Effect of n-3 and n-6 fatty acid supplementation on fetal, gestation and parturition in pregnant Sprague Dawley rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different ratio of n-6:n-3 on gestation and parturition as well as to determine the hormone concentration on plasma of the pregnant rats. At the end of the trial period, blood plasma was collected and analysed for progesterone, estradiol and prostaglandin F2α hormone (PGF2α) concentrations, and fatty acids profile. The results indicated that the group with a very low ratio of n-6:n3 fatty acids (diet 1) showed increased concentration of progesterone in the plasma (P<0.05), while the group with high ratio of n6:n3 fatty acids (diet 3) with high arachidonic acid (AA) showed significantly (P<0.05) increased concentration of estradiol and PGF2α in the plasma. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in plasma of diet 1 group were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other treatment diet groups. The total n-6 PUFA was significantly higher (P<0.05) in diet 3 group as compared to diet 1 group. In contrast, the number of implanted embryos was significantly lower (P<0.05) in the diet 3 group at 15 days of gestation, while, the litter size were significantly lower in the diet 2 group and diet 3 group by 4.57 and 1.00 folds respectively, as compared to the control group (diet 4). In conclusion, for the rat with very low ratio on diet 1, the n-6:n-3 ratio satisfied the requirement for the growth of mother and fetuses but was inadequate for the normal process of parturition, probably through inadequate production of the prostaglandins involved.Key words: n-6:n-3, plasma fatty acids, progesterone, estradiol, prostaglandin production, pregnant rat

Effect of dietary n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio on prostaglandin plasma levels and genes expression peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in pregnant Sprague Dawley rats

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a family of nuclear transcription factors thought to act as receptors for polyunsaturated fatty acids and to reduce production of series 2 prostaglandins (PG). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different ratio n-6:n-3 on the PPAR expression of rats endometrial tissue. The findings obtained from this study showed significant induction of PPARδ mRNA levels in endomatral cells treatment 1:1 group by 1.38 fold compared with the PPARδ mRNA levels in endomatral cells treatment 30:1 group. This induction was due to the cellular demands for prostaglandin were high in the endometrial cells when cells were treated with high ratio n6:n3 on 30:1 group, thus, resulting in an increase in both prostaglandin PGE2 and PGF2α production by induction of PPARδ genes. On the other hand, treatment 1:1 group and control group of endometrial cells did not show any significant changes in mRNA level of PPARδ, compared with treatment ratio n6:n3 on 6:1 group and treatment high ratio n6:n3 on 30:1 group of the endometrial cells. These findings show that inhibition of uterine PGF2α synthesis by n-3 fatty acids may depend on the amount of n-6 fatty acids reaching the target tissue. In conclusion, PPARδ function in the response of rat endometrium to long chain n-6:n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.Key words: Polyunsaturated fatty acid, gene expression, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, prostaglandin, pregnancy rat

Effects of elevated ambient temperature on embryo implantation in rats

Implantation is a crucial step in mammalian reproduction as it is a gateway to further embryonic development and successful pregnancy. Changes in the environmental factors, such as temperature have adverse effects on reproduction. However, the impact of elevated temperature on the implantation process is not well defined. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible effect of elevated ambient temperature on implantation time and rate. The results revealed that exposure to elevated ambient temperature leads to a delayed implantation and reduced number of implantation sites in Sprague Dawley rats. Moreover, the exposure to elevated temperature resulted in change in the progesterone and estradiol patterns during the implantation time. These findings indicate that elevated temperature disturbs the implantation process.Key words: Elevated temperature, implantation time, number of implantation sites, progesterone and estradiol

Smad3 promotes cancer progression by inhibiting E4BP4-mediated NK cell development

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Simple metal oxides as efficient heterogeneous catalysts for epoxidation of alkenes by molecular oxygen

Magnetite iron oxide (Fe3O4) has been found to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes by molecular oxygen in the absence of a sacrificial reductant among various transition metal oxides. The reaction probably proceeds via a radical mechanism

Role of liposome and peptide in the synergistic enhancement of transfection with a lipopolyplex vector

Lipopolyplexes are of widespread interest for gene therapy due to their multifunctionality and high transfection efficiencies. Here we compared the biological and biophysical properties of a lipopolyplex formulation with its lipoplex and polyplex equivalents to assess the role of the lipid and peptide components in the formation and function of the lipopolyplex formulation. We show that peptide efficiently packaged plasmid DNA forming spherical, highly cationic nanocomplexes that are taken up efficiently by cells. However, transgene expression was poor, most likely due to endosomal degradation since the polyplex lacks membrane trafficking properties. In addition the strong peptide-DNA interaction may prevent plasmid release from the complex and so limit plasmid DNA availability. Lipid/DNA lipoplexes, on the other hand, produced aggregated masses that showed poorer cellular uptake than the polyplex but contrastingly greater levels of transgene expression. This may be due to the greater ability of lipoplexes relative to polyplexes to promote endosomal escape. Lipopolyplex formulations formed spherical, cationic nanocomplexes with efficient cellular uptake and significantly enhanced transfection efficiency. The lipopolyplexes combined the optimal features of lipoplexes and polyplexes showing optimal cell uptake, endosomal escape and availability of plasmid for transcription, thus explaining the synergistic increase in transfection efficiency

Design and testing of hydrophobic core/hydrophilic shell nano/micro particles for drug-eluting stent coating

In this study, we designed a novel drug-eluting coating for vascular implants consisting of a core coating of the anti-proliferative drug docetaxel (DTX) and a shell coating of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor monoclonal antibody SZ-21. The core/shell structure was sprayed onto the surface of 316L stainless steel stents using a coaxial electrospray process with the aim of creating a coating that exhibited a differential release of the two drugs. The prepared stents displayed a uniform coating consisting of nano/micro particles. In vitro drug release experiments were performed, and we demonstrated that a biphasic mathematical model was capable of capturing the data, indicating that the release of the two drugs conformed to a diffusion-controlled release system. We demonstrated that our coating was capable of inhibiting the adhesion and activation of platelets, as well as the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), indicating its good biocompatibility and anti-proliferation qualities. In an in vivo porcine coronary artery model, the SZ-21/DTX drug-loaded hydrophobic core/hydrophilic shell particle coating stents were observed to promote re-endothelialization and inhibit neointimal hyperplasia. This core/shell particle-coated stent may serve as part of a new strategy for the differential release of different functional drugs to sequentially target thrombosis and in-stent restenosis during the vascular repair process and ensure rapid re-endothelialization in the field of cardiovascular disease

Laryngeal Reinnervation Using Ansa Cervicalis for Thyroid Surgery-Related Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Long-Term Outcome Analysis of 237 Cases

To evaluate the long-term efficacy of delayed laryngeal reinnervation using the main branch of the ansa cervicalis in treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) caused by thyroid surgery.UVFP remains a serious complication of thyroid surgery. Up to now, a completely satisfactory surgical treatment of UVFP has been elusive.From Jan. 1996 to Jan. 2008, a total of 237 UVFP patients who underwent ansa cervicalis main branch-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) anastomosis were enrolled as UVFP group; another 237 age- and gender-matched normal subjects served as control group. Videostroboscopy, vocal function assessment (acoustic analysis, perceptual evaluation and maximum phonation time), and electromyography were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. The mean follow-up period was 5.2±2.7 years, ranging from 2 to 12 years.>0.05, respectively). Postoperative laryngeal electromyography confirmed successful reinnervation of laryngeal muscle.Delayed laryngeal reinnervation with the main branch of ansa cervicalis is a feasible and effective approach for treatment of thyroid surgery-related UVFP; it can restore the physiological laryngeal phonatory function to the normal or a nearly normal voice quality