Effect of neuropeptide Y on norepinephrine-induced constriction in the rabbit facial artery after carotid artery occlusion

Background/Aim. Atherosclerotic-occlusive changes could be observed in orofacial branches of the external carotid artery. Atherosclerosis-induced ischemia caused alteration in production and release of endothelial factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of carotid artery occlusion (10, 30 and 60 min) on vascular effects of norepincphrine (NOR) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the isolated glandular branch of the rabbit facial artery, the main feeding artery for the submandibular gland. Method. Changes in isometric tension were recorded in organ bath studies with arterial rings, before and after carotid artery occlusion. Results. Concentration-dependent vasocontractile effect of NOR was significantly augmented after 30 and 60 min of carotid occlusion, but only in the rings with intact endothelium. Given alone, NPY showed no effect in isolated glandular branch of the rabbit facial artery, but enhanced NOR vasoconstriction in all the investigated rings. NOR vasocontractilc effect enhancement in the presence of NPY was attenuated after 30 and 60 min of carotid occlusion. Also, enhancement of NOR vasoconstriction by NPY was significantly higher in endothelium-intact rings compared to endothelium-denuded rings obtained after 30 and 60 min of carotid occlusion. Conclusion. The present investigation provides results of increased vasocontractile effect of NOR and decreased enhancing effect of NPY on NOR vasoconstriction in the rabbit facial artery after carotid occlusion that is related to altered endothelium function

Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass-loss rate and stabilization

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large-scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization factors of plant-derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy-to-degrade components accumulate during early-stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass-loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early-stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models

Reading tea leaves worldwide: decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass‐loss rate and stabilization

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large‐scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass‐loss rates and stabilization factors of plant‐derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy‐to‐degrade components accumulate during early‐stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass‐loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass‐loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early‐stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models

Volatile compounds and microbiota: Antibacterial properties in traditional preparation methods of medicinal herb Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae)

I assessed the differential effectiveness of traditional herbal preparation methods of medicinal herb gavilana (Neurolaena lobata) on an assay of four bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus, Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp.) known to cause food poisoning symptoms in humans. Medicinal plants are used both traditionally at home in many cultures and in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Their medicinal properties often come from their secondary compounds, chemicals that play a role in their ecophysiology and primarily defend them from herbivory. I prepared three types of Neurolaena lobata extracts - an oil, an alcohol, and a tea - and assessed the zones of inhibition of the bacteria around filter paper disks impregnated with each extract. These assessments were done blindly (without knowledge of the inoculum/extract combination on the Petri dish) and I compared the zones of inhibition of the treatments to those surrounding the control. Results showed no significant inhibition of any bacterial inoculum by any Neurolaena lobata treatment; the majority of disks showed no inhibition and did not differ from the control. However, oil seemed to be the least effective preparation method, Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp. appeared to be more resistant to antibacterial activity than E. coli and S. aureus, and Neurolaena lobata tea treatments appeared to increase in effectiveness at higher concentrations. There are still thousands of plants that have yet to be explored for antibacterial or other health-related properties, and diverse areas such as tropical forests must be protected in order for this potential to remain alive. Evalué la eficacia de los métodos tradicionales de preparación de hierbas medicinales de gavilana (Neurolaena lobata) en un ensayo de cuatro bacterias (E. coli, S. aureus, Shigella sp. y Salmonella sp.). Es sabido que estas bacterias causan síntomas de envenenamiento de comida en humanos. Las plantas medicinales se usan tanto tradicionalmente en el hogar en muchas culturas como en la síntesis de fármacos. Sus propiedades medicinales a menudo provienen de compuestos secundarios, sustancias químicas que juegan un papel en su ecofisiología, principalmente como defensa contra herbivoría. Preparé tres tipos de extractos de Neurolaena lobata - aceite, alcohol y té - y evalué las zonas de inhibición de las bacterias alrededor de los discos de papel filtro impregnados con cada extracto. Estas evaluaciones se realizaron ciegamente (sin conocimiento de la combinación inóculo / extracto en la placa de Petri) y comparé las zonas de inhibición de los tratamientos con las que rodeaban el control. Los resultados no mostraron una inhibición significativa de ningún inóculo bacteriano por ningún tratamiento de Neurolaena lobata; La mayoría de los discos no mostraron inhibición y no difirieron del control. Sin embargo, el aceite pareció ser el método de preparación menos eficaz. Shigella sp. y Salmonella sp. parecieron ser más resistentes a la actividad antibacteriana que E. coli y S. aureus, y los tratamientos con té Neurolaena lobata parecieron aumentar la eficacia en concentraciones más altas. Todavía hay miles de plantas en las que aún no se ha explorado sus propiedades antibacterianas u otras propiedades relacionadas con la salud, y áreas diversas como los bosques tropicales deben ser protegidas para que este potencial permanezca vivo.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/tropical_ecology/1642/thumbnail.jp

Volatile compounds and microbiota: Antibacterial properties in traditional preparation methods of medicinal herb Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae)

I assessed the differential effectiveness of traditional herbal preparation methods of medicinal herb gavilana (Neurolaena lobata) on an assay of four bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus, Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp.) known to cause food poisoning symptoms in humans. Medicinal plants are used both traditionally at home in many cultures and in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Their medicinal properties often come from their secondary compounds, chemicals that play a role in their ecophysiology and primarily defend them from herbivory. I prepared three types of Neurolaena lobata extracts - an oil, an alcohol, and a tea - and assessed the zones of inhibition of the bacteria around filter paper disks impregnated with each extract. These assessments were done blindly (without knowledge of the inoculum/extract combination on the Petri dish) and I compared the zones of inhibition of the treatments to those surrounding the control. Results showed no significant inhibition of any bacterial inoculum by any Neurolaena lobata treatment; the majority of disks showed no inhibition and did not differ from the control. However, oil seemed to be the least effective preparation method, Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp. appeared to be more resistant to antibacterial activity than E. coli and S. aureus, and Neurolaena lobata tea treatments appeared to increase in effectiveness at higher concentrations. There are still thousands of plants that have yet to be explored for antibacterial or other health-related properties, and diverse areas such as tropical forests must be protected in order for this potential to remain alive. Evalué la eficacia de los métodos tradicionales de preparación de hierbas medicinales de gavilana (Neurolaena lobata) en un ensayo de cuatro bacterias (E. coli, S. aureus, Shigella sp. y Salmonella sp.). Es sabido que estas bacterias causan síntomas de envenenamiento de comida en humanos. Las plantas medicinales se usan tanto tradicionalmente en el hogar en muchas culturas como en la síntesis de fármacos. Sus propiedades medicinales a menudo provienen de compuestos secundarios, sustancias químicas que juegan un papel en su ecofisiología, principalmente como defensa contra herbivoría. Preparé tres tipos de extractos de Neurolaena lobata - aceite, alcohol y té - y evalué las zonas de inhibición de las bacterias alrededor de los discos de papel filtro impregnados con cada extracto. Estas evaluaciones se realizaron ciegamente (sin conocimiento de la combinación inóculo / extracto en la placa de Petri) y comparé las zonas de inhibición de los tratamientos con las que rodeaban el control. Los resultados no mostraron una inhibición significativa de ningún inóculo bacteriano por ningún tratamiento de Neurolaena lobata; La mayoría de los discos no mostraron inhibición y no difirieron del control. Sin embargo, el aceite pareció ser el método de preparación menos eficaz. Shigella sp. y Salmonella sp. parecieron ser más resistentes a la actividad antibacteriana que E. coli y S. aureus, y los tratamientos con té Neurolaena lobata parecieron aumentar la eficacia en concentraciones más altas. Todavía hay miles de plantas en las que aún no se ha explorado sus propiedades antibacterianas u otras propiedades relacionadas con la salud, y áreas diversas como los bosques tropicales deben ser protegidas para que este potencial permanezca vivo.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/tropical_ecology/1642/thumbnail.jp

Effect of neuropeptide Y on norepinephrine-induced constriction in the rabbit facial artery after carotid artery occlusion

Background/Aim. Atherosclerotic-occlusive changes could be observed in orofacial branches of the external carotid artery. Atherosclerosis-induced ischemia caused alteration in production and release of endothelial factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of carotid artery occlusion (10, 30 and 60 min) on vascular effects of norepincphrine (NOR) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the isolated glandular branch of the rabbit facial artery, the main feeding artery for the submandibular gland. Method. Changes in isometric tension were recorded in organ bath studies with arterial rings, before and after carotid artery occlusion. Results. Concentration-dependent vasocontractile effect of NOR was significantly augmented after 30 and 60 min of carotid occlusion, but only in the rings with intact endothelium. Given alone, NPY showed no effect in isolated glandular branch of the rabbit facial artery, but enhanced NOR vasoconstriction in all the investigated rings. NOR vasocontractilc effect enhancement in the presence of NPY was attenuated after 30 and 60 min of carotid occlusion. Also, enhancement of NOR vasoconstriction by NPY was significantly higher in endothelium-intact rings compared to endothelium-denuded rings obtained after 30 and 60 min of carotid occlusion. Conclusion. The present investigation provides results of increased vasocontractile effect of NOR and decreased enhancing effect of NPY on NOR vasoconstriction in the rabbit facial artery after carotid occlusion that is related to altered endothelium function

Leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin as graft material improves microRNA-21 expression and decreases oxidative stress in the calvarial defects of diabetic rabbits

Objective: Leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) represents a natural, low-cost product which may promote tissue healing by mechanisms not fully elucidated. Diabetes mellitus (DM) disrupts bone healing by inducing inflammation and oxidative stress (OS), mechanisms regulated by microRNAs (miRs). The aim of the present study was to investigate the microRNA-21 (miR-21) involvement in diabetic bone regeneration using L-PRF alone or in combination with a standard grafting material. Design: After the induction of diabetes (alloxan 100 mg/kg), four cranial osteotomies were made in diabetic (n=12) and non-diabetic (n=12) rabbits: one was left empty and the remaining three were grafted with LPRF, bovine hydroxyapatite (Bio-Oss®) and L-PRF+Bio-Oss®. Two and eight weeks postoperatively, the samples were harvested for miR-21 expression (Real-time RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analyses. Results: Diabetic rabbits showed decreased miR-21 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) protein expression while increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels two weeks postoperatively; however, there were no significant differences in miR-21 and MMP-9 levels between diabetic and non-diabetic rabbits in samples taken eight weeks postoperatively. Application of L-PRF and L-PRF+Bio-Oss® improved miR-21 and MMP-9 and decreased MDA levels while Bio-Oss® alone enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity levels in diabetic rabbits. Conclusion: L-PRF alone or in combination with bovine hydroxyapatite as bone graft could be beneficial in DM since it seems to improve inflammation-modulatory miR-21 expression and decreases oxidative stress

Wearable Use in an Observational Study Among Older Adults: Adherence, Feasibility, and Effects of Clinicodemographic Factors.

IntroductionWearables have great potential to improve monitoring and delivery of physical activity interventions to older adults with downstream benefits to multisystem health and longevity; however, benefits obtained from wearables depend on their uptake and usage. Few studies have examined person-specific factors that relate to wearable adherence. We characterized adherence to using a wearable activity tracker for 30 days and examined associations between adherence and demographics, cognitive functioning, brain volumes, and technology familiarity among community-dwelling older adults.MethodsParticipants were 175 older adults enrolled in the UCSF Longitudinal Brain Aging Study who were asked to wear a FitbitTM Flex 2 during waking hours for 30 days. Sixty two of these participants were also asked to sync their devices to the Fitbit smartphone app daily to collect minute-level data. We calculated adherence to wearing the Fitbit daily (i.e., proportion of days with valid activity data) and adherence to daily device syncing (i.e., proportion of days with minute-level activity data). Participants also completed a brain MRI and in-person cognitive testing measuring memory, executive functioning, and processing speed. Spearman correlations, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and logistic regression tested relationships between wearable adherence and clinicodemographic factors.ResultsParticipants wore the Fitbits for an average of 95% of study days and were 85% adherent to the daily syncing protocol. Greater adherence to wearing the device was related to female sex. Greater adherence to daily device syncing was related to better memory, independent of demographic factors. Wearable adherence was not significantly related to age, education, executive functioning, processing speed, brain gray matter volumes, or self-reported familiarity with technology. Participants reported little-to-no difficulty using the wearable and all reported willingness to participate in another wearable study in the future.ConclusionsOlder adults have overall high adherence to wearable use in the current study protocol. Person-specific factors, however, may represent potential barriers to equitable uptake of wearables for physical activity among older adults, including demographics and cognitive functioning. Future studies and clinical providers utilizing wearable activity trackers with older adults may benefit from implementation of reminders (e.g., texts, calls) for device use, particularly among men and individuals with memory impairment

Data-driven physical actigraphy patterns relate to cognitive and vascular health in older adults

Health benefits of physical activity (PA) are well known; however, specific PA patterns that relate most strongly to cognitive aging outcomes are poorly understood. We characterized latent profiles of PA among older adults and examined associations with cognition and vascular burden. 124 functionally normal older adults wore a Fitbit™ for 30 days. Daily average step count, sedentary time (0 steps/min), and high-intensity time (≥120 steps/min) were calculated. Participants completed neurocognitive testing assessing cognitive domains of executive functioning and memory; medical history, from which vascular burden (i.e., a count of cardiovascular conditions) was calculated; and brain MRI (n = 44). Subgroups with similar PA patterns were identified via latent profile analysis. Three latent PA classes emerged: Class 1Low PA (n = 49), Class 2Average PA (n = 59), and Class 3High-intensity PA (n = 16). PA class related to executive functioning and vascular burden, driven by better outcomes in Class 3 than Class 1. Sex-stratified analyses revealed these associations were strongest in males. Post hoc analyses showed a positive association between high-intensity PA and white matter integrity among males. High-intensity PA related to better cognitive and vascular health, particularly among males. Findings inform physical activity-specific and person-specific recommendations for optimal cognitive aging

The influence of subchronic co-application of vitamins B6 and folic acid on cardiac oxidative stress and biochemical markers in monocrotaline-induced heart failure in male Wistar albino rats

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that subchronic co-application of vitamins B6 and folic acid (FA) could affect heart failure (HF) induced by monocrotaline (MCT), with the modulation of oxidative stress parameters and cardiometabolic biomarkers. Biochemical and histomorphometric analyses were assessed in blank solution-exposed controls (C1 physiological saline 1 mL/kg, 1 day, n = 8; C2 physiological saline 1 mL/kg, 28 days, n = 8), MCT-induced HF (MCT 50 mg/kg, n = 8), B6+FA (vitamin B6 7 mg·kg–1·day–1, FA 5 mg·kg–1·day–1; n = 8), and MCT+B6+FA (MCT 50 mg/kg, vitamin B6 7 mg·kg–1·day–1, FA 5 mg·kg–1·day–1; n = 8) in male Wistar albino rats (body mass 160 g at the start). Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, thiol-, carbonyl groups, and nitrotyrosine were determined in cardiac tissue. Echocardiography was performed to confirm MCT-induced HF. The right ventricular wall hypertrophy, accompanied with significant increase of troponin T and preserved renal and liver function, has been shown in MCT-induced HF. However, these effects were not related to antioxidant effects of vitamin B6 and FA, since several parameters of oxidative stress were more pronounced after treatment. In this study, co-application of vitamins B6 and FA did not attenuate hypertrophy of the right ventricle wall but aggravated oxidative stress, which is involved in HF pathogenesis.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author