The effect of early administration of glucocorticoids on learning and spatial memory

Synthetic Glucocorticoids are commonly administered to early low-birth weight infants to prevent the onset of chronic lung disease. During this period, the brain is undergoing significant structural and functional changes and is therefore particularly vulnerable to external influences. It has been observed that steroids administered postnatally may have transient retarding effect on learning and memory functions, and that animal age and sex may modify such effects. This study aims to illustrate the effect of early administration of glucocorticoids on learning and spatial memory. Wistar rat pups were grouped into two (control and treatment) of six pups each. 0.5mg/kg of dexamethasone was administered to four day old pups for a period of three days. At 35 days the pups were subjected to spatial memory testing. Spatial memory was assessed using a Y- Maze. It was observed that the animals in the treatment group preferred to return to the start arm or explore the other arm. This is indicative of impaired spatial memory. Steroids administered postnatally may have transient retarding effect on learning and memory functions.Keywords: Glucocorticoids, learning, memory, brain, ra

Influence of Niobium Pentoxide particulates on the properties of Brushite/Gelatin/Alginate membranes

Novel non-porous membranes were prepared by impregnating of nano-brushite and niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) into a gelatin/alginate matrix. The physicochemical properties, morphology and mechanical properties of the prepared membranes were characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM and universal testing machine, respectively. Swelling ability of the prepared membranes was determined in distilled water. The surfaces of the membranes were characterized by means of FTIR and SEM coupled with EDX after submersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) up to 15 days. Moreover, the calcium and phosphorus ion concentrations in the SBF were measured by UV-spectrophotometer. The in vitro drug release and the release mechanism of a model antibiotic, namely, ciprofloxacin (CFX), were tested in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) for 15 days. The antibacterial activities of the CFX-loaded membranes were tested against known microorganisms. The physicochemical properties, morphology, mechanical properties and swelling ability of the prepared membranes were found to be dependent on the presence of Nb2O5 allowing control of their properties. For example, the Nb2O5-loaded membranes exhibited a higher in vitro bioactivity and slower drug release compared to those of Nb2O5-free membranes. The CFX-loaded membranes also exhibited an excellent inhibition zones against the selected microorganisms. Overall, the prepared membranes have been found to be very promising for use in bone substitute’s applications

Ameliorative effects of vitamins-loaded flavoured nanophytosomes fortified with star anise volatile oil against CsA-Induced liver and kidney injury in rats: Application in functional ice cream

This study investigated the effect of flavoured nanophytosomes loaded with vitamins A, E, D, B complex, folic acid, and C, as well as zinc on the immunosuppressive cyclosporin A (CsA)-induced liver and kidney injury in male rats. The vitamins flavoured nanophytosomes (VFnPs) were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency. Ice cream was flavoured with star anise volatile oil to mask the VFnPs' flavour and unacceptable taste. The study found that treatment with CsA alone resulted in increased (P > 0.05) levels of creatinine, urea, and MDA, as well as the activities of AST and ALT, while the levels of SOD, CAT, GST, proteins, CD4, INF-ᵧ, IL-6, IL-1β, and TLR4 decreased (P > 0.05). However, the group that received CsA simultaneously with VFnPs showed a significant (P > 0.05) decrease in the levels of creatinine, urea, and MDA, as well as the activities of AST and ALT, and increased (P > 0.05) levels of SOD, CAT, GST, proteins, CD4, INF-ᵧ, IL-6, IL-1β, and TLR4. The increase in the ratio of VFnPs had little effect on the physiochemical and sensory evaluation of the ice cream. Finally, the study suggests that VFnPs could potentially protect against CsA-induced liver and kidney injury and serve as a promising natural therapy for treating such conditions

CuI as versatile hole-selective contact for organic solar cell based on anthracene-containing PPE–PPV

AbstractAn important issue in construction of organic photovoltaic cells concerns the selective contacts. Here, especially the modification of the hole-extraction is challenging, as energy levels have to match the polymer's highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). We took the view to the mutual anode interface and we sought for a solution-based alternative for commonly used PEDOT:PSS – with an eye on improving the hole-extraction with an inorganic interlayer. We present copper iodide (CuI) as a versatile inorganic p-type semiconductor that meets the requirements for enhanced charge extraction in donor polymers. We applied two types of anthracene-containing PPE–PPV block–copolymers that recently gained attention as efficient active absorbers in bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells. We report on the advantages using CuI as hole-selective contact and show an improvement of the power conversion efficiency in polymer-based solar cells