Padina boergessenii ameliorates carbon tetrachloride induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats

AbstractThis research investigates the ameliorative effect of brown alga Padina boergessenii against CCl4-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups as follows: control group (saline), CCl4 group, CCl4+P. boergessenii extract group and P. boergessenii extract alone group. At the end of the experimental period, the animals are sacrificed and tissue samples (kidney) were collected. CCl4 at a dose of 2mL/kg, administered subcutaneously, produced significantly decreased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). Histopathological examinations showed massive centrilobular necrosis and fat accumulation in CCl4-induced animals. In the protective test, especially in animals pretreated with P. boergessenii (150mg/kg) extract, there was a significant increase in antioxidant enzyme levels although there was no sign of abnormality in the kidney of rats pretreated with extract as evidenced by histopathological sections against CCl4-induced decrease of lipid peroxidation (TBARS). The ameliorative effect may be due to the presence of various bioactive compounds in alga. These results suggest that an extract of P. boergessenii is able to significantly alleviate the nephrotoxicity induced by CCl4 in Wistar rats

FV peptide induces apoptosis in HEp 2 and HeLa cells: an insight into the mechanism of induction

The present study is an attempt to evaluate the antiproliferative potential of peptide (7.6 kDa) from lionfish (Pterios volitans) venom on cultured HEp2 and HeLa cells. Different dose of purified peptide (1, 2 and 4 μg/ml) at different time points (12, 24 and 36 hrs) were tested for antiproliferative index of the peptide. Among them, 2 μg/ml at 24 hrs was found to effectively inhibit cancer cell growth in vitro and did not cause any adverse effect on normal human lymphocytes. Apoptosis was examined by propidium iodide staining, confirmed by the expression of caspase-8 and caspase-3, down regulation of Bcl-2 expression and DNA fragmentation in treated cells, when compared to untreated HEp2 and HeLa cells. Thus fish venom peptide was found to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cell

Binding site conformation dictates the color of the dye stains-all. A study of the binding of this dye to the eye lens proteins crystallins

The interaction of the cationic carbocyanine dye Stains-all (1-ethyl-2-[3-(1-ethyl-naphthol[1,2-d]thiazolin-2-ylidene)-2- methylpropenyl]naphthol[1,2-d]thiazolium bromide) with the eye lens proteins crystallins has been studied. α- and γ-crystallins do not bind the dye, while β- and δ-crystallins do, consistent with the fact that the latter two proteins bind the calcium ion. β-Crystallin resembles parvalbumin in that it induces only the J-band of the bound dye. δ-crystallin, on the other hand, induces only the γ-band. Analysis of the metachromasia induced in the dye by these and other proteins suggests that Stains-all is responsive to the conformational status of the region to which it binds in a protein. The J-band of the dye is activated when it binds to a globular domain, and the γ-band is activated when it binds to a helical stretch of the protein

Prevalence, incidence and resolution of abscesses and sinuses in patients with tuberculosis of spine: A 5-year results of patients treated with short course chemotherapy with or without surgery in Madras

A controlled clinical study comparing 6 or 9 months of ambulatory chemotherapy alone with radical surgery plus 6 months of chemotherapy was undertaken in patients with spinal tuberculosis in Madras. The prevalence of sinuses and/or clinically evident abscesses was 49(19%) of 253 patients, with significantly higher proportion in patients with lumbar or lumbo-sacral lesions. The incidence of lesions appearing after the start of chemotherapy was 32 (16%) of 204 patients. By five years, all had resolved. The resolution of the lesions was significantly faster and the incidences significantly lower in the radical surgery group than in the two ambulatory series. Mediastinal abscesses were observed on radiographs in 66 (66%) of 100 patients with thoracic or thoraco-lumbar lesions. By five years, the lesions had disappeared in all except two patients and the disappearance was significantly faster in the radical surgery group than in the two ambulatory series. There was no recurrence of these lesions during a period of five years

Calcium ion binding to δ- and to β-crystallins. The presence of the "EF-hand" motif in δ-crystallin that aids in calcium ion binding

Abnormal levels of endogenous calcium ions are known to induce eye lens opacity, and a variety of causative factors has been proposed, including calcium-mediated aggregation and precipitation of the lens proteins crystallins. We have specifically looked in some detail at the interaction of Ca2+ with various crystallins and its consequences. Lenses incubated in solutions containing 10 mM Ca2+ or 5 mM Tb3+ opacified. Fluorescence titration of crystallins with TbCl3 revealed that this ion binds to δ- and β-crystallins in solution. Equilibrium dialysis showed that four Ca2+ ions bind to one δ-crystallin tetramer with an affinity of 4.3 × 103 M-1. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of δ-crystallin reveals the presence of a calmodulin-type "helix-loop-helix" or "EF-hand" calcium ion binding conformational motif in the region comprising residues 300-350. This is a novel feature of the molecule not reported so far. No other crystallins appear to have this motif. β-Crystallin also binds four Ca2+ ions/aggregate unit of mass 160 kDa, with an affinity of 2.6 × 103 M-1, presumably in the midregion of the molecule that is rich in anionic and polar residues. Circular dichroism spectroscopy shows that the binding of calcium ion leads to subtle conformational changes in the molecules, notably in the tertiary structure

Taurine Prevents Ibuprofen-Induced Gastric Muco- sal Lesions and Influences Endogenous Antioxidant Status of Stomach in Rats

Recently, free radical-induced tissue damage is implicated in the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-involved gastric mucosal lesion. Administration of taurine, an endogenous antioxidant, is reported to be beneficial in various clinical conditions. Therefore, we decided to study the protective effect of taurine in ibuprofen-induced gastropathy and the effects of administration of taurine on the endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and reduced glutathione (GSH) of stomach. In rats, administration of taurine orally for three consecutive days (250 mg/kg body weight) protected the gastric mucosa from ibuprofen-induced, acute gastric mucosal lesion. In ibuprofen-treated rats, the lipid peroxidation measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker for free radical-induced tissue damage, is also significantly decreased by taurine. Ibuprofen treatment resulted in a significant increase in the activities of total SOD, manganese SOD (Mn-SOD), and GPX and reduced GSH. Taurine administration in ibuprofen-treated rats also showed a significant increase in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes namely total SOD, Mn-SOD, GPX, CAT, and the level of reduced GSH. The activity of copper-zinc SOD enzyme (Cu-Zn SOD) is not affected by ibuprofen or taurine. There is no temporal relation between the antioxidant status of the stomach and the tissue damage following oral administration of ibuprofen or taurine

Taurine Prevents Ibuprofen-Induced Gastric Mucosal Lesions and Influences Endogenous Antioxidant Status of Stomach in Rats

Recently, free radicalinduced tissue damage is implicated in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)involved gastric mucosal lesion. Administration of taurine, an endogenous antioxidant, is reported to be beneficial in various clinical conditions. Therefore, we decided to study the protective effect of taurine in ibuprofen-induced gastropathy and the effects of administration of taurine on the endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and reduced glutathione (GSH) of stomach. In rats, administration of taurine orally for three consecutive days (250 mg/kg body weight) protected the gastric mucosa from ibuprofen-induced, acute gastric mucosal lesion. In ibuprofen-treated rats, the lipid peroxidation measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker for free radicalinduced tissue damage, is also significantly decreased by taurine. Ibuprofen treatment resulted in a significant increase in the activities of total SOD, manganese SOD (Mn-SOD), and GPX and reduced GSH. Taurine administration in ibuprofen-treated rats also showed a significant increase in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes namely total SOD, Mn-SOD, GPX, CAT, and the level of reduced GSH. The activity of copper-zinc SOD enzyme (Cu-Zn SOD) is not affected by ibuprofen or taurine. There is no temporal relation between the antioxidant status of the stomach and the tissue damage following oral administration of ibuprofen or taurine

PGE from Octopus aegina Induces Apoptosis in Ehrlich’s Ascites Carcinoma of Mice

The present study was carried out to assess the antitumor effect of venomous peptide from the cephalopod Octopus aegina on Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma (EAC). Male albino Swiss mice were used in the present study. Four groups of animals were treated with three doses of the sublethal dose of venom, 15, 75, and 150 µg/kg body weight (intraperitoneal injection), along with the standard drug 5-fluorouracil (20 mg/kg b.w.). After 10 days of treatment, six animals from each group were sacrificed for the biochemical analysis and the rest were left to calculate the mean survival time. In EAC-bearing mice, mean lifespan, tumor volume, hemoglobin, red blood cells, and lymphocytes were significantly decreased when compared to the normal animals. While body weight, neutrophils, and viable tumor cell count were increased in the EACbearingmice, these changes were brought back to near normal levels in different treatment groups. Themacromolecule concentration of peritoneal cells, such as DNA, RNA, and protein, were altered in the EAC-bearingmice and observed to be near normal in the treatment groups. The caspase-3 activity was significantly increased in the peritoneal cells of the treatment groups when compared to the EAC-bearing mice. The role of apoptotic cascade in EAC cell death was confirmed by the DNA fragmentation on agarose gel. Apart from the antitumor effect, octopus venom reduced the tumor burden on the liver and altered the changes in the activities of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Therefore, the venom from O. aegina has a potential antitumor effect on the EAC-bearing mice

Bromination of deactivated aromatics: a simple and efficient method

Highly deactivated aromatic compounds were smoothly monobrominated by treatment with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in concentrated H2SO4 medium affording the corresponding bromo derivatives in good yields. Mild reaction conditions and simple workup provides a practical and commercially viable route for the synthesis of bromo compounds of deactivated aromatics