New potential treatments for protection of pancreatic B-cell function in Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus results from the progressive and specific autoimmune destruction of insulin-secreting pancreatic B-cells, which develops over a period of years and continues after the initial clinical presentation. The ultimate goal of therapeutic intervention is prevention or reversal of the disease by the arrest of autoimmunity and by preservation/restoration of B-cell mass and function. Recent clinical trials of antigen-specific or non-specific immune therapies have proved that modulation of islet specific autoimmunity in humans and prevention of insulin secretion loss in the short term after the onset of disease is achievable. The identification of suitable candidates for therapy, appropriate dosage and timing, specificity of intervention and the side-effect profile are crucial for the success of any approach. Considering the complexity of the disease, it is likely that a rationally designed approach of combined immune-based therapies that target suppression of B-cell specific autoreactivity and maintenance of immune tolerance, coupled with islet regeneration or replacement of the destroyed B-cell mass, will prove to be most effective in causing remission/reversal of disease in a durable fashion

Glutathione peroxidase activity and its relationship with somatic cell count, number of colony forming units and protein content in subclinical mastitis cows milk

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the relationship between milk and blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, casein concentration, somatic cell count (SCC) and colony forming units (CFU) in cows with subclinical mastitis. Following these tests carried out on 84 lactating cows, 10 of them were classified as cows with subclinical mastitis (SCC values above the limit of 400,000 cells mL -1 ) and 74 as normal. After microbiological processing of the subclinical mastitis milk samples, nine microorganism species have been isolated, represented by seven bacteria and two types of fungi. Comparative analysis of GPx activity in milk revealed significant differences (p = 0.0013), the average of this parameter is higher for mastitis than normal milk. GPx activity in blood shows no significant changes in cows with subclinical mastitis compared to healthy ones. The average quantity of caseins in mastitis milks was lower compared with regular milks, the difference being significant (p = 0.0007). Mastitis milk GPx activity was directly correlated with the total SCC (r = 0.019) and CFU (r = 0.1785). Correlation coefficient between GPx activity and caseins in mastitis milk showed indirect trend (r = -0.2606). The positive correlation between SCC and GPx activity suggests that this enzyme may have potential to detect subclinical mastitis in dairy cows

Multiferroic (Nd,Fe)-doped PbTiO3 ceramics with coexistent ferroelectricity and magnetism at room temperature

We report the structural, dielectric, elastic, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties of multiferroic (Nd, Fe)-doped PbTiO3 perovskite ceramics with composition (Pb 0.88 Nd 0.08 )(Ti 0.94 Fe 0.04 Mn 0.02 )O 3 , prepared by different solid state reaction methods: the first one based on a single-stage calcination (Method I) and the second based on a double-stage calcination (Method II). Structural, dielectric and anelastic measurements evidenced a double phase transition for samples prepared by Method I, which has been attributed to phase separation. This phase separation has been confirmed also by TEM and HRTEM investigations. Samples prepared by Method II showed a single phase transition from paraelectric to ferroelectric phase. We found coexistent ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties, also at room-temperature, but only for ceramics prepared by Method II. The crucial role of calcination process for avoiding phase separation and obtaining homogeneous structures with ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order is underlined

PHYTOTHERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF EUPHORBIA CYPARISSIAS EXTRACTS ON IXODIDAE (ACARI) FEMALE TICKS

Background: Given its numerous biologically active components, Euphorbiaceae has been found to be a large plant family and polyvalent with quite interesting therapeutic activity that can be studied. Materials and Methods: The ixodicidal activity of Euphorbia cyparissias extracts was studied in vitro and in vivo. Tested concentrations were 10, 5, 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.25%. Results: For the in vitro study, conducted on field-collected female specimens of Dermacentor marginatus and Haemaphysalis punctata, the efficacy results showed that the ticks died after exposure in the case of 10, 5, and 2% tincture concentrations. The effects appeared after 30 minutes and became more visible 120 minutes after each exposure. The statistical differences regarding the used concentrations were found to be: F = 6.51, df = 5, P < 0.001. The in vivo study of the efficacy of E. cyparissias concentrations was performed on 35 naturally infested sheep and on 30 bovines parasitized with Ixodes ricinus, sprayed with tincture and glycerinate dilutions (bovines) on days 0 and 7. The results revealed detrimental effects on the survivability of female ticks, the most prominent being the reduction of their movement capacity. In sheep in vivo efficiency observed within 24 hrs varied, between 1 and 23% for D. marginatus and between 7 and 27% for H. punctata and respectively between 2 and 53% after 24 hrs, for I. ricinus, comparable effects being also found 72 hrs after the second administration of Euphorbia extracts. Conclusion: Extracts from E. cyparissias may be used, with results, as an ecologic alternative tick control management method, being a cheap solution, with a sizeable role in reducing the use of synthetic and/or other harming and resistance source ixodicidal conditionings