Bacopa monnieri

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), characterized by impaired cerebellar functions during chronic liver failure (CLF), involves N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) overactivation in the brain cells. Bacopa monnieri (BM) extract is a known neuroprotectant. The present paper evaluates whether BM extract is able to modulate the two NMDAR subunits (NR2A and NR2B) and its downstream mediators in cerebellum of rats with chronic liver failure (CLF), induced by administration of 50 mg/kg bw thioacetamide (TAA) i.p. for 14 days, and in the TAA group rats orally treated with 200 mg/kg bw BM extract from days 8 to 14. NR2A is known to impart neuroprotection and that of NR2B induces neuronal death during NMDAR activation. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase- (nNOS-) apoptosis pathway is known to mediate NMDAR led excitotoxicity. The level of NR2A was found to be significantly reduced with a concomitant increase of NR2B in cerebellum of the CLF rats. This was consistent with significantly enhanced nNOS expression, nitric oxide level, and reduced Bcl2/Bax ratio. Moreover, treatment with BM extract reversed the NR2A/NR2B ratio and also normalized the levels of nNOS-apoptotic factors in cerebellum of those rats. The findings suggest modulation of NR2A and NR2B expression by BM extract to prevent neurochemical alterations associated with HE

Fisetin Modulates Antioxidant Enzymes and Inflammatory Factors to Inhibit Aflatoxin-B1 Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Rats

Fisetin, a known antioxidant, has been found to be cytotoxic against certain cell lines. However, the mechanism by which it inhibits tumor growth in vivo remains unexplored. Recently, we have demonstrated that Aflatoxin-B1 (AFB1) induced hepatocarcinogenesis is associated with activation of oxidative stress-inflammatory pathway in rat liver. The present paper describes the effect of in vivo treatment with 20 mg/kg b.w. Fisetin on antioxidant enzymes vis-a-vis oxidative stress level and on the profile of certain proinflammatory cytokines in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by two doses of 1 mg/kg b.w. AFB1 i.p. in rats. The reduced levels of most of the antioxidant enzymes, coinciding with the enhanced level of reactive oxygen species in the HCC liver, were observed to regain their normal profiles due to Fisetin treatment. Also, Fisetin treatment could normalize the enhanced expression of TNFα and IL1α, the two proinflammatory cytokines, reported to be involved in HCC pathogenesis. These observations were consistent with the regression of neoplastic lesion and declined GST-pi (placental type glutathione-S-transferase) level, a HCC marker, in the liver of the Fisetin treated HCC rats. The findings suggest that Fisetin attenuates oxidative stress-inflammatory pathway of AFB1 induced hepatocarcinogenesis

New Strategies in Sport Nutrition to Increase Exercise Performance.

Despite over 50 years of research, the field of sports nutrition continues to grow at a rapid rate. Whilst the traditional research focus was one that centred on strategies to maximize competition performance, emerging data in the last decade has demonstrated how both macronutrient and micronutrient availability can play a prominent role in regulating those cell signalling pathways that modulate skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and resistance training. Nonetheless, in the context of exercise performance, it is clear that carbohydrate (but not fat) still remains king and that carefully chosen ergogenic aids (e.g. caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, nitrates) can all promote performance in the correct exercise setting. In relation to exercise training, however, it is now thought that strategic periods of reduced carbohydrate and elevated dietary protein intake may enhance training adaptations whereas high carbohydrate availability and antioxidant supplementation may actually attenuate training adaptation. Emerging evidence also suggests that vitamin D may play a regulatory role in muscle regeneration and subsequent hypertrophy following damaging forms of exercise. Finally, novel compounds (albeit largely examined in rodent models) such as epicatechins, nicotinamide riboside, resveratrol, β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, phosphatidic acid and ursolic acid may also promote or attenuate skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and strength training. When taken together, it is clear that sports nutrition is very much at the heart of the Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger)

Desain Dan Implementasi Mppt Fuzzy Logic Control Menggunakan Boost Converter Untuk Penerangan Pada Peternakan Ayam

Energi listrik merupakan salah satu kebutuhan primer yang diperlukan manusia dalam berkehidupan bermasyarakat. Seiring dengan meningkatnya kebutuhan energi listrik dan semakin menipisnya cadangan bahan bakar fosil menyebabkan pemerintah mendorong upaya penelitian untuk menghasilkan energi terbarukan. Pemanfaatan energi terbarukan juga diperlukan bagi masyarakat yang memiliki peternakan karena membutuhkan penerangan. Salah satu energi terbarukan yang cocok untuk peternakan adalah panel surya. Dalam penggunaan MPPT konvensional menyebabkan daya yang dihasilkan tidak dapat maksimal. Hal tersebut dikarenakan Perubahan temperatur dan penyinaran cahaya dapat mempengaruhi keluaran daya yang dihasilkan. Masalah tersebut dapat diatasi dengan menggunakan metode MPPT yang dapat melacak titik daya maksimal sehingga dapat memaksimalkan daya yang dihasilkan menggunakan MPPT dengan mengontrol besar pulsa sinyal. Keluaran dari panel surya akan disambungkan dengan Boost converter untuk mencari titik daya maksimum menggunakan Fuzzy logic Control. Dari hasil pengujian ini daya yang dihasilkan mencapai 97.28% dari daya panel surya dengan irasiasi 1000 W/m2 sampai 600 W/m2. Sedangkan untuk variasi suhu 150C hingga 350C dengan iradiasi tetap, daya yang dihasilkan mencapai 97.43% dari daya panel surya. Peningkatan daya rata-rata antara tanpa MPPT dan dengan MPPT cukup baik yaitu sebesar 2.9 W.Kata Kunci – Panel surya, Boost converter, fuzzy logic, MPP

DESAIN DAN IMPLEMENTASI MPPT FUZZY LOGIC CONTROL MENGGUNAKAN BOOST CONVERTER UNTUK PENERANGAN PADA PETERNAKAN AYAM

Energi listrik merupakan salah satu kebutuhan primer yang diperlukan manusia dalam berkehidupan bermasyarakat. Seiring dengan meningkatnya kebutuhan energi listrik dan semakin menipisnya cadangan bahan bakar fosil menyebabkan pemerintah mendorong upaya penelitian untuk menghasilkan energi terbarukan. Pemanfaatan energi terbarukan juga diperlukan bagi masyarakat yang memiliki peternakan karena membutuhkan penerangan. Salah satu energi terbarukan yang cocok untuk peternakan adalah panel surya. Dalam penggunaan MPPT konvensional menyebabkan daya yang dihasilkan tidak dapat maksimal. Hal tersebut dikarenakan perubahan temperatur dan penyinaran cahaya dapat mempengaruhi keluaran daya yang dihasilkan. Masalah tersebut dapat diatasi dengan menggunakan metode MPPT yang dapat melacak titik daya maksimal sehingga dapat memaksimalkan daya yang dihasilkan menggunakan MPPT dengan mengontrol besar pulsa sinyal. Keluaran dari panel surya akan disambungkan dengan Boost converter untuk mencari titik daya maksimum menggunakan Fuzzy logic Control. Dari hasil pengujian ini daya yang dihasilkan mencapai 97.28% dari daya panel surya dengan irasiasi 1000 W/m2 sampai 600 W/m2. Sedangkan untuk variasi suhu 150C hingga 350C dengan iradiasi tetap, daya yang dihasilkan mencapai 97.43% dari daya panel surya. Peningkatan daya rata-rata antara tanpa MPPT dan dengan MPPT cukup baik yaitu sebesar 2.9 W.Kata Kunci – Panel surya, Boost converter, fuzzy logic, MPP

Developing Brain of Moderately Hypothyroid Mice Shows Adaptive Changes in the Key Enzymes of Glucose Metabolism

This study was undertaken to investigate whether the developing brain adapts at biochemical level against neonatal hypothyroidism, as it does so against a variety of physiological disturbances. A moderate hypothyroid state in mice neonates was induced by supplementing 0.05% methimazole in drinking water to the mothers up to suckling period, and its effect on concerted development of the enzymes regulating metabolic channeling of glucose vis a vis glucose phosphorylating activity were studied. In the brain of control mice, the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), that channels glucose in biosynthetic route (Pentose phosphate pathway, PPP), increased slightly (∼ 1.3 times) from day1 to 10w age. However, glucose phosphorylating activity and the enzymes that commit glucose for energy production, viz phosphofructokinase1 (PFK1), pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) showed a progressive postnatal increase to attain their respective adult levels (∼ 5-10 times higher than 1day value) by 3-10w ages of mice. In comparison to the control, in the brain of age matched neonatal hypothyroid mice, glucose phosphorylating activity, G6PDH and PFK1 increased significantly (p\u3c0.001) at day1. Thereafter, though, glucose phosphorylating activity continued to increase up to 1w age and remained static thereafter, G6PDH declined significantly (p\u3c0.001) from 1w onward ages. On the other hand, as PFK1 activity increased significantly up to 10w age (p\u3c0.001), the ratio of G6PDH/PFK1 showed a marked decline from 1w onward ages. PK and LDH also showed increasing trend up to 3w age in the brain of hypothyroid mice pups. The results suggest that a moderate hypothyroid state, during the period of rapid brain growth (day 1-1w age), stimulates all the enzymes that regulate channeling of glucose in both, the energy yielding and biosynthetic paths. However, the later postnatal ages, it modulates these enzymes in a metabolic path dependent manner

Acute liver failure in rats activates glutamine-glutamate cycle but declines antioxidant enzymes to induce oxidative stress in cerebral cortex and cerebellum.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Liver dysfunction led hyperammonemia (HA) causes a nervous system disorder; hepatic encephalopathy (HE). In the brain, ammonia induced glutamate-excitotoxicity and oxidative stress are considered to play important roles in the pathogenesis of HE. The brain ammonia metabolism and antioxidant enzymes constitute the main components of this mechanism; however, need to be defined in a suitable animal model. This study was aimed to examine this aspect in the rats with acute liver failure (ALF). METHODS: ALF in the rats was induced by intraperitoneal administration of 300 mg thioacetamide/Kg. b.w up to 2 days. Glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutaminase (GA), the two brain ammonia metabolizing enzymes vis a vis ammonia and glutamate levels and profiles of all the antioxidant enzymes vis a vis oxidative stress markers were measured in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of the control and the ALF rats. RESULTS: The ALF rats showed significantly increased levels of ammonia in the blood (HA) but little changes in the cortex and cerebellum. This was consistent with the activation of the GS-GA cycle and static levels of glutamate in these brain regions. However, significantly increased levels of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl contents were consistent with the reduced levels of all the antioxidant enzymes in both the brain regions of these ALF rats. CONCLUSION: ALF activates the GS-GA cycle to metabolize excess ammonia and thereby, maintains static levels of ammonia and glutamate in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Moreover, ALF induces oxidative stress by reducing the levels of all the antioxidant enzymes which is likely to play important role, independent of glutamate levels, in the pathogenesis of acute HE

Antimicrobial resistance: Progress in the decade since emergence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase in India

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major threat to public health estimated to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. India carries one of the largest burdens of drug-resistant pathogens worldwide. NDM-1 reported in 2008, rapidly spread to other countries was named after India's capital. India is one of the largest consumers of antibiotics worldwide, and antibiotic sale is increasing rapidly. AMR develops when microbes develop mechanisms to evade the action of antimicrobials. The factors that contribute to AMR include irrational and overuse of antibiotics. In India, various actions have been taken including setting up of a National Task Force on AMR Containment (2010), “Chennai Declaration” by a consortium of the Indian Medical Societies (2012), Setting of Indian Council of Medical Research national surveillance network of laboratories, “Redline” campaign for educating public and National Action Plan on AMR 2017. There is a need integrating AMR education in medical education. India needs to start the subspecialty of infectious diseases and strengthen laboratory services. Every hospital needs to have an AMR policy including infection control, improvement in hygiene, and sanitation and antibiotic use. An element of research needs to be integrated into the AMR policy and encouragement of the pharmaceutical industry to develop “superbug antibiotics.” Unless AMR is addressed effectively the gains made in health are likely to be lost

Fructose-2, 6-Bisphosphate Associated Regulatory Enzymes Develop in Concordance in Mice Brain During Early Postnatal Life

Fructose-2, 6-bisphosphate (fru-2, 6P2), synthesized by 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFK2), regulates glucose metabolism via modulating phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1) and fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase (FBPase1) reciprocally in mammalian tissues. How this control system develops in brain is poorly understood. This article presents the postnatal comparative profiles of fru-2, 6P2 and PFK2 & fru-2, 6P2 dependent regulation of PFK1 and FBPase1 in mice brain. Fru-2, 6P2 and PFK2 activity both attained their adult levels in concordance from day1 to 1wk age. Western blot analysis of mice liver and brain & rat liver PFK2 using anti rat liver PFK2/FBPase2 confirmed that both, mice liver and brain isoforms cross- react efficiently with this antibody. In addition, DEAE-eluted brain fractions from different postnatal ages revealed that 1day mice brain expresses a liver type enzyme (∼55 kDa) that is replaced by an adult brain type protein (∼110 kDa) from 1wk onward ages. As compared to 1day mice, significantly decreased Km values of PFK2 at 1wk-10wk ages also suggest the existence of a kinetically different isoform of this enzyme from 1wk onward ages. In vitro effects of fru-2, 6P2 on partially enriched brain PFK1 and FBPase1 suggest that fru-2, 6P2 dependent respective stimulatory and inhibitory responses of both these enzymes increase progressively from day1 to 3wk age. This is well corroborated with the postnatal age-dependent linear increase in PFK1 and decrease in FBPase1 activities in mice brain. The results suggest that fru-2, 6P2 associated regulatory components develop in concordance in mice brain during early postnatal life