Evaluation of cadmium toxicity and its association with iron on the gonads of female rats

Cadmium has been identified as one of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Several studies on heavy metals focus on individual metals neglecting the fact that they occur in association with other metals in the environment, a situation that can affect the toxic capacity of each metal. The current study was therefore designed to examine the possible influence of iron (Fe) on cadmium (Cd) toxicity in the gonad of female rats. Twenty adult female albino rats used in this study were divided into four groups. The groups were designated as group A-control (rats administered Cd-free water), group B rats were exposed to Cd-tainted water, group C rats were exposed to Fe-tainted water and group D rats were exposed to combined Cd+Fe tainted water. The treatments were done daily for four weeks. At the end of 4 weeks of exposure, there was significant increase in ovary CAT activity of rats exposed to Cd+Fe when compared to the control. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level in ovary of rats exposed to Fe only was significantly increased (p≤0.05) relative to the control. Similarly, there was a significant increase in serum cholesterol level of rats exposed to Cd+Fe simultaneously when compared to the Cd only and Fe only treated groups. The levels of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) were significantly increased (p≤0.05) in sera of rats exposed to Cd only, Fe only and Cd+Fe when compared to the control. The levels of estradiol were significantly decreased in all the treated groups relative to control. The level of testosterone was significantly increased (p≤0.05) in Cd+Fe group relative to the control. Histological study revealed atretic and disintegrating follicles in ovary of rats exposed to Cd only and combined Cd+Fe. The results from this study suggest that cadmium only as well as combined cadmium and iron are responsible for the biochemical changes induced in the ovary. The presence of Cd caused oxidative stress in the ovary and an imbalance in serum levels of the reproductive hormones analyzed. Since Cd only was able to cause the changes observed and similar changes was also observed in presence of iron, it can therefore be suggested that Cd is responsible for the changes since iron was unable to ameliorate its effect. Findings from histological examination of the ovaries that there was profound disintegration with follicular damage appear to corroborate the biochemical observation made in this study. In conclusion, it appears that cadmium in the presence of iron can still exhibit its gonadal toxicity without antagonism or synergism with iron as shown in the rats exposed via water

Effects of Climate Change on Fluted Pumpkin Production and Adaptaton Measures Used Among Farmers in Rivers State

The importance of fluted pumpkin crop in rural household economy cannot be over emphasized. Farmers in the South South Nigeria depend greatly on fluted pumpkin for its many uses. The production however is beset with a myriad of constraints of which climate change is one of the most outstanding. The study assessed the effects of climate change and adaptation measures used by fluted pumpkin farmers in Ikwerre Local Government Area(LGA) of Rivers State, Southsouth Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. Out of the twelve communities that make up Ikwerre LGA, six communities were randomly chosen from which one hundred and eighty fluted pumpkin farmers were proportionately selected. Interview schedule and focus group discussion were used to elicit in depth information from respondents. Data were analyzed using percentage, frequency count and mean. Tables and charts were used in presentation of data. The result of the study showed that 51 percent of the respondents were female, majority were married (77 percent) and were full time farmers (79 percent). Relatively large proportion had no formal education (42 percent) and indicated both consumption and sale (79 percent) as the major aim of production. The respondents perceived that unpredictable climate condition, changes in rainfall pattern, changes in rainfall distribution, reduced yield of fluted pumpkin and reduction of family income were the major effects of climate change on fluted pumpkin production. A combination of fluted pumpkin production with other income generating activities was shown to be the most widely used adaptation strategy by respondents. Based on the results of the study it was recommended that improved extension services that can provide the needed farming inputs (fluted pumpkin seedlings, fertilizers e.t.c) as well as useful and relevant information on climate change and adaptation strategies should be made available to the people

Effects of Climate Change on Fluted Pumpkin Production and Adaptaton Measures Used Among Farmers in Rivers State

The importance of fluted pumpkin crop in rural household economy cannot be over emphasized. Farmers in the South South Nigeria depend greatly on fluted pumpkin for its many uses. The production however is beset with a myriad of constraints of which climate change is one of the most outstanding. The study assessed the effects of climate change and adaptation measures used by fluted pumpkin farmers in Ikwerre Local Government Area(LGA) of Rivers State, Southsouth Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. Out of the twelve communities that make up Ikwerre LGA, six communities were randomly chosen from which one hundred and eighty fluted pumpkin farmers were proportionately selected. Interview schedule and focus group discussion were used to elicit in depth information from respondents. Data were analyzed using percentage, frequency count and mean. Tables and charts were used in presentation of data. The result of the study showed that 51 percent of the respondents were female, majority were married (77 percent) and were full time farmers (79 percent). Relatively large proportion had no formal education (42 percent) and indicated both consumption and sale (79 percent) as the major aim of production. The respondents perceived that unpredictable climate condition, changes in rainfall pattern, changes in rainfall distribution, reduced yield of fluted pumpkin and reduction of family income were the major effects of climate change on fluted pumpkin production. A combination of fluted pumpkin production with other income generating activities was shown to be the most widely used adaptation strategy by respondents. Based on the results of the study it was recommended that improved extension services that can provide the needed farming inputs (fluted pumpkin seedlings, fertilizers e.t.c) as well as useful and relevant information on climate change and adaptation strategies should be made available to the people

Why honey is effective as a medicine. 1. Its use in modern medicine

Honey has been used as a medicine for thousands of years and its curative properties are well documented. However, modern medicine turned its back on honey and it is only now, with the advent of multi-resistant bacteria, that the antibiotic properties of honey are being rediscovered

Josephson effect in double-barrier superconductor-ferromagnet junctions

We study the Josephson effect in ballistic double-barrier SIFIS planar junctions, consisting of bulk superconductors (S), a clean metallic ferromagnet (F), and insulating interfaces (I). We solve the scattering problem based on the Bogoliubov--de Gennes equations and derive a general expression for the dc Josephson current, valid for arbitrary interfacial transparency and Fermi wave vectors mismatch (FWVM). We consider the coherent regime in which quasiparticle transmission resonances contribute significantly to the Andreev process. The Josephson current is calculated for various parameters of the junction, and the influence of both interfacial transparency and FWVM is analyzed. For thin layers of strong ferromagnet and finite interfacial transparency, we find that coherent (geometrical) oscillations of the maximum Josephson current are superimposed on the oscillations related to the crossover between 0 and $\pi$ states. For the same case we find that the temperature-induced $0-\pi$ transition occurs if the junction is very close to the crossovers at zero temperature.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

IL-12p35 induces expansion of IL-10 and IL-35-expressing regulatory B cells and ameliorates autoimmune disease

We thank Dr. Haohua Qian and Yichao Li (Visual function core, NEI, NIH) for technical assistance with OCT; Phyllis Silver (NEI, NIH) for EAU scoring of the eyes; Rashid Mahdi. M.J.M. for technical assistance with western blot analyses and Rafael Villasmil (NEI FLOW Cytometry Core facility) for assistance with FACS analysis.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Ultra-deep sequencing reveals the mutational landscape of classical Hodgkin lymphoma

UNLABELLED: The malignant Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) are scarce in affected lymph nodes, creating a challenge to detect driver somatic mutations. As an alternative to cell purification techniques, we hypothesized that ultra-deep exome sequencing would allow genomic study of HRS cells, thereby streamlining analysis and avoiding technical pitfalls. To test this, 31 cHL tumor/normal pairs were exome sequenced to approximately 1,000× median depth of coverage. An orthogonal error-corrected sequencing approach verified \u3e95% of the discovered mutations. We identified mutations in genes novel to cHL including: CDH5 and PCDH7, novel stop gain mutations in IL4R, and a novel pattern of recurrent mutations in pathways regulating Hippo signaling. As a further application of our exome sequencing, we attempted to identify expressed somatic single-nucleotide variants (SNV) in single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data generated from a patient in our cohort. Our snRNA analysis identified a clear cluster of cells containing a somatic SNV identified in our deep exome data. This cluster has differentially expressed genes that are consistent with genes known to be dysregulated in HRS cells (e.g., PIM1 and PIM3). The cluster also contains cells with an expanded B-cell clonotype further supporting a malignant phenotype. This study provides proof-of-principle that ultra-deep exome sequencing can be utilized to identify recurrent mutations in HRS cells and demonstrates the feasibility of snRNA-seq in the context of cHL. These studies provide the foundation for the further analysis of genomic variants in large cohorts of patients with cHL. SIGNIFICANCE: Our data demonstrate the utility of ultra-deep exome sequencing in uncovering somatic variants in Hodgkin lymphoma, creating new opportunities to define the genes that are recurrently mutated in this disease. We also show for the first time the successful application of snRNA-seq in Hodgkin lymphoma and describe the expression profile of a putative cluster of HRS cells in a single patient

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory mechanisms in uveitis

The eye, as currently viewed, is neither immunologically ignorant nor sequestered from the systemic environment. The eye utilises distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms to preserve tissue and cellular function in the face of immune-mediated insult; clinically, inflammation following such an insult is termed uveitis. The intra-ocular inflammation in uveitis may be clinically obvious as a result of infection (e.g. toxoplasma, herpes), but in the main infection, if any, remains covert. We now recognise that healthy tissues including the retina have regulatory mechanisms imparted by control of myeloid cells through receptors (e.g. CD200R) and soluble inhibitory factors (e.g. alpha-MSH), regulation of the blood retinal barrier, and active immune surveillance. Once homoeostasis has been disrupted and inflammation ensues, the mechanisms to regulate inflammation, including T cell apoptosis, generation of Treg cells, and myeloid cell suppression in situ, are less successful. Why inflammation becomes persistent remains unknown, but extrapolating from animal models, possibilities include differential trafficking of T cells from the retina, residency of CD8(+) T cells, and alterations of myeloid cell phenotype and function. Translating lessons learned from animal models to humans has been helped by system biology approaches and informatics, which suggest that diseased animals and people share similar changes in T cell phenotypes and monocyte function to date. Together the data infer a possible cryptic infectious drive in uveitis that unlocks and drives persistent autoimmune responses, or promotes further innate immune responses. Thus there may be many mechanisms in common with those observed in autoinflammatory disorders