15 experimental specimens of one-to-two-year-old rainbow trout after 96 h of exposure to Alimetrine 10 EM in the concentration of 31.4 &micro;g/l. The experimental group showed significantly higher values (P &lt; 0.01) of plasma ammonia (NH₃), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), lactate (LACT) and significantly lower (P &lt; 0.01) values of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) compared to the control group. Also, a significant decrease in count of developmental forms of myeloid sequence, and segmented neutrophile granulocytes in the experimental group were found. Teleangioectasiae of secondary gill lamellae and degeneration of hepatocytes were observed with histopathological examination. No histopathological changes were demonstrated in tissues (skin, spleen, cranial and caudal kidney) of rainbow trout following exposure to cypermethrine. The cypermethrine-based Alimethrinee 10 EM pesticide preparation was classified among substances strongly toxic for fish.

The Alveolar Septal Thickness and Type II Pneumocytes Number in Irradiated Lungs, Time Expression and the Effect of Pentoxifylline

Purpose: We studied the relationship between type II pneumocytes number and alveolar septal thickness during different time after sublethal whole-thorax irradiation of rats and we investigated the influence of pentoxifylline (TNF-α inhibitor). Materials and methods: Wistar rats were exposed to 15 Gy thoracic irradiation and pentoxifylline (35 mg/kg) twice a week. Lungs were examined histologically and imunohistochemically at intervals ranging from 1-12 weeks and alveolar septal thickness, number of type II pneumocytes (identified by immunoreactivity for cytokeratin 18), and neutrophile granulocytes were counted. Results: Significant increase of alveolar septal thickness and type II pneumocytes depletion 3 weeks after irradiation were found. Correlation of these markers was r = -0.759. Pentoxifylline significantly inhibits increased alveolar septal thickness without the influence on type II pneumocytes number. Neutrophil penetration started 5 weeks after irradiation in non-treated animals, 8 weeks after irradiation in PTX-treated rats. Conclusions: We suggest that pneumocytes depletion is linked to increased vascular permeability, and pentoxifylline therapy does not influence on pneumocytes kinetics after irradiation.