Novel intrathecal and subcutaneous catheter delivery systems in the mouse

Catheter systems that permit targeted delivery of genes, molecules, ligands, and other agents represent an investigative tool critical to the development of clinically relevant animal models that facilitate the study of neurological health and disease. The development of new sustained catheter delivery systems to spinal and peripheral sites will reduce the need for repeated injections, while ensuring constant levels of drug in plasma and tissues

Effects of Garlic Feed Inclusion on Experimental Salmonella gallinarum Infection in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Garlic is a spice and herbal medicine with antibacterial, antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. In view of global demand for reduction in antibiotic use in poultry production, the potential of garlic at controlling fowl typhoid was investigated. Day-old (75) broiler chicks were separated into groups A, B, C, D and E of fifteen each, placed in cages for brooding and administered 0.125%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0% and 0.125% garlic-meal, respectively, in feed. At 9 week-old, each chick in groups A, B, C and D were inoculated with 8x106 cfu/ml PBS of Salmonella gallinarum, orally, while those in Group E were given PBS only. Up till 10 days post-infection (pi), clinical signs were scored from 1-3 based on degree of severity i.e. 1(mild), 2 (moderate) and 3 (severe). Mortality and gross pathology per group were recorded. Samples from liver and gall bladder were harvested for bacterial re-isolation. Groups A, B and C showed mild diarrhoea while group D showed in addition, anorexia, ruffled feathers and unthriftiness. Diarrhoea in groups A and B spanned days 2 -7 pi, group C on day 3 pi while in group D, days 1-10 pi with increasing degree of severity. Total diarrhoea scores were 6(A), 4(B), 1(C), 23(D) and 0(E) while mortalities were 2(A), 0(B), 2(C), 4(D) and 0(E). Enlarged and congested/bronze-coloured liver, engorged gall bladder and catarrhal enteritis were observed in carcasses. Colonial and cellular morphology of re-isolated bacteria were typical of S. Gallinarum. Garlic-meal ameliorated the effects of S. Gallinarum infection with the best result at 0.25%. Keywords: broiler chickens; antibacterial; fowl typhoid; Garlic; Salmonella gallinaru

Alternative Splicing of G Protein–Coupled Receptors: Relevance to Pain Management

Drugs that target G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the primary treatment strategy for patients with acute and chronic pain; however, there is substantial individual variability in both the efficacy and adverse side effects associated with these drugs. Variability in drug responses is, in part, due to individuals’ diversity in alternative splicing of pain-relevant GPCRs. GPCR alternative splice variants often exhibit distinct tissue distribution patterns, drug binding properties, and signaling characteristics that may impact disease pathology as well as the size and direction of analgesic effects. Here, we review the importance of GPCRs and their known splice variants to the management of pain

Chemical Composition and Cytotoxicity of the essential oils of Crinum ornatum (Ait

The bulbs of Cri num o rn at um were collected, dried and grounded. The powdered samples were subjected to distillation using a hydro-distiller (all-glass clevenger apparatus) to extract the essential oil present in the plant samples. GC and GC/MS analysis were carried out on the essential oil and was found to contain 18 compounds; hydrocarbons being the dominating group of compounds. They are 2,4-dimethylhexane (1.51%), methyl benzene(5.49%), cis-1,3-dimethyl cyclohexane (2.08%), cisdecahydronaphthalene (5.49%), trans-decahydronaphthalene (2.08%), undecanoic acid, ethylester (1.51%), caryophyllene (1.51%), dodecanoic acid (1.51%), 14-methylpentanedecanoic acid methylester (20.89%), 2,6,10,15-Tetramethylheptanedecane (3.14%), n-hexanedecanoic acid (13.06%), eicosane (2.61%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (13.06%), heneicosane (13.14%), eicosanoic acid, ethylester (5.22%), nonacosane(2.35%), tetratriancontane (2.61%) and tetratetracontane (10.45%) representing 97.71% of the total essential oil. The cytotoxicity result of LC 50 (µg/ml) value of 1.701 obtained through the brine shrimp toxicity assay indicated that the oil is toxic. Ke yw o rd s: Cr i nu m or na t um , es s en t ia l o i ls , cytotoxicity, hydrodistillation, gas chromatography/ mass spectroscopy

Hierarchical multiple regression modelling on predictors of neighbourhood satisfaction in violence-induced segregated urban environments

Violence-induced segregated urban environments (VISUE) are quite unique urban centres for their characteristic of neighbourhood sharing among residents before the resultant parting triggered by violence. Yet, not much is known about the neighbourhood satisfaction of inhabitants in this type of urban setting. Such knowledge can provide hints on the factors to be prioritized in planning for improvement of neighbourhood satisfaction of residents in these cities. This paper thus examines the key predictors of neighbourhood satisfaction in a VI-SUE. Household heads (n = 289), cutting across the three identifiable types of neighbourhoods in Jos, Nigeria, expressed their level of satisfaction on a 71-item self-administered structured survey instrument. The principal component analysis with varimax rotation option explored 10 factors to represent the examined attributes of the neighbourhood environment. The third (final) in the sequence of hierarchical regression models estimated, indicates that none of the socio-economic and demographic attributes and dwelling attributes is significant in pre-dicting neighbourhood satisfaction in VISUE. Three factors: neighbourhood safety and stability, social relationships, and neighbourhood facilities and services, emerge as the key predictors of neighbourhood satisfaction. On the basis of these findings, these three attributes are required to be given precedence in any policy action aiming to improve residents’ satisfaction with their neighbourhoods in VI-SUE

Mu Opioid Splice Variant MOR-1K Contributes to the Development of Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia

A subset of the population receiving opioids for the treatment of acute and chronic clinical pain develops a paradoxical increase in pain sensitivity known as opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Given that opioid analgesics are one of few treatments available against clinical pain, it is critical to determine the key molecular mechanisms that drive opioid-induced hyperalgesia in order to reduce its prevalence. Recent evidence implicates a splice variant of the mu opioid receptor known as MOR-1K in the emergence of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Results from human genetic association and cell signaling studies demonstrate that MOR-1K contributes to decreased opioid analgesic responses and produces increased cellular activity via Gs signaling. Here, we conducted the first study to directly test the role of MOR-1K in opioid-induced hyperalgesia

Molecular analysis of Hsp70 mechanisms in plants and their function in response to stress

Studying the strategies of improving abiotic stress tolerance is quite imperative and research under this field will increase our understanding of response mechanisms to abiotic stress such as heat. The Hsp70 is an essential regulator of protein having the tendency to maintain internal cell stability like proper folding protein and breakdown of unfolded proteins. Hsp70 holds together protein substrates to help in movement, regulation, and prevent aggregation under physical and or chemical pressure. However, this review reports the molecular mechanism of heat shock protein 70 kDa (Hsp70) action and its structural and functional analysis, research progress on the interaction of Hsp70 with other proteins and their interaction mechanisms as well as the involvement of Hsp70 in abiotic stress responses as an adaptive defense mechanism

Nuclear factor-kappa B regulates pain and COMT expression in a rodent model of inflammation

Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a ubiquitously expressed protein complex regulating the transcription of genes involved in inflammation and pain. Increased NF-κB activity in immune and nervous system cells is linked to several chronic pain conditions in humans as well as inflammation- and nerve injury-evoked pain in animals. A recent in vitro study further demonstrates that increased NF-κB activity in astrocytes decreases transcription of catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that inactivates catecholamines that cause pain. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between systemic and astrocytic NF-κB activity, pain, and COMT expression in an animal model of inflammation. Results demonstrated that administration of the inflammatory stimulant complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) led to increased pain and decreased COMT protein expression in an NF-κB-dependent manner. Specifically, we found that rats and mice receiving intraplantar CFA exhibited increased behavioral responses to mechanical and thermal heat stimuli. CFA-evoked pain was blocked in rats receiving a pre-emptive systemic dose of the NF-κB inhibitor MG132 and exacerbated in IKKca mice with constitutive NF-κB activity in astrocytes. Furthermore, we observed NF-κB-linked reductions in COMT expression in midbrain at 6h and 1d following CFA in rats and at 1h and 1d in forebrain and midbrain following CFA in IKKca mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate that systemic and astrocytic NF-κB activity drive inflammatory pain and regulate the expression of COMT in forebrain and midbrain structures

Distinct characteristics and severity of brain magnetic resonance imaging lesions in women and men with multiple sclerosis assessed using verified texture analysis measures

Background and goalIn vivo characterization of brain lesion types in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been an ongoing challenge. Based on verified texture analysis measures from clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), this study aimed to develop a method to identify two extremes of brain MS lesions that were approximately severely demyelinated (sDEM) and highly remyelinated (hREM), and compare them in terms of common clinical variables.MethodTexture analysis used an optimized gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) method based on FLAIR MRI from 200 relapsing-remitting MS participants. Two top-performing metrics were calculated: texture contrast and dissimilarity. Lesion identification applied a percentile approach according to texture values calculated: ≤ 25 percentile for hREM and ≥75 percentile for sDEM.ResultsThe sDEM had a greater total normalized volume yet smaller average size, and worse MRI texture than hREM. In lesion distribution mapping, the two lesion types appeared to overlap largely in location and were present the most in the corpus callosum and periventricular regions. Further, in sDEM, the normalized volume was greater and in hREM, the average size was smaller in men than women. There were no other significant results in clinical variable-associated analyses.ConclusionPercentile statistics of competitive MRI texture measures may be a promising method for probing select types of brain MS lesion pathology. Associated findings can provide another useful dimension for improved measurement and monitoring of disease activity in MS. The different characteristics of sDEM and hREM between men and women likely adds new information to the literature, deserving further confirmation