Ankyrin is the major oxidised protein in erythrocyte membranes from end-stage renal disease patients on chronic haemodialysis and oxidation is decreased by dialysis and vitamin C supplementation

Chronically haemodialysed end-stage renal disease patients are at high risk of morbidity arising from complications of dialysis, the underlying pathology that has led to renal disease and the complex pathology of chronic kidney disease. Anaemia is commonplace and its origins are multifactorial, involving reduced renal erythropoietin production, accumulation of uremic toxins and an increase in erythrocyte fragility. Oxidative damage is a common risk factor in renal disease and its co-morbidities and is known to cause erythrocyte fragility. Therefore, we have investigated the hypothesis that specific erythrocyte membrane proteins are more oxidised in end-stage renal disease patients and that vitamin C supplementation can ameliorate membrane protein oxidation. Eleven patients and 15 control subjects were recruited to the study. Patients were supplemented with 2 × 500 mg vitamin C per day for 4 weeks. Erythrocyte membrane proteins were prepared pre- and post-vitamin C supplementation for determination of protein oxidation. Total protein carbonyls were reduced by vitamin C supplementation but not by dialysis when investigated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Using a western blot to detect oxidised proteins, one protein band, later identified as containing ankyrin, was found to be oxidised in patients but not controls and was reduced significantly by 60% in all patients after dialysis and by 20% after vitamin C treatment pre-dialysis. Ankyrin oxidation analysis may be useful in a stratified medicines approach as a possible marker to identify requirements for intervention in dialysis patients

Effect of dietary Syzygium cumini leaf powder on growth and non-specific immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone 1931) and defense against virulent strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

The study was aimed to assess the growth and immunomodulatory potential of Syzygium cumini leaf powder against virulent strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the juveniles of Litopenaeus vannamei. Two diets such as control diet (without immunostimulant) and immunostimulant diet (containing 1% S. cumini leaf powder) were prepared. The juveniles were distributed in four treatments namely; daily feeding of control diet (CD), daily feeding of immunostimulant diet (ID), alternate day feeding of control and immunostimulant diet (CD/ID) and two days control diet and one day immunostimulant diet (2CD/ID) feeding. After feeding trial, shrimps from each treatment group were challenged with 0.1 mL of virulent strain of V. parahaemolyticus suspension at a concentration of 107 CFU mL−1. The post-challenge sampling was performed after 5 days of injection. The haemolymph prophenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and respiratory burst activity of different treatments were significantly different (P < 0.05) in both pre- and post-challenge conditions. The haemolymph total protein, globulin, lysozyme and phagocytic activities of L. vannamei fed with Syzygium cumini leaf powder improved than the control group in pre- as well as post-challenge phase. The survival rate of shrimps fed with immunostimulant diet was significantly (P < 0.05) higher as compared to control group. Therefore, Syzygium cumini leaf powder added diet protects the host effectively against virulent strains of V. parahaemolyticus through both continuous and alternate day feeding