Glyphosate-induced liver and kidney dysfunction, oxidative stress, immunosuppression in Nile tilapia, but ginger showed a protection role

The water-borne herbicides are involved in the toxicity of aquatic animals resulting in impaired health status and low productivity. Dietary medicinal herbs present a practical solution to relieve the impacts of herbicides toxicity on the performances of aquatic animals. Herein, we investigated the toxicity of commercial glyphosate-induced oxidative stress, immunosuppression, liver and kidney dysfunction, and the protective role of ginger or ginger nanoparticles in Nile tilapia. Fish were allocated into four groups: the first group presented the control without glyphosate toxicity and ginger feeding, the second group intoxicated with glyphosate at 0.6 mg/L and fed ginger free diet, the third group intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger at 2.5 g/kg, and the fourth group intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger nanoparticles at 2.5 g/kg. Fish were kept under the experimental conditions for four weeks, and the samples of blood and tissues were collected after 2 and 4 weeks. Markedly, fish exposed to glyphosate showed the highest ALT and AST activities, glucose and cortisol levels, and malondialdehyde levels (MDA) in gills and tissues. While fish in the control and fish intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger nanoparticles had the lowest ALT and AST activities, glucose and cortisol levels, and MDA levels after 2 and 4 weeks (P \u3c 0.05). Fish fed dietary ginger had lower ALT and AST activities, glucose and cortisol levels, and MDA levels than the glyphosate intoxicated group after 2 and 4 weeks (P \u3c 0.05). Interestingly, fish-fed ginger nanoparticles showed lower urea and creatinine levels and higher total protein, albumin, and globulin than the glyphosate intoxicated group (P \u3c 0.05) and similar to the control (P \u3e 0.05). Further, fish intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger nanoparticles had the highest GSH, lysozyme activity, and immunoglobulin levels after 2 and 4 weeks (P \u3c 0.05). In conclusion, ginger nanoparticles are superior to the standard ginger form in enhancing the antioxidative and immune responses of Nile tilapia exposed to glyphosate

Differential effects of RYGB surgery and best medical treatment for obesity-diabetes on intestinal and islet adaptations in obese-diabetic ZDSD rats

Modification of gut-islet secretions after Roux-En-Y gastric bypass (RYBG) surgery contributes to its metabolic and anti-diabetic benefits. However, there is limited knowledge on tissue-specific hormone distribution post-RYGB surgery and how this compares with best medical treatment (BMT). In the present study, pancreatic and ileal tissues were excised from male Zucker-Diabetic Sprague Dawley (ZDSD) rats 8-weeks after RYGB, BMT (daily oral dosing with metformin 300mg/kg, fenofibrate 100mg/kg, ramipril 1mg/kg, rosuvastatin 10mg/kg and subcutaneous liraglutide 0.2mg/kg) or sham operation (laparotomy). Insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, PYY, GLP-1 and GIP expression patterns were assessed using immunocytochemistry and analyzed using ImageJ. After RYGB and BMT, body weight and plasma glucose were decreased. Intestinal morphometry was unaltered by RYGB, but crypt depth was decreased by BMT. Intestinal PYY cells were increased by both interventions. GLP-1- and GIP-cell counts were unchanged by RYGB but BMT increased ileal GLP-1-cells and decreased those expressing GIP. The intestinal contents of PYY and GLP-1 were significantly enhanced by RYGB, whereas BMT decreased ileal GLP-1. No changes of islet and beta-cell area or proliferation were observed, but the extent of beta-cell apoptosis and islet integrity calculated using circularity index were improved by both treatments. Significantly decreased islet alpha-cell areas were observed in both groups, while beta- and PYY-cell areas were unchanged. RYGB also induced a decrease in islet delta-cell area. PYY and GLP-1 colocalization with glucagon in islets was significantly decreased in both groups, while co-staining of PYY with glucagon was decreased and that with somatostatin increased. These data characterize significant cellular islet and intestinal adaptations following RYGB and BMT associated with amelioration of obesity-diabetes in ZDSD rats. The differential responses observed and particularly those within islets, may provide important clues to the unique ability of RYGB to cause diabetes remission

Biopiracy <i>versus </i>one-world medicine – from colonial relicts to global collaborative concepts

Background: Practices of biopiracy to use genetic resources and indigenous knowledge by Western companies without benefit-sharing of those, who generated the traditional knowledge, can be understood as form of neocolonialism.Hypothesis: : The One-World Medicine concept attempts to merge the best of traditional medicine from developing countries and conventional Western medicine for the sake of patients around the globe.Study design: Based on literature searches in several databases, a concept paper has been written. Legislative initiatives of the United Nations culminated in the Nagoya protocol aim to protect traditional knowledge and regulate benefit-sharing with indigenous communities. The European community adopted the Nagoya protocol, and the corresponding regulations will be implemented into national legislation among the member states. Despite pleasing progress, infrastructural problems of the health care systems in developing countries still remain. Current approaches to secure primary health care offer only fragmentary solutions at best. Conventional medicine from industrialized countries cannot be afforded by the impoverished population in the Third World. Confronted with exploding costs, even health systems in Western countries are endangered to burst. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular among the general public in industrialized countries, although the efficacy is not sufficiently proven according to the standards of evidence-based medicine. CAM is often available without prescription as over-the-counter products with non-calculated risks concerning erroneous self-medication and safety/toxicity issues. The concept of integrative medicine attempts to combine holistic CAM approaches with evidence-based principles of conventional medicine.Conclusion: To realize the concept of One-World Medicine, a number of standards have to be set to assure safety, efficacy and applicability of traditional medicine, e.g. sustainable production and quality control of herbal products, performance of placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials, phytovigilance, as well as education of health professionals and patients

Effectiveness of esterified whey proteins fractions against Egyptian Lethal Avian Influenza A (H5N1)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Avian influenza A (H5N1) virus is one of the most important public health concerns worldwide. The antiviral activity of native and esterified whey proteins fractions (α- lactalbumin, β- lactoglobulin, and lactoferrin) was evaluated against A/chicken/Egypt/086Q-NLQP/2008 HPAI (H5N1) strain of clade 2.2.1 (for multiplicity of infection (1 MOI) after 72 h of incubation at 37°C in the presence of 5% CO₂) using MDCK cell lines.</p> <p>Result</p> <p>Both the native and esterified lactoferrin seem to be the most active antiviral protein among the tested samples, followed by β- lactoglobulin. α-Lactalbumin had less antiviral activity even after esterification.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Esterification of whey proteins fractions especially lactoferrin and β-lactoglobulin enhanced their antiviral activity against H5N1 in a concentration dependent manner.</p

Effect of Substituting Fish Oil with Camelina Oil on Growth Performance, Fatty Acid Profile, Digestibility, Liver Histology, and Antioxidative Status of Red Seabream (Pagrus major)

A 56-day feeding trial to evaluate the responses of red seabream (initial weight: 1.8 ± 0.02 g) to the substitution of fish oil (FO) with camelina oil (CO) at different ratios was conducted. The control diet formulated at 46% CP (6F0C) contained only FO without CO; from the second to the fifth diet, the FO was substituted with CO at rates of 5:1 (5F1C), 4:2 (4F2C), 3:3 (3F3C), 2:4 (2F4C), and 0:6 (0F6C). The results of the present study showed that up to full substitution of FO with CO showed no significant effect on growth variables BW = 26.2 g–28.3 g), body weight gain (BWG = 1275.5–1365.3%), specific growth rate (SGR = 4.6–4.7), feed intake (FI = 25.6–27.8), feed conversion ratio (FCR = 1.0–1.1), biometric indices condition factor (CF = 2.2–2.4), hepatosomatic index (HSI = 0.9–1.1), viscerasomatic index (VSI = 7.5–9.5), and survival rates (SR = 82.2–100) with different FO substitution levels with CO. Similarly, there were no significant differences (p < 0.05) found in the whole-body composition except for the crude lipid content, and the highest value was observed in the control group (291 g/kg) compared to the other groups FO5CO1 (232 k/kg), FO4CO2 (212 g/kg), FO2CO4 (232 g/kg) and FO0CO6 (244 g/kg). Blood chemistry levels were not influenced in response to test diets: hematocrit (36–33%), glucose (Glu = 78.3–71.3 mg/dL), total protein (T-pro = 3.1–3.8 g/dL), total cholesterol (T-Chol = 196.0–241 mg/dL), blood urea nitrogen (BUN = 9.0–14.6 mg/dL), total bilirubin (T-Bil = 0.4–0.5 mg/dL), triglyceride (TG = 393.3–497.6 mg/dL), alanine aminotransferase test (ALT = 50–65.5 UL/L), aspartate aminotransferase test (AST = 38–69.3 UL/L). A remarkable modulation was observed in catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the liver, as CAT and SOD values were lower with the complete FO substitution with CO (0F6C), and the highest values were observed in the control and (4F2C). This study indicates that red seabream may have the ability to maintain LC-PUFAs between tissues and diets, and CO substitution of FO could improve both lipid metabolism and oxidation resistance as well as maintain digestibility. In conclusion, dietary FO can be replaced up to 100% or 95% by CO in the diets of red seabream as long as n-3 HUFA, EPA, and DHA are incorporated at the recommended level

Dietary clenbuterol modifies the expression of genes involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and growth in the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The current study aimed to evaluate whether clenbuterol, a β2-adrenergic agonist, supplementation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets can influence growth and blood parameters. Besides, assessment of adipogenic genes as fatty acid synthase (FAS) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) which is a key enzyme in the regulation of the flux of fatty acids in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue as well as muscle growth-regulating genes as myostatin (MYO) in muscle and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in liver. The fish were allocated into three equal groups; control group that fed basal diet only and the other two groups fed a basal diet containing clenbuterol at two doses 5 ppm and 10 ppm/kg diet for 30 consecutive days. Results revealed that clenbuterol supplementation significantly increased body weight, decreased liver, spleen and abdominal fat weights, and decreased total circulatory cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Moreover, clenbuterol inhibits lipogenesis by downregulation of FAS gene expression by dose and time-dependent manner in the liver while enhanced lipolysis in both the liver and in the adipose tissue. Moreover, lipolysis was reduced in muscle by dose 10 ppm on day 30. Furthermore, clenbuterol presented higher gene expression of MYO and IGF-1 in muscle and liver respectively by dose 5 ppm at day 15 on the other hand, these findings were reversed by day 30 compared with control. In conclusion, clenbuterol efficacy was apparent in a dose and time response pattern to boost growth and reduce fat deposition rates, indicating for the first time that clenbuterol has a profitable growth impact on Nile tilapia

Prevalence of Allergic Disorders among Primary School-Aged Children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia: Two-Stage Cross-Sectional Survey

There are limited data on the epidemiology of allergic disorders in Saudi Arabia. Such data are needed for, amongst other things, helping to plan service provision at a time when there is considerable investment taking place in national healthcare development. We sought to estimate the prevalence of atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma in primary school children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.We conducted a two-stage cross-sectional survey of schoolchildren in Madinah. Children were recruited from 38 randomly selected schools. Questionnaires were sent to the parents of all 6,139 6-8 year old children in these schools. These parental-completed questionnaires incorporated questions from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), which had previously been validated for use in Arab populations. We undertook descriptive analyses, using the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) to calculate 95% confidence intervals. The overall response rate was 85.9% (n = 5,188), 84.6% for girls and 86.2% for boys, respectively. Overall, parents reported symptoms suggestive of a history of eczema in 10.3% (95%CI 9.4, 11.4), rhinitis in 24.2% (95%CI 22.3, 26.2) and asthma in 23.6% (95%CI 21.3, 26.0) of children. Overall, 41.7% (95%CI 39.1, 44.4) of children had symptoms suggestive of at least one allergic disorder, with a substantial minority manifesting symptoms indicative of co-morbid allergic disease. Comparison of these symptom-based prevalence estimates with reports of clinician-diagnosed disease suggested that the majority of children with eczema and asthma had been diagnosed, but only a minority (17.4%) of children had been diagnosed with rhinitis. International comparisons indicated that children in Madinah have amongst the highest prevalence of allergic problems in the world.Symptoms indicative of allergic disease are very common in primary school-aged children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, with figures comparable to the highest risk regions in the world

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially