Early postnatal administration of oleanolic acid attenuates the development of non- alcoholic fatty liver disease in fructose fed adult female rats

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstrac

Putative adult neurogenesis in two domestic pigeon breeds (Columba livia domestica): Racing homer versus utility carneau pigeons

Generation of neurons in the brains of adult birds has been studied extensively in the telencephalon of song birds and few studies are reported on the distribution of PCNA and DCX in the telencephalon of adult non-song learning birds. We report here on adult neurogenesis throughout the brains of two breeds of adult domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), the racing homer and utility carneau using endogenous immunohistochemical markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) for proliferating cells and doublecortin (DCX) for immature and migrating neurons. The distribution of PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was very similar in both pigeon breeds with only a few minor differences. In both pigeons, PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was observed in the olfactory bulbs, walls of the lateral ventricle, telencephalic subdivisions of the pallium and subpallium, diencephalon, mesencephalon and cerebellum. Generally, the olfactory bulbs and telencephalon had more PCNA and DCX cells than other regions. Two proliferative hotspots were evident in the dorsal and ventral poles of the lateral ventricles. PCNA- and DCX-immunoreactive cells migrated radially from the walls of the lateral ventricle into the parenchyma. In most telencephalic regions, the density of PCNA- and DCX-immunoreactive cells increased from rostral to caudal, except in the mesopallium where the density decreased from rostral to middle levels and then increased caudally. DCX immunoreactivity was more intense in fibres than in cell bodies and DCX-immunoreactive cells included small granular cells, fusiform bipolar cells, large round and or polygonal multipolar cells. The similarity in the distribution of proliferating cells and new neurons in the telencephalon of the two breeds of pigeons may suggest that adult neurogenesis is a conserved trait as an ecological adaptation irrespective of body size

Ficus thonningii stem bark extracts prevent high fructose diet induced increased plasma triglyceride concentration, hepatic steatosis and inflammation in growing Sprague-Dawley rats

BACKGROUND : Ficus thonningii extracts exhibit hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activitiese investigated the potential of methanolic F. thonningii stem-bark extracts (MEFT) to protect growing Sprague-Dawley (SD) against high-fructose diet-induced Metabolic Derangements (MD) in a model mimicking childreenic diets. METHODS : Eighty (40 males; 40 females) 21-days old SD rat pups were randomly allocated to and administered, for 8 weeks, five treatment regimens: 1-standard rat chow (SC)+water (PW), 2-SC+20% (w/v) fructose solution (FS), 3-SC+FS+fenofibrate at 100 mg/kg bwt/ day, 4-SC+FS+low dose MEFT (LD; 50 mg/kg bwt/day) and 5-SC+FS+high dose MEFT (HD; 500 mg/kg bwt/ day). Body weight, glucose load tolerance, fasting blood glucose and triglyceride, plasma insulin concentration, sensitivity to insulin, liver mass and fat content, steatosis and inflammation were determined. RESULTS : Fructose had no effect on the rats’ growth, glucose and insulin concentration, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (P>0.05) but increased triglycerides in females; induced hepatic microsteatosis and inflammation in both sexes but macrosteatosis in females (P<0.05). In females, MEFT prevented fructose- induced plasma triglyceride increase. Low dose MEFT increased liver lipid content in females (P<0.05). The MEFT protected the rats against hepatic steatosis and inflammation but fenofibrate protected against hepatic microsteatosis. CONCLUSION : MEFT can d as prxis against dietary fructose-induced elements of MD but caution musaken as low dose MEFT increases hepatic lipid acc in females predisposing to fatty liver disease.The National Research Foundation, South Africa and Wits University Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee.https://www.sysrevpharm.org/about.htmlhj2022Physiolog

Insulinotropic effect of S-Allyl cysteine in rat pups

Abstract: S-Allyl cysteine (SAC) is found in garlic and has been reported to exert antidiabetic and antiobesity properties in drug-induced adult experimental models of metabolic dysfunction, but its potential beneficial effects in high-fructose diet neonatal rat models have not been determined. This study investigated the potential prophylactic effects of SAC in high-fructose diet fed suckling rat pups modelling human neonates fed a high-fructose diet. Four-day-old male (n=32) and female (n=32) Wistar rat pups, were randomly assigned to and administered the following treatment regimens daily for 15 days: group I, distilled water; group II, 20% fructose solution (FS); group III, SAC; group IV, SAC+FS. The pups' blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, plasma leptin and insulin concentration, liver lipid content, and liver histology were determined at termination. In female rat pups, orally administered SAC prevented FS-induced hypoinsulinemia but significantly increased (P≤0.05) liver lipid content. Oral administration of SAC significantly increased (P≤0.05) plasma insulin concentration and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance in the male pups. The potential sexually dimorphic effects of SAC (insulinotropic effects in male pups and protection of female pups against fructose-induced hypoinsulinemia) suggest that SAC could be potentially exploited as an antidiabetic and insulinotropic agent. Caution should, however, be exercised in the use of SAC during suckling as it could result in excessive liver lipid accumulation and insulin resistance

Neonatal orally administered zingerone attenuates alcohol-induced fatty liver disease in experimental rat models

Alcohol intake at different developmental stages can lead to the development of alcohol-induced fatty liver disease (AFLD). Zingerone (ZO) possess hepato-protective properties; thus, when administered neonatally, it could render protection against AFLD. This study aimed to evaluate the potential long-term protective effect of ZO against the development of AFLD. One hundred and twenty-three 10-day-old Sprague–Dawley rat pups (60 males; 63 females) were randomly assigned to four groups and orally administered the following treatment regimens daily during the pre-weaning period from postnatal day (PND) 12–21: group 1—nutritive milk (NM), group 2—NM +1 g/kg ethanol (Eth), group 3—NM + 40 mg/kg ZO, group 4—NM + Eth +ZO. From PND 46–100, each group from the neonatal stage was divided into two; subgroup I had tap water and subgroup II had ethanol solution as drinking fluid, respectively, for eight weeks. Mean daily ethanol intake, which ranged from 10 to 14.5 g/kg body mass/day, resulted in significant CYP2E1 elevation (p < 0.05). Both late single hit and double hit with alcohol increased liver fat content, caused hepatic macrosteatosis, dysregulated mRNA expression of SREBP1c and PPAR-α in male and female rats (p < 0.05). However, neonatal orally administered ZO protected against liver lipid accretion and SREBP1c upregulation in male rats only and attenuated the alcohol-induced hepatic PPAR-α downregulation and macrosteatosis in both sexes. This data suggests that neonatal orally administered zingerone can be a potential prophylactic agent against the development of AFLD.The National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka Fund and the Medical Faculty Research Endowment Fund, Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee and School of Physiology of the University of Witwatersrand.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metaboliteshj2023Physiolog

Age-related changes in Ki-67 and DCX expression in the BALB/c mouse (Mus Musculus) brain

Several studies have identified age as one of the strongest regulators of neurogenesis in the mammalian brain. However, previous age-related studies focused mainly on changes in neurogenesis during different stages of adulthood and did not describe changes in neurogenesis through the different life history stages of the animal. The aim of this study was therefore to determine time course changes in neurogenesis in the male BALB/c mouse brain at postnatal ages 1 week to 12 weeks, spanning juvenile, sub adult and adult life history stages. To achieve this, Ki-67 and DCX immunohistochemistry was used to assess changes in cell proliferation and neuronal incorporation respectively. Ki-67 expression was mainly observed in the olfactory bulb, rostral migratory stream, sub ventricular zone of lateral ventricle and the sub granular zone of the dentate gyrus. In addition, fewer Ki-67 positive cells were also observed in the neocortex, cerebellum and tectum. DCX was expressed in similar regions as Ki-67 except for the cerebellum and tectum. Expression of both Ki-67 and DCX sharply decreased with advancing age or life history stages in the sub ventricular zone, rostral migratory stream and sub granular zone of the BALB/c mouse brain. Neurogenesis therefore persists throughout all life history stages in the BALB/c mouse brain although it decreases with age

Quantitative analysis of age and life-history stage related changes in DCX expression in the male Japanese quail (Cortunix japonica) telencephalon

Most avian neurogenesis studies focused on the song control system and little attention has been given to non-song birds such as the Japanese quail. However, the only few neurogenesis studies in quails mainly focused on the sex steroid sensitive areas of the brain such as the medial preoptic and lateral septal nuclei. Despite the important role the quail telencephalon plays in filial imprinting and passive avoidance learning, neurogenesis in this structure has been completely overlooked. The aim of this study was therefore to quantitatively determine how DCX expression in the Japanese quail telencephalon changes with post hatching age (3–12 weeks) and life history stage. In this study, DCX was used as a proxy for neuronal incorporation. Bipolar and multipolar DCX immunoreactive cells were observed in the entire telencephalon except for the entopallium and arcopallium. In addition, DCX expression in all the eight telencephalic areas quantified was strongly negatively correlated with post-hatching age. Furthermore, numbers of bipolar and multipolar DCX immunoreactive cells were higher in the juvenile compared to subadult and adult quails. In conclusion, neuronal incorporation in the quail telencephalon is widespread but it declines with post hatching age. In addition, the most dramatic decline in neuronal incorporation in the telencephalic areas quantified takes place just after the birds have attained sexual maturity

Changes in neurogenesis with post-hatching age in the male Japanese quail (Cortunix japonica) brain

Most avian neurogenesis studies have previously focused on the song control system and little attention has been given to non‑songbirds. The objective of this study was to assess changes in neurogenesis associated with post‑hatching age (3‑12 weeks) in the Japanesequail brain using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and doublecortin (DCX) immunohistochemistry. PCNA‑immunoreactive(ir) cells were observed mainly in the olfactory bulb ventricular zone, telencephalic ventricular zones and cerebellum. Fewer PCNA‑ircells were also observed in the hypothalamus, thalamus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. In telencephalic ventricular zones,PCNA‑ir cells were concentrated ventrally and dorsally adjacent to the mesopallium and medial striatum, respectively. DCX‑ir cells wereobserved in the olfactory bulb, telencephalon and cerebellum. Furthermore, DCX‑ir cells were scattered throughout the pallium exceptin the entopallium and arcopallium, septal nuclei and striatum. Fewer DCX‑ir cells were also observed in the hippocampus and bednucleus of stria terminalis. The density of PCNA‑ir cells and DCX‑ir cells in all brain areas declined with post‑hatching age. In conclusion,cell proliferation appears to be restricted to the ventricular zones whereas neuronal recruitment is more widespread in the olfactorybulb, telencephalon and cerebellum. Postnatal neuronal incorporation appears to be absent in the diencephalon and mesencephalon