Histopathological changes in liver and gill of Acipenser persicus fry in short term exposure to Nodularia spumigena

Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus is a native, commercially important and highly steemed fish species in the Caspian Sea. In this study, effects of Nodularin (NODLN), a cyclic pentapeptide hepatotoxin, on liver and gill tissues of A. persicus were studied. Nodularin was produced in high amounts by Nodularia spumigena, a cyanobacterium species during the algal bloom in the Caspian Sea and was accumulated in biota of the Sea. Persian sturgeon were exposed directly to NODLN as prolonged immersion containing N. spumigena in two different doses (1×104 and 1× 108 cells.ml-1) for 24, 48 and 96 hours to examine its histopathological effects on fish liver and gill. Histopathological examinations revealed loss of liver architecture, degeneration of hepatocytes, nuclear pyknosis, karyolysis and finally necrosis of the cells over the time. Observation of gill tissues following immersion in algal cells treatments showed hypertrophy, fusion of secondary lamellae due to proliferation (hyperplasia) of branchial epithelium in low dose and vacuolization of epithelial and pilar cells, tellangiectasis, fusion of secondary and primary lamellae, complete necrosis and sloughing of secondary lamellar epithelium in high dose

Active analysis of condition of feed and feeding in Iranian sturgeon fish larvae

In the first chapter, all documents in aquaculture feed, feed formulation, nutritional requirement and basic concepts of aquatic feeding had been collected. The second chapter focused on broodstock feeding in order to improve reproduction efficiency. The third chapter performed to importance of live food specially in sturgeon fishes larvae and the forth chapter attended to biology and ecology of this fishes and finally in the fifth chapter, special nutrition and feeding in sturgeon fish larvae had been brought with all the works out in Iran on. There are 63 documents including papers, thesis and reports from different research library and universities among them 34 base on sturgeon larvae nutrition especially on Huso huso and Persian sturgeon species and almost there are not any documents on the other three species. 14 documents comes from the role of protein, energy and lipid replacements basically in the first growth year, 3 of back to the special nutrition requirement of Persian and Huso huso species and 12 were on digestive enzymes physiology, the role of probiotic and prebiotic on growth and survival rate. Almost there is not any organization in Iran to work on this species specifically and it seems every student and researcher paid attend to a narrow way of high way sturgeon fish researches. There is not any data bank on these important fishes and some repeated worked out by researchers in different parts of the country. Beside of this documents there had been gathered some research documents from the other countries for comparing and showing the correct way in this regards. First, we must focus on broodstock sturgeon feeding, then on egg and yolk analysis, larval stages, morphology, measurement of larval mouth and finding the best live food for different stages of sturgeon aviculture and finally on digestive physiology and enzymatic activities. In the stage of shifting from endogenous to exogenous feeding, nutritional requirement, protein digestibility, essential and free amino acids, essential fatty acids specially PUFA and HUFA, vitamins, minerals, pigments, growth and survival stimulants and resistance to physiological environmental stress are very important to search

Health state utilities of a population of Nigerian hypertensive patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Establishment of the health impact of hypertension on quality of life of Nigerians is a step towards controlling the disease. The study aimed to provide a Nigerian specific reference list of utility scores of hypertensive patients with various interacting conditions.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>An interviewer-based, cross-sectional study was conducted using hypertensive patients in two purposively selected tertiary hospitals located in South-Eastern Nigeria. Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI3) was used.</p> <p>A total of 384 participants with either hypertension alone or with hypertension-associated complications were interviewed in the two tertiary hospitals.</p> <p>The overall mean utility score was 0.35 +/- 0.42. Patients with hypertension alone had the highest overall mean utility score (0.57 +/- 0.29) while hypertensive patients with stroke had the lowest overall mean score (0.04 +/- 0.36). Being a male, increase in age and mean arterial blood pressure, emergency visit and loss of work due to illness were associated with significant decrease in overall utility scores.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study presented a reference for health state utilities of a population of Nigerian hypertensive patients.</p

Impact of acculturation on cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Mexican Americans

PURPOSE: Higher levels of acculturation among Latinos have been shown to be associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in some studies of middle age persons. The association of acculturation and prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in elderly Latinos is less well established. METHODS: Acculturation was measured using the validated bidimensional Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the association of acculturation with prevalence of CV risk factors among 1,789 elderly men and women from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) using multivariate linear and logistic regression. We tested for the interaction of acculturation with risk factors by nativity status. RESULTS: Median age was 69.8. Higher acculturation was associated with lower systolic blood pressure, lower LDL, higher HDL, and lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease after age and sex adjustment. Higher acculturation remained associated with lower LDL and higher HDL levels after full adjustment. Nativity status did not affect these results. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to other reports in middle-aged persons, higher levels of acculturation were associated with better lipid profiles and no significant differences in other CV risk factors by acculturation level in elderly Latinos