catena-Poly[[[tetra­kis­(4-methyl­pyridine-κN)copper(II)]-μ-sulfato-κ2 O:O′] 4.393-hydrate]

The structure of the title compound, {[Cu(SO4)(C6H7N)4]·4.393H2O}n, consists of Cu2+ ions surrounded in a square-planar fashion by 4-methyl­pyridine ligands, forming two crystallographically independent Cu{H3C(C5H4N)}4 units that are both located on crystallographic inversion centers. The Cu(4-methyl­pyridine)4 units are, in turn, connected with each other via bridging sulfate anions, leading to the formation of infinite [Cu{H3C(C5H4N)}4SO4]n zigzag chains along [001]. The completed coordination spheres of the Cu2+ ions are slightly distorted octa­hedral. The axial Cu—O bonds are elongated [average length = 2.42 (4) Å] compared to the equatorial Cu—N bonds [average length = 2.043 (2) Å]. The inter­stitial space between the chains is filled with uncoordinated water mol­ecules that consolidate the structure through O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding. One of the five crystallographically independent solvent water mol­ecules is partially occupied with an occupancy factor of 0.396 (4). Due to hydrogen bonding between symmetry-equivalent water mol­ecules across inversion centers, several of the water H atoms are disordered in 1:1 ratios over mutually exclusive positions. The crystal under investigation was found to be non-merohedrally twinned in a 0.789 (1):0.211 (1) ratio by a 180° rotation around the reciprocal b axis

Antioxidant Effect of Curcumin Against Microcystin- LR-Induced Renal Oxidative Damage in Balb/c Mice

Purpose: To investigate the effect of curcumin on microcystin-LR (MC-LR)- induced renal oxidative damage in Balb/c mice. Methods: 40 male Balb/c mice were assigned randomly to 4 groups each having 10 mice. One group served as normal (saline treated) while another group was used as curcumin control. The third group was given MC-LR and used as toxin control. The fourth group was pre-treated with curcumin (300 mg/kg body wt) given orally once daily for 14 days before interperitoneal injection (i.p) of MC-LR (75 μg/kg body wt). Biochemical assays including serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary glucose, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and catalase (CAT) levels were measured. Renal biochemical tests such as protein carbonyl contents and DNA-protein cross-links, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, glutathione (GSH) and lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) were evaluated. Results: Serum creatinine, BUN, urinary glucose, GGT increased in mice treated with MC-LR, while creatinine clearance decreased compared to controls (p < 0.001), indicating occurrence of tubular damage. There was increased protein carbonyl content and DNA-protein cross-links in the kidney homogenates of these mice. Curcumin administration significantly reversed these effects and attenuated the MC-LR-induced reduction in the activities of CAT, GPH-Px, GSH as well as the MC-LR-induced increases in plasma and kidney lipid hydroperoxide. Conclusion: These results indicate that curcumin possesses natural antioxidant properties that renders it a potent protective agent against renal oxidative damage mediated by microcystin-LR

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha P2 promoter variants associate with insulin resistance

This study aimed to investigate the associations of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF4) alpha single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotype with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome parameters. Nine SNPs spanning the HNF4 alpha P2 promoter (rs4810424, rs1884613 and rs1884614) and coding region (rs2144908, rs6031551, rs6031552, rs1885088, rs1028583 and rs3818247) were genotyped in 160 subjects without diabetes or metabolic syndrome. The HNF4 alpha P2 promoter SNPs rs4810424, rs1884613 and rs1884614 were associated with insulin resistance (p = 0.017; 0.037; 0.024) and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.03; 0.035; 0.039). The intron 1D SNP rs2144908 was associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) (p = 0.020) and the intron 9 SNP rs3818247 showed association with systolic (p = 0.02) and diastolic (p = 0.034) blood pressure. HNF4 alpha common haplotype CCCGTC associated with higher insulin resistance (p = 0.022), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (p = 0.035) and lower HDLc (p = 0.001). In conclusion, subjects with HNF4 alpha P2 variants and haplotypes have been shown to have a higher insulin resistance and are therefore at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus

Cucurbituril Ameliorates Liver Damage Induced by Microcystis aeruginosa in a Mouse Model

Microcystis aeruginosa is a cyanobacterium that produces a variety of cyclic heptapeptide toxins in freshwater. The protective effects of the macromolecular container cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) were evaluated using mouse models of cyanotoxin-induced liver damage. Biochemical analysis of liver function was performed to gauge the extent of liver damage after exposure to cyanobacterial crude extract [CCE; LD50 = 35 mg/kg body weight; intraperitoneal (i.p.)] in the absence or presence of CB7 (35 mg/kg body weight, i.p.). CCE injection resulted in liver enlargement, potentiated the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), and reduced protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity. CCE-induced liver enlargement, ALT and GST activities, and LPO were significantly reduced when CB7 was coadministered. Moreover, the CCE-induced decline of PP1 activity was also ameliorated in the presence of CB7. Treatment with CB7 alone did not affect liver function, which exhibited a dose tolerance of 100 mg/kg body wt. Overall, our results illustrated that the addition of CB7 significantly reduced CCE-induced hepatotoxicity (P < 0.05)