Heat Shock Protein 70 and Heat Tolerance in Early-Age Feed Restricted Broiler Chickens

The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effect of various degree of neonatal feed restrictions on heat tolerance later in life, the importance of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) in eliciting thermotolerance in broilers and the relationship between heat stress and occurrence of programmed cell death (apoptosis). Broiler chicks that were subjected to 80% feed restriction (F80). 60% feed restriction (F60) and 40% feed restriction (F40) or ad libitum feeding from 4 to 6 days of age were exposed to high ambient temperatures (38±1·C) for 2hr/day from 35 to 42 days of age. Short term feed restriction during the first week of life caused retardation of growth. Although feed restriction reduced initial growth, birds grew more rapidly than those fed ad libitum (AL) during refeeding. One day following the imposition of feed limitation, higher levels of HSP 70 expression in the brain tissues and increased helerophil/lympocyte (H/L) ratios were noted among F60 and F40 birds. Birds subjected to fasting early in life (F60) improved HSP 70 expression, growth, survivability, and reduced H/L ratios compared to those fed AL and FBO in response to the heat treatment. The survivabile rate and H/L ratios of F40 chicks were similar to those attained by other feeding regimens (AL and FBO). Irrespective of feeding regimen, heat stress resulted in an increase in serum glucose level and appearance of programmed cell death (apoplosis) in the thymus glands. These resuHs suggest that neonatal fasling evokes heat tolerance laler in life through enhanced expression of HSP 70. Exposing birds to feed reslriction of either lower (FBO) or higher (F40) severity do not to have profound influence on subsequent resistance to heat stress later in life

Structural changes of hippocampi and expression of HSP70, C-FOS and dream proteins in the spinal cord after acute thermal stimulus or early stress-experienced rats

Kajian bertujuan untuk mengetahui kesan stres haba akut pada ekspresi protein HSP70, c-Fos and DREAM dalam usaha memahami mekanisma stres di peringkat neonat dan kesan pada kehidupan berikutnya. Fasa pertama kajian menilai ujian berenang secara paksa (FST) sebagai model induksi stres sederhana pada tikus neonat. FST dilakukan pada umur 7, 8 dan 9 hari selepas kelahiran. Kesemua tikus neonat hidup dan berada dalam keadaan sihat selepas FST. Berat badan mereka menurun pada hari ke 14 hingga 42 dan meningkat semula dan menyamai kumpulan kawalan pada hari ke 49 dan seterusnya. Nisbah sel neutrofil dan limfosit meningkat secara signifikan pada kumpulan FST berbanding dengan kumpulan kawalan. Skor BrdU menurun pada kumpulan FST berbanding tikus kawalan membuktikan berlakunya neurogenesis. This current study was to explore the effect of acute thermal stress on the expression of HSP70, c-Fos and DREAM proteins in an attempt to understand the mechanisms of neonatal stress and the effect on stress later in life. Phase one of this study evaluated forced swimming test (FST) as a model for induction of moderate stress in neonatal rats. Forced swimming test was applied to neonatal rats on days 7, 8 and 9 of life. All the pups survived and remained healthy after FST. From day 14 to day 42, the FST group had significantly lower body weights when compared to the control group. Their body weights were back to control levels on day 49 onwards. Forced swimming test significantly increased neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios in the stress group compared to controls

Daylength effects on stress and fear responses in broiler chickens

Heterophil (H) to lymphocyte (L) ratios and durations of tonic immobility (TI) were measured to assess stress and fear responses, respectively, in broiler chickens provided either 12 h of natural lighting (12L) or 12 h natural lighting and 12 h of supplementary lighting (24L). Birds illuminated 24L had greater H/L ratios and TI durations than their 12L counterparts. Neither age, sex nor cage level had significant effect on TI reactions

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) induce neurogenesis and improve cognitive performances of male Sprague Dawley rats

Neurogenesis is influenced by various external factors such as enriched environments. Some researchers had postulated that neurogenesis has contributed to the hippocampal learning and memory. This project was designed to observe the effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) in cognitive performance that influenced by the neurogenesis. Different doses of ∆9-THC were used for observing the neurogenesis mechanism occurs in the hippocampus of rats. The brains were stained with antibodies, namely BrdU, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), nestin, doublecortin (DCX) and class III β-tubulin (TuJ-1). The cognitive test was used novel-object discrimination test (NOD) while the proteins involved, DCX and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were measured. Throughout this study, ∆9-THC enhanced the markers involved in all stages of neurogenesis mechanism. Simultaneously, the cognitive behaviour of rat also showed improvement in learning and memory functions observed in behavioural test and molecular perspective. Administration of ∆9-THC was observed to enhance the neurogenesis in the brain, especially in hippocampus thus improved the cognitive function of rats

D-galactose and aluminium chloride induced rat model with cognitive impairments

Cognitive impairments and cholinergic dysfunctions have been well reported in old age disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). d-galactose (D-gal) has been reported as a senescence agent while aluminium act as a neurotoxic metal, but little is known about their combined effects at different doses. The aim of this study was to establish an animal model with cognitive impairments by comparing the effects of different doses of co-administrated D-gal and aluminium chloride (AlCl3). In this study male albino wistar rats were administered with D-gal 60 mg/kg.bwt intra peritoneally (I.P) injected and AlCl3 (100, 200, or 300 mg/kg.bwt.) was orally administered once daily for 10 consecutive weeks. Performance of the rats were evaluated through behavioural assessments; Morris water maze (MWM) and open field tests (OFT); histopathological examination was performed on the hippocampus; moreover biochemical measurements of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) were examined. The results of this experiment on rats treated with D-gal 60 + AlCl3 200 mg/kg.bwt showed near ideal cognitive impairments. The rats exhibited an obvious memory and learning deficits, marked neuronal loss in hippocampus, showed increase in AChE activities and high expression of p-tau within the tissues of the brain. This study concludes that D-gal 60 + AlCl3 200 mg/kg.bwt as the ideal dose for mimicking AD like cognitive impairments in albino wistar rats. It is also crucial to understand the pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative disease and for drug discovery

Antioxidant properties of crude extract, partition extract, and fermented medium of Dendrobium sabin flower

Antioxidant properties of crude extract, partition extract, and fermented medium from Dendrobium sabin (DS) flower were investigated. The oven-dried DS flower was extracted using 100% methanol (w/v), 100% ethanol (w/v), and 100% water (w/v). The 100% methanolic crude extract showed the highest total phenolic content (40.33 ± mg GAE/g extract) and the best antioxidant properties as shown by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. A correlation relationship between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content showed that phenolic compounds were the dominant antioxidant components in this flower extract. The microbial fermentation on DS flower medium showed a potential in increasing the phenolic content and DPPH scavenging activity. The TPC of final fermented medium showed approximately 18% increment, while the DPPH of fermented medium increased significantly to approximately 80% at the end of the fermentation. Dendrobium sabin (DS) flower showed very good potential properties of antioxidant in crude extract and partition extract as well as better antioxidant activity in the flower fermented medium

Discovery of anatomic variant of saphenous nerve from human cadaver dissection

Introduction: Saphenous nerve is the longest and largest pure sensory nerve, supplying the medial side of the thigh, leg and foot. Materials and Methods: In the present case study, during routine cadaveric dissection of the antero-medial part of the thigh, an interesting anomalous pattern of saphenous nerve was seen in the right lower limb of a 62 years old embalmed male cadaver from the Department of Human Anatomy, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Results: This saphenous nerve can be recognised as an unusual anatomical variant in which it gives a motor branch to the sartorius muscle during traversing the adductor canal and it was accompanied by blood vessels at the same time. The nerve continues its usual course and pierces the fascia lata, between the tendon of sartorius and gracilis and becomes subcutaneous. Conclusion: Knowledge of the variant anatomy of the saphenous nerve is important to surgeon in avoiding nerve injuries during adductor canal nerve block, nerve entrapment surgery, reconstructive surgery, pain management services and knee surgery successfully

Ardisia crispa roots inhibit cyclooxygenase and suppress angiogenesis

Background: In our previous studies conducted on Ardisia crispa roots, it was shown that Ardisia crispa root inhibited inflammation-induced angiogenesis in vivo. The present study was conducted to identify whether the anti-angiogenic properties of Ardisia crispa roots was partly due to either cyclooxygenase (COX) or/and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity inhibition in separate in vitro studies. Methods: Benzoquinonoid fraction (BQ) was isolated from hexane extract by column chromatography, and later analyzed by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Anti-angiogenic effect was studied on mouse sponge implantation assay. Ardisia crispa ethanolic rich fraction (ACRH), quinone-rich fraction (QRF) and BQ were screened for COX assay to evaluate their selectivity towards two isoforms (COX-1 and COX-2), The experiment on soy lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory assay was also performed to determine the inhibitory effect of ACRH, QRF and BQ on soy LOX. Results: BQ was confirmed to consist of 2-methoxy-6-undecyl-1,4-benzoquinone, when compared with previous data. Antiangiogenesis study exhibited a reduction of mean vascular density (MVD) in both ACRH and QRF, compared to control. In vitro study showed that both ACRH and QRF inhibited both COX-1 and COX-2, despite COX-2 inhibition being slightly higher than COX-1 in BQ. On the other hand, both ACRH and QRF were shown to have poor LOX inhibitory activity, but not BQ. Conclusions: In conclusion, ACRH and QRF might possibly exhibit its anti-angiogenic effect by inhibiting cyclooxygenase. However, both of them were shown to possess poor LOX inhibitory activity. On the other hand, BQ displayed selectivity to COX-2 inhibitory property as well as LOX inhibitory effect

Establishment of human neuroblastoma cell line (SK-N-SH) as an in vitro model of morphine addiction

The usage of morphine for analgesic purposes are widely known, usually for the post-operation procedure and as chronic pain management. However, addiction and overdose liabilities prior to morphine usage are also common. Morphine addiction is observed and studied from various perspectives; tolerance, dependence and withdrawal. With growing and expending research field, researches on addiction were done using in vivo and in vitro model. However, the scientific evidence of morphine addiction using human neuroblastoma cell lines is uncommon. Thus, the present study was designed and conducted to observe the liability of SK-N-SH, as a model for morphine addiction. The cells were administrated with morphine for 24 hours before being treated with methadone. The cytosolic fraction of the cell was collected and used for determining the addiction mechanism. Data showed the involvement of the µ-opioid receptor in expressing the addictive properties of morphine. Exposure to 24-hours morphine had increased the protein level responsible for addiction and reduce the protein levels expressing the endocytic machinery, desensitisation of receptor and cellular adaptation. The altered proteins level was normalised by the treatment of methadone. The study proposed the use of SK-N-SH as an addiction model, as it showed morphine addiction and methadone anti-addiction properties