BEHAVIOR AND GLUTAMATE TRANSAMINASE CHANGES IN RAT EXPOSED TO LEAD AND TREATED BY WORMWOOD EXTRACT

Objective: Lead poisoning induced severe behavioral abnormalities and impaired cognitive functions in experimental animals. The aim of the present study is to investigate the detrimental effects of lead exposure on the behavior of rats and its association with altered neurochemistry.Methods: Twenty-four young male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: G1: a control group receiving drinking water. G2: intoxicated group (Pb) exposed to lead acetate (1000 ppm in drinking water). G3: receives Wormwood aqueous (A. Ab) extract at a dose of 300 mg/l in drinking water. G4: rats are receiving Pb+A. Ab mixture for 4 additional weeks after intoxication for 8 w. In the present study, locomotors activity in rats was assessed by open field test (OFT) while anxiety and depressive behavior were monitored by elevated plus maze (EPM) and the forced swim test (FST), the evaluation of glutamate metabolizing enzymes in whole brain and lipid peroxidation was carried out in all groups.Results: our results showed that lead acetate intoxication increased the level of lipid peroxidation in brain, decreased brain glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase activities and increased glutamate pyruvate transaminase. Also, lead (pb) exposure resulted in increased anxiety and fear-related behavior in both elevated plus maze and light dark box tests, showed hyperactivity in open field test presented by increased horizontal locomotion. However, A. Ab extract reduced the TBARS level by preventing oxidative stress induced by lead and increased glutamate pyruvate transaminase activity.Conclusion: The wormwood extract administration reduced anxiety, fear and locomotion and improved learning ability and memories. Therefore, these results indicated that wormwood is ameliorating the deleterious effects of lead and it appeared to be a protective agent against lead-induced toxicity.Â

Beneficial effect of Hordeum vulgare extract against aluminum chloride induced neurotoxicity in Wistar rats

Aluminum is present in medicines and food.  Its toxicity induces deleterious effects in various living organisms. At the same time, Hordeum vulgare a cereal known as an important nutritional source and also endowed with bioactive molecules. The objective of this study was to evaluate, on the one hand, the modifications induced by aluminum chloride in Wistar rats at the cerebral level and, on the other hand, to test the efficacy of the barley extract, Hordeum vulgare, (HEV) to restore the harmful effects of this studied metal with a concentration of 13 ml HEV/kg/day for a period of 21 days. The extraction of HEV by maceration resulted in an aqueous extract with a yield of 10.70%. Exposure to AlCl3 at a concentration of 100mg/kg, permitted to observe that the concentration of aluminium at the brain level is significantly high (p<0.05) in the intoxicated rats compared to the control rats. On the other hand, the activity of alkaline phosphatase (PAL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) indicated a decrease in the intoxicated rats. Indeed, the histological study showed very pronounced lesions in the brains of the poisoned rats resulting in necrosis and cellular spongiosis. In addition, the administration of HEV restored the activity of the various antioxidant enzymes with an improvement in brain tissue architecture in intoxicated rats treated with HEV which justifies the therapeutic virtues of H. vulgare in protecting against aluminium chloride-induced neurotoxicity

MPPT Fuzzy Logic Control of a Variable Speed Wind Turbine

This work is focused on the control of a wind turbine system based on (PMSG). In order to enhance the efficiency of the wind turbine system, the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control is applied to exploit the maximum power from the wind. The Fuzzy Logic controller (FLC) has been proposed and developed for the speed control. The simulation results show good performances of this control

Etudes pharmacologiques et fonctionnelles des systemes de capture synaptosomaux et vesiculaires des neurones dopaminergiques cerebraux

SIGLECNRS T Bordereau / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Beneficial Effect Administration of Vitamin C in Amelioration of Lead Hepatotoxicity

Previous human and experimental studies have demonstrated that lead exposure may modify the metabolism of lipid. Oxidative stress with subsequent lipid peroxidation has been postulated as one mechanism for lead toxicity. The protective action of vitamins C against lead affects lipid hydroperoxide level and liver functions in male rats has been studied. Experiments were performed on male waster rats with body weights of 120-160 g. Male wistar rats were exposed to 3 g/l lead acetate in drinking water for 5 weeks and treated thereafter with vitamin C (500 mg/kg, orally) for 28 days. One day after the feeding was over, venous blood samples, under chloroform anesthesia, were collected. The animals were killed by exsanguinations and the liver was excise for determination the metal content and histopathological changes. Similarly, the tissue lipid (lipid peroxidation) and the enzyme fraction (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and glutathione (GSH) were also measured in the liver. Metal content in blood and liver was determined by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Administration of lead acetate (3 g/l) in drinking water for 5 weeks induced a significant increase in the levels of hepatic ALP, ACP and lipid peroxidation. Lead acetate exposure also produced detrimental effects on the redox status of the liver indicated by a significant decline in the levels of liver antioxidants such SOD, CAT and GSH. Further, there was a significant increase in the levels of lead in blood and liver of animals exposed to lead. However, oral administration of vitamin C at dose level of 500 mg/kg body weight reduced the alterations in the previous parameters. Histological examination of the liver also revealed pathophysiological changes in lead acetate-exposed group and treatment with vitamin C improved liver histology. The result of this study strongly indicate that vitamin C has got a potent antioxidant action against lead acetate induced hepatic damage in rats

Oxidative Stress Induction by Lead in Leaves of Radish (Raphanus sativus) Seedlings

Oxidative stress was induced by lead acetate (Pb) in Raphanus sativus seedlings grown in a hydroponic system using sand as substrate. Thirty day old acclimated seeds were treated for 7 days with five Pb levels (0 as control, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 mg l-1). Parameters such as growth, oxidative damage markers (lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and hydrogen peroxide contents) and enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were investigated. Lead concentration in plant tissues increased with increasing of Pb levels. Shoot fresh weight, chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration were significantly decreased at 100 mg l-1 Pb. Lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and H2O2 levels were increased at 500 and 1000 mg l-1 Pb compared to control treatment, in shoots. Peroxidase activity showed a straight correlation with H2O2 concentration, whereas CAT activity decreased only in shoots. These changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants showed that the Pb exposition had a significant disturbance on Raphanus sativus plantlets and affect the biochemical and physiological processes