The acetylcholine binding protein as a template for the ligand binding domains of the homologous nicotinic receptors

Leurs, R. [Promotor]Smit, A.B. [Promotor]Esch, I.J.P. de [Copromotor

Alchemilla vulgaris effects on egg production and quality expressed by heatstressed quail during the late laying period

Potential for mitigating effects of heat stress through dietary Alchemilla vulgaris (AV) supplementation during the late laying period of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were investigated. A 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of environmental temperature (ET) regimes and levels of dietary supplementation with AV (0%, 1%, and 3%) was used in a 75-day experiment. Twenty-five quail were randomly assigned to each treatment with five replicate cages of five birds. The birds were housed in temperature-controlled rooms at 22 ± 2 °C for 24 h/day (TN) or 34 ± 2 °C between 09h00 and 17h00 followed by 22 ± 2 °C for 16 h/day (HS). The interaction of ET and supplement regimes was rarely significant. In HS quail supplemented with 1% AV, egg production was reduced and FCR was increased compared with the other treatments. Dietary AV was found to reduce egg production in TN conditions, but 3% AV supplementation in the HS group prevented decreased egg production and improved FCR. Various indicators of egg quality were significantly affected by supplementation with AV at certain times during the experiment. Most effects of HS on egg quality were manifest in the first 15 days of ET regimes. Although HS significantly decreased eggshell weight until 31–45 days, AV supplementation improved it on the 45th day and then maintained it through the end of the experiment. Thus, AV may mitigate some effects of HS by partially preventing decreased egg production and increased FCR during the late laying period of Japanese quail.Keywords: Coturnix coturnix japonica, flavonoids, supplemen

Design, synthesis and biological activity of selective hCAs inhibitors based on 2-(benzylsulfinyl)benzoic acid scaffold

A large library of derivatives based on the scaffold of 2-(benzylsulfinyl)benzoic acid were synthesised and tested as atypical inhibitors against four different isoforms of human carbonic anhydrase (hCA I, II, IX and XII, EC 4.2.1.1). The exploration of the chemical space around the main functional groups led to the discovery of selective hCA IX inhibitors in the micromolar/nanomolar range, thus establishing robust structure-activity relationships within this versatile scaffold. HPLC separation of some selected chiral compounds and biological evaluation of the corresponding enantiomers was performed along with molecular modelling studies on the most active derivatives

Increased serum procalcitonin levels in pregnant patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria

Background: Among the pregnancy urinary tract infections, asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is the most common one. Untreated ASB can progress to pyelonephritis in 30-50% of the patients and can also result in prematurity in 27% of the pregnancy so it needs immediate diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we wanted to evaluate procalcitonin levels, compared to other inflammatory in pregnant women with ASB.Methods: The study was designed between the period of January 2012 and February 2013 at Sakarya University School of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. The study population included 30 pregnant patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria and 39 healthy pregnant controls.Results: Mean age was 28 (SD, 5.5) of the study population; mean maternal weight was 70 (SD, 8) kilogram. There were no statically significant differences between the groups according to the routine biochemical parameters, but gestational age was significantly lower in the ASB group compared to the controls (20.4 vs 28.6, respectively; p 0.05 ng/ml and 21(70%) patients had negative procalcitonin levels (Chi-squrae, p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin assay for ASB was calculated as 30% and 100%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 100% and the negative predictive value was 65%. The most frequent microorganisms in the urine culture were Escherichia coli (26 patients, 87%), Proteus mirabilis (3 patients, 10%) and Klebsiella (1 patient, 3%) in the ASB group. We experienced four (44%) recurrences among nine positive procalcitonin in ASB patients after completion of treatment of the first ASB diagnosis.Discussion: Procalcitonin levels were significantly higher in ASB group than the control group and serum procalcitonin levels were higher in pregnant women with recurrent ASB. This finding is an important result revealed that high procalcitonin level can predict the further urinary tract infection risk. Finally, serum procalcitonin levels were normal in healthy pregnant women while other inflammatory markers such as WBC, ESR and CRP levels were higher. © 2013 Bilir et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd