Pharmacological correction of experimental osteoporosis and fractures related to it by means of rosuvastatin, L-norvaline and their combination

Osteoporosis (OP) is a multifactorial disease which is based on a dynamic decrease in bone mass and, as a result, disruption of bone structure, leading to higher chances of skeletal fractures. Endothelial dysfunction is a key cause of impaired blood supply to the bone, resulting in a decreased perfusion, disrupted osteogenesis and, as a consequence, osteoporotic changes. According to modern literature and available research, L-norvaline and rosuvastatin have a powerful endotheliotropic effect. However, there is no information that the osteoprotective properties of these drugs used as a monotherapy and as their combination have ever been studie

Study of the microcirculation level in bone with osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures during therapy with recombinant erythropoietin, rosuvastatin and their combinations

The experiment was carried out in female white Wistar rats. The effects of recombinant erythropoietin, rosuvastatin and their combination were investigated based on the blood supply to the bone after a modelled experimental osteoporosis. It was found that the studied drugs prevent decrease of bone microcirculation in cases of osteoporosis and in callus tissue in experimental osteoporotic fractures, positively influencing the course of reparative regeneration of bone tissu

Study of the influence of L-norvaline, rosuvastatin and their combination on the level of microcirculation in bone tissue in experimental osteoporosis and fractures on its background

The experiment was carried out in female white Wistar rats to investigate the effect of L-norvaline, rosuvastatin and their combination on parameters of blood supply to the bone tissue on models of experimental osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture

Outcome with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone followed by early autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma on the ECOG-ACRIN E4A03 randomized clinical trial: long-term follow-up

In Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-ACRIN E4A03, on completion of four cycles of therapy, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients had the option of proceeding to autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (ASCT) or continuing on their assigned therapy lenalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone (Ld) or lenalidomide plus high-dose dexamethasone (LD). This landmark analysis compared the outcome of 431 patients surviving their first four cycles of therapy pursuing early ASCT to those continuing on their assigned therapy. Survival distributions were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with log-rank test. Ninety patients (21%) opted for early ASCT. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- an

Mycobiome of the Bat White Nose Syndrome (WNS) Affected Caves and Mines reveals High Diversity of Fungi and Local Adaptation by the Fungal Pathogen Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destructans

The investigations of the bat White Nose Syndrome (WNS) have yet to provide answers as to how the causative fungus Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destructans (Pd) first appeared in the Northeast and how a single clone has spread rapidly in the US and Canada. We aimed to catalogue Pd and all other fungi (mycobiome) by the culture-dependent (CD) and culture-independent (CI) methods in four Mines and two Caves from the epicenter of WNS zoonotic. Six hundred sixty-five fungal isolates were obtained by CD method including the live recovery of Pd. Seven hundred three nucleotide sequences that met the definition of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were recovered by CI methods. Most OTUs belonged to unidentified clones deposited in the databases as environmental nucleic acid sequences (ENAS). The core mycobiome of WNS affected sites comprised of 46 species of fungi from 31 genera recovered in culture, and 17 fungal genera and 31 ENAS identified from clone libraries. Fungi such as Arthroderma spp., Geomyces spp., Kernia spp., Mortierella spp., Penicillium spp., and Verticillium spp. were predominant in culture while Ganoderma spp., Geomyces spp., Mortierella spp., Penicillium spp. and Trichosporon spp. were abundant is clone libraries. Alpha diversity analyses from CI data revealed that fungal community structure was highly diverse. However, the true species diversity remains undetermined due to under sampling. The frequent recovery of Pd indicated that the pathogen has adapted to WNS-afflicted habitats. Further, this study supports the hypothesis that Pd is an introduced species. These findings underscore the need for integrated WNS control measures that target both bats and the fungal pathogen.Comment: 59 pages, 7figure

Exposure to Household Air Pollution from Biomass-Burning Cookstoves and HbA1c and Diabetic Status Among Honduran Women

Household air pollution from biomass cookstoves is estimated to be responsible for more than two and a half million premature deaths annually, primarily in low and middle‐income countries where cardiometabolic disorders, such as Type II Diabetes, are increasing. Growing evidence supports a link between ambient air pollution and diabetes, but evidence for household air pollution is limited. This cross‐sectional study of 142 women (72 with traditional stoves and 70 with cleaner‐burning Justa stoves) in rural Honduras evaluated the association of exposure to household air pollution (stove type, 24‐hour average kitchen and personal fine particulate matter [PM2.5] mass and black carbon) with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and diabetic status based on HbA1c levels. The prevalence ratio (PR) per interquartile range increase in pollution concentration indicated higher prevalence of prediabetes/diabetes (vs normal HbA1c) for all pollutant measures (eg, PR per 84 μg/m3 increase in personal PM2.5, 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11‐2.01). Results for HbA1c as a continuous variable were generally in the hypothesized direction. These results provide some evidence linking household air pollution with the prevalence of prediabetes/diabetes, and, if confirmed, suggest that the global public health impact of household air pollution may be broader than currently estimated

Moringa oleifera seeds attenuate benzene-induced alterations in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in liver and kidney tissues of Wistar rats

Benzene is a notorious toxicant that is responsible for a host of diseases including leukemia. Its concentration in the environment is increasing day-by-day due to excessive automobile use, accelerated industrial activities and cigarette smoke. The awareness on the harmful effects of benzene on health is limited and no antidote has been reported yet. In this study, an attempt has been made to find out a suitable remedy to overcome benzene toxicity in a living organism from a natural source with the seeds of the plant Moringa oleifera (MO). Thirty six Wistar rats were considered for the study and divided into six groups (n=6). While group I remained as control with normal animals, those in groups II – VI received benzene by oral route (800 mg/kg body weight) for 28 consecutive days. On day 29, the benzene-treated animals in groups III – VI received respectively the standard drug ascorbic acid (AA, 25 mg/kg body weight) and MO (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight) for the following 7 days. Group II rats that received only benzene served as negative control without any treatment. On day 36, all the animals were sacrificed and vital organs liver and kidney were removed for studying lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidant markers [Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Total reduced glutathione (TRG), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Catalase (CAT)] in addition to histopathological changes in the tissues. The results of the study revealed that significant changes occurred in the above parameters due to benzene dosing to animals were reverted to near normal values on MO administration in the liver and kidney tissues as compared to untreated animals, suggesting MO’s pro-active role in attenuating benzene toxicity

ZEBRAFISH EMBRYOS EXHIBITED MORTALITY, ALTERED HATCHABILITY, AND DEVELOPMENTAL ABNORMALITIES FOLLOWING TRIBUTYLTIN EXPOSURE

ABSTRACT: Tributyltin (TBT), an organotin-endocrine-disrupting substance, is recognized as one of the most important toxic environmental pollutants. The present study was carried out to investigate the developmental toxicity of TBT on zebrafish embryos. Eggs of zebrafish were exposed to 2.5, 5, and 10 µg of TBT per liter of E3 medium for 72 hours to evaluate various parameters of developmental toxicity. The TBT exposure resulted in a dose-dependent negative effect on the hatching rate and increased larval mortality. Different abnormalities in larvae, following exposure to various concentrations of TBT, have also been observed. The tail and spinal deformities, along with dwarfism, were important abnormalities observed in TBT-exposed zebrafish embryos. It has been concluded that tributyltin produced deleterious effects on embryos and larvae during developmental stages, along with multiple deformities that ultimately affected the survival and growth of fis

Plant Species Diversity along an Altitudinal Gradient of Bhabha Valley in Western Himalaya

The present study highlights the rich species diversity of higher plants in the Bhabha Valley of western Himalaya in India. The analysis of species diversity revealed that a total of 313 species of higher plants inhabit the valley with a characteristic of moist alpine shrub vegetation. The herbaceous life forms dominate and increase with increasing altitude. The major representations are from the families Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae and Poaceae, suggesting thereby the alpine meadow nature of the study area. The effect of altitude on species diversity displays a hump-shaped curve which may be attributed to increase in habitat diversity at the median ranges and relatively less habitat diversity at higher altitudes. The anthropogenic pressure at lower altitudes results in low plant diversity towards the bottom of the valley with most of the species being exotic in nature. Though the plant diversity is less at higher altitudinal ranges, the uniqueness is relatively high with high species replacement rates. More than 90 % of variability in the species diversity could be explained using appropriate quantitative and statistical analysis along the altitudinal gradient. The valley harbours 18 threatened and 41 endemic species, most of which occur at higher altitudinal gradients due to habitat specificit