Effects of Raw Ethanolic Seed Extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum on Heamatological and Histopathological Parameters in Swiss Albino Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei

Study was carried out to determine the heamatological and histopathological effects of raw ethanolic seed extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum in swiss albino mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (NK65). Standard methods were employed to determine the heamatological, histopathological indices and biochemical assay. The experimental mice were acclimatized for seven days before the commencement of treatment. Mice were grouped into six groups (A, B, C, D, E and F) of four mice each. The mice in group B were treated with a standard antimalarial drug (chloroquine as positive control) at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight, while mice in groups D, E and F was administered with increasing dosages (200, 400, 600 mg/kg body weight) of seed extracts for four consecutive days respectively. Group C (Normal control) served as mice that was not infected and treated. Heamatological analysis revealed an increase in Packed Cell Volume, Red Blood Cells, Heamoglobin and Platelet values of all mice in groups D, E and F (mice administered different concentrations of the extract). Mice in group B (chloroquine treated group) have the highest value. Mice in group A (negative control) exhibited lowest values of Heamoglobin, Platelet, Red blood cells, and Packed Cell Volume. There was significant increase in the levels of Alanine Transaminase and Aspartate Transaminase in group A (infected and not treated) compared to mice in groups C, D, and E. Restorative effects of seed extract was observed on the liver and kidney of mice at dose levels (400 and 600 mg/kg) used, but the seed extract at the dose of 600 mg/kg was observed to have adverse effects on the liver of the mice. This study therefore shows that Tetracarpidium conophorum was able to boost the formation of heamatological indices and was not toxic to the organs (liver and kidney) in mice

The role of interleukin 12 and nitric oxide in the development of spontaneous autoimmune disease in MRL/MP-lpr/lpr mice

MRL/MP-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice develop a spontaneous autoimmune disease. Serum from these mice contained significantly higher concentrations of nitrite/nitrate than serum from age-matched control MRL/MP-+/+ (MRL/+), BALB/c or CBA/6J mice. Spleen and peritoneal cells from MRL/lpr mice also produced significantly more nitric oxide (NO) than those from the control mice when cultured with interferon (IFN) gamma and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. It is interesting to note that peritoneal cells from MRL/lpr mice also produced markedly higher concentrations of interleukin (IL) 12 than those from MRL/+ or BALB/c mice when cultured with same stimuli. It is striking that cells from MRL/lpr mice produced high concentrations of NO when cultured cells from MRL/+ or BALB/c mice. The enhanced NO synthesis induced by IFN- gamma/LPS was substantially inhibited by anti-IL-12 antibody. In addition, IL-12-induced NO production can also be markedly inhibited by anti-IFN-gamma antibody, but only weakly inhibited by anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody. The effect of IL-12 on NO production was dependent on the presence of natural killer and possibly T cells. Serum from MRL/lpr mice contained significantly higher concentrations of IL-12 compared with those of MRL/+ or BALB/c control mice. Daily injection of recombinant IL-12 led to increased serum levels of IFN- gamma and NO metabolites, and accelerated glomerulonephritis in the young MRL/lpr mice (but not in the MRL/+ mice) compared with controls injected with phosphate-buffered saline alone. These data, together with previous finding that NO synthase inhibitors can ameliorate autoimmune disease in MRL/lpr mice, suggest that high capacity of such mice to produce IL-12 and their greater responsiveness to IL-12, leading to the production of high concentrations of NO, are important factors in this spontaneous model of autoimmune disease

Novel Omega-3 Fatty Acid Epoxygenase Metabolite Reduces Kidney Fibrosis.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) monooxygenases epoxidize the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid into novel epoxydocosapentaenoic acids (EDPs) that have multiple biological actions. The present study determined the ability of the most abundant EDP regioisomer, 19,20-EDP to reduce kidney injury in an experimental unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) renal fibrosis mouse model. Mice with UUO developed kidney tubular injury and interstitial fibrosis. UUO mice had elevated kidney hydroxyproline content and five-times greater collagen positive fibrotic area than sham control mice. 19,20-EDP treatment to UUO mice for 10 days reduced renal fibrosis with a 40%-50% reduction in collagen positive area and hydroxyproline content. There was a six-fold increase in kidney α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive area in UUO mice compared to sham control mice, and 19,20-EDP treatment to UUO mice decreased α-SMA immunopositive area by 60%. UUO mice demonstrated renal epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) with reduced expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and elevated expression of multiple mesenchymal markers (FSP-1, α-SMA, and desmin). Interestingly, 19,20-EDP treatment reduced renal EMT in UUO by decreasing mesenchymal and increasing epithelial marker expression. Overall, we demonstrate that a novel omega-3 fatty acid metabolite 19,20-EDP, prevents UUO-induced renal fibrosis in mice by reducing renal EMT

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN ECHINACEA TERHADAP PERBEDAAN EKSPRESI GRANZYME DAN PERKEMBANGAN MASSA TUMOR PADA ADENOKARSINOMA MAMMA MENCIT C3H YANG MENGALAMI STRESS

Echinacea contains some active compounds which could induce mononuclear cells activiy. Patients with breast carcinoma and stress, the immunity was depress. Echinacea will increase mononuclear cell granzyme expression. Granzyme is able to induce apoptosis that will influence tumour mass progression. Objectives : To prove the influence of Echinacea on mononuklear cell granzyme expression and tumour mass in C3H mice with breast carcinoma and stress. Methods: Pre and post test control group design experiment in C3H mice. Control group: standard C3H mice, group 1: C3H mice with stress aroused by applying electric shock, group 2: C3H mice with stress aroused by applying electric shock and treated with Echinacea. After tumor inoculation, the subjects are treated accordingly, and afterwards mononuclear cell granzyme expression and tumour mass progression were measured. One way Anova test and difference test were applied for each group by using Post Hoc Bonferoni Test. Pearson correlation used as statistical analysis of granzyme expression and tumour mass progression Results: There was a significant difference in granzyme expression (p<0,001) between control group and group-1 and between group-1 and group-2, but no significant difference (p=0,363) between control group and group-2. There was a significant diffrence Tumour mass (p<0,001) between control group and group-1 and between group-1and group-2, but no significant difference (p=0,453)between control group and group-2. The statistically significant negative correlation between granzyme and tumour mass progression (cc -0,925). Conclusion: There was a significant elevation of granzyme expression production and lower tumour mass progression in mice treated with Echinacea sp. Keywords: Echinacea sp,granzyme, tumor mass progressio

Taste-Masking: Function of Exaggerated Prandial Drinking in Desalivate Mice

Taste thresholds for the bitter compound sucrose octaacetate (SOA) were elevated by desalivation in mice. Thresholds were determined for control and experimental animals both before and after ligation of all salivary ducts. There was a significant increase in SOA thresholds in the desalivate mice, and the pre- to post-operative differences in threshold between the control and experimental groups were significant. The altered response to SOA by desalivate mice is shown to be due to the assumption of a prandial pattern of drinking as a result of desalivation. This conclusion is based on experiments with wet mash which failed to show any differences in threshold between the same control and desalivate mice that demonstrated a significant difference when tested on fluids and dry pellets

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN EKSTRAK KUNYIT (Curcuma longa) TERHADAP JUMLAH EOSINOFIL DI JARINGAN PARU PADA PENYAKIT ALERGI : Studi Eksperimental pada Mencit BALB/c yang Diinduksi Ovalbumin

Background: Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice that is often used as traditional medicine. The active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin, acts as an anti-inflammatory on the allergic reaction. Allergy is not a deadly disease, but the disease can be a global health and social economic problems. Aim: This study aimed to prove that turmeric extract influence on the number of eosinophils in the lung tissue of BALB/c mice induced by ovalbumin. Method: This was a true experimental study with post test only controlled group design. The subjects were 18 BALB/c mice, randomly divided into three groups: a negative control group, a positive control group induced by ovalbumin, and a treatment group induced by ovalbumin and administered with turmeric extract at a dose of 100 mg/kgBW. The extract was orally given with sonde for 16 days. At the end of the study mice were terminated, the lung was taken for histopathological examination, and the number of eosinophils calculated in the peribronkhial tissue of lung. Result: This study showed significant differences between the negative control group, the positive control group, and the treatment group (p=0,000). The mean of the number of eosinophils was significantly higher in the positive control group compared to the negative control group (p=0,000) dan significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the positive control group (p=0,016). Conclusion: The turmeric extract can reduce the number of eosinophils in the lung tissue of mice induced by ovalbumin. Keywords: Turmeric extract, eosinophil, mice model of allerg

Disruption of type 3 adenylyl cyclase expression in the hypothalamus leads to obesity

Evidence from human studies and transgenic mice lacking the type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3) indicates that AC3 plays a role in the regulation of body weight. It is unknown in which brain region AC3 exerts such an effect. We examined the role of AC3 in the hypothalamus for body weight control using a floxed AC3 mouse strain. Here, we report that AC3 flox/flox mice became obese after the administration of AAV-CRE-GFP into the hypothalamus. Both male and female AC3 floxed mice showed heavier body weight than AAV-GFP injected control mice. Furthermore, mice with selective ablation of AC3 expression in the ventromedial hypothalamus also showed increased body weight and food consumption. Our results indicated that AC3 in the hypothalamus regulates energy balance

A vaccine formulated with the major outer membrane protein can protect C3H/HeN, a highly susceptible strain of mice, from a Chlamydia muridarum genital challenge.

C3H/HeN female mice were vaccinated with native Chlamydia muridarum major outer membrane protein (MOMP), using Montanide+CpG or Alum+CpG as adjuvants. Negative control groups were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) and the same adjuvants. As positive control, mice were inoculated intranasally with live Chlamydia. Mice were challenged in the ovarian bursa with 10(5) C. muridarum inclusion forming units. Six weeks after the genital challenge the animals were caged with male mice and monitored for pregnancy. Mice vaccinated with MOMP+Montanide+CpG developed high levels of C. muridarum-specific antibodies, with a high IgG2a/IgG1 ratio and neutralizing titres. Animals immunized using Alum+CpG had low antibody levels. Cellular immune responses were significantly higher in mice vaccinated with MOMP and Montanide+CpG, but not with Alum+CpG, when compared with negative controls. Following the genital challenge, only 20% (4/20) of mice vaccinated with MOMP+CpG+Montanide had positive vaginal cultures whereas 100% (9/9) of mice immunized with MOMP+CpG+Alum had positive cultures. Of the positive control animals inoculated with live Chlamydia only 15% (3/20) had positive vaginal cultures. In contrast, 100% (20/20) of mice immunized with OVA+CpG+Montanide, or minimal essential medium, had positive cultures. Following mating, 80% (16/20) of mice vaccinated with MOMP+CpG+Montanide, and 85% (17/20) of animals inoculated intranasally with live C. muridarum carried embryos in both uterine horns. No protection against infertility was observed in mice immunized with MOMP and CpG+Alum or OVA. In conclusion, this is the first time that a subunit vaccine has been shown to elicit a protective immune response in the highly susceptible C3H/HeN strain of mice against an upper genital challenge

Alkaline Water and Longevity: A Murine Study

The biological effect of alkaline water consumption is object of controversy. The present paper presents a 3-year survival study on a population of 150 mice, and the data were analyzed with accelerated failure time (AFT) model. Starting from the second year of life, nonparametric survival plots suggest that mice watered with alkaline water showed a better survival than control mice. Interestingly, statistical analysis revealed that alkaline water provides higher longevity in terms of \u201cdeceleration aging factor\u201d as it increases the survival functions when compared with control group; namely, animals belonging to the population treated with alkaline water resulted in a longer lifespan. Histological examination of mice kidneys, intestine, heart, liver, and brain revealed that no significant differences emerged among the three groups indicating that no specific pathology resulted correlated with the consumption of alkaline water. These results provide an informative and quantitative summary of survival data as a function of watering with alkaline water of long-lived mouse models