Hypolipidemic activity of the methanolic extract of Ficus thonningii (Blume) leaves in hypercholesterolemic-induced rats

Ficus thonningii has been reported to have nutritional and ethno-rnedical uses especially by the Igede-speaking people of Benne State, Nigeria. Therefore, this study: was carried out to assess effects of methanolic leaf extract of Ficus thonningii (MEFT) against cholesterol-induced hyperlipidaemia in rats. Adult rats were divided into 6 groups of 5 rats each. Group 1 and 2 were orally administered 5 nil/kg/day of distilled water. Groups 3-6 received 10 rug/kg/day of simvastatin, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of extract respectively, for 30 days. Cholesterol (400' mg/kg/ day) was also given to allthe groups except group 1for 30 days. On day 31, blood samples were collected for the determination of serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL-c), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL-c), and high density lipoprotein (HDL-c). MEFI' (200 rug/kg) significantly lowered TG, TC, LDL-c and VLDL-c levels. At this dose the extract also significantly increased HDL-c levels when compared with the cholesterol treated group. These suggest the extract to possess preventive or therapeutic effects on dietinduced hyperlipidaemia.KEYWORDS: hyperlipidaemia, lipoproteins, athrogenic index, cardiovascular disease

Interrelationships between Yeast Ribosomal Protein Assembly Events and Transient Ribosome Biogenesis Factors Interactions in Early Pre-Ribosomes

Early steps of eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis require a large set of ribosome biogenesis factors which transiently interact with nascent rRNA precursors (pre-rRNA). Most likely, concomitant with that initial contacts between ribosomal proteins (r-proteins) and ribosome precursors (pre-ribosomes) are established which are converted into robust interactions between pre-rRNA and r-proteins during the course of ribosome maturation. Here we analysed the interrelationship between r-protein assembly events and the transient interactions of ribosome biogenesis factors with early pre-ribosomal intermediates termed 90S pre-ribosomes or small ribosomal subunit (SSU) processome in yeast cells. We observed that components of the SSU processome UTP-A and UTP-B sub-modules were recruited to early pre-ribosomes independently of all tested r-proteins. On the other hand, groups of SSU processome components were identified whose association with early pre-ribosomes was affected by specific r-protein assembly events in the head-platform interface of the SSU. One of these components, Noc4p, appeared to be itself required for robust incorporation of r-proteins into the SSU head domain. Altogether, the data reveal an emerging network of specific interrelationships between local r-protein assembly events and the functional interactions of SSU processome components with early pre-ribosomes. They point towards some of these components being transient primary pre-rRNA in vivo binders and towards a role for others in coordinating the assembly of major SSU domains