Zinc Is Indispensable in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection against Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Left Ventricular Function Impairment in Rats.

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Tsung-I Chen

Full Text Available In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, recurrent obstruction of the upper airway leads to intermittent hypoxia (IH during sleep, which can result in impairment of cardiac function. Although exercise can have beneficial effects against IH-induced cardiac dysfunction, the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the interactions of zinc and exercise on IH-triggered left ventricular dysfunction in a rat model that mimics IH in OSA patients. Nine-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either a control group (CON or to a group receiving 10 weeks of exercise training (EXE. During weeks 9 and 10, half the rats in each group were subjected to IH for 8 h per day for 14 days (IHCON, IHEXE, whereas the remainder continued to breathe room air. Rats within each of the CON, IHCON, EXE, and IHEXE groups were further randomly assigned to receive intraperitoneal injections of either zinc chloride, the zinc chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl ethylenediamine (TPEN, or injection vehicle only. IH induced a lower left ventricular fractional shortening, reduced ejection fraction, higher myocardial levels of inflammatory factors, increased levels oxidative stress, and lower levels of antioxidative capacity, all of which were abolished by zinc treatment. IHEXE rats exhibited higher levels of cardiac function and antioxidant capacity and lower levels of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress than IHCON rats; however, IHEXE rats receiving TPEN did not exhibit these better outcomes. In conclusion, zinc is required for protecting against IH-induced LV functional impairment and likely plays a critical role in exercise-induced cardioprotection by exerting a dual antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.

Zinc Is Indispensable in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection against Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Left Ventricular Function Impairment in Rats

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Chen, Michael Yu-Chih

2016-01-01

In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), recurrent obstruction of the upper airway leads to intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep, which can result in impairment of cardiac function. Although exercise can have beneficial effects against IH-induced cardiac dysfunction, the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the interactions of zinc and exercise on IH-triggered left ventricular dysfunction in a rat model that mimics IH in OSA patients. Nine-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either a control group (CON) or to a group receiving 10 weeks of exercise training (EXE). During weeks 9 and 10, half the rats in each group were subjected to IH for 8 h per day for 14 days (IHCON, IHEXE), whereas the remainder continued to breathe room air. Rats within each of the CON, IHCON, EXE, and IHEXE groups were further randomly assigned to receive intraperitoneal injections of either zinc chloride, the zinc chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN), or injection vehicle only. IH induced a lower left ventricular fractional shortening, reduced ejection fraction, higher myocardial levels of inflammatory factors, increased levels oxidative stress, and lower levels of antioxidative capacity, all of which were abolished by zinc treatment. IHEXE rats exhibited higher levels of cardiac function and antioxidant capacity and lower levels of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress than IHCON rats; however, IHEXE rats receiving TPEN did not exhibit these better outcomes. In conclusion, zinc is required for protecting against IH-induced LV functional impairment and likely plays a critical role in exercise-induced cardioprotection by exerting a dual antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. PMID:27977796

[Intervention of systolic pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy in rats under cold stress].

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Sun, C F; Wang, S G; Peng, Y G; Shi, Y; Du, Y P; Shi, G X; Wen, T; Wang, Y K; Su, H

2016-06-20

To investigate the effects of different drugs on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in spontaneously hypertensive rats under cold stress. A total of 40 male spontaneously hypertensive rats aged 10 weeks (160~200 g) were given adaptive feeding for 7 days at a temperature of 20±1°C and then randomly divided into control group, cold stress group, metoprolol group, amlodipine group, and benazepril group, with 8 rats in each group. SBP, body weight, and heart rate were measured once a week. After the rats were sacrificed by exsanguination, left ventricular weight (LVW) was measured, and left ventricular weight index (LVWI; mg/g) was calculated. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure the concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and angiotensin-II (Ang-II) in plasma and myocardium, and the chemical method was used to measure the concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) in plasma and myocardium. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of endothelin-A receptor. Compared with the cold stress group, all medication groups showed significant reductions in SBP since week 5 (Pcold stress group showed a significant increase in LVWI compared with the control group (3.38±0.27 mg/g vs 2.89±0.19 mg/g, Pcold stress group (2.98±0.28 mg/g vs 3.38±0.27 mg/g, Pcold stress group showed a significant reduction in plasma NO concentration compared with the control group (104.9±19.5 μmol/L vs 129.3±17.8 μmol/L, Pcold stress group, all the medication groups showed significant increases in blood NO concentration (Pcold stress group showed a significant increase in myocardial ET-1 concentration compared with the control group (6.3±1.5 pg/100 mg vs 4.5±1.9 pg/100 mg, Pcold stress group, the amlodipine group showed a significant reduction in myocardial ET-1 concentration (4.4±1.0 pg/100 mg vs 6.3±1.5 pg/100 mg, Pcold stress group had significantly higher mRNA expression of endothelin-A receptor than the control group (0.86±0.23 vs 0.45±0.16, Pcold

Prevention of airway hyperresponsiveness induced by left ventricular dysfunction in rats

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Petak Ferenc

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The effectiveness of strategies for treatment of the altered static lung volume and against the development of bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR following a left ventricular dysfunction (LVD induced by myocardial ischaemia was investigated in a rat model of sustained postcapillary pulmonary hypertension. Methods Airway resistance (Raw was identified from the respiratory system input impedance (Zrs in four groups of rats. End-expiratory lung volume (EELV was determined plethysmographically, and Zrs was measured under baseline conditions and following iv infusions of 2, 6 or 18 μg/kg/min methacholine. Sham surgery was performed in the rats in Group C, while the left interventricular coronary artery was ligated and Zrs and its changes following identical methacholine challenges were reassessed in the same rats 8 weeks later, during which no treatment was applied (Group I, or the animals were treated daily with a combination of an angiotensin enzyme converter inhibitor and a diuretic (enalapril and furosemide, Group IE, or a calcium channel blocker (diltiazem, Group ID. The equivalent dose of methacholine causing a 100% increase in Raw (ED50 was determined in each group. Diastolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PapD was assessed by introducing a catheter into the pulmonary artery. Results The sustained presence of a LVD increased PapD in all groups of rats, with variable but significant elevations in Groups I (p = 0.004, ID (p = 0.013 and IE (p = 0.006. A LVD for 8 weeks induced no changes in baseline Raw but elevated the EELV independently of the treatments. In Group I, BHR consistently developed following the LVD, with a significant decrease in ED50 from 10.0 ± 2.5 to 6.9 ± 2.5 μg/kg/min (p = 0.006. The BHR was completely abolished in both Groups ID and IE, with no changes in ED50 (9.5 ± 3.6 vs. 10.7 ± 4.7, p = 0.33 and 10.6 ± 2.1 vs. 9.8 ± 3.5 μg/kg/min p = 0.56, respectively

Comparison of Shear Strength Properties for Undisturbed and Reconstituted Parit Nipah Peat, Johor

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Azhar, A. T. S.; Norhaliza, W.; Ismail, B.; Abdullah, M. E.; Zakaria, M. N.

2016-11-01

Shear strength of soil is required to determine the soil stability and design the foundations. Peat is known as a soil with complex natural formations which also contributes problems to the researchers, developers, engineers and contractors in constructions and infrastructures. Most researchers conducted experiment and investigation of shear strength on peat using shear box test and simple shear test, but only a few had discovered the behavior of peat using triaxial consolidated undrained test. The aim of this paper is to determine the undrained shear strength properties of reconstituted peat and undisturbed peat of Parit Nipah, Johor for comparison purposes. All the reconstituted peat samples were formed with the size that passed opening sieve 3.35 mm and preconsolidation pressure at 100 kPa. The result of undrained shear strength of reconstituted peat was 21kPa for cohesion with the angle of friction, 41° compare to the undisturbed peat with cohesion 10 kPa and angle of friction, 16°. The undrained shear strength properties result obtained shows that the reconstituted peat has higher strength than undisturbed peat. For relationship deviator stress-strain, σd max and excess pore pressure, Δu, it shows that both of undisturbed and reconstituted gradually increased when σ’ increased, but at the end of the test, the values are slightly dropped. The physical properties of undisturbed and reconstituted peat were also investigated to correlate with the undrained shear strength results.

Effects of isoflurane concentration on basic echocardiographic parameters of the left ventricle in rats

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Říha, H.; Papoušek, František; Neckář, Jan; Pirk, J.; Ošťádal, Bohuslav

2012-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 4 (2012), s. 419-423 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0510; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA501110901 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : anesthesia * isoflurane * echocardiography * left ventricular function * rat heart Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery Impact factor: 1.531, year: 2012

Soybean oil increases SERCA2a expression and left ventricular contractility in rats without change in arterial blood pressure

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Vassallo Dalton

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Our aim was to evaluate the effects of soybean oil treatment for 15 days on arterial and ventricular pressure, myocardial mechanics and proteins involved in calcium handling. Methods Wistar rats were divided in two groups receiving 100 μL of soybean oil (SB or saline (CT i.m. for 15 days. Ventricular performance was analyzed in male 12-weeks old Wistar rats by measuring left ventricle diastolic and systolic pressure in isolated perfused hearts according to the Langendorff technique. Protein expression was measured by Western blot analysis. Results Systolic and diastolic arterial pressures did not differ between CT and SB rats. However, heart rate was reduced in the SB group. In the perfused hearts, left ventricular isovolumetric systolic pressure was higher in the SB hearts. The inotropic response to extracellular Ca2+ and isoproterenol was higher in the soybean-treated animals than in the control group. Myosin ATPase and Na+-K+ATPase activities, the expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (SERCA2a and sodium calcium exchanger (NCX were increased in the SB group. Although the phosfolamban (PLB expression did not change, its phosphorylation at Ser16 was reduced while the SERCA2a/PLB ratio was increased. Conclusions In summary, soybean treatment for 15 days in rats increases the left ventricular performance without affecting arterial blood pressure. These changes might be associated with an increase in the myosin ATPase activity and SERCA2a expression.

Left and right ventricle late remodeling following myocardial infarction in rats.

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Stefanon, Ivanita; Valero-Muñoz, María; Fernandes, Aurélia Araújo; Ribeiro, Rogério Faustino; Rodríguez, Cristina; Miana, Maria; Martínez-González, José; Spalenza, Jessica S; Lahera, Vicente; Vassallo, Paula F; Cachofeiro, Victoria

2013-01-01

The mechanisms involved in cardiac remodeling in left (LV) and right ventricles (RV) after myocardial infarction (MI) are still unclear. We assayed factors involved in collagen turnover in both ventricles following MI in rats either presenting signs of heart failure (pulmonary congestion and increased LVEDP) or not (INF-HF or INF, respectively). MI was induced in male rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. Four weeks after MI gene expression of collagen I, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and lysyl oxidase (LOX), metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP2) as well as cardiac hemodynamic in both ventricles were evaluated. Ventricular dilatation, hypertrophy and an increase in interstitial fibrosis and myocyte size were observed in the RV and LV from INF-HF animals, whereas only LV dilatation and fibrosis in RV was present in INF. The LV fibrosis in INF-HF was associated with higher mRNA of collagen I, CTGF, TGF-β and LOX expressions than in INF and SHAM animals, while MMP2/TIMP2 mRNA ratio did not change. RV fibrosis in INF and INF-HF groups was associated with an increase in LOX mRNA and a reduction in MMP2/TIMP2 ratio. CTGF mRNA was increased only in the INF-HF group. INF and INF-HF animals presented different patterns of remodeling in both ventricles. In the INF-HF group, fibrosis seems to be consequence of collagen production in LV, and by reductions in collagen degradation in RV of both INF and INF-HF animals.

DETERMINING UNDISTURBED GROUND TEMPERATURE AS PART OF SHALLOW GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT

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Tomislav Kurevija

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The undisturbed ground temperature is one of the key thermogeological parameters for the assessment and utilization of shallow geothermal resources. Geothermal energy is the type of energy which is stored in the ground where solar radiation has no effect. The depth at which the undisturbed ground temperature occurs, independent of seasonal changes in the surface air temperature, is functionally determined by climate parameters and thermogeological properties. In deeper layers, the increase of ground temperature depends solely on geothermal gradient. Determining accurate values of undisturbed ground temperature and depth of occurrence is crucial for the correct sizing of a borehole heat exchanger as part of the ground-source heat pump system, which is considered the most efficient technology for utilising shallow geothermal resources. The purpose of this paper is to define three specific temperature regions, based on the measured ground temperature data collected from the main meteorological stations in Croatia. The three regions are: Northern Croatia, Adriatic region, and the regions of Lika and Gorski Kotar.

Genetic and epigenetic divergence between disturbed and undisturbed subpopulations of a Mediterranean shrub: a 20-year field experiment.

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Herrera, Carlos M; Bazaga, Pilar

2016-06-01

Little is known on the potential of ecological disturbance to cause genetic and epigenetic changes in plant populations. We take advantage of a long-term field experiment initiated in 1986 to study the demography of the shrub Lavandula latifolia , and compare genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plants in two adjacent subplots, one experimentally disturbed and one left undisturbed, 20 years after disturbance. Experimental setup was comparable to an unreplicated 'Before-After-Control-Impact' (BACI) design where a single pair of perturbed and control areas were compared. When sampled in 2005, plants in the two subplots had roughly similar ages, but they had established in contrasting environments: dense conspecific population ('Undisturbed' subpopulation) versus open area with all conspecifics removed ('Disturbed' subpopulation). Plants were characterized genetically and epigenetically using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and two classes of methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP) markers. Subpopulations were similar in genetic diversity but differed in epigenetic diversity and multilocus genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was statistically unrelated to genetic divergence. Bayesian clustering revealed an abrupt linear boundary between subpopulations closely coincident with the arbitrary demarcation line between subplots drawn 20 years back, which supports that genetic and epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was caused by artificial disturbance. There was significant fine-scale spatial structuring of MSAP markers in both subpopulations, which in the Undisturbed one was indistinguishable from that of AFLP markers. Genetic differences between subpopulations could be explained by divergent selection alone, while the concerted action of divergent selection and disturbance-driven appearance of new methylation variants in the Disturbed subpopulation is proposed to explain epigenetic differences. This

(−-Epicatechin Reduces Blood Pressure and Improves Left Ventricular Function and Compliance in Deoxycorticosterone Acetate-Salt Hypertensive Rats

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Douglas Jackson

2018-06-01

Full Text Available (−-Epicatechin (E is a flavanol found in green tea and cocoa and has been shown to attenuate tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α-mediated inflammation, improve nitric oxide levels, promote endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS activation and inhibit NADPH oxidase. This study investigated the effect of 28 days of low epicatechin dosing (1 mg/kg/day on the cardiovascular function of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Wistar rats (n = 120, 8 weeks of age underwent uninephrectomy and were randomised into four groups (uninephrectomy (UNX, UNX + E, DOCA, DOCA + E. DOCA and DOCA + E rats received 1% NaCl drinking water along with subcutaneous injections of 25 mg deoxycorticosterone-acetate (in 0.4 mL of dimethylformamide every fourth day. UNX + E and DOCA + E rats received 1 mg/kg/day of epicatechin by oral gavage. Single-cell micro-electrode electrophysiology, Langendorff isolated-heart assessment and isolated aorta and mesenteric organ baths were used to assess cardiovascular parameters. Serum malondialdehyde concentration was used as a marker of oxidative stress. Myocardial stiffness was increased and left ventricular compliance significantly diminished in the DOCA control group, and these changes were attenuated by epicatechin treatment (p < 0.05. Additionally, the DOCA + E rats showed significantly reduced blood pressure and malondialdehyde concentrations; however, there was no improvement in left ventricular hypertrophy, electrophysiology or vascular function. This study demonstrates the ability of epicatechin to reduce blood pressure, prevent myocardial stiffening and preserve cardiac compliance in hypertrophied DOCA-salt rat hearts.

Left and right ventricle late remodeling following myocardial infarction in rats.

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Ivanita Stefanon

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The mechanisms involved in cardiac remodeling in left (LV and right ventricles (RV after myocardial infarction (MI are still unclear. We assayed factors involved in collagen turnover in both ventricles following MI in rats either presenting signs of heart failure (pulmonary congestion and increased LVEDP or not (INF-HF or INF, respectively. METHODS: MI was induced in male rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. Four weeks after MI gene expression of collagen I, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β and lysyl oxidase (LOX, metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2 and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP2 as well as cardiac hemodynamic in both ventricles were evaluated. RESULTS: Ventricular dilatation, hypertrophy and an increase in interstitial fibrosis and myocyte size were observed in the RV and LV from INF-HF animals, whereas only LV dilatation and fibrosis in RV was present in INF. The LV fibrosis in INF-HF was associated with higher mRNA of collagen I, CTGF, TGF-β and LOX expressions than in INF and SHAM animals, while MMP2/TIMP2 mRNA ratio did not change. RV fibrosis in INF and INF-HF groups was associated with an increase in LOX mRNA and a reduction in MMP2/TIMP2 ratio. CTGF mRNA was increased only in the INF-HF group. CONCLUSIONS: INF and INF-HF animals presented different patterns of remodeling in both ventricles. In the INF-HF group, fibrosis seems to be consequence of collagen production in LV, and by reductions in collagen degradation in RV of both INF and INF-HF animals.

Performance of two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography for the assessment of infarct size and left ventricular function in rats

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Nozawa E.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Although echocardiography has been used in rats, few studies have determined its efficacy for estimating myocardial infarct size. Our objective was to estimate the myocardial infarct size, and to evaluate anatomic and functional variables of the left ventricle. Myocardial infarction was produced in 43 female Wistar rats by ligature of the left coronary artery. Echocardiography was performed 5 weeks later to measure left ventricular diameter and transverse area (mean of 3 transverse planes, infarct size (percentage of the arc with infarct on 3 transverse planes, systolic function by the change in fractional area, and diastolic function by mitral inflow parameters. The histologic measurement of myocardial infarction size was similar to the echocardiographic method. Myocardial infarct size ranged from 4.8 to 66.6% when determined by histology and from 5 to 69.8% when determined by echocardiography, with good correlation (r = 0.88; P < 0.05; Pearson correlation coefficient. Left ventricular diameter and mean diastolic transverse area correlated with myocardial infarct size by histology (r = 0.57 and r = 0.78; P < 0.0005. The fractional area change ranged from 28.5 ± 5.6 (large-size myocardial infarction to 53.1 ± 1.5% (control and correlated with myocardial infarct size by echocardiography (r = -0.87; P < 0.00001 and histology (r = -0.78; P < 00001. The E/A wave ratio of mitral inflow velocity for animals with large-size myocardial infarction (5.6 ± 2.7 was significantly higher than for all others (control: 1.9 ± 0.1; small-size myocardial infarction: 1.9 ± 0.4; moderate-size myocardial infarction: 2.8 ± 2.3. There was good agreement between echocardiographic and histologic estimates of myocardial infarct size in rats.

Low tidal volume ventilation ameliorates left ventricular dysfunction in mechanically ventilated rats following LPS-induced lung injury.

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Cherpanath, Thomas G V; Smeding, Lonneke; Hirsch, Alexander; Lagrand, Wim K; Schultz, Marcus J; Groeneveld, A B Johan

2015-10-07

High tidal volume ventilation has shown to cause ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), possibly contributing to concomitant extrapulmonary organ dysfunction. The present study examined whether left ventricular (LV) function is dependent on tidal volume size and whether this effect is augmented during lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced lung injury. Twenty male Wistar rats were sedated, paralyzed and then randomized in four groups receiving mechanical ventilation with tidal volumes of 6 ml/kg or 19 ml/kg with or without intrapulmonary administration of LPS. A conductance catheter was placed in the left ventricle to generate pressure-volume loops, which were also obtained within a few seconds of vena cava occlusion to obtain relatively load-independent LV systolic and diastolic function parameters. The end-systolic elastance / effective arterial elastance (Ees/Ea) ratio was used as the primary parameter of LV systolic function with the end-diastolic elastance (Eed) as primary LV diastolic function. Ees/Ea decreased over time in rats receiving LPS (p = 0.045) and high tidal volume ventilation (p = 0.007), with a lower Ees/Ea in the rats with high tidal volume ventilation plus LPS compared to the other groups (p tidal volume ventilation without LPS (p = 0.223). A significant interaction (p tidal ventilation and LPS for Ees/Ea and Eed, and all rats receiving high tidal volume ventilation plus LPS died before the end of the experiment. Low tidal volume ventilation ameliorated LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction while preventing death following LPS-induced lung injury in mechanically ventilated rats. Our data advocates the use of low tidal volumes, not only to avoid VILI, but to avert ventilator-induced myocardial dysfunction as well.

Right vs. left sensorimotor cortex suction-ablation in the rat: no difference in beam-walking recovery.

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Goldstein, L B

1995-03-13

The ability of rats to traverse a narrow elevated beam has been used to quantitate recovery of hindlimb motor function after unilateral injury to the sensorimotor cortex. We tested the hypothesis that the rate of spontaneous beam-walking recovery varies with the side of the cortex lesion. Groups of rats that were trained at the beam-walking task underwent suction-ablation of either the right or left hindlimb sensorimotor cortex. There was no difference in hindlimb motor function between the groups on the first post-operative beam-waking trial carried out the day after cortex ablation and no difference between the groups in overall recovery rates over the next two weeks. Subsequent analyses of lesion surface parameters showed no differences in lesion size or extent. Regardless of the side of the lesion, there were also no differences between the right and left hemispheres in norepinephrine content of the lesioned or contralateral cortex. We conclude that the side of sensorimotor cortex ablation injury does not differentially affect the rate of spontaneous motor recovery as measured with the beam-walking task.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension reduces energy efficiency of right, but not left, rat ventricular trabeculae.

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Pham, Toan; Nisbet, Linley; Taberner, Andrew; Loiselle, Denis; Han, June-Chiew

2018-04-01

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) triggers right ventricle (RV) hypertrophy and left ventricle (LV) atrophy, which progressively leads to heart failure. We designed experiments under conditions mimicking those encountered by the heart in vivo that allowed us to investigate whether consequent structural and functional remodelling of the ventricles affects their respective energy efficiencies. We found that peak work output was lower in RV trabeculae from PAH rats due to reduced extent and velocity of shortening. However, their suprabasal enthalpy was unaffected due to increased activation heat, resulting in reduced suprabasal efficiency. There was no effect of PAH on LV suprabasal efficiency. We conclude that the mechanism underlying the reduced energy efficiency of hypertrophied RV tissues is attributable to the increased energy cost of Ca 2+ cycling, whereas atrophied LV tissues still maintain normal mechano-energetic performance. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) greatly increases the afterload on the right ventricle (RV), triggering RV hypertrophy, which progressively leads to RV failure. In contrast, the disease reduces the passive filling pressure of the left ventricle (LV), resulting in LV atrophy. We investigated whether these distinct structural and functional consequences to the ventricles affect their respective energy efficiencies. We studied trabeculae isolated from both ventricles of Wistar rats with monocrotaline-induced PAH and their respective Control groups. Trabeculae were mounted in a calorimeter at 37°C. While contracting at 5 Hz, they were subjected to stress-length work-loops over a wide range of afterloads. They were subsequently required to undergo a series of isometric contractions at various muscle lengths. In both protocols, stress production, length change and suprabasal heat output were simultaneously measured. We found that RV trabeculae from PAH rats generated higher activation heat, but developed normal active stress. Their

Necromass production: studies in undisturbed and logged Amazon Forests

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MICHAEL PALACE; MICHAEL KELLER; HUDSON SILVA

2008-01-01

Necromass stocks account for up to 20% of carbon stored in tropical forests and have been estimated to be 14–19% of the annual aboveground carbon flux. Both stocks and fluxes of necromass are infrequently measured. In this study, we directly measured the production of fallen coarse necromass (>2 cm diameter) during 4.5 years using repeated surveys in undisturbed...

The influence of the perinatal chronic hyperglycaemia on the pattern of NOS isoforms expression in left ventricle myocardium in male rats of pre-pubertal age

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O. V. Gancheva

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of our study was to find out the features of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS isoforms expression in longitudinal and transversal layers of the myocardium of the left ventricle in male rats of 3 months, which are descendants of female rats with experimental gestational diabetes (EGD. Materials and methods. Study was carried out on 10 male rats descendants of female rats with normal course of pregnancy and 10 descendants of female rats with EGD. We evaluated the expression of neuronal, endothelial and inducible isoforms of NOS in histological sections both of transversal and longitudinal layers of the myocardium of left ventricle. With the aim to analyze the pattern of the NOS isoforms expression in 5 um histological slices of left ventricle myocardium we have carried out a complex of histochemical assays. Slices were allocated to 3 groups: 1st one was incubated with rabbit IgG to neuronal NOS (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA in dilution of 1:200; 2nd group underwent the incubation with rabbit IgG to endothelial NOS (eNos (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA in dilution 1:200; 3rd group was incubated with mice IgG to inducible NOS (iNos conjugated with FITC (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA in dilution of 1:200. The analysis of images was carried out with VIDAS-2.5 application package (Kontron Elektronik, Germany. Microimages of the left ventricle myocardium obtained with AxioScope (Carl Zeiss, Germany and COHU 4922 (COHU Inc., USA camera were processed in the system of digital image analysis VIDAS-386 (Kontron Elektronik, Germany. Results. In the study we have found that prenatal hyperglycaemia leads to the significant changes of the expression of NOS isoforms in the myocardium of left ventricle in male rats descendants of females with EGD, and the contain and the allocation of these enzymes are dependent both on type of the enzyme and its location in muscular layers. For eNOS the increase of the expression and the allocation in both transversal and

Enhanced mesenchymal cell engraftment by IGF-1 improves left ventricular function in rats undergoing myocardial infarction.

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Enoki, Chiharu; Otani, Hajime; Sato, Daisuke; Okada, Takayuki; Hattori, Reiji; Imamura, Hiroji

2010-01-07

We hypothesized that enhanced mesenchymal cell (MC) engraftment with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) improves left ventricular (LV) function and survival. IGF-1 (10 microg/ml) increased adhesion and inhibited apoptosis under hypoxia in vitro through activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in bone marrow-derived MCs obtained from transgenic rats expressing green fluorescence protein. Myocardial infarction (MI) in rats was produced by ligature of the left coronary artery. One month after MI, rat hearts were injected with MCs in the presence or absence of 10 microg/ml IGF-1 with or without PI3K inhibitor, 5 microM LY294002. IGF-1 significantly increased engraftment of MCs between 6 h and 3 days after transplantation associated with the increase in stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha in the infracted LV. The transplanted MCs had disappeared 1 month after transplantation in all groups. MC transplantation with IGF-1 significantly increased neovascularization and inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis 3 days and 1 month after MC transplantation. This was associated with improved LV function 1 month after MC transplantation and eventually survival. LY294002 abrogated all of the beneficial effects of MC transplantation with IGF-1. IGF-1 alone had no effect on neovascularization and did not improve LV function and/or survival. These results suggest that IGF-1 improves engraftment of MCs at the time of transplantation via activation of PI3K and this improved engraftment of MCs may be attributed to an increased neovascularization and inhibition of cardiomyocyte death, leading to improvement of LV function and prolongation of survival despite the eventual loss of the transplanted MCs.

Modeling long-term suspended-sediment export from an undisturbed forest catchment

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Zimmermann, Alexander; Francke, Till; Elsenbeer, Helmut

2013-04-01

Most estimates of suspended sediment yields from humid, undisturbed, and geologically stable forest environments fall within a range of 5 - 30 t km-2 a-1. These low natural erosion rates in small headwater catchments (≤ 1 km2) support the common impression that a well-developed forest cover prevents surface erosion. Interestingly, those estimates originate exclusively from areas with prevailing vertical hydrological flow paths. Forest environments dominated by (near-) surface flow paths (overland flow, pipe flow, and return flow) and a fast response to rainfall, however, are not an exceptional phenomenon, yet only very few sediment yields have been estimated for these areas. Not surprisingly, even fewer long-term (≥ 10 years) records exist. In this contribution we present our latest research which aims at quantifying long-term suspended-sediment export from an undisturbed rainforest catchment prone to frequent overland flow. A key aspect of our approach is the application of machine-learning techniques (Random Forest, Quantile Regression Forest) which allows not only the handling of non-Gaussian data, non-linear relations between predictors and response, and correlations between predictors, but also the assessment of prediction uncertainty. For the current study we provided the machine-learning algorithms exclusively with information from a high-resolution rainfall time series to reconstruct discharge and suspended sediment dynamics for a 21-year period. The significance of our results is threefold. First, our estimates clearly show that forest cover does not necessarily prevent erosion if wet antecedent conditions and large rainfalls coincide. During these situations, overland flow is widespread and sediment fluxes increase in a non-linear fashion due to the mobilization of new sediment sources. Second, our estimates indicate that annual suspended sediment yields of the undisturbed forest catchment show large fluctuations. Depending on the frequency of large

L-Arginine ameliorates cardiac left ventricular oxidative stress by upregulating eNOS and Nrf2 target genes in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramprasath, Tharmarajan; Hamenth Kumar, Palani; Syed Mohamed Puhari, Shanavas; Senthil Murugan, Ponniah; Vasudevan, Varadaraj; Selvam, Govindan Sadasivam

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► L-Arginine treatment reduced the metabolic disturbances in diabetic animals. ► Antioxidant marker proteins were found high in myocardium by L-arginine treatment. ► Elevated antioxidant status, mediates the reduced TBA-reactivity in left ventricle. ► L-Arginine treatment enhanced the Nrf2 and eNOS signaling in left ventricle. ► Improved cell survival signaling by arginine, offers a novel tactic for targeting. -- Abstract: Hyperglycemia is independently related with excessive morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disorders. L-Arginine-nitric oxide (NO) pathway and the involvement of NO in modulating nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling were well established. In the present study we investigated, whether L-arginine supplementation would improve the myocardial antioxidant defense under hyperglycemia through activation of Nrf2 signaling. Diabetes was induced by alloxan monohydrate (90 mg kg −1 body weight) in rats. Both non-diabetic and diabetic group of rats were divided into three subgroups and they were administered either with L-arginine (2.25%) or L-NAME (0.01%) in drinking water for 12 days. Results showed that L-arginine treatment reduced the metabolic disturbances in diabetic rats. Antioxidant enzymes and glutathione levels were found to be increased in heart left ventricles, thereby reduction of lipid peroxidation by L-arginine treatment. Heart histopathological analysis further validates the reversal of typical diabetic characteristics consisting of alterations in myofibers and myofibrillary degeneration. qRT-PCR studies revealed that L-arginine treatment upregulated the transcription of Akt and downregulated NF-κB. Notably, transcription of eNOS and Nrf2 target genes was also upregulated, which were accompanied by enhanced expression of Nrf2 in left ventricular tissue from diabetic and control rats. Under these findings, we suggest that targeting of eNOS and Nrf2 signaling by L-arginine supplementation could be

L-Arginine ameliorates cardiac left ventricular oxidative stress by upregulating eNOS and Nrf2 target genes in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramprasath, Tharmarajan; Hamenth Kumar, Palani; Syed Mohamed Puhari, Shanavas; Senthil Murugan, Ponniah; Vasudevan, Varadaraj [Molecular Cardiology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Excellence in Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, Tamilnadu (India); Selvam, Govindan Sadasivam, E-mail: drselvamgsbiochem@rediffmail.com [Molecular Cardiology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Excellence in Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, Tamilnadu (India)

2012-11-23

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer L-Arginine treatment reduced the metabolic disturbances in diabetic animals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Antioxidant marker proteins were found high in myocardium by L-arginine treatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Elevated antioxidant status, mediates the reduced TBA-reactivity in left ventricle. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer L-Arginine treatment enhanced the Nrf2 and eNOS signaling in left ventricle. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Improved cell survival signaling by arginine, offers a novel tactic for targeting. -- Abstract: Hyperglycemia is independently related with excessive morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disorders. L-Arginine-nitric oxide (NO) pathway and the involvement of NO in modulating nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling were well established. In the present study we investigated, whether L-arginine supplementation would improve the myocardial antioxidant defense under hyperglycemia through activation of Nrf2 signaling. Diabetes was induced by alloxan monohydrate (90 mg kg{sup -1} body weight) in rats. Both non-diabetic and diabetic group of rats were divided into three subgroups and they were administered either with L-arginine (2.25%) or L-NAME (0.01%) in drinking water for 12 days. Results showed that L-arginine treatment reduced the metabolic disturbances in diabetic rats. Antioxidant enzymes and glutathione levels were found to be increased in heart left ventricles, thereby reduction of lipid peroxidation by L-arginine treatment. Heart histopathological analysis further validates the reversal of typical diabetic characteristics consisting of alterations in myofibers and myofibrillary degeneration. qRT-PCR studies revealed that L-arginine treatment upregulated the transcription of Akt and downregulated NF-{kappa}B. Notably, transcription of eNOS and Nrf2 target genes was also upregulated, which were accompanied by enhanced expression of Nrf2 in left ventricular tissue from diabetic

Effect of housing rats in dim light or long nights on heart rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Azar, Toni A; Sharp, Jody L; Lawson, David M

2008-07-01

Housing laboratory animals under lighting conditions that more closely mimic the natural environment may improve their wellbeing. This study examined the effects of dim light or a long-night photocycle on resting heart rate (HR) of rats and their HR responses to acute procedures. Male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats, instrumented with radiotelemetry transmitters and housed individually under a 12:12-h light:dark photocycle with 10 lx illumination (dim light) or under an 8:16-h light:dark photocycle with 200 lx illumination (long nights), were compared with control rats individually housed under a 12:12-h light:dark photocycle with 200 lx illumination. Dim light and long nights significantly reduced the HR of undisturbed SD and SHR male and SHR female rats during the day and at night; however, the HR of undisturbed SD females was not affected. When rats were subjected acutely to husbandry, experimental, or stressful procedures, dim light or long nights (or both) reduced HR responses to some procedures, did not alter responses to others, and increased responses to yet other procedures. The pattern of effects varied between strains and between male and female rats. Because basal HR was reduced when rats were housed under 10 lx illumination or an 8:16-h light:dark photocycle, we concluded that housing rats under 12:12-h light:dark, 200 lx ambient light conditions was potentially stressful, We also concluded that dim light or long nights did not uniformly reduce the increased HR responses induced by acute procedures.

Effect of exercise training on Ca2+ release units of left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Carneiro-Júnior, M A; Quintão-Júnior, J F; Drummond, L R; Lavorato, V N; Drummond, F R; Amadeu, M A; Oliveira, E M; Felix, L B; Cruz, J S; Mill, J G; Natali, A J; Prímola-Gomes, T N

2014-08-29

In cardiomyocytes, calcium (Ca2+) release units comprise clusters of intracellular Ca2+ release channels located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and hypertension is well established as a cause of defects in calcium release unit function. Our objective was to determine whether endurance exercise training could attenuate the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release unit components and Ca2+ sparks in left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Male Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (4 months of age) were divided into 4 groups: normotensive (NC) and hypertensive control (HC), and normotensive (NT) and hypertensive trained (HT) animals (7 rats per group). NC and HC rats were submitted to a low-intensity treadmill running protocol (5 days/week, 1 h/day, 0% grade, and 50-60% of maximal running speed) for 8 weeks. Gene expression of the ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) and FK506 binding protein (FKBP12.6) increased (270%) and decreased (88%), respectively, in HC compared to NC rats. Endurance exercise training reversed these changes by reducing RyR2 (230%) and normalizing FKBP12.6 gene expression (112%). Hypertension also increased the frequency of Ca2+ sparks (HC=7.61±0.26 vs NC=4.79±0.19 per 100 µm/s) and decreased its amplitude (HC=0.260±0.08 vs NC=0.324±0.10 ΔF/F0), full width at half-maximum amplitude (HC=1.05±0.08 vs NC=1.26±0.01 µm), total duration (HC=11.51±0.12 vs NC=14.97±0.24 ms), time to peak (HC=4.84±0.06 vs NC=6.31±0.14 ms), and time constant of decay (HC=8.68±0.12 vs NC=10.21±0.22 ms). These changes were partially reversed in HT rats (frequency of Ca2+ sparks=6.26±0.19 µm/s, amplitude=0.282±0.10 ΔF/F0, full width at half-maximum amplitude=1.14±0.01 µm, total duration=13.34±0.17 ms, time to peak=5.43±0.08 ms, and time constant of decay=9.43±0.15 ms). Endurance exercise training attenuated the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release units of left ventricular myocytes.

Effect of exercise training on Ca2+ release units of left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. Carneiro-Júnior

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In cardiomyocytes, calcium (Ca2+ release units comprise clusters of intracellular Ca2+ release channels located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and hypertension is well established as a cause of defects in calcium release unit function. Our objective was to determine whether endurance exercise training could attenuate the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release unit components and Ca2+ sparks in left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Male Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (4 months of age were divided into 4 groups: normotensive (NC and hypertensive control (HC, and normotensive (NT and hypertensive trained (HT animals (7 rats per group. NC and HC rats were submitted to a low-intensity treadmill running protocol (5 days/week, 1 h/day, 0% grade, and 50-60% of maximal running speed for 8 weeks. Gene expression of the ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2 and FK506 binding protein (FKBP12.6 increased (270% and decreased (88%, respectively, in HC compared to NC rats. Endurance exercise training reversed these changes by reducing RyR2 (230% and normalizing FKBP12.6 gene expression (112%. Hypertension also increased the frequency of Ca2+ sparks (HC=7.61±0.26 vs NC=4.79±0.19 per 100 µm/s and decreased its amplitude (HC=0.260±0.08 vs NC=0.324±0.10 ΔF/F0, full width at half-maximum amplitude (HC=1.05±0.08 vs NC=1.26±0.01 µm, total duration (HC=11.51±0.12 vs NC=14.97±0.24 ms, time to peak (HC=4.84±0.06 vs NC=6.31±0.14 ms, and time constant of decay (HC=8.68±0.12 vs NC=10.21±0.22 ms. These changes were partially reversed in HT rats (frequency of Ca2+ sparks=6.26±0.19 µm/s, amplitude=0.282±0.10 ΔF/F0, full width at half-maximum amplitude=1.14±0.01 µm, total duration=13.34±0.17 ms, time to peak=5.43±0.08 ms, and time constant of decay=9.43±0.15 ms. Endurance exercise training attenuated the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release units of left ventricular myocytes.

Effect of exercise training on Ca2+ release units of left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carneiro-Júnior, M.A.; Quintão-Júnior, J.F.; Drummond, L.R.; Lavorato, V.N.; Drummond, F.R.; Amadeu, M.A.; Oliveira, E.M.; Felix, L.B.; Cruz, J.S.; Mill, J.G.; Natali, A.J.; Prímola-Gomes, T.N.

2014-01-01

In cardiomyocytes, calcium (Ca 2+ ) release units comprise clusters of intracellular Ca 2+ release channels located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and hypertension is well established as a cause of defects in calcium release unit function. Our objective was to determine whether endurance exercise training could attenuate the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release unit components and Ca 2+ sparks in left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Male Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (4 months of age) were divided into 4 groups: normotensive (NC) and hypertensive control (HC), and normotensive (NT) and hypertensive trained (HT) animals (7 rats per group). NC and HC rats were submitted to a low-intensity treadmill running protocol (5 days/week, 1 h/day, 0% grade, and 50-60% of maximal running speed) for 8 weeks. Gene expression of the ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) and FK506 binding protein (FKBP12.6) increased (270%) and decreased (88%), respectively, in HC compared to NC rats. Endurance exercise training reversed these changes by reducing RyR2 (230%) and normalizing FKBP12.6 gene expression (112%). Hypertension also increased the frequency of Ca 2+ sparks (HC=7.61±0.26 vs NC=4.79±0.19 per 100 µm/s) and decreased its amplitude (HC=0.260±0.08 vs NC=0.324±0.10 ΔF/F 0 ), full width at half-maximum amplitude (HC=1.05±0.08 vs NC=1.26±0.01 µm), total duration (HC=11.51±0.12 vs NC=14.97±0.24 ms), time to peak (HC=4.84±0.06 vs NC=6.31±0.14 ms), and time constant of decay (HC=8.68±0.12 vs NC=10.21±0.22 ms). These changes were partially reversed in HT rats (frequency of Ca 2+ sparks=6.26±0.19 µm/s, amplitude=0.282±0.10 ΔF/F 0 , full width at half-maximum amplitude=1.14±0.01 µm, total duration=13.34±0.17 ms, time to peak=5.43±0.08 ms, and time constant of decay=9.43±0.15 ms). Endurance exercise training attenuated the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release units of left ventricular myocytes

Runoff and soil erosion for an undisturbed tropical woodland in the Brazilian Cerrado

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Paulo Tarso S.; Nearing, Mark; Wendland, Edson

2015-04-01

The Brazilian Cerrado is a large and important economic and environmental region that is experiencing major loss of its natural landscapes due to pressures of food and energy production, which has caused large increases in soil erosion. However the magnitude of the soil erosion increases in this region is not well understood, in part because scientific studies of surface runoff and soil erosion are scarce or nonexistent in undisturbed Cerrado vegetation. In this study we measured natural rainfall-driven rates of runoff and soil erosion for an undisturbed tropical woodland classified as "cerrado sensu stricto denso" and bare soil to compute the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) cover and management factor (C-factor) to help evaluate the likely effects of land use change on soil erosion rates. Replicated data on precipitation, runoff, and soil loss on plots (5 x 20 m) under bare soil and cerrado were collected for 55 erosive storms occurring in 2012 and 2013. The measured annual precipitation was 1247.4 mm and 1113.0 mm for 2012 and 2013, resulting in a rainfall erosivity index of 4337.1 MJ mm ha-1 h-1 and 3546.2 MJ mm ha-1 h-1, for each year respectively. The erosive rainfall represented 80concentrated in the wet season, which generally runs from October through March. In the plots on bare soil, the runoff coefficient for individual rainfall events (total runoff divided by total rainfall) ranged from 0.003 to 0.860 with an average value and standard deviation of 0.212 ± 0.187. Moreover, the runoff coefficient found for the bare soil plots (~20infiltration capacity. In forest areas the leaf litter and the more porous soil tend to promote the increase of infiltration and water storage, rather than rapid overland flow. Indeed, runoff coefficients ranged from 0.001 to 0.030 with an average of less than 1under undisturbed cerrado. The soil losses measured under bare soil and cerrado were 15.68 t ha-1yr-1 and 0.24 t ha-1 yr-1 in 2012, and 14.82 t ha-1 yr-1, 0.11 t ha-1

Necromass in undisturbed and logged forests in the Brazilian Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Michael Palace; Michael Keller; Gregory P. Asner; Jose Natalino M. Silva; Carlos. Passos

2007-01-01

Necromass is an important stock of carbon in tropical forests. We estimated volume, density, and mass of fallen and standing necromass in undisturbed and selectively logged forests at Juruena, Mato Grosso, Brazil (10.488S, 58.478W). We also measured standing dead trees at the Tapajos National Forest, Para, Brazil (3.088S, 54.948W) complementing our earlier study there...

Quantification of the rat left ventricle force and Ca2+ -frequency relationships: similarities to dog and human.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, David G; Parilak, Leonard D; LeWinter, Martin M; Knot, Harm J

2004-01-01

To measure and quantify the force-frequency (FFR) and Ca(2+)-frequency (CaFR) relationships in isolated rat left ventricular (LV) muscle at physiological heart rates and compare the obtained FFR to that measured in larger mammalian muscle from dog and human using the same experimental protocol. Rat papillary muscle was isolated from the LV of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, and dog and human muscles were from free-wall LV biopsies, loaded with the Ca(2+) indicator Fura-2, allowed to recover from isolation trauma and then subjected to direct electrical stimulation while measuring force production and intracellular Ca(2+) transients. We obtained a positive FFR between 1 and 4 Hz that is qualitatively similar to that found in isolated LV epicardial muscle strips from dogs and humans with normal LV function. The FFR reflects the cytosolic Ca(2+) transients in amplitude. Isoproterenol yielded an enhancement in force, but flattening of the FFR, whereas cyclopiazonic acid caused depression of FFR amplitude without changing frequency-dependent shape. We describe an experimental protocol that consistently yields positive FFRs in rat, dog and human LV muscle at stimulation rates between 1 and 4 Hz, without significant qualitative differences. We attribute previously observed negative FFR in rat muscle to an increase in SERCA activity early after excision and preparation of the muscle strips.

Plasma Insulin and the Time Pattern of Feeding in the Rat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Strubbe, J.H.; Steffens, A.B.; de Ruiter, L.

1977-01-01

Blood levels of glucose and insulin during meals and between-meal-intervals were measured in virtually undisturbed rats. After a peak due to glucose absorbed from the meal blood sugar soon reverts to the pre-meal level. Insulin shows a similar peak followed by a continuing decline so that just

Ligation of the left renal vein in epm1-wistar rats: functional and morphologic alterations in the kidneys, testes and suprarenal glands

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José Carlos Costa Baptista-Silva

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The ligation of the left renal vein (LLVR in man is a contraversial procedure in view of the risks of lesion to the renal parenchyma. With the objective of studying the morphologic and functional alterations caused by these lesions, we conducted experimental research with rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 64 male adult EPM1-WISTAR rats were used, divided into 8 groups - 4 for LLRV and four for control. Each LLRV group and corresponding control group were sacrificed progressively on the 7th, 15th, 30th and 60th day after the initial surgery. RESULTS: We found morphofunctional alterations only in animals that underwent LLRV in the four periods of sacrifice.The proteinuria creatinine in serum, testosterone in serum and serum corticosterone in serum showed practically no alteration in relation to the normal values for rats. Statistically significant severe histological lesions were found in the kidneys and testes of the LLRV groups. Lesions in the suprarenal glands were also present in these groups, but no sufficient to demonstrate statistical significance CONCLUSION: Based on these results we can conclude that the ligation of the left renal vein is a procedure of high risk in these animals.

Large zero-tension plate lysimeters for soil water and solute collection in undisturbed soils

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A. Peters

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Water collection from undisturbed unsaturated soils to estimate in situ water and solute fluxes in the field is a challenge, in particular if soils are heterogeneous. Large sampling devices are required if preferential flow paths are present. We present a modular plate system that allows installation of large zero-tension lysimeter plates under undisturbed soils in the field. To investigate the influence of the lysimeter on the water flow field in the soil, a numerical 2-D simulation study was conducted for homogeneous soils with uni- and bimodal pore-size distributions and stochastic Miller-Miller heterogeneity. The collection efficiency was found to be highly dependent on the hydraulic functions, infiltration rate, and lysimeter size, and was furthermore affected by the degree of heterogeneity. In homogeneous soils with high saturated conductivities the devices perform poorly and even large lysimeters (width 250 cm can be bypassed by the soil water. Heterogeneities of soil hydraulic properties result into a network of flow channels that enhance the sampling efficiency of the lysimeter plates. Solute breakthrough into zero-tension lysimeter occurs slightly retarded as compared to the free soil, but concentrations in the collected water are similar to the mean flux concentration in the undisturbed soil. To validate the results from the numerical study, a dual tracer study with seven lysimeters of 1.25×1.25 m area was conducted in the field. Three lysimeters were installed underneath a 1.2 m filling of contaminated silty sand, the others deeper in the undisturbed soil. The lysimeters directly underneath the filled soil material collected water with a collection efficiency of 45%. The deeper lysimeters did not collect any water. The arrival of the tracers showed that almost all collected water came from preferential flow paths.

Effect of exercise training on Ca{sup 2+} release units of left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carneiro-Júnior, M.A. [Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Vitória, ES (Brazil); Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Laboratório de Biologia do Exercício, Departamento de Educação Física, Viçosa, MG (Brazil); Quintão-Júnior, J.F.; Drummond, L.R.; Lavorato, V.N.; Drummond, F.R. [Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Laboratório de Biologia do Exercício, Departamento de Educação Física, Viçosa, MG (Brazil); Amadeu, M.A.; Oliveira, E.M. [Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular do Exercício, Escola de Educação Física e Esportes, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Felix, L.B. [Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, Viçosa, MG (Brazil); Cruz, J.S. [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Membranas Excitáveis e Biologia Cardiovascular, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Mill, J.G. [Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Vitória, ES (Brazil); Natali, A.J.; Prímola-Gomes, T.N. [Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Laboratório de Biologia do Exercício, Departamento de Educação Física, Viçosa, MG (Brazil)

2014-08-29

In cardiomyocytes, calcium (Ca{sup 2+}) release units comprise clusters of intracellular Ca{sup 2+} release channels located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and hypertension is well established as a cause of defects in calcium release unit function. Our objective was to determine whether endurance exercise training could attenuate the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release unit components and Ca{sup 2+} sparks in left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Male Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (4 months of age) were divided into 4 groups: normotensive (NC) and hypertensive control (HC), and normotensive (NT) and hypertensive trained (HT) animals (7 rats per group). NC and HC rats were submitted to a low-intensity treadmill running protocol (5 days/week, 1 h/day, 0% grade, and 50-60% of maximal running speed) for 8 weeks. Gene expression of the ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) and FK506 binding protein (FKBP12.6) increased (270%) and decreased (88%), respectively, in HC compared to NC rats. Endurance exercise training reversed these changes by reducing RyR2 (230%) and normalizing FKBP12.6 gene expression (112%). Hypertension also increased the frequency of Ca{sup 2+} sparks (HC=7.61±0.26 vs NC=4.79±0.19 per 100 µm/s) and decreased its amplitude (HC=0.260±0.08 vs NC=0.324±0.10 ΔF/F{sub 0}), full width at half-maximum amplitude (HC=1.05±0.08 vs NC=1.26±0.01 µm), total duration (HC=11.51±0.12 vs NC=14.97±0.24 ms), time to peak (HC=4.84±0.06 vs NC=6.31±0.14 ms), and time constant of decay (HC=8.68±0.12 vs NC=10.21±0.22 ms). These changes were partially reversed in HT rats (frequency of Ca{sup 2+} sparks=6.26±0.19 µm/s, amplitude=0.282±0.10 ΔF/F{sub 0}, full width at half-maximum amplitude=1.14±0.01 µm, total duration=13.34±0.17 ms, time to peak=5.43±0.08 ms, and time constant of decay=9.43±0.15 ms). Endurance exercise training attenuated the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release units of

Neonatal handling induces anovulatory estrous cycles in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gomes C.M.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Since previous work has shown that stimulation early in life decreases sexual receptiveness as measured by the female lordosis quotient, we suggested that neonatal handling could affect the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. The effects of neonatal handling on the estrous cycle and ovulation were analyzed in adult rats. Two groups of animals were studied: intact (no manipulation, N = 10 and handled (N = 11. Pups were either handled daily for 1 min during the first 10 days of life or left undisturbed. At the age of 90 days, a vaginal smear was collected daily at 9:00 a.m. and analyzed for 29 days; at 9:00 a.m. on the day of estrus, animals were anesthetized with thiopental (40 mg/kg, ip, the ovaries were removed and the oviduct was dissected and squashed between 2 glass slides. The number of oocytes of both oviductal ampullae was counted under the microscope. The average numbers for each phase of the cycle (diestrus I, diestrus II, proestrus and estrus during the period analyzed were compared between the two groups. There were no significant differences between intact and handled females during any of the phases. However, the number of handled females that showed anovulatory cycles (8 out of 11 was significantly higher than in the intact group (none out of 10. Neonatal stimulation may affect not only the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, as previously demonstrated, but also the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis in female rats.

Testosterone affects hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) activity and lipid metabolism in the left ventricle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langfort, Jozef; Jagsz, Slawomir; Dobrzyn, Pawel

2010-01-01

tissue suggests that testosterone regulates HSL activity. To test whether this is also true in the heart, we measured HSL activity in the left ventricle of sedentary male rats that had been treated with testosterone supplementation or orchidectomy with or without testosterone substitution. Left ventricle...... HSL activity against TG was significantly elevated in intact rats supplemented with testosterone. HSL activity against both TG and diacylglyceride was reduced by orchidectomy, whereas testosterone replacement fully reversed this effect. Moreover, testosterone increased left ventricle free fatty acid...... levels, caused an inhibitory effect on carbohydrate metabolism in the heart, and elevated left ventricular phosphocreatine and ATP levels as compared to control rats. These data indicate that testosterone is involved in cardiac HSL activity regulation which, in turn, may affect cardiac lipid...

Highly Palatable Food during Adolescence Improves Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysfunction in Rats that Experienced Neonatal Maternal Separation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong-Ho Lee

2014-06-01

Full Text Available BackgroundThis study was conducted to examine the effects of ad libitum consumption of highly palatable food (HPF during adolescence on the adverse behavioral outcome of neonatal maternal separation.MethodsMale Sprague-Dawley pups were separated from dam for 3 hours daily during the first 2 weeks of birth (maternal separation, MS or left undisturbed (nonhandled, NH. Half of MS pups received free access to chocolate cookies in addition to ad libitum chow from postnatal day 28 (MS+HPF. Pups were subjected to behavioral tests during young adulthood. The plasma corticosterone response to stress challenge was analyzed by radioimmunoassay.ResultsDaily caloric intake and body weight gain did not differ among the experimental groups. Ambulatory activities were decreased defecation activity and rostral grooming were increased in MS controls (fed with chow only compared with NH rats. MS controls spent less time in open arms, and more time in closed arms during the elevated plus maze test, than NH rats. Immobility duration during the forced swim test was increased in MS controls compared with NH rats. Cookie access normalized the behavioral scores of ambulatory and defecation activities and grooming, but not the scores during the elevated plus maze and swim tests in MS rats. Stress-induced corticosterone increase was blunted in MS rats fed with chow only, and cookie access normalized it.ConclusionProlonged access to HPF during adolescence and youth partly improves anxiety-related, but not depressive, symptoms in rats that experienced neonatal maternal separation, possibly in relation with improved function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis.

Effect of exercise training on Ca²⁺ release units of left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Carneiro-Júnior, M A; Quintão-Júnior, J F; Drummond, L R; Lavorato, V N; Drummond, F R; Amadeu, M A; Oliveira, E M; Felix, L B; Cruz, J S; Mill, J G; Natali, A J; Prímola-Gomes, T N

2014-11-01

In cardiomyocytes, calcium (Ca²⁺) release units comprise clusters of intracellular Ca²⁺ release channels located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and hypertension is well established as a cause of defects in calcium release unit function. Our objective was to determine whether endurance exercise training could attenuate the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release unit components and Ca²⁺ sparks in left ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Male Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (4 months of age) were divided into 4 groups: normotensive (NC) and hypertensive control (HC), and normotensive (NT) and hypertensive trained (HT) animals (7 rats per group). NC and HC rats were submitted to a low-intensity treadmill running protocol (5 days/week, 1 h/day, 0% grade, and 50-60% of maximal running speed) for 8 weeks. Gene expression of the ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) and FK506 binding protein (FKBP12.6) increased (270%) and decreased (88%), respectively, in HC compared to NC rats. Endurance exercise training reversed these changes by reducing RyR2 (230%) and normalizing FKBP12.6 gene expression (112%). Hypertension also increased the frequency of Ca²⁺ sparks (HC=7.61 ± 0.26 vs NC=4.79 ± 0.19 per 100 µm/s) and decreased its amplitude (HC=0.260 ± 0.08 vs NC=0.324 ± 0.10 ΔF/F0), full width at half-maximum amplitude (HC=1.05 ± 0.08 vs NC=1.26 ± 0.01 µm), total duration (HC=11.51 ± 0.12 vs NC=14.97 ± 0.24 ms), time to peak (HC=4.84 ± 0.06 vs NC=6.31 ± 0.14 ms), and time constant of decay (HC=8.68 ± 0.12 vs NC=10.21 ± 0.22 ms). These changes were partially reversed in HT rats (frequency of Ca²⁺ sparks=6.26 ± 0.19 µm/s, amplitude=0.282 ± 0.10 ΔF/F0, full width at half-maximum amplitude=1.14 ± 0.01 µm, total duration=13.34 ± 0.17 ms, time to peak=5.43 ± 0.08 ms, and time constant of decay=9.43 ± 0.15 ms). Endurance exercise training attenuated the deleterious effects of hypertension on calcium release

Dominance of the multicoloured Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis in an undisturbed wild meadow ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Élise Bélanger

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Fifteen years after its arrival in Quebec (Canada, the multicoloured Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas 1773 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae has become one of the dominant coccinellid species in agricultural, forested and urban areas. Several studies conducted in North American agricultural ecosystems show that the arrival of H. axyridis and other exotic coccinellid species was followed by decreases in the populations of native coccinellid species. In this study, the abundances of H. axyridis and other native and exotic species were determined in an undisturbed wild meadow located in a protected area. In 2009 and 2010, mainly Solidago canadensis L. (Asteraceae and Asclepias syriaca L. (Asclepiadaceae infested with aphids were surveyed. A total of 1522 individuals, belonging to seven different species, were recorded. In 2009, on all the plants monitored, H. axyridis was clearly the dominant species (69% of the coccinellid assemblage. In addition, this exotic species constituted 84% of the coccinellid assemblage, including Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L. and Coccinella septempunctata (L. It is likely the dominance of the eurytopic Asian lady beetle in agricultural, forested, urban and undisturbed open ecosystems, poses a threat to native lady beetles. These results also provide evidence that undisturbed wild meadow ecosystems will not constitute a natural refuge from Harmonia axyridis for native species of lady beetles.

Availability of 99Tc in undisturbed soil cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denys, Sebastien; Echevarria, Guillaume; Florentin, Louis; Leclerc-Cessac, Elisabeth; Morel, Jean-Louis

2003-01-01

Models for safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories need accurate values of the soil-to-plant transfer of radionuclides. In oxidizing environments, 99 Tc is expected to occur as pertechnetate ( 99 TcO 4 - ). Due to its high mobility, leaching of this element in the field might be important, potentially affecting the reliability of estimated transfer parameters of 99 Tc as measured in closed experimental systems such as hydroponics or pot experiments. The aim of this experiment was to measure the leaching of 99 Tc in undisturbed irrigated soil cores under cultivation as well as plant uptake and to study the possible competition between the two transfer pathways. Undisturbed soil cores (50x50 cm) were sampled from a Rendzic Leptosol (R), a colluvial Fluvic Cambisol (F) and a Dystric Cambisol (D) using PVC tubes (three cores sampled per soil type). Each core was equipped with a leachate collector at the bottom, allowing the monitoring of 99 Tc leaching through the cores. Cores were placed in a greenhouse and maize (Zea mays L., cv. DEA, Pioneer[reg]) was sown. After 135 d, maize was harvested and radioactivity determined in both plant and water samples. Results showed that during the growing period, leaching of 99 Tc was limited, due to the high evapotranspiration rate of maize. After harvest, leaching of 99 Tc went on because of the absence of evapotranspiration. Effective uptake (EU) of 99 Tc in leaves and grains was calculated. EU reached 70% of the input in the leaves and was not significantly different among soils. These results confirmed those obtained from pot experiments, even though leaching was allowed to occur in close-to-reality hydraulical conditions. As a consequence, it was concluded that pot experiments are an adequate surrogate for more complex 'close-to-reality' experimental systems for measuring transfer factors

Repeated touch and needle-prick stimulation in the neonatal period increases the baseline mechanical sensitivity and postinjury hypersensitivity of adult spinal sensory neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Hoogen, Nynke J; Patijn, Jacob; Tibboel, Dick; Joosten, Bert A; Fitzgerald, Maria; Kwok, Charlie H T

2018-03-08

Noxious stimulation at critical stages of development has long-term consequences on somatosensory processing in later life, but it is not known whether this developmental plasticity is restricted to nociceptive pathways. Here, we investigate the effect of repeated neonatal noxious or innocuous hind paw stimulation on adult spinal dorsal horn cutaneous mechanical sensitivity. Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes received 4 unilateral left hind paw needle pricks (NPs, n = 13) or 4 tactile (cotton swab touch) stimuli, per day (TC, n = 11) for the first 7 days of life. Control pups were left undisturbed (n = 17). When adult (6-8 weeks), lumbar wide-dynamic-range neuron activity in laminae III-V was recorded using in vivo extracellular single-unit electrophysiology. Spike activity evoked by cutaneous dynamic tactile (brush), pinch and punctate (von Frey hair) stimulation, and plantar receptive field areas were recorded, at baseline and 2 and 5 days after left plantar hind paw incision. Baseline brush receptive fields, von Frey hair, and pinch sensitivity were significantly enhanced in adult NP and TC animals compared with undisturbed controls, although effects were greatest in NP rats. After incision, injury sensitivity of adult wide-dynamic-range neurons to both noxious and dynamic tactile hypersensitivity was significantly greater in NP animals compared with TC and undisturbed controls. We conclude that both repeated touch and needle-prick stimulation in the neonatal period can alter adult spinal sensory neuron sensitivity to both innocuous and noxious mechanical stimulation. Thus, spinal sensory circuits underlying touch and pain processing are shaped by a range of early-life somatosensory experiences.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Elsaesser variable analysis of fluctuations in the ion foreshock and undisturbed solar wind

Science.gov (United States)

Labelle, James; Treumann, Rudolf A.; Marsch, Eckart

1994-01-01

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) fluctuations in the solar wind have been investigated previously by use of Elsaesser variables. In this paper, we present a comparison of the spectra of Elsaesser variables in the undisturbed solar wind at 1 AU and in the ion foreshock in front of the Earth. Both observations take place under relatively strong solar wind flow speed conditions (approximately equal 600 km/s). In the undisturbed solar wind we find that outward propagating Alfven waves dominate, as reported by other observers. In the ion foreshock the situation is more complex, with neither outward nor inward propagation dominating over the entire range investigated (1-10 mHz). Measurements of the Poynting vectors associated with the fluctuations are consistent with the Elsaesser variable analysis. These results generally support interpretations of the Elsaesser variables which have been made based strictly on solar wind data and provide additional insight into the nature of the ion foreshock turbulence.

Effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on left ventricular function in adult rats: an in vivo Pinhole Gated SPECT study

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Weytjens Caroline

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent studies have suggested that diabetes mellitus (DM may cause left ventricular (LV dysfunction directly resulting in increased susceptibility to heart failure. Using pinhole collimators and advances in data processing, gated SPECT was recently adapted to image the rat heart. The present study was aimed to assess this new imaging technique for quantifying LV function and remodeling from the Streptozotocin (STZ rat model compared to controls. Methods Twenty one rats were randomly assigned to control or diabetic group. Six months after the induction of diabetes by STZ, Pinhole 99 m Tc-sestamibi gated SPECT was performed for determining rat LV volumes and function. Post-mortem histopathologic analysis was performed to evaluate the determinant of LV remodeling in this model. Results After six months, the normalized to body weight LV End-systolic volume was significantly different in diabetic rats compared to controls (0.46 ± 0.02 vs 0.33 ± 0.03 μL/g; p = 0.01. The normalized LV End-diastolic volume was also different in both groups (1.51 ± 0.03 vs 0.88 ± 0.05 μL/g; p = 0.001 and the normalized stroke volume was significantly higher in STZ-rats (1.05 ± 0.02 vs 0.54 ± 0.06 μL/g; p = 0.001. The muscular fibers were thinner at histology in the diabetic rats (0.44 ± 0.07 vs 0.32 ± 0.06 AU; p = 0.01. Conclusion Pinhole 99 m Tc-sestamibi gated SPECT can successfully be applied for the evaluation of cardiac function and remodeling in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In this model, LV volumes were significantly changed compared to a control population, leading to a LV dysfunction. These findings were consistent with the histopathological abnormalities. Finally, these data further suggest the presence of diabetes cardiomyopathy.

A novel hydrodynamic approach of drag-reducing polymers to improve left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats

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Zhang X

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Xinlu Zhang,1,* Xu Wang,2,* Feng Hu,1 Boda Zhou,3 Hai-Bin Chen,1 Daogang Zha,1 Yili Liu,1 Yansong Guo,4 Lemin Zheng,2 Jiancheng Xiu1 1Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 2The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, 3Department of Cardiology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides of Ministry of Health, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 4Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Drag-reducing polymers (DRPs, when added in minute concentrations, have been shown to decrease peripheral vascular resistance. In this study, the effect of DRPs on the hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy and aortic remodeling was evaluated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR. Male SHR and age-matched Wistar rats were divided into four groups and received intravenous injection of normal saline (NS or DRPs. Body weight (BW, heart rate (HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP were measured. Echocardiography was used to evaluate the changes in left ventricle (LV function and global wall motion. The LV and aorta were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Cell size of cardiomyocytes and aortic medial thickness were evaluated for each section. The expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1 of LV and aorta was examined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. There was no significant difference in the increase of SBP among SHR + NS, SHR + 10DRP and SHR + 20DRP groups. SHR + NS group had markedly smaller left ventricular end

Aberrant Glycosylation in the Left Ventricle and Plasma of Rats with Cardiac Hypertrophy and Heart Failure.

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Chiaki Nagai-Okatani

Full Text Available Targeted proteomics focusing on post-translational modifications, including glycosylation, is a useful strategy for discovering novel biomarkers. To apply this strategy effectively to cardiac hypertrophy and resultant heart failure, we aimed to characterize glycosylation profiles in the left ventricle and plasma of rats with cardiac hypertrophy. Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats, a model of hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy, were fed a high-salt (8% NaCl diet starting at 6 weeks. As a result, they exhibited cardiac hypertrophy at 12 weeks and partially impaired cardiac function at 16 weeks compared with control rats fed a low-salt (0.3% NaCl diet. Gene expression analysis revealed significant changes in the expression of genes encoding glycosyltransferases and glycosidases. Glycoproteome profiling using lectin microarrays indicated upregulation of mucin-type O-glycosylation, especially disialyl-T, and downregulation of core fucosylation on N-glycans, detected by specific interactions with Amaranthus caudatus and Aspergillus oryzae lectins, respectively. Upregulation of plasma α-l-fucosidase activity was identified as a biomarker candidate for cardiac hypertrophy, which is expected to support the existing marker, atrial natriuretic peptide and its related peptides. Proteomic analysis identified cysteine and glycine-rich protein 3, a master regulator of cardiac muscle function, as an O-glycosylated protein with altered glycosylation in the rats with cardiac hypertrophy, suggesting that alternations in O-glycosylation affect its oligomerization and function. In conclusion, our data provide evidence of significant changes in glycosylation pattern, specifically mucin-type O-glycosylation and core defucosylation, in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, suggesting that they are potential biomarkers for these diseases.

Plzf as a Candidate Gene Predisposing the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat to Hypertension, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, and Interstitial Fibrosis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Liška, F.; Mancini, M.; Krupková, M.; Chylíková, B.; Křenová, D.; Šeda, O.; Šilhavý, Jan; Mlejnek, Petr; Landa, Vladimír; Zídek, Václav; d´Amati, G.; Pravenec, Michal; Křen, Vladimír

2014-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 1 (2014), s. 99-106 ISSN 0895-7061 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP301/10/0756; GA ČR(CZ) GAP301/12/0696; GA MŠk(CZ) LL1204; GA MŠk(CZ) 7E10067 Grant - others:Univerzita Karlova(CZ) PRVOUK-P25/LF1/2 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : hypertension * left ventricular hypertrophy * myocardial interstitial fibrosis * spontaneously hypertensive rat * Plzf (promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger) gene Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.852, year: 2014

Infiltration characteristics of non-aqueous phase liquids in undisturbed loessal soil cores.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yunqiang; Shao, Ming'an

2009-01-01

The widespread contamination of soils and aquifers by non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), such as crude oil, poses serious environmental and health hazards globally. Understanding the infiltration characteristics of NAPL in soil is crucial in mitigating or remediating soil contamination. The infiltration characteristics of crude and diesel oils into undisturbed loessal soil cores, collected in polymethyl methacrylate cylindrical columns, were investigated under a constant fluid head (3 cm) of either crude oil or diesel oil. The infiltration rate of both crude and diesel oils decreased exponentially as wetting depth increased with time. Soil core size and bulk density both had significant effects on NAPL infiltration through the undisturbed soil cores; a smaller core size or a greater bulk density could reduce oil penetration to depth. Compacting soil in areas susceptible to oil spills may be an effective stratage to reduce contamination. The infiltration of NAPL into soil cores was spatially anisotropic and heterogeneous, thus recording the data at four points on the soil core is a good stratage to improve the accuracy of experimental results. Our results revealed that crude and diesel oils, rather than their components, have a practical value for remediation of contaminated loessal soils.

Analytical description of transfer of Pu-239 in undisturbed soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tianshan, Ren; Linsalata, P; Cohen, N

1986-04-01

The paper reports on an analytical model for describing the horizontal and down-ward transfer of /sup 239/Pu in undisturbed soil based on observed data. The model has been developed to predict how the depth distribution of /sup 239/Pu in soil would change with time. This information is essential for estimation of the quantities of /sup 239/Pu that have entered surface water body via erosion and runoff processes and for estimation of the long-term impact of /sup 239/Pu isice the commencement of nuclear fallout deposition.

Increased angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in the left ventricle after infarction

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V.C.W. Busatto

1997-05-01

Full Text Available An increase in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE activity has been observed in the heart after myocardial infarction (MI. Since most studies have been conducted in chronically infarcted individuals exhibiting variable degrees of heart failure, the present study was designed to determine ACE activity in an earlier phase of MI, before heart failure development. MI was produced in 3-month old male Wistar rats by ligation of the anterior branches of the left coronary artery, control rats underwent sham surgery and the animals were studied 7 or 15 days later. Hemodynamic data obtained for the anesthetized animals showed normal values of arterial blood pressure and of end-diastolic pressure in the right and left ventricular cavities of MI rats. Right and left ventricular (RV, LV muscle and scar tissue homogenates were prepared to determine ACE activity in vitro by measuring the velocity of His-Leu release from the synthetic substrate Hyp-His-Leu. ACE activity was corrected to the tissue wet weight and is reported as nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1. No significant change in ACE activity in the RV homogenates was demonstrable. A small nonsignificant increase of ACE activity (11 ± 9%; P0.05 was observed 7 days after MI in the surviving left ventricular muscle. Two weeks after surgery, however, ACE activity was 46 ± 11% (P<0.05 higher in infarcted rats compared to sham-operated rats. The highest ACE activity was demonstrable in the scar tissue homogenate. In rats studied two weeks after surgery, ACE activity in the LV muscle increased from 105 ± 7 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1 in control hearts to 153 ± 11 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1 (P<0.05 in the remaining LV muscle of MI rats and to 1051 ± 208 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1 (P<0.001 in the fibrous scar. These data indicate that ACE activity increased in the heart after infarction before heart failure was demonstrable by hemodynamic measurements. Since the blood vessels of the scar drain to the remaining LV myocardium, the

A simplified 137Cs transport model for estimating erosion rates in undisturbed soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xinbao; Long Yi; He Xiubin; Fu Jiexiong; Zhang Yunqi

2008-01-01

137 Cs is an artificial radionuclide with a half-life of 30.12 years which released into the environment as a result of atmospheric testing of thermo-nuclear weapons primarily during the period of 1950s-1970s with the maximum rate of 137 Cs fallout from atmosphere in 1963. 137 Cs fallout is strongly and rapidly adsorbed by fine particles in the surface horizons of the soil, when it falls down on the ground mostly with precipitation. Its subsequent redistribution is associated with movements of the soil or sediment particles. The 137 Cs nuclide tracing technique has been used for assessment of soil losses for both undisturbed and cultivated soils. For undisturbed soils, a simple profile-shape model was developed in 1990 to describe the 137 Cs depth distribution in profile, where the maximum 137 Cs occurs in the surface horizon and it exponentially decreases with depth. The model implied that the total 137 Cs fallout amount deposited on the earth surface in 1963 and the 137 Cs profile shape has not changed with time. The model has been widely used for assessment of soil losses on undisturbed land. However, temporal variations of 137 Cs depth distribution in undisturbed soils after its deposition on the ground due to downward transport processes are not considered in the previous simple profile-shape model. Thus, the soil losses are overestimated by the model. On the base of the erosion assessment model developed by Walling, D.E., He, Q. [1999. Improved models for estimating soil erosion rates from cesium-137 measurements. Journal of Environmental Quality 28, 611-622], we discuss the 137 Cs transport process in the eroded soil profile and make some simplification to the model, develop a method to estimate the soil erosion rate more expediently. To compare the soil erosion rates calculated by the simple profile-shape model and the simple transport model, the soil losses related to different 137 Cs loss proportions of the reference inventory at the Kaixian site of the

Mobility of radionuclides and trace elements in soil from legacy NORM and undisturbed naturally 232Th-rich sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Mrdakovic Popic, Jelena; Meland, Sondre; Salbu, Brit; Skipperud, Lindis

2014-05-01

Investigation of radionuclides (232Th and 238U) and trace elements (Cr, As and Pb) in soil from two legacy NORM (former mining sites) and one undisturbed naturally 232Th-rich site was conducted as a part of the ongoing environmental impact assessment in the Fen Complex area (Norway). The major objectives were to determine the radionuclide and trace element distribution and mobility in soils as well as to analyze possible differences between legacy NORM and surrounding undisturbed naturally 232Th-rich soils. Inhomogeneous soil distribution of radionuclides and trace elements was observed for each of the investigated sites. The concentration of 232Th was high (up to 1685 mg kg(-1), i.e., ∼7000 Bq kg(-1)) and exceeded the screening value for the radioactive waste material in Norway (1 Bq g(-1)). Based on the sequential extraction results, the majority of 232Th and trace elements were rather inert, irreversibly bound to soil. Uranium was found to be potentially more mobile, as it was associated with pH-sensitive soil phases, redox-sensitive amorphous soil phases and soil organic compounds. Comparison of the sequential extraction datasets from the three investigated sites revealed increased mobility of all analyzed elements at the legacy NORM sites in comparison with the undisturbed 232Th-rich site. Similarly, the distribution coefficients Kd (232Th) and Kd (238U) suggested elevated dissolution, mobility and transportation at the legacy NORM sites, especially at the decommissioned Nb-mining site (346 and 100 L kg(-1) for 232Th and 238U, respectively), while the higher sorption of radionuclides was demonstrated at the undisturbed 232Th-rich site (10,672 and 506 L kg(-1) for 232Th and 238U, respectively). In general, although the concentration ranges of radionuclides and trace elements were similarly wide both at the legacy NORM and at the undisturbed 232Th-rich sites, the results of soil sequential extractions together with Kd values supported the expected differences

Infiltration characteristics of non-aqueous phase liquids in undisturbed loessal soil cores

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Yunqiang; SHAO Ming'an

2009-01-01

The widespread contamination of soils and aquifers by non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), such as crude oil, poses serious environmental and health hazards globally. Understanding the infiltration characteristics of NAPL in soil is crucial in mitigating or remediating soil contamination. The infiltration characteristics of crude and diesel oils into undisturbed loessal soil cores, collected in polymethyl methacrylate cylindrical columns, were investigated under a constant fluid head (3 cm) of either crude oil or diesel oil. The infiltration rate of both crude and diesel oils decreased exponentially as wetting depth increased with time. Soil core size and bulk density both had a significant effect on NAPL infiltration through the undisturbed soil cores; a smaller core size or a greater bulk density both reduced oil penetration to depth. Compacting soil in areas susceptible to oil spills may be an effective way to reduce contamination. The infiltration of NAPL into soil cores was spatially anisotropic and heterogeneous, thus recording the data at four points on the soil core is a good way to improve the accuracy of experimental results. Our results provided information about crude and diesel oils, rather than their components, and may have practical value for remediation of contaminated loessal soils.

Coarse woody debris in undisturbed and logged forests in the eastern Brazilian Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Michael Keller; Michael Palace; Gregory P. Asner; Rodrigo Jr. Pereira; Jose Natalino M. Silva

2004-01-01

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of the carbon cycle in tropical forests. We measured the volume and density of fallen CWD at two sites, Cauaxi and Tapajós in the Eastern Amazon. At both sites we studied undisturbed forests (UFs) and logged forests 1 year after harvest. Conventional logging (CL) and reduced impact logging (RIL) were...

Comparison of two surgical techniques for creating an acute myocardial infarct in rats

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Luiz Guilherme Achcar Capriglione

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To perform a comparative assessment of two surgical techniques that are used creating an acute myocardial infarc by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery in order to generate rats with a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40%. Methods: The study was completely randomized and comprised 89 halothane-anaesthetised rats, which were divided into three groups. The control group (SHAM comprised fourteen rats, whose left anterior descending coronary artery was not occluded. Group 1 (G1: comprised by 35 endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated rats, whose left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded. Group 2 (G2: comprised 40 rats being manually ventilated using a nasal respirator whose left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded. Other differences between the two techniques include the method of performing the thoracotomy and removing the pericardium in order to expose the heart, and the use of different methods and suture types for closing the thorax. Seven days after surgery, the cardiac function of all surviving rats was determined by echocardiography. Results: No rats SHAM group had progressed to death or had left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40%. Nine of the 16 surviving G1 rats (56.3% and six of the 20 surviving G2 rats (30% had a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40%. Conclusion: The results indicate a tendency of the technique used in G1 to be better than in G2. This improvement is probably due to the greater duration of the open thorax, which reduces the pressure over time from the surgeon, allowing occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery with higher accuracy.

Sex differences and left-right asymmetries in expression of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors in developing rat hippocampus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hami, Javad; Sadr-Nabavi, Ariane; Sankian, Mojtaba; Haghir, Hossein

2012-04-01

Sex differences and laterality of rat hippocampus with respect to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and insulin receptor (InsR) expression as two important contributors to/regulators of developmental and cognitive functions were examined using real-time PCR and western blot analysis at P0, P7 and P14. Expression of the IGF-1R gene was lowest at P0 in all studied hippocampi. In males, we found the highest expression at P7 in the right hippocampus, and at P14 in the left one. In contrast, the peaked IGF-1R expression occurred at P7 in female hippocampi independent of laterality. Hippocampal InsR expression in males decreased significantly between P0 and P7, followed by a marked upregulation at P14. Conversely, the expression of InsR in females peaked at P7 and then decreased again significantly at P14. We found significant interhemispheric differences in IGF-1R mRNA levels in both male and female hippocampi at different time points. In contrast, we only found significant interhemispheric differences in InsR mRNA expression in P14 male rats, with higher values in the left hippocampus. Interestingly, changes in mRNA expression and in protein levels followed the same developmental pattern, indicating that IGF-1R and InsR transcription is not subject to modulatory effects during the first two weeks of development. These findings indicate that there are prominent interhemispheric and sex differences in IGF-1R and InsR expression in the developing rat hippocampus, suggesting a probable mechanism for the control of gender and laterality differences in development and function of the hippocampus.

Effect of maternal probiotic intervention on HPA axis, immunity and gut microbiota in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome.

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Javad Barouei

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To examine whether maternal probiotic intervention influences the alterations in the brain-immune-gut axis induced by neonatal maternal separation (MS and/or restraint stress in adulthood (AS in Wistar rats. DESIGN: Dams had free access to drinking water supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis BB-12® (3 × 10(9 CFU/mL and Propionibacterium jensenii 702 (8.0 × 10(8 CFU/mL from 10 days before conception until postnatal day (PND 22 (weaning day, or to control ad lib water. Offspring were subjected to MS from PND 2 to 14 or left undisturbed. From PND 83 to 85, animals underwent 30 min/day AS, or were left undisturbed as controls. On PND 24 and 86, blood samples were collected for corticosterone, ACTH and IgA measurement. Colonic contents were analysed for the composition of microflora and luminal IgA levels. RESULTS: Exposure to MS significantly increased ACTH levels and neonatal fecal counts of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, E. coli, enterococci and clostridia, but reduced plasma IgA levels compared with non-MS animals. Animals exposed to AS exhibited significantly increased ACTH and corticosterone levels, decreased aerobic bacteria and bifidobacteria, and increased Bacteroides and E. coli counts compared to non-AS animals. MS coupled with AS induced significantly decreased anaerobes and clostridia compared with the non-stress adult controls. Maternal probiotic intervention significantly increased neonatal corticosterone levels which persisted until at least week 12 in females only, and also resulted in elevated adult ACTH levels and altered neonatal microflora comparable to that of MS. However, it improved plasma IgA responses, increased enterococci and clostridia in MS adults, increased luminal IgA levels, and restored anaerobes, bifidobacteria and E. coli to normal in adults. CONCLUSION: Maternal probiotic intervention induced activation of neonatal stress pathways and an imbalance in gut microflora. Importantly

Availability of {sup 99}Tc in undisturbed soil cores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denys, Sebastien; Echevarria, Guillaume E-mail: guillaume.echevarria@ensaia.inpl-nancy.fr; Florentin, Louis; Leclerc-Cessac, Elisabeth; Morel, Jean-Louis

2003-07-01

Models for safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories need accurate values of the soil-to-plant transfer of radionuclides. In oxidizing environments, {sup 99}Tc is expected to occur as pertechnetate ({sup 99}TcO{sub 4}{sup -}). Due to its high mobility, leaching of this element in the field might be important, potentially affecting the reliability of estimated transfer parameters of {sup 99}Tc as measured in closed experimental systems such as hydroponics or pot experiments. The aim of this experiment was to measure the leaching of {sup 99}Tc in undisturbed irrigated soil cores under cultivation as well as plant uptake and to study the possible competition between the two transfer pathways. Undisturbed soil cores (50x50 cm) were sampled from a Rendzic Leptosol (R), a colluvial Fluvic Cambisol (F) and a Dystric Cambisol (D) using PVC tubes (three cores sampled per soil type). Each core was equipped with a leachate collector at the bottom, allowing the monitoring of {sup 99}Tc leaching through the cores. Cores were placed in a greenhouse and maize (Zea mays L., cv. DEA, Pioneer[reg]) was sown. After 135 d, maize was harvested and radioactivity determined in both plant and water samples. Results showed that during the growing period, leaching of {sup 99}Tc was limited, due to the high evapotranspiration rate of maize. After harvest, leaching of {sup 99}Tc went on because of the absence of evapotranspiration. Effective uptake (EU) of {sup 99}Tc in leaves and grains was calculated. EU reached 70% of the input in the leaves and was not significantly different among soils. These results confirmed those obtained from pot experiments, even though leaching was allowed to occur in close-to-reality hydraulical conditions. As a consequence, it was concluded that pot experiments are an adequate surrogate for more complex 'close-to-reality' experimental systems for measuring transfer factors.

Gamma ray transmission for hydraulic conductivity measurement of undisturbed soil columns

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Anderson Camargo Moreira

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This work had the objective to determine the Hydraulic Conductivity K(theta function for different depth levels z, of columns of undisturbed soil, using the gamma ray transmission technique applied to the Sisson method. The results indicated a growing behavior for K(theta and a homogeneous soil density, both in relation to the increase of the depth. The methodology of gamma ray transmission showed satisfactory results on the determination of the hydraulic conductivity in columns of undisturbed soil, besides being very reliable and a nondestructive method.O estudo da condutividade hidráulica para solos não saturados é essencial quando aplicado às situações relacionadas à irrigação, drenagem e transporte de nutrientes no solo, é uma importante propriedade para desenvolvimentos de culturas agrícolas. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de determinar a função Condutividade Hidráulica K(teta, em diferentes níveis z de profundidade, em colunas de solo indeformado, utilizando a transmissão de raios gama aplicada ao método de Sisson. Os resultados indicam um comportamento crescente para K(teta e uma densidade de solo homogênea, ambos em relação ao aumento da profundidade. A metodologia de transmissão de raios gama mostrou resultados bastante satisfatórios na determinação da condutividade hidráulica em colunas de solo indeformado, além de ser muito confiável e não destrutivo.

Social jet-lag potentiates obesity and metabolic syndrome when combined with cafeteria diet in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Espitia-Bautista, Estefania; Velasco-Ramos, Mario; Osnaya-Ramírez, Iván; Ángeles-Castellanos, Manuel; Buijs, Ruud M; Escobar, Carolina

2017-07-01

Modern lifestyle promotes shifted sleep onset and shifted wake up time between weekdays and weekends, producing a condition termed "social-jet lag." Disrupted sleep promotes increased appetite for carbohydrate and fat-rich food, which in long term leads to overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome. In order to mimic the human situation we produced an experimental model of social-jet lag (Sj-l). With this model, we explored the link between shifted sleep time with consumption of a cafeteria diet (CafD) and the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. The first experiment was designed to create and confirm the model of Sj-l. Rats (n=8-10/group) were exposed to a shifted sleep time protocol achieved by placing the rats in slow rotating wheels from Monday to Friday during the first 4h of the light period, while on weekends they were left undisturbed. The second experiment (n=8-12/group) explored the combined effect of Sj-l with the opportunity to ingest CafD. All protocols lasted 12weeks. We evaluated the development of overweight and indicators of metabolic syndrome. The statistical significance for all variables was set at Pdislipidemia. Present data provide an experimental model of social-jet lag that combined with overconsumption of CafD, and maximized the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Importantly, access to CafD during the night did not lead to overweight nor metabolic syndrome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface evolution and carbon sequestration in disturbed and undisturbed wetland soils of the Hunter estuary, southeast Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, A. J.; Rodríguez, J. F.; Saco, P. M.

2009-08-01

The aim of this work was to quantify the soil carbon storage and sequestration rates of undisturbed natural wetlands and disturbed wetlands subject to restriction of tidal flow and subsequent rehabilitation in an Australian estuary. Disturbed and undisturbed estuarine wetlands of the Hunter estuary, New South Wales, Australia were selected as the study sites for this research. Vertical accretion rates of estuarine substrates were combined with soil carbon concentrations and bulk densities to determine the carbon store and carbon sequestration rates of the substrates tested. Relationships between estuary water level, soil evolution and vertical accretion were also examined. The carbon sequestration rate of undisturbed wetlands was lower (15% for mangrove and 55% for saltmarsh) than disturbed wetlands, but the carbon store was higher (65% for mangrove and 60% for saltmarsh). The increased carbon sequestration rate of the disturbed wetlands was driven by substantially higher rates of vertical accretion (95% for mangrove and 345% for saltmarsh). Estuarine wetland carbon stores were estimated at 700-1000 Gg C for the Hunter estuary and 3900-5600 Gg C for New South Wales. Vertical accretion and carbon sequestration rates of estuarine wetlands in the Hunter are at the lower end of the range reported in the literature. The comparatively high carbon sequestration rates reported for the disturbed wetlands in this study indicate that wetland rehabilitation has positive benefits for regulation of atmospheric carbon concentrations, in addition to more broadly accepted ecosystem services.

Comparison between radionuclide ventriculography and echocardiography for quantification of left ventricular systolic function in rats exposed to doxorubicin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Luciano Fonseca Lemos de; Carvalho, Eduardo Elias Vieira de; Romano, Minna Moreira Dias; Maciel, Benedito Carlos; Simões, Marcus Vinicius, E-mail: msimoes@fmrp.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Centro de Cardiologia; O' Connell, João Lucas; Pulici, Érica Carolina Campos [Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), MG (Brazil)

2017-01-15

Background: Radionuclide ventriculography (RV) is a validated method to evaluate the left ventricular systolic function (LVSF) in small rodents. However, no prior study has compared the results of RV with those obtained by other imaging methods in this context. Objectives: To compare the results of LVSF obtained by RV and echocardiography (ECHO) in an experimental model of cardiotoxicity due to doxorubicin (DXR) in rats. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats serving as controls (n = 7) or receiving DXR (n = 22) in accumulated doses of 8, 12, and 16 mg/kg were evaluated with ECHO performed with a Sonos 5500 Philips equipment (12-MHz transducer) and RV obtained with an Orbiter-Siemens gamma camera using a pinhole collimator with a 4-mm aperture. Histopathological quantification of myocardial fibrosis was performed after euthanasia. Results: The control animals showed comparable results in the LVSF analysis obtained with ECHO and RV (83.5 ± 5% and 82.8 ± 2.8%, respectively, p > 0.05). The animals that received DXR presented lower LVSF values when compared with controls (p < 0.05); however, the LVSF values obtained by RV (60.6 ± 12.5%) were lower than those obtained by ECHO (71.8 ± 10.1%, p = 0.0004) in this group. An analysis of the correlation between the LVSF and myocardial fibrosis showed a moderate correlation when the LVSF was assessed by ECHO (r = -0.69, p = 0.0002) and a stronger correlation when it was assessed by RV (r = -0.79, p < 0.0001). On multiple regression analysis, only RV correlated independently with myocardial fibrosis. Conclusion: RV is an alternative method to assess the left ventricular function in small rodents in vivo. When compared with ECHO, RV showed a better correlation with the degree of myocardial injury in a model of DXR-induced cardiotoxicity. (author)

Comparison between radionuclide ventriculography and echocardiography for quantification of left ventricular systolic function in rats exposed to doxorubicin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Luciano Fonseca Lemos de; Carvalho, Eduardo Elias Vieira de; Romano, Minna Moreira Dias; Maciel, Benedito Carlos; Simões, Marcus Vinicius

2017-01-01

Background: Radionuclide ventriculography (RV) is a validated method to evaluate the left ventricular systolic function (LVSF) in small rodents. However, no prior study has compared the results of RV with those obtained by other imaging methods in this context. Objectives: To compare the results of LVSF obtained by RV and echocardiography (ECHO) in an experimental model of cardiotoxicity due to doxorubicin (DXR) in rats. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats serving as controls (n = 7) or receiving DXR (n = 22) in accumulated doses of 8, 12, and 16 mg/kg were evaluated with ECHO performed with a Sonos 5500 Philips equipment (12-MHz transducer) and RV obtained with an Orbiter-Siemens gamma camera using a pinhole collimator with a 4-mm aperture. Histopathological quantification of myocardial fibrosis was performed after euthanasia. Results: The control animals showed comparable results in the LVSF analysis obtained with ECHO and RV (83.5 ± 5% and 82.8 ± 2.8%, respectively, p > 0.05). The animals that received DXR presented lower LVSF values when compared with controls (p < 0.05); however, the LVSF values obtained by RV (60.6 ± 12.5%) were lower than those obtained by ECHO (71.8 ± 10.1%, p = 0.0004) in this group. An analysis of the correlation between the LVSF and myocardial fibrosis showed a moderate correlation when the LVSF was assessed by ECHO (r = -0.69, p = 0.0002) and a stronger correlation when it was assessed by RV (r = -0.79, p < 0.0001). On multiple regression analysis, only RV correlated independently with myocardial fibrosis. Conclusion: RV is an alternative method to assess the left ventricular function in small rodents in vivo. When compared with ECHO, RV showed a better correlation with the degree of myocardial injury in a model of DXR-induced cardiotoxicity. (author)

Comparison between Radionuclide Ventriculography and Echocardiography for Quantification of Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Rats Exposed to Doxorubicin

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Luciano Fonseca Lemos de Oliveira

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Radionuclide ventriculography (RV is a validated method to evaluate the left ventricular systolic function (LVSF in small rodents. However, no prior study has compared the results of RV with those obtained by other imaging methods in this context. Objectives: To compare the results of LVSF obtained by RV and echocardiography (ECHO in an experimental model of cardiotoxicity due to doxorubicin (DXR in rats. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats serving as controls (n = 7 or receiving DXR (n = 22 in accumulated doses of 8, 12, and 16 mg/kg were evaluated with ECHO performed with a Sonos 5500 Philips equipment (12-MHz transducer and RV obtained with an Orbiter-Siemens gamma camera using a pinhole collimator with a 4-mm aperture. Histopathological quantification of myocardial fibrosis was performed after euthanasia. Results: The control animals showed comparable results in the LVSF analysis obtained with ECHO and RV (83.5 ± 5% and 82.8 ± 2.8%, respectively, p > 0.05. The animals that received DXR presented lower LVSF values when compared with controls (p < 0.05; however, the LVSF values obtained by RV (60.6 ± 12.5% were lower than those obtained by ECHO (71.8 ± 10.1%, p = 0.0004 in this group. An analysis of the correlation between the LVSF and myocardial fibrosis showed a moderate correlation when the LVSF was assessed by ECHO (r = -0.69, p = 0.0002 and a stronger correlation when it was assessed by RV (r = -0.79, p < 0.0001. On multiple regression analysis, only RV correlated independently with myocardial fibrosis. Conclusion: RV is an alternative method to assess the left ventricular function in small rodents in vivo. When compared with ECHO, RV showed a better correlation with the degree of myocardial injury in a model of DXR-induced cardiotoxicity.

Community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in undisturbed vegetation revealed by analyses of LSU rdna sequences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosendahl, Søren; Holtgrewe-Stukenbrock, Eva

2004-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a mutualistic symbiosis with plant roots and are found in most ecosystems. In this study the community structure of AMF in a clade of the genus Glomus was examined in undisturbed costal grassland using LSU rDNA sequences amplified from roots of Hieracium...

Hyperbaric oxygen in skeletal muscle of rats submitted to total acute left hindlimb ischemia: A research report.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Luis Gustavo Campos; Dalio, Marcelo Bellini; Joviliano, Edwaldo Edner; Feres, Omar; Piccinato, Carlos Eli

2015-01-01

Determine the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in skeletal muscle of rats submitted to total acute left hindlimb ischemia. An experimental study was designed using 48 Wistar rats divided into four groups (n = 12): Control; Ischemia (I)--total hindlimb ischemia for 270 minutes; Hyperbaric oxygen treatment during ischemia (HBO2)--total hindlimb ischemia for 270 minutes and hyperbaric oxygen during the first 90 minutes; Pre-treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (PHBO2)--90 minutes of hyperbaric oxygen treatment before total hindlimb ischemia for 270 minutes. Skeletal muscle injury was evaluated by measuring levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total creatine phosphokinase (CPK); muscular malondialdehyde (MDA), muscular glycogen, and serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA). AST was significantly higher in I, HBO2 and PHBO2 compared with control (P = .001). There was no difference in LDH. CPK was significantly higher in I, HBO2 and PHBO2, compared with control (p = .014). MDA was significantly higher in PHBO2, compared with other groups (p = .042). Glycogen was significantly decreased in I, HBO2 and PHBO2, compared with control (p < .001). Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in acute total hindlimb ischemia exerted no protective effect on muscle injury, regardless of time of application. When applied prior to installation of total ischemia, hyperbaric oxygen treatment aggravated muscle injury.

Occurrence of an exotic earthworm (Amynthas agrestis) in undisturbed soils of the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Mac. A. Callaham; Paul F. Hendrix; Ross J. Phillips

2003-01-01

This study documents the occurrence of an aggressive invasive earthworm species in undisturbed forest soils of the southern Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia, USA. Earthworms were sorted from samples collected in pitfall traps that had been set in mature, mesic oak-hickory forests in remote, high elevation, locations across northern Georgia. Specimens were...

A STUDY OF CHANGES IN DEFORMATION AND METABOLISM IN LEFT VENTRICLE AS A FUNCTION OF HYPERTROPHY IN SPONTANEOUS HYPERTENSIVE RATS USING MICROPET TECHNOLOGY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gullberg, Grant, T; Huesman, Ronald, H; Reutter, Bryan, W; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Veress, Alexander, I; Weiss, Jeffrey, A; Yang, Yongfeng

2017-06-13

Problem: In the case of hypertrophy caused by pressure overload (hypertension) there is an increase in cardiac mass and modification cardiac metabolism. Aim: This study was designed to study the changes in glucose metabolism, ejection fraction, and deformation in the left ventricle with the progression of hypertrophy in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods: Dynamic PET data were acquired using the microPET II at UC Davis. Two rats were imaged at 10-week intervals for 18 months. Each time a dose of approximately 1- 1.5 mCi of F-18-FDG was injected into a normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat and the same dose was injected into a SHR rat. Each rat was imaged using a gated dynamic acquisition for 80 minutes acquiring list mode data with cardiac gating of approximately 600-900 million total counts. For the analysis of glucose of metabolism, the list mode data were histogrammed into a dynamic sequence (42 frames over 80 mins). For each time frame, projection data of 1203 140x210 sinograms of 0.582 mm bins were formed by summing the last three gates before and one after the R-wave trigger to correspond to the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. Dynamic sequences of 128x128x83 matrices of 0.4x0.4x0.582 mm3 voxels in x, y, and z were reconstructed using an iterative MAP reconstruction which used a prior that penalized the high frequency components of the reconstruction using appropriate weighting between 26 nearest neighboring voxels. Time activity curves were generated from the dynamic reconstructed sequence for the blood and left ventricular tissue regions of interest which were fit to a 2-compartment model to obtain a least squares fit for the kinetic parameters. For the analysis of deformation, the list mode data were histogrammed into 8 gates of the cardiac cycle, each gate was the total sum of the later 60 mins of the 80 min acquisition. Images of 128x128x83 matrices for each gate were reconstructed using the same iterative MAP reconstruction used to

Temporal comparison and predictors of fish species abundance and richness on undisturbed coral reef patches

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Elena L.E.S. Wagner

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Large disturbances can cause rapid degradation of coral reef communities, but what baseline changes in species assemblages occur on undisturbed reefs through time? We surveyed live coral cover, reef fish abundance and fish species richness in 1997 and again in 2007 on 47 fringing patch reefs of varying size and depth at Mersa Bareika, Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt. No major human or natural disturbance event occurred between these two survey periods in this remote protected area. In the absence of large disturbances, we found that live coral cover, reef fish abundance and fish species richness did not differ in 1997 compared to 2007. Fish abundance and species richness on patches was largely related to the presence of shelters (caves and/or holes, live coral cover and patch size (volume. The presence of the ectoparasite-eating cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, was also positively related to fish species richness. Our results underscore the importance of physical reef characteristics, such as patch size and shelter availability, in addition to biotic characteristics, such as live coral cover and cleaner wrasse abundance, in supporting reef fish species richness and abundance through time in a relatively undisturbed and understudied region.

The 7Be profiles in the undisturbed soil used for reference site to estimate the soil erosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raksawong, S; Bhongsuwan, T; Krmar, M

2017-01-01

The cosmogenic radionuclide 7 Be is increasingly used to obtain information on event-related soil erosion rates within agricultural landscapes. In this study, we select two undisturbed and flat areas to calculate the reference inventory and relaxation mass depth by using 7 Be technique to document short-term erosion. Our results showed that the depth distribution of 7 Be in undisturbed soil profiles was 1.0 cm in sites S02 and S03; the initial activities were 31.6 and 38.8 Bq.kg -1 , respectively. The relaxation mass depths were 5.4 and 7.2 kg.m -2 and the measured reference 7 Be inventories were 71 and 110 Bq.m -2 for sites S02 and S03, respectively. The difference values of the relaxation mass depth and the reference inventory of both sites implied that for determining a short term soil erosion using 7 Be, the reference site was suggested to be selected as close as possible to the study site. (paper)

Effects of salmon calcitonin on fracture healing in ovariectomized rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaolin; Luo, Xinle; Yu, Nansheng; Zeng, Bingfang

2007-01-01

To explore the effects of salmon calcitonin on the healing process of osteoporotic fractures in ovariectomized rats. We performed this study in The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, China, during the period March 2002 to December 2004. We used 120 female adult Wistar rats in this experiment, among which 90 underwent ovariectomy (OVX) and the other 30 had sham-operation. All rats had their left tibias fractured 3 months later. The 90 OVX rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 30 in each, while the 30 sham-operated rats served as control group. After the fracture the rats had subcutaneous injection of normal saline, salmon calcitonin and estrogen, respectively. X-ray film, histological examination, bone mineral density (BMD) measurement and biomechanics testing were carried out to evaluate the fracture healing. Compared with OVX rats treated with normal saline, the rats with salmon calcitonin had significantly higher BMD values in the left tibia, higher max torque, shear stress of the left tibia 8 weeks after fracture (pnormalization of microstructure of bone trabeculae. Salmon calcitonin can, not only increase BMD in osteoporotic bone, but also enhance the bone biomechanical properties and improve the process of fracture healing in fractured osteoporotic bone.

Effects of salmon calcitonin on fracture healing in ovariectomized rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiaolin; Zeng, Bingfang; Luo, Xinle; Yu, Nansheng

2007-01-01

Objective was to explore the effects of salmon calcitonin on the healing process of osteoporotic fractures in ovariectomized rats. We performed this study in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhaou Medical College, Guangzhaou, China during the period March 2002 to December 2004. We used 120 female adult Wistar rats in this experiment, among which 90 underwent ovariectomy (OVX) and the other 30 had shamoperation. All rats had their left tibias fractured 3 months later. The 90 OVX rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 30 in each, while the 30 shamoperated rats served as control group. After the fracture rats had subcutaneous injection of normal saline, salmon calcitonin and estrogen, respectively. X-ray film, histological examination, bone mineral density (BMD) measurement and biomechanics testing were carried out to evaluate the fracture healing. Compared with OVX rats treated normal saline, the rats with salmon calcitonin had significantly higher BMD values in the left tibia, higher max torque, shear stress of the left tibia 8 weeks after fracture (p<0.05), and presented with stronger callus formation, shorter fracture healing time and faster normalization of microstructure of bone trabeculae. Salmon calcitonin can, not only increase in osteoporotic bone biomechanical properties and improve the process of fractured osteoporotic bone. (author)

Radionuclide migration test using undisturbed aerated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Tadatoshi; Ohtsuka, Yoshiro; Ogawa, Hiromichi; Wadachi, Yoshiki

1988-01-01

As one of the most important part of safety assessment on the shallow land disposal of lowlevel radioactive waste, the radionuclide migration was studied using undisturbed soil samples, in order to evaluate an exact radionuclide migration in an aerated soil layer. Soil samples used in the migration test were coastal sand and loamy soil which form typical surface soil layers in Japan. The aqueous solution containing 60 CoCl 2 , 85 SrCl 2 and 137 CsCl was fed into the soil column and concentration of each radionuclide both in effluent and in soil was measured. Large amount of radionuclides was adsorbed on the surface of soil column and small amount of radionuclides moved deep into the soil column. Difference in the radionuclide profile was observed in the low concentration portion particularly. It is that some fractions of 60 Co and 137 Cs are stable in non-ionic form and move downward through the soil column together with water. The radionuclide distribution in the surface of soil column can be fairly predicted with a conventional migration equation for ionic radionuclides. As a result of radionuclide adsorption, both aerated soil layers of coastal sand and loamy soil have large barrier ability on the radionuclide migration through the ground. (author)

Lung transplantation in the rat. III. Functional studies in iso- and allografts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marck, K.W.; Prop, J.; Wildevuur, C.R.

1983-01-01

Recently a microsurgical technique for orthotopic left lung transplantation in the rat was developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the operation itself and of an unmodified rejection reaction on the function of the transplanted rat lung. Orthotopic left lung transplantation was performed in 59 rats (34 isografts and 25 allografts). Isografts demonstrated a mean left lung perfusion of 23.1% in the first two postoperative weeks. Seven out of the 10 animals, subjected to a repeated scintigraphy 5-10 weeks later, had an increased graft perfusion, resulting in an almost normal mean left lung perfusion of 34.8%. At that time chest roentgenography revealed a good aeration of the grafts, that at autopsy had a normal aspect. Allografts showed an initial mean left lung perfusion (24.6%) similar to the isografts, which, however, declined sharply a few days later (4.3%). At that time chest roentgenography revealed totally opalescent grafts that at autopsy had the hepatized aspect characteristic of lung allograft rejection. These results of isogeneic and allogeneic lung transplantation in the rat were comparable with those of canine auto- and allotransplantation. For immunogenetic and economical reasons lung transplantation in the rat is a good alternative animal model in lung transplantation research

Unsaturated transport of inorganic cations in undisturbed soil columns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardine, P.M.; Jacobs, G.K.

1990-01-01

The unsaturated transport of Sr, Co, and Ca were studied in undisturbed soil columns (14 x 40 cm) of saprolitic shale to evaluate the significance of time dependent mass transfer and multispecies competitive exchange during transport. Observed breakthrough curves (BTCs) for Sr and Co were delayed relative to nonreactive Br BTC indicating that the former tracers were adsorbed by the soil. Effluent concentrations of Sr and Co were modeled with the classical convective dispersive (CD) equation and nonequilibrium mass transfer considerations did not appear necessary. Cation exchange equilibria relationships obtained from both shake batch and miscible displacement methods adequately described the thermodynamic processes which were prevalent during transport. These results suggest that the preferential transport of a reactive tracer is negligible for the realistic unsaturated conditions used in the study, and that the massive saprolite within the soil is a chemically active constituent during transport of reactive solutes. The implications of these findings for modeling in-situ subsurface contaminant transport are discussed. 7 refs., 9 figs

MiR-139-3p is related to left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in two-kidney one-clip hypertensive rats

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Yang Xiaomin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in many physiological and pathological processes. Previous studies have reported the role of miR-139-3p in cancer. However, its specific roles and functions in the heart undergoing hypertrophy have yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, a significant upregulation of miR-139-3p expression was demonstrated in the left ventricular myocardium of two-kidney one-clip (2K1C hypertensive rats using microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR. Based on computational analysis, we observed that miR-139-3p can control the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1 as a target gene, which is essential for the induction of cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. This study provides first information that the highly expressed miR-139-3p might be closely involved in MAPK1-mediated cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptotic processes in 2K1C rat.

Cardio-protective effects of carnitine in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

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Malone Michael A

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Streptozotocin-induced diabetes (STZ-D in rats has been associated with carnitine deficiency, bradycardia and left ventricular enlargement. Aim The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral carnitine supplementation would normalize carnitine levels and cardiac function in STZ-D rats. Methods Wistar rats (48 were made hyperglycemic by STZ at 26 weeks of age. Same age normal Wistar rats (24 were used for comparison. Echocardiograms were performed at baseline 2, 6, 10, and 18 weeks after STZ administration in all animals. HbA1c, serum carnitine and free fatty acids (FFA were measured at the same times. Since STZ-D rats become carnitine deficient, 15 STZ-D rats received supplemental oral carnitine for 16 weeks. Results The heart rates for the STZ-D rats (290 ± 19 bpm were less than control rats (324 ± 20 bpm (p Conclusion Thus, supplemental oral carnitine in STZ-D rats normalized serum carnitine, heart rate regulation and left ventricular size. These findings suggest a metabolic mechanism for the cardiac dysfunction noted in this diabetic animal model.

Comparison of neurodegeneration between right and left hippocampus area in rats

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Arezo Nahavandi

2015-02-01

Conclusion: Our study showed different manifestations of depression after UCMS. It showed that UCMS could lead to mental depression. This study showed that the right hippocampus was more sensitive to stress than the left hippocampus. In fact, UCMS resulted in depression. The study showed that the right hippocampus was more sensitive to stress than the left hippocampus. Therefore, the main function of the right hemisphere, which is adaptation to the new environment, is disturbed more.

The importance of the riparian zone and in-stream processes in nitrate attenuation in undisturbed and agricultural watersheds – a review of the scientific literature

Science.gov (United States)

Ranalli, Anthony J.; Macalady, Donald L.

2010-01-01

We reviewed published studies from primarily glaciated regions in the United States, Canada, and Europe of the (1) transport of nitrate from terrestrial ecosystems to aquatic ecosystems, (2) attenuation of nitrate in the riparian zone of undisturbed and agricultural watersheds, (3) processes contributing to nitrate attenuation in riparian zones, (4) variation in the attenuation of nitrate in the riparian zone, and (5) importance of in-stream and hyporheic processes for nitrate attenuation in the stream channel. Our objectives were to synthesize the results of these studies and suggest methodologies to (1) monitor regional trends in nitrate concentration in undisturbed 1st order watersheds and (2) reduce nitrate loads in streams draining agricultural watersheds. Our review reveals that undisturbed headwater watersheds have been shown to be very retentive of nitrogen, but the importance of biogeochemical and hydrological riparian zone processes in retaining nitrogen in these watersheds has not been demonstrated as it has for agricultural watersheds. An understanding of the role of the riparian zone in nitrate attenuation in undisturbed watersheds is crucial because these watersheds are increasingly subject to stressors, such as changes in land use and climate, wildfire, and increases in atmospheric nitrogen deposition. In general, understanding processes controlling the concentration and flux of nitrate is critical to identifying and mapping the vulnerability of watersheds to water quality changes due to a variety of stressors. In undisturbed and agricultural watersheds we propose that understanding the importance of riparian zone processes in 2nd order and larger watersheds is critical. Research is needed that addresses the relative importance of how the following sources of nitrate along any given stream reach might change as watersheds increase in size and with flow: (1) inputs upstream from the reach, (2) tributary inflow, (3) water derived from the riparian zone

Blood flow of the right and left submandibular gland during unilateral carotid artery occlusion in rat: role of nitric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Vág, J; Hably, C; Fazekas, A; Bartha, J

1999-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of unilateral carotid artery occlusion on the blood flow of submandibular gland in anesthetized rats and identify the role of nitric oxide (NO) in blood flow changes after the artery occlusion. L-NAME (N omega-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester; 10 mg/kg/day, per os) dissolved in tap water was used to block nitric oxide synthase. Glandular blood flow was measured using Sapirstein's indicator (86Rb) distribution technique. In the control animals the blood flow of left (ligated side) submandibular gland was lower than in the right (unligated side) one (right: 76.4+/-15.4 ml/min/100 g, 64.1+/-13.4 ml/min/100 g, ptinder this condition.

The I.A.G. / A.I.G. SEDIBUD Book Project: Source-to-Sink Fluxes in Undisturbed Cold Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Beylich, Achim A.; Dixon, John C.; Zwolinski, Zbigniew

2015-04-01

The currently prepared SEDIBUD Book on "Source-to-Sink Fluxes in Undisturbed Cold Environments" (edited by Achim A. Beylich, John C. Dixon and Zbigniew Zwolinski and published by Cambridge University Press) is summarizing and synthesizing the achievements of the International Association of Geomorphologists` (I.A.G./A.I.G.) Working Group SEDIBUD (Sediment Budgets in Cold Environments), which has been active since 2005 (http://www.geomorph.org/wg/wgsb.html). Amplified climate change and ecological sensitivity of largely undisturbed polar and high-altitude cold climate environments have been highlighted as key global environmental issues. The effects of projected climate change will change surface environments in cold regions and will alter the fluxes of sediments, nutrients and solutes, but the absence of quantitative data and coordinated geomorphic process monitoring and analysis to understand the sensitivity of the Earth surface environment in these largely undisturbed environments is acute. Our book addresses this existing key knowledge gap. The applied approach of integrating comparable and longer-term field datasets on contemporary solute and sedimentary fluxes from a number of different defined cold climate catchment geosystems for better understanding (i) the environmental drivers and rates of contemporary denudational surface processes and (ii) possible effects of projected climate change in cold regions is unique in the field of geomorphology. Largely undisturbed cold climate environments can provide baseline data for modeling the effects of environmental change. The book synthesizes work carried out by numerous SEDIBUD Members over the last decade in numerous cold climate catchment geosystems worldwide. For reaching a global cover of different cold climate environments the book is - after providing an introduction part and a basic part on climate change in cold environments and general implications for solute and sedimentary fluxes - dealing in different

Effect of Guci powder on toe swelling induced by egg white in rats

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Guoqi; Hao, Shaojun; Shen, Huiling; Ma, Zhenzhen; Zhang, Xuehui; Zhang, Zhengchen

2018-04-01

To observe the effect of Guci Powder on foot swelling induced by egg white in rats. 50 male rats were randomly divided into normal saline group (n=10), white vinegar group (n=10) and Guning lotion group (n=10). There were 10 rats in the high-dose group and 10 in the low-dose group. The rats in each group were treated with the drug on the left and right feet of the rats. 0.5 hours after the last administration, the rats in each group were inflamed. The left hindsole plantar volume was measured respectively, so that the difference of the posterior toe volume before inflammation was taken as the swelling degree, and the swelling degree of each group was calculated. Compared with physiological saline group, the rats' egg white toe swelling (Pegg white toe in rats was inhibited at 0.5˜2h (Pegg white in rats, and the external application of bone spur powder has anti-inflammatory and swelling effect.

Quantitative imaging of cation adsorption site densities in undisturbed soil

Science.gov (United States)

Keck, Hannes; Strobel, Bjarne W.; Gustafsson, Jon-Petter; Koestel, John

2017-04-01

The vast majority of present soil system models assume a homogeneous distribution and accessibility of cation adsorption sites (CAS) within soil structural units like e.g. soil horizons. This is however in conflict with several recent studies finding that CAS in soils are not uniformly but patchily distributed at and below the cm-scale. It is likely that the small-scale distribution of CAS has significant impact on the performance of these models. However, systematic approaches to map CAS densities in undisturbed soil with 3-D resolution that could lead to respective model improvements are still lacking. We therefore investigated the 3-D distribution of the CAS in undisturbed soils using X-ray scanning and barium ions as a contrast agent. We appraised the validity of the approach by comparing X-ray image-derived cation exchange coefficients (CEC) with ones obtained using the ammonium acetate method. In the process, we evaluated whether there were larger CAS concentrations at aggregate and biopore boundaries as it is often hypothesized. We sampled eight small soil cores (approx. 10 ccm) from different locations with contrasting soil texture and organic matter contents. The samples were first saturated with a potassium chloride solution (0.1 mol per liter), whereupon a 3-D X-ray image was taken. Then, the potassium chloride solution was flushed out with a barium chloride solution (0.3 mol per liter) with barium replacing the potassium from the CAS due to its larger exchange affinity. After X-ray images as well as electrical conductivity in the effluent indicated that the entire sample had been saturated with the barium chloride, the sample was again rinsed using the potassium chloride solution. When the rinsing was complete a final 3-D X-ray image was acquired. The difference images between final and initial 3-D X-ray images were interpreted as depicting the adsorbed barium as the density of barium exceeds the one of potassium by more than 2 times. The X-ray image

Analysis of the stability of housekeeping gene expression in the left cardiac ventricle of rats submitted to chronic intermittent hypoxia

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Guilherme Silva Julian

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA has been associated with oxidative stress and various cardiovascular consequences, such as increased cardiovascular disease risk. Quantitative real-time PCR is frequently employed to assess changes in gene expression in experimental models. In this study, we analyzed the effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia (an experimental model of OSA on housekeeping gene expression in the left cardiac ventricle of rats. Analyses via four different approaches-use of the geNorm, BestKeeper, and NormFinder algorithms; and 2−ΔCt (threshold cycle data analysis-produced similar results: all genes were found to be suitable for use, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and 18S being classified as the most and the least stable, respectively. The use of more than one housekeeping gene is strongly advised.

Hemodynamic, morphometric and autonomic patterns in hypertensive rats - renin-angiotensin system modulation

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Fernanda S. Zamo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spontaneously hypertensive rats develop left ventricular hypertrophy, increased blood pressure and blood pressure variability, which are important determinants of heart damage, like the activation of renin-angiotensin system. AIMS: To investigate the effects of the time-course of hypertension over 1 hemodynamic and autonomic patterns (blood pressure; blood pressure variability; heart rate; 2 left ventricular hypertrophy; and 3 local and systemic Renin-angiotensin system of the spontaneously hypertensive rats. METHODS: Male spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomized into two groups: young (n=13 and adult (n=12. Hemodynamic signals (blood pressure, heart rate, blood pressure variability (BPV and spectral analysis of the autonomic components of blood pressure were analyzed. LEFT ventricular hypertrophy was measured by the ratio of LV mass to body weight (mg/g, by myocyte diameter (μm and by relative fibrosis area (RFA, %. ACE and ACE2 activities were measured by fluorometry (UF/min, and plasma renin activity (PRA was assessed by a radioimmunoassay (ng/mL/h. Cardiac gene expressions of Agt, Ace and Ace2 were quantified by RT-PCR (AU. RESULTS: The time-course of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats increased BPV and reduced the alpha index in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats. Adult rats showed increases in left ventricular hypertrophy and in RFA. Compared to young spontaneously hypertensive rats, adult spontaneously hypertensive rats had lower cardiac ACE and ACE2 activities, and high levels of PRA. No change was observed in gene expression of Renin-angiotensin system components. CONCLUSIONS: The observed autonomic dysfunction and modulation of Renin-angiotensin system activity are contributing factors to end-organ damage in hypertension and could be interacting. Our findings suggest that the management of hypertensive disease must start before blood pressure reaches the highest stable levels and the consequent

Continuous arterial PO2 profiles in unrestrained, undisturbed aquatic turtles during routine behaviors

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Hicks, James W.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Mammals and birds maintain high arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) values in order to preserve near-complete hemoglobin (Hb) oxygen (O2) saturation. In diving mammals and birds, arterial O2 follows a primarily monotonic decline and then recovers quickly after dives. In laboratory studies of submerged freshwater turtles, arterial O2 depletion typically follows a similar pattern. However, in these studies, turtles were disturbed, frequently tethered to external equipment and confined either to small tanks or breathing holes. Aquatic turtles can alter cardiac shunting patterns, which will affect arterial PO2 values. Consequently, little is known about arterial O2 regulation and use in undisturbed turtles. We conducted the first study to continuously measure arterial PO2 using implanted microelectrodes and a backpack logger in undisturbed red-eared sliders during routine activities. Arterial PO2 profiles during submergences varied dramatically, with no consistent patterns. Arterial PO2 was also lower than previously reported during all activities, with values rarely above 50 mmHg (85% Hb saturation). There was no difference in mean PO2 between five different activities: submerged resting, swimming, basking, resting at the surface and when a person was present. These results suggest significant cardiac shunting occurs during routine activities as well as submergences. However, the lack of relationship between PO2 and any activity suggests that cardiac shunts are not regulated to maintain high arterial PO2 values. These data support the idea that cardiac shunting is the passive by-product of regulation of vascular resistances by the autonomic nervous system. PMID:27618860

Estimate of biomass and carbon pools in disturbed and undisturbed oak forests in Tunisia

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Zribi, L.; Chaar, H.; Khaldi, A.; Henchi, B.; Mouillot, F.; Gharbi, F.

2016-07-01

Aim of the study. To estimate biomass and carbon accumulation in a young and disturbed forest (regenerated after a tornado) and an aged cork oak forest (undisturbed forest) as well as its distribution among the different pools (tree, litter and soil). Area of study. The north west of Tunisia. Material and methods. Carbon stocks were evaluated in the above and belowground cork oak trees, the litter and the 150 cm of the soil. Tree biomass was estimated in both young and aged forests using allometric biomass equations developed for wood stem, cork stem, wood branch, cork branch, leaves, roots and total tree biomass based on combinations of diameter at breast height, total height and crown length as independent variables. Main results. Total tree biomass in forests was 240.58 Mg ha-1 in the young forest and 411.30 Mg ha-1 in the aged forest with a low root/shoot ratio (0.41 for young forest and 0.31 for aged forest). Total stored carbon was 419.46 Mg C ha-1 in the young forest and 658.09 Mg C ha-1 in the aged forest. Carbon stock (Mg C ha-1) was estimated to be113.61(27.08%) and 194.08 (29.49%) in trees, 3.55 (0.85%) and 5.73 (0.87%) in litter and 302.30 (72.07%) and 458.27 (69.64%) in soil in the young and aged forests, respectively. Research highlights. Aged undisturbed forest had the largest tree biomass but a lower potential for accumulation of carbon in the future; in contrast, young disturbed forest had both higher growth and carbon storage potential. (Author)

Lessons From Experiments in Rats

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Albert Gramsbergen

2001-01-01

Full Text Available In this essay a few relevant aspects of the neural and behavioral development of the brain in the human and in the rat are reviewed and related to the consequences of lesions in the central and peripheral nervous system at early and later age. Movements initially are generated by local circuits in the spinal cord and without the involvement of descending projections. After birth, both in humans and in rats it seems that the devlopment of postural control is the limiting factor for several motor behaviors to mature. Strong indications exist that the cerebellum is significantly involved in this control. Lesions in the CNS at early stages interfere with fundamental processes of neural development, such as the establishment of fiber connections and cell death patterns. Consequently, the functional effects are strongly dependent on the stage of development. The young and undisturbed CNS, on the other hand, has a much greater capacity than the adult nervous system for compensating abnormal reinnervation in the peripheral nervous system. Animal experiments indicated that the cerebellar cortex might play an important part in this compensation. This possibility should be investigated further as it might offer important perspectives for treatment in the human.

Concrete - Opalinus clay interaction: in-situ experiment and technique for coring undisturbed interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeder, U.; Dolder, F.; Jenni, A.; Schwyn, B.; Frieg, B.; Eul, A.

2012-01-01

undisturbed samples of the different interfaces with concrete. A first sampling campaign in 2009 used a simple stabilisation technique with a central anchor rod that was glued in before coring. It was impossible to retrieve completely undisturbed samples. A new technique was developed for the drilling campaign during February 2012, and it was successfully applied in all four sampling boreholes carried out, retrieving a total of 150 kg of core and 10 physically and chemically undisturbed interface samples. The technique comprised intersection drilling at 45 deg. inclination and 220 mm OD to within 50 cm of the vertical concrete pile. The base was reamed planar, and templates were installed to drill a circular arrangement of 6 boreholes with 46 mm OD, three at a time. These small boreholes extended across the entire pile (1.4-1.6 m), and anchor rods made of fibre glass and filled with cement were embedded with epoxy resin. A different template was subsequently used to over-core (131 mm OD / 101 mm core DM, double-barrel, acrylic liner) cutting through the reinforcements. Stabilized composite cores of 1.4-1.6 m length could be retrieved in this manner. (authors)

Sympathetic nervous dysregulation in the absence of systolic left ventricular dysfunction in a rat model of insulin resistance with hyperglycemia

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Suuronen Erik J

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Diabetes mellitus is strongly associated with cardiovascular dysfunction, derived in part from impairment of sympathetic nervous system signaling. Glucose, insulin, and non-esterified fatty acids are potent stimulants of sympathetic activity and norepinephrine (NE release. We hypothesized that sustained hyperglycemia in the high fat diet-fed streptozotocin (STZ rat model of sustained hyperglycemia with insulin resistance would exhibit progressive sympathetic nervous dysfunction in parallel with deteriorating myocardial systolic and/or diastolic function. Methods Cardiac sympathetic nervous integrity was investigated in vivo via biodistribution of the positron emission tomography radiotracer and NE analogue [11C]meta-hydroxyephedrine ([11C]HED. Cardiac systolic and diastolic function was evaluated by echocardiography. Plasma and cardiac NE levels and NE reuptake transporter (NET expression were evaluated as correlative measurements. Results The animal model displays insulin resistance, sustained hyperglycemia, and progressive hypoinsulinemia. After 8 weeks of persistent hyperglycemia, there was a significant 13-25% reduction in [11C]HED retention in myocardium of STZ-treated hyperglycemic but not euglycemic rats as compared to controls. There was a parallel 17% reduction in immunoblot density for NE reuptake transporter, a 1.2 fold and 2.5 fold elevation of cardiac and plasma NE respectively, and no change in sympathetic nerve density. No change in ejection fraction or fractional area change was detected by echocardiography. Reduced heart rate, prolonged mitral valve deceleration time, and elevated transmitral early to atrial flow velocity ratio measured by pulse-wave Doppler in hyperglycemic rats suggest diastolic impairment of the left ventricle. Conclusions Taken together, these data suggest that sustained hyperglycemia is associated with elevated myocardial NE content and dysregulation of sympathetic nervous system

Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil

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Andrello, Avacir C.; Appoloni, Carlos R., E-mail: acandrello@uel.b [Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Araujo, Ednaldo S. [EMBRAPA Agrobiologia, Seropedica, RJ (Brazil); Thomaz, Edivaldo L. [Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Guarapuava, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Geografia; Medeiros, Pedro Henrique Augusto [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Agricola; Macedo, Iris L. [Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), DF (Brazil). Faculdade de Tecnologia. Dept. de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental

2009-07-01

Cesium-137 is an anthropogenic radionuclide introduced in the environment in the early of 1960s to the end of 1970s. The Cesium-137 has very used to assess soil redistribution in the landscape because this is very tight in the fine soil particles and its movement in the landscape is due to soil redistribution. To use Cesium-137 to assess soil redistribution is need to known the Cesium-137 inventory in an area that not has experimented soil erosion neither soil deposition. So, this work present Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil, from South to Northeast of Brazil. The inventories in these areas represent the variational deposition of Cesium-137 in the whole national territory of Brazil. The inventories of Cesium-137 varied from 200 +- 15 Bq.m{sup -2} for South region to 15 +- 2 Bq.m{sup -2} for Northeast region. Moreover, was verified that the Cesium- 137 inventories depend on latitude and altitude of the area. (author)

Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrello, Avacir C.; Appoloni, Carlos R.; Thomaz, Edivaldo L.; Medeiros, Pedro Henrique Augusto; Macedo, Iris L.

2009-01-01

Cesium-137 is an anthropogenic radionuclide introduced in the environment in the early of 1960s to the end of 1970s. The Cesium-137 has very used to assess soil redistribution in the landscape because this is very tight in the fine soil particles and its movement in the landscape is due to soil redistribution. To use Cesium-137 to assess soil redistribution is need to known the Cesium-137 inventory in an area that not has experimented soil erosion neither soil deposition. So, this work present Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil, from South to Northeast of Brazil. The inventories in these areas represent the variational deposition of Cesium-137 in the whole national territory of Brazil. The inventories of Cesium-137 varied from 200 ± 15 Bq.m -2 for South region to 15 ± 2 Bq.m -2 for Northeast region. Moreover, was verified that the Cesium- 137 inventories depend on latitude and altitude of the area. (author)

Local application of zoledronate for maximum anchorage during space closure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Adam J A J; Campbell, Phillip M; Hinton, Robert; Naidu, Aparna; Buschang, Peter H

2012-12-01

Orthodontists have used various compliance-dependent physical means such as headgears and intraoral appliances to prevent anchorage loss. The aim of this study was to determine whether 1 local application of the bisphosphonate zoledronate could be used to prevent anchorage loss during extraction space closure in rats. Thirty rats had their maxillary left first molars extracted and their maxillary left second molars protracted into the extraction space with a 10-g nickel-titanium closing coil for 21 days. Fifteen control rats received a local injection of phosphate-buffered saline solution, and 15 experimental rats received 16 μg of the bisphosphonate zoledronate. Bisphosphonate was also delivered directly into the extraction site and left undisturbed for 5 minutes. Cephalograms and incremental thickness gauges were used to measure tooth movements. Tissues were analyzed by microcomputed tomography and histology. The control group demonstrated significant (P <0.05) tooth movements throughout the 21-day period. They showed significantly greater tooth movements than the experimental group beginning in the second week. The experimental group showed no significant tooth movement after the first week. The microcomputed tomography and histologic observations showed significant bone loss in the extraction sites and around the second molars of the controls. In contrast, the experimental group had bone preservation and bone fill. There was no evidence of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis in any sample. A single small, locally applied dose of zoledronate provided maximum anchorage and prevented significant bone loss. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

3D-printing of undisturbed soil imaged by X-ray

Science.gov (United States)

Bacher, Matthias; Koestel, John; Schwen, Andreas

2014-05-01

The unique pore structures in Soils are altered easily by water flow. Each sample has a different morphology and the results of repetitions vary as well. Soil macropores in 3D-printed durable material avoid erosion and have a known morphology. Therefore potential and limitations of reproducing an undisturbed soil sample by 3D-printing was evaluated. We scanned an undisturbed soil column of Ultuna clay soil with a diameter of 7 cm by micro X-ray computer tomography at a resolution of 51 micron. A subsample cube of 2.03 cm length with connected macropores was cut out from this 3D-image and printed in five different materials by a 3D-printing service provider. The materials were ABS, Alumide, High Detail Resin, Polyamide and Prime Grey. The five print-outs of the subsample were tested on their hydraulic conductivity by using the falling head method. The hydrophobicity was tested by an adapted sessile drop method. To determine the morphology of the print-outs and compare it to the real soil also the print-outs were scanned by X-ray. The images were analysed with the open source program ImageJ. The five 3D-image print-outs copied from the subsample of the soil column were compared by means of their macropore network connectivity, porosity, surface volume, tortuosity and skeleton. The comparison of pore morphology between the real soil and the print-outs showed that Polyamide reproduced the soil macropore structure best while Alumide print-out was the least detailed. Only the largest macropore was represented in all five print-outs. Printing residual material or printing aid material remained in and clogged the pores of all print-out materials apart from Prime Grey. Therefore infiltration was blocked in these print-outs and the materials are not suitable even though the 3D-printed pore shapes were well reproduced. All of the investigated materials were insoluble. The sessile drop method showed angles between 53 and 85 degrees. Prime Grey had the fastest flow rate; the

Moxonidine-induced central sympathoinhibition improves prognosis in rats with hypertensive heart failure.

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Honda, Nobuhiro; Hirooka, Yoshitaka; Ito, Koji; Matsukawa, Ryuichi; Shinohara, Keisuke; Kishi, Takuya; Yasukawa, Keiji; Utsumi, Hideo; Sunagawa, Kenji

2013-11-01

Enhanced central sympathetic outflow is an indicator of the prognosis of heart failure. Although the central sympatholytic drug moxonidine is an established therapeutic strategy for hypertension, its benefits for hypertensive heart failure are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the effects of central sympathoinhibition by intracerebral infusion of moxonidine on survival in a rat model of hypertensive heart failure and the possible mechanisms involved. As a model of hypertensive heart failure, we fed Dahl salt-sensitive rats an 8% NaCl diet from 7 weeks of age. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of moxonidine (moxonidine-ICV-treated group [Mox-ICV]) or vehicle (vehicle-ICV-treated group [Veh-ICV]) was performed at 14-20 weeks of age, during the increased heart failure phase. Survival rates were examined, and sympathetic activity, left ventricular function and remodelling, and brain oxidative stress were measured. Hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy were established by 13 weeks of age. At around 20 weeks of age, Veh-ICV rats exhibited overt heart failure concomitant with increased urinary norepinephrine (uNE) excretion as an index of sympathetic activity, dilated left ventricle, decreased percentage fractional shortening, and myocardial fibrosis. Survival rates at 21 weeks of age (n = 28) were only 23% in Veh-ICV rats, and 76% (n = 17) in Mox-ICV rats with concomitant decreases in uNE, myocardial fibrosis, collagen type I/III ratio, brain oxidative stress, and suppressed left ventricular dysfunction. Moxonidine-induced central sympathoinhibition attenuated brain oxidative stress, prevented cardiac dysfunction and remodelling, and improved the prognosis in rats with hypertensive heart failure. Central sympathoinhibition can be effective for the treatment of hypertensive heart failure.

Monitoring of Gasoline-ethanol Degradation In Undisturbed Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Österreicher-Cunha, P.; Nunes, C. M. F.; Vargas, E. A.; Guimarães, J. R. D.; Costa, A.

Environmental contamination problems are greatly emphasised nowadays because of the direct threat they represent for human health. Traditional remediation methods fre- quently present low efficiency and high costs; therefore, biological treatment is being considered as an accessible and efficient alternative for soil and water remediation. Bioventing, commonly used to remediate petroleum hydrocarbon spills, stimulates the degradation capacity of indigenous microorganisms by providing better subsur- face oxygenation. In Brazil, gasoline and ethanol are mixed (78:22 v/v); some authors indicate that despite gasoline high degradability, its degradation in subsurface is hin- dered by the presence of much more rapidly degrading ethanol. Contaminant distribu- tion and degradation in the subsurface can be monitored by several physical, chemical and microbiological methodologies. This study aims to evaluate and follow the degra- dation of a gasoline-ethanol mixture in a residual undisturbed tropical soil from Rio de Janeiro. Bioventing was used to enhance microbial degradation. Shifts in bacte- rial culturable populations due to contamination and treatment effects were followed by conventional microbiology methods. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) measure- ments, which consist of the emission of electro-magnetic waves into the soil, yield a visualisation of contaminant degradation because of changes in soil conductivity due to microbial action on the pollutants. Chemical analyses will measure contaminant residue in soil. Our results disclosed contamination impact as well as bioventing stim- ulation on soil culturable heterotrophic bacterial populations. This multidisciplinary approach allows for a wider evaluation of processes occurring in soil.

Asymmetry in the brain influenced the neurological deficits and infarction volume following the middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

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Zhang Meizeng

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Paw preference in rats is similar to human handedness, which may result from dominant hemisphere of rat brain. However, given that lateralization is the uniqueness of the humans, many researchers neglect the differences between the left and right hemispheres when selecting the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO in rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ischemia in the dominant hemisphere on neurobehavioral function and on the cerebral infarction volume following MCAO in rats. Methods The right-handed male Sprague-Dawley rats asserted by the quadrupedal food-reaching test were subjected to 2 hours MCA occlusion and then reperfusion. Results The neurological scores were significantly worse in the left MCAO group than that in the right MCAO group at 1 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h (p 0.05 respectively. There was a trend toward better neurobehavioral function recovery in the right MCAO group than in the left MCAO group. The total infarct volume in left MCAO was significantly larger than that in the right (p Conclusion The neurobehavioral function result and the pathological result were consistent with the hypothesis that paw preference in rats is similar to human handedness, and suggested that ischemia in dominant hemisphere caused more significant neurobehavioral consequence than in another hemisphere following MCAO in adult rats. Asymmetry in rat brain should be considered other than being neglected in choice of rat MCAO model.

Rats

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Alexey Kondrashov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed to perform a chemical analysis of both Alibernet red wine and an alcohol-free Alibernet red wine extract (AWE and to investigate the effects of AWE on nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species production as well as blood pressure development in normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs. Total antioxidant capacity together with total phenolic and selected mineral content was measured in wine and AWE. Young 6-week-old male WKY and SHR were treated with AWE (24,2 mg/kg/day for 3 weeks. Total NOS and SOD activities, eNOS and SOD1 protein expressions, and superoxide production were determined in the tissues. Both antioxidant capacity and phenolic content were significantly higher in AWE compared to wine. The AWE increased NOS activity in the left ventricle, aorta, and kidney of SHR, while it did not change NOS activity in WKY rats. Similarly, increased SOD activity in the plasma and left ventricle was observed in SHR only. There were no changes in eNOS and SOD1 expressions. In conclusion, phenolics and minerals included in AWE may contribute directly to increased NOS and SOD activities of SHR. Nevertheless, 3 weeks of AWE treatment failed to affect blood pressure of SHR.

Continuous arterial PO2 profiles in unrestrained, undisturbed aquatic turtles during routine behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Cassondra L; Hicks, James W

2016-11-15

Mammals and birds maintain high arterial partial pressure of oxygen (P O 2 ) values in order to preserve near-complete hemoglobin (Hb) oxygen (O 2 ) saturation. In diving mammals and birds, arterial O 2 follows a primarily monotonic decline and then recovers quickly after dives. In laboratory studies of submerged freshwater turtles, arterial O 2 depletion typically follows a similar pattern. However, in these studies, turtles were disturbed, frequently tethered to external equipment and confined either to small tanks or breathing holes. Aquatic turtles can alter cardiac shunting patterns, which will affect arterial P O 2  values. Consequently, little is known about arterial O 2 regulation and use in undisturbed turtles. We conducted the first study to continuously measure arterial P O 2  using implanted microelectrodes and a backpack logger in undisturbed red-eared sliders during routine activities. Arterial P O 2  profiles during submergences varied dramatically, with no consistent patterns. Arterial P O 2  was also lower than previously reported during all activities, with values rarely above 50 mmHg (85% Hb saturation). There was no difference in mean P O 2  between five different activities: submerged resting, swimming, basking, resting at the surface and when a person was present. These results suggest significant cardiac shunting occurs during routine activities as well as submergences. However, the lack of relationship between P O 2  and any activity suggests that cardiac shunts are not regulated to maintain high arterial P O 2  values. These data support the idea that cardiac shunting is the passive by-product of regulation of vascular resistances by the autonomic nervous system. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Renal denervation improves cardiac function in rats with chronic heart failure: Effects on expression of β-adrenoceptors

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hong; Liu, Xuefei; Sharma, Neeru M.

2016-01-01

Chronic activation of the sympathetic drive contributes to cardiac remodeling and dysfunction during chronic heart failure (HF). The present study was undertaken to assess whether renal denervation (RDN) would abrogate the sympathoexcitation in HF and ameliorate the adrenergic dysfunction and cardiac damage. Ligation of the left coronary artery was used to induce HF in Sprague-Dawley rats. Four weeks after surgery, RDN was performed, 1 wk before the final measurements. At the end of the protocol, cardiac function was assessed by measuring ventricular hemodynamics. Rats with HF had an average infarct area >30% of the left ventricle and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) >20 mmHg. β1- and β2-adrenoceptor proteins in the left ventricle were reduced by 37 and 49%, respectively, in the rats with HF. RDN lowered elevated levels of urinary excretion of norepinephrine and brain natriuretic peptide levels in the hearts of rats with HF. RDN also decreased LVEDP to 10 mmHg and improved basal dP/dt to within the normal range in rats with HF. RDN blunted loss of β1-adrenoceptor (by 47%) and β2-adrenoceptor (by 100%) protein expression and improved isoproterenol (0.5 μg/kg)-induced increase in +dP/dt (by 71%) and −dP/dt (by 62%) in rats with HF. RDN also attenuated the increase in collagen 1 expression in the left ventricles of rats with HF. These findings demonstrate that RDN initiated in chronic HF condition improves cardiac function mediated by adrenergic agonist and blunts β-adrenoceptor expression loss, providing mechanistic insights for RDN-induced improvements in cardiac function in the HF condition. PMID:27288440

Calorie restriction attenuates cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in a rat model of metabolic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Takatsu, Miwa; Nakashima, Chieko; Takahashi, Keiji; Murase, Tamayo; Hattori, Takuya; Ito, Hiromi; Murohara, Toyoaki; Nagata, Kohzo

2013-11-01

Calorie restriction (CR) can modulate the features of obesity-related metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. We have recently characterized DahlS.Z-Lepr(fa)/Lepr(fa) (DS/obese) rats, derived from a cross between Dahl salt-sensitive and Zucker rats, as a new animal model of metabolic syndrome. DS/obese rats develop hypertension and manifest left ventricular remodeling and diastolic dysfunction, as well as increased cardiac oxidative stress and inflammation. We have now investigated the effects of CR on cardiac pathophysiology in DS/obese rats. DS/obese rats were fed either normal laboratory chow ad libitum or a calorie-restricted diet (65% of the average food intake for ad libitum) from 9 to 13 weeks. Age-matched homozygous lean (DahlS.Z-Lepr(+)/Lepr(+) or DS/lean) littermates served as controls. CR reduced body weight in both DS/obese and DS/lean rats, as well as attenuated the development of hypertension in DS/obese rats without affecting blood pressure in DS/lean rats. CR also reduced body fat content, ameliorated left ventricular hypertrophy, fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction, and attenuated cardiac oxidative stress and inflammation in DS/obese rats. In addition, it increased serum adiponectin concentration, as well as downregulated the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II type 1A receptor genes in the heart of DS/obese rats. Our results thus show that CR attenuated obesity and hypertension, as well as left ventricular remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in DS/obese rats, with these latter effects being associated with reduced cardiac oxidative stress and inflammation.

The influence of sleep deprivation and obesity on DNA damage in female Zucker rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tenorio, Neuli M; Ribeiro, Daniel A; Alvarenga, Tathiana A; Fracalossi, Ana Carolina C; Carlin, Viviane; Hirotsu, Camila; Tufik, Sergio; Andersen, Monica L

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate overall genetic damage induced by total sleep deprivation in obese, female Zucker rats of differing ages. Lean and obese Zucker rats at 3, 6, and 15 months old were randomly distributed into two groups for each age group: home-cage control and sleep-deprived (N = 5/group). The sleep-deprived groups were deprived sleep by gentle handling for 6 hours, whereas the home-cage control group was allowed to remain undisturbed in their home-cage. At the end of the sleep deprivation period, or after an equivalent amount of time for the home-cage control groups, the rats were brought to an adjacent room and decapitated. The blood, brain, and liver tissue were collected and stored individually to evaluate DNA damage. Significant genetic damage was observed only in 15-month-old rats. Genetic damage was present in the liver cells from sleep-deprived obese rats compared with lean rats in the same condition. Sleep deprivation was associated with genetic damage in brain cells regardless of obesity status. DNA damage was observed in the peripheral blood cells regardless of sleep condition or obesity status. Taken together, these results suggest that obesity was associated with genetic damage in liver cells, whereas sleep deprivation was associated with DNA damage in brain cells. These results also indicate that there is no synergistic effect of these noxious conditions on the overall level of genetic damage. In addition, the level of DNA damage was significantly higher in 15-month-old rats compared to younger rats.

Lateralization of the connections of the ovary to the celiac ganglia in juvenile rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Handal Anabella

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract During the development of the female rat, a maturing process of the factors that regulate the functioning of the ovaries takes place, resulting in different responses according to the age of the animal. Studies show that peripheral innervation is one relevant factor involved. In the present study we analyzed the anatomical relationship between the neurons in the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglia (CSMG, and the right or left ovary in 24 or 28 days old female pre-pubertal rats. The participation of the superior ovarian nerve (SON in the communication between the CSMG and the ovaries was analyzed in animals with unilateral section of the SON, previous to injecting true blue (TB into the ovarian bursa. The animals were killed seven days after treatment. TB stained neurons were quantified at the superior mesenteric-celiac ganglia. The number of labeled neurons in the CSMG of rats treated at 28 days of age was significantly higher than those treated on day 24. At age 24 days, injecting TB into the right ovary resulted in neuron stains on both sides of the celiac ganglia; whereas, injecting the left side the stains were exclusively ipsilateral. Such asymmetry was not observed when the rats were treated at age of 28 days. In younger rats, sectioning the left SON resulted in significantly lower number of stained neurons in the left ganglia while sectioning the right SON did not modify the number of stained neurons. When sectioning of the SON was performed to 28 days old rats, no staining was observed. Present results show that the number and connectivity of post-ganglionic neurons of the CSMG connected to the ovary of juvenile female rats change as the animal mature; that the SON plays a role in this communication process as puberty approaches; and that this maturing process is different for the right or the left ovary.

Measuring Regional Changes in the Diastolic Deformation of the Left Ventricle of SHR Rats Using microPET Technology and Hyperelastic Warping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gullberg, Grant T; VERESS, ALEXANDER I.; WEISS, JEFFREY A.; HUESMAN, RONALD H.; REUTTER, BRYAN W.; TAYLOR, SCOTT E.; SITEK, AREK; FENG, BING; YANG, YONGFENG; GULLBERG, GRANT T.

2008-01-01

The objective of this research was to assess applicability of a technique known as hyperelastic warping for the measurement of local strains in the left ventricle (LV) directly from microPET image data sets. The technique uses differences in image intensities between template (reference) and target (loaded) image data sets to generate a body force that deforms a finite element (FE) representation of the template so that it registers with the target images. For validation, the template image was defined as the end-systolic microPET image data set from a Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat. The target image was created by mapping the template image using the deformation results obtained from a FE model of diastolic filling. Regression analysis revealed highly significant correlations between the simulated forward FE solution and image derived warping predictions for fiber stretch (R2 = 0.96), circumferential strain (R2 = 0.96), radial strain (R2 = 0.93), and longitudinal strain (R2 = 0.76) (p < 0.001 for all cases). The technology was applied to microPET image data of two spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and a WKY control. Regional analysis revealed that, the lateral freewall in the SHR subjects showed the greatest deformation compared with the other wall segments. This work indicates that warping can accurately predict the strain distributions during diastole from the analysis of microPET data sets

Measuring Regional Changes in the Diastolic Deformation of the Left Ventricle of SHR Rats Using microPET Technology and Hyperelastic Warping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gullberg, Grant T; VERESS , ALEXANDER I.; WEISS, JEFFREY A.; HUESMAN, RONALD H.; REUTTER, BRYAN W.; TAYLOR , SCOTT E.; SITEK , AREK; FENG, BING; YANG , YONGFENG; GULLBERG, GRANT T.

2008-04-04

The objective of this research was to assess applicability of a technique known as hyperelastic warping for the measurement of local strains in the left ventricle (LV) directly from microPET image data sets. The technique uses differences in image intensities between template (reference) and target (loaded) image data sets to generate a body force that deforms a finite element (FE) representation of the template so that it registers with the target images. For validation, the template image was defined as the end-systolic microPET image data set from a Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat. The target image was created by mapping the template image using the deformation results obtained from a FE model of diastolic filling. Regression analysis revealed highly significant correlations between the simulated forward FE solution and image derived warping predictions for fiber stretch (R2 = 0.96), circumferential strain (R2 = 0.96), radial strain (R2 = 0.93), and longitudinal strain (R2 = 0.76) (p<0.001for all cases). The technology was applied to microPET image data of two spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and a WKY control. Regional analysis revealed that, the lateral freewall in the SHR subjects showed the greatest deformation compared with the other wall segments. This work indicates that warping can accurately predict the strain distributions during diastole from the analysis of microPET data sets.

Microwave hyperthermia enhancement of methotrexate absorption in rat brains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, J.C.; Yuen, M.K.; Jung, D.T.

1987-01-01

The author studied enhanced absorption of methotrexate (MTX) in brains of male Wistar (10 weeks old, 500g) subjected to microwave hyperthermia. The rat was anesthetized using 40 mg/kg of sodium pentobarbital, IP and was placed in a stereotaxic head holder. Microwave energy (2450 MHz, 2.6 W/cm/sup 2/, CW) were applied directly to the left side of the rat's head by a coaxial applicator for 20 min. The body temperature was kept at 37.8 0 C. The brain temperature recorded in a similar group of animals using a Vitek probe was about 45 0 C. Three different MTX dosages, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, were injected intravenously immediately following microwave irradiation into three groups of rats in 1.5, 3 and 6 min., respectively. MTX was allowed to circulate for five min. before brains were removed for analysis. Standard HPLC procedures were applied to samples from anterior and posterior left hemisphere of the cerebrum, and the cerebellum. Samples from the right hemisphere were used for controls. The average absorption at the posterior left hemisphere was found to be 2.4, 9.6 and 12.4μg of MTX/g of brain tissue for 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. These results indicate that MTX absorption is significantly increased in rat brains subjected to microwave hyperthermia treatment

Differential cardiac effects in rats exposed to atmospheric ...

Science.gov (United States)

The results of this study demonstrate that atmospheric smog generated from both isoprene and toluene cause cardiac effects in rats. In addition, it appears that smog from toluene is more toxic in terms of cardiac arrhythmogenicity. Smog, which is a complex mixture of particulate matter and gaseous irritants (ozone, sulfur dioxide, reactive aldehydes), as well as components which react with sunlight to form secondary pollutants, has recently been linked to increased risk of adverse cardiac responses. The components, and therefore health effects, of atmospheric smog are determined by the fuel used to generate them. In this study we examined the difference between isoprene- and toluene-generated smog in causing cardiac effects in rats and hypothesized that both atmospheres would cause cardiac electrical and functional changes in rats. Male Wistar-Kyoto rats were exposed to either atmospheric smog generated by the USEPA’s mobile reaction chamber using either isoprene or toluene, or filtered air for four hours. One day later, rats were anesthetized and left ventricular functional responses to dobutamine were measured using a Millar probe and arrhythmia sensitivity to aconitine. Baseline left ventricular pressure (LVP) was lower in toluene-exposed animals but not isoprene when compared to air. Increases in LVP with increasing doses of dobutamine were impaired only in toluene-exposed rats. Both isoprene and toluene impaired the rate of ventri

Effects of simultaneous exposure to stress and nicotine on nicotine-induced locomotor activation in adolescent and adult rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zago, A. [Laboratório de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Leão, R.M.; Carneiro-de-Oliveira, P.E. [Laboratório de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Programa Interinstitucional de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de São Carlos/Universidade Estadual de São Paulo, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Marin, M.T.; Cruz, F.C. [Laboratório de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Planeta, C.S. [Laboratório de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Programa Interinstitucional de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de São Carlos/Universidade Estadual de São Paulo, Araraquara, SP (Brazil)

2011-11-18

Preclinical studies have shown that repeated stress experiences can result in an increase in the locomotor response to the subsequent administration of drugs of abuse, a phenomenon that has been termed behavioral cross-sensitization. Behavioral sensitization reflects neuroadaptive processes associated with drug addiction and drug-induced psychosis. Although crosssensitization between stress- and drug-induced locomotor activity has been clearly demonstrated in adult rats, few studies have evaluated this phenomenon in adolescent rats. In the present study, we determined if the simultaneous exposure to stress and nicotine was capable of inducing behavioral sensitization to nicotine in adolescent and adult rats. To this end, adolescent (postnatal day (P) 28-37) and adult (P60-67) rats received nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, sc) or saline (0.9% NaCl, sc) and were immediately subjected to restraint stress for 2 h once a day for 7 days. The control group for stress was undisturbed following nicotine or saline injections. Three days after the last exposure to stress and nicotine, rats were challenged with a single dose of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, sc) or saline and nicotine-induced locomotion was then recorded for 30 min. In adolescent rats, nicotine caused behavioral sensitization only in animals that were simultaneously exposed to stress, while in adult rats nicotine promoted sensitization independently of stress exposure. These findings demonstrate that adolescent rats are more vulnerable to the effects of stress on behavioral sensitization to nicotine than adult rats.

Effects of simultaneous exposure to stress and nicotine on nicotine-induced locomotor activation in adolescent and adult rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zago, A.; Leão, R.M.; Carneiro-de-Oliveira, P.E.; Marin, M.T.; Cruz, F.C.; Planeta, C.S.

2011-01-01

Preclinical studies have shown that repeated stress experiences can result in an increase in the locomotor response to the subsequent administration of drugs of abuse, a phenomenon that has been termed behavioral cross-sensitization. Behavioral sensitization reflects neuroadaptive processes associated with drug addiction and drug-induced psychosis. Although crosssensitization between stress- and drug-induced locomotor activity has been clearly demonstrated in adult rats, few studies have evaluated this phenomenon in adolescent rats. In the present study, we determined if the simultaneous exposure to stress and nicotine was capable of inducing behavioral sensitization to nicotine in adolescent and adult rats. To this end, adolescent (postnatal day (P) 28-37) and adult (P60-67) rats received nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, sc) or saline (0.9% NaCl, sc) and were immediately subjected to restraint stress for 2 h once a day for 7 days. The control group for stress was undisturbed following nicotine or saline injections. Three days after the last exposure to stress and nicotine, rats were challenged with a single dose of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, sc) or saline and nicotine-induced locomotion was then recorded for 30 min. In adolescent rats, nicotine caused behavioral sensitization only in animals that were simultaneously exposed to stress, while in adult rats nicotine promoted sensitization independently of stress exposure. These findings demonstrate that adolescent rats are more vulnerable to the effects of stress on behavioral sensitization to nicotine than adult rats

Effects of simultaneous exposure to stress and nicotine on nicotine-induced locomotor activation in adolescent and adult rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Zago

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Preclinical studies have shown that repeated stress experiences can result in an increase in the locomotor response to the subsequent administration of drugs of abuse, a phenomenon that has been termed behavioral cross-sensitization. Behavioral sensitization reflects neuroadaptive processes associated with drug addiction and drug-induced psychosis. Although cross-sensitization between stress- and drug-induced locomotor activity has been clearly demonstrated in adult rats, few studies have evaluated this phenomenon in adolescent rats. In the present study, we determined if the simultaneous exposure to stress and nicotine was capable of inducing behavioral sensitization to nicotine in adolescent and adult rats. To this end, adolescent (postnatal day (P 28-37 and adult (P60-67 rats received nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, sc or saline (0.9% NaCl, sc and were immediately subjected to restraint stress for 2 h once a day for 7 days. The control group for stress was undisturbed following nicotine or saline injections. Three days after the last exposure to stress and nicotine, rats were challenged with a single dose of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, sc or saline and nicotine-induced locomotion was then recorded for 30 min. In adolescent rats, nicotine caused behavioral sensitization only in animals that were simultaneously exposed to stress, while in adult rats nicotine promoted sensitization independently of stress exposure. These findings demonstrate that adolescent rats are more vulnerable to the effects of stress on behavioral sensitization to nicotine than adult rats.

Protective effects of valsartan and benazepril combined with atorvastatin on cardiorenal syndrome in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, S-Y; Peng, D-F; Hu, Y-J; Chen, J

2015-01-01

To study the protective effects of valsartan (Val) and benazepril, (Ben) combined with atorvastatin (Ato), on cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) in rats. After establishing cardiorenal syndrome model, the rats were randomly divided into control, Ato, Ben+Ato and Val+Ato groups, which were treated with corresponding drugs. Before and 4 weeks after treatment, the serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), type-B natriuretic peptide (BNP), aldosterone (ALD), angiotensin (Ang) II, C-reactive protein (CRP), blood lipid and urine protein were determined. The left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular diastolic pressure (LVDP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) as well as maximum rising and falling rates of left ventricular pressure (±dp/dtmax) were detected. The heart weight index was also determined. 6, 3, 1 and 2 rats control, Ato, Ben+Ato and Val+Ato groups died, respectively. Compared with control group, the serum Cr, BUN, BNP, ALD, CRP and urinary protein levels in treatment groups significantly decreased, and the blood lipid level, LVDP, LVEDP and heart weight index significantly decreased, with increased LVSP. No statistically significant difference was observed among treatment groups. Valsartan and benazepril, combined with atorvastatin, can have significant protective effects on cardiorenal functions of rats with CRS, with no significant difference between these two drugs.

Effect of trimetazidine treatment on the transient outward potassium current of the left ventricular myocytes of rats with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiang, Yu-luan; He, Li [Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China); Xiao, Jun [Department of Cardiology, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing (China); Xia, Shuang; Deng, Song-bai [Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China); Xiu, Yun [Institute of Life Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China); She, Qiang [Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China)

2012-02-17

Cardiovascular complications are a leading cause of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study was designed to investigate the effects of trimetazidine (TMZ), an anti-angina drug, on transient outward potassium current (I{sub to}) remodeling in ventricular myocytes and the plasma contents of free fatty acid (FFA) and glucose in DM. Sprague-Dawley rats, 8 weeks old and weighing 200-250 g, were randomly divided into three groups of 20 animals each. The control group was injected with vehicle (1 mM citrate buffer), the DM group was injected with 65 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) for induction of type 1 DM, and the DM+TMZ group was injected with the same dose of STZ followed by a 4-week treatment with TMZ (60 mg·kg{sup −1}·day{sup −1}). All animals were then euthanized and their hearts excised and subjected to electrophysiological measurements or gene expression analyses. TMZ exposure significantly reversed the increased plasma FFA level in diabetic rats, but failed to change the plasma glucose level. The amplitude of I{sub to} was significantly decreased in left ventricular myocytes from diabetic rats relative to control animals (6.25 ± 1.45 vs 20.72 ± 2.93 pA/pF at +40 mV). The DM-associated I{sub to} reduction was attenuated by TMZ. Moreover, TMZ treatment reversed the increased expression of the channel-forming alpha subunit Kv1.4 and the decreased expression of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 in diabetic rat hearts. These data demonstrate that TMZ can normalize, or partially normalize, the increased plasma FFA content, the reduced I{sub to} of ventricular myocytes, and the altered expression Kv1.4, Kv4.2, and Kv4.3 in type 1 DM.

Effect of trimetazidine treatment on the transient outward potassium current of the left ventricular myocytes of rats with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, Yu-luan; He, Li; Xiao, Jun; Xia, Shuang; Deng, Song-bai; Xiu, Yun; She, Qiang

2012-01-01

Cardiovascular complications are a leading cause of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study was designed to investigate the effects of trimetazidine (TMZ), an anti-angina drug, on transient outward potassium current (I to ) remodeling in ventricular myocytes and the plasma contents of free fatty acid (FFA) and glucose in DM. Sprague-Dawley rats, 8 weeks old and weighing 200-250 g, were randomly divided into three groups of 20 animals each. The control group was injected with vehicle (1 mM citrate buffer), the DM group was injected with 65 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) for induction of type 1 DM, and the DM+TMZ group was injected with the same dose of STZ followed by a 4-week treatment with TMZ (60 mg·kg −1 ·day −1 ). All animals were then euthanized and their hearts excised and subjected to electrophysiological measurements or gene expression analyses. TMZ exposure significantly reversed the increased plasma FFA level in diabetic rats, but failed to change the plasma glucose level. The amplitude of I to was significantly decreased in left ventricular myocytes from diabetic rats relative to control animals (6.25 ± 1.45 vs 20.72 ± 2.93 pA/pF at +40 mV). The DM-associated I to reduction was attenuated by TMZ. Moreover, TMZ treatment reversed the increased expression of the channel-forming alpha subunit Kv1.4 and the decreased expression of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 in diabetic rat hearts. These data demonstrate that TMZ can normalize, or partially normalize, the increased plasma FFA content, the reduced I to of ventricular myocytes, and the altered expression Kv1.4, Kv4.2, and Kv4.3 in type 1 DM

Analysis of c-Fos induction in response to social interaction in male and female Fisher 344 rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Amy E; Woodruff, Elizabeth R; Chun, Lauren E; Spencer, Robert L; Varlinskaya, Elena; Deak, Terrence

2017-10-01

Sex differences in the expression of social behavior are typically apparent in adolescent and adult rats. While the neurobiology underlying juvenile social play behavior has been well characterized, less is known about discrete brain regions involved in adult responsiveness to a same sex peer. Furthermore, whether adult males and females differ in their responsiveness to a social interaction in terms of neuronal activation indexed via immediate early gene (IEG) expression remains to be determined. Thus, the present study was designed to identify key sites relevant to the processing of sensory stimuli (generally) or social stimuli (specifically) after brief exposure to a same-sex social partner by assessing IEG expression. Four-month-old male and female Fisher (F) 344 rats (N=38; n=5-8/group) were either left undisturbed in their home cage as controls (HCC), exposed to a testing context alone for 30min (CXT), or were placed in the context for 20min and then allowed to socially interact (SI) with a sex-matched conspecific for 10min. Females demonstrated greater levels of social behavior, relative to males. Analysis of c-Fos induction revealed that females exhibited greater c-Fos expression in the prefrontal cortex, regardless of condition. In many brain regions, induction was similar in the CXT and SI groups. However, in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), females exhibited greater c-Fos induction in response to the social interaction relative to their male counterparts, indicating a sex difference in responsivity to social stimuli. Taken together, these data suggest that the BNST is a sexually dimorphic region in terms of activation in response to social stimuli. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The ecological half-life of 137Cs in undisturbed silt soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drosg, M.

2012-01-01

The time necessary to safely cultivate agricultural areas after they have been contaminated by radioactivity (e.g. after the Chernobyl accident) is not determined by the physical half-life of the radioactive isotopes in question but by their (usually much shorter) ecological half-life (). This half-life not only depends on the type of soil but also on whether the soil was fertilized or not. Therefore it is not possible to determine an ecological half-life that is universally valid. However, the value for undisturbed, unfertilized soil should provide a general indication for the duration of ecological half-life. In a silt soil in Vienna, Austria, the ecological half-life of 137 Cs was determined to be 0.8 years, which is much shorter than the physical half-life of 30 years. - Highlights: ► Absolute measurements of 137 Cs radioactivity in leaves of perennial plants. ► The natural 40 K radioactivity served as reference. ► The ecological half-life of 137 Cs in loamy soil was determined.

Use of gated N-13-NH3 micro-PET to examine left ventricular function in rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szymanski, Mariusz K.; Kruizinga, Silvana; Tio, Rene A.; Willemsen, Antoon T. M.; Schaefers, Michael A.; Stegger, Lars; Dierckx, Rudi A.; Hillege, Hans L.; Slart, Riemer H. J. A.

Introduction: Myocardial perfusion gating techniques offer the possibility of measurement of left ventricular end-systolic (ESV) and end-diastolic volume (EDV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in clinical and preclinical trials. The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular

Cardiac microvascular rarefaction in hyperthyroidism-induced left ventricle dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Felipe; Estato, Vanessa; Carvalho, Vinícius Frias; Torres, Rafael Carvalho; Lessa, Marcos Adriano; Tibiriçá, Eduardo

2013-10-01

The pathophysiology underlying hyperthyroidism-induced left ventricle (LV) dysfunction and hypertrophy directly involves the heart and indirectly involves the neuroendocrine systems. The effects of hyperthyroidism on the microcirculation are still controversial in experimental models. We investigated the effects of hyperthyroidism on the cardiac function and microcirculation of an experimental rat model. Male Wistar rats (170-250 g) were divided into two groups: the euthyroid group (n = 10), which was treated with 0.9% saline solution, and the hyperthyroid group (n = 10), which was treated with l-thyroxine (600 μg/kg/day, i.p.) during 14 days. An echocardiographic study was performed to evaluate the alterations in cardiac function, structure and geometry. The structural capillary density and the expression of angiotensin II AT1 receptor in the LV were analyzed using histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Hyperthyroidism was found to induce profound cardiovascular alterations, such as systolic hypertension, tachycardia, LV dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, and myocardial fibrosis. This study demonstrates the existence of structural capillary rarefaction and the down-regulation of the cardiac angiotensin II AT1 receptor in the myocardium of hyperthyroid rats in comparison with euthyroid rats. Microvascular rarefaction may be involved in the pathophysiology of hyperthyroidism-induced cardiovascular alterations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transmural changes in mast cell density in rat heart after infarct induction in vivo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engels, W.; Reiters, P. H.; Daemen, M. J.; Smits, J. F.; van der Vusse, G. J.

1995-01-01

The cardiac distribution of mast cells was investigated after the induction of acute myocardial infarction in the rat. The left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was occluded by ligation in the infarct group, whereas in sham rats only a superficial ligature was placed beside the LAD. Rats of

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 reduces hypothalamic excitation in rats with adriamycin-induced heart failure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Zheng

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The paraventricular nucleus (PVN of the hypothalamus plays an important role in the progression of heart failure (HF. We investigated whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2 inhibition in the PVN attenuates the activities of sympathetic nervous system (SNS and renin-angiotensin system (RAS in rats with adriamycin-induced heart failure. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Heart failure was induced by intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin over a period of 2 weeks (cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg. On day 19, rats received intragastric administration daily with either COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (CLB or normal saline. Treatment with CLB reduced mortality and attenuated both myocardial atrophy and pulmonary congestion in HF rats. Compared with the HF rats, ventricle to body weight (VW/BW and lung to body weight (LW/BW ratios, heart rate (HR, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP, left ventricular peak systolic pressure (LVPSP and maximum rate of change in left ventricular pressure (LV±dp/dtmax were improved in HF+CLB rats. Angiotensin II (ANG II, norepinephrine (NE, COX-2 and glutamate (Glu in the PVN were increased in HF rats. HF rats had higher levels of ANG II and NE in plasma, higher level of ANG II in myocardium, and lower levels of ANP in plasma and myocardium. Treatment with CLB attenuated these HF-induced changes. HF rats had more COX-2-positive neurons and more corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH positive neurons in the PVN than did control rats. Treatment with CLB decreased COX-2-positive neurons and CRH positive neurons in the PVN of HF rats. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that PVN COX-2 may be an intermediary step for PVN neuronal activation and excitatory neurotransmitter release, which further contributes to sympathoexcitation and RAS activation in adriamycin-induced heart failure. Treatment with COX-2 inhibitor attenuates sympathoexcitation and RAS activation in adriamycin-induced heart failure.

The influence of sleep deprivation and obesity on DNA damage in female Zucker rats

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Neuli M. Tenorio

2013-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate overall genetic damage induced by total sleep deprivation in obese, female Zucker rats of differing ages. METHOD: Lean and obese Zucker rats at 3, 6, and 15 months old were randomly distributed into two groups for each age group: home-cage control and sleep-deprived (N = 5/group. The sleep-deprived groups were deprived sleep by gentle handling for 6 hours, whereas the home-cage control group was allowed to remain undisturbed in their home-cage. At the end of the sleep deprivation period, or after an equivalent amount of time for the home-cage control groups, the rats were brought to an adjacent room and decapitated. The blood, brain, and liver tissue were collected and stored individually to evaluate DNA damage. RESULTS: Significant genetic damage was observed only in 15-month-old rats. Genetic damage was present in the liver cells from sleep-deprived obese rats compared with lean rats in the same condition. Sleep deprivation was associated with genetic damage in brain cells regardless of obesity status. DNA damage was observed in the peripheral blood cells regardless of sleep condition or obesity status. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that obesity was associated with genetic damage in liver cells, whereas sleep deprivation was associated with DNA damage in brain cells. These results also indicate that there is no synergistic effect of these noxious conditions on the overall level of genetic damage. In addition, the level of DNA damage was significantly higher in 15-month-old rats compared to younger rats.

Morphological studies on the healing process of extraction wound in irradiated rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iizuka, Tadashi

1984-01-01

The present studies were performed to investigate the healing process of the extraction wound in irradiated rats and to clarify the effect of irradiation on bone formation and resorption. 282 Wistar rats of about 100g body weight were used. The region of the left upper molars of experimental rats was exposed to 1000 rad or 2000 rad of 60 Co. On the 7th day after irradiation, the left upper first molar of each rat was extracted. The rats were sacrificed at intervals of from 1 day to 28 days after extraction. Control rats were sacrificed at same intervals after extraction. The maxillary bone including the extraction wound was examined histologically, histometrically, histochemically and ultrastructurally. In irradiated rats, the healing process of extraction wound was disturbed. The osteoblastic new bone formation following production of granulation tissue and periosteal new bone formation was interfered. Histochemical examination revealed that the osteoblasts of irradiated rats reduced enzymatic activity compared with control rats. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasmic organellae were poorly developed in the osteoblasts of irradiated rats and osteoid formation was reduced. In irradiated rats, the osteoclasts in the interradicular alveolar bone were more numerous and increased more rapidly as compared with control rats, whereas, histometrically, there was no significant difference in the amount of bone loss between control and irradiated rats. Histochemically, there was no distinct difference in the enzymatic activity in osteoclasts between control and irradiated rats. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasmic organellae and ruffled border were poorly developed in the osteoclasts of irradiated rats. The findings suggest that irradiation induced cytological changes in not only oseoblasts but also osteoclasts and these changes resulted in the delayed healing of extraction wound. (author)

Vertical migration of 85Sr, 137Cs and 131I in various arable and undisturbed soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palagyi, S.; Palagyiova, J.

2003-01-01

The vertical migration of 85 Sr, 137 Cs and 131 I in some arable and undisturbed single-contaminated soils was studied by gamma-spectrometry measurements under lysimetric laboratory conditions during irrigation of the soil profiles with wet atmospheric precipitation for about one year, except 131 I. A new simple exponential compartment (box) model was derived, which makes it possible to calculate the migration rate constants and migration rates in the individual soil layers (vertical sections) as well as the total vertical migration rate constants and total vertical migration rates of radionuclides in the bulk soil horizon. The relaxation times of radionuclides in respective soil horizons can also be evaluated. (author)

Beneficial Effects of Highly Palatable Food on the Behavioral and Neural Adversities induced by Early Life Stress Experience in Female Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jin Young; Lee, Jong-Ho; Kim, Doyun; Kim, Soung-Min; Koo, JaeHyung; Jahng, Jeong Won

2015-01-01

This study examined the effects of highly palatable food during adolescence on the psycho-emotional and neural disturbances caused by early life stress experience in female rats. Female Sprague-Dawley pups were separated from dam for 3 h daily during the first two weeks of birth (MS) or left undisturbed (NH). Half of MS females received free access to chocolate cookies in addition to ad libitum chow from postnatal day 28. Pups were subjected to the behavioral tests during young adulthood. The plasma corticosterone response to acute stress, ΔFosB and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the brain regions were analyzed. Total caloric intake and body weight gain during the whole experimental period did not differ among the experimental groups. Cookie access during adolescence and youth improved anxiety-/depression-like behaviors by MS experience. ΔFosB expression was decreased, but BDNF was increased in the nucleus accumbens of MS females, and ΔFosB expression was normalized and BDNF was further increased following cookie access. Corticosterone response to acute stress was blunted by MS experience and cookie access did not improve it. Results suggest that cookie access during adolescence improves the psycho-emotional disturbances of MS females, and ΔFosB and/or BDNF expression in the nucleus accumbens may play a role in its underlying neural mechanisms.

Renal sympathetic denervation attenuates hypertension and vascular remodeling in renovascular hypertensive rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peng; Huang, Pei-Pei; Yang, Yun; Liu, Chi; Lu, Yan; Wang, Fang; Sun, Wei; Kong, Xiang-Qing

2017-01-01

Li P, Huang P, Yang Y, Liu C, Lu Y, Wang F, Sun W, Kong X. Renal sympathetic denervation attenuates hypertension and vascular remodeling in renovascular hypertensive rats. J Appl Physiol 122: 121-129, 2017. First published October 14, 2016; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01019.2015-Sympathetic activity is enhanced in patients with essential or secondary hypertension, as well as in various hypertensive animal models. Therapeutic targeting of sympathetic activation is considered an effective antihypertensive strategy. We hypothesized that renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) attenuates hypertension and improves vascular remodeling and renal disease in the 2-kidney, 1-clip (2K1C) rat model. Rats underwent 2K1C modeling or sham surgery; then rats underwent RSD or sham surgery 4 wk later, thus resulting in four groups (normotensive-sham, normotensive-RSD, 2K1C-sham, and 2K1C-RSD). Norepinephrine was measured by ELISA. Echocardiography was used to assess heart function. Fibrosis and apoptosis were assessed by Masson and TUNEL staining. Changes in mean arterial blood pressure in response to hexamethonium and plasma norepinephrine levels were used to evaluate basal sympathetic nerve activity. The 2K1C modeling success rate was 86.8%. RSD reversed the elevated systolic blood pressure induced by 2K1C, but had no effect on body weight. Compared with rats in the 2K1C-sham group, rats in the 2K1C-RSD group showed lower left ventricular mass/body weight ratio, interventricular septal thickness in diastole, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, and left ventricular posterior wall thickness in systole, whereas fractional shortening and ejection fraction were higher. Right kidney apoptosis and left kidney hypertrophy were not changed by RSD. Arterial fibrosis was lower in animals in the 2K1C-RSD group compared with those in the 2K1C-sham group. RSD reduced plasma norepinephrine and basal sympathetic activity in rats in the 2K1C-RSD group compared with rats in the 2K1C-sham group. These

Thyroid status affects the rat cardiac beta-adrenoceptor system transiently and time-dependently

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwaveling, J.; Batink, H. D.; Taguchi, K.; de Jong, J.; Michel, M. C.; Pfaffendorf, M.; van Zwieten, A.

1998-01-01

1. The aim of this study was to investigate the time-dependency of the influence of dysthyroid states on the beta-adrenoceptor system in rat heart left ventricle. Therefore, the influence of acute and chronic hyper- and hypothyroidism on beta-adrenoceptor-induced left ventricular responses,

Non-compact left ventricle/hypertrabeculated left ventricle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Restrepo, Gustavo; Castano, Rafael; Marmol, Alejandro

2005-01-01

Non-compact left ventricle/hypertrabeculated left ventricle is a myocardiopatie produced by an arrest of the normal left ventricular compaction process during the early embryogenesis. It is associated to cardiac anomalies (congenital cardiopaties) as well as to extracardial conditions (neurological, facial, hematologic, cutaneous, skeletal and endocrinological anomalies). This entity is frequently unnoticed, being diagnosed only in centers with great experience in the diagnosis and treatment of myocardiopathies. Many cases of non-compact left ventricle have been initially misdiagnosed as hypertrophic myocardiopatie, endocardial fibroelastosis, dilated cardiomyopatie, restrictive cardiomyopathy and endocardial fibrosis. It is reported the case of a 74 years old man with a history of chronic arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus, prechordial chest pain and mild dyspnoea. An echocardiogram showed signs of non-compact left ventricle with prominent trabeculations and deep inter-trabecular recesses involving left ventricular apical segment and extending to the lateral and inferior walls. Literature on this topic is reviewed

Testosterone potentiates the hypoxic ventilatory response of adult male rats subjected to neonatal stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Fournier, Sébastien; Gulemetova, Roumiana; Joseph, Vincent; Kinkead, Richard

2014-05-01

Neonatal stress disrupts development of homeostatic systems. During adulthood, male rats subjected to neonatal maternal separation (NMS) are hypertensive and show a larger hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR), with greater respiratory instability during sleep. Neonatal stress also affects sex hormone secretion; hypoxia increases circulating testosterone of NMS (but not control) male rats. Given that these effects of NMS are not observed in females, we tested the hypothesis that testosterone elevation is necessary for the stress-related increase of the HVR in adult male rats. Pups subjected to NMS were placed in an incubator for 3 h per day from postnatal day 3 to 12. Control pups remained undisturbed. Rats were reared until adulthood, and the HVR was measured by plethysmography (fractional inspired O2 = 0.12, for 20 min). We used gonadectomy to evaluate the effects of reducing testosterone on the HVR. Gonadectomy had no effect on the HVR of control animals but reduced that of NMS animals below control levels. Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify androgen receptors in brainstem areas involved in the HVR. Androgen receptor expression was generally greater in NMS rats than in control rats; the most significant increase was noted in the caudal region of the nucleus tractus solitarii. We conclude that the abnormal regulation of testosterone is important in stress-related augmentation of the HVR. The greater number of androgen receptors within the brainstem may explain why NMS rats are more sensitive to testosterone withdrawal. Based on the similarities of the cardiorespiratory phenotype of NMS rats and patients suffering from sleep-disordered breathing, these results provide new insight into its pathophysiology, especially sex-based differences in its prevalence. © 2014 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2014 The Physiological Society.

Colloid and phosphorus leaching from undisturbed soil cores sampled along a natural clay gradient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vendelboe, Anders Lindblad; Møldrup, Per; Heckrath, Goswin Johann

2011-01-01

correlated to the accumulated outflow and was described as a diffusion controlled process, using ¾(accumulated outflow). The mass of leached particles was positively correlated to the clay content as well as to water-dispersible colloids. Particulate phosphorus (P) was linearly correlated to concentration......The presence of strongly sorbing compounds in groundwater and tile drains can be a result of colloid-facilitated transport. Colloid and phosphorus leaching from macropores in undisturbed soil cores sampled across a natural clay gradient at Aarup, Denmark, were studied. The aim of the study...... was to correlate easily measurable soil properties, such as clay content and water-dispersible colloids, to colloid and phosphorus leaching. The clay contents across the gradient ranged from 0.11 to 0.23 kg kgj1. Irrigating with artificial rainwater, all samples showed a high first flush of colloids and phosphorus...

The effect of erythropoietin on healing of obstructive vs nonobstructive left colonic anastomosis: an experimental study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renda Nurten

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anastomotic leakage is an important problem following primary resection in the left colon and is even more prominent when obstruction is present. We aimed to evaluate the possible effects of erythropoietin on the healing of anastomosis under both obstructive and non-obstructive states. Methods Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. In group I, two cm left colonic resection and primary anastomosis were done. In group II, left colon were completely ligated and 24 hours later animals were re-operated for segmental resection. The same procedures were performed for rats in group III and IV in respect to group I and II and, 500 IU/kg a day erythropoietin were given in the latter two groups for seven days. For the quantative description of anastomotic healing mechanical, biochemical and histopathological parameters were employed on the seventh day and the animals were sacrificied. Results Although erythropoietin had positive effects on bursting pressure in group IV when compared to group II, it has no effect in group III. Despite the increased tissue hydroxyproline levels in group IV, erythropoietin failed to show any effects in group III. Erythropoietin had positive effects on neovascularization, fibroblast proliferiation and storage of collagen in group IV. Conclusion We failed to find any direct and evident effects of erythropoietin on healing of left colonic anastomosis. On the other hand, erythropoietin might prevent negative effects of obstruction on healing.

The role of adenosine in preconditioning by brief pressure overload in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Cheng-Hsiung; Tsai, Shen-Kou; Chiang, Shu-Chiung; Lai, Chang-Chi; Weng, Zen-Chung

2015-08-01

Brief pressure overload of the left ventricle reduced myocardial infarct (MI) size in rabbits has been previously reported. Its effects in other species are not known. This study investigates effects of pressure overload and the role of adenosine in rats in this study. MI was induced by 40-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 3-hour reperfusion. MI size was determined by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Brief pressure overload was induced by two 10-minute episodes of partial snaring of the ascending aorta. Systolic left ventricular pressure was raised 50% above the baseline value. Ischemic preconditioning was elicited by two 10-minute coronary artery occlusions. The MI size (mean ± standard deviation), expressed as percentage of area at risk, was significantly reduced in the pressure overload group as well as in the ischemic preconditioning group (17.4 ± 3.0% and 18.2 ± 1.5% vs. 26.6 ± 2.4% in the control group, p overload and ischemic preconditioning (18.3 ± 1.5% and 18.2 ± 2.0%, respectively, p overload of the left ventricle preconditioned rat myocardium against infarction. Because SPT did not significantly alter MI size reduction, our results did not support a role of adenosine in preconditioning by pressure overload in rats. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of Batroxobin on Expression of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule in Temporal Infarction Rats and Spatial Learning and Memory Disorder

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

The effect of Batroxobin expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in left temporal ischemic rats with spatial memory disorder was investigated by means of Morri's water maze and immunohistochemical methods. The results showed that the mean reaction time and distance of temporal ischemic rats for searching a goal were significantly longer than those of sham-operated rats and at the same time NCAM expression of left temporal ischemic region was significantly increased. However, the mean reaction time and distance of Batroxobin-treated rats were shorter and they used normal strategies more often and earlier than those of ischemic rats. The number of NCAM immune reactive cells of Batroxobin-treated rats was more than that of ischemic group. In conclusion, Batroxobin can improve spatial memory disorder of temporal ischemic rats and the regulation of the expression of NCAM is probably related to the neuroprotective mechanism.

Left regular bands of groups of left quotients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Qallali, A.

1988-10-01

A semigroup S which has a left regular band of groups as a semigroup of left quotients is shown to be the semigroup which is a left regular band of right reversible cancellative semigroups. An alternative characterization is provided by using spinned products. These results are applied to the case where S is a superabundant whose set of idempotents forms a left normal band. (author). 13 refs

Proximal-tubule-like epithelium in Bowman's capsule in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Changes with age.

OpenAIRE

Haensly, W. E.; Granger, H. J.; Morris, A. C.; Cioffe, C.

1982-01-01

Kidneys were samples from male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive rats (WKY) in four groups. Renal tissues were examined in 64 rats: 6 SHR and 6 WKY rats 8 and 16 weeks of age and 10 SHR and 10 WKY rats 32 and 64 weeks of age. Tissue samples were fixed, processed, and stained by routine histologic procedures. The parietal layer of Bowman's capsule in 100-115 renal corpuscles from right to left kidney sections was classified as squamous or cuboidal epithelium. The cuboidal ...

Effect of immobilization stress on gene expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in heart auricles of socially isolated rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Gavrilovic

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Chronic stress is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. The sympathoneural system plays an important role in the regulation of cardiac function both in health and disease. In the present study, the changes in gene expression of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT and protein levels in the right and left heart auricles of naive control and long-term (12 weeks socially isolated rats were investigated by Taqman RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The response of these animals to additional immobilization stress (2 h was also examined. Long-term social isolation produced a decrease in TH mRNA level in left auricles (about 70% compared to the corresponding control. Expression of the DBH gene was markedly decreased both in the right (about 62% and left (about 81% auricles compared to the corresponding control, group-maintained rats, whereas PNMT mRNA levels remained unchanged. Exposure of group-housed rats to acute immobilization for 2 h led to a significant increase of mRNA levels of TH (about 267%, DBH (about 37% and PNMT (about 60% only in the right auricles. Additional 2-h immobilization of individually housed rats did not affect gene expression of these enzymes in either the right or left auricle. Protein levels of TH, DBH and PNMT in left and right heart auricles were unchanged either in both individually housed and immobilized rats. The unchanged mRNA levels of the enzymes examined after short-term immobilization suggest that the catecholaminergic system of the heart auricles of animals previously exposed to chronic psychosocial stress was adapted to maintain appropriate cardiovascular homeostasis.

A method for measuring element fluxes in an undisturbed soil: nitrogen and carbon from earthworms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouche, M.B.

1984-01-01

Data on chemical cycles, as nitrogen or carbon cycles, are extrapolated to the fields or ecosystems without the possibility for checking conclusions; i.e. from scientific knowledge (para-ecology). A new method, by natural introduction of an earthworm compartment into an undisturbed soil, with earthworms labelled both by isotopes ( 15 N, 14 C) and by staining is described. This method allows us to measure fluxes of chemicals. The first results, gathered during the improvement of the method in partly artificial conditions, are cross-checked with other data given by direct observation in the field. Measured flux (2.2 mg N/g fresh mass empty gut/day/15 0 C) is far more important than para-ecological estimations; animal metabolism plays directly an important role in nitrogen and carbon cycles. (author)

[Expression of connective tissue growth factor in cardiomyocyte of young rats with heart failure and benazepril intervention].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qin; Yi, Qi-jian; Qian, Yong-ru; Li, Rong; Deng, Bing; Wang, Qiao

2006-10-01

Ventricular remodeling is an important pathologic progress in almost all end stage heart failure (HF), and it is characterized by ventricular thickening and cardiac fibrosis with poor prognosis. The connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a new growth factor with multi-function, has an important role in fibrosis of tissue and organs. It has been demonstrated that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) can prevent the development of cardiomyocyte from remodeling and improve cardiac function. Researchers try to test the hypothesis that cardiac function improvement attributable to ACEI is associated with inhibiting expression of CTGF in patients with HF. The aim of this study was to observe changes in CTGF expression in cardiomyocyte of young rats with HF and effect of benazepril on CTGF. The animal model of HF was established by constriction of abdominal aorta. Five weeks old rats were randomly divided into 3 groups after 6 weeks of operation: (1) HF group without treatment (n = 15); (2) HF group where rats were treated with benazepril (n = 15); (3) sham-operated group (n = 15) where rats were administered benazepril through direct gastric gavage. After 4 weeks of treatment, the high frequency ultrasound was performed. The expression of CTGF was detected by immunohistochemistry and semi-quantative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the sham-operated group, left ventricular diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular systolic dimension (LVESD), interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (IVSTd), interventricular septal thickness at end-systole (IVSTs), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole (LVPWTd), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-systole (LVPWTs), left ventricular relative weight (LVRW), and right ventricular relative weight (RVRW) were all increased (P benazepril when compared with HF group without treatment. LVESD, IVSTd, IVSTs, LVPWTd, LVPWTs, LVRW and RVRW were higher (P benazepril

Microsurgical Bypass Training Rat Model: Part 2-Anastomosis Configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tayebi Meybodi, Ali; Lawton, Michael T; Yousef, Sonia; Mokhtari, Pooneh; Gandhi, Sirin; Benet, Arnau

2017-11-01

Mastery of microsurgical anastomosis is key to achieving good outcomes in cerebrovascular bypass procedures. Animal models (especially rodents) provide an optimal preclinical bypass training platform. However, the existing models for practicing different anastomosis configurations have several limitations. We sought to optimize the use of the rat's abdominal aorta and common iliac arteries (CIA) for practicing the 3 main anastomosis configurations commonly used in cerebrovascular surgery. Thirteen male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent inhalant anesthesia. The abdominal aorta and the CIAs were exposed. The distances between the major branches of the aorta were measured to find the optimal location for an end-to-end anastomosis. Also, the feasibility of performing side-to-side and end-to-side anastomoses between the CIAs was assessed. All bypass configurations could be performed between the left renal artery and the CIA bifurcation. The longest segments of the aorta without major branches were 1) between the left renal and left iliolumbar arteries (16.9 mm ± 4.6), and 2) between the right iliolumbar artery and the aortic bifurcation (9.7 mm ± 4.7). The CIAs could be juxtaposed for an average length of 7.6 mm ± 1.3, for a side-to-side anastomosis. The left CIA could be successfully reimplanted on to the right CIA at an average distance of 9.1 mm ± 1.6 from the aortic bifurcation. Our results show that rat's abdominal aorta and CIAs may be effectively used for all the anastomosis configurations used in cerebral revascularization procedures. We also provide technical nuances and anatomic descriptions to plan for practicing each bypass configuration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thallium-201: quantitation of right ventricular hypertrophy in chronically hypoxic rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabinovitch, M.; Fisher, K.; Gamble, W.; Reid, L.; Treves, S.

1979-01-01

Sprague Dawley rats were divided into two groups. Ten were kept in room air and 10 in hypobaric hypoxia (air at 380 m Hg). After two weeks all were injected intravenously with 50 μCi of 201 Tl and sacrificed. The right and left ventricles were separated, weighed, and measured for radioactivity in a gamma well counter. Left and right ventricular mass ratios (MR) correlated with 201 Tl radioactivity ratios (TAR) in both control and hypoxic rats: r = 0.962 where MR = 0.863 TAR + 0.27. Myocardial 201 Tl uptake reflects and quantitates normal and abnormal ventricular mass, the abnormal mass in this model consisting of right ventricular hypertrophy associated with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Comparison of absolute biochemical parameters of undisturbed soils in Mediterranean environments (NE Spain) with corresponding parameters relative to soil organic carbon

OpenAIRE

Jiménez de Ridder, Patrícia; Marando, Graciela; Josa March, Ramon; Ginovart Gisbert, Marta; Ras Sabido, Antoni; Bonmati Pont, Manuel

2017-01-01

The study of soil quality requires the establishment of quality standards. To this end, several authors have highlighted the need to create databases of quality indicators, such as biochemical properties, for different types of undisturbed soils under various climates and to establish standardised methodologies for their development. In Spain, studies of the quality of native soils were initiated > 15 years ago by several groups of authors from differing locations, but little is known regardi...

Induction of interleukin-1β mRNA after focal cerebral ischaemia in the rat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buttini, M.; Sauter, A.; Boddeke, H.W.G.M.

1994-01-01

The expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA in the brain in response to cerebral ischaemia in rats was examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Focal cerebral ischaemia was induced in spontaneously hypertensive rats by permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCAO).

INDUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA MESSENGER-RNA AFTER FOCAL CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA IN THE RAT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

BUTTINI, M; SAUTER, A; BODDEKE, HWGM

The expression of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA in the brain in response to cerebral ischaemia in rats was examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Focal cerebral ischaemia was induced in spontaneously hypertensive rats by permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery

Increased ANF secretion after volume expansion is preserved in rats with heart failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chien, Young Wei; Barbee, R.W.; MacPhee, A.L.; Frohlich, E.D.; Trippodo, N.C.

1988-01-01

To examine whether the failing heart has reached a maximal capacity to increase plasma atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) concentration, the change in plasma immunoreactive ANF, measured by radioimmunoassay level due to acute blood volume expansion was determined in conscious rats with chronic heart failure. Varying degrees of myocardial infarction and thus heart failure were induced by coronary artery ligation 3 wk before study. Compared with controls, infarcted rats had decreases in mean arterial pressure cardiac index, renal blood flow, and peak left ventricle-developed pressure after aortic occlusion, and increases in central venous pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, total peripheral resistance, plasma ANF level. Plasma ANF was correlated with infarct size, cardiac filling pressures, and left ventricle pressure-generating ability. At 5 min after 25% blood volume expansion, plasma ANF in rats with heart failure increased by 2,281 ± 345 pg/ml; the magnitude of the changes in circulating ANF and hemodynamic measurements was similar in controls. The results suggest that plasma ANF level can be used as a reliable index of the severity of heart failure, and that the capacity to increase plasma ANF concentration after acute volume expansion is preserved in rats with heart failure. There was no evidence of a relative deficiency of circulating ANF in this model of heart failure

Imaging of rat cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury using99mTc-labeled duramycin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuqing; Stevenson, Gail D.; Barber, Christy; Furenlid, Lars R.; Barrett, Harrison H.; Woolfenden, James M.; Zhao Ming; Liu Zhonglin

2013-01-01

Objectives: Prompt identification of necrosis and apoptosis in the infarct core and penumbra region is critical in acute stroke for delineating the underlying ischemic/reperfusion molecular pathologic events and defining therapeutic alternatives. The objective of this study was to investigate the capability of 99m Tc-labeled duramycin in detecting ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat brain after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Methods: Ischemic cerebral injury was induced in ten rats by vascular insertion of a nylon suture in the left MCA for 3 hr followed by 21–24 hr reperfusion. After i.v. injection of 99m Tc-duramycin (1.0-3.5 mCi), dynamic cerebral images were acquired for 1 hr in six rats using a small-animal SPECT imager. Four other rats were imaged at 2 hr post-injection. Ex vivo images were obtained by autoradiography after sacrifice. Histologic analyses were performed to assess cerebral infarction and apoptosis. Results: SPECT images showed that 99m Tc-duramycin uptake in the left cerebral hemisphere was significantly higher than that in the right at 1 and 2 hr post-injection. The level of radioactive uptake in the ischemic brain varied based on ischemic severity. The average ratio of left cerebral hot-spot uptake to right hemisphere radioactivity, as determined by computerized ROI analysis, was 4.92 ± 0.79. Fractional washout at 1 hr was 38.2 ± 4.5% of peak activity for left cerebral hot-spot areas and 80.9 ± 2.0% for remote control areas (P 99m Tc-duramycin SPECT imaging may be useful for detecting and quantifying ongoing apoptotic neuronal cell loss induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Effects of bromopride on expression of metalloproteinases and interleukins in left colonic anastomoses: an experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, S.M.; Jerônimo, M.S.; Silva-Pereira, I.; Bocca, A.L.; Sousa, J.B.

2014-01-01

Anastomotic dehiscence is the most severe complication of colorectal surgery. Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and interleukins (ILs) can be used to analyze the healing process of anastomosis. To evaluate the effects of bromopride on MMP and cytokine gene expression in left colonic anastomoses in rats with or without induced abdominal sepsis, 80 rats were divided into two groups for euthanasia on the third or seventh postoperative day (POD). They were then divided into subgroups of 20 rats for sepsis induction or not, and then into subgroups of 10 rats for administration of bromopride or saline. Left colonic anastomosis was performed and abdominal sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture. A colonic segment containing the anastomosis was removed for analysis of gene expression of MMP-1α, MMP-8, MMP-13, IL-β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). On the third POD, bromopride was associated with increased MMP-1α, MMP-13, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-10 gene expression. On the seventh POD, all MMP transcripts became negatively modulated and all IL transcripts became positively modulated. In the presence of sepsis, bromopride administration increased MMP-8 and IFN-γ gene expression and decreased MMP-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 gene expression on the third POD. On the seventh POD, we observed increased expression of MMP-13 and all cytokines, except for TNF-α. In conclusion, bromopride interferes with MMP and IL gene expression during anastomotic healing. Further studies are needed to correlate these changes with the healing process

Effects of bromopride on expression of metalloproteinases and interleukins in left colonic anastomoses: an experimental study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, S.M. [Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Jerônimo, M.S. [Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Silva-Pereira, I.; Bocca, A.L. [Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Sousa, J.B. [Departamento de Clínica Cirúrgica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil)

2014-08-15

Anastomotic dehiscence is the most severe complication of colorectal surgery. Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and interleukins (ILs) can be used to analyze the healing process of anastomosis. To evaluate the effects of bromopride on MMP and cytokine gene expression in left colonic anastomoses in rats with or without induced abdominal sepsis, 80 rats were divided into two groups for euthanasia on the third or seventh postoperative day (POD). They were then divided into subgroups of 20 rats for sepsis induction or not, and then into subgroups of 10 rats for administration of bromopride or saline. Left colonic anastomosis was performed and abdominal sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture. A colonic segment containing the anastomosis was removed for analysis of gene expression of MMP-1α, MMP-8, MMP-13, IL-β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). On the third POD, bromopride was associated with increased MMP-1α, MMP-13, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-10 gene expression. On the seventh POD, all MMP transcripts became negatively modulated and all IL transcripts became positively modulated. In the presence of sepsis, bromopride administration increased MMP-8 and IFN-γ gene expression and decreased MMP-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 gene expression on the third POD. On the seventh POD, we observed increased expression of MMP-13 and all cytokines, except for TNF-α. In conclusion, bromopride interferes with MMP and IL gene expression during anastomotic healing. Further studies are needed to correlate these changes with the healing process.

The density of feral honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in South East Australia is greater in undisturbed than in disturbed habitats

OpenAIRE

Hinson , Eloise M.; Duncan , Michael; Lim , Julianne; Arundel , Jonathan; Oldroyd , Benjamin P.

2015-01-01

International audience; AbstractApis mellifera is an important pollinator but is sometimes associated with adverse effects on natural ecosystems. We surveyed pairs of disturbed and undisturbed sites across three biomes in South East Australia. We used pheromone lures to trap drones, genotyped the drones to infer the number of colonies within flight range and then estimated colony densities using synthetic sampling distributions. Estimated colony densities ranged from 0.1 to 1.5 colonies km−2 ...

Different brain activation under left and right ventricular stimulation: an fMRI study in anesthetized rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Hideaki; Sumiyoshi, Akira; Kawashima, Ryuta; Shimokawa, Hiroaki

2013-01-01

Myocardial ischemia in the anterior wall of the left ventricule (LV) and in the inferior wall and/or right ventricle (RV) shows different manifestations that can be explained by the different innervations of cardiac afferent nerves. However, it remains unclear whether information from different areas of the heart, such as the LV and RV, are differently processed in the brain. In this study, we investigated the brain regions that process information from the LV or RV using cardiac electrical stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in anesthetized rats because the combination of these two approaches cannot be used in humans. An electrical stimulation catheter was inserted into the LV or RV (n = 12 each). Brain fMRI scans were recorded during LV or RV stimulation (9 Hz and 0.3 ms width) over 10 blocks consisting of alternating periods of 2 mA for 30 sec followed by 0.2 mA for 60 sec. The validity of fMRI signals was confirmed by first and second-level analyses and temporal profiles. Increases in fMRI signals were observed in the anterior cingulate cortex and the right somatosensory cortex under LV stimulation. In contrast, RV stimulation activated the right somatosensory cortex, which was identified more anteriorly compared with LV stimulation but did not activate the anterior cingulate cortex. This study provides the first evidence for differences in brain activation under LV and RV stimulation. These different brain processes may be associated with different clinical manifestations between anterior wall and inferoposterior wall and/or RV myocardial ischemia.

Evidence of discontinuous and continuous gas migration through undisturbed and self-sealed Cox clay-stone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davy, C. A.; M'Jahad, S.; Skoczylas, F.; Talandier, J.; Ghayaza, M.

2012-01-01

it is a long-lasting procedure, it allows to assess both gas migration modes at the sample outlet (i.e. discontinuous or continuous). In our laboratory, by using the step-by-step method under in situ confining stresses (5 to 12 MPa), and argon as gas, former studies have mainly investigated discontinuous gas passage for vertical, horizontal or inclined cores from the Bure site. A number of samples was self-sealed, mainly those from horizontal or inclined cores. Variations by one order of magnitude have been recorded between results on horizontal and inclined cores or vertical cores. While GBP values range from 1.26 MPa and up to 3 MPa for the first test series on vertical cores, it is almost an order of magnitude lower for the second test series (horizontal or inclined cores), with values ranging from 0.2 to 1.3 MPa. This difference is mainly associated to gas passage through self-sealed fractures, in relation with clay transverse anisotropy. Indeed, COx clay-stone is a sedimentary indurated clay, composed of sub-horizontal diagenetic bedding planes: whenever GBP tests are performed along the bedding planes, lower values may be expected (due to a greater number of sealed cracks, created during sample preparation) rather than when performing GBP experiments perpendicularly to the bedding planes. Despite this extensive research, which was backed by numerical simulations of homogeneous media with LML and EDF-ASTER codes, several scientific questions remain. In particular, argillite self-sealing or undisturbed states may display different gas migration properties: it is expected that undisturbed matter will let gas pass at higher pressure than if self-sealed. Also, the discontinuous gas migration mode may be related to diffusion or capillary snap off, or to both phenomena. And discontinuous breakthrough does not suffice to describe fully the gas migration phenomena through undisturbed or self-sealed argillite, for it occurs distinctly from continuous passage and gas

Differential control of collagen synthesis by the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems in the rat left ventricle.

Science.gov (United States)

Dab, Houcine; Hachani, Rafik; Hodroj, Wassim; Sakly, Mohsen; Bricca, Giampiero; Kacem, Kamel

2009-12-03

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis of the indirect (via the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)) and direct (via AT1 receptors) contributions of Angiotensin II (Ang II) on the synthesis of collagen types I and III in the left ventricle (LV) in vivo. Sympathectomy and blockade of the Ang II receptor AT1 were performed alone or in combination in normotensive rats. The mRNA and protein synthesis of collagen types I and III were examined by Q-RT-PCR and immunoblotting in the LV. Collagen types I and III mRNA were decreased respectively by 53% and 22% after sympathectomy and only collagen type I mRNA was increased by 52% after AT1 receptor blockade. mRNA was not changed for collagen type I but was decreased by 25% for collagen type III after double treatment. Only collagen protein type III was decreased after sympathectomy by 12%, but collagen proteins were increased respectively for types I and III by 145% and 52% after AT1 receptor blockade and by 45% and 60% after double treatment. Deducted interpretations from our experimental approach suggest that Ang II stimulates indirectly (via SNS) and inhibits directly (via AT1 receptors) the collagen type I at transcriptional and protein levels. For collagen type III, it stimulates indirectly the transcription and inhibited directly the protein level. Therefore, the Ang II regulates collagen synthesis differently through indirect and direct pathways.

Morphological studies on the healing process of tooth extraction wounds in whole body irradiated rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosokawa, Yoichiro

1991-01-01

The present studies were performed to investigate the healing process of the tooth extraction wound in whole body irradiated rats and to clarify the effect of irradiation on bone metabolism. One hundred and seven Wistar rats of about 100 g body weight were used and divided into 3 groups. Whole body irradiated rats were given single exposure with a dose of 8 Gy. The region of the left upper molars of local irradiated rats as controls, was exposed to 8 Gy. On the 7th day after irradiation, the left upper first molar of each rat was extracted. The rats were sacrificed at intervals of 1 to 14 days after extraction. Non-irradiated rats were sacrificed at the same intervals after extraction. The maxillary bone including the extraction wound was evaluated, histologically, histometrically and ultrastructurally. From the histological and histometrical findings, the difference of the healing process between non-irradiated rats and locally irradiated rats is not significant. In whole body irradiated rats, the healing process especially in the socket was disturbed. The osteoblastic new bone formation following production of granulation tissue was interfered with. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasmic organellae were poorly developed in the osteoblast and osteoid formation was reduced in the socket. But periosteal new bone formation was the same as that of the locally irradiated rats. In whole body irradiated rats, the osteoclasts in the interradicular alveolar bone were decreased and have smaller nuclei, compared with non-irradiated and locally irradiated rats. Histometrically, the amount of bone loss was decreased in whole body irradiated rats. Ultrastructurally, the cyoplasmic organellae and ruffled border were poorly developed in the osteoclasts of whole body irradiated rats. The findings suggested that irradiation induced cytological changes not only in osteoblasts but in osteoclasts and these changes resulted in the delayed healing of extraction wound. (author) 106 refs

Morphological studies on the healing process of tooth extraction wounds in whole body irradiated rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hosokawa, Yoichiro (Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan). School of Dentistry)

1991-06-01

The present studies were performed to investigate the healing process of the tooth extraction wound in whole body irradiated rats and to clarify the effect of irradiation on bone metabolism. One hundred and seven Wistar rats of about 100 g body weight were used and divided into 3 groups. Whole body irradiated rats were given single exposure with a dose of 8 Gy. The region of the left upper molars of local irradiated rats as controls, was exposed to 8 Gy. On the 7th day after irradiation, the left upper first molar of each rat was extracted. The rats were sacrificed at intervals of 1 to 14 days after extraction. Non-irradiated rats were sacrificed at the same intervals after extraction. The maxillary bone including the extraction wound was evaluated, histologically, histometrically and ultrastructurally. From the histological and histometrical findings, the difference of the healing process between non-irradiated rats and locally irradiated rats is not significant. In whole body irradiated rats, the healing process especially in the socket was disturbed. The osteoblastic new bone formation following production of granulation tissue was interfered with. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasmic organellae were poorly developed in the osteoblast and osteoid formation was reduced in the socket. But periosteal new bone formation was the same as that of the locally irradiated rats. In whole body irradiated rats, the osteoclasts in the interradicular alveolar bone were decreased and have smaller nuclei, compared with non-irradiated and locally irradiated rats. Histometrically, the amount of bone loss was decreased in whole body irradiated rats. Ultrastructurally, the cyoplasmic organellae and ruffled border were poorly developed in the osteoclasts of whole body irradiated rats. The findings suggested that irradiation induced cytological changes not only in osteoblasts but in osteoclasts and these changes resulted in the delayed healing of extraction wound. (author) 106 refs.

Benfotiamine relieves inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Ramírez, Gabriela M; Caram-Salas, Nadia L; Rocha-González, Héctor I; Vidal-Cantú, Guadalupe C; Medina-Santillán, Roberto; Reyes-García, Gerardo; Granados-Soto, Vinicio

2006-01-13

Benfotiamine has shown therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy in human beings. However, so far there is no evidence about the efficacy of this drug in preclinical models of pain. The purpose of this study was to assess the possible antinociceptive and antiallodynic effect of benfotiamine in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models in the rat. Inflammatory pain was induced by injection of formalin in non-diabetic and diabetic (2 weeks) rats. Reduction of flinching behavior was considered as antinociception. Neuropathic pain was induced by either ligation of left L5/L6 spinal nerves or administration of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg, i.p.) in Wistar rats. Benfotiamine significantly reduced inflammatory (10-300 mg/kg) and neuropathic (75-300 mg/kg) nociception in non-diabetic and diabetic rats. Results indicate that oral administration of benfotiamine is able to reduce tactile allodynia from different origin in the rat and they suggest the use of this drug to reduce inflammatory and neuropathic pain in humans.

The resting electrocardiogram of t. cruzi-infected rats

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Reinaldo B. Bestetti

1987-08-01

Full Text Available A total of 125 rats were infected with the Colômbia strain of T. cruzi (2000 parasites/g shortly after weaning. Of these, 58 survived the acute phase and were used in the present experiment. Twenty eight similar but not infected rats served as controls. All rats were submitted to the resting ECG When they were 6 months old. Classic and 3 precordial leads were employed in order to record the ECG as completely as possible. Electrocardiographic changes similar to those found in human chronic Chagas' heart disease and not previously described in this model were found in 44% of the T. cruzi-infected rats: left axis deviation (22%, right axis deviation (7%, lengthened and bizarre QRS complex (14% and abnormal J point elevation (3%. On the basis of these results, we believe that the resting ECG constitutes a valuable tool for studying experimental chronic Chagas' heart disease in rats.

Operant conditioning of rat navigation using electrical stimulation for directional cues and rewards.

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Lee, Maan-Gee; Jun, Gayoung; Choi, Hyo-Soon; Jang, Hwan Soo; Bae, Yong Chul; Suk, Kyoungho; Jang, Il-Sung; Choi, Byung-Ju

2010-07-01

Operant conditioning is often used to train a desired behavior in an animal. The contingency between a specific behavior and a reward is required for successful training. Here, we compared the effectiveness of two different mazes for training turning behaviors in response to directional cues in Sprague-Dawley rats. Forty-three rats were implanted with electrodes into the medial forebrain bundle and the left and right somatosensory cortices for reward and cues. Among them, thirteen rats discriminated between the left and right somatosensory stimulations to obtain rewards. They were trained to learn ipsilateral turning response to the stimulation of the left or right somatosensory cortex in either the T-maze (Group T) or the E| maze (Group W). Performance was measured by the navigation speed in the mazes. Performances of rats in Group T were enhanced faster than those in Group W. A significant correlation between performances during training and performance in final testing was observed in Group T starting with the fifth training session while such a correlation was not observed in Group W until the tenth training session. The training mazes did not however affect the performances in the final test. These results suggest that a simple maze is better than a complicated maze for training animals to learn directions and direct cortical stimulation can be used as a cue for direction training. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recommendations for computer code selection of a flow and transport code to be used in undisturbed vadose zone calculations for TWRS immobilized wastes environmental analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VOOGD, J.A.

1999-01-01

An analysis of three software proposals is performed to recommend a computer code for immobilized low activity waste flow and transport modeling. The document uses criteria restablished in HNF-1839, ''Computer Code Selection Criteria for Flow and Transport Codes to be Used in Undisturbed Vadose Zone Calculation for TWRS Environmental Analyses'' as the basis for this analysis

Neuronal network disturbance after focal ischemia in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kataoka, K.; Hayakawa, T.; Yamada, K.; Mushiroi, T.; Kuroda, R.; Mogami, H.

1989-01-01

We studied functional disturbances following left middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Neuronal function was evaluated by [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography 1 day after occlusion. We analyzed the mechanisms of change in glucose utilization outside the infarct using Fink-Heimer silver impregnation, axonal transport of wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated-horseradish peroxidase, and succinate dehydrogenase histochemistry. One day after occlusion, glucose utilization was remarkably reduced in the areas surrounding the infarct. There were many silver grains indicating degeneration of the synaptic terminals in the cortical areas surrounding the infarct and the ipsilateral cingulate cortex. Moreover, in the left thalamus where the left middle cerebral artery supplied no blood, glucose utilization significantly decreased compared with sham-operated rats. In the left thalamus, massive silver staining of degenerated synaptic terminals and decreases in succinate dehydrogenase activity were observed 4 and 5 days after occlusion. The absence of succinate dehydrogenase staining may reflect early changes in retrograde degeneration of thalamic neurons after ischemic injury of the thalamocortical pathway. Terminal degeneration even affected areas remote from the infarct: there were silver grains in the contralateral hemisphere transcallosally connected to the infarct and in the ipsilateral substantia nigra. Axonal transport study showed disruption of the corticospinal tract by subcortical ischemia; the transcallosal pathways in the cortex surrounding the infarct were preserved. The relation between neural function and the neuronal network in the area surrounding the focal cerebral infarct is discussed with regard to ischemic penumbra and diaschisis

Sex differences in connexin-43 expression in left ventricles of aging rats

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tribulová, N.; Dupont, E.; Soukup, Tomáš; Okruhlicová, L.; Severs, N. J.

2005-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 6 (2005), s. 705-708 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA304/05/0327 Grant - others:MYORES(XE) 511978; CZ-SK(CZ) 02-2004-05 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : connexin-43 * rat cardiomyocytes * male and female specificity Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.806, year: 2005

Autonomic responses during acute myocardial infarction in the rat model: implications for arrhythmogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolettis, Theofilos M; Kontonika, Marianthi; Lekkas, Panagiotis; Vlahos, Antonios P; Baltogiannis, Giannis G; Gatzoulis, Konstantinos A; Chrousos, George P

2018-04-10

Autonomic responses participate in the pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction, but their precise time course remains unclear. Here, we investigated the autonomic activity and ventricular tachyarrhythmias in conscious, unrestrained rats post-infarction. The left coronary artery was ligated in 12 Wistar rats, and six rats were sham operated, followed by 24-h electrocardiographic recording via implanted telemetry transmitters. Sympathetic activity was assessed by detrended fluctuation analysis and vagal activity by time- and frequency-domain analysis of heart rate variability. The duration of the ventricular tachyarrhythmias was measured, and voluntary motion served as a marker of heart failure. In sham-operated rats, heart rate and sympathetic activity remained low, whereas vagal activity rose progressively after the fourth hour. Post-ligation, medium-sized antero-septal necrosis was observed, reaching ~20% of the left ventricular volume; tachyarrhythmias were frequent, displaying a bimodal curve, and motion counts were low. Vagal activity decreased early post-ligation, coinciding with a high incidence of tachyarrhythmias, but tended to rise subsequently in rats with higher motion counts. Sympathetic activity increased after the third hour, along with a second tachyarrhythmia peak, and remained elevated throughout the 24-h period. Vagal withdrawal, followed by gradual sympathetic activation, may participate in arrhythmogenesis during acute myocardial infarction.

Memantine prevents cardiomyocytes nuclear size reduction in the left ventricle of rats exposed to cold stress

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Adriano Meneghini

2009-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Memantine is an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have suggested that receptor blockers act as neuroprotective agents; however, no study has specifically investigated the impact that these drugs have on the heart. We sought to evaluate the effects of memantine on nuclear size reduction in cardiac cells exposed to cold stress. METHOD: We used male EPM-Wistar rats (n=40 divided into 4 groups: 1 Matched control (CON; 2 Memantine-treated rats (MEM; 3 Rats undergoing induced hypothermia (IH and 4 Rats undergoing induced hypothermia that were also treated with memantine (IHM. Animals in the MEM and IHM groups were treated by oral gavage administration of 20 mg/kg/day memantine over an eight-day period. Animals in the IH and IHM groups were submitted to 4 hours of hypothermia in a controlled environment with a temperature of - 8ºC on the last day of the study. RESULTS: The MEM group had the largest cardiomyocyte nuclear size (151 ± 3.5 μm³ vs. CON: 142 ± 2.3 μm³; p<0.05, while the IH group had the smallest mean value of nuclear size. The nuclear size of the IHM group was preserved (125 ± 2.9 μm³ compared to the IH group (108 ± 1.7 μm³; p<0.05. CONCLUSION: Memantine prevented the nuclear size reduction of cardiomyocytes in rats exposed to cold stress.

Doppler echocardiographic predictors of mortality in female rats after myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Alexandra Alberta; Helber, Izzo; Flumignan, Ronald L G; Antonio, Ednei L; Carvalho, Antonio C; Paola, Angelo A; Tucci, Paulo J; Moises, Valdir A

2009-03-01

Doppler echocardiogram is useful for the evaluation of anatomical and functional changes in late myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. However, no studies have evaluated the prognostic value of echocardiographic parameters 1 week after MI. Doppler echocardiogram was performed in 84 female Wistar rats 1 week after MI to determine infarction size, left chambers dimensions, fractional area change (FAC) of the left ventricle (LV), mitral inflow and tissue Doppler, myocardial performance index (MPI), and signs of pulmonary hypertension. The 365-day follow-up showed 53.6% mortality rate. Nonsurvivors showed larger (P or=0.60 (RR 3.49, 95% CI, 1.80-6.76), LV systolic area >or=0.26 cm(2) (RR 4.38, 95% CI, 1.88-10.21), E/E' ratio >or=20.3 (RR 2.12, 95% CI, 1.15-4.34), and E/A ratio associated with FAC (RR 2.99, 95% CI, 1.44-6.18). Some diastolic and systolic Doppler echocardiographic parameters in rats may be able to predict late mortality risk after MI.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Tongxinluo Improves Cardiac Function of Rats with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

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Fang-Fang Shen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The study aimed at testing the hypothesis that tongxinluo capsule might exert its cardioprotective effect by preventing ventricular remodeling and improving coronary microvascular function in a rat model of doxorubicin-induced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM. Rats that survived DCM induction were randomly divided into three groups to be given 1.5 g·kg−1·day−1 (TXL-H, n=9 or 0.15 g·kg−1·day−1 (TXL-L, n=10 of tongxinluo, or normal saline at the same volume (DCM-C, n=10 intragastrically. Age matched normal rats treated with normal saline were used as normal controls (NOR-C, n=9. After four weeks of treatment, the DCM-C, TXL-H, and TXL-L groups exhibited significant cardiac dysfunction, left ventricular remodeling, and coronary microvascular dysfunction, compared with the NOR-C rats. However, myocardial functional parameters were significantly improved and microvascular density (MVD increased in the TXL-H group compared with the DCM-C group (all P<0.01. Left ventricular remodeling was prevented. There were close linear relationships between CVF and LVEF (r=-0.683, P<0.05, MVD and LVEF (r=0.895, P<0.05, and MVD and CVF (r=-0.798, P<0.05. It was indicated that high-dose tongxinluo effectively improved cardiac function in rat model of DCM.

The effect of magnesium sulfate concentration on the effective concentration of rocuronium, and sugammadex-mediated reversal, in isolated left phrenic nerve hemi-diaphragm preparations from the rat.

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Cho, Choon-Kyu; Sung, Tae-Yun; Choi, Seok-Jun; Choi, Hey-Ran; Kim, Yong Beom; Lee, Jung-Un; Yang, Hong-Seuk

2018-05-30

Perioperative magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is used for analgesic, anti-arrhythmic, and obstetric purposes. The effects of MgSO4 on the neuromuscular blockade (NMB) induced by rocuronium, and the sugammadex reversal thereof, have not been clearly quantified. We investigated the effect increase concentrations of MgSO4 on the NMB by rocuronium, and sugammadex reversal, in isolated left phrenic nerve hemi-diaphragm (PNHD) preparations from the rat. Rat PNHD preparations were randomly allocated to one of four groups varying in terms of MgSO4 concentration (1, 2, 3, and 4 mM, each n = 10, in Krebs solution). The train-of-four (TOF) and twitch height responses were recorded mechanomyographically. The preparations were treated with incrementally increasing doses of rocuronium and each group's effective concentration (EC)50, EC90, and EC95 of rocuronium were calculated via nonlinear regression. Then, sugammadex was administered in doses equimolar to rocuronium. The recovery index, time to T1 height >95% of control, and the time to a TOF ratio (TOFR) >0.9 after sugammadex administration were measured. The EC50, EC90, and EC95 of rocuronium fell significantly as the magnesium level increased. The EC50, EC90, and EC95 of rocuronium did not differ between the 3 and 4 mM groups. The recovery index, time to T1 height >95% of control, and time to a TOFR >0.9 after sugammadex administration did not differ among the four groups. Increases in the magnesium concentration in rat PNHD preparations proportionally enhanced the NMB induced by rocuronium but did not affect reversal by equimolar amounts of sugammadex.

Amygdala Kindling Alters Estrus Cycle and Ovarian Morphology in the Rat

OpenAIRE

Pan, Juan; Zhang, Lingwu; Wang, Feng; Liu, Dan; Li, P. Andy; Sun, Tao

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to explore the effects of amygdala kindling on estrus cycle and ovarian morphology. Thirty-five female rats at the age of 8 weeks were randomly designated to electrode kindled, sham-kindled, and normal controls. Kindled rats were implanted with kindling electrodes in the left basolateral amygdala and kindled by brief suprathreshold stimulations with a bipolar electrode. Estrous cycles were daily monitored through vaginal smears. Electrographic and behavioral sei...

An elusive persistent left superior vena cava draining into left atrium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Soward; F.J. ten Cate (Folkert); P.M. Fioretti (Paolo); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); J.R.T.C. Roelandt (Jos)

1986-01-01

textabstractA case report of a persistent left superior vena cava draining into left atrium with a fibromuscular left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and a small atrial septal defect. The anomalous vessel escaped detection during two right and left heart catheterizations from the right arm and

In Vivo MR Imaging of Magnetically Labeled Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rat Model of Renal Ischemia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Sung Il [Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seung Hyup [Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyo Cheol; Chung, Se Young; Moon, Woo Kyung; Kim, Hoe Suk [Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jong Sun [Dongguk University International Hospital, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Min Hoan [Cheil General Hospital and Women' s Healthcare Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Son, Kyu Ri; Sung, Chang Kyu [Seoul National University Boramae Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2009-06-15

This study was designed to evaluate in vivo MR imaging for the depiction of intraarterially injected superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an experimental rat model of renal ischemia. Left renal ischemia was induced in 12 male Sprague- Dawley rats by use of the catheter lodging method. In vivo MR signal intensity variations depicted on T2*-weighted sequences were evaluated in both the left and right kidneys prior to injection (n = 2), two hours (n = 4), 15 hours (n = 2), 30 hours (n = 2) and 72 hours (n = 2) after injection of SPIO-labeled MSCs in both kidneys. Signal intensity variations were correlated with the number of Prussian blue stain-positive cells as visualized in histological specimens. In an in vivo study, it was determined that there was a significant difference in signal intensity variation for both the left and right cortex (40.8 {+-} 4.12 and 26.4 {+-} 7.92, respectively) and for both the left and right medulla (23.2 {+-} 3.32 and 15.2 {+-} 3.31, respectively) until two hours after injection (p < 0.05). In addition, signal intensity variation in the left renal cortex was well correlated with the number of Prussian blue stain-positive cells per high power field (r = 0.98, p < 0.05). Intraarterial injected SPIO-labeled MSCs in an experimental rat model of renal ischemia can be detected with the use of in vivo MR imaging immediately after injection.

Flax lignan concentrate attenuate hypertension and abnormal left ventricular contractility via modulation of endogenous biomarkers in two-kidney-one-clip (2K1C hypertensive rats

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Sameer Hanmantrao Sawant

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The present investigation was designed to study the effect of flax lignan concentrate obtained from Linum usitatissimum L., Linaceae, in two-kidney, one clip (2K1C hypertension model in Wistar rats. 2K1C Goldblatt model rats were divided randomly into six groups: sham, 2K1C control, captopril (30 mg/kg, flax lignan concentrate (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg. Flax lignan concentrate and captopril were administered daily for eight consecutive weeks. Sham-operated, and 2K1C control rats received the vehicle. Treatment with flax lignan concentrate (400 and 800 mg/kg significantly and dose-dependently restored the hemodynamic parameters systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure and left ventricular functions. The flax lignan concentrate significantly restored the elevated hepatic, renal and cardiac marker enzymes in the serum. It also restored the organs weights (kidney and heart, serum electrolyte level and histological abnormalities. Furthermore, flax lignan concentrate significantly elevated the level of biochemical markers that is enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase, glutathione and decreased malondialdehyde in the heart and kidney tissues. Meanwhile, we found that plasma nitric oxide and plasma nitric oxide synthase contents were significantly increased in the flax lignan concentrate-treated group, and plasma endothelin-1 and renal angiotensin-II levels were significantly lower than 2K1C hypertensive group. In conclusion, the antihypertensive and antioxidant effect of flax lignan concentrate were dose-dependent and at the highest dose (i.e. 800 mg/kg similar to those of captopril (30 mg/kg. It is suggested that flax lignan concentrate reduced blood pressure by reduction of renal angiotensin-II level, inhibition of plasma endothelin-1 production, induction of the nitric oxide, nitric oxide synthase and in vivo antioxidant defense system.

Effects of acute and chronic uremia on active cation transport in rat myocardium

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Druml, W.; Kelly, R.A.; England, B.K.; O' Hara, D.S.; Mitch, W.E. (Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, MA (USA))

1990-12-01

As abnormalities of active cation transport could contribute to the genesis of uremic cardiomyopathy, we investigated myocardial sodium pump function in rats with acute renal failure (ARF) and with a model of experimental chronic renal failure (CRF) that has metabolic similarities to advanced chronic uremia in humans. CRF rats were hypertensive and had left ventricular hypertrophy (33% higher heart:body weight ratio; P less than 0.01) at four weeks compared to pair-fed sham-operated rats. Importantly, both ouabain- and furosemide-sensitive 86Rb uptake rates were unchanged in left ventricular myocardial slices from CRF, and the intracellular sodium concentration was not different from that of control rats even though skeletal muscle sodium was increased, as we found previously. Insulin-stimulated, ouabain-sensitive 86Rb influx was also preserved. There also were no abnormalities in myocardium cation transport in rats with ARF. However, (3H)ouabain binding was decreased 45% in CRF rats (P less than 0.01); it was unchanged in acute uremia. Decreased ouabain binding in chronic uremia was due entirely to fewer low affinity (3H)ouabain binding sites (the binding affinity for ouabain was unaffected). We conclude that in chronic, (but not acute) renal failure, sodium pump number is reduced in myocardium but intracellular sodium is unchanged and active cation flux rates are maintained. These results emphasize that in rats with chronic uremia, intracellular sodium homeostasis is preserved in myocardium, despite the presence of marked abnormalities of active cation transport in skeletal muscle that are characteristic of chronic uremia.

Evaluation of optic nerve head blood flow in normal rats and a rodent model of non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy using laser speckle flowgraphy.

Science.gov (United States)

Takako, Hidaka; Hideki, Chuman; Nobuhisa, Nao-I

2017-10-01

To evaluate optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow in normal rats and a rodent model of non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (rNAION) in vivo using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG). Rats were under general anesthesia; to induce NAION, Rose Bengal (RB) was injected into the tail vein. After the administration of RB, the left ONH was photoactivated using an argon green laser. We measured ONH blood flow in the normal rats and the rNAION group (at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the induction of NAION) using an LSFG-Micro. We used the mean blur rate (MBR) of the vessel region (MV) and MBR of the tissue region (MT) as indicators of blood flow. We compared the MBR of the right and left eyes in both the normal rats and the rNAION group. In the normal rats, there were no significant differences in MV or MT between the right and left eyes. In the rNAION group, the MV and MT of the affected eyes were significantly lower than those of the unaffected eyes at all time points. There were significant differences between the left/right MV and MT ratios seen before the induction of NAION and those observed at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the induction of NAION. However, there were no significant differences in these parameters among any of post-NAION induction time points. Our results indicated that the ONH blood flow of the rNAION rats fell in the acute and chronic phases.

Derivation of 137Cs deposition density from measurement of 137Cs inventories in undisturbed soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hien, P.D.; Hiep, H.T.; Quang, N.H.; Huy, N.Q.; Binh, N.T.; Hai, P.S.; Long, N.Q.; Bac, V.T

2012-01-01

The 137 Cs inventories in undisturbed soils were measured for 292 locations across the territory of Vietnam. the logarithmic inventory values were regressed against characteristics of sampling sites, such as geographical coordinates, annual rainfall and physico-chemical parameters of soil. The regression model containing latitude and annual rainfall as determinants could explain 76% of the variations in logarithmic inventory values across the territory. The model part was interpreted as the logarithmic 137 Cs deposition density. At the 95% confidence level, 137 Cs deposition density could be predicted be the model ± 7% relative uncertainty. the latitude mean 137 Cs deposition density increases northward from 237 Bq m -2 to 1097 Bq m -2 , while the corresponding values derived from the UNSCEAR (1969) global pattern are 300 Bq m -2 and 600 Bq m -2 . High 137 Cs inputs were found in high-rainfall areas in northern and central parts of the territory. (author)

Serca2a and Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger are involved in left ventricular function following cardiac remodelling of female rats treated with anabolic androgenic steroid.

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Andrews Marques do; Lima, Ewelyne Miranda de; Brasil, Girlandia Alexandre; Caliman, Izabela Facco; Silva, Josiane Fernandes da; Lemos, Virgínia Soares; Andrade, Tadeu Uggere de; Bissoli, Nazaré Souza

2016-06-15

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are misused, including by women, but little is known about the cardiovascular effects of these drugs on women. To evaluated the effects of nandrolone decanoate (ND) and resistive physical exercise on cardiac contractility in young female rats. Female Wistar rats were separated into 4 groups: C (untrained animals); E (animals were submitted to resistance exercise by jumping in water 5 times per week); ND (animals were treated with ND, 20mg/kg/week for 4weeks); and NDE (trained and treated). The haemodynamic parameters (+dP/dtmax, -dP/dtmin and Tau) were assessed in the left ventricle. The heart was collected for histological analyses and collagen deposition. The gastrocnemius muscle was weighed, and hypertrophy was assessed by the ratio of their weights to gastrocnemius/tibia length. The expression of calcium handling proteins was measured by western blot analysis. ND treatment and physical exercise increased cardiac contractility and relaxation. In addition, ND promoted increases in phospholamban phosphorylated (p-PLB) and isoforms of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2a) expression, while resistance exercise increased the phosphorylation of PLB and expression of Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers (NCX). Cardiac hypertrophy and collagen deposition were observed after ND treatment. Regulatory components of cytosolic calcium, such as SERCA2a and p-PLB, play important roles in modulating the contractility and relaxation effects of ND in females. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis on Bilateral Hindlimb Mapping in Motor Cortex of the Rat by an Intracortical Microstimulation Method

OpenAIRE

Seong, Han Yu; Cho, Ji Young; Choi, Byeong Sam; Min, Joong Kee; Kim, Yong Hwan; Roh, Sung Woo; Kim, Jeong Hoon; Jeon, Sang Ryong

2014-01-01

Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) is a technique that was developed to derive movement representation of the motor cortex. Although rats are now commonly used in motor mapping studies, the precise characteristics of rat motor map, including symmetry and consistency across animals, and the possibility of repeated stimulation have not yet been established. We performed bilateral hindlimb mapping of motor cortex in six Sprague-Dawley rats using ICMS. ICMS was applied to the left and the righ...

Simple and conditional visual discrimination with wheel running as reinforcement in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Iversen, I H

1998-09-01

Three experiments explored whether access to wheel running is sufficient as reinforcement to establish and maintain simple and conditional visual discriminations in nondeprived rats. In Experiment 1, 2 rats learned to press a lit key to produce access to running; responding was virtually absent when the key was dark, but latencies to respond were longer than for customary food and water reinforcers. Increases in the intertrial interval did not improve the discrimination performance. In Experiment 2, 3 rats acquired a go-left/go-right discrimination with a trial-initiating response and reached an accuracy that exceeded 80%; when two keys showed a steady light, pressing the left key produced access to running whereas pressing the right key produced access to running when both keys showed blinking light. Latencies to respond to the lights shortened when the trial-initiation response was introduced and became much shorter than in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, 1 rat acquired a conditional discrimination task (matching to sample) with steady versus blinking lights at an accuracy exceeding 80%. A trial-initiation response allowed self-paced trials as in Experiment 2. When the rat was exposed to the task for 19 successive 24-hr periods with access to food and water, the discrimination performance settled in a typical circadian pattern and peak accuracy exceeded 90%. When the trial-initiation response was under extinction, without access to running, the circadian activity pattern determined the time of spontaneous recovery. The experiments demonstrate that wheel-running reinforcement can be used to establish and maintain simple and conditional visual discriminations in nondeprived rats.

Effect of x-ray irradiated rat fetus mandible

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Chang Gun; You, Dong Soo

1978-01-01

The effect of irradiation of x-ray to developing rat mandible in the gestation stage was focused on the study of mandible development and the side effect of x-ray irradiation. The author studied the effect of x-ray irradiation with the gestated rat and their offsprings. 100 rads, 200 rads, 300 rads and 400 rads of x-ray was irradiated in regular order schematically at the lower left abdomen of gestated rat. 18 1/2 days after conception, their offsprings were sacrificed and examined their developing mandible with histological findings. The results were as followed. 1. In the 100-200 rads irradiated rat offsprings, bony trabeclulation was revealed irregular shape. In combine with this finding, osteoblast and fibroblast were appeared shrunken of their nucleus and location of eccentric position. 2. In the 300-400 rads irradiated rat offsprings, decrease of fibroblast and osteoblast appearance in the periosteum were prominently observed and empty lacunae were frequently appeared in their bone matrix. 3. The advent of osteoclast and resorption of cortical bone were appeared in proportion to increasing of x-ray irradiation.

Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Modeling Output Online

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Yin, Yao; Rogala, Jim; Sullivan, John; Rohweder, Jason

2005-01-01

.... Predictions for distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation beds can potentially increase hunter observance of voluntary avoidance zones where foraging birds are left alone to feed undisturbed...

Longitudinal variation in suspended sediment and turbidity of two undisturbed streams in northwestern California in relation to the monitoring of water quality above and below a land disturbance

Science.gov (United States)

Steve G. Markman

1990-01-01

Abstract - In-stream water quality regulations of California state that silvicultural disturbances must not increase turbidity levels more than 20 percent above naturally occurring background levels. These regulations fail to take into account the natural variation of turbidity and suspended sediment concentration along a short stretch of an undisturbed stream. At...

Cell Injury and Repair Resulting from Sleep Loss and Sleep Recovery in Laboratory Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Everson, Carol A.; Henchen, Christopher J.; Szabo, Aniko; Hogg, Neil

2014-01-01

Study Objectives: Increased cell injury would provide the type of change in constitution that would underlie sleep disruption as a risk factor for multiple diseases. The current study was undertaken to investigate cell injury and altered cell fate as consequences of sleep deprivation, which were predicted from systemic clues. Design: Partial (35% sleep reduction) and total sleep deprivation were produced in rats for 10 days, which was tolerated and without overtly deteriorated health. Recovery rats were similarly sleep deprived for 10 days, then allowed undisturbed sleep for 2 days. The plasma, liver, lung, intestine, heart, and spleen were analyzed and compared to control values for damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids; apoptotic cell signaling and death; cell proliferation; and concentrations of glutathione peroxidase and catalase. Measurements and Results: Oxidative DNA damage in totally sleep deprived rats was 139% of control values, with organ-specific effects in the liver (247%), lung (166%), and small intestine (145%). Overall and organ-specific DNA damage was also increased in partially sleep deprived rats. In the intestinal epithelium, total sleep deprivation resulted in 5.3-fold increases in dying cells and 1.5-fold increases in proliferating cells, compared with control. Two days of recovery sleep restored the balance between DNA damage and repair, and resulted in normal or below-normal metabolic burdens and oxidative damage. Conclusions: These findings provide physical evidence that sleep loss causes cell damage, and in a manner expected to predispose to replication errors and metabolic abnormalities; thereby providing linkage between sleep loss and disease risk observed in epidemiological findings. Properties of recovery sleep include biochemical and molecular events that restore balance and decrease cell injury. Citation: Everson CA, Henchen CJ, Szabo A, Hogg N. Cell injury and repair resulting from sleep loss and sleep recovery in laboratory rats

Myocardial myostatin in spontaneously hypertensive rats with heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Damatto, R L; Lima, A R R; Martinez, P F; Cezar, M D M; Okoshi, K; Okoshi, M P

2016-07-15

Myostatin has been shown to regulate skeletal and cardiac muscle growth. However, its status on long-term hypertrophied myocardium has not been addressed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of myocardial myostatin and its antagonist follistatin in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with heart failure. Eighteen-month-old SHR were evaluated to identify clinical features of heart failure such as tachypnea/labored respiration and weight loss. After heart failure was detected, rats were subjected to echocardiogram and euthanized. Age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as controls. Myostatin and follistatin protein expression was assessed by Western blotting. Statistical analysis was performed by Student's t test. All SHR (n=8) presented right ventricular hypertrophy and five had lung congestion. SHR had left chambers hypertrophy and dilation (left atrial diameter: WKY 5.73±0.59; SHR 7.28±1.17mm; p=0.004; left ventricular (LV) diastolic diameter/body weight ratio: WKY 19.6±3.1; SHR 27.7±4.7mm/kg; p=0.001), and LV systolic dysfunction (midwall fractional shortening: WKY 34.9±3.31; SHR 24.8±3.20%; p=0.003). Myocyte diameter (WKY 23.1±1.50, SHR 25.5±1.33μm; p=0.004) and myocardial interstitial collagen fraction (WKY 4.86±0.01; SHR 8.36±0.02%; pMyostatin (WKY 1.00±0.16; SHR 0.77±0.23 arbitrary units; p=0.035) and follistatin (WKY 1.00±0.35; SHR 0.49±0.18 arbitrary units; p=0.002) expression was lower in SHR. Myostatin and follistatin expression negatively correlated with LV diastolic diameter-to-body weight ratio and LV systolic diameter, and positively correlated with midwall fractional shortening. Myostatin and follistatin protein expression is reduced in the long-term hypertrophied myocardium from spontaneously hypertensive rats with heart failure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of diffusion from a small island and an undisturbed ocean site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raynor, G.S.; Brown, R.M.; SethuRaman, S.

1978-01-01

Experiments were conducted to investigate the differences in diffusion from an obstacle to free air flow in the ocean and from an undisturbed ocean site. A small island was used as the obstacle and simultaneous releases of oil-fog smoke were made from the island and from a nearby boat. The widths of the plumes and their concentrations distributions were measured quantitatively during traverses across the plumes by a second boat. Extensive series of photographs were taken of the plumes from the surface and from the air. Meteorological measurements were made at two locations on the island, from the boats and from an aircraft. One test series was conducted during unstable conditions and a second series with neutral and stable conditions.Width of the island plume over short periods was from 1.5 to 4 times that of the boat plume with the greatest difference during stable periods. Over longer periods, the differences were somewhat greater and much of the dispersion was caused by plume meander. Height of the island plume averaged about twice that of the boat plume. Normalized maximum centerline concentrations from the boat plume were 1.4 times those of the island plume during unstable periods but about twice during stable and neutral conditions. Averaged over all tests, dispersion from the island was about twice as great as from the boat

Esophageal morphometric and biomechanical changes during aging in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Jingbo; Gregersen, Hans

of the present study is to investigate the esophageal geometry and biomechanical changes during aging in rats. Materials and methods Twenty-four male Wistar rats, aged from 6 to 22 months, were used in the study. The body weight and the wet weight per length of esophageal segment were measured at the termination...... was found among 12, 18 and 22 months groups (p>0.05). The longitudinal stress-strain curves shifted from right to the left during aging (pstiffness has no obvious...... change after 12 months in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, we confirm that the esophagus was stiffer in the longitudinal direction than in the circumferential direction. Conclusions A pronounced morphometric and biomechanical remodeling was occurred in the rat esophagus during aging...

Importance of Pulmonary Vein Preferential Fibrosis for Atrial Fibrillation Promotion in Hypertensive Rat Hearts.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasaki, Yu-Ki; Yamashita, Takeshi; Sekiguchi, Akiko; Hayami, Noriyuki; Shimizu, Wataru

2016-06-01

Hypertension is one of the independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). Pulmonary veins (PVs) play an important role as the substrate for AF and triggers of AF. The purpose of this study was to determine the structural remodelling of the PVs and its effect on promoting AF in hypertensive (HT) rat hearts. Eighteen-week-old Dahl salt-sensitive HT rats and their controls were used for histological and immunohistological analyses, and electrophysiological studies were performed in Langendorff perfused hearts. Masson-trichrome staining revealed that hypertension significantly increased the fibrosis in the PVs, particularly in subendocardial and perivascular areas, compared with that in control rats, however, at this early stage of hypertension, left atrial fibrosis was not prominent. In the HT rat hearts with PVs, electrical stimulation significantly increased the number of repetitive atrial firing and atrial tachycardia inducibility, which significantly diminished after the excision of the PVs. An immunofluorescent analysis revealed that HT rats had PV specific endocardial smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-positive cells with remarkable proliferation of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-C and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which was lacking in the left atrial structures of the control and the HT rats. Pretreatment with imatinib, a PDGF receptor activity blocker, in HT rats reduced the αSMA-positive cell proliferation and fibrosis in the PVs and also induced a significant reduction in VEGF expression. Also, the drug pretreatment effectively prevented repetitive atrial firing promotion without affecting the blood pressure. PV preferential fibrosis might play an important role in the arrhythmogenic substrate of AF in HT rat hearts. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of morphological variability and heritability in the head of the Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae): undisturbed vs. disturbed environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Imhoff, Carolina; Giri, Federico; Siroski, Pablo; Amavet, Patricia

2018-04-01

The heterogeneity of biotic and abiotic factors influencing fitness produce selective pressures that promote local adaptation and divergence among different populations of the same species. In order for adaptations to be maintained through evolutionary time, heritable genetic variation controlling the expression of the morphological features under selection is necessary. Here we compare morphological shape variability and size of the cephalic region of Salvator merianae specimens from undisturbed environments to those of individuals from disturbed environments, and estimated heritability for shape and size using geometric morphometric and quantitative genetics tools. The results of these analyzes indicated that there are statistically significant differences in shape and size between populations from the two environments. Possibly, one of the main determinants of cephalic shape and size is adaptation to the characteristics of the environment and to the trophic niche. Individuals from disturbed environments have a cephalic region with less shape variation and also have a larger centroid size when compared to individuals from undisturbed environments. The high heritability values obtained for shape and size in dorsal view and right side view indicate that these phenotypic characters have a great capacity to respond to the selection pressures to which they are subjected. Data obtained here could be used as an important tool when establishing guidelines for plans for the sustainable use and conservation of S. merianae and other species living in disturbed areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Quantitative evaluation of 99mTc-GSA for fatty liver and ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimoto, Mitsunori

1996-01-01

99m Tc-GSA (GSA) liver scintigraphy was performed in rats with fatty liver and ischemia-reperfusion injury to study the usefulness of GSA in evaluating these pathological processes. Fatty liver was produced by feeding rats a choline-deficient diet. The rats with fatty liver were divided into five groups according to the length of the diet (controls, two weeks, six weeks, 10 weeks, and 12 weeks). In the rats dieted for two weeks and six weeks, regional hepatic ischemia was also induced by clamping the left hepatic artery and the left portal vein for 10 minutes, then reperfusion was performed for 15 minutes. GSA was administered via the IVC. t 90 , or the time at which the liver time activity curve reached ninety percent of its peak value, was used as an index of GSA hepatic uptake, Ku and Kd, determined by two compartment analysis, were also used as indices. In rats of the fatty liver group, we confirmed microscopically that various degrees of fatty infiltration existed according to the diet period, and t 90 became significantly longer according to the severity of fatty infiltration. Ku and Kd also decreased according to the severity of fatty infiltration. In the rats with fatty infiltration and ischemia-reperfusion injury, t 90 also increased according to the severity of fatty infiltration, becoming longer than in the rats without ischemia-reperfusion injury. Quantitative analysis of GSA liver scintigraphy was useful for evaluating fatty liver and ischemia-reperfusion injury. (author)

Calcium and osmotic stimulation in renin release from isolated rat glomeruli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skøtt, O

1986-01-01

of the RR rate preceding the stimulus. Removal of calcium stimulated the RR by 10 times (n = 5, p less than 0.001) and a subsequent decrease in osmolality of 20 mOsm/kg stimulated the RR proportionally to that observed in the series containing 2 mM calcium. A decrease in osmolality was able to stimulate RR......The effects of changes in osmolality and calcium concentration on renin release (RR) from isolated superfused rat glomeruli were studied. The undisturbed RR followed a first order fall with a half-time of about 100 min (n = 45). Changes in the osmolality between 270 and 350 mOsm/kg resulted in dose......-dependent changes in the RR rates. Hypoosmotic treatment stimulated the RR transiently, whereas hyperosmotic treatment produced a sustained inhibition. The dose-response relationship was log-linear between 270 and 320 mOsm/kg. A decrease in osmolality of 20 mOsm/kg gave proportional increases in RR irrespectively...

Intraoperative bowel irrigation improves anastomotic collagen metabolism in the left-sided colonic obstruction but not covering colostomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Duraker, N; Bender, O; Memişoğlu, K; Yalçiner, A

1998-01-01

This study investigated the effects of intraoperative colonic irrigation and proximal diverting end colostomy after segmental bowel resection in experimental left-colonic obstruction on anastomotic healing. Simple obstruction of descending colon was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. After 24 h we performed segmental colonic resection and anastomosis in the control group (n = 15); resection, anastomosis, and covering colostomy in the colostomy group (n = 14); resection and anastomosis after antegrade colonic lavage through cecum by using isotonic saline solution in the irrigation group (n = 13). In rats that were killed 7 days later anastomotic dehiscence and bursting pressure and tissue hydroxyproline concentration at the anastomosis were measured. No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of anastomotic dehiscence, bursting site, or pressure. The hydroxyproline concentration was significantly higher in the irrigation group than the control group (P = 0.025) and the colostomy group (P = 0.029), but no difference was noted between the control group and the colostomy group. These findings suggest that intraoperative antegrade colonic irrigation in the acute left-sided colonic obstruction positively affects collagen metabolism at the anastomotic site; if the anastomosis is performed without bowel cleansing, covering colostomy does not improve collagen metabolism.

Histological evaluation of biocompatibility of Cynoscion acoupa otoliths in rats

OpenAIRE

Bastos, Talita Santos; UNIT-Universidade Tiradentes/ ITP- Instituto de Tecnologia e Pesquisa; Oliveira, Clauberto Rodrigues de; UNIT-Universidade Tiradentes/ ITP- Instituto de Tecnologia e Pesquisa; Melo, Genecy Calado de; Santos, José Cleveilton dos; Rodrigues, Sheyla Alves; Xavier-Filho, Lauro; Albuquerque-Júnior, Ricardo Luiz Cavalcanti de

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of Cynoscion acoupa´s otoliths by in vivo assays performed in Wistar rats. The material was prepared using 2g of powded Cynoscion acoupa’s otoliths and 0.5g of hydrolyzed collagen diluted in distilled water. The biological tests consisted of the use of 24 Wistar rats, which were implanted in polyethylene tubes containing otoliths (HI) on the right side of the back, empty tubes (IC) on the left. The animals were euthanized 3, 7 and...

Serca2a and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger are involved in left ventricular function following cardiac remodelling of female rats treated with anabolic androgenic steroid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, Andrews Marques do; Lima, Ewelyne Miranda de; Brasil, Girlandia Alexandre; Caliman, Izabela Facco; Silva, Josiane Fernandes da; Lemos, Virgínia Soares; Andrade, Tadeu Uggere de; Bissoli, Nazaré Souza

2016-01-01

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are misused, including by women, but little is known about the cardiovascular effects of these drugs on women. Aim: To evaluated the effects of nandrolone decanoate (ND) and resistive physical exercise on cardiac contractility in young female rats. Main methods: Female Wistar rats were separated into 4 groups: C (untrained animals); E (animals were submitted to resistance exercise by jumping in water 5 times per week); ND (animals were treated with ND, 20 mg/kg/week for 4 weeks); and NDE (trained and treated). The haemodynamic parameters (+ dP/dt max , − dP/dt min and Tau) were assessed in the left ventricle. The heart was collected for histological analyses and collagen deposition. The gastrocnemius muscle was weighed, and hypertrophy was assessed by the ratio of their weights to gastrocnemius/tibia length. The expression of calcium handling proteins was measured by western blot analysis. Results: ND treatment and physical exercise increased cardiac contractility and relaxation. In addition, ND promoted increases in phospholamban phosphorylated (p-PLB) and isoforms of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2a) expression, while resistance exercise increased the phosphorylation of PLB and expression of Na + /Ca 2+ exchangers (NCX). Cardiac hypertrophy and collagen deposition were observed after ND treatment. Conclusion: Regulatory components of cytosolic calcium, such as SERCA2a and p-PLB, play important roles in modulating the contractility and relaxation effects of ND in females. - Highlights: • ND and resistive exercise enhanced the cardiac function and increased expression of cytosolic calcium regulatory components.

Cell injury and repair resulting from sleep loss and sleep recovery in laboratory rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Everson, Carol A; Henchen, Christopher J; Szabo, Aniko; Hogg, Neil

2014-12-01

Increased cell injury would provide the type of change in constitution that would underlie sleep disruption as a risk factor for multiple diseases. The current study was undertaken to investigate cell injury and altered cell fate as consequences of sleep deprivation, which were predicted from systemic clues. Partial (35% sleep reduction) and total sleep deprivation were produced in rats for 10 days, which was tolerated and without overtly deteriorated health. Recovery rats were similarly sleep deprived for 10 days, then allowed undisturbed sleep for 2 days. The plasma, liver, lung, intestine, heart, and spleen were analyzed and compared to control values for damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids; apoptotic cell signaling and death; cell proliferation; and concentrations of glutathione peroxidase and catalase. Oxidative DNA damage in totally sleep deprived rats was 139% of control values, with organ-specific effects in the liver (247%), lung (166%), and small intestine (145%). Overall and organ-specific DNA damage was also increased in partially sleep deprived rats. In the intestinal epithelium, total sleep deprivation resulted in 5.3-fold increases in dying cells and 1.5-fold increases in proliferating cells, compared with control. Recovery sleep restored the balance between DNA damage and repair, and resulted in normal or below-normal metabolic burdens and oxidative damage. These findings provide physical evidence that sleep loss causes cell damage, and in a manner expected to predispose to replication errors and metabolic abnormalities; thereby providing linkage between sleep loss and disease risk observed in epidemiological findings. Properties of recovery sleep include biochemical and molecular events that restore balance and decrease cell injury. © 2014 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Bone repair after osteotomy with diamond burs and CVD ultrasonic tips – histological study in rats

OpenAIRE

Matuda, Fábio S.; Pagani, Clovis; Miranda, Carolina B.; Crema, Aline A. S.; Brentel, Aline S.; Carvalho, Yasmin R.

2010-01-01

This study histologically evaluated the behavior of bone tissue of rats submitted to osteotomy with conventional diamond burs in high speed and a new ultrasonic diamond tips system (CVD – Chemical Vapor Deposition), at different study periods. The study was conducted on 24 Wistar rats. Osteotomy was performed on the posterior paws of each rat, with utilization of diamond burs in high speed under thorough water cooling at the right paw, and CVD tips at the left paw. Animals were killed a...

Systolic left ventricular function according to left ventricular concentricity and dilatation in hypertensive patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang, Casper; Gerdts, Eva; Aurigemma, Gerard P

2013-01-01

Left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH, high left ventricular mass (LVM)] is traditionally classified as concentric or eccentric based on left ventricular relative wall thickness. We evaluated left ventricular systolic function in a new four-group LVH classification based on left ventricular dilatation...... [high left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) index and concentricity (LVM/EDV)] in hypertensive patients....

Lateralized hippocampal effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide on learning and memory in rats in a model of depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanova, Margarita; Belcheva, Stiliana; Belcheva, Iren; Negrev, Negrin; Tashev, Roman

2012-06-01

Findings of pharmacological studies revealed that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) plays a modulatory role in learning and memory. A role of the peptide in the neurobiological mechanisms of affective disorders was also suggested. The objectives are to study the involvement of VIP in learning and memory processes after unilateral and bilateral local application into hippocampal CA1 area in rats with a model of depression (bilateral olfactory bulbectomy--OBX) and to test whether VIP receptors could affect cognition. VIP (50 ng) and combination (VIP(6-28) 10 ng + VIP 50 ng) microinjected bilaterally or into the right CA1 area improved the learning and memory of OBX rats in shuttle-box and step-through behavioral tests as compared to the saline-treated OBX controls. Left-side VIP microinjections did not affect the number of avoidances (shuttle box) and learning criteria (step through) as compared to the left-side saline-treated OBX controls. The administration of the combination into left CA1 influenced positively the performance in the step-through task. VIP antagonist (VIP(6-28), 10 ng) did not affect learning and memory of OBX rats. These findings suggest asymmetric effect of VIP on cognitive processes in hippocampus of rats with OBX model of depression. Our results point to a lateralized modulatory effect of VIP injected in the hippocampal CA1 area on the avoidance deficits in OBX rats. The right CA1 area was predominantly involved in the positive effect of VIP on learning and memory. A possible role of the PAC1 receptors is suggested.

Isomyosin expression patterns during rat heart morphogenesis: an immunohistochemical study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, I. J.; Lamers, W. H.; Moorman, A. F.

1989-01-01

An immunohistochemical study of cardiac alpha and beta myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression during rat heart morphogenesis was performed. In tubular hearts (embryonic days, ED10-11) coexpression of both cardiac alpha and beta MHC was found throughout the heart, except for the left free wall of the

Hypothyroidism in the rat results in decreased soleus motoneurone soma size

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakels, R; Nijenhuis, Albertine; Mast, L; Kernell, D

1998-01-01

Adult female rats were thyroidectomized. After an average of 17 weeks, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was injected into the right side soleus muscle. Two days later, left side soleus muscle properties were recorded and muscles and spinal cord were removed for further histological measurements. Soleus

Assessment of Polyscias fruticosa (L. Harm (Araliaceae leaf extract on male fertility in male Wistar rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALEX BOYE

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Polyscias fruticosa is used widely as food, disease remedy and as an ornamental across Afro-Asian countries. For instance, P. fruticosa is used traditionally as an anti-asthma, anti-tussive, and a muco-suppressant herbal remedy for asthmatics in Ghana. Although many studies have investigated the pharmacological basis of the ethnobotanical uses of P. fruticosa, however, its effect on the reproductive system remains completely unknown. Aim of study: This study assessed effects of Polyscias fruticosa leaf extract (PFE on male fertility and toxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Materials and methods: after crude preparation of PFE, it was subjected to qualitative phytochemical, thin layer chromatography (TLC and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS analyses. Effect of PFE was assessed on male fertility and toxicity by using healthy adult male Wistar rats. Rats were randomly assigned to: normal saline (5 ml/kg po, n = 5, Clomiphene Citrate (50 mg/kg po; n = 5 and PFE (100, 200 and 500 mg/kg po; n = 5 respectively groups and treated for 21 days. On day 22 rats were sacrificed and male fertility parameters (left testis weight, relative testis weight, caudal epididymal weight, caudal epididymal sperm count, sperm motility, sperm morphology and assessment of male sex hormones and testicular histology were assessed. Results: There were no significant changes in bodyweight, weight of left testis, weights of right and left caudal epididymides between treatments groups (PFE and clomiphene citrate and control. Caudal epididymal sperm count increased in PFE (100 and 500 mg/kg-treated rats relative to control. Sperm motility relatively increased in PFE-treated rats compared to control. Sperm abnormality decreased in PFE-treated rats; especially in PFE (100 mg/kg group compared to control. Serum testosterone levels decreased inversely with serum luteinizing hormone (LH levels in PFE-treated rats compared to control. There were minimal

The Role of Sulfur Dioxide in the Regulation of Mitochondrion-Related Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Isopropylarterenol-Induced Myocardial Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junbao Du

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The authors investigated the regulatory effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2 on myocardial injury induced by isopropylarterenol (ISO hydrochloride and its mechanisms. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control group, ISO group, ISO plus SO2 group, and SO2 only group. Cardiac function was measured and cardiomyocyte apoptosis was detected. Bcl-2, bax and cytochrome c (cytc expressions, and caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities in the left ventricular tissues were examined in the rats. The opening status of myocardial mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP and membrane potential were analyzed. The results showed that ISO-treated rats developed heart dysfunction and cardiac injury. Furthermore, cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the left ventricular tissues was augmented, left ventricular tissue bcl-2 expression was down-regulated, bax expression was up-regulated, mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly reduced, MPTP opened, cytc release from mitochondrion into cytoplasm was significantly increased, and both caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities were increased. Administration of an SO2 donor, however, markedly improved heart function and relieved myocardial injury of the ISO-treated rats; it lessened cardiomyocyte apoptosis, up-regulated myocardial bcl-2, down-regulated bax expression, stimulated mitochondrial membrane potential, closed MPTP, and reduced cytc release as well as caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities in the left ventricular tissue. Hence, SO2 attenuated myocardial injury in association with the inhibition of apoptosis in myocardial tissues, and the bcl-2/cytc/caspase-9/caspase-3 pathway was possibly involved in this process.

Mast cells in the sheep, hedgehog and rat forebrain

Science.gov (United States)

MICHALOUDI, HELEN C.; PAPADOPOULOS, GEORGIOS C.

1999-01-01

The study was designed to reveal the distribution of various mast cell types in the forebrain of the adult sheep, hedgehog and rat. Based on their histochemical and immunocytochemical characteristics, mast cells were categorised as (1) connective tissue-type mast cells, staining metachromatically purple with the toluidine blue method, or pale red with the Alcian blue/safranin method, (2) mucosal-type or immature mast cells staining blue with the Alcian blue/safranin method and (3) serotonin immunopositive mast cells. All 3 types of brain mast cells in all species studied were located in both white and grey matter, often associated with intraparenchymal blood vessels. Their distribution pattern exhibited interspecies differences, while their number varied considerably not only between species but also between individuals of each species. A distributional left-right asymmetry, with more cells present on the left side, was observed in all species studied but it was most prominent in the sheep brain. In the sheep, mast cells were abundantly distributed in forebrain areas, while in the hedgehog and the rat forebrain, mast cells were less widely distributed and were relatively or substantially fewer in number respectively. A limited number of brain mast cells, in all 3 species, but primarily in the rat, were found to react both immunocytochemically to 5-HT antibody and histochemically with Alcian blue/safranin staining. PMID:10634696

[Trigeminal purinergic P2X4 receptor involved in experimental occlusal interference-induced hyperalgesia in rat masseter muscle].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaoxiang; Cao, Ye; Ding, Tingting; Fu, Kaiyuan; Xie, Qiufei

2016-03-01

To explore the expression of purinergic p2X4 receptor (P2X4R) in trigeminal ganglion of rats after occlusal interference. Investigation of peripheral receptor mechanism of occlusal interference-induced masticatory muscle pain will aid the development of drug intervention against this condition. Experimental occlusal interference was established by application of 0.4 mm metal crown to the upper right first molar of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Real-time PCR assay was used to investigate P2X4R mRNA level in trigeminal ganglion in rats with occlusal interference for 3, 7, 10 and 14 days and in control rats without occlusal interference (n=5 in each). Retrograde labelling combining immunofluorescence was performed to evaluate the percentage of P2X4R-positive cells in masseter afferent neurons (n=5 in each group). Graded concentrations of P2XR antagonist TNP-ATP (0.1, 10, 125, 250, 500 μmol/L) or saline (n=5 in each group) was administrated in right masseter and the mechanical sensitivity of bilateral masseters was measured before occlusal interference application, before the injection, and 30 min as well as 60 min after the injection. Compared with control rats (P2X4R mRNA: right side: 1.00±0.26, left side: 0.94± 0.21; percentage of P2X4R-positive masseter afferents: right side: [64.3±6.3]%, left side: [67.7±5.8]%), the level of P2X4R mRNA in bilateral trigeminal ganglia (right side: 5.98±3.56; left side: 5.06±2.88) of rats with occlusal interference for 7 days up-regulated (Pocclusal interference-induced masseter hyperalgesia.

Impact of in utero exposure to EtOH on corpus callosum development and paw preference in rats: protective effects of silymarin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Montoya Rebecca

2002-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Using a rat model we have found that the bioflavonoid silymarin (SY ameliorates some of the negative consequences of in utero exposure to ethanol (EtOH. In the current study our aim was to determine if laterality preference and corpus callosum development were altered in rat offspring whose mothers were provided with a concomitant administration of SY with EtOH throughout gestation. Methods We provided pregnant Fisher/344 rats with liquid diets containing 35% ethanol derived calories (EDC throughout the gestational period. A silymarin/phospholipid compound containing 29.8% silybin was co administered with EtOH to a separate experimental group. We tested the offspring for laterality preference at age 12 weeks. After testing the rats were sacrificed and their brains perfused for later corpus callosum extraction. Results We observed incomplete development of the splenium in the EtOH-only offspring. Callosal development was complete in all other treatment groups. Rats from the EtOH-only group displayed a left paw preference; whereas control rats were evenly divided between right and left paw preference. Inexplicably both SY groups were largely right paw preferring. Conclusions The addition of SY to the EtOH liquid diet did confer some ameliorative effects upon the developing fetal rat brain.

Adolescence fluoxetine increases serotonergic activity in the raphe-hippocampus axis and improves depression-like behaviors in female rats that experienced neonatal maternal separation.

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Yoo, Sang Bae; Kim, Bom-Taeck; Kim, Jin Young; Ryu, Vitaly; Kang, Dong-Won; Lee, Jong-Ho; Jahng, Jeong Won

2013-06-01

This study was conducted to examine if fluoxetine, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, would reverse adverse behavioral effects of neonatal maternal separation in female rats. Sprague-Dawley pups were separated from dam daily for 3h during postnatal day (PND) 1-14 (maternal separation; MS) or left undisturbed (non-handled; NH). Female NH and MS pups received intraperitoneal injection of fluoxetine (10mg/kg) or vehicle daily from PND 35 until the end of the whole experimental period. Rats were either subjected to behavioral tests during PND 44-54, or sacrificed for neurochemical analyses during PND 43-45. Daily food intake and weight gain of both NH and MS pups were suppressed by fluoxetine, with greater effects in MS pups. MS experience increased immobility and decrease swimming in forced swim test. Swimming was increased, although immobility was not significantly decreased, in MS females by adolescence fluoxetine. However, adolescence fluoxetine increased immobility during forced swim test and decreased time spent in open arms during elevated plus maze test in NH females. Fluoxetine normalized MS-induced decrease of the raphe 5-HT levels and increased 5-HT metabolism in the hippocampus in MS females, and increased the hypothalamic 5-HT both in NH and MS. Fluoxetine decreased the raphe 5-HT and increased the plasma corticosterone in NH females. Results suggest that decreased 5-HTergic activity in the raphe nucleus is implicated in the pathophysiology of depression-like behaviors, and increased 5-HTergic activities in the raphe-hippocampus axis may be a part of anti-depressant efficacy of fluoxetine, in MS females. Also, an extra-hypothalamic 5-HTergic activity may contribute to the increased anorectic efficacy of fluoxetine in MS females. Additionally, decreased 5-HT in the raphe and elevated plasma corticosterone may be related with fluoxetine-induced depression- and/or anxiety-like behaviors in NH females. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Study on Application of Static Magnetic Field for Adjuvant Arthritis Rats

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Norimasa Taniguchi

2004-01-01

Full Text Available In order to examine the effectiveness of the application of static magnetic field (SMF on pain relief, we performed a study on rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA. Sixty female Sprague–Dawley (SD rats (age: 6 weeks, body weight: approximately 160 g were divided into three groups [SMF-treated AA rats (Group I, non-SMF-treated AA rats (Group II and control rats (Group III]. The SD rats were injected in the left hind leg with 0.6 mg/0.05 ml Mycobacterium butyrium to induce AA. The rats were bred for 6 months as chronic pain model. Thereafter, the AA rats were or were not exposed to SMF for 12 weeks. We assessed the changes in the tail surface temperature, locomotor activity, serum inflammatory marker and bone mineral density (BMD using thermography, a metabolism measuring system and the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA method, respectively. The tail surface temperature, locomotor activity and femoral BMD of the SMF-exposed AA rats were significantly higher than those of the non-SMF-exposed AA rats, and the serum inflammatory marker was significantly lower. These findings suggest that the pain relief effects are primarily due to the increased blood circulation caused by the rise in the tail surface temperature. Moreover, the pain relief effects increased with activity and BMD of the AA rats.

Postictal in situ MRS brain lactate in the rat kindling model.

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Maton, B M; Najm, I M; Wang, Y; Lüders, H O; Ng, T C

1999-12-10

To determine the temporal and spatial extent of the lactate (Lact) changes as correlated with seizure characteristics and EEG changes in the rat kindling model. Prior studies using MRS have detected cerebral Lact postictally in animal models of seizures and in patients with intractable focal epilepsy. We performed MRS in sham control rats (n = 4) and in rats stimulated in the right hippocampus at two different stages of the kindling and at three time points after the seizures: 3 hours (n = 4 and 2). Lact/creatine (Cr) and N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/Cr ratios were measured in six contiguous voxels (three left, three right) covering the hippocampi, anterior and posterior regions, and compared with EEG and ictal behavior. Lact/Cr ratios were measured at a very low level in the sham control rats and in the >3-hour group. In the epilepsy.

Immunohistochemical characteristics of neurons in nodose ganglia projecting to the different chambers of the rat heart.

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Kosta, Vana; Guić, Maja Marinović; Aljinović, Jure; Sapunar, Damir; Grković, Ivica

2010-06-24

Despite the contribution of nodose ganglia neurons to the innervation of the heart being the subject of several studies, specific neuronal subpopulations innervating the four different chambers of the heart have not been distinguished. In our study, the application of Fast Blue-loaded patch to the epicardial surface of different chambers of the rat heart (the right or left atrium or the right or left ventricle) resulted in labeling of discrete populations of immunohistochemically diverse neurons. About one half (55%) of these neurons showed immunoreactivity for the 200-kDa neurofilament protein (marker of myelinated neurons), with a higher proportion of positive staining among neurons projecting to the left than to the right ventricle. Isolectin B4 immunoreactivity (characteristic for a subset of nonmyelinated non-peptidergic neurons) was more abundant among neurons projecting to the right side of the heart (right atria and right ventricles) compared to the left side (23% vs. 16%). Calretinin immunoreactivity (possible marker of mechanosensitive neurons) was significantly higher among neurons projecting to the ventricles than among those projecting to atria (36% vs. 11%). These findings reveal that chambers of the rat heart are innervated with immunohistochemically different subpopulations of neurons from the nodose ganglia.

Serum expression of HA and LN in lewis rat models of autoimmune myocarditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Li'na; Li Tieling; Zhang Yajing; Yang Tingshu; Ding Yu; Guo Shuli; Zhao Xiaoning

2011-01-01

Objective: To study the clinical significance of dynamic changes of serum expressions of hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin (LN) in Lewis rat models of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). Methods: Fifty Lewis rat models of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) were established with injection of recombinant cardiac C protein with complete freund adjuvant into two foot-pads plus intraperitoneal injection of pertussis toxin. At 1w, 2w, 4w, 6w and 8w, 10 models were sacrificed each time;cardiac tissues were examined with HE stain for myocardial inflammatory score and examined with picrosirius red stain for myocardial fibrosis score, also, serum HA and LN expressions were determined with RIA. These examinations were performed in 10 undisturbed animals as controls. Results: The myocardial inflammatory scores of the models at 1w were about the same as those in the controls, but the scores rapidly increased from 2w on to 4w then fell gradually. The myocardial fibrosis scores of the models at 1wk were also not much different from those in controls. The fibrosis scores increased rapidly at 4w and maintained at high level up to 8w. The changes of serum expressions of HA and LN roughly paralleled those of myocardial fibrosis scores i. e. rapidly increased at 4w up to 8w. Conclusion: Serum expressions of HA and LN could faithfully reflect the degree of myocardial fibrosis in rat models of EAM. HA and LN were useful markers of myocardial fibrois and were of prognostic importance. (authors)

Nitrogen transformations and greenhouse gas emissions from a riparian wetland soil: An undisturbed soil column study

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Munoz-Leoz, Borja [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, E-48013 Bilbao (Spain); Antigueedad, Inaki [Department of Geodynamic, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, E-48940 Leioa (Spain); Garbisu, Carlos [Department of Ecosystems, NEIKER-Tecnalia, E-48160 Derio (Spain); Ruiz-Romera, Estilita, E-mail: estilita.ruiz@ehu.es [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, E-48013 Bilbao (Spain)

2011-01-15

Riparian wetlands bordering intensively managed agricultural fields can act as biological filters that retain and transform agrochemicals such as nitrate and pesticides. Nitrate removal in wetlands has usually been attributed to denitrification processes which in turn imply the production of greenhouse gases (CO{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O). Denitrification processes were studied in the Salburua wetland (northern Spain) by using undisturbed soil columns which were subsequently divided into three sections corresponding to A-, Bg- and B2g-soil horizons. Soil horizons were subjected to leaching with a 200 mg NO{sub 3}{sup -} L{sup -1} solution (rate: 90 mL day{sup -1}) for 125 days at two different temperatures (10 and 20 {sup o}C), using a new experimental design for leaching assays which enabled not only to evaluate leachate composition but also to measure gas emissions during the leaching process. Column leachate samples were analyzed for NO{sub 3}{sup -} concentration, NH{sub 4}{sup +} concentration, and dissolved organic carbon. Emissions of greenhouse gases (CO{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O) were determined in the undisturbed soil columns. The A horizon at 20 {sup o}C showed the highest rates of NO{sub 3}{sup -} removal (1.56 mg N-NO{sub 3}{sup -} kg{sup -1} DW soil day{sup -1}) and CO{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O production (5.89 mg CO{sub 2} kg{sup -1} DW soil day{sup -1} and 55.71 {mu}g N-N{sub 2}O kg{sup -1} DW soil day{sup -1}). For the Salburua wetland riparian soil, we estimated a potential nitrate removal capacity of 1012 kg N-NO{sub 3}{sup -} ha{sup -1} year{sup -1}, and potential greenhouse gas emissions of 5620 kg CO{sub 2} ha{sup -1} year{sup -1} and 240 kg N-N{sub 2}O ha{sup -1} year{sup -1}. - Research Highlights: {yields}A new experimental design is proposed for leaching assays to simulate nitrogen transformations in riparian wetland soil. {yields}Denitrification is the main process responsible for nitrate removal in the riparian zone of Salburua wetland. {yields

Left-handedness and health

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Milenković Sanja

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Hand dominance is defined as a proneness to use one hand rather than another in performing the majority of activities and this is the most obvious example of cerebral lateralization and an exclusive human characteristic. Left-handed people comprise 6-14% of the total population, while in Serbia, this percentage is 5-10%, moving from undeveloped to developed environments, where a socio-cultural pressure is less present. There is no agreement between investigators who in fact may be considered a left-handed person, about the percentage of left-handers in the population and about the etiology of left-handedness. In the scientific literature left-handedness has been related to health disorders (spine deformities, immunological disorders, migraine, neurosis, depressive psychosis, schizophrenia, insomnia, homosexuality, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, sleep apnea, enuresis nocturna and Down Syndrome, developmental disorders (autism, dislexia and sttutering and traumatism. The most reliable scientific evidences have been published about the relationship between left-handedness and spinal deformities in school children in puberty and with traumatism in general population. The controversy of other results in up-to-now investigations of health aspects of left-handedness may partly be explained by a scientific disagreement whether writing with the left hand is a sufficient criterium for left-handedness, or is it necessary to investigate other parameters for laterality assessment. Explanation of health aspects of left-handedness is dominantly based on Geschwind-Galaburda model about 'anomalous' cerebral domination, as a consequence of hormonal disbalance. .

[Left-handedness and health].

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Milenković, Sanja; Belojević, Goran; Kocijancić, Radojka

2010-01-01

Hand dominance is defined as a proneness to use one hand rather than another in performing the majority of activities and this is the most obvious example of cerebral lateralization and an exclusive human characteristic. Left-handed people comprise 6-14% of the total population, while in Serbia, this percentage is 5-10%, moving from undeveloped to developed environments, where a socio-cultural pressure is less present. There is no agreement between investigators who in fact may be considered a left-handed person, about the percentage of left-handers in the population and about the etiology of left-handedness. In the scientific literature left-handedness has been related to health disorders (spine deformities, immunological disorders, migraine, neurosis, depressive psychosis, schizophrenia, insomnia, homosexuality, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, sleep apnea, enuresis nocturna and Down Syndrome), developmental disorders (autism, dislexia and sttutering) and traumatism. The most reliable scientific evidences have been published about the relationship between left-handedness and spinal deformities in school children in puberty and with traumatism in general population. The controversy of other results in up-to-now investigations of health aspects of left-handedness may partly be explained by a scientific disagreement whether writing with the left hand is a sufficient criterium for left-handedness, or is it necessary to investigate other parameters for laterality assessment. Explanation of health aspects of left-handedness is dominantly based on Geschwind-Galaburda model about "anomalous" cerebral domination, as a consequence of hormonal disbalance.

Chronic high-fat diet-induced obesity decreased survival and increased hypertrophy of rats with experimental eccentric hypertrophy from chronic aortic regurgitation.

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Dhahri, Wahiba; Drolet, Marie-Claude; Roussel, Elise; Couet, Jacques; Arsenault, Marie

2014-09-24

The composition of a diet can influence myocardial metabolism and development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The impact of a high-fat diet in chronic left ventricular volume overload (VO) causing eccentric LVH is unknown. This study examined the effects of chronic ingestion of a high-fat diet in rats with chronic VO caused by severe aortic valve regurgitation (AR) on LVH, function and on myocardial energetics and survival. Male Wistar rats were divided in four groups: Shams on control or high-fat (HF) diet (15 rats/group) and AR rats fed with the same diets (ARC (n = 56) and ARHF (n = 32)). HF diet was started one week before AR induction and the protocol was stopped 30 weeks later. As expected, AR caused significant LV dilation and hypertrophy and this was exacerbated in the ARHF group. Moreover, survival in the ARHF group was significantly decreased compared the ARC group. Although the sham animals on HF also developed significant obesity compared to those on control diet, this was not associated with heart hypertrophy. The HF diet in AR rats partially countered the expected shift in myocardial energy substrate preference usually observed in heart hypertrophy (from fatty acids towards glucose). Systolic function was decreased in AR rats but HF diet had no impact on this parameter. The response to HF diet of different fatty acid oxidation markers as well as the increase in glucose transporter-4 translocation to the plasma membrane compared to ARC was blunted in AR animals compared to those on control diet. HF diet for 30 weeks decreased survival of AR rats and worsened eccentric hypertrophy without affecting systolic function. The expected adaptation of myocardial energetics to volume-overload left ventricle hypertrophy in AR animals seemed to be impaired by the high-fat diet suggesting less metabolic flexibility.

Testosterone affects hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) activity and lipid metabolism in the left ventricle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langfort, Jozef; Jagsz, Slawomir; Dobrzyn, Pawel

2010-01-01

Fatty acids, which are the major cardiac fuel, are derived from lipid droplets stored in cardiomyocytes, among other sources. The heart expresses hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which regulates triglycerides (TG) breakdown, and the enzyme is under hormonal control. Evidence obtained from adipose...... levels, caused an inhibitory effect on carbohydrate metabolism in the heart, and elevated left ventricular phosphocreatine and ATP levels as compared to control rats. These data indicate that testosterone is involved in cardiac HSL activity regulation which, in turn, may affect cardiac lipid...

Low Intensity Physical Exercise Attenuates Cardiac Remodeling and Myocardial Oxidative Stress and Dysfunction in Diabetic Rats

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C. Gimenes

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We evaluated the effects of a low intensity aerobic exercise protocol on cardiac remodeling and myocardial function in diabetic rats. Wistar rats were assigned into four groups: sedentary control (C-Sed, exercised control (C-Ex, sedentary diabetes (DM-Sed, and exercised diabetes (DM-Ex. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Rats exercised for 9 weeks in treadmill at 11 m/min, 18 min/day. Myocardial function was evaluated in left ventricular (LV papillary muscles and oxidative stress in LV tissue. Statistical analysis was given by ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis. Echocardiogram showed diabetic groups with higher LV diastolic diameter-to-body weight ratio and lower posterior wall shortening velocity than controls. Left atrium diameter was lower in DM-Ex than DM-Sed (C-Sed: 5.73±0.49; C-Ex: 5.67±0.53; DM-Sed: 6.41±0.54; DM-Ex: 5.81±0.50 mm; P<0.05 DM-Sed vs C-Sed and DM-Ex. Papillary muscle function was depressed in DM-Sed compared to C-Sed. Exercise attenuated this change in DM-Ex. Lipid hydroperoxide concentration was higher in DM-Sed than C-Sed and DM-Ex. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were lower in diabetics than controls and higher in DM-Ex than DM-Sed. Glutathione peroxidase activity was lower in DM-Sed than C-Sed and DM-Ex. Conclusion. Low intensity exercise attenuates left atrium dilation and myocardial oxidative stress and dysfunction in type 1 diabetic rats.

Acoustic Trauma Changes the Parvalbumin-Positive Neurons in Rat Auditory Cortex

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Congli Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Acoustic trauma is being reported to damage the auditory periphery and central system, and the compromised cortical inhibition is involved in auditory disorders, such as hyperacusis and tinnitus. Parvalbumin-containing neurons (PV neurons, a subset of GABAergic neurons, greatly shape and synchronize neural network activities. However, the change of PV neurons following acoustic trauma remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated how auditory cortical PV neurons change following unilateral 1 hour noise exposure (left ear, one octave band noise centered at 16 kHz, 116 dB SPL. Noise exposure elevated the auditory brainstem response threshold of the exposed ear when examined 7 days later. More detectable PV neurons were observed in both sides of the auditory cortex of noise-exposed rats when compared to control. The detectable PV neurons of the left auditory cortex (ipsilateral to the exposed ear to noise exposure outnumbered those of the right auditory cortex (contralateral to the exposed ear. Quantification of Western blotted bands revealed higher expression level of PV protein in the left cortex. These findings of more active PV neurons in noise-exposed rats suggested that a compensatory mechanism might be initiated to maintain a stable state of the brain.

Intra-articular injection of dexketoprofen in rat knee joint: histopathologic assessment of cartilage & synovium.

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Ekici, Aycan Guner; Akyol, Onat; Ekici, Murat; Sitilci, Tolga; Topacoglu, Hakan; Ozyuvaci, Emine

2014-08-01

Effective pain control following outpatient surgical procedures is an important aspect of patient discharge. This study was carried out with an aim to investigate the histopathological effects of intra-articular dexketoprofen trometamol injection in knee joint on synovium and cartilage in an experimental rat model. In each of 40 rats, the right knee was designated as the study group and the left knee as the control group (NS group). Under aseptic conditions, 35 rats received an injection of 0.25 ml (6.25 mg) dexketoprofen trometamol into the right knee joint and an injection of 0.25 ml 0.9 per cent normal saline solution into the left knee joint. On the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after intra-articular injection, rats in specified groups were sacrificed by intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kg sodium thiopental. Knee joints were separated and sectioned for histopathological examination. Inflammatory changes in the joints were recorded according to a grade scale. No significant difference in terms of pathological changes both in synovium and cartilage was observed between the NS group and the study group on days 1, 2, 7, 14 and 21 after intra-articular injection of dexketoprofen or saline in the knee joint. The findings showed no evidence of significant histopathological damage to the cartilage and synovia for a period up to 21 days following intra-articular administration of dexketoprofen trometamol in the knee joints of rats.

Lifelong consumption of sodium selenite: gender differences on blood-brain barrier permeability in convulsive, hypoglycemic rats.

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Seker, F Burcu; Akgul, Sibel; Oztas, Baria

2008-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of hypoglycemia and induced convulsions on the blood-brain barrier permeability in rats with or without lifelong administration of sodium selenite. There is a significant decrease of the blood-brain barrier permeability in three brain regions of convulsive, hypoglycemic male rats treated with sodium selenite when compared to sex-matched untreated rats (p0.05). The blood-brain barrier permeability of the left and right hemispheres of untreated, moderately hypoglycemic convulsive rats of both genders was better than their untreated counterparts (peffect against blood-brain barrier permeability during convulsions and that the effects of sodium selenite are gender-dependent.

Cardiac and renal antioxidant enzymes and effects of tempol in hyperthyroid rats.

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Moreno, Juan Manuel; Rodríguez Gómez, Isabel; Wangensteen, Rosemary; Osuna, Antonio; Bueno, Pablo; Vargas, Félix

2005-11-01

This study evaluated the activity of cardiac and renal antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione reductase (GR)] and whether chronic treatment with tempol, a cell membrane-permeable SOD mimetic, ameliorates the hypertension of hyperthyroidism. Two experiments were performed. In experiment I, the following four groups of male Wistar rats were used: control group and three groups that received thyroxine (T4) at 10, 50, or 75 microg x rat(-1) x day(-1). In experiment II, tempol was orally administered (18 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) to control and T4-treated (75 microg x rat(-1) x day(-1)) rats. All treatments were maintained for 6 wk. Body weight, tail systolic blood pressure (BP), and heart rate were measured one time a week, and direct BP and morphological, metabolic, plasma, and renal variables were measured at the end of the experiment. Enzymatic activities were measured in renal cortex and medulla and right and left ventricles. In renal cortex, SOD activity was decreased in the T4-75 group, and there was a dose-related increase in CAT activity and decrease in GPX and GR activities in T4-treated groups. Activity of all antioxidant enzymes was reduced in left ventricle in T4-50 and T4-75 groups and in right ventricle in the T4-75 group. Tempol reduced BP, plasma malondialdehyde, and total urinary excretion of F2 isoprostanes in hypertensive hyperthyroid rats but not in controls. Tempol did not improve cardiac hypertrophy, proteinuria, or creatinine clearance in hyperthyroid rats. In conclusion, the results obtained indicate that the activity of SOD, GPX, and GR in renal and cardiac tissues is decreased in hyperthyroidism and that antioxidant treatment with tempol ameliorates T4-induced hypertension.

Protective effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata on ischaemia-reperfusion induced myocardial injury in rats.

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Ojha, Shreesh Kumar; Bharti, Saurabh; Joshi, Sujata; Kumari, Santosh; Arya, Dharamvir Singh

2012-03-01

Protecting myocardium from ischaemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury is important to reduce the complication of myocardial infarction (MI) and interventional revascularization procedures. In the present study, the cardioprotective potential of hydroalcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata was evaluated against left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) ligation-induced I-R injury of myocardium in rats. MI was induced in rats by LADCA ligation for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min. The rats were divided into five experimental groups viz., sham (saline treated, but LADCA was not ligated), I-R control (saline treated + I-R), benazepril (30 mg/kg + I-R), A. paniculata (200 mg/kg per se) and A. paniculata (200 mg/kg + I-R). A. paniculata was administered orally for 31 days. On day 31, rats were subjected to the I-R and cardiac function parameters were recorded. Further, rats were sacrificed and heart was excised for biochemical and histopathological studies. In I-R control group, LADCA ligation resulted in significant cardiac dysfunction evidenced by reduced haemodynamic parameters; mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). The left ventricular contractile function was also altered. In I-R control group, I-R caused decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as leakage of myocytes injury marker enzymes, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and enhanced lipid peroxidation product, malonaldialdehyde (MDA). However, rats pretreated with A. paniculata 200 mg/kg showed favourable modulation of haemodynamic and left ventricular contractile function parameters, restoration of the myocardial antioxidants and prevention of depletion of myocytes injury marker enzymes along with inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Histopathological observations confirmed the protective effects of A. paniculata. The cardioprotective effects of A. paniculata were

Adiponectin protects rat myocardium against chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced injury via inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

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Wenxiao Ding

Full Text Available Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS is associated with many cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and arrhythmia and so on. Of the many associated factors, chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH in particular is the primary player in OSAS. To assess the effects of CIH on cardiac function secondary to OSAS, we established a model to study the effects of CIH on Wistar rats. Specifically, we examined the possible underlying cellular mechanisms of hypoxic tissue damage and the possible protective role of adiponectin against hypoxic insults. In the first treatment group, rats were exposed to CIH conditions (nadir O2, 5-6% for 8 hours/day, for 5 weeks. Subsequent CIH-induced cardiac dysfunction was measured by echocardiograph. Compared with the normal control (NC group, rats in the CIH-exposed group experienced elevated levels of left ventricular end-systolic dimension and left ventricular end-systolic volume and depressed levels of left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fractional shortening (p<0.05. However, when adiponectin (Ad was added in CIH + Ad group, we saw a rescue in the elevations of the aforementioned left ventricular function (p<0.05. To assess critical cardiac injury, we detected myocardial apoptosis by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transfer-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL analysis. It was showed that the apoptosis percentage in CIH group (2.948% was significantly higher than that in NC group (0.4167% and CIH + Ad group (1.219% (p<0.05. Protein expressions of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved-caspase-12 validated our TUNEL results (p<0.05. Mechanistically, our results demonstrated that the proteins expressed with endoplasmic reticulum stress and the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS were significantly elevated under CIH conditions, whereas Ad supplementation partially decreased them. Overall, our results suggested that Ad augmentation could improve CIH

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduce Left Ventricular Mass in Rats with Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy

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Haydardedeoglu, Ali Evren; Boztok Özgermen, Deva Basak; Yavuz, Orhan

2018-01-01

SUMMARY: Doxorubicin is a drug that used by a majority in the treatment of carcinomas. The most obvious known side effect is cardiomyopathy. Many studies have been carried out to eliminate side effects of the doxorubicin, and stem cell studies have been added in recent years. In this study, it was aimed to investigate fetal-derived mesenchymal stem cells (F-MSCs) treatment of doxorubicininduced cardiomyopathy by morphological methods. A total of 24 rats which were divided into three separate ...

Uncertainty in action-value estimation affects both action choice and learning rate of the choice behaviors of rats.

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Funamizu, Akihiro; Ito, Makoto; Doya, Kenji; Kanzaki, Ryohei; Takahashi, Hirokazu

2012-04-01

The estimation of reward outcomes for action candidates is essential for decision making. In this study, we examined whether and how the uncertainty in reward outcome estimation affects the action choice and learning rate. We designed a choice task in which rats selected either the left-poking or right-poking hole and received a reward of a food pellet stochastically. The reward probabilities of the left and right holes were chosen from six settings (high, 100% vs. 66%; mid, 66% vs. 33%; low, 33% vs. 0% for the left vs. right holes, and the opposites) in every 20-549 trials. We used Bayesian Q-learning models to estimate the time course of the probability distribution of action values and tested if they better explain the behaviors of rats than standard Q-learning models that estimate only the mean of action values. Model comparison by cross-validation revealed that a Bayesian Q-learning model with an asymmetric update for reward and non-reward outcomes fit the choice time course of the rats best. In the action-choice equation of the Bayesian Q-learning model, the estimated coefficient for the variance of action value was positive, meaning that rats were uncertainty seeking. Further analysis of the Bayesian Q-learning model suggested that the uncertainty facilitated the effective learning rate. These results suggest that the rats consider uncertainty in action-value estimation and that they have an uncertainty-seeking action policy and uncertainty-dependent modulation of the effective learning rate. © 2012 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

New strict left bundle branch block criteria reflect left ventricular activation differences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emerek, Kasper Janus Grønn; Risum, Niels; Hjortshøj, Søren Pihlkjær

2015-01-01

AIMS: Pacing lead electrical delays and strict left bundle branch block (LBBB) criteria were assessed against cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) outcome. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with LBBB and QRS duration >130 milliseconds underwent CRT-implantation. Sensed right ventricular to left ven....... CONCLUSION: Interventricular electrical delay predicts left ventricular remodeling after CRT and new, strict ECG criteria of LBBB are superior in predicting remodeling.......AIMS: Pacing lead electrical delays and strict left bundle branch block (LBBB) criteria were assessed against cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) outcome. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with LBBB and QRS duration >130 milliseconds underwent CRT-implantation. Sensed right ventricular to left...... ventricular electrical delay (RV-LV-IED) was measured. Response to CRT was defined as ≥15% decrease in left ventricular end-systolic volume. RESULTS: Eighteen of 20 (90%) patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and 18 of 29 (62%) with ischemic heart disease (IHD) responded to CRT, p

Effects of bromopride on the healing of left colonic anastomoses in rats with induced abdominal sepsis Efeitos da bromoprida na cicatrização de anastomoses no cólon esquerdo de ratos sob sepse abdominal induzida

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Silvana Marques e Silva

2012-06-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of bromopride on the healing of left colonic anastomoses in rats with induced abdominal sepsis. METHODS: Forty rats were divided into two groups to receive either bromopride (experimental group- E or saline (control group- C. Each group was divided into subgroups of ten animals each to be euthanized on third (E3 and C3 or seventh day (E7 and C7 after surgery. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture. The rats underwent segmental left colon resection and end-to-end anastomosis. Adhesion formation, tensile strength and hydroxyproline concentration were assessed. Histomorphometry of collagen and histopathological analysis were also performed. RESULTS: On postoperative third day, anastomoses in bromopride-treated animals showed lower tensile strength (p=0.02 and greater reduction in hydroxyproline concentration (p=0.04 than in control animals. There was no statistical difference in these parameters on seventh day, and the remaining parameters were similar across subgroups. Collagen content was also similar across subgroups. CONCLUSION: In the presence of abdominal sepsis, the administration of bromopride was associated with decreased tensile strength and hydroxyproline concentration in left colonic anastomoses in rats three days after surgery.OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos da bromoprida sobre a cicatrização de anastomoses de cólon esquerdo de ratos na presença de sepse abdominal. MÉTODOS: Quarenta ratos distribuídos em grupos contendo 20 animais para administração de bromoprida ou salina. Cada grupo foi dividido em subgrupos contendo dez animais, para eutanásia no terceiro ou no sétimo dia de pós-operatório. A indução da sepse foi realizada pelo método de ligadura e punção do ceco. Foi realizada ressecção de um segmento do cólon esquerdo e anastomose término-terminal. À re-laparotomia, foi avaliada a quantidade total de aderências e removido um segmento colônico contendo a anastomose

Magnetic compression ostomy for simple tube colostomy in rats--magnacolostomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Uygun, Ibrahim; Okur, Mehmet H; Arayici, Yilmaz; Keles, Aysenur; Ozturk, Hayrettin; Otcu, Selcuk

2012-01-01

Magnetic compression anastomoses (magnamosis) have been previously described for gastrointestinal, biliary, urinary, and vascular anastomoses. Objectives. Herein, the authors report the creation of a magnetic compression colostomy (magnacolostomy) using a simple technique in rats. Animals were randomized into two groups (n = 8, each): a magnetic colostomy (MC) group and a control surgical tube colostomy (SC) group. In the MC group, the first magnetic ball (3 mm) was rectally introduced into the rat colon. The second magnetic ball (4 mm) was placed subcutaneously into the left quadrant, and the two magnetic balls strongly coupled. On postoperative day 20 for the MC group and postoperative day 10 in the SC group, the rats were sacrificed and the colostomies evaluated macroscopically, histopathologically, and for mechanical burst testing. From the macroscopic evaluation, two rats failed to form the colostomy canal due to colostomy catheter and magnetic ball removal. In the remaining rats, evidence of complications were not observed. Two rats in the MC group displayed mild adhesion and all rats in the SC group displayed moderate adhesion. No significant differences between the burst pressures were observed. However, a significant difference (p colostomy procedures such as antegrade continence enemas, percutaneous endoscopic, and colostomy/cecostomy in humans.

AQP4 expression and its relationship with brain edema after gamma kife radiosurgery in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Guangjian; Xu Minhui; Zou Yongwen; Gen Mingying; Li Feipeng; Tang Wenyuan; Sun Shanquan

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore AQP4 expression and its relationship with brain edema after gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in rats. Methods: Wistar rats were divided into two groups-the control group and experimental group. The experimental group model was established by radiating rat left rotral caudate nucleus with GKRS (100 Gy, 4 mm), and was examinded at interval times of 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 15 d, 30 d and 45 d. Brain water content (BWC) was determined by wet-dry weighing method. AQP4 expression on mRNA and protein were measured by immunohistochemistry (ICH) and in situ hybridization (ISH). Results: In control group, AQP4 protein and its mRNA were expressed in subpial astrocytes, choroid plexus, ependyma and perivascular astrocytes. After GKRS, AQP4 protein and its mRNA in these sites were enhanced, and became most remarkable at 30 d. The positive corrlationship was showed between AQP4 and its mRNA, and AQP4 and BWC. Conclusions: AQP4 protein and its mRNA can be induced in some brain zone after irradiating rat left rotral caudate nucleus with GKRS. The increased expression of AQP4 and its mRNA may play a role in the ocurrence or development of brain edema after GKRS. (authors)

Asymmetry in the brain influenced the neurological deficits and infarction volume following the middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

OpenAIRE

Zhang Meizeng; Gao Huanmin

2008-01-01

Abstract Background Paw preference in rats is similar to human handedness, which may result from dominant hemisphere of rat brain. However, given that lateralization is the uniqueness of the humans, many researchers neglect the differences between the left and right hemispheres when selecting the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ischemia in the dominant hemisphere on neurobehavioral function and on the cerebral infarction vol...

Left atrial systolic force in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy: the LIFE study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chinali, M.; Simone, G. de; Wachtell, K.

2008-01-01

In hypertensive patients without prevalent cardiovascular disease, enhanced left atrial systolic force is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and increased preload. It also predicts cardiovascular events in a population with high prevalence of obesity. Relations between left atrial...... systolic force and left ventricular geometry and function have not been investigated in high-risk hypertrophic hypertensive patients. Participants in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension echocardiography substudy without prevalent cardiovascular disease or atrial fibrillation (n...... = 567) underwent standard Doppler echocardiography. Left atrial systolic force was obtained from the mitral orifice area and Doppler mitral peak A velocity. Patients were divided into groups with normal or increased left atrial systolic force (>14.33 kdyn). Left atrial systolic force was high in 297...

Chronic type 1 diabetes in spontaneously hypertensive rats leads to exacerbated cardiac fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Mary Jane; D'Amore, Angelo; Auden, Alana; Stamp, Laura; Osicka, Tanya; Panagiotopoulos, Sianna; Jerums, George

2010-01-01

Diabetes in human subjects is often associated with hypertension. The aim of this study was to examine the development of cardiac fibrosis following induction of type 1 diabetes in genetically hypertensive rats. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) injection in 8-week-old normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) for a duration of 16 or 24 weeks. Aged-matched, nondiabetic WKY and SHRs were used as controls. At termination of treatment, the rats were anaesthetized, hearts arrested in diastole and perfusion fixed. A comprehensive examination of cardiac fibrosis throughout the right and left ventricles was undertaken in picrosirius red-stained sections, using image analysis and by undertaking collagen type I and type III immunohistochemistry. Induction of diabetes in the SHRs led to a marked increase in the levels of interstitial fibrosis in the left ventricle plus septum (LV+S) at both 16 and 24 weeks duration (59% and 43% increase, respectively) and also in the right ventricle after 24 weeks duration of diabetes (35% increase compared to the nondiabetic SHR). Exacerbated perivascular fibrosis was also observed in the LV+S in the diabetic-hypertensive rats at the later time point. These effects of induction of diabetes were not observed in the normotensive strain. Our findings clearly demonstrate elevations in cardiac fibrosis when type 1 diabetes is combined with hypertension. Our findings thus stress the importance of closely monitoring both blood pressure and glucose levels in type 1 diabetic patients in order to prevent myocardial collagen deposition. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biaxial Properties of the Left and Right Pulmonary Arteries in a Monocrotaline Rat Animal Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Pursell, Erica R; Vélez-Rendón, Daniela; Valdez-Jasso, Daniela

2016-11-01

In a monocrotaline (MCT) induced-pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) rat animal model, the dynamic stress-strain relation was investigated in the circumferential and axial directions using a linear elastic response model within the quasi-linear viscoelasticity theory framework. Right and left pulmonary arterial segments (RPA and LPA) were mechanically tested in a tubular biaxial device at the early stage (1 week post-MCT treatment) and at the advanced stage of the disease (4 weeks post-MCT treatment). The vessels were tested circumferentially at the in vivo axial length with matching in vivo measured pressure ranges. Subsequently, the vessels were tested axially at the mean pulmonary arterial pressure by stretching them from in vivo plus 5% of their length. Parameter estimation showed that the LPA and RPA remodel at different rates: axially, both vessels decreased in Young's modulus at the early stage of the disease, and increased at the advanced disease stage. Circumferentially, the Young's modulus increased in advanced PAH, but it was only significant in the RPA. The damping properties also changed in PAH; in the LPA relaxation times decreased continuously as the disease progressed, while in the RPA they initially increased and then decreased. Our modeling efforts were corroborated by the restructuring organization of the fibers imaged under multiphoton microscopy, where the collagen fibers become strongly aligned to the 45 deg angle in the RPA from an uncrimped and randomly organized state. Additionally, collagen content increased almost 10% in the RPA from the placebo to advanced PAH.

Dexmedetomidine protects from post-myocardial ischaemia reperfusion lung damage in diabetic rats

Science.gov (United States)

Kip, Gülay; Çelik, Ali; Bilge, Mustafa; Alkan, Metin; Kiraz, Hasan Ali; Özer, Abdullah; Şıvgın, Volkan; Erdem, Özlem; Arslan, Mustafa; Kavutçu, Mustafa

2015-01-01

Objective Diabetic complications and lipid peroxidation are known to have a close association. Lipid peroxidation commonly occurs at sites exposed to ischaemia, but distant organs and tissues also get damaged during ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R). Some of these targets are vital organs, such as the lung, liver, and kidney; the lung is the most frequently affected. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on I/R damage in lung tissue and on the oxidant/anti-oxidant system in diabetic rats. Material and methods Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) in 18 Wistar Albino rats, which were then randomly divided into three groups (diabetes control (DC), diabetes plus ischaemia-reperfusion (DIR), and diabetes plus dexmedetomidine-ischaemia/reperfusion (DIRD)) after the effects of diabetes were clearly evident. The rats underwent a left thoracotomy and then ischaemia was produced in the myocardium muscle by a left anterior descending artery ligation for 30 min in the DIR and DIRD groups. I/R was performed for 120 min. The DIRD group received a single intraperitoneal dose of dexmedetomidine (100 µg/kg); the DIR group received no dexmedetomidine. Group DC was evaluated as the diabetic control group and also included six rats (C group) in which diabetes was not induced. These mice underwent only left thoracotomy and were closed without undergoing myocardial ischaemia. Histopathological changes, activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase anti-oxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were evaluated in the lung tissues of all rats. Results Neutrophil infiltration/aggregation was higher in the DIR group than in the C, DC, and DIRD groups (p=0.001, p=0.013, and p=0.042, respectively). The lung injury score was significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and DC groups (p<0.0001 and p=0.024, respectively). The levels of MDA were significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and DIRD groups. CAT activity

Dexmedetomidine protects from post-myocardial ischaemia reperfusion lung damage in diabetic rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gülay Kip

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: Diabetic complications and lipid peroxidation are known to have a close association. Lipid peroxidation commonly occurs at sites exposed to ischaemia, but distant organs and tissues also get damaged during ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R. Some of these targets are vital organs, such as the lung, liver, and kidney; the lung is the most frequently affected. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on I/R damage in lung tissue and on the oxidant/anti-oxidant system in diabetic rats. Material and methods: Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (55 mg/kg in 18 Wistar Albino rats, which were then randomly divided into three groups (diabetes control (DC, diabetes plus ischaemia-reperfusion (DIR, and diabetes plus dexmedetomidine-ischaemia/reperfusion (DIRD after the effects of diabetes were clearly evident. The rats underwent a left thoracotomy and then ischaemia was produced in the myocardium muscle by a left anterior descending artery ligation for 30 min in the DIR and DIRD groups. I/R was performed for 120 min. The DIRD group received a single intraperitoneal dose of dexmedetomidine (100 µg/kg; the DIR group received no dexmedetomidine. Group DC was evaluated as the diabetic control group and also included six rats (C group in which diabetes was not induced. These mice underwent only left thoracotomy and were closed without undergoing myocardial ischaemia. Histopathological changes, activities of catalase (CAT and glutathione-S-transferase anti-oxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA levels were evaluated in the lung tissues of all rats. Results: Neutrophil infiltration/aggregation was higher in the DIR group than in the C, DC, and DIRD groups (p=0.001, p=0.013, and p=0.042, respectively. The lung injury score was significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and DC groups (p<0.0001 and p=0.024, respectively. The levels of MDA were significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and DIRD groups. CAT

Asymmetrical expression of BDNF and NTRK3 genes in frontoparietal cortex of stress-resilient rats in an animal model of depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Farhang, Sara; Barar, Jaleh; Fakhari, Ali; Mesgariabbasi, Mehran; Khani, Sajjad; Omidi, Yadollah; Farnam, Alireza

2014-09-01

The current study is based on the "approach-withdrawal" theory of emotional regulation and lateralization of brain function in rodents, which has little been studied. The aim was to indentify asymmetry in hemispheric genes expression during depression. Depressive-like symptoms were induced in rats using chronic mild stress protocol. The sucrose consumption test was performed to identify the anhedonic and stress-resilient rats. After decapitation, RNA was extracted from frontotemporal cortex of both hemispheres of anhedonic and stress-resilient rats. The pattern of gene expression in these samples was compared with controls by real-time polymerase chain reaction. A linear mixed model analysis of variance was fitted to the data to estimate the effect of rat line. From the total of 30 rats in the experimental group, five rats were identified to be anhedonic and five were stress-resilient, according to the result of sucrose-consumption test. BDNF and NTRK-3 were expressed at significantly lower levels in the right hemisphere of anhedonic rats compared with stress-resilient rats. No significant difference was found between left hemispheres. Hemispheric asymmetry in the level of gene expression was only observed for the BDNF gene in stress-resilient rats, upregulated in right hemisphere compared with the left. Expression of NTRK3, HTR2A, COMT, and SERT was not lateralized. There was no significant asymmetry between hemispheres of anhedonic rats. This study supports the evidence for the role of genes responsible for neural plasticity in pathophysiology of depression, emphasizing probable hemispheric asymmetry at level of gene expression. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Status of the undisturbed mangroves at Brunei Bay, East Malaysia: a preliminary assessment based on remote sensing and ground-truth observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behara Satyanarayana

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Brunei Bay, which receives freshwater discharge from four major rivers, namely Limbang, Sundar, Weston and Menumbok, hosts a luxuriant mangrove cover in East Malaysia. However, this relatively undisturbed mangrove forest has been less scientifically explored, especially in terms of vegetation structure, ecosystem services and functioning, and land-use/cover changes. In the present study, mangrove areal extent together with species composition and distribution at the four notified estuaries was evaluated through remote sensing (Advanced Land Observation Satellite—ALOS and ground-truth (Point-Centred Quarter Method—PCQM observations. As of 2010, the total mangrove cover was found to be ca. 35,183.74 ha, of which Weston and Menumbok occupied more than two-folds (58%, followed by Sundar (27% and Limbang (15%. The medium resolution ALOS data were efficient for mapping dominant mangrove species such as Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora apiculata, Sonneratia caseolaris, S. alba and Xylocarpus granatum in the vicinity (accuracy: 80%. The PCQM estimates found a higher basal area at Limbang and Menumbok—suggestive of more mature vegetation, compared to Sundar and Weston. Mangrove stand structural complexity (derived from the complexity index was also high in the order of Limbang > Menumbok > Sundar > Weston and supporting the perspective of less/undisturbed vegetation at two former locations. Both remote sensing and ground-truth observations have complementarily represented the distribution of Sonneratia spp. as pioneer vegetation at shallow river mouths, N. fruticans in the areas of strong freshwater discharge, R. apiculata in the areas of strong neritic incursion and X. granatum at interior/elevated grounds. The results from this study would be able to serve as strong baseline data for future mangrove investigations at Brunei Bay, including for monitoring and management purposes locally at present.

Status of the undisturbed mangroves at Brunei Bay, East Malaysia: a preliminary assessment based on remote sensing and ground-truth observations

Science.gov (United States)

Izzaty Horsali, Nurul Amira; Mat Zauki, Nurul Ashikin; Otero, Viviana; Nadzri, Muhammad Izuan; Ibrahim, Sulong; Husain, Mohd-Lokman; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

2018-01-01

Brunei Bay, which receives freshwater discharge from four major rivers, namely Limbang, Sundar, Weston and Menumbok, hosts a luxuriant mangrove cover in East Malaysia. However, this relatively undisturbed mangrove forest has been less scientifically explored, especially in terms of vegetation structure, ecosystem services and functioning, and land-use/cover changes. In the present study, mangrove areal extent together with species composition and distribution at the four notified estuaries was evaluated through remote sensing (Advanced Land Observation Satellite—ALOS) and ground-truth (Point-Centred Quarter Method—PCQM) observations. As of 2010, the total mangrove cover was found to be ca. 35,183.74 ha, of which Weston and Menumbok occupied more than two-folds (58%), followed by Sundar (27%) and Limbang (15%). The medium resolution ALOS data were efficient for mapping dominant mangrove species such as Nypa fruticans, Rhizophora apiculata, Sonneratia caseolaris, S. alba and Xylocarpus granatum in the vicinity (accuracy: 80%). The PCQM estimates found a higher basal area at Limbang and Menumbok—suggestive of more mature vegetation, compared to Sundar and Weston. Mangrove stand structural complexity (derived from the complexity index) was also high in the order of Limbang > Menumbok > Sundar > Weston and supporting the perspective of less/undisturbed vegetation at two former locations. Both remote sensing and ground-truth observations have complementarily represented the distribution of Sonneratia spp. as pioneer vegetation at shallow river mouths, N. fruticans in the areas of strong freshwater discharge, R. apiculata in the areas of strong neritic incursion and X. granatum at interior/elevated grounds. The results from this study would be able to serve as strong baseline data for future mangrove investigations at Brunei Bay, including for monitoring and management purposes locally at present. PMID:29479500

Status of the undisturbed mangroves at Brunei Bay, East Malaysia: a preliminary assessment based on remote sensing and ground-truth observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Satyanarayana, Behara; M Muslim, Aidy; Izzaty Horsali, Nurul Amira; Mat Zauki, Nurul Ashikin; Otero, Viviana; Nadzri, Muhammad Izuan; Ibrahim, Sulong; Husain, Mohd-Lokman; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

2018-01-01

Brunei Bay, which receives freshwater discharge from four major rivers, namely Limbang, Sundar, Weston and Menumbok, hosts a luxuriant mangrove cover in East Malaysia. However, this relatively undisturbed mangrove forest has been less scientifically explored, especially in terms of vegetation structure, ecosystem services and functioning, and land-use/cover changes. In the present study, mangrove areal extent together with species composition and distribution at the four notified estuaries was evaluated through remote sensing (Advanced Land Observation Satellite-ALOS) and ground-truth (Point-Centred Quarter Method-PCQM) observations. As of 2010, the total mangrove cover was found to be ca. 35,183.74 ha, of which Weston and Menumbok occupied more than two-folds (58%), followed by Sundar (27%) and Limbang (15%). The medium resolution ALOS data were efficient for mapping dominant mangrove species such as Nypa fruticans , Rhizophora apiculata , Sonneratia caseolaris , S. alba and Xylocarpus granatum in the vicinity (accuracy: 80%). The PCQM estimates found a higher basal area at Limbang and Menumbok-suggestive of more mature vegetation, compared to Sundar and Weston. Mangrove stand structural complexity (derived from the complexity index) was also high in the order of Limbang > Menumbok > Sundar > Weston and supporting the perspective of less/undisturbed vegetation at two former locations. Both remote sensing and ground-truth observations have complementarily represented the distribution of Sonneratia spp. as pioneer vegetation at shallow river mouths, N. fruticans in the areas of strong freshwater discharge, R. apiculata in the areas of strong neritic incursion and X. granatum at interior/elevated grounds. The results from this study would be able to serve as strong baseline data for future mangrove investigations at Brunei Bay, including for monitoring and management purposes locally at present.

Vertical migration of 85Sr, 137Cs and 131I in various arable and undisturbed soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palagyi, S.; Palagyiova, J.

2002-01-01

Vertical migration of 85 Sr, 137 Cs and 131 I in some arable and undisturbed single-contaminated soils was studied by gamma-spectrometry measurements in lysimetric laboratory conditions applying irrigation of the soil profiles with wet atmospheric precipitation for about one year (except radioiodine). A new simple exponential compartment (box) model was derived, allowing us to calculate the migration rate constants and migration rates in the individual soil layers (vertical sections) as well as the total vertical migration rate constants and total vertical migration rates of radionuclides in the bulk soil horizon. The data from the time dependence of the depth activity distribution (radionuclide concentration along the vertical soil profile) were used to test the model. The migration rate constants and migration rates were found to be affected by the contaminating radionuclides as well as by the site, type and depth of the soil. The relaxation times of the radionuclides in the soil horizons were calculated. The effects on the rate parameters of the permanent grass cover and the zeolite applied onto the arable soil surfaces were also investigated

Effect of Chinese traditional medicine anti-fatigue prescription on the concentration of the serum testosterone and cortisol in male rats under stress of maximum intensive training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Ling; Si Xulan

2008-01-01

Objective: To study the effect of chinese traditional medicine anti-fatigue prescription on the concentration of the serum testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) in male rats under the stress of maximum intensive training. Methods: Wistar male rat models of stress under maximum intensity training were established (n=40) and half of them were treated with Chinese traditional medicine anti-fatigue prescription twenty undisturbed rats served as controls. Testosterone and cortisol serum levels were determined with RIA at the end of the seven weeks' experiment. Results: Maximum intensive training would cause the level of the serum testosterone lowered, the concentration of the cortisol elevated and the ratio of T/C reduced. The serum T levels and T/C ratio were significantly lower and cortisol levels significantly higher in the untreated models than those in the treated models and controls (P<0.01). The levels of the two hormones were markedly corrected in the treated models with no significantly differences from those in the controls. However, the T/C ratio was still significantly lower than that in the controls (P <0.05) due to a relatively slightly greater degree of reduction of T levels. Conclusion: Anti-fatigue prescription can not only promote the recovery of fatigue after the maximum intensive training but also strengthen the anabolism of the rats. (authors)

Gender differences in organ density in a rat simulated microgravity model

Science.gov (United States)

Pettis, Christopher Ryan; Witten, Mark Lee

2004-01-01

Research investigating the physiological effects of microgravity on the human body has demonstrated a shift of body fluids in actual spaceflight and in simulated Earth-based microgravity models in both males and females, possibly causing many deleterious physiological effects. Twenty-five anatomically normal female (NF) and 20 ovariectomized (OE) Fischer 344 rats were randomly selected to be in an experimental ( 1 h of 45° head-down tilt, 45HDT) or control ( 1 h of prone position) group. At the end of the hour experimental period, the density of the brain, lungs, heart, liver, and left and right kidneys were measured using spiral computed tomography (SCT) while the rats remained in their experimental positions. A sub-group of OE rats ( N=6) was administered estrogen replacement therapy on a daily basis ( 5 μg/kg body weight, s.c.) for 4 days and then underwent 1 h of 45HDT and SCT analysis at one day, 2 days, and 5 days to determine if estrogen replacement therapy would alter organ densities. Our data demonstrate that 1 h of 45HDT produced significant increases ( pbrain, liver, left kidney, and lung of the OE female group compared to their prone controls. However, only the brain density was significantly increased in the NF group. Estrogen replacement therapy caused a significant decrease in brain organ density at the 5 day time point compared to the 24 h time point. We conclude that estrogen plays a role in fluid distribution in a rat 45HDT model.

Imaging regional metabolic changes in the ischemic rat heart in vivo using hyperpolarized(1-13C)Pyruvate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, Mette Hauge; Magnusson, Peter; Laustsen, Christoffer

2017-01-01

in the in vivo rat heart in an open-chest model of ischemia reperfusion. Hyperpolarized MRI enables new possibilities for evaluating changes in cardiac metabolism noninvasively and in real time, which potentially could be used for research to evaluate new treatments and metabolic interventions for myocardial......We evaluated the use of hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in an open-chest rat model of myocardial infarction to image regional changes in myocardial metabolism. In total, 10 rats were examined before and after 30 minutes of occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary...

Serca2a and Na{sup +}/Ca{sup 2+} exchanger are involved in left ventricular function following cardiac remodelling of female rats treated with anabolic androgenic steroid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nascimento, Andrews Marques do; Lima, Ewelyne Miranda de; Brasil, Girlandia Alexandre; Caliman, Izabela Facco [Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória, Espirito Santo (Brazil); Silva, Josiane Fernandes da; Lemos, Virgínia Soares [Department of Physiology and Biophysic, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Andrade, Tadeu Uggere de [Department of Pharmacy, University Vila Velha, Vila Velha, Espirito Santo (Brazil); Bissoli, Nazaré Souza, E-mail: nazarebissoli@gmail.com [Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória, Espirito Santo (Brazil)

2016-06-15

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are misused, including by women, but little is known about the cardiovascular effects of these drugs on women. Aim: To evaluated the effects of nandrolone decanoate (ND) and resistive physical exercise on cardiac contractility in young female rats. Main methods: Female Wistar rats were separated into 4 groups: C (untrained animals); E (animals were submitted to resistance exercise by jumping in water 5 times per week); ND (animals were treated with ND, 20 mg/kg/week for 4 weeks); and NDE (trained and treated). The haemodynamic parameters (+ dP/dt{sub max}, − dP/dt{sub min} and Tau) were assessed in the left ventricle. The heart was collected for histological analyses and collagen deposition. The gastrocnemius muscle was weighed, and hypertrophy was assessed by the ratio of their weights to gastrocnemius/tibia length. The expression of calcium handling proteins was measured by western blot analysis. Results: ND treatment and physical exercise increased cardiac contractility and relaxation. In addition, ND promoted increases in phospholamban phosphorylated (p-PLB) and isoforms of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2a) expression, while resistance exercise increased the phosphorylation of PLB and expression of Na{sup +}/Ca{sup 2+} exchangers (NCX). Cardiac hypertrophy and collagen deposition were observed after ND treatment. Conclusion: Regulatory components of cytosolic calcium, such as SERCA2a and p-PLB, play important roles in modulating the contractility and relaxation effects of ND in females. - Highlights: • ND and resistive exercise enhanced the cardiac function and increased expression of cytosolic calcium regulatory components.

Comparison of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in plants from disturbed and adjacent undisturbed regions of a coastal salt marsh in Clinton, Connecticut, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Cooke, John C.; Lefor, Michael W.

1990-01-01

Roots of salt marsh plant species Spartina alterniflora, S. patens, Distichlis spicata, and others were examined for the presence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. Samples were taken from introduced planted material in a salt marsh restoration project and from native material in adjacent marsh areas along the Indian River, Clinton, Connecticut, USA. After ten years the replanted area still has sites devoid of vegetation. The salt marsh plants introduced there were devoid of VAM fungi, while high marsh species from the adjacent undisturbed region showed consistent infection, leading the authors to suggest that VAM fungal infection of planting stocks may be a factor in the success of marsh restoration.

Repair of aorto-left ventricular tunnel arising from the left sinus of valsalva.

Science.gov (United States)

Nezafati, Mohammad Hassan; Maleki, Mahmood Hosseinzadeh; Javan, Hadi; Zirak, Nahid

2010-05-01

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel (ALVT) is a rare congenital cardiac defect that bypasses the aortic valve via a para-valvular connection from the left ventricle to the aorta. In most cases, the tunnel arises from the right aortic sinus. In this case report, we are presenting a case of ALVT, of which the aortic orifice arose from the left aortic sinus, requiring special attention to avoid the left coronary artery injury at the time of surgical repair.

Expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha after focal cerebral ischaemia in the rat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buttini, M; Appel, K; Sauter, A; GebickeHaerter, PJ; Boddeke, HWGM

Induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha was studied in the brain of rats after focal cerebral ischaemia by occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. Using a specific antisense riboprobe for in situ hybridization histochemistry, cells positive for tumor necrosis factor alpha messenger RNA were

What's Left of the Left-Right Dimension? Why the Economic Policy Positions of Europeans Do Not Fit the Left-Right Dimension.

Science.gov (United States)

Otjes, Simon

2018-01-01

In political science the economic left-right dimension plays a central role. A growing body of evidence shows that the economic policy preferences of a large segment of citizens do not scale sufficiently. Using Mokken scale analysis, this study determines the causes of this phenomenon. Differences in the extent to which the economic policy preferences of citizens fit the left-right dimension can be explained in terms of the interaction between individual level and political system-level variables: citizens who spend more attention to politicians with views that conform to the left-right dimension, have views that conform to the left-right dimension. There is also a role for the legacy of communist dictatorship: citizens who were socialised in democratic countries have views that fit the left-right dimension better than those socialised during communism.

Cardioprotection by controlling hyperamylinemia in a "humanized" diabetic rat model.

Science.gov (United States)

Despa, Sanda; Sharma, Savita; Harris, Todd R; Dong, Hua; Li, Ning; Chiamvimonvat, Nipavan; Taegtmeyer, Heinrich; Margulies, Kenneth B; Hammock, Bruce D; Despa, Florin

2014-08-21

Chronic hypersecretion of the pancreatic hormone amylin is common in humans with obesity or prediabetic insulin resistance and induces amylin aggregation and proteotoxicity in the pancreas. We recently showed that hyperamylinemia also affects the cardiovascular system. Here, we investigated whether amylin aggregates interact directly with cardiac myocytes and whether controlling hyperamylinemia protects the heart. By Western blot, we found abundant amylin aggregates in lysates of cardiac myocytes from obese patients, but not in controls. Aggregated amylin was elevated in failing hearts, suggesting a role in myocyte injury. Using rats overexpressing human amylin in the pancreas (HIP rats) and control myocytes incubated with human amylin, we show that amylin aggregation at the sarcolemma induces oxidative stress and Ca(2+) dysregulation. In time, HIP rats developed cardiac hypertrophy and left-ventricular dilation. We then tested whether metabolites with antiaggregation properties, such as eicosanoid acids, limit myocardial amylin deposition. Rats were treated with an inhibitor of soluble epoxide hydrolase, the enzyme that degrades endogenous eicosanoids. Treatment doubled the blood concentration of eicosanoids, which drastically reduced incorporation of aggregated amylin in cardiac myocytes and blood cells, without affecting pancreatic amylin secretion. Animals in the treated group showed reduced cardiac hypertrophy and left-ventricular dilation. The cardioprotective mechanisms included the mitigation of amylin-induced cardiac oxidative stress and Ca(2+) dysregulation. The results suggest blood amylin as a novel therapeutic target in diabetic heart disease and elevating blood levels of antiaggregation metabolites as a pharmacological strategy to reduce amylin aggregation and amylin-mediated cardiotoxicity. © 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Effect of eplerenone on serum TNF-α levels in adriamycin induced heart failure male rat models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xuan Nan; Song Liping; Xing Haiyan

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of eplerenone on serum TNF-α levels in adriamycin induced heart failure male rat models. Methods: Forty male rat models of adriamycin-induced heart failure were prepared with weekly intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin (4/mg/kg) for six weeks. Twenty surviving models were randomly divided into two groups: (1)eplerenone-treated group, n=10, treated with garage of eplerenone 200mg/kg/d for 12 weeks (2) non-treated group n=10. All the surviving models (group (1) n=8, group (2) n=6) were sacrificed after 12 weeks with left ventricular hemodynamic function parameters tested and serum TNF-α levels measured. Ten male rats without adriamycin administration served as controls. Results: Left ventricular hemodynamic parameters in the non-treated group were significantly worse than those in controls (P<0.05). The parameters in the eplerenone treated group were significantly better than those in the non-treated group (P<0.05). The serum TNF-α levels in the non-treated group were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). TNF-α levels in the eplerenone group were significantly lower than those in the non-treated group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Eplerenone could reduce the serum TNF-α levels in the rat models of heart failure. (authors)

Anatomic relationship between left coronary artery and left atrium in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmino, Matteo; Torri, Federica; Ferraris, Federico; Calò, Leonardo; Castagno, Davide; Gili, Sebastiano; Rovera, Chiara; Giustetto, Carla; Gaita, Fiorenzo

2017-07-01

Atrial fibrillation transcatheter ablation (TCA) is, within available atrial fibrillation rhythm control strategies, one of the most effective. To potentially improve ablation outcome in case of recurrent atrial fibrillation after a first procedure or in presence of structural myocardial disease, isolation of the pulmonary veins may be associated with extensive lesions within the left atrium. To avoid rare, but potentially life-threatening, complications, thorough knowledge and assessment of left atrium anatomy and its relation to structures in close proximity are, therefore, mandatory. Aim of the present study is to describe, by cardiac computed tomography, the anatomic relationship between aortic root, left coronary artery and left atrium in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation TCA. The cardiac computed tomography scan of 21 patients affected by atrial fibrillation was elaborated to segment left atrium, aortic root and left coronary artery from the surrounding structures and the following distances measured: left atrium and aortic root; left atrium roof and aortic root; left main coronary artery and left atrium; circumflex artery and left atrium appendage; and circumflex artery and mitral valve annulus. Above all, the median distance between left atrium and aortic root (1.9, 1.5-2.1 mm), and between circumflex artery and left atrium appendage ostium (3.0, 2.1-3.4 mm) were minimal (≤3 mm). None of measured distances significantly varied between patients presenting paroxysmal versus persistent atrial fibrillation. The anatomic relationship between left atrium and coronary arteries is extremely relevant when performing atrial fibrillation TCA by extensive lesions. Therefore, at least in the latter case, preablation imaging should be recommended to avoid rare, but potentially life-threatening, complications with the aim of an as well tolerated as possible procedure.

Effects of different durations of treadmill training exercise on bone mineral density in growing rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Ertem

2008-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of different durations of treadmill training exercise (daily for 30 min and 60 min on bone mineral density (BMD in young growing rats. Training consisted of treadmill running at 5 days per week during a period of 13 weeks. The rats in 30 min and 60 min exercise groups began to training on day 63 of life and had maintained for at least a week, with a minimal progression as a guide to the rats’ training and adaptation to the treadmill. Running time was gradually increased from 15 min to 30 and 60 min per session for two exercise groups respectively. Control rats were kept in the cages at the same environmental conditions and daily inspected to control their health. At the end of 13 weeks, bone mineral densities of the bilateral tibia of all rats were measured .with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA (QDR 4500/W, Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA, USA and results were evaluated. There were significantly increases in BMD of right and left tibia of rats in 30 min exercise group at post-exercise period (p<0.01 for both sides when compared to the control group. BMD of right and left tibia of rats were also correlated with each other (r=0.556 and p=0.003. Otherwise, there is a positive correlation between pre- and post-exercise body weights of rats (r=0.588 and p=0.002. From our results, we concluded that subjects should perform moderate running exercise for development of bone mass and its protection during the lifelong. However, intensity and duration of performing exercise are required to put in order for every ages or actual physical conditions.

Association between Functional Variables and Heart Failure after Myocardial Infarction in Rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polegato, Bertha F.; Minicucci, Marcos F.; Azevedo, Paula S.; Gonçalves, Andréa F.; Lima, Aline F.; Martinez, Paula F.; Okoshi, Marina P.; Okoshi, Katashi; Paiva, Sergio A. R.; Zornoff, Leonardo A. M., E-mail: lzornoff@fmb.unesp.br [Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - Universidade Estadual Paulista ' Júlio de mesquita Filho' - UNESP Botucatu, SP (Brazil)

2016-02-15

Heart failure prediction after acute myocardial infarction may have important clinical implications. To analyze the functional echocardiographic variables associated with heart failure in an infarction model in rats. The animals were divided into two groups: control and infarction. Subsequently, the infarcted animals were divided into groups: with and without heart failure. The predictive values were assessed by logistic regression. The cutoff values predictive of heart failure were determined using ROC curves. Six months after surgery, 88 infarcted animals and 43 control animals were included in the study. Myocardial infarction increased left cavity diameters and the mass and wall thickness of the left ventricle. Additionally, myocardial infarction resulted in systolic and diastolic dysfunction, characterized by lower area variation fraction values, posterior wall shortening velocity, E-wave deceleration time, associated with higher values of E / A ratio and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate. Among the infarcted animals, 54 (61%) developed heart failure. Rats with heart failure have higher left cavity mass index and diameter, associated with worsening of functional variables. The area variation fraction, the E/A ratio, E-wave deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate were functional variables predictors of heart failure. The cutoff values of functional variables associated with heart failure were: area variation fraction < 31.18%; E / A > 3.077; E-wave deceleration time < 42.11 and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate < 69.08. In rats followed for 6 months after myocardial infarction, the area variation fraction, E/A ratio, E-wave deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate are predictors of heart failure onset.

Association between Functional Variables and Heart Failure after Myocardial Infarction in Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polegato, Bertha F.; Minicucci, Marcos F.; Azevedo, Paula S.; Gonçalves, Andréa F.; Lima, Aline F.; Martinez, Paula F.; Okoshi, Marina P.; Okoshi, Katashi; Paiva, Sergio A. R.; Zornoff, Leonardo A. M.

2016-01-01

Heart failure prediction after acute myocardial infarction may have important clinical implications. To analyze the functional echocardiographic variables associated with heart failure in an infarction model in rats. The animals were divided into two groups: control and infarction. Subsequently, the infarcted animals were divided into groups: with and without heart failure. The predictive values were assessed by logistic regression. The cutoff values predictive of heart failure were determined using ROC curves. Six months after surgery, 88 infarcted animals and 43 control animals were included in the study. Myocardial infarction increased left cavity diameters and the mass and wall thickness of the left ventricle. Additionally, myocardial infarction resulted in systolic and diastolic dysfunction, characterized by lower area variation fraction values, posterior wall shortening velocity, E-wave deceleration time, associated with higher values of E / A ratio and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate. Among the infarcted animals, 54 (61%) developed heart failure. Rats with heart failure have higher left cavity mass index and diameter, associated with worsening of functional variables. The area variation fraction, the E/A ratio, E-wave deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate were functional variables predictors of heart failure. The cutoff values of functional variables associated with heart failure were: area variation fraction < 31.18%; E / A > 3.077; E-wave deceleration time < 42.11 and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate < 69.08. In rats followed for 6 months after myocardial infarction, the area variation fraction, E/A ratio, E-wave deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time adjusted by heart rate are predictors of heart failure onset

Intra-articular injection of dexketoprofen in rat knee joint : Histopathologic assessment of cartilage & synovium

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Aycan Guner Ekici

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Effective pain control following outpatient surgical procedures is an important aspect of patient discharge. This study was carried out with an aim to investigate the histopathological effects of intra-articular dexketoprofen trometamol injection in knee joint on synovium and cartilage in an experimental rat model. Methods: In each of 40 rats, the right knee was designated as the study group and the left knee as the control group (NS group. Under aseptic conditions, 35 rats received an injection of 0.25 ml (6.25 mg dexketoprofen trometamol into the right knee joint and an injection of 0.25 ml 0.9 per cent normal saline solution into the left knee joint. On the 1 st , 2 nd , 7 th , 14 th , and 21 st days after intra-articular injection, rats in specified groups were sacrificed by intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kg sodium thiopental. Knee joints were separated and sectioned for histopathological examination. Inflammatory changes in the joints were recorded according to a grade scale. Results: No significant difference in terms of pathological changes both in synovium and cartilage was observed between the NS group and the study group on days 1, 2, 7, 14 and 21 after intra-articular injection of dexketoprofen or saline in the knee joint. Interpretation & conclusions: The findings showed no evidence of significant histopathological damage to the cartilage and synovia for a period up to 21 days following intra-articular administration of dexketoprofen trometamol in the knee joints of rats.

Effect of lentiviruses carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein injected into the scala media through a cochleostomy in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yan; Fu, Yong; Liu, Shaosheng; Xia, Guihua; Pan, Song

2013-01-01

The purposes of the current study were to assess the feasibility of post-auricular microinjection of lentiviruses carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into the scala media through cochleostomies in rats, determine the expression of viral gene in the cochlea, and record the post-operative changes in the number and auditory function of cochlear hair cells (HCs). Healthy rats were randomly divided into two groups. The left ears of the animals in group I were injected with lentivirus carrying EGFP (n=10) via scala media lateral wall cochleostomies, and the left ears of the animals in group II were similarly injected with artificial endolymph (n=10). Prior to and 30 days post-injection, auditory function was assessed with click-auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, EGFP expression was determined with cochlear frozen sections under fluorescence microscopy, and survival of HCs was estimated based on whole mount preparations. Thirty days after surgery, click-ABR testing revealed that there were significant differences in the auditory function, EGFP expression, and survival of HCs in the left ears before and after surgery in the same rats from each group. In group I, EGFP was noted in the strial marginal cells of the scala media, the organ of Corti, spiral nerves, and spiral ganglion cells. Lentiviruses were successfully introduced into the scala media through cochleostomies in rats, and the EGFP reporter gene was efficiently expressed in the organ of Corti, spiral nerves, and spiral ganglion cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time-course effects of aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular and renal parameters in 2K1C renovascular hypertensive rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.C.A. Maia

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Exercise training (Ex has been recommended for its beneficial effects in hypertensive states. The present study evaluated the time-course effects of Ex without workload on mean arterial pressure (MAP, reflex bradycardia, cardiac and renal histology, and oxidative stress in two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C hypertensive rats. Male Fischer rats (10 weeks old; 150–180 g underwent surgery (2K1C or SHAM and were subsequently divided into a sedentary (SED group and Ex group (swimming 1 h/day, 5 days/week for 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 weeks. Until week 4, Ex decreased MAP, increased reflex bradycardia, prevented concentric hypertrophy, reduced collagen deposition in the myocardium and kidneys, decreased the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS in the left ventricle, and increased the catalase (CAT activity in the left ventricle and both kidneys. From week 6 to week 10, however, MAP and reflex bradycardia in 2K1C Ex rats became similar to those in 2K1C SED rats. Ex effectively reduced heart rate and prevented collagen deposition in the heart and both kidneys up to week 10, and restored the level of TBARS in the left ventricle and clipped kidney and the CAT activity in both kidneys until week 8. Ex without workload for 10 weeks in 2K1C rats provided distinct beneficial effects. The early effects of Ex on cardiovascular function included reversing MAP and reflex bradycardia. The later effects of Ex included preventing structural alterations in the heart and kidney by decreasing oxidative stress and reducing injuries in these organs during hypertension.

Mapping of the left-sided phrenic nerve course in patients undergoing left atrial catheter ablations.

Science.gov (United States)

Huemer, Martin; Wutzler, Alexander; Parwani, Abdul S; Attanasio, Philipp; Haverkamp, Wilhelm; Boldt, Leif-Hendrik

2014-09-01

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation has been associated with left-sided phrenic nerve palsy. Knowledge of the individual left phrenic nerve course therefore is essential to prevent nerve injury. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an intraprocedural pace mapping and reconstruction of the left phrenic nerve course and to characterize which anatomical areas are affected. In patients undergoing left atrial catheter ablation, a three-dimensional map of the left atrial anatomical structures was created. The left-sided phrenic nerve course was determined by high-output pace mapping and reconstructed in the map. In this study, 40 patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial tachycardias were included. Left phrenic nerve capture was observed in 23 (57.5%) patients. Phrenic nerve was captured in 22 (55%) patients inside the left atrial appendage, in 22 (55%) in distal parts, in 21 (53%) in medial parts, and in two (5%) in ostial parts of the appendage. In three (7.5%) patients, capture was found in the distal coronary sinus and in one (2.5%) patient in the left atrium near the left atrial appendage ostium. Ablation target was changed due to direct spatial relationship to the phrenic nerve in three (7.5%) patients. No phrenic nerve palsy was observed. Left-sided phrenic nerve capture was found inside and around the left atrial appendage in the majority of patients and additionally in the distal coronary sinus. Phrenic nerve mapping and reconstruction can easily be performed and should be considered prior catheter ablations in potential affected areas. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hydrodynamic control of microphytoplankton bloom in a coastal sea

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Hydrodynamic control of microphytoplankton bloom in a coastal sea ... many times more than what could be accounted for by solar insolation and nutrient levels. ... and stable water column and weak winds left undisturbed, the transient bloom.

The effect of infectious brain edema on NMDA receptor binding in rat's brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Guansheng; Chen Jianfang; Chen Xiang

1997-01-01

PURPOSE: The effect of the infectious brain edema (IBE) induced by Bordetella Pertussis (BP) on the specific binding of 3 H MK-801 in rat's brain in vivo was determined. METHODS: BP was injected via left internal carotid artery in rat model of infectious brain edema. Male SD rats were divided into three groups: 1) Group control (NS, n = 11); 2) Group IBF (BP, n = 12); 3) Group pretreatment of MK-801 + PB (MK-801, n = 4). Normal saline or BP 0.2 ml/kg was injected into left internal carotid artery in NS and BP group respectively. MK-801 0.5 mg/kg per day was injected i.p. two days before injection of BP in group MK-801. Rats were killed by decapitation at 24 hours after injection of BP. The specific binding of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor were measured with 3 H-MK-801 in the neuronal membrane of cerebral cortex. The Scatchard plots were performed. RESULTS: The B max values were 0.623 +- 0.082 and 0.606 +- 0.087 pmol/mg protein in group NS and BP respectively (t = 0.48, P>0.05). The Kd values were 43.1 +- 4.2 and 30.5 +- 3.0 nmol/L in group NS and BP respectively (t = 7.8, P<0.05). The specific binding of NMDA receptor was decreased by pretreatment of MK-801. CONCLUSIONS: The total number of NMDA receptor had not changed, whereas its affinity increased significantly in the model of brain edema induced by pertussis bacilli in rat. The increase of affinity of NMDA receptor can be blockaded by MK-801 pretreatment in vivo

[Effects of qishenyiqi gutta pills on calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II in rats with renal hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-ying; Wei, Wan-lin; Shu, Chang-cheng; Zhang, Ling; Tian, Guo-xiang

2013-02-05

To explore the effects of qishenyiqi gutta pills on myocardial hypertrophy of left ventricle and calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CAMK II) in rats with renal hypertension and elucidate its intervention mechanism for myocardial hypertrophy. A total of 50 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of sham-operation, control, high-dose qishenyiqi gutta pills, low-dose qishenyiqi gutta pills and valsartan (n = 10 each). The rat model of myocardial hypertrophy with renal hypertension was established by the 2-kidney 1-clip (2K1C) method. The experimental animals were divided into control, high-dose, low-dose and valsartan groups. At Week 5 postoperation, valsartan group received an oral dose of valsartan (30 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)), high-dose and low-dose groups took qishenyiqi gutta pills (250 and 125 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)) while sham-operation and control groups had the same dose of normal saline solution. Tail arterial pressure was detected weekly and continued for 8 weeks. At the end of Week 12, the animals were sacrificed to harvest myocardial tissue of left ventricle for detecting left ventricular mass index (LVMI). The collagen volume fraction (CVF) of myocardium was examined by Van Gieson staining, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the expression of CAMK II was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. (1) Blood pressures were significantly higher in high-dose, low-dose and control groups than those in sham-operation and valsartan groups ((167.66 ± 11.48), (166.72 ± 13.51), (174.34 ± 14.52) vs (119.57 ± 6.30), (131.80 ± 12.49) mm Hg, P pills may retard myocardial hypertrophy of left ventricle in rats with renal hypertension. And the mechanism is probably be correlated with its antioxidant activity and inhibited expression of myocardial CAMK II.

Neonatal hyperthyroidism on rat heart: interrelation with nitric oxide and sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, L; Detomaso, F; Braga, P; Prendes, M; Perosi, F; Cernadas, G; Balaszczuk, A; Fellet, A

2015-06-01

To clarify the mechanism mediating the effect of hyperthyroidism on cardiac function during the second month of life in rats. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to a control or to a triiodothyronine (T3)-treated group. Treatment of each group was started on the third day after birth. Control rats (Eut) received 0.9 NaCl [0.1 ml/100 g body weight (BW)] every second day during 60 days and T3-treated rats (Hyper) received subcutaneous (SC) T3 injections every second day during 60 days. Hyperthyroidism decreased left ventricle volume only in male rats. Female euthyroid rats presented higher atrial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity than male rats and hormonal treatment decreased this enzyme's activity in both sexes. Euthyroid male and female rats had similar atrial NOS protein levels, but females had higher caveolin (cav) 3 protein levels. T3 treatment increased this protein only in males. Female rats had lower ventricular NOS activity than male rats; hyperthyroidism increased NOS activity in both sexes but this effect was associated with lower cav 3 protein levels. Hyperthyroidism did not change cav 1 protein levels in both male and female rats. The results of this study demonstrating clinically relevant sex-related differences in the pathophysiology of the hyperthyroid heart have raised new questions regarding the mechanisms responsible for the observed differences. This study suggests that sex-related intrinsic factors such as nitric oxide may modulate the response to hyperthyroidism that leads to cardiovascular dysfunction.

Effect of housing rats within a pyramid on stress parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Surekha; Rao, Guruprasad; Murthy, K Dilip; Bhat, P Gopalakrishna

2003-11-01

The Giza pyramids of Egypt have been the subject of much research. Pyramid models with the same base to height ratio as of the Great Pyramid of Giza, when aligned on a true north-south axis, are believed to generate, transform and transmit energy. Research done with such pyramid models has shown that they induced greater relaxation in human subjects, promoted better wound healing in rats and afforded protection against stress-induced neurodegnerative changes in mice. The present study was done to assess the effects of housing Wistar rats within the pyramid on the status of oxidative damage and antioxidant defense in their erythrocytes and cortisol levels in their plasma. Rats were housed in cages under standard laboratory conditions. Cages were left in the open (normal control), under a wooden pyramid model (experimental rats) or in a cubical box of comparable dimensions (6 hr/day for 14 days). Erythrocyte malondialdehyde and plasma cortisol levels were significantly decreased in rats kept within the pyramid as compared to the normal control and those within the square box. Erythrocyte reduced glutathione levels, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly increased in the rats kept in the pyramid as compared to the other two groups. There was no significant difference in any of the parameters between the normal control and rats kept in the square box. The results showed that exposure of adult female Wistar rats to pyramid environment reduces stress oxidative stress and increases antioxidant defense in them.

Ontogenetic changes of lipofuscin-like pigments in the rat heart

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Wilhelm, Jiří; Ošťádalová, Ivana

2012-01-01

Roč. 61, Suppl.1 (2012), S173-S179 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP303/11/0298 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : rat heart * ontogenetic development * lipofuscin-like pigments (LFP) * reactive oxygen species (ROS) * gender difference * right/left ventricle ratio Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.531, year: 2012

Cardioprotection after acute exposure to simulated high altitude in rats. Role of nitric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

La Padula, Pablo H; Etchegoyen, Melisa; Czerniczyniec, Analia; Piotrkowski, Barbara; Arnaiz, Silvia Lores; Milei, Jose; Costa, Lidia E

2018-02-28

In previous studies, upregulation of NOS during acclimatization of rats to sustained hypobaric hypoxia was associated to cardioprotection, evaluated as an increased tolerance of myocardium to hypoxia/reoxygenation. The objective of the present work was to investigate the effect of acute hypobaric hypoxia and the role of endogenous NO concerning cardiac tolerance to hypoxia/reoxygenation under β-adrenergic stimulation. Rats were submitted to 58.7 kPa in a hypopressure chamber for 48 h whereas their normoxic controls remained at 101.3 kPa. By adding NOS substrate L-arg, or blocker L-NNA, isometric mechanical activity of papillary muscles isolated from left ventricle was evaluated at maximal or minimal production of NO, respectively, under β-adrenergic stimulation by isoproterenol, followed by 60/30 min of hypoxia/reoxygenation. Activities of NOS and cytochrome oxidase were evaluated by spectrophotometric methods and expression of HIF1-α and NOS isoforms by western blot. Eosin and hematoxiline staining were used for histological studies. Cytosolic expression of HIF1-α, nNOS and eNOS, and NO production were higher in left ventricle of hypoxic rats. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase activity was decreased by hypobaric hypoxia and this effect was reversed by L-NNA. After H/R, recovery of developed tension in papillary muscles from normoxic rats was 51-60% (regardless NO modulation) while in hypobaric hypoxia was 70% ± 3 (L-arg) and 54% ± 1 (L-NNA). Other mechanical parameters showed similar results. Preserved histological architecture was observed only in L-arg papillary muscles of hypoxic rats. Exposure of rats to hypobaric hypoxia for only 2 days increased NO synthesis leading to cardioprotection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nitrate Leaching from Winter Cereal Cover Crops Using Undisturbed Soil-Column Lysimeters.

Science.gov (United States)

Meisinger, John J; Ricigliano, Kristin A

2017-05-01

Cover crops are important management practices for reducing nitrogen (N) leaching, especially in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is under total maximum daily load (TMDL) restraints. Winter cereals are common cool-season crops in the Bay watershed, but studies have not directly compared nitrate-N (NO-N) leaching losses from these species. A 3-yr cover crop lysimeter study was conducted in Beltsville, MD, to directly compare NO-N leaching from a commonly grown cultivar of barley ( L.), rye ( L.), and wheat ( L.), along with a no-cover control, using eight tension-drained undisturbed soil column lysimeters in a completely randomized design with two replicates. The lysimeters were configured to exclude runoff and to estimate NO-N leaching and flow-weighted NO-N concentration (FWNC). The temporal pattern of NO-N leaching showed a consistent highly significant ( leaching with cover crops compared with no cover but showed only small and periodically significant ( leaching was more affected by the quantity of establishment-season (mid-October to mid-December) precipitation than by cover crop species. For example, compared with no cover, winter cereal covers reduced NO-N leaching 95% in a dry year and 50% in wet years, with corresponding reductions in FWNC of 92 and 43%, respectively. These results are important for scientists, nutrient managers, and policymakers because they directly compare NO-N leaching from winter cereal covers and expand knowledge for developing management practices for winter cereals that can improve water quality and increase N efficiency in cropping systems. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

/sup 86/Rb uptake of various organs of the spontaneously hypertensive rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, M; Kuroiwa, A; Nakagaki, O; Tomoike, H; Nose, Y [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

1975-03-01

Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and 20 control rats were used for the measurement of Rb/sup 86/ uptake by various organs. Hemodynamic measurements, and the heart weight to body weight ratio showed a significant and sustained hypertension with an increased heart rate in SHR. The ratio of the Rb/sup 86/ uptake in the kidney, brain, liver, adrenal gland, pancreas, and spleen to that in the right ventricle (RV) was smaller in SHR than it was in the control rats. The ratio of the Rb/sup 86/ uptake of the inner layer to the outer layer of the left ventricle (LV), which represents distribution of blood flow to the endocardial layer and epicardial layer, showed no difference between SHR and the control rats. The regional flow fraction in the outer and inner cortex, juxtamedulla, and medulla of the kidney showed no difference between SHR and the control. The present preliminary study suggests that the myocardial blood flow in SHR is greater than that in the control rats. The relationship between cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial flow was discussed.

Cardiopulmonary Changes with Moderate Decompression in Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, R.; Little, T.; Doursout, M.-F.; Butler, B. D.; Chelly, J. E.

1996-01-01

Sprague-Dawley rats were compressed to 616 kPa for 120 min then decompressed at 38 kPa/min to assess the cardiovascular and pulmonary responses to moderate decompression stress. In one series of experiments the rats were chronically instrumented with Doppler ultrasonic probes for simultaneous measurement of blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, left and right ventricular wall thickening fraction, and venous bubble detection. Data were collected at base-line, throughout the compression/decompression protocol, and for 120 min post decompression. In a second series of experiments the pulmonary responses to the decompression protocol were evaluated in non-instrumented rats. Analyses included blood gases, pleural and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) protein and hemoglobin concentration, pulmonary edema, BAL and lung tissue phospholipids, lung compliance, and cell counts. Venous bubbles were directly observed in 90% of the rats where immediate post-decompression autopsy was performed and in 37% using implanted Doppler monitors. Cardiac output, stroke volume, and right ventricular wall thickening fractions were significantly decreased post decompression, whereas systemic vascular resistance was increased suggesting a decrease in venous return. BAL Hb and total protein levels were increased 0 and 60 min post decompression, pleural and plasma levels were unchanged. BAL white blood cells and neutrophil percentages were increased 0 and 60 min post decompression and pulmonary edema was detected. Venous bubbles produced with moderate decompression profiles give detectable cardiovascular and pulmonary responses in the rat.

Cardiovascular effects in rats after intratracheal instillation of metal welding particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Wen; Antonini, James M; Lin, Yen-Chang; Roberts, Jenny R; Kashon, Michael L; Castranova, Vincent; Kan, Hong

2015-01-01

Studies have indicated that pulmonary exposure to welding fumes can induce a series of adverse effects in the respiratory system, including infection, bronchitis, siderosis and decreased pulmonary function. Recent clinical and epidemiological studies have found that pulmonary exposure to welding fumes is also associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events. However, there is insufficient evidence to confirm a direct effect of welding fumes on the cardiovascular system. The present study investigated the effects of pulmonary exposure to welding fumes on the heart and the vascular system in rats. Two chemically distinct welding fumes generated from manual metal arc-hard surfacing (MMA-HS) and gas metal arc-mild steel (GMA-MS) welding were tested. Three groups of rats were instilled intratracheally with MMA-HS (2 mg/rat), GMA-MS (2 mg/rat) or saline as control once a week for seven weeks. On days 1 and 7 after the last treatment, basal cardiovascular function and the cardiovascular response to increasing doses of adrenoreceptor agonists were assessed. MMA-HS treatment reduced the basal levels of left ventricle end-systolic pressure and dP/dt(max) at 1 day post-treatment, and decreased dP/dt(min) in response to isoproterenol (ISO) at 7 days post-treatment. Unlike MMA-HS, GMA-MS only affected left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in response to ISO at 7 days post-treatment. Treatment with MMA-HS or GMA-MS did not alter heart rate and blood pressure. Our findings suggest that exposure to different welding fumes can induce different adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, and that cardiac contractility may be a sensitive indicator of cardiovascular dysfunction.

Human urotensin-II is an endothelium-dependent vasodilator in rat small arteries

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Bottrill, Fiona E; Douglas, Stephen A; Hiley, C Robin; White, Richard

2000-01-01

The possible role of the endothelium in modulating responses to human urotensin-II (U-II) was investigated using isolated segments of rat thoracic aorta, small mesenteric artery, left anterior descending coronary artery and basilar artery.Human U-II was a potent vasoconstrictor of endothelium-intact isolated rat thoracic aorta (EC50=3.5±1.1 nM, Rmax=103±10% of control contraction induced by 60 mM KCl and 1 μM noradrenaline). However the contractile response was not significantly altered by removal of the endothelium or inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis with L-NAME (100 μM). Human U-II did not cause relaxation of noradrenaline-precontracted, endothelium-intact rat aortae.Human U-II contracted endothelium-intact rat isolated left anterior descending coronary arteries (EC50=1.3±0.8 nM, Rmax=20.1±4.9% of control contraction induced by 10 μM 5-HT). The contractile response was significantly enhanced by removal of the endothelium (Rmax=55.4±16.1%). Moreover, human U-II caused concentration-dependent relaxation of 5-HT-precontracted arteries, which was abolished by L-NAME or removal of the endothelium.No contractile effects of human U-II were found in rat small mesenteric arteries. However the peptide caused potent, concentration- and endothelium-dependent relaxations of methoxamine-precontracted vessels. The relaxant responses were potentiated by L-NAME (300 μM) but abolished in the additional presence of 25 mM KCl (which inhibits the actions of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor).The present study is the first to show that human U-II is a potent endothelium-dependent vasodilator in some rat resistance vessels, and acts through release of EDHF as well as nitric oxide. Our findings have also highlighted clear anatomical differences in the responses of different vascular beds to human U-II which are likely to be important in determining the overall cardiovascular activity of this peptide. PMID:10952676

Adrenomedulline improves ischemic left colonic anastomotic healing in an experimental rodent model

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Oguzhan Karatepe

2011-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leakage from colonic anastomosis is a major complication causing increased mortality and morbidity. Ischemia is a well-known cause of this event. This study was designed to investigate the effects of adrenomedullin on the healing of ischemic colon anastomosis in a rat model. METHODS: Standardized left colon resection 3 cm above the peritoneal reflection and colonic anastomosis were performed in 40 Wistar rats that were divided into four groups. To mimic ischemia, the mesocolon was ligated 2 cm from either side of the anastomosis in all of the groups. The control groups (1 and 2 received no further treatment. The experimental groups (3 and 4 received adrenomedullin treatment. Adrenomedullin therapy was started in the perioperative period in group 3 and 4 rats (the therapeutic groups. Group 1 and group 3 rats were sacrificed on postoperative day 3. Group 2 and group 4 rats were sacrificed on postoperative day 7. After careful relaparotomy, bursting pressure, hydroxyproline, malondialdehyde, interleukin 6, nitric oxide, vascular endothelial growth factor, and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were measured. Histopathological characteristics of the anastomosis were analyzed. RESULTS: The group 3 animals had a significantly higher bursting pressure than group 1 (p<0.05. Hydroxyproline levels in group 1 were significantly lower than in group 3 (p<0.05. The mean bursting pressure was significantly different between group 2 and group 4 (p<0.05. Hydroxyproline levels in groups 3 and 4 were significantly increased by adrenomedullin therapy relative to the control groups (p<0.05. When all groups were compared, malondialdehyde and nitric oxide were significantly lower in the control groups (p<0.05. When vascular endothelial growth factor levels were compared, no statistically significant difference between groups was observed. Interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha were significantly decreased by adrenomedullin therapy (p<0.05. The

Effects of human low and high density lipoproteins on the binding of rat intermediate density lipoproteins to rat liver membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brissette, L.; Nol, S.P.

1986-01-01

Upon incubation with rat liver membranes, radioiodinated rat intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) interacted with at least two binding sites having a low and a high affinity as demonstrated by the curvilinear Scatchard plots obtained from the specific binding data. The purpose of our work was to identify the nature of these binding sites. Human low density lipoproteins (LDL), contain apolipoprotein B only, and human high density lipoproteins (HDL3), containing neither apolipoprotein B nor E, were both capable of decreasing the specific binding of rat 125 I-IDL. The Scatchard analysis clearly revealed that only the low affinity component was affected by the addition of these human lipoproteins. In fact, the low affinity binding component gradually decreased as the amount of human LDL or HDL3 increased in the binding assay. At a 200-fold excess of human LDL or HDL3, the low affinity binding was totally masked, and the Scatchard plot of the specific 125 I-IDL binding became linear. Only the high affinity binding component was left, enabling a precise measurement of its binding parameters. In a series of competitive displacement experiments in which the binding assay contained a 200-fold excess of human LDL or HDL3, only unlabeled rat IDL effectively displaced the binding of rat 125 I-IDL. We conclude that the low affinity binding of rat IDL to rat liver membranes is due to weak interactions with unspecified lipoprotein binding sites. The camouflage of these sites by human lipoproteins makes possible the study of IDL binding to the high affinity component which likely represents the combined effect of IDL binding to both the remnant and the LDL receptors

Prenatal stress increases the obesogenic effects of a high-fat-sucrose diet in adult rats in a sex-specific manner.

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Paternain, L; de la Garza, A L; Batlle, M A; Milagro, F I; Martínez, J A; Campión, J

2013-03-01

Stress during pregnancy can induce metabolic disorders in adult offspring. To analyze the possible differential response to a high-fat-sucrose (HFS) diet in offspring affected by prenatal stress (PNS) or not, pregnant Wistar rats (n = 11) were exposed to a chronic mild stress during the third week of gestation. The aim of this study was to model a chronic depressive-like state that develops over time in response to exposure of rats to a series of mild and unpredictable stressors. Control dams (n = 11) remained undisturbed. Adult offspring were fed chow or HFS diet (20% protein, 35% carbohydrate, 45% fat) for 10 weeks. Changes in adiposity, biochemical profile, and retroperitoneal adipose tissue gene expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction were analyzed. An interaction was observed between HFS and PNS concerning visceral adiposity, with higher fat mass in HFS-fed stressed rats, statistically significant only in females. HFS modified lipid profile and increased insulin resistance biomarkers, while PNS reduced insulin concentrations and the homeostasis model assessment index. HFS diet increased gene (mRNA) expression for leptin and apelin and decreased cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A and fatty acid synthase (Fasn), whereas PNS increased Fasn and stearoyl-CoA desaturase1. An interaction between diet and PNS was observed for adiponutrin (Adpn) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator1-α (Ppargc1a) gene expression: Adpn was increased by the PNS only in HFS-fed rats, whereas Ppargc1a was increased by the PNS only in chow-fed rats. From these results, it can be concluded that experience of maternal stress during intrauterine development can enhance predisposition to obesity induced by a HFS diet intake.

Left-Deviating Prism Adaptation in Left Neglect Patient: Reflexions on a Negative Result

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Jacques Luauté

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Adaptation to right-deviating prisms is a promising intervention for the rehabilitation of patients with left spatial neglect. In order to test the lateral specificity of prism adaptation on left neglect, the present study evaluated the effect of left-deviating prism on straight-ahead pointing movements and on several classical neuropsychological tests in a group of five right brain-damaged patients with left spatial neglect. A group of healthy subjects was also included for comparison purposes. After a single session of exposing simple manual pointing to left-deviating prisms, contrary to healthy controls, none of the patients showed a reliable change of the straight-ahead pointing movement in the dark. No significant modification of attentional paper-and-pencil tasks was either observed immediately or 2 hours after prism adaptation. These results suggest that the therapeutic effect of prism adaptation on left spatial neglect relies on a specific lateralized mechanism. Evidence for a directional effect for prism adaptation both in terms of the side of the visuomanual adaptation and therefore possibly in terms of the side of brain affected by the stimulation is discussed.

Effect of Thymol on Serum Antioxidant Capacity of Rats Following Myocardial Hypertrophy

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Mohabbat Jamhiri

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension- induced cardiac hypertrophy. Plants are a rich source of antioxidant compounds. Thymol is a natural monoterpen phenol which is plentiful in some plants and shows many biological effects. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of thymol on activity of antioxidant enzyme catalase, malondialdehyde (MDA level and the activity of the inhibition of free radical DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl, following left ventricular hypertrophy in rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, rats were divided into hypertrophied group without any treatment (H group and rats pretreated with 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of thymol (Thy25+H and Thy50+H groups, respectively. Intact animals were served as control (Ctl. Animal model of left ventricular hypertrophy was induced by abdominal aortic banding. Serum catalase (CAT activity, malondialdehyde (MDA level and the activity of inhibition of free radicals DPPH were determined by the biochemical methods. Results: In Thy25+H and Thy50+H groups, the CAT activity was increased significantly in serum (p<0.01, vs. Ctl. Also, serum level of MDA was decreased significantly compared to the group H in Thy25+H and Thy50+H groups (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively. The effect of inhibiting DPPH free radicals was increased significantly in Thy25+H and Thy50+H groups compared to the group H (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that thymol as an antioxidant causes cardioprotective effects and as well as prevents left ventricular hypertrophy via augmentation of serum antioxidant capacity.

Emodin Protects against Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Regulating the AKT/GSK-3β Signaling Pathway in the Rat Model

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Zhiqin Wu

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Diabetes mellitus (DM has been recognized as a major health problem. Emodin (Emo has been reported to exhibit protective effects against diabetic nephropathy. However, little has been known about the effect of Emo on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM. A type 2 DM model was induced in rats by low dose streptozotocin (STZ combined with high energy intake. We found that Emo-treated groups displayed significantly higher body weight (BW and lower heart weight (HW/BW. Furthermore, Emo could significantly decrease blood glucose, total cholesterol (TG levels, and triglyceride (TC levels in diabetic rats. Moreover, the Emo-treated group showed a marked increase in heart rate (HR and showed lower left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD, left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD, left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LWPWT, and interventricular septal diastolic wall thickness (IVSD. Emo induced a significant increase in phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β in myocardium. These results suggest that Emo may have great therapeutic potential in the treatment of DCM by Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Combined Vildagliptin and Metformin Exert Better Cardioprotection than Monotherapy against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Obese-Insulin Resistant Rats

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Apaijai, Nattayaporn; Chinda, Kroekkiat; Palee, Siripong; Chattipakorn, Siriporn; Chattipakorn, Nipon

2014-01-01

Background Obese-insulin resistance caused by long-term high-fat diet (HFD) consumption is associated with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and increased risk of myocardial infarction. Metformin and vildagliptin have been shown to exert cardioprotective effects. However, the effect of these drugs on the hearts under obese-insulin resistance with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is unclear. We hypothesized that combined vildagliptin and metformin provide better protective effects against I/R injury than monotherapy in obese-insulin resistant rats. Methodology Male Wistar rats were fed either HFD or normal diet. Rats in each diet group were divided into 4 subgroups to receive vildagliptin, metformin, combined vildagliptin and metformin, or saline for 21 days. Ischemia due to left anterior descending artery ligation was allowed for 30-min, followed by 120-min reperfusion. Metabolic parameters, heart rate variability (HRV), LV function, infarct size, mitochondrial function, calcium transient, Bax and Bcl-2, and Connexin 43 (Cx43) were determined. Rats developed insulin resistance after 12 weeks of HFD consumption. Vildagliptin, metformin, and combined drugs improved metabolic parameters, HRV, and LV function. During I/R, all treatments improved LV function, reduced infarct size and Bax, increased Bcl-2, and improved mitochondrial function in HFD rats. However, only combined drugs delayed the time to the first VT/VF onset, reduced arrhythmia score and mortality rate, and increased p-Cx43 in HFD rats. Conclusion Although both vildagliptin and metformin improved insulin resistance and attenuate myocardial injury caused by I/R, combined drugs provided better outcomes than single therapy by reducing arrhythmia score and mortality rate. PMID:25036861

Combined vildagliptin and metformin exert better cardioprotection than monotherapy against ischemia-reperfusion injury in obese-insulin resistant rats.

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Nattayaporn Apaijai

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Obese-insulin resistance caused by long-term high-fat diet (HFD consumption is associated with left ventricular (LV dysfunction and increased risk of myocardial infarction. Metformin and vildagliptin have been shown to exert cardioprotective effects. However, the effect of these drugs on the hearts under obese-insulin resistance with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R injury is unclear. We hypothesized that combined vildagliptin and metformin provide better protective effects against I/R injury than monotherapy in obese-insulin resistant rats. METHODOLOGY: Male Wistar rats were fed either HFD or normal diet. Rats in each diet group were divided into 4 subgroups to receive vildagliptin, metformin, combined vildagliptin and metformin, or saline for 21 days. Ischemia due to left anterior descending artery ligation was allowed for 30-min, followed by 120-min reperfusion. Metabolic parameters, heart rate variability (HRV, LV function, infarct size, mitochondrial function, calcium transient, Bax and Bcl-2, and Connexin 43 (Cx43 were determined. Rats developed insulin resistance after 12 weeks of HFD consumption. Vildagliptin, metformin, and combined drugs improved metabolic parameters, HRV, and LV function. During I/R, all treatments improved LV function, reduced infarct size and Bax, increased Bcl-2, and improved mitochondrial function in HFD rats. However, only combined drugs delayed the time to the first VT/VF onset, reduced arrhythmia score and mortality rate, and increased p-Cx43 in HFD rats. CONCLUSION: Although both vildagliptin and metformin improved insulin resistance and attenuate myocardial injury caused by I/R, combined drugs provided better outcomes than single therapy by reducing arrhythmia score and mortality rate.

TMS over the Left Angular Gyrus Impairs the Ability to Discriminate Left from Right

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Hirnstein, Marco; Bayer, Ulrike; Ellison, Amanda; Hausmann, Markus

2011-01-01

The underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of the ability to discriminate left from right are hardly explored. Clinical studies from patients with impairments of left-right discrimination (LRD) and neuroimaging data suggest that the left angular gyrus is particularly involved in LRD. Moreover, it is argued that the often reported sex…

High-NaCl Diet Aggravates Cardiac Injury in Rats with Adenine-Induced Chronic Renal Failure and Increases Serum Troponin T Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kashioulis, Pavlos; Hammarsten, Ola; Marcussen, Niels

2016-01-01

AIMS: To examine the effects of 2 weeks of high-NaCl diet on left ventricular (LV) morphology and serum levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure (ACRF). METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats either received chow containing adenine or were pair......-fed an identical diet without adenine [controls (C)]. Approximately 10 weeks after the beginning of the study, the rats were randomized to either remain on a normal NaCl diet (NNa; 0.6%) or to be switched to high-NaCl chow (HNa; 4%) for 2 weeks, after which acute experiments were performed. RESULTS: Rats with ACRF...... showed statistically significant increases (p rats (p

[Effect of 2,3-butanedione monoxime on calcium paradox-induced heart injury in rats].

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Kong, Ling-Heng; Gu, Xiao-Ming; Su, Xing-Li; Sun, Na; Wei, Ming; Zhu, Juan-Xia; Chang, Pan; Zhou, Jing-Jun

2016-05-01

To investigate the Effect of 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) on calcium paradox-induced heart injury and its underlying mechanisms. Thirty-two adult male SD rats were randomized into 4 groups, namely the control group, BDM treatment control group, calcium paradox group, and BDM treatment group. Isolated Sprague Dawley male rat hearts underwent Langendorff perfusion and the left ventricular pressure (LVP) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were monitored. Left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) was calculated to evaluate the myocardial performance. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content in the coronary flow was determined. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was used to measure the infarct size, and myocardial cell apoptosis was tested with TUNEL method. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and cytochrome c. Compared with the control group, BDM at 20 mmol/L had no effect on cardiac performance, cell death, apoptotic index or the content of LDH, cleaved caspase-3 and cytochrome c at the end of perfusion under control conditions (P>0.05). Calcium paradox treatment significantly decreased the cardiac function and the level of LVDP and induced a larger infarct size (Pparadox, and markedly down-regulated the levels of LVEDP and LDH (Pparadox, suggesting the value of BDM as an potential drug for myocardial ischemia reperfusion injur.

Experimental study of sucralfate intervention for paraquat poisoning in rats.

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Junbo, Zhu; Yongtao, Yu; Hongbo, Li; Fenshuang, Zheng; Ruyun, Lin; Chun'ai, Yang

2017-07-01

This study explored the effects of sucralfate intervention as a novel treatment for paraquat (PQ) poisoning in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. After PQ poisoning, the SD rats were randomly divided into the PQ control group (treated with normal saline), the sodium bicarbonate (SB) treatment group, and the sucralfate (LTL) treatment group. Then, the rats were administered normal saline, sodium bicarbonate solution, or sucralfate suspension as an intervention by gastric lavage. At 1, 3, 6, and 10days after poisoning, the left lungs of some rats were removed to determine the lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio. Additionally, the serum cytokine levels were measured, and the lung and kidney tissues were pathologically examined. After treatment, the signs and symptoms of the rats were improved, the mortality rate was reduced, the W/D weight ratio of the lung was lower, the cytokine levels [transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, interleukin (IL)-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] were decreased, and the pathological injuries of the lungs and kidneys were improved. Moreover, sucralfate was significantly more effective than the control (normal saline) group and the SB treatment group. The results showed that early gastrointestinal lavage with sucralfate effectively reduced the inflammatory response and lung and kidney injuries and improved the survival of the SD rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improvement of Heart Failure by Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Transplantation in Rats.

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Razavi Tousi, Seyed Mohammad Taghi; Faghihi, Mahdieh; Nobakht, Maliheh; Molazem, Mohammad; Kalantari, Elham; Darbandi Azar, Amir; Aboutaleb, Nahid

2016-07-06

Background: Recently, stem cells have been considered for the treatment of heart diseases, but no marked improvement has been recorded. This is the first study to examine the functional and histological effects of the transplantation of human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) in rats with heart failure (HF). Methods: This study was conducted in the years 2014 and 2015. 35 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 5 equal experimental groups (7 rats each) as 1- Control 2- Heart Failure (HF) 3- Sham 4- Culture media 5- Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT). Heart failure was induced using 170 mg/kg/d of isoproterenol subcutaneously injection in 4 consecutive days. The failure confirmed by the rat cardiac echocardiography on day 28. In SCT group, 3×10 6 cells in 150 µl of culture media were transplanted to the myocardium. At the end, echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters together with histological evaluation were done. Results: Echocardiography results showed that cardiac ejection fraction in HF group increased from 58/73 ± 9% to 81/25 ± 6/05% in SCT group (p value < 0.001). Fraction shortening in HF group was increased from 27/53 ± 8/58% into 45/55 ± 6/91% in SCT group (p value < 0.001). Furthermore, hAMSCs therapy significantly improved mean diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure, rate pressure product, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure compared to those in the HF group, with the values reaching the normal levels in the control group. A marked reduction in fibrosis tissue was also found in the SCT group (p value < 0.001) compared with the animals in the HF group. Conclusion: The transplantation of hAMSCs in rats with heart failure not only decreased the level of fibrosis but also conferred significant improvement in heart performance in terms of echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters.

Exposure to non-ionizing radiation provokes changes in rat thyroid morphology and expression of HSP-90

OpenAIRE

Misa-Agustiño, Maria J; Jorge-Mora, Teresa; Jorge-Barreiro, Francisco J; Suarez-Quintanilla, Juan; Moreno-Piquero, Eduardo; Ares-Pena, Francisco J; López-Martín, Elena

2015-01-01

Non-ionizing radiation at 2.45 GHz may modify the morphology and expression of genes that codify heat shock proteins (HSP) in the thyroid gland. Diathermy is the therapeutic application of non-ionizing radiation to humans for its beneficial effects in rheumatological and musculo-skeletal pain processes. We used a diathermy model on laboratory rats subjected to maximum exposure in the left front leg, in order to study the effects of radiation on the nearby thyroid tissue. Fifty-six rats were i...

Anti-inflammatory effect of diclofenac diethylammonium gel on acute phase of ligature induced periodontitis in rats

OpenAIRE

Botelho, Marco A.; Paixão, Mônica S.; Rachid, Ítalo; Bannet, Leonard Edward; Patrus, Ana Helena; Mattos, Thiago Borges; Queiroz, Dinalva; Ruela, Ronaldo; Costa, Jose M. C; Quintans Júnior, Lucindo José

2010-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a diclofenac diethylammonium gel 10 mg/g (DD) on acute phase of ligature induced periodontitis model in rats. Experimental Periodontitis Disease (EPD) was induced in 30 Wistar rats subjected to ligature placement on left molars. Animals were treated with (DD), immediately after (EPD) induction. Saline-based gel (SG) was utilized as negative control and DD gel 10 mg/g was the tested substance. Animals were randomly assigned into the groups. The period...

Immune responses to implanted human collagen graft in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quteish, D.; Dolby, A.E.

1991-01-01

Immunity to collagen implants may be mediated by cellular and humoral immune responses. To examine the possibility of such immunological reactivity and crossreactivity to collagen, 39 Sprague-Dawley rats (female, 10 weeks old, approximately 250 g wt) were implanted subcutaneously at thigh sites with crosslinked, freeze-dried human placental type I collagen grafts (4x4x2 mm) which had been irradiated (520 Gray) or left untreated. Blood was obtained by intracardiac sampling prior to implantation or from normal rats, and at various times afterwards when the animals were sacrificed. The sera from these animals were examined for circulating antibodies to human, bovine and rat tail (type I) collagens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Also, the lymphoblastogenic responses of spleen lymphocytes from the irradiated collagen-implanted animals were assessed in culture by measuring thymidine uptake with autologous and normal rat sera in the presence of human bovine type I collagens. Implantation of the irradiated and non-irradiated collagen graft in rats led to a significant increase in the level of circulating antibodies to human collagen. Also antibody to bovine and rat tail collagens was detectable in the animals implanted with irradiated collagen grafts but at a lower level than the human collagen. There was a raised lymphoblastogenic response to both human and bovine collagens. The antibody level and lymphoblastogenesis to the tested collagens gradually decreased towards the end of the post-implantation period. (author)

Effect of Ganfukang on liver function and serum hepatic fibrosis markers levels in SD rats with experimental hepatic fibrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Che Ying; Wang Shanju; Xu Tingting; Jiang Miaona; Jia Yujie

2004-01-01

Objective: To observe the effect of Ganfukang on liver function and serum hepatic fibrosis markers levels in SD rats with experimental hepatic fibrosis. Methods: SD rat models of liver fibrosis was induced by CCl 4 (n=57). Liver function (GPT, GOT) and serum hepatic fibrosis markers levels (HA, LN, C-IV, PC-III, with RIA) were tested in these models and 10 control rats. Eleven model rats were left untreated, the others were treated with Ganfukang of different concentrations and the above hepatic parameters were again determined after completion of treatment. Results: Lever function was much deteriorated and serum markers levels significantly increased in the model rats (vs controls, P<0.01). After treatment with Ganfukang, the improvement was significant (vs untreated models, P<0.01). Conclusion: Ganfukang is of definite therapeutic value for experimental hepatic fibrosis in rat models. (authors)

Role of Vitamin C As A Potent Antioxidant in Acute Radiation Induced Liver Disease (RILD) Among Male Albino Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezz El Arab, A.; Ayad, S.K.Y.; El Fouly, A.

2012-01-01

Recent studies demonstrated the role of vitamin C as antioxidant in alleviating organ damage caused by gamma irradiation. The present study was conducted to find out the effect of vitamin C on liver biochemical functions such as serum ALT, AST, albumin and bilirubin after experimental liver damage induced by gamma irradiation. Rats irradiated with gamma radiation were used as a model of liver injury terminating with necro inflammatory activity and acute hepatitis. Forty male albino rats were classified into 6 groups (G0-G5). G0 included 8 male albino rats that were divided to 2 subgroups (4 rats/subgroup). Both subgroups were exposed to gamma irradiation with 6 Gy as a single dose. The first subgroup was left for 3 weeks then serum and liver samples were collected while in the second subgroup, 2 rats were died and the remaining 2 rats were left for 6 weeks then serum and liver samples were collected. G1 was the negative control while in the rest groups, the whole body of rats was exposed to gamma irradiation of dose 8 Gy divided to 2 doses (4 Gy/one dose) at one week interval in between. G2 included 12 albino rats divided into 3 subgroups (4 rats/subgroup). The whole body of albino rats of G2 was exposed to 8 Gy gamma irradiation that divided as mentioned before. Serum and liver samples were collected after one day, two days and four days after last dose of irradiation. G3 also included 8 rats that were divided into 2 subgroups (4 rats/subgroup) and whole body was exposed to 8 Gy gamma irradiation that were divided as mentioned before. Serum and liver samples were collected after one week for one subgroup and 2 weeks for other subgroup after last dose of irradiation. The rest 2 groups (4 rats/group) were exposed to 8Gy gamma irradiation divided as before, but the rats in one group were orally supplemented with low dose of vitamin C. G4 and the others were supplemented with high dose of vitamin C for 2 weeks starting after last dose of irradiation (G5) then serum

Characteristic effects of heavy ion irradiation on the rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, X.Z.; Takahashi, S.; Kubota, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Takeda, H.; Zhang, R.; Fukui, Y.

2005-01-01

Heavy ion irradiation has the feature to administer a large radiation dose in the vicinity of the endpoint in the beam range, and its irradiation system and biophysical characteristics are different from ordinary irradiation instruments like X- or gamma-rays. Using this special feature, heavy ion irradiation has been applied for cancer treatment. The safety and efficacy of heavy ion irradiator have been demonstrated to a great extent. For instance, brain tumors treated by heavy-ion beams became smaller or disappearance. However, fundamental research related to such clinical phenotypes and their underlying mechanisms are little known. In order to clarify characteristic effects of heavy ion irradiation on the brain, we developed an experimental system for irradiating a restricted region of the rat brain using heavy ion beams. The characteristics of the heavy ion beams, histological, behavioral and elemental changes were studied in the rat following heavy ion irradiation. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 12 weeks and weighing 260-340 g (Shizuoka Laboratory Animal Center, Hamamatsu, Japan) were used. Rats were deeply anesthetized 10-15 minutes before irradiation with ketamine (40 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg), immobilized in a specifically designed jig, and irradiated with 290 MeV/nucleon charged carbon beams in a dorsal-to ventral direction, The left cerebral hemispheres of the brain were irradiated at doses of 100 Gy charged carbon particles. The depth-dose distribution of the heavy ion beams was modified to make a spread-out bragg peak of 5 mm wide with a range modulator. The characteristics of the heavy-ion beams (field and depth of the heavy-ion beams) were examined by a measuring paraffin section of rat brain at different thickness. That extensive necrosis was observed between 2.5 mm and 7.5 mm depth from the surface of the rat head, suggesting a relatively high dose and uniform dose was delivered among designed depths and the spread-out bragg peak used here

Upregulation of endothelin ETB receptor-mediated vasoconstriction in rat coronary artery after organ culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eskesen, Karen; Edvinsson, Lars

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine if endothelin ET(B) receptor-mediated contraction occurred in isolated segments of rat coronary arteries during organ culture. Presence of contractile endothelin ET(B) receptors was studied by measuring the change in isometric tension in rings of left anterior......(+)-solution was not modified after 1 day in culture medium. The experiments indicate that organ culture of rat coronary arteries upregulate endothelin ET(B) receptor-mediated contraction by inducing synthesis of new protein....... descending coronary arteries isolated from hearts of rats as response to application of the selective endothelin ET(B) receptor agonist, Sarafotoxin 6c and endothelin-1. In segments cultured 1 day in serum free Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium, Sarafotoxin 6c induced a concentration dependent contraction...

Chronic heart failure modifies respiratory mechanics in rats: a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deise M. Pacheco

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To analyze respiratory mechanics and hemodynamic alterations in an experimental model of chronic heart failure (CHF following myocardial infarction. Method Twenty-seven male adult Wistar rats were randomized to CHF group (n=12 or Sham group (n=15. Ten weeks after coronary ligation or sham surgery, the animals were anesthetized and submitted to respiratory mechanics and hemodynamic measurements. Pulmonary edema as well as cardiac remodeling were measured. Results The CHF rats showed pulmonary edema 26% higher than the Sham group. The respiratory system compliance (Crs and the total lung capacity (TLC were lower (40% and 27%, respectively in the CHF rats when compared to the Sham group (P<0.01. There was also an increase in tissue resistance (Gti and elastance (Hti (28% and 45%, respectively in the CHF group. Moreover, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was higher (32 mmHg vs 4 mmHg, P<0.01, while the left ventricular systolic pressure was lower (118 mmHg vs 130 mmHg, P=0.02 in the CHF group when compared to the control. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a negative association between pulmonary edema and Crs (r=–0.70, P=0.0001 and between pulmonary edema and TLC (r=–0.67,P=0.0034. Pulmonary edema correlated positively with Gti (r=0.68, P=0.001 and Hti (r=0.68, P=0.001. Finally, there was a strong positive relationship between pulmonary edema and heart weight (r=0.80, P=0.001. Conclusion Rats with CHF present important changes in hemodynamic and respiratory mechanics, which may be associated with alterations in cardiopulmonary interactions.

Amygdala Kindling Alters Estrus Cycle and Ovarian Morphology in the Rat.

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Pan, Juan; Zhang, Lingwu; Wang, Feng; Liu, Dan; Li, P Andy; Sun, Tao

2013-11-01

The objective of this study is to explore the effects of amygdala kindling on estrus cycle and ovarian morphology. Thirty-five female rats at the age of 8 weeks were randomly designated to electrode kindled, sham-kindled, and normal controls. Kindled rats were implanted with kindling electrodes in the left basolateral amygdala and kindled by brief suprathreshold stimulations with a bipolar electrode. Estrous cycles were daily monitored through vaginal smears. Electrographic and behavioral seizures were recorded and ovarian morphology was evaluated by light and electron microscopies. Our results showed that the kindled rats lost their ovarian periodicity displayed significant ovarian enlargement. H&E staining revealed increased number of growing follicles and total follicles, as well as polycysts in the ovaries of the kindled animals compared to sham and control animals. Ultrastructural study detected numerous apoptotic granulosa cells in growing follicles and thecal cell hyperplasia with secretary granules in the thecal cells in the kindled rats. The results suggest that amygdala kindling is a risk factor for the development of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Amlodipine and Atorvastatin Improved Hypertensive Cardiac Remodeling through Regulation of MMPs/TIMPs in SHR Rats

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Jingchao Lu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background: MMPs/TIMPs system is well known to play important roles in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling, and Amlodipine and Atorvastatin have been showed to exert favourable protective effects on cardiovascular disease, however, it is not clear whether Amlodipine and Atorvastatin can improve hypertensive cardiac remodeling and whether the MMPs/TIMPs system is involved. The present study aims to answer these questions. Methods: 36 weeks old male spontaneous hypertension (SHR rats were randomly divided into four groups: 1. SHR control group, 2. Amlodipine alone (10 mg/kg/d group, 3. Atorvastatin alone (10 mg/kg/d group, 4.Combination of Amlodipine and Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d for each group. Same gender, weight and age of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY rats with normal blood pressure were used as normal control. Drugs were administered by oral gavage over 12 weeks. The blood pressure and left ventricle mass index were measured. Enzyme activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was assessed with Gelatin zymography. MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 mRNA and protein expression was studied by RT-PCR and Western blot. Single factor ANOVA and LSD-t test were used in statistical analysis. Results: Treatment with Amlodipine alone or combination with atorvastatin significantly decreased blood pressure, left ventricle mass index in SHR rats (P Conclusion: Amlodipine and Atorvastatin could improve ventricular remodeling in SHR rats through intervention with the imbalance of MMP-2/TIMP-2 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 system.

Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Left-Right Confusion from a Left Posterior Peri-Insular Infarct

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S. Bhattacharyya

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Gerstmann syndrome of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, left-right confusion, and finger agnosia is generally attributed to lesions near the angular gyrus of the dominant hemisphere. A 68-year-old right-handed woman presented with sudden difficulty completing a Sudoku grid and was found to have dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and left-right confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI showed a focus of abnormal reduced diffusivity in the left posterior insula and temporoparietal operculum consistent with acute infarct. Gerstmann syndrome from an insular or peri-insular lesion has not been described in the literature previously. Pathological and functional imaging studies show connections between left posterior insular region and inferior parietal lobe. We postulate that the insula and operculum lesion disrupted key functional networks resulting in a pseudoparietal presentation.

Dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and left-right confusion from a left posterior peri-insular infarct.

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Bhattacharyya, S; Cai, X; Klein, J P

2014-01-01

The Gerstmann syndrome of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, left-right confusion, and finger agnosia is generally attributed to lesions near the angular gyrus of the dominant hemisphere. A 68-year-old right-handed woman presented with sudden difficulty completing a Sudoku grid and was found to have dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and left-right confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a focus of abnormal reduced diffusivity in the left posterior insula and temporoparietal operculum consistent with acute infarct. Gerstmann syndrome from an insular or peri-insular lesion has not been described in the literature previously. Pathological and functional imaging studies show connections between left posterior insular region and inferior parietal lobe. We postulate that the insula and operculum lesion disrupted key functional networks resulting in a pseudoparietal presentation.

Apraxia in left-handers.

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Goldenberg, Georg

2013-08-01

In typical right-handed patients both apraxia and aphasia are caused by damage to the left hemisphere, which also controls the dominant right hand. In left-handed subjects the lateralities of language and of control of the dominant hand can dissociate. This permits disentangling the association of apraxia with aphasia from that with handedness. Pantomime of tool use, actual tool use and imitation of meaningless hand and finger postures were examined in 50 consecutive left-handed subjects with unilateral hemisphere lesions. There were three aphasic patients with pervasive apraxia caused by left-sided lesions. As the dominant hand is controlled by the right hemisphere, they constitute dissociations of apraxia from handedness. Conversely there were also three patients with pervasive apraxia caused by right brain lesions without aphasia. They constitute dissociations of apraxia from aphasia. Across the whole group of patients dissociations from handedness and from aphasia were observed for all manifestations of apraxia, but their frequency depended on the type of apraxia. Defective pantomime and defective tool use occurred rarely without aphasia, whereas defective imitation of hand, but not finger, postures was more frequent after right than left brain damage. The higher incidence of defective imitation of hand postures in right brain damage was mainly due to patients who had also hemi-neglect. This interaction alerts to the possibility that the association of right hemisphere damage with apraxia has to do with spatial aptitudes of the right hemisphere rather than with its control of the dominant left hand. Comparison with data from right-handed patients showed no differences between the severity of apraxia for imitation of hand or finger postures, but impairment on pantomime of tool use was milder in apraxic left-handers than in apraxic right-handers. This alleviation of the severity of apraxia corresponded with a similar alleviation of the severity of aphasia as

Lemon juice has protective activity in a rat urolithiasis model

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Oussama Abdelkhalek

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of herbal medicines (medicinal plants or phytotherapy has recently gained popularity in Europe and the United States. Nevertheless the exact mechanism of the preventive effects of these products is still far to be clearly established, being its knowledge necessary to successfully apply these therapies to avoid stone formation. Methods The effect of oral lemon juice administration on calcium oxalate urolithiasis was studied in male Wistar rats. Rats were rendered nephrolithic by providing drinking water containing 0.75% ethylene glycol [v/v] (EG and 2% ammonium chloride [w/v] (AC for 10 days. In addition to EG/AC treatment, three groups of rats were also gavage-administered solutions containing 100%, 75% or 50% lemon juice [v/v] (6 μl solution/g body weight. Positive control rats were treated with EG/AC but not lemon juice. Negative control rats were provided with normal drinking water, and were administered normal water by gavage. Each group contained 6 rats. After 10 days, serum samples were collected for analysis, the left kidney was removed and assessed for calcium levels using flame spectroscopy, and the right kidney was sectioned for histopathological analysis using light microscopy. Results Analysis showed that the rats treated with EG/AC alone had higher amounts of calcium in the kidneys compared to negative control rats. This EG/AC-induced increase in kidney calcium levels was inhibited by the administration of lemon juice. Histology showed that rats treated with EG/AC alone had large deposits of calcium oxalate crystals in all parts of the kidney, and that such deposits were not present in rats also treated with either 100% or 75% lemon juice. Conclusion These data suggest that lemon juice has a protective activity against urolithiasis.

Differential control of MMP and t-PA/PAI-1 expressions by sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems in rat left ventricle.

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Dab, Houcine; Hachani, Rafik; Hodroj, Wassim; Sakly, Mohsen; Bricca, Giampiero; Kacem, Kamel

2009-10-05

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that angiotensin II (Ang II) has both direct (via AT1 receptors) and indirect (via sympathostimulator pathway) actions on the synthesis and activity of the enzymes involved in the extracellular matrix degradation in vivo. For this purpose, sympathectomy and blockade of the Ang II receptor AT1 were performed alone or in combination in normotensive rats. The mRNA of the plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1), the mRNA, protein and activity of the matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 were examined by Q-RT-PCR, immunoblotting and zymographic methods in the left ventricle. t-PA and PAI-1 mRNA were decreased after sympathectomy and remained unchanged after AT1 receptors blockade. mRNA was increased for t-PA and decreased by similar degree for PAI-1 after double treatment. MMPs mRNA and protein levels were decreased either after sympathectomy or AT1 receptors blockade and an additive effect was acquired after double treatment. MMPs activity was decreased by similar degree in the three treated groups. Deducted interpretations from our experimental approach suggest that Ang II inhibits directly (via AT1 receptors) and indirectly (via sympathostimulator pathway) t-PA mRNA synthesis. It seems unable to influence directly PAI-1 mRNA, but stimulates indirectly PAI-1 mRNA synthesis. Ang II stimulates directly (via AT1 receptors) and indirectly (via sympathostimulator pathway) MMPs synthesis at both transcriptional and protein levels. The enzymatic activity of MMPs does not seem to be influenced directly by Ang II but it could be stimulated indirectly (via sympathostimulator pathway).

Ketamine analgesia for inflammatory pain in neonatal rats: a factorial randomized trial examining long-term effects

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Bhutta Adnan T

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neonatal rats exposed to repetitive inflammatory pain have altered behaviors in young adulthood, partly ameliorated by Ketamine analgesia. We examined the relationships between protein expression, neuronal survival and plasticity in the neonatal rat brain, and correlated these changes with adult cognitive behavior. Methods Using Western immunoblot techniques, homogenates of cortical tissue were analyzed from neonatal rats 18–20 hours following repeated exposure to 4% formalin injections (F, N = 9, Ketamine (K, 2.5 mg/kg × 2, N = 9, Ketamine prior to formalin (KF, N = 9, or undisturbed controls (C, N = 9. Brain tissues from another cohort of rat pups (F = 11, K = 12, KF = 10, C = 15 were used for cellular staining with Fos immunohistochemistry or FluoroJade-B (FJB, followed by cell counting in eleven cortical and three hippocampal areas. Long-term cognitive testing using a delayed non-match to sample (DNMS paradigm in the 8-arm radial maze was performed in adult rats receiving the same treatments (F = 20, K = 24, KF = 21, C = 27 in the neonatal period. Results Greater cell death occurred in F vs. C, K, KF in parietal and retrosplenial areas, vs. K, KF in piriform, temporal, and occipital areas, vs. C, K in frontal and hindlimb areas. In retrosplenial cortex, less Fos expression occurred in F vs. C, KF. Cell death correlated inversely with Fos expression in piriform, retrosplenial, and occipital areas, but only in F. Cortical expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP was elevated in F, K and KF vs. C. No significant differences occurred in Caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 expression between groups, but cellular changes in cortical areas were significantly correlated with protein expression patterns. Cluster analysis of the frequencies and durations of behaviors grouped them as exploratory, learning, preparatory, consumptive, and foraging behaviors. Neonatal inflammatory pain exposure reduced exploratory behaviors in adult

Improved Discriminability of Spatiotemporal Neural Patterns in Rat Motor Cortical Areas as Directional Choice Learning Progresses

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Hongwei eMao

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Animals learn to choose a proper action among alternatives to improve their odds of success in food foraging and other activities critical for survival. Through trial-and-error, they learn correct associations between their choices and external stimuli. While a neural network that underlies such learning process has been identified at a high level, it is still unclear how individual neurons and a neural ensemble adapt as learning progresses. In this study, we monitored the activity of single units in the rat medial and lateral agranular (AGm and AGl, respectively areas as rats learned to make a left or right side lever press in response to a left or right side light cue. We noticed that rat movement parameters during the performance of the directional choice task quickly became stereotyped during the first 2-3 days or sessions. But learning the directional choice problem took weeks to occur. Accompanying rats’ behavioral performance adaptation, we observed neural modulation by directional choice in recorded single units. Our analysis shows that ensemble mean firing rates in the cue-on period did not change significantly as learning progressed, and the ensemble mean rate difference between left and right side choices did not show a clear trend of change either. However, the spatiotemporal firing patterns of the neural ensemble exhibited improved discriminability between the two directional choices through learning. These results suggest a spatiotemporal neural coding scheme in a motor cortical neural ensemble that may be responsible for and contributing to learning the directional choice task.

Atorvastatin therapy during the peri-infarct period attenuates left ventricular dysfunction and remodeling after myocardial infarction.

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Xian-Liang Tang

Full Text Available Although statins impart a number of cardiovascular benefits, whether statin therapy during the peri-infarct period improves subsequent myocardial structure and function remains unclear. Thus, we evaluated the effects of atorvastatin on cardiac function, remodeling, fibrosis, and apoptosis after myocardial infarction (MI. Two groups of rats were subjected to permanent coronary occlusion. Group II (n = 14 received oral atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d daily for 3 wk before and 4 wk after MI, while group I (n = 12 received equivalent doses of vehicle. Infarct size (Masson's trichrome-stained sections was similar in both groups. Compared with group I, echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF and fractional area change (FAC were higher while LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV and LV end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters (LVESD and LVEDD were lower in treated rats. Hemodynamically, atorvastatin-treated rats exhibited significantly higher dP/dt(max, end-systolic elastance (Ees, and preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW and lower LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP. Morphometrically, infarct wall thickness was greater in treated rats. The improvement of LV function by atorvastatin was associated with a decrease in hydroxyproline content and in the number of apoptotic cardiomyocyte nuclei. We conclude that atorvastatin therapy during the peri-infarct period significantly improves LV function and limits adverse LV remodeling following MI independent of a reduction in infarct size. These salubrious effects may be due in part to a decrease in myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis.

Analysis on bilateral hindlimb mapping in motor cortex of the rat by an intracortical microstimulation method.

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Seong, Han Yu; Cho, Ji Young; Choi, Byeong Sam; Min, Joong Kee; Kim, Yong Hwan; Roh, Sung Woo; Kim, Jeong Hoon; Jeon, Sang Ryong

2014-04-01

Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) is a technique that was developed to derive movement representation of the motor cortex. Although rats are now commonly used in motor mapping studies, the precise characteristics of rat motor map, including symmetry and consistency across animals, and the possibility of repeated stimulation have not yet been established. We performed bilateral hindlimb mapping of motor cortex in six Sprague-Dawley rats using ICMS. ICMS was applied to the left and the right cerebral hemisphere at 0.3 mm intervals vertically and horizontally from the bregma, and any movement of the hindlimbs was noted. The majority (80%± 11%) of responses were not restricted to a single joint, which occurred simultaneously at two or three hindlimb joints. The size and shape of hindlimb motor cortex was variable among rats, but existed on the convex side of the cerebral hemisphere in all rats. The results did not show symmetry according to specific joints in each rats. Conclusively, the hindlimb representation in the rat motor cortex was conveniently mapped using ICMS, but the characteristics and inter-individual variability suggest that precise individual mapping is needed to clarify motor distribution in rats.

Left ventricular filling under elevated left atrial pressure

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Gaddam, Manikantam; Samaee, Milad; Santhanakrishnan, Arvind

2017-11-01

Left atrial pressure (LAP) is elevated in diastolic dysfunction, where left ventricular (LV) filling is impaired due to increase in ventricular stiffness. The impact of increasing LAP and LV stiffness on intraventricular filling hemodynamics remains unclear. We conducted particle image velocimetry and hemodynamics measurements in a left heart simulator (LHS) under increasing LAP and LV stiffness at a heart rate of 70 bpm. The LHS consisted of a flexible-walled LV physical model fitted within a fluid-filled chamber. LV wall motion was generated by a piston pump that imparted pressure fluctuations in the chamber. Resistance and compliance elements in the flow loop were adjusted to obtain bulk physiological hemodynamics in the least stiff LV model. Two LV models of increasing stiffness were subsequently tested under unchanged loop settings. LAP was varied between 5-20 mm Hg for each LV model, by adjusting fluid level in a reservoir upstream of the LV. For constant LV stiffness, increasing LAP lowered cardiac output (CO), while ejection fraction (EF) and E/A ratio were increased. For constant LAP, increasing LV stiffness lowered CO and EF, and increased E/A ratio. The implications of these altered hemodynamics on intraventricular filling vortex characteristics will be presented.

Wound healing in the jugal mucosa of rats with a cold blade scalpel and an ultrasonic harmonic scalpel

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Masi,Elen Carolina David João De; Rocha,Sergio Luis; Mocellin,Marcos; Faria,João Luis Garcia de

2009-01-01

Ultrasound harmonic scalpel has been recently introduced in otorhinolaryngological procedures. AIM: to assess macro and microscopic evolution of the healing process of wounds created in the jugal mucosa of rats by the use of ultrasound scalpel. METHOD: we used 30 Wistar rats in which we made mucosal incisions on the right jugal mucosa with the ultrasound harmonic scalpel (USHS) and on the left side with the cold blade scalpel (CBS). Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations were carried out on ...

TRPC1 expression and distribution in rat hearts

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W. Niu

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC proteins have been identified as a family of plasma membrane calcium-permeable channels. TRPC proteins can be activated by various stimuli and act as cellular sensors in mammals. Stretch-activated ion channels (SACs have been proposed to underlie cardiac mechano-electric feedback (MEF, although the molecular entity of SAC remains unknown. There is evidence suggesting that transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1 is a stretch-activated ion channel. As a non-selective cation channel, TRPC1 may cause stretch-induced depolarization and arrhythmia and thus may contribute to the MEF of the heart. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of TRPC1 in detail at both the mRNA and protein levels in rat hearts.We isolated total RNA from the left and right atria, and the left and right ventricles, and detected TRPC1 mRNA in these tissues using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. To study the protein localization and targeting, we performed immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence labeling with the antibody against TRPC1. TRPC1 was detected in the cardiomyocytes of the ventricle and atrium at both the mRNA and protein levels. The cell membrane and Ttubule showed strong fluorescence labeling in the ventricular myocytes. Purkinje cells, the endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of the coronary arterioles also displayed TRPC1 labeling. No TRPC1 was detected in fibroblasts. In conclusion, TRPC1 is widely expressed in the rat heart, including in working cells, Purkinje cells and vascular cells, suggesting that it plays an important role in the heart. The specific distribution pattern offered a useful insight into its function in adult rat ventricular cells. Further investigations are needed to clarify the role of TRPC1 in regulating cardiac activity, including cardiac MEF.

Localisation of selected Ca2+-transport systems in rat's heart and kidney and their modulation by stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zacikova, L.

2000-01-01

This thesis deals with the identification of selected calcium transport systems and their modulation by immobilization stress in rat heart and kidney. In our experiments we used normotensive (Sprague-Dawley, Wistar-Kyoto) and hypertensive (SHR) strains. We compared mRNA levels, protein expression and activity of the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger from hearts of control animals, animals subjected to a single (once) or repeated (seven times) immobilization stress and from animals treated continually with cortisol. We have observed that immobilization stress increased both, gene expression and protein message of the Na + /Ca 2 + exchanger in rat cardiac left, but not right ventricle. This effect is not mediated through the glucocorticoid responsive element. We have found that cortisol decreased activity of the N a +/Ca 2+ exchanger without changing expression and protein amount of this transport system. IP3 receptor of type I and 2 was detected on mRNA levels in rat cardiac atria. Very small amounts of these receptors were observed in rat cardiac ventricles. Since it was difficult to detect these amounts in ventricles, we used 'seminested' PCR to verify expression of IP 3 R1 and 2 in cardiac ventricles. The highest levels of IP 3 R1 and 2 were expressed in left atria. Immobilization stress significantly increased mRNA IP 3 R1 and 2 in rat cardiac atria. We observed both, mRNA and type 1 IP 3 receptor's protein in renal medulla, but not in renal cortex. We have found that this receptor was approximately twice as abundant in normotensive as in genetically hypertensive rat kidney. Immobilization stress significantly down-regulated IP 3 R1 in renal medulla, but not in renal cortex. To investigate the role of NAADP in signaling we measured 45 Ca 2+ release from rat cardiac microsomes. We examined concentration and time dependence of 45 Ca 2+ release from rat cardiac microsomes. All these results could contribute to the understanding of Ca 2+ modulation in cardiac and kidney under

Comparative study of methods to estimate hydraulic parameters in the hydraulically undisturbed Opalinus Clay (Switzerland)

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Yu, C.; Matray, J.-M. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, (France); Yu, C.; Gonçalvès, J. [Aix Marseille Université UMR 6635 CEREGE Technopôle Environnement Arbois-Méditerranée Aix-en-Provence, Cedex 4 (France); and others

2017-04-15

The deep borehole (DB) experiment gave the opportunity to acquire hydraulic parameters in a hydraulically undisturbed zone of the Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland). Three methods were used to estimate hydraulic conductivity and specific storage values of the Opalinus Clay formation and its bounding formations through the 248 m deep borehole BDB-1: application of a Poiseuille-type law involving petrophysical measurements, spectral analysis of pressure time series and in situ hydraulic tests. The hydraulic conductivity range in the Opalinus Clay given by the first method is 2 × 10{sup -14}-6 × 10{sup -13} m s{sup -1} for a cementation factor ranging between 2 and 3. These results show low vertical variability whereas in situ hydraulic tests suggest higher values up to 7 × 10{sup -12} m s{sup -1}. Core analysis provides economical estimates of the homogeneous matrix hydraulic properties but do not account for heterogeneities at larger scale such as potential tectonic conductive features. Specific storage values obtained by spectral analysis are consistent and in the order of 10{sup -6} m{sup -1}, while formulations using phase shift and gain between pore pressure signals were found to be inappropriate to evaluate hydraulic conductivity in the Opalinus Clay. The values obtained are globally in good agreement with the ones obtained previously at the rock laboratory. (authors)

Left Ventricular Gene Expression Profile of Healthy and Cardiovascular Compromised Rat Models Used in Air Pollution Studies

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The link between pollutant exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has prompted mechanistic research with animal models of CVD. We hypothesized that the cardiac gene expression patterns of healthy and genetically compromised, CVD-prone rat models, with or without metabolic impa...

Ameliorative role of gemfibrozil against partial abdominal aortic constriction-induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats.

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Singh, Amrit Pal; Singh, Randhir; Krishan, Pawan

2015-04-01

Fibrates are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α agonists and are clinically used for treatment of dyslipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Fenofibrate is reported as a cardioprotective agent in various models of cardiac dysfunction; however, limited literature is available regarding the role of gemfibrozil as a possible cardioprotective agent, especially in a non-obese model of cardiac remodelling. The present study investigated the role of gemfibrozil against partial abdominal aortic constriction-induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats. Cardiac hypertrophy was induced by partial abdominal aortic constriction in rats and they survived for 4 weeks. The cardiac hypertrophy was assessed by measuring left ventricular weight to body weight ratio, left ventricular wall thickness, and protein and collagen content. The oxidative stress in the cardiac tissues was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, superoxide anion generation, and reduced glutathione level. The haematoxylin-eosin and picrosirius red staining was used to observe cardiomyocyte diameter and collagen deposition, respectively. Moreover, serum levels of cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, and glucose were also measured. Gemfibrozil (30 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered since the first day of partial abdominal aortic constriction and continued for 4 weeks. The partial abdominal aortic constriction-induced cardiac oxidative stress and hypertrophy are indicated by significant change in various parameters used in the present study that were ameliorated with gemfibrozil treatment in rats. No significant change in serum parameters was observed between various groups used in the present study. It is concluded that gemfibrozil ameliorates partial abdominal aortic constriction-induced cardiac oxidative stress and hypertrophy and in rats.

Is the ipsilateral cortex surrounding the lesion or the non-injured contralateral cortex important for motor recovery in rats with photochemically induced cortical lesions?

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Takata, Kotaro; Yamauchi, Hideki; Tatsuno, Hisashi; Hashimoto, Keiji; Abo, Masahiro

2006-01-01

To determine whether the ipsilateral cortex surrounding the lesion or the non-injured contralateral cortex is important for motor recovery after brain damage in the photochemically initiated thrombosis (PIT) model. We induced PIT in the sensorimotor cortex in rats and examined the recovery of motor function using the beam-walking test. In 24 rats, the right sensorimotor cortex was lesioned after 2 days of training for the beam-walking test (group 1). After 10 days, PIT was induced in the left sensorimotor cortex. Eight additional rats (group 2) received 2 days training in beam walking, then underwent the beam-walking test to evaluate function. After 10 days of testing, the left sensorimotor cortex was lesioned and recovery was monitored by the beam-walking test for 8 days. In group 1 animals, left hindlimb function caused by a right sensorimotor cortex lesion recovered within 10 days after the operation. Right hindlimb function caused by the left-side lesion recovered within 6 days. In group 2, right hindlimb function caused by induction of the left-side lesion after a total of 12 days of beam-walking training and testing recovered within 6 days as with the double PIT model. The training effect may be relevant to reorganization and neuromodulation. Motor recovery patterns did not indicate whether motor recovery was dependent on the ipsilateral cortex surrounding the lesion or the cortex of the contralateral side. The results emphasize the need for selection of appropriate programs tailored to the area of cortical damage in order to enhance motor functional recovery in this model. Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Influence of organic amendments on diuron leaching through an acidic and a calcareous vineyard soil using undisturbed lysimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thevenot, M.; Dousset, S.; Rousseaux, S.; Andreux, F.

2008-01-01

The influence of different organic amendments on diuron leaching was studied through undisturbed vineyard soil columns. Two composts (A and D), the second at two stages of maturity, and two soils (VR and Bj) were sampled. After 1 year, the amount of residues (diuron + metabolites) in the leachates of the VR soil (0.19-0.71%) was lower than in the Bj soil (4.27-8.23%), which could be explained by stronger diuron adsorption on VR. An increase in the amount of diuron leached through the amended soil columns, compared to the blank, was observed for the Bj soil only. This result may be explained by the formation of mobile complexes between diuron and water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) through the Bj soil, or by competition between diuron and WEOM for the adsorption sites in the soil. For both soils, the nature of the composts and their degree of maturity did not significantly influence diuron leaching. - The application of organic amendments increased diuron leaching through a sandy-loam soil, in contrast to a clay-loam soil

Influence of organic amendments on diuron leaching through an acidic and a calcareous vineyard soil using undisturbed lysimeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thevenot, M. [UMR 1229 Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols, CMSE, INRA - Universite de Bourgogne, UFR des Sciences de la Terre et de l' Environnement, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France)], E-mail: mathieu.thevenot@u-bourgogne.fr; Dousset, S. [UMR 5561 Biogeosciences, CNRS - Universite de Bourgogne, UFR des Sciences de la Terre et de l' Environnement, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Rousseaux, S. [EA 4149 Laboratoire de Recherche en Vigne et Vin, Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin, rue Claude Ladrey, 21000 Dijon (France); Andreux, F. [UMR 1229 Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols, CMSE, INRA - Universite de Bourgogne, UFR des Sciences de la Terre et de l' Environnement, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France)

2008-05-15

The influence of different organic amendments on diuron leaching was studied through undisturbed vineyard soil columns. Two composts (A and D), the second at two stages of maturity, and two soils (VR and Bj) were sampled. After 1 year, the amount of residues (diuron + metabolites) in the leachates of the VR soil (0.19-0.71%) was lower than in the Bj soil (4.27-8.23%), which could be explained by stronger diuron adsorption on VR. An increase in the amount of diuron leached through the amended soil columns, compared to the blank, was observed for the Bj soil only. This result may be explained by the formation of mobile complexes between diuron and water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) through the Bj soil, or by competition between diuron and WEOM for the adsorption sites in the soil. For both soils, the nature of the composts and their degree of maturity did not significantly influence diuron leaching. - The application of organic amendments increased diuron leaching through a sandy-loam soil, in contrast to a clay-loam soil.

Effects of the Rabdosia rubescens total flavonoids on focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion model in rats

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Mingsan Miao

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The effect of the Rabdosia rubescens total flavonoids on focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion model in rats was observed. The model group, nimodipine group, cerebral collateral group, and large, medium and small dose group of the Rabdosia rubescens total flavonoids were administered with corresponding drugs but sham operation group and model group were administered the same volume of 0.5%CMC, 1 times a day, continuous administration of 7 d. After 1 h at 7 d to medicine, left incision in the middle of the neck of rats after anesthesia, we can firstly expose and isolate the left common carotid artery (CCA, and then expose external carotid artery (ECA and internal carotid artery (ICA. The common carotid artery and the external carotid artery are ligated. Then internal carotid artery with arterial clamp is temporarily clipped. Besides, cut the incision of 0.2 mm from 5 cm of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. A thread Line bolt is inserted with more than 18–20 mm from bifurcation of CCA into the internal carotid artery until there is resistance. Then the entrance of the middle cerebral artery is blocked and internal carotid artery is ligated (the blank group only exposed the left blood vessel without Plugging wire. Finally it is gently pulled out the plug line after 2 h. Results: Compared with the model mice, Rabdosia rubescens total flavonoids can significantly relieve the injury of brain in hippocampus and cortex nerve cells; experimental rat focal cerebral ischemia was to improve again perfusion model of nerve function defect score mortality; significantly reduce brain homogenate NOS activity and no content, MDA, IL-1, TNF-a, ICAM-1 content; increase in brain homogenate SOD and ATPase activity (P < 0.05, P < 0.01; and reduce the serum S-100β protein content. Each dose group of the Rabdosia rubescens total flavonoids has a better Improvement effect on focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion model in rats.

Vildagliptin reduces cardiac ischemic-reperfusion injury in obese orchiectomized rats.

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Pongkan, Wanpitak; Pintana, Hiranya; Jaiwongkam, Thidarat; Kredphoo, Sasiwan; Sivasinprasasn, Sivaporn; Chattipakorn, Siriporn C; Chattipakorn, Nipon

2016-10-01

Obesity and testosterone deprivation are associated with coronary artery disease. Testosterone and vildagliptin (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors) exert cardioprotection during ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the effect of these drugs on I/R heart in a testosterone-deprived, obese, insulin-resistant model is unclear. This study investigated the effects of testosterone and vildagliptin on cardiac function, arrhythmias and the infarct size in I/R heart of testosterone-deprived rats with obese insulin resistance. Orchiectomized (O) or sham operated (S) male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups to receive normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Orchiectomized rats in each diet were divided to receive testosterone (2 mg/kg), vildagliptin (3 mg/kg) or the vehicle daily for 4 weeks. Then, I/R was performed by a 30-min left anterior descending coronary artery ligation, followed by a 120-min reperfusion. LV function, arrhythmia scores, infarct size and cardiac mitochondrial function were determined. HFD groups developed insulin resistance at week 12. At week 16, cardiac function was impaired in NDO, HFO and HFS rats, but was restored in all testosterone- and vildagliptin-treated rats. During I/R injury, arrhythmia scores, infarct size and cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction were prominently increased in NDO, HFO and HFS rats, compared with those in NDS rats. Treatment with either testosterone or vildagliptin similarly attenuated these impairments during I/R injury. These finding suggest that both testosterone replacement and vildagliptin share similar efficacy for cardioprotection during I/R injury by decreasing the infarct size and attenuating cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction caused by I/R injury in testosterone-deprived rats with obese insulin resistance. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.

Histopathological, Histomorphometrical, and Radiographical Evaluation of Injectable Glass-Ceramic-Chitosan Nanocomposite in Bone Reconstruction of Rat

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Maryam Seyedmajidi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Bone defects following tumor resection and osteolysis due to bone lesions, periodontal tissue disorders, and bone reconstruction are challenges that surgeons face. Gass-ceramic-chitosan nanocomposite contains chitosan, a derivative of crustaceans’ exoskeleton. Methods. Thirty-two 6–8-week-old male Wistar rats were chosen. One hole on each right and left tibia was made. The right tibia holes were filled with injectable glass-ceramic-chitosan nanocomposite, and the left tibia holes were left empty. After 7, 14, 28, and 60 days, histopathological, histomorphometrical, and radiographical assessments were performed. Results. Radiographic density on days 7 and 14 was significantly higher in the right tibias than in the left tibias. Trabecular bone thickness, which was higher in the right tibias, increased from day 7 to day 60 in both right and left tibias, although not significantly. Conclusions. Glass-ceramic-chitosan nanocomposite is suggested for use in bone repair in cases of bone loss. More histopathological, histomorphometrical, and radiographical assessments are also recommended.

Topography of the accessory left gastric artery (ALGA) analyzed by CT angiography from the left hepatic artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shioyama, Yasukazu; Takasaka, Isao; Onaya, Hiroaki

2003-01-01

To avoid gastric complications when we perform transcatheter treatment via left hepatic artery, we analyzed the topography of ALGA (accessory left gastric artery) by left hepatic arteriography and CT angiography from left hepatic artery. Six hundred seventy eight cases of CT angiography were performed between 1995 and 2000. Among them, selective left hepatic arteriography was done in 85 cases. We analyzed the frequency and the course of ALGA on the hepatic angiogram and CT angiogram. ALGA were identified in eighteen (21.2 %) of the 85 cases. We classified them into eleven cases of the proximal type and six cases of the distal type. When ALGA bifurcated from the left hepatic artery very close to the bifurcation of A2 (dorsolateral branch) and A3 (ventrolateral branch), we classified them as the distal type on hepatic angiogram. On the other hand, when ALGA bifurcated from the left hepatic artery apart from the bifurcation of A2 and A3 they were classified as the proximal type. In one rare case ALGA originated from the dorsolateral branch of the left hepatic artery. ALGA were classified as the distal and proximal types. Distal type of ALGA often overlapped dorsolateral branch of the left hepatic artery, and it was sometimes difficult to notice the existence of them. We should check the existence of ALGA on the arterial phase of dynamic CT before we plan to make a transcatheter treatment from the left hepatic artery. Then we can avoid gastric complications caused by a transcatheter treatment from the left hepatic artery. (author)

LONG TERM EFFECT OF CHROMIUM ON LIPID PROFILE AND SOME HORMONES IN OBESE RATS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GABR, S.A.; ABDEL-KHALEK, L.G.; GHAREIB, S.A.

2008-01-01

In the present study, the long term effect of chromium picolinate (intake 30 and 60 days) on lipid profile, testosterone, thyroid hormones, corticosterone and insulin was studied in obese male rats. A total of 48 male albino rats were arranged into four equal groups. The rats were distributed into four equal main groups: 1- Normal rats left without any treatment and served as a control group. 2- Normal rats treated with chromium picolinate at a dose of 40 μg/kg/day. 3-Obese rats (after the induction of obesity) using fed high fat diet. 4- Obese rats treated with chromium picolinate. The results obtained showed that normal rats treated with chromium picolinate for 30 or 60 days had no changes in total cholesterol, triglycerides, total lipids, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and thyroxine (T 4 ) when compared with the control group. The testosterone and corticosterone levels were significantly decreased in rats treated with chromium picolinate for 60 days. Insulin level was significantly increased in treated rats for 60 days when compared with the control ones. In obese rats, the lipid profile and corticosterone were significantly increased at 30 and 60 days, while the insulin levels were increased in obese rats fed on high fat diet for 30 days as compared with the control rats. The administration of chromium picolinate to obese rats succeeded to decrease the lipid profile, corticosterone (at 60 days) and insuline (at 30 days) when compared with the obese rats. It could be concluded from this study that chromium picolinate possess beneficial effects in decreasing lipid profile in obese rats. Therefore, additional of chromium picolinate may be useful in obese rats to burn excess body fat and in treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Since it cause decrease in testosterone level, its use was advised to restrict to relatively old age

Beneficial effects of edaravone, a novel antioxidant, in rats with dilated cardiomyopathy

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Arumugam, Somasundaram; Thandavarayan, Rajarajan A; Veeraveedu, Punniyakoti T; Nakamura, Takashi; Arozal, Wawaimuli; Sari, Flori R; Giridharan, Vijayasree V; Soetikno, Vivian; Palaniyandi, Suresh S; Harima, Meilei; Suzuki, Kenji; Nagata, Masaki; Kodama, Makoto; Watanabe, Kenichi

2012-01-01

Edaravone, a novel antioxidant, acts by trapping hydroxyl radicals, quenching active oxygen and so on. Its cardioprotective activity against experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was reported. Nevertheless, it remains to be determined whether edaravone protects against cardiac remodelling in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The present study was undertaken to assess whether edaravone attenuates myocardial fibrosis, and examine the effect of edaravone on cardiac function in rats with DCM after EAM. Rat model of EAM was prepared by injection with porcine cardiac myosin 28 days after immunization, we administered edaravone intraperitoneally at 3 and 10 mg/kg/day to rats for 28 days. The results were compared with vehicle-treated rats with DCM. Cardiac function, by haemodynamic and echocardiographic study and histopathology were performed. Left ventricular (LV) expression of NADPH oxidase subunits (p47phox, p67phox, gp91phox and Nox4), fibrosis markers (TGF-β1 and OPN), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers (GRP78 and GADD 153) and apoptosis markers (cytochrome C and caspase-3) were measured by Western blotting. Edaravone-treated DCM rats showed better cardiac function compared with those of the vehicle-treated rats. In addition, LV expressions of NADPH oxidase subunits levels were significantly down-regulated in edaravone-treated rats. Furthermore, the number of collagen-III positive cells in the myocardium of edaravone-treated rats was lower compared with those of the vehicle-treated rats. Our results suggest that edaravone ameliorated the progression of DCM by modulating oxidative and ER stress-mediated myocardial apoptosis and fibrosis. PMID:22268705

Changes in vascular reactivity induced by acute hyperthyroidism in isolated rat aortae.

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Honda, H; Iwata, T; Mochizuki, T; Kogo, H

2000-06-01

Hyperthyroidism was induced by subcutaneous injections of L-thyroxine (T(4)) (500 mg/kg/day) for 3 days in order to study whether adrenergic and muscarinic receptor-mediated vascular responses alter at an early stage of the disease. T(4) treatment was sufficient to induce a significant degree of thyroid weight loss, tachycardia, cardiac hypertrophy, and an elevation in serum T(4) levels. The tension of aortic ring preparations isolated from rats was measured isometrically to investigate the influence of acute hyperthyroidism. The contractions induced by norepinephrine (NE) were significantly suppressed in aortic rings from rats treated with T(4) compared with control rats. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), significantly enhanced NE-induced contraction in aortic rings from both control and T(4)-treated rats, and the enhancement was greater in rats treated with T(4) than control rats. The relaxations induced by either acetylcholine (ACh) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were also significantly enhanced by T(4) treatment. L-NOARG abolished the relaxation induced by ACh in aortic rings from both control and T(4)-treated rats. L-NOARG shifted SNP-induced relaxation curves of aortic rings from those of control rats to the left, but not with rats treated with T(4). T(4) treatment showed no influence on the amount of endothelial NOS (eNOS) protein. These results suggest that vascular responses alter at an early stage of hyperthyroidism and that it may be due to a modification in the NO system which is independent from the amount of eNOS protein.

Left Atrial Decompression by Percutaneous Left Atrial Venting Cannula Insertion during Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support

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Ha Eun Kim

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Patients with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO frequently suffer from pulmonary edema due to left ventricular dysfunction that accompanies left heart dilatation, which is caused by left atrial hypertension. The problem can be resolved by left atrium (LA decompression. We performed a successful percutaneous LA decompression with an atrial septostomy and placement of an LA venting cannula in a 38-month-old child treated with venoarterial ECMO for acute myocarditis.

Social aspects of left-handedness

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Belojević Goran

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Throughout human history left-handedness has been considered as sinful. It has been associated with the devil, weakness, female gender, unhealthiness, evil, something that has to be turned to a “good” - right side by force. Left-handedness is being more and more acceptable at rational level, but in everyday life it is still considered to be unusual if someone writes with the left hand. Lessening of the number of lefthanders is associated with ageing. There are about 13% lefthanders among people in twenties and less than 1% lefthanders among those in eighties. This finding may be explaned with more pronounced socio-cultural pressure on left-handed people in the past, compared to nowadays. On the other hand, this may also support the hypothesis about a reduced life span of lefthanded people. With cross-exercising of left-handedness, certain typical characteristics and behavioral patterns appear in these people. This was a sort of provoked behavior and an attack on the integrity of an emotional attitude toward oneself. Stuttering may also appear as a consequence of unsuccessful cross-exercising of left-handedness. The hypothesis about left-handedness as an advantage is supported with the reports about relatively more lefthanders in some specific groups such as: mathematicians, sculptors, architects, painters, musicians, actors, tennis players, as well as famous army commanders and rulers.

Enhanced anastomotic healing by Daikenchuto (TJ-100) in rats

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Wada, Toshiaki; Kawada, Kenji; Hirai, Kenjiro; Toda, Kosuke; Iwamoto, Masayoshi; Hasegawa, Suguru; Sakai, Yoshiharu

2018-01-01

Daikenchuto (DKT), a traditional Japanese medicine, is widely used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether DKT could promote the anastomotic healing in a rat model. Pedicled colonic segments were made in left colon by ligation of the feeding arteries, and then intestinal continuity was restored. Colonic blood flow was analyzed by using ICG fluorescence imaging: Fmax, Tmax, T1/2, and Slope were calculated. Anastomotic leakage (AL) was found in 6 of ...

Aging aggravates long-term renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat model.

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Xu, Xianlin; Fan, Min; He, Xiaozhou; Liu, Jipu; Qin, Jiandi; Ye, Jianan

2014-03-01

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) has been considered as the major cause of acute kidney injury and can result in poor long-term graft function. Functional recovery after IRI is impaired in the elderly. In the present study, we aimed to compare kidney morphology, function, oxidative stress, inflammation, and development of renal fibrosis in young and aged rats after renal IRI. Rat models of warm renal IRI were established by clamping left pedicles for 45 min after right nephrectomy, then the clamp was removed, and kidneys were reperfused for up to 12 wk. Biochemical and histologic renal damage were assessed at 12 wk after reperfusion. The immunohistochemical staining of monocyte macrophage antigen-1 (ED-1) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and messenger RNA level of TGF-β1 in the kidney were analyzed. Renal IRI caused significant increases of malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels and a decrease of superoxide dismutase activity in young and aged IRI rats; however, these changes were more obvious in the aged rats. IRI resulted in severe inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis with decreased creatinine (Cr) clearance and increased histologic damage in aged rats compared with young rats. Moreover, we measured the ratio of Cr clearance between young and aged IRI rats. It demonstrated that aged IRI rats did have poor Cr clearance compared with the young IRI rats. ED-1 and TGF-β1 expression levels in the kidney were significantly higher in aged rats than in young rats after IRI. Aged rats are more susceptible to IRI-induced renal failure, which may associate with the increased oxidative stress, increased histologic damage, and increased inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Targeting oxidative stress and inflammatory response should improve the kidney recovery after IRI. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Left ventricular assist device implantation via left thoracotomy: alternative to repeat sternotomy.

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Pierson, Richard N; Howser, Renee; Donaldson, Terri; Merrill, Walter H; Dignan, Rebecca J; Drinkwater, Davis C; Christian, Karla G; Butler, Javed; Chomsky, Don; Wilson, John R; Clark, Rick; Davis, Stacy F

2002-03-01

Repeat sternotomy for left ventricular assist device insertion may result in injury to the right heart or patent coronary grafts, complicating intraoperative and postoperative management. In 4 critically ill patients, left thoracotomy was used as an alternative to repeat sternotomy. Anastomosis of the outflow conduit to the descending thoracic aorta provided satisfactory hemodynamic support.

Renin angiotensin system and cardiac hypertrophy after sinoaortic denervation in rats

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Aline Cristina Piratello

2010-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of angiotensin I, II and 1-7 on left ventricular hypertrophy of Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats submitted to sinoaortic denervation. METHODS: Ten weeks after sinoaortic denervation, hemodynamic and morphofunctional parameters were analyzed, and the left ventricle was dissected for biochemical analyses. RESULTS: Hypertensive groups (controls and denervated showed an increase on mean blood pressure compared with normotensive ones (controls and denervated. Blood pressure variability was higher in denervated groups than in their respective controls. Left ventricular mass and collagen content were increased in the normotensive denervated and in both spontaneously hypertensive groups compared with Wistar controls. Both hypertensive groups presented a higher concentration of angiotensin II than Wistar controls, whereas angiotensin 1-7 concentration was decreased in the hypertensive denervated group in relation to the Wistar groups. There was no difference in angiotensin I concentration among groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that not only blood pressure variability and reduced baroreflex sensitivity but also elevated levels of angiotensin II and a reduced concentration of angiotensin 1-7 may contribute to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. These data indicate that baroreflex dysfunction associated with changes in the renin angiotensin system may be predictive factors of left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac failure.

VARIATION IN THE OPENINGS (OSTIA OF LEFT PULMONARY VEINS INTO THE LEFT ATRIUM: A CASE REPORT

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Sesi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available During early embryonic development, absorption of pulmonary venous network by the left primitive atrial chamber results in opening of four pulmonary veins which drain independently into its chamber. The extent of absorption and hence, the number of pulmon ary veins which open into the left atrium, may vary. Here we report a variation in the opening of the Left upper (superior pulmonary vein into the Left atrium. A total of six openings observed

[The affect of Erigeron Breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz on axoplasmic transport of optic nerve in rats with experimentally elevated intraocular pressure].

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Zhu, Y; Jiang, Y; Liu, Z; Luo, X; Wu, Z

2000-07-01

To investigate whether Erigeron Breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz (EBHM) can improve the optic nerve axoplasmic transport in rats with experimentally elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Thirty healthy SD rats were used for the study, acute elevated IOP model in the right eye was built, then they were divided into three groups randomly: Group A (0 day group) included six rats for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) counting via left superior colliculus retrograde horse radish perokidase labeling; Group B, twelve rats divided into EBHM treatment group and control group (6 rats in each subgroup) for RGC counting via left superior colliculus retrograde labeling after twenty days, and Group C included twelve rats submitted the same treatment and procedure as group B after 40 days. After 0 day of acute elevated IOP, no labeled RGCs were observed. After twenty days of acute elevated IOP, in the control and EBHM subgroups the density of labeled RGCs were (423 +/- 220)/mm(2) and (749 +/- 294)/mm(2) respectively, the difference between two subgroups showed statistical significance (P < 0.01). After 40 days of acute elevated IOP, the density of RGCs in the control and EBHM subgroups in group C were (610 +/- 315)/mm(2) and (1,048 +/- 393)/mm(2) respectively, the difference between the two subgroups being statistically significant (P < 0.01). After 20 days and 40 days of acute elevation of IOP, the density of RGCs is obviously higher in EBHM group than that in the control group. It is revealed that EBHM can improve the optic nerve axoplasmic transportation blocked by acute elevation of IOP in rats.

Effect of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on left atrial appendage function and thrombotic potential in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

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Demirçelik, Muhammed Bora; Çetin, Mustafa; Çiçekcioğlu, Hülya; Uçar, Özgül; Duran, Mustafa

2014-05-01

We aimed to investigate effects of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on left atrial appendage functions, spontaneous echo contrast and thrombus formation in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. In 58 patients with chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrilation and preserved left ventricular systolic function, left atrial appendage functions, left atrial spontaneous echo contrast grading and left ventricular diastolic functions were evaluated using transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiogram. Patients divided in two groups: Group D (n=30): Patients with diastolic dysfunction, Group N (n=28): Patients without diastolic dysfunction. Categorical variables in two groups were evaluated with Pearson's chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The significance of the lineer correlation between the degree of spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and clinical measurements was evaluated with Spearman's correlation analysis. Peak pulmonary vein D velocity of the Group D was significantly higher than the Group N (p=0.006). However, left atrial appendage emptying velocity, left atrial appendage lateral wall velocity, peak pulmonary vein S, pulmonary vein S/D ratio were found to be significantly lower in Group D (p=0.028, patrial appendage emptying, filling, pulmonary vein S/D levels and lateral wall velocities respectively (r=-0.438, r=-0.328, r=-0.233, r=-0.447). Left atrial appendage emptying, filling, pulmonary vein S/D levels and lateral wall velocities were significantly lower in SEC 2-3-4 than SEC 1 (p=0.003, p=0.029, patrial fibrillation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial appendage functions are decreased in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction may constitute a potential risk for formation of thrombus and stroke.

Runoff and soil loss on a sandveld in Rhodesia | DL | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

year period on a sandy soil with a 4 percent slope in south-western Rhodesia. The runoff as a percentage of the mean annual rainfall varied from 3.8, where the veld was left undisturbed, to 30.3, where the soil was kept bare artificially.

Right colon cancer: Left behind.

Science.gov (United States)

Gervaz, P; Usel, M; Rapiti, E; Chappuis, P; Neyroud-Kaspar, I; Bouchardy, C

2016-09-01

Prognosis of colon cancer (CC) has steadily improved during the past three decades. This trend, however, may vary according to proximal (right) or distal (left) tumor location. We studied if improvement in survival was greater for left than for right CC. We included all CC recorded at the Geneva population-based registry between 1980 and 2006. We compared patients, tumor and treatment characteristics between left and right CC by logistic regression and compared CC specific survival by Cox models taking into account putative confounders. We also compared changes in survival between CC location in early and late years of observation. Among the 3396 CC patients, 1334 (39%) had right-sided and 2062 (61%) left-sided tumors. In the early 1980s, 5-year specific survival was identical for right and left CCs (49% vs. 48%). During the study period, a dramatic improvement in survival was observed for patients with left-sided cancers (Hazard ratio [HR]: 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29-0.62, p colon cancer patients, those with right-sided lesions have by far the worse prognosis. Change of strategic management in this subgroup is warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intramyocardial implantation of differentiated rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells enhanced by TGF-β1 improves cardiac function in heart failure rats

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Lv, Y. [Department of Histology and Embryology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China); Liu, B. [Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei (China); Wang, H.P. [Department of Histology and Embryology, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei (China); Zhang, L. [Department of Histology and Embryology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China)

2016-05-31

The present study tested the hypotheses that i) transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) enhances differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) towards the cardiomyogenic phenotype and ii) intramyocardial implantation of the TGF-β1-treated MSCs improves cardiac function in heart failure rats. MSCs were treated with different concentrations of TGF-β1 for 72 h, and then morphological characteristics, surface antigens and mRNA expression of several transcription factors were assessed. Intramyocardial implantation of these TGF-β1-treated MSCs to infarcted heart was also investigated. MSCs were initially spindle-shaped with irregular processes. On day 28 after TGF-β1 treatment, MSCs showed fusiform shape, orientating parallel with one another, and were connected with adjoining cells forming myotube-like structures. Immunofluorescence revealed the expression of cardiomyocyte-specific proteins, α-sarcomeric actin and troponin T, in these cells. The mRNA expression of GATA4 and Nkx2.5 genes was slightly increased on day 7, enhanced on day 14 and decreased on day 28 while α-MHC gene was not expressed on day 7, but expressed slightly on day 14 and enhanced on day 28. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the induced cells had myofilaments, z line-like substances, desmosomes, and gap junctions, in contrast with control cells. Furthermore, intramyocardial implantation of TGF-β1-treated MSCs to infarcted heart reduced scar area and increased the number of muscle cells. This structure regeneration was concomitant with the improvement of cardiac function, evidenced by decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, increased left ventricular systolic pressure and increased maximal positive pressure development rate. Taken together, these results indicate that intramyocardial implantation of differentiated MSCs enhanced by TGF-β1 improved cardiac function in heart failure rats.

Intramyocardial implantation of differentiated rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells enhanced by TGF-β1 improves cardiac function in heart failure rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Y.; Liu, B.; Wang, H.P.; Zhang, L.

2016-01-01

The present study tested the hypotheses that i) transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) enhances differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) towards the cardiomyogenic phenotype and ii) intramyocardial implantation of the TGF-β1-treated MSCs improves cardiac function in heart failure rats. MSCs were treated with different concentrations of TGF-β1 for 72 h, and then morphological characteristics, surface antigens and mRNA expression of several transcription factors were assessed. Intramyocardial implantation of these TGF-β1-treated MSCs to infarcted heart was also investigated. MSCs were initially spindle-shaped with irregular processes. On day 28 after TGF-β1 treatment, MSCs showed fusiform shape, orientating parallel with one another, and were connected with adjoining cells forming myotube-like structures. Immunofluorescence revealed the expression of cardiomyocyte-specific proteins, α-sarcomeric actin and troponin T, in these cells. The mRNA expression of GATA4 and Nkx2.5 genes was slightly increased on day 7, enhanced on day 14 and decreased on day 28 while α-MHC gene was not expressed on day 7, but expressed slightly on day 14 and enhanced on day 28. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the induced cells had myofilaments, z line-like substances, desmosomes, and gap junctions, in contrast with control cells. Furthermore, intramyocardial implantation of TGF-β1-treated MSCs to infarcted heart reduced scar area and increased the number of muscle cells. This structure regeneration was concomitant with the improvement of cardiac function, evidenced by decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, increased left ventricular systolic pressure and increased maximal positive pressure development rate. Taken together, these results indicate that intramyocardial implantation of differentiated MSCs enhanced by TGF-β1 improved cardiac function in heart failure rats

Association of plasma angiotensin-(1-7 level and left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Pan-Pan Hao

Full Text Available We recently found that overexpression of angiotensin (Ang-converting enzyme 2, which metabolizes Ang-II to Ang-(1-7 and Ang-I to Ang-(1-9, may prevent diabetes-induced left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction in rats. Our objective was to evaluate the association of plasma Ang-(1-7 level and left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.We measured the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF, ratio of early to late left ventricular filling velocity (E/A and ratio of early diastolic mitral inflow to annular velocity (E/Ea by ultrasonography in 110 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for more than 5 years. Anthropometric and fasting blood values were obtained from medical records. The plasma Ang-(1-7 level in patients with a poor EF (15 was significantly lower than that in patients with E/Ea ≤15. Ang-(1-7 level was negatively correlated with E/Ea and Log-N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and positively with EF and E/A. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that Ang-(1-7, hemoglobin A1c and Ang-II levels as well as duration of diabetes predicted EF; Ang-(1-7 level, fasting blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and duration of diabetes predicted E/A; and Ang-(1-7 and hemoglobin A1c levels predicted E/Ea.Plasma Ang-(1-7 level is independently associated with left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and may be a biomarker for assessing cardiac function in such patients.

Effects of diabetes on tooth movement and root resorption after orthodontic force application in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Arita, K; Hotokezaka, H; Hashimoto, M; Nakano-Tajima, T; Kurohama, T; Kondo, T; Darendeliler, M A; Yoshida, N

2016-05-01

To investigate the effects of diabetes on orthodontic tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption in rats. Twenty-three 10-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into control (n = 7), diabetes (n = 9), and diabetes + insulin (n = 7) groups. Diabetes was induced by administering a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Rats with a blood glucose level exceeding 250 mg/dl were assigned to the diabetes group. Insulin was administered daily to the diabetes + insulin group. A nickel-titanium closed-coil spring of 10 g was applied for 2 weeks to the maxillary left first molar in all rats to induce mesial tooth movement. Tooth movement was measured using microcomputed tomography images. To determine the quantity of root resorption, the mesial surfaces of the mesial and distal roots of the first molar were analyzed using both scanning electron microscopy and scanning laser microscopy. After 2 weeks, the amount of tooth movement in the diabetic rats was lower than that in the control rats. Root resorption was also significantly lower in the diabetic rats. These responses of the rats caused by diabetes were mostly diminished by insulin administration. Diabetes significantly reduced orthodontic tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption in rats. The regulation of blood glucose level through insulin administration largely reduced these abnormal responses to orthodontic force application. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Changes of productions of energy metabolism in masseter of rats induced by occlusal interference].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, X X; Cao, Y; Fu, K Y; Xie, Q F

2017-02-18

To investigate the effect of occlusal interference on the energy metabolism of masticatory muscle by studying the changes of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), inosine monophosphate (IMP), phosphocreatine, creatine, lactate and pH level in masseter muscles of rats after occlusal interference. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into experimental group (n=40) and control group (n=10). In experimental group, 0.4 mm thick metal crown was cemented to the upper right first molar of the rat, and maintained for 3, 7, 10, 14 d separately (n=10 for each time point). No occlusal interference was applied for control group. Bilateral masseter muscles of all the rats were acquired under general anesthesia. The samples of 5 rats in each group were fully homogenized with 0.4 mol/L perchlorate (10 mL/g). The homogenates were centrifuged, filtered and analyzed for ATP, ADP, IMP, phosphocreatine, creatine and lactate content by high performance liquid chromatography. The other samples in each group were mixed with homogenates containing 5 mmol/L sodium iodoacetate (10 mL/g), then homogenized and measured for pH value by pH meter in thermostatic water bathunder 37 degrees centigrade. Compared with control group, ATP content in bilateral masseter of the rats increased 3 d after occlusal interference [right side:(5.36±0.13) μmol/g,left side:(5.77±0.25) μmol/g] (Pocclusal interference (Pocclusal interference and maintained the low level on 10 and 14 d [right side:(10.70±0.71) μmol/g, (11.57±0.52) μmol/g, (10.74±1.39) μmol/g, left side:(10.05±0.57) μmol/g, (10.75±1.12)μmol/g, (10.61±1.15) μmol/g](Pocclusal interference was observed (P>0.05). Occlusal interference influences the content of energy metabolites in masticatory muscle of rats, which may be related to the pathological process of masticatory muscles induced by occlusal interference, such as muscle pain, dysfunction and altered fiber architecture.

The effect of percutaneous transcatheter occlusion of left atrial appendage on left atrium and adjacent anatomic structure in canine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Zhihong; Wu Hong; Qin Yongwen; Hu Jianqiang; Ding Zhongru; Liu Zongjun; Liu Biao; Zheng Xing

2009-01-01

Objective: To observe the effect of percutaneous transcatheter occlusion of left atrial appendage (LAA) with a new self-manufactured LAA occluder on left atrium and adjacent anatomic structure in canine. Methods: A new self-manufactured LAA occluder was implanted into the LAA through a transseptal catheter in 20 dogs. Before and after the procedure, the experimental dogs were anaesthetized and examined by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to measure the diameter and the volume of the left atrium, the left superior pulmonary vein flow velocity and the left atrioventricular valve flow velocity separately. The contrast radiography of the LAA and the left coronary arteriography were performed. Results: The new LAA occluder was implanted successfully in 14 dogs. No obvious changes in the diameter and the volume of the left atrium, in left superior pulmonary vein flow velocity and in left atrioventricular valve flow velocity were found. On arteriography, left circumflex artery was normally displayed after the procedure. No migration of the occluder was seen on TTE and angiography after procedure. Conclusion: Percutaneous transcatheter occlusion of left atrial appendage with a new self-manufactured LAA occluder has no obvious effect on left atrium and adjacent anatomic structure in experimental canine, which indicates that the new-type device is a safe and feasible occluder for LAA. (authors)

Effects of calcitonin on orthodontic tooth movement and associated root resorption in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Ling; Lin, Suai; Yan, Weijun; Chen, Lei; Wang, Xiaofeng

2017-11-01

Our main aim was to evaluate the effects of calcitonin (CT) on orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and orthodontic root resorption in a rat model. Eighty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. Rats in the negative control group were not given any appliances or injections. All the remaining rats were used to establish a model of OTM. The positive control group were then injected with normal saline, while rats in the three experimental groups were injected with 0.2 IU, 1 IU or 5 IU/kg/day CT. Nickel-titanium closed-coil springs were used to deliver an initial 50 g mesial force to the left maxillary first molar for 14 days in rats in the positive control group and the experimental groups. Each group was randomly subdivided into two groups, one for analysis of tooth movement, tissue changes and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells in alveolar bone, the other to examine root resorption by scanning electron microscopy. The OTM distance, the number of force-induced osteoclasts and root resorption areas were significantly decreased in CT-injected rats in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of CT reduces the root resorption area and may therefore be effective as a novel adjunctive orthodontic approach to diminish undesired tooth movement via enhancing anchorage or preventing relapse after OTM.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces cardiac inflammation and dysfunction in a rat obstructive sleep apnea model.

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Wei, Qin; Bian, Yeping; Yu, Fuchao; Zhang, Qiang; Zhang, Guanghao; Li, Yang; Song, Songsong; Ren, Xiaomei; Tong, Jiayi

2016-11-01

Chronic intermittent hypoxia is considered to play an important role in cardiovascular pathogenesis during the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We used a well-described OSA rat model induced with simultaneous intermittent hypoxia. Male Sprague Dawley rats were individually placed into plexiglass chambers with air pressure and components were electronically controlled. The rats were exposed to intermittent hypoxia 8 hours daily for 5 weeks. The changes of cardiac structure and function were examined by ultrasound. The cardiac pathology, apoptosis, and fibrosis were analyzed by H&E staining, TUNNEL assay, and picosirius staining, respectively. The expression of inflammation and fibrosis marker genes was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. Chronic intermittent hypoxia/low pressure resulted in significant increase of left ventricular internal diameters (LVIDs), end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), and blood lactate level and marked reduction in ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Chronic intermittent hypoxia increased TUNNEL-positive myocytes, disrupted normal arrangement of cardiac fibers, and increased Sirius stained collagen fibers. The expression levels of hypoxia induced factor (HIF)-1α, NF-kB, IL-6, and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2) were significantly increased in the heart of rats exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia. In conclusion, the left ventricular function was adversely affected by chronic intermittent hypoxia, which is associated with increased expression of HIF-1α and NF-kB signaling molecules and development of cardiac inflammation, apoptosis and fibrosis. © 2016 by the Journal of Biomedical Research. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the stability of housekeeping gene expression in the left cardiac ventricle of rats submitted to chronic intermittent hypoxia.

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Julian, Guilherme Silva; Oliveira, Renato Watanabe de; Tufik, Sergio; Chagas, Jair Ribeiro

2016-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with oxidative stress and various cardiovascular consequences, such as increased cardiovascular disease risk. Quantitative real-time PCR is frequently employed to assess changes in gene expression in experimental models. In this study, we analyzed the effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia (an experimental model of OSA) on housekeeping gene expression in the left cardiac ventricle of rats. Analyses via four different approaches-use of the geNorm, BestKeeper, and NormFinder algorithms; and 2-ΔCt (threshold cycle) data analysis-produced similar results: all genes were found to be suitable for use, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and 18S being classified as the most and the least stable, respectively. The use of more than one housekeeping gene is strongly advised. RESUMO A apneia obstrutiva do sono (AOS) tem sido associada ao estresse oxidativo e a várias consequências cardiovasculares, tais como risco aumentado de doença cardiovascular. A PCR quantitativa em tempo real é frequentemente empregada para avaliar alterações na expressão gênica em modelos experimentais. Neste estudo, analisamos os efeitos da hipóxia intermitente crônica (um modelo experimental de AOS) na expressão de genes de referência no ventrículo cardíaco esquerdo de ratos. Análises a partir de quatro abordagens - uso dos algoritmos geNorm, BestKeeper e NormFinder e análise de dados 2-ΔCt (ciclo limiar) - produziram resultados semelhantes: todos os genes mostraram-se adequados para uso, sendo que gliceraldeído-3-fosfato desidrogenase e 18S foram classificados como o mais e o menos estável, respectivamente. A utilização de mais de um gene de referência é altamente recomendada.

Sex Differences and Laterality in Astrocyte Number and Complexity in the Adult Rat Medial Amygdala

Science.gov (United States)

JOHNSON, RYAN T.; BREEDLOVE, S. MARC; JORDAN, CYNTHIA L.

2008-01-01

The posterodorsal portion of the medial amygdala (MePD) is sexually dimorphic in several rodent species. In several other brain nuclei, astrocytes change morphology in response to steroid hormones. We visualized MePD astrocytes using glial-fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunocytochemistry. We compared the number and process complexity of MePD astrocytes in adult wildtype male and female rats and testicular feminized mutant (TFM) male rats that lack functional androgen receptors (ARs) to determine whether MePD astrocytes are sexually differentiated and whether ARs have a role. Unbiased stereological methods revealed laterality and sex differences in MePD astrocyte number and complexity. The right MePD contained more astrocytes than the left in all three genotypes, and the number of astrocytes was also sexually differentiated in the right MePD, with males having more astrocytes than females. In contrast, the left MePD contained more complex astrocytes than did the right MePD in all three genotypes, and males had more complex astrocytes than females in this hemisphere. TFM males were comparable to wildtype females, having fewer astrocytes on the right and simpler astrocytes on the left than do wildtype males. Taken together, these results demonstrate that astrocytes are sexually dimorphic in the adult MePD and that the nature of the sex difference is hemisphere-dependent: a sex difference in astrocyte number in the right MePD and a sex difference in astrocyte complexity in the left MePD. Moreover, functional ARs appear to be critical in establishing these sex differences in MePD astrocyte morphology. PMID:18853427

The New Left in the European Democracies: The Case of the German Radical Left

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Marco Damiani

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The new form of the social and political conflict cannot be explained by the traditional categories of right and left, but it articulates to them on two plans, that of the establishment, intended like plan of the structured political conflict from the traditional actors, and that of the anti-establishment, in which new representations of politics emerge. The New Left is characterized by type of intermittent participation and new perspectives on mobilization inside the parties and the social movements. This type of parties differs moreover from the traditional ones left of the socialist and social democratic left in not arranging of organizations collaterals placed under the direction of the leadership of the same party. The mobilization that spontaneously assumes not conventional forms of active participation of the citizens, or is primed by the action of an associative network of which the same parties take part, than however does not monopo-lize the collective action. In this regard, the attention will be dedicated to the study of Die Linke: an anti-establishment party of the non-socialist German left-wing, heir to the communist tradition. The choice was affected to the German model because: 1 Germany is a country with a strong social democratic tradition, but 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall the German political system identifies a new antagonist political party; 2 Die Linke represents an interesting case in the political landscape of the European radical left because is a one-party that gives up at the federation of parties to try to unify the political parties of German radical left-wing.

[Neuroprotective effect of erigeron breviscapus (vant) hand-mazz on NMDA-induced retinal neuron injury in the rats].

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jingming; Jiag, Youqin; Liu, Xuyang

2004-07-01

To investigate if Erigeron Breviscapus (vant) Hand-Mazz (EBHM) has a neuroprotective effect against NMDA-induced neuron death in retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL). Sixty healthy SD rats were randomly divided into four groups. 6 animals were in normal control group (group A). The others were divided as group B (EBHM group), group C (normal saline+NMDA group), group D (EBHM+NMDA group). Each group has 18 rats. 10 nmol NMDA was chosen for intravitreal injection to cause partial damage of the neurons in RGCL in the right eyes of Groups C and D. Same volume PBS was intravitreal injected in the left eyes as self-control. Groups B and D were pre-treated intraperitoneally with 6% EBHM solution at a dose of 15 mg x 100 g(-1) x d(-1) seven days before and after NMDA treatment. Group C were administrated intraperitoneally with 0.9% normal saline at the same time of EBHM injection. Rats were sacrificed in 4, 7, 14 days after NMDA treatment. Flat preparation of whole retinas were stained with 0.5% cresyl violet and neuron counting in RGCL from both eyes. Each subgroup has 6 rats. There was no significant difference between the right eye and the left eye of neuron counting from RGCL in normal control group (group A) (P=0.200). There was no significant difference between normal control group and EBHM group either in the right eyes or in the left eye in 4 days, 7 days and 14 days respectively after intravitreal injection of 10 nmol NMDA in group C and group D. (P=0.636, P=0.193). Neuron counting from RGCL of group C and group D were significant decreased in the NMDA-treated eyes in 4 days, 7 days and 14 days after intravitreal injection (P 0.05). Neuron counting was significantly higher in the EBHM+NMDA group than normal saline+NMDA group at 14 days after intraviteal injection (P=0.044). However,it is obvious that the difference was still significant between normal control group and EBHM+NMDA group (P < 0.05). EBHM has no effect on neuron counting of RGCL when administered alone

Assessment of protective effects of pheniramine maleate on reperfusion injury in lung after distant organ ischemia: a rat model.

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Gokalp, Orhan; Yurekli, Ismail; Kiray, Muge; Bagriyanik, Alper; Yetkin, Ufuk; Yurekli, Banu Sarer; Gur, Serkan; Aksun, Murat; Satoglu, Ismail Safa; Gokalp, Gamze; Gurbuz, Ali

2013-04-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of methylprednisolone (MP) and pheniramine maleate (PM) on reperfusion injury of lungs developing after ischemia of the left lower extremity of rats. A total of 28 randomly selected male rats were divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 7 rats. Group 1 was the control group. Group 2 was the sham group (ischemia/reperfusion [I/R]). Rats in group 3 were subjected to I/R and given PM (Ph group) and rats in group 4 were subjected to I/R and given MP (Pn group). Malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower in Ph group than in I/R group (P < .05). Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities were found to be significantly higher in Ph group than in the I/R group (P < .05). Histological examination demonstrated that PM had protective effects against I/R injury. The PM has a protective effect against I/R injury in rat lung.

What is Beyond Right/Left?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyrberg, Torben Bech

2009-01-01

The article looks at New Labour's move beyond right/left in the mid/late 1990s, which is an occasion to spell out the nature of right/left and what it means for democracy. In contrast to both defenders and critics of this move I argue in the first part that right/left is not an empty label bound up...... with the cleavage-lines of industrial society, but that it is an orientational metaphor which is articulated with others-in/out, up/down and front/back-and that we are in the process of moving beyond the industrial society right/left prototype. The second part looks at where New Labour is heading when moving beyond...... right/left. I argue that the new hegemonic orientation is that of front/back, which designs political renewal as a response to the social changes cutting across the outdated lines of contestation of partisan politics. The democratic problem of this move lies in squeezing politics between technocratic...

MRI and morphological observation in C6 glioma model rats and significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Ying; Yuan Bo; Wang Hao; Lu Jin; Yuan Changji; Ma Yue; Tong Dan; Zhang Kun; Gao Feng; Wu Xiaogang

2013-01-01

Objective: To establish stable and reliable rat C6 glioma model, and to perform MRI dynamic observation and pathomorphological observation in model animal brain, and to provide experimental basis for pharmaceutical research on anti-glioma drugs. Methods: The C6 glioma cells were cultured and 20 μL cultural fluid containing 1×10 6 C6 cells was sterotactically implanted into the left caudate nuclei in 10 male Wistar rats, respectively. The changes in the behavior of the rats after implantation were observed and recorded. MRI dynamic scanning was performed in 10 rats 2, 3 and 4 weeks after implantation and the brain tissues were taken for general and pathological examination when the 10 rats were naturally dead. The survival period of tumor-bearing rats was calculated. Results: 2 weeks after implantation the rats showed decreased activities and food intake, fur lackluster, and conjunctival congestion and so on; 3 weeks later, some rats appeared nerve symptoms such as body twitch, body hemiplegy, body distortion, rotation and so on. All the 10 rats died in 8-30 d. The median survival period of the tumor-bearing rats was 18 d, the average survival period was (18.3±7.3) d. The pathological examination showed that the tumor cells were arranged irregularly closely and karyokinesis was easy to see; tumor vascular tissue proliferation and tumor invasive growth into surrounding normal tissues were found. The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was positive in the tumors. Conclusion: A stable animal model of intracranial glioma is successfully established by stereotactic implantation of C6 cells into the rat caudate nucleus. The results of MRI dynamic observation and pathohistological observation on the model animal brain tissue. Can provide experimental basis for selecting the appropriate time window to perform the pharmaceutical research on anti-glioma drugs. (authors)

Protectant activity of defibrotide in cardioplegia followed by ischemia/reperfusion injury in the isolated rat heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossoni, G; Pompilio, G; Biglioli, P; Alamanni, F; Tartara, P; Rona, P; Porqueddu, M; Berti, F

1999-01-01

Previous studies have shown that defibrotide, a polydeoxyribonucleotide obtained by depolymerization of DNA from porcine tissues, has important protective effects on myocardial ischemia, which may be associated with a prostacyclin-related mechanism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct effects of defibrotide (given in cardioplegia or after ischemia) on a model of rat heart recovery after cardioplegia followed by ischemia/reperfusion injury. Isolated rat hearts, undergoing 5 minutes of warm cardioplegic arrest followed by 20 minutes of global ischemia and 30 minutes of reperfusion, were studied using the modified Langendorff model. The cardioplegia consisted of St. Thomas' Hospital solution augmented with defibrotide (50, 100, and 200 microg/mL) or without defibrotide (controls). Left ventricular mechanical function and the levels of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-keto-PGF1alpha; the stable metabolite of prostacyclin) were measured during preischemic and reperfusion periods. After global ischemia, hearts receiving defibrotide in the cardioplegic solution (n = 8) manifested in a concentration-dependent fashion lower left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (p defibrotide in the cardioplegic solution also had, in a dose-dependent way, lower levels of creatine-kinase (p defibrotide was given alone to the hearts at the beginning of reperfusion (n = 7), the recovery of postischemic left ventricular function was inferior (p defibrotide was given in cardioplegia. Defibrotide confers to conventional crystalloid cardioplegia a potent concentration-dependent protective effect on the recovery of isolated rat heart undergoing ischemia/reperfusion injury. The low cost and the absence of contraindications (cardiac toxicity and hemodynamic effects) make defibrotide a promising augmentation to cardioplegia.

Teratological studies in defatted jojoba meal-supplemented rats.

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Cokelaere, M; Flo, G; Lievens, S; Van Boven, M; Vermaut, S; Decuypere, E

2001-03-01

To look for possible developmental effects in the offspring of jojoba meal-treated Wistar rats, and to distinguish between the effects of reduced food intake and the specific developmental effects of jojoba meal itself, mated female rats were divided into three groups of 20 rats. They received during gestation: (a) normal rodent food (control group); (b) normal rodent food supplemented with 3% defatted jojoba meal (jojoba group); or (c) normal rodent food pair-fed with the jojoba group (pair-fed group). The jojoba meal group showed approximately 30% inhibition of food intake. Ten rats from each group were killed on gestation day 21. Compared to the control group, foetal body weight was reduced in both the jojoba and pair-fed groups, with a greater reduction in the jojoba group. Skeletal ossification was retarded to the same extent in both the jojoba and pair-fed groups. The other 10 rats from each group were left to produce litters. Compared with controls, the body weight of the pups was lower in both the jojoba and pair-fed groups; the reduction was slightly greater in the jojoba group, but this difference disappeared after 1 week. The offspring showed no other abnormalities and reproduced normally. We conclude that, at the dose used, the retardation in foetal skeletal ossification, induced by jojoba meal supplementation during gestation, is due to food intake inhibition. Moreover, the lower birth weight of the young of jojoba-treated dams compared with the pair-fed group is merely due to a lower body weight gain during gestation.

Secondhand Smoke Exposure Reduced the Compensatory Effects of IGF-I Growth Signaling in the Aging Rat Hearts.

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Wu, Jia-Ping; Hsieh, Dennis Jine-Yuan; Kuo, Wei-Wen; Han, Chien-Kuo; Pai, Peiying; Yeh, Yu-Lan; Lin, Chien-Chung; Padma, V Vijaya; Day, Cecilia Hsuan; Huang, Chih-Yang

2015-01-01

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Aging is a physiological process that involves progressive impairment of normal heart functions due to increased vulnerability to damage. This study examines secondhand smoke exposure in aging rats to determine the age-related death-survival balance. Rats were placed into a SHS exposure chamber and exposed to smog. Old age male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 10 cigarettes for 30 min, day and night, continuing for one week. After 4 weeks the rats underwent morphological and functional studies. Left ventricular sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histopathological examination. TUNEL detected apoptosis cells and protein expression related death and survival pathway were analyzed using western blot. Death receptor-dependent apoptosis upregulation pathways and the mitochondria apoptosis proteins were apparent in young SHS exposure and old age rats. These biological markers were enhanced in aging SHS-exposed rats. The survival pathway was found to exhibit compensation only in young SHS-exposed rats, but not in the aging rats. Further decrease in the activity of this pathway was observed in aging SHS-exposed rats. TUNEL apoptotic positive cells were increased in young SHS-exposed rats, and in aging rats with or without SHS-exposure. Aging reduces IGF-I compensated signaling with accelerated cardiac apoptotic effects from second-hand smoke.

Mechanism of Restoration of Forelimb Motor Function after Cervical Spinal Cord Hemisection in Rats: Electrophysiological Verification

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Takumi Takeuchi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to electrophysiologically assess the corticospinal tracts of adult rats and the recovery of motor function of their forelimbs after cervical cord hemisection. Of 39 adult rats used, compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs of the forelimbs of 15 rats were evaluated, before they received left C5 segmental hemisection of the spinal cord, by stimulating the pyramid of the medulla oblongata on one side using an exciting microelectrode. All 15 rats exhibited contralateral electrical activity, but their CMAPs disappeared after hemisection. The remaining 24 rats received hemisection first, and CMAPs of 12 rats were assessed over time to study their recovery time. All of them exhibited electrical activity of the forelimbs in 4 weeks after surgery. The remaining 12 rats received additional right C2 segmental hemisection, and variation of CMAPs between before and after surgery was examined. The right side of the 12 rats that received the additional hemisection exhibited no electrical activity in response to the stimulation of the pyramids on both sides. These results suggest that changes in path between the resected and healthy sides, activation of the ventral corticospinal tracts, and propriospinal neurons were involved in the recovery of motor function after cervical cord injury.

Overexpression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate effluent protein MRP4 induces an altered response to β-adrenergic stimulation in the senescent rat heart.

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Carillion, Aude; Feldman, Sarah; Jiang, Cheng; Atassi, Fabrice; Na, Na; Mougenot, Nathalie; Besse, Sophie; Hulot, Jean-Sébastien; Riou, Bruno; Amour, Julien

2015-02-01

In the senescent heart, the positive inotropic response to β-adrenoceptor stimulation is reduced, partly by dysregulation of β1- and β3-adrenoceptors. The multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) takes part in the control of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentration by controlling its efflux but the role of MRP4 in the β-adrenergic dysfunction of the senescent heart remains unknown. The β-adrenergic responses to isoproterenol were investigated in vivo (stress echocardiography) and in vitro (isolated cardiomyocyte by Ionoptix with sarcomere shortening and calcium transient) in young (3 months old) and senescent (24 months old) rats pretreated or not with MK571, a specific MRP4 inhibitor. MRP4 was quantified in left ventricular homogenates by Western blotting. Data are mean ± SD expressed as percent of baseline value. The positive inotropic effect of isoproterenol was reduced in senescent rats in vivo (left ventricular shortening fraction 120 ± 16% vs. 158 ± 20%, P < 0.001, n = 16 rats) and in vitro (sarcomere shortening 129 ± 37% vs. 148 ± 35%, P = 0.004, n = 41 or 43 cells) as compared to young rats. MRP4 expression increased 3.6-fold in senescent compared to young rat myocardium (P = 0.012, n = 8 rats per group). In senescent rats, inhibition of MRP4 by MK571 restored the positive inotropic effect of isoproterenol in vivo (143 ± 11%, n = 8 rats). In vitro in senescent cardiomyocytes pretreated with MK571, both sarcomere shortening (161 ± 45% vs. 129 ± 37%, P = 0.007, n = 41 cells per group) and calcium transient amplitude (132 ± 25% vs. 113 ± 27%, P = 0.007) increased significantly. MRP4 overexpression contributes to the reduction of the positive inotropic response to β-adrenoceptor stimulation in the senescent heart.

Mesencephalic cuneiform nucleus and its ascending and descending projections serve stress-related cardiovascular responses in the rat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korte, Sijmen; Jaarsma, D.; Luiten, P.G.M.; Bohus, B.

The aim of the present study was to explore the neuroanatomic network that underlies the cardiovascular responses of reticular formation origin in the region of the cuneiform nucleus (CNF). The study was performed in urethane anesthetized male Wistar rats. The left iliac artery was supplied with a

Renal and Myocardial Histopathology and Morphometry in Rats with Adenine - Induced Chronic Renal Failure: Influence of Gum Acacia

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Badreldin H. Ali

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim: Chronic kidney disease (CKD is associated with increased occurrence of cardiovascular system dysfunction. Previous studies have revealed a number of alterations in the kidneys and heart during CKD. However, unbiased quantitative studies on these structures in this disease have so far not been addressed. Materials and Methods: We induced CKD in rats by feeding adenine (0.75% w/w, four weeks and using unbiased stereological methods, investigated the effect of the ensuing CKD on the kidneys and left ventricular structure. Since gum acacia (GA has previously been shown to ameliorate the severity of CKD in humans and rodents, we investigated the effect of giving GA (15% w/v in the drinking water concomitantly with adenine on the kidneys and left ventricular structure using the above model. Results: The CKD was confirmed by standard biochemical indices in plasma and urine and by accumulation of the uremic toxin indoxyl sulfate. Additionally, it increased blood pressure. In rats with CKD absolute volume of left ventricle was significantly increased, and the volume density and absolute volume of myocardial capillaries were decreased, whilst the same parameters of myocardium and interstitial tissue were increased. Renal morphometry demonstrated significant increase in kidney volume and interstitial tissue in adenine- treated rats. Similarly, glomerular Bowman's capsule was significantly thickened. The myocardial and renal changes were significantly mitigated by GA treatment. Conclusions: These results add to our existing knowledge of the pathophysiology of adenine - CKD and provides plausible histopathological and morphometric evidence for the usefulness of GA in CKD.

Characterization of spinal afferent neurons projecting to different chambers of the rat heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Guić, Maja Marinović; Kosta, Vana; Aljinović, Jure; Sapunar, Damir; Grković, Ivica

2010-01-29

The pattern of distribution of spinal afferent neurons (among dorsal root ganglia-DRGs) that project to anatomically and functionally different chambers of the rat heart, as well as their morphological and neurochemical characteristics were investigated. Retrograde tracing using a patch loaded with Fast blue (FB) was applied to all four chambers of the rat heart and labeled cardiac spinal afferents were characterized by using three neurochemical markers. The majority of cardiac projecting neurons were found from T1 to T4 DRGs, whereas the peak was at T2 DRG. There was no difference in the total number of FB-labeled neurons located in ipsilateral and contralateral DRGs regardless of the chambers marked with the patch. However, significantly more FB-labeled neurons projected to the ventricles compared to the atria (859 vs. 715). The proportion of isolectin B(4) binding in FB-labeled neurons was equal among all neurons projecting to different heart chambers (2.4%). Neurofilament 200 positivity was found in greater proportions in DRG neurons projecting to the left side of the heart, whereas calretinin-immunoreactivity was mostly represented in neurons projecting to the left atrium. Spinal afferent neurons projecting to different chambers of the rat heart exhibit a variety of neurochemical phenotypes depending on binding capacity for isolectin B(4) and immunoreactivity for neurofilament 200 and calretinin, and thus represent important baseline data for future studies. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intramuscular injection of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells improves cardiac function in dilated cardiomyopathy rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Chenggang; Hou, Xu; Wang, Benzhen; Chi, Jingwei; Jiang, Yanjie; Zhang, Caining; Li, Zipu

2017-01-28

Stem cells provide a promising candidate for the treatment of the fatal pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This study aimed to investigate the effects of intramuscular injection of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) on the cardiac function of a DCM rat model. A DCM model was established by intraperitoneal injections of doxorubicin in Sprague-Dawley rats. hUCMSCs at different concentrations or cultured medium were injected via limb skeletal muscles, with blank medium injected as the control. The rats were monitored for 4 weeks, meanwhile BNP, cTNI, VEGF, HGF, GM-CSF, and LIF in the peripheral blood were examined by ELISA, and cardiac function was monitored by echocardiography (Echo-CG). Finally, the expression of IGF-1, HGF, and VEGF in the myocardium was examined by histoimmunochemistry and real-time PCR, and the ultrastructure of the myocardium was examined by electron microscopy. Injection of hUCMSCs markedly improved cardiac function in the DCM rats by significantly elevating left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS). The BNP and cTNI levels in the peripheral blood were reduced by hUCMSCs, while HGF, LIF, GM-CSF, and VEGF were increased by hUCMSCs. Expression of IGF-1, HGF, and VEGF in the myocardium from the DCM rats was significantly increased by hUCMSC injection. Furthermore, hUCMSCs protected the ultrastructure of cardiomyocytes by attenuating mitochondrial swelling and maintaining sarcolemma integrity. Intramuscular injection of UCMSCs can improve DCM-induced cardiac function impairment and protect the myocardium. These effects may be mediated by regulation of relevant cytokines in serum and the myocardium.

Metabolomics of the aqueous humor in the rat glaucoma model induced by a series of intracamerular sodium hyaluronate injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayordomo-Febrer, A; López-Murcia, M; Morales-Tatay, J M; Monleón-Salvado, D; Pinazo-Durán, M D

2015-02-01

Glaucoma models are helpful to study disease characteristics and to design new therapeutic options. Metabolomic profiling approach have been used to elucidating the molecular characteristics of the aqueous humor. Juvenile male Wistar rats experimental (n = 15) and controls (n = 6) were used for these studies. Experimental rats received weekly intracamerular injection of 25 µl of sodium hyaluronate in the left eye and sterile saline solution in the right eye, consecutively for ten weeks. Rats were subjected to anterior/posterior eye segment examinations, intraocular pressure (IOP), and flash electroretinograms (ERG). The aqueous humor was collected at endpoints and analyzed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Elevated IOP and significant reduction of a, b waves and amplitude of oscillatory potential was observed in the left eyes compared to control eyes. The aqueous humor metabolomic profile from control and the experimental eyes were compared. Concentrations of metabolites (amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates) significantly changed after the sodium hyaluronate injections series, compared to the sham-operated eyes. Metabolic changes in the hypertensive eyes correlated with the impaired retinal function. Observed metabolomic changes in aqueous humor in hypertensive state may play a significant role in glaucoma pathogenesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Piracetam Facilitates the Anti-Amnesic but not Anti-Diabetic Activity of Metformin in Experimentally Induced Type-2 Diabetic Encephalopathic Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Shruti; Garabadu, Debapriya

2017-07-01

Piracetam exhibits anti-amnesic activity in several animal models of dementia. However, its anti-amnesic potential has yet to be evaluated in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced encephalopathy. Therefore, in the present study, piracetam (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) was screened for anti-amnesic and anti-diabetic activity in T2DM-induced encephalopathic male rats. Subsequently, anti-amnesic and anti-diabetic activities were evaluated for piracetam, metformin and their combination in T2DM-induced encephalopathic animals. Rats received streptozotocin (45 mg/kg) and nicotinamide (110 mg/kg) injections on day-1 (D-1) of the experimental schedule and were kept undisturbed for 35 days to exhibit T2DM-induced encephalopathy. All drug treatments were continued from D-7 to D-35 in both experiments. Piracetam (100 mg/kg) attenuated loss in learning and memory in terms of increase in escape latency on D-4 (D-34) and decrease in time spent in the target quadrant on D-5 (D-35) of Morris water maze test protocol, and spatial memory in terms of reduced spontaneous alternation behavior in Y-maze test of encephalopathic rats. Additionally, piracetam attenuated altered levels of fasting plasma glucose and insulin, HOMA-IR and HOMA-B in encephalopathic animals, comparatively lesser than metformin. In the next experiment, combination of piracetam and metformin exhibited better anti-amnesic but not anti-diabetic activity than respective monotherapies in encephalopathic rats. Further, the combination attenuated reduced acetylcholine level and increased acetylcholinesterase activity, increased glycogen synthase kinase-3β level and decreased brain-derived neurotropic factor level in hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex of encephalopathic animals. Thus, piracetam could be used as an adjuvant to metformin in the management of dementia in T2DM-induced encephalopathy.

Differential functions of NR2A and NR2B in short-term and long-term memory in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Ye-Ha; Suh, Yoo-Hun

2010-08-23

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate receptors implicated in synaptic plasticity and memory function. The specific functions of NMDA receptor subunits NR2A and NR2B have not yet been fully determined in the different types of memory. Nine Wistar rats (8-weeks-old) were subjected to the Morris water maze task to evaluate the memory behaviorally. Quantitative analysis of NR1, NR2A, and NR2B levels in the right and left forebrain of rats was performed and subunit associations with different types of memory were investigated using the Morris water maze task. Right forebrain NR2A expression was significantly increased and correlated with faster escape time onto a hidden platform, indicating involvement of short-term memory, because of the training time interval. Right forebrain NR2B expression was positively associated with long-term memory lasting 24-h (h). In the left forebrain, NR2B expression was positively related to 72-h long-term memory. In conclusion, the functions of NR2A and NR2B receptors were differentially specialized in short-term and long-term memory, depending on the right or left forebrain.

The time course of myonuclear accretion during hypertrophy in young adult and older rat plantaris muscle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meer, S.F.T.; Jaspers, R.T.; Jones, D.A.; Degens, H.

2011-01-01

To investigate whether accretion of myonuclei precedes or follows the increase in fibre cross-sectional area and whether this time course is affected by age, left plantaris muscle of 5- and 25-month-old male Wistar rats was overloaded by denervation of its synergists for 1, 2 or 4 weeks.

Vildagliptin and caloric restriction for cardioprotection in pre-diabetic rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanajak, Pongpan; Pintana, Hiranya; Siri-Angkul, Natthaphat; Khamseekaew, Juthamas; Apaijai, Nattayaporn; Chattipakorn, Siriporn C; Chattipakorn, Nipon

2017-02-01

Long-term high-fat diet (HFD) consumption causes cardiac dysfunction. Although calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to be useful in obesity, we hypothesized that combined CR with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor provides greater efficacy than monotherapy in attenuating cardiac dysfunction and metabolic impairment in HFD-induced obese-insulin resistant rats. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups to be fed on either a normal diet (ND, n = 6) or a HFD (n = 24) for 12 weeks. Then, HFD rats were divided into 4 subgroups (n = 6/subgroup) to receive just the vehicle, CR diet (60% of mean energy intake and changed to ND), vildagliptin (3 mg/kg/day) or combined CR and vildagliptin for 4 weeks. Metabolic parameters, heart rate variability (HRV), cardiac mitochondrial function, left ventricular (LV) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 signaling pathway were determined. Rats on a HFD developed insulin and FGF21 resistance, oxidative stress, cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired LV function. Rats on CR alone showed both decreased body weight and visceral fat accumulation, whereas vildagliptin did not alter these parameters. Rats in CR, vildagliptin and CR plus vildagliptin subgroups had improved insulin sensitivity and oxidative stress. However, vildagliptin improved heart rate variability (HRV), cardiac mitochondrial function and LV function better than the CR. Chronic HFD consumption leads to obese-insulin resistance and FGF21 resistance. Although CR is effective in improving metabolic regulation, vildagliptin provides greater efficacy in preventing cardiac dysfunction by improving anti-apoptosis and FGF21 signaling pathways and attenuating cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction in obese-insulin-resistant rats. © 2017 Society for Endocrinology.

Renal hypertension prevents run training modification of cardiomyocyte diastolic Ca2+ regulation in male rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, B M; Lynch, J M; Snyder, S M; Moore, R L

2001-06-01

The combined effects of endurance run training and renal hypertension on cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) dynamics and Na+-dependent Ca2+ regulation in rat left ventricular cardiomyocytes were examined. Male Fischer 344 rats underwent stenosis of the left renal artery [hypertensive (Ht), n = 18] or a sham operation [normotensive (Nt), n = 20]. One-half of the rats from each group were treadmill trained for >16 wk. Cardiomyocyte fura 2 fluorescence ratio transients were recorded for 7 min during electrical pacing at 0.5 Hz, 2 mM extracellular Ca2+ concentration, and 29 degrees C. The rate of [Ca2+]c decline was not changed by run training in the Nt group but was reduced in the Ht group. At 7 min, cardiomyocytes were exposed to 10 mM caffeine in the absence of Na+ and Ca2+, which triggered sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ release and suppressed Ca2+ efflux via Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. External Na+ was then added, and Na+-dependent Ca2+ efflux rate was recorded. Treadmill training significantly enhanced Na+-dependent Ca2+ efflux rate under these conditions in the Nt group but not in the Ht group. These data provide evidence that renal hypertension prevents the normal run training-induced modifications in diastolic [Ca2+]c regulation mechanisms, including Na+/Ca2+ exchanger.

Comparison of vasovasostomy with conventional microsurgical suture and fibrin adhesive in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson F. Busato Junior

2007-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Microsurgical procedures are currently the gold standard for vasovasostomy with excellent results, but it takes an increased operative time demanding special training and experience in microsurgery. The objective of this study is to reach the same results with reduced operative time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male adults Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: I 20 rats in control group, II 20 with conventional one-layer microsuture and III 20 with fibrin glue. After four weeks each rat was left for two weeks with two female rats. RESULTS: The fertility rates were 80% in group I, 70% in group II and 65% in group III (p > 0.05. In group II granuloma was found in 75% of the rats, while in group III in 85% (p 0.05. Overall operative time was 41.7 ± 2.49 and 28.55 ± 1.14 minutes in groups II and III (p < 0.05 and the time to anastomosis of 24.6 ± 1.8 and 9.35 ± 0.78 minutes (p < 0.05, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that vasovasostomy with fibrin adhesive has the same results of the conventional microsurgery technique but with a reduced operative time and a simplified procedure.

Decoding bipedal locomotion from the rat sensorimotor cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Rigosa, J.; Panarese, A.; Dominici, N.; Friedli, L.; van den Brand, R.; Carpaneto, J.; DiGiovanna, J.; Courtine, G.; Micera, S.

2015-10-01

Objective. Decoding forelimb movements from the firing activity of cortical neurons has been interfaced with robotic and prosthetic systems to replace lost upper limb functions in humans. Despite the potential of this approach to improve locomotion and facilitate gait rehabilitation, decoding lower limb movement from the motor cortex has received comparatively little attention. Here, we performed experiments to identify the type and amount of information that can be decoded from neuronal ensemble activity in the hindlimb area of the rat motor cortex during bipedal locomotor tasks. Approach. Rats were trained to stand, step on a treadmill, walk overground and climb staircases in a bipedal posture. To impose this gait, the rats were secured in a robotic interface that provided support against the direction of gravity and in the mediolateral direction, but behaved transparently in the forward direction. After completion of training, rats were chronically implanted with a micro-wire array spanning the left hindlimb motor cortex to record single and multi-unit activity, and bipolar electrodes into 10 muscles of the right hindlimb to monitor electromyographic signals. Whole-body kinematics, muscle activity, and neural signals were simultaneously recorded during execution of the trained tasks over multiple days of testing. Hindlimb kinematics, muscle activity, gait phases, and locomotor tasks were decoded using offline classification algorithms. Main results. We found that the stance and swing phases of gait and the locomotor tasks were detected with accuracies as robust as 90% in all rats. Decoded hindlimb kinematics and muscle activity exhibited a larger variability across rats and tasks. Significance. Our study shows that the rodent motor cortex contains useful information for lower limb neuroprosthetic development. However, brain-machine interfaces estimating gait phases or locomotor behaviors, instead of continuous variables such as limb joint positions or speeds

Biochemical Effects of Aqueous Extract of Persea americana (Mill) on the Myocardium of Left Ventricle of High Salt-Fed Adult Wistar Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Olushola, Ayoola I; Aderibigbe, Komolafe O; Stephen, Saka O; Ayodeji, Odukoya S

2017-10-01

The cardioprotective effects of Persea americana extract was investigated on biochemical activities of high salt-fed adult Wistar rats in this study. Forty healthy Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 120 to 150 g were randomly assigned into 8 groups of 5 rats each (groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H). Rats in groups A, F, G, and H were fed with standard laboratory pellets, while groups B, C, D, and E were fed on the high-salt diet for 4 weeks. Concomitantly, daily administration of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg of the P americana extract were given orally to groups C and F, D and G, and E and H, respectively, while rats in groups A and B were administered distilled water. Blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture; concentration of sodium ion, potassium ion, nitric oxide, and activity of lactate dehydrogenase were determined. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze data, followed by Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test for multiple comparison. Results revealed that concentration of potassium ion and nitric oxide was significantly lower ( P < .05) in high salt-fed groups. Sodium ion concentration and activity of lactate dehydrogenase were higher in high salt-fed group while P americana prevented biochemical perturbations in other experimental groups. In conclusion, high salt-diet induced biochemical alterations which were significantly protected by oral administration of P americana extract.

assessment Of the effect Of low Level Laser Therapy on Parotid glands of gamma Irradiated Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, S.F.

2013-01-01

Gamma radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction has a major deleterious effect on oral health. Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate the possible effect of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on radiation induced oxidative stress in rats’ salivary glands. Material and Methods: Sixty four male Albino rats were divided into two groups. One group where the left parotid gland was exposed to 3 sessions of LLL, then rats were subjected to 3 sessions of whole body gamma-radiation. In the other group, rats were subjected to 3 sessions of gamma-radiation; each was followed by a session of LLL to the left parotid gland. The right gland of both groups was used as irradiated control. Parotid glands were collected 1 day, 3 days, 1 week and 2 weeks after the end of treatment and were subjected to histological examination and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: The parotid gland of both laser groups showed less intra cytoplasmic vacuolisation, slight alteration of acinar architecture and almost even size nuclei as compared to the irradiated gland. LLL either before or parallel to gamma-irradiation was effective in increasing cell proliferation on the third and seventh day, respectively as compared to the gamma irradiated group (P<0.05). Statistically, results revealed significant decrease in optical density of caspase 3 activity in the lased groups on the first week as compared to the control. Conclusion: LLLT attenuates the harmful effect of gamma irradiation on the parotid glands of the rats. Also, it improves gland regeneration through modulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis inflammation

Preliminary performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 1992. Volume 5, Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of gas and brine migration for undisturbed performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-08-01

Before disposing of transuranic radioactive waste in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) must evaluate compliance with applicable long-term regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sandia National Laboratories is conducting iterative performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP for the DOE to provide interim guidance while preparing for a final compliance evaluation. This volume of the 1992 PA contains results of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to migration of gas and brine from the undisturbed repository. Additional information about the 1992 PA is provided in other volumes. Volume 1 contains an overview of WIPP PA and results of a preliminary comparison with 40 CFR 191, Subpart B. Volume 2 describes the technical basis for the performance assessment, including descriptions of the linked computational models used in the Monte Carlo analyses. Volume 3 contains the reference data base and values for input parameters used in consequence and probability modeling. Volume 4 contains uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to the EPA`s Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (40 CFR 191, Subpart B). Finally, guidance derived from the entire 1992 PA is presented in Volume 6. Results of the 1992 uncertainty and sensitivity analyses indicate that, conditional on the modeling assumptions and the assigned parameter-value distributions, the most important parameters for which uncertainty has the potential to affect gas and brine migration from the undisturbed repository are: initial liquid saturation in the waste, anhydrite permeability, biodegradation-reaction stoichiometry, gas-generation rates for both corrosion and biodegradation under inundated conditions, and the permeability of the long-term shaft seal.

Effects of Ischemic Postconditioning on the Hemodynamic Parameters and Heart Nitric Oxide Levels of Hypothyroid Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeddi, Sajad; Zaman, Jalal; Ghasemi, Asghar

2015-01-01

Ischemic postconditioning (IPost) is a method of protecting the heart against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. However, the effectiveness of IPost in cases of ischemic heart disease accompanied by co-morbidities such as hypothyroidism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of IPost on myocardial IR injury in hypothyroid male rats. Propylthiouracil in drinking water (500 mg/L) was administered to male rats for 21 days to induce hypothyroidism. The hearts from control and hypothyroid rats were perfused in a Langendorff apparatus and exposed to 30 min of global ischemia, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. IPost was induced immediately following ischemia. Hypothyroidism and IPost significantly improved the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and peak rates of positive and negative changes in left ventricular pressure (±dp/dt) during reperfusion in control rats (p < 0.05). However, IPost had no add-on effect on the recovery of LVDP and ±dp/dt in hypothyroid rats. Furthermore, hypothyroidism significantly decreased the basal NO metabolite (NO x ) levels of the serum (72.5 ± 4.2 vs. 102.8 ± 3.7 μmol/L; p < 0.05) and heart (7.9 ± 1.6 vs. 18.8 ± 3.2 μmol/L; p < 0.05). Heart NO x concentration in the hypothyroid groups did not change after IR and IPost, whereas these were significantly (p < 0.05) higher and lower after IR and IPost, respectively, in the control groups. Hypothyroidism protects the heart from IR injury, which may be due to a decrease in basal nitric oxide (NO) levels in the serum and heart and a decrease in NO after IR. IPost did not decrease the NO level and did not provide further cardioprotection in the hypothyroid group

Hesperidin produces cardioprotective activity via PPAR-γ pathway in ischemic heart disease model in diabetic rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yogeeta O Agrawal

Full Text Available The present study investigated the effect of hesperidin, a natural flavonoid, in cardiac ischemia and reperfusion (I/R injury in diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats with diabetes were divided into five groups and were orally administered saline once daily (IR-sham and IR-control, Hesperidin (100 mg/kg/day; IR-Hesperidin, GW9962 (PPAR-γ receptor antagonist, or combination of both for 14 days. On the 15th day, in the IR-control and IR-treatment groups, rats were subjected to left anterior descending (LAD coronary artery occlusion for 45 minutes followed by a one-hour reperfusion. Haemodynamic parameters were recorded and rats were sacrificed; hearts were isolated for biochemical, histopathological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemistry. In the IR-control group, significant ventricular dysfunctions were observed along with enhanced expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. A decline in cardiac injury markers lactate dehydrogenase activity, CK-MB and increased content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, a marker of lipid peroxidation, and TNF-α were observed. Hesperidin pretreatment significantly improved mean arterial pressure, reduced left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and improved both inotropic and lusitropic function of the heart (+LVdP/dt and -LVdP/dt as compared to IR-control. Furthermore, hesperidin treatment significantly decreased the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and reversed the activity of lactate dehydrogenase towards normal value. Hesperidin showed anti-apoptotic effects by upregulating Bcl-2 protein and decreasing Bax protein expression. Additionally, histopathological and ultrastructural studies reconfirmed the protective action of hesperidin. On the other hand, GW9662, selective PPAR-γ receptor antagonist, produced opposite effects and attenuated the hesperidin induced improvements. The study for the first time evidence the involvement of PPAR-γ pathway in the cardioprotective activity of

Effects of Ischemic Postconditioning on the Hemodynamic Parameters and Heart Nitric Oxide Levels of Hypothyroid Rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeddi, Sajad; Zaman, Jalal; Ghasemi, Asghar, E-mail: ghasemi@endocrine.ac.ir [Endocrine Physiology Research Center - Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Endocrine Research Center - Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-02-15

Ischemic postconditioning (IPost) is a method of protecting the heart against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. However, the effectiveness of IPost in cases of ischemic heart disease accompanied by co-morbidities such as hypothyroidism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of IPost on myocardial IR injury in hypothyroid male rats. Propylthiouracil in drinking water (500 mg/L) was administered to male rats for 21 days to induce hypothyroidism. The hearts from control and hypothyroid rats were perfused in a Langendorff apparatus and exposed to 30 min of global ischemia, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. IPost was induced immediately following ischemia. Hypothyroidism and IPost significantly improved the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and peak rates of positive and negative changes in left ventricular pressure (±dp/dt) during reperfusion in control rats (p < 0.05). However, IPost had no add-on effect on the recovery of LVDP and ±dp/dt in hypothyroid rats. Furthermore, hypothyroidism significantly decreased the basal NO metabolite (NO{sub x}) levels of the serum (72.5 ± 4.2 vs. 102.8 ± 3.7 μmol/L; p < 0.05) and heart (7.9 ± 1.6 vs. 18.8 ± 3.2 μmol/L; p < 0.05). Heart NO{sub x} concentration in the hypothyroid groups did not change after IR and IPost, whereas these were significantly (p < 0.05) higher and lower after IR and IPost, respectively, in the control groups. Hypothyroidism protects the heart from IR injury, which may be due to a decrease in basal nitric oxide (NO) levels in the serum and heart and a decrease in NO after IR. IPost did not decrease the NO level and did not provide further cardioprotection in the hypothyroid group.

The Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Peak Reservoir Strain in Acute Myocardial Infarction Is Dependent on Left Ventricular Longitudinal Function and Left Atrial Size

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ersbøll, Mads; Andersen, Mads J; Valeur, Nana

2013-01-01

of PALS and left ventricular longitudinal strain (global longitudinal strain) in large-scale populations in regard to prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively included 843 patients (mean age 62.1+/-11.8; 74% male) with acute myocardial infarction and measured global longitudinal strain, left......BACKGROUND: Peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) during the reservoir phase has been proposed as a measure of left atrium function in a range of cardiac conditions, with the potential for added pathophysiological insight and prognostic value. However, no studies have assessed the interrelation...

The Effect of Photoluminescence of Bioceramic Irradiation on Middle Cerebral Arterial Occlusion in Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the possible effect of photoluminescence of bioceramic (PLB on ischemic cerebral infarction (stroke, by using an animal model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO. Sprague-Dawley rats were used to induce MCAO to block the origin of the left MCAO; three months later, the positive chronic stroke rats were selected by running tunnel maze; the MCAO rats with significant chronic stroke and neurological defects were used for treadmill experiments with varying speed settings to test their capability for restoration after muscular fatigue under conditions of with and without PLB irradiation. As a result, PLB irradiation could improve exercise completion rate and average running speed during slow and fast treadmill settings. After PLB irradiation, the selected MCAO rats successfully completed all the second-round treadmill exercises at the maximum speed setting, and they had better restoration from muscular fatigue. An in vitro cell study on astrocytes of rats by bioceramic irradiation further demonstrated increased intracellular nitric oxide. To explain these results, we suggest that cortical brain stimulation of microcirculation and enhancement of peripheral muscular activity are the main causes of the improved exercise performance in MCAO rats by PLB.

Pawedness Trait Test (PaTRaT—A New Paradigm to Evaluate Paw Preference and Dexterity in Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana M. Cunha

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In rodents, dexterity is commonly analyzed in preference paradigms in which animals are given the chance to use either the left or the right front paws to manipulate food. However, paw preference and dexterity at population and individual levels are controversial as results are incongruent across paradigms. We have therefore developed a semi-quantitative method—the pawdeness trait test (PaTRaT—to evaluate paw preference degree in rats. The PaTRaT consists in a classification system, ranging from +4 to −4 where increasingly positive and negative values reflect the bias for left or right paw use, respectively. Sprague-Dawley male rats were confined into a metal rectangular mesh cylinder, from which they can see, smell and reach sugared rewards with their paws. Due to its size, the reward could only cross the mesh if aligned with its diagonal, imposing additional coordination. Animals were allowed to retrieve 10 rewards per session in a total of four sessions while their behavior was recorded. PaTRaT was repeated 4 and 8 weeks after the first evaluation. To exclude potential bias, rats were also tested for paw fine movement and general locomotion in other behavioral paradigms as well as impulsivity (variable delay-to-signal, VDS, memory and cognitive flexibility (water maze. At the population level 54% of the animals presented a rightward bias. Individually, all animals presented marked side-preferences, >2 and <−2 for left- and right-sided bias, respectively, and this preference was stable across the three evaluations. Inter-rater consistency was very high between two experienced raters and substantial when two additional inexperienced raters were included. Left- and right-biased animals presented no differences in the ability to perform fine movements with any of the forelimbs (staircase and general locomotor performance. Additionally, these groups performed similarly in executive function and memory tasks. In conclusion, PaTRaT is able

Aphasia following left thalamic hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makishita, Hideo; Miyasaka, Motomaro; Tanizaki, Yoshio; Yanagisawa, Nobuo; Sugishita, Morihiro.

1984-01-01

We reported 7 patients with left thalamic hemorrhage in the chronic stage (from 1.5 months to 4.5 months), and described language disorders examined by Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and measured cerebral blood flow by single photon emission CT. Examination of language by WAB revealed 4 aphasics out of 7 cases, and 3 patients had no language deficit. The patient with Wernicke's aphasia showed low density area only in the left posterior thalamus in X-ray CT, and revealed severe low blood flow area extending to left temporal lobe in emission CT. In the case with transcortical sensory aphasia, although X-ray CT showed no obvious low density area, emission CT revealed moderate low flow area in watershed area that involved the territory between posterior cerebral and middle cerebral arteries in the left temporooccipital region in addition to low blood flow at the left thalamus. In one of the two patients classified as anomic aphasia, whose score of repetition (8.4) was higher than that of comprehension (7.4), emission CT showed slight low flow area at the temporo-occipital region similarly as the case with transcortical sensory aphasia. In another case with anomic aphasia, scored 9 on both fluensy and comprehension subtests and 10 on repetition, there was wide low density area all over the left thalamus and midline shift to the right in X-ray CT, and emission CT showed severe low blood flow in the same region spreading widely toward the cerebral surface. On the other hand, in all of the 3 patients without aphasia, emission CT showed low flow region restricted to the left thalamus. (J.P.N.)

Effects of traumatic brain injury on regional cerebral blood flow in rats as measured with radiolabeled microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakami, I.; McIntosh, T.K.

1989-01-01

To clarify the effect of experimental brain injury on regional CBF (rCBF), repeated rCBF measurements were performed using radiolabeled microspheres in rats subjected to fluid-percussion traumatic brain injury. Three consecutive microsphere injections in six uninjured control rats substantiated that the procedure induces no significant changes in hemodynamic variables or rCBF. Animals were subjected to left parietal fluid-percussion brain injury of moderate severity (2.1-2.4 atm) and rCBF values were determined (a) prior to injury and 15 min and 1 h following injury (n = 7); and (b) prior to injury and 30 min and 2 h following injury (n = 7). At 15 min post injury, there was a profound reduction of rCBF in all brain regions studied (p less than 0.01). Although rCBF in the hindbrain had recovered to near-normal by 30 min post injury, rCBF in both injured and contralateral (uninjured) forebrain areas remained significantly suppressed up to 1 h post injury. At 2 h post injury, recovery of rCBF to near-normal values was observed in all brain regions except the focal area of injury (left parietal cortex) where rCBF remained significantly depressed (p less than 0.01). This prolonged focal oligemia at the injury site was associated with the development of reproducible cystic necrosis in the left parietotemporal cortex at 4 weeks post injury. Our results demonstrate that acute changes in rCBF occur following experimental traumatic brain injury in rats and that rCBF remains significantly depressed up to 2 h post injury in the area circumscribing the trauma site

RatMap--rat genome tools and data.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Greta; Johnson, Per; Andersson, Lars; Klinga-Levan, Karin; Gómez-Fabre, Pedro M; Ståhl, Fredrik

2005-01-01

The rat genome database RatMap (http://ratmap.org or http://ratmap.gen.gu.se) has been one of the main resources for rat genome information since 1994. The database is maintained by CMB-Genetics at Goteborg University in Sweden and provides information on rat genes, polymorphic rat DNA-markers and rat quantitative trait loci (QTLs), all curated at RatMap. The database is under the supervision of the Rat Gene and Nomenclature Committee (RGNC); thus much attention is paid to rat gene nomenclature. RatMap presents information on rat idiograms, karyotypes and provides a unified presentation of the rat genome sequence and integrated rat linkage maps. A set of tools is also available to facilitate the identification and characterization of rat QTLs, as well as the estimation of exon/intron number and sizes in individual rat genes. Furthermore, comparative gene maps of rat in regard to mouse and human are provided.

RatMap—rat genome tools and data

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Greta; Johnson, Per; Andersson, Lars; Klinga-Levan, Karin; Gómez-Fabre, Pedro M.; Ståhl, Fredrik

2005-01-01

The rat genome database RatMap (http://ratmap.org or http://ratmap.gen.gu.se) has been one of the main resources for rat genome information since 1994. The database is maintained by CMB–Genetics at Göteborg University in Sweden and provides information on rat genes, polymorphic rat DNA-markers and rat quantitative trait loci (QTLs), all curated at RatMap. The database is under the supervision of the Rat Gene and Nomenclature Committee (RGNC); thus much attention is paid to rat gene nomenclature. RatMap presents information on rat idiograms, karyotypes and provides a unified presentation of the rat genome sequence and integrated rat linkage maps. A set of tools is also available to facilitate the identification and characterization of rat QTLs, as well as the estimation of exon/intron number and sizes in individual rat genes. Furthermore, comparative gene maps of rat in regard to mouse and human are provided. PMID:15608244

The effect of N-acetylcysteine on cardiac contractility to dobutamine in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xing; Xia, Zhengyuan; Leo, Joyce M; Pang, Catherine C Y

2005-09-05

We examined if myocardial depression at the acute phase of diabetes (3 weeks after injection of streptozotocin, 60 mg/kg i.v.) is due to activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and production of peroxynitrite, and if treatment with N-acetylcysteine (1.2 g/day/kg for 3 weeks, antioxidant) improves cardiac function. Four groups of rats were used: control, N-acetylcysteine-treated control, diabetic and N-acetylcysteine-treated diabetic. Pentobarbital-anaesthetized diabetic rats, relative to the controls, had reduced left ventricular contractility to dobutamine (1-57 microg/min/kg). The diabetic rats also had increased myocardial levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, immunostaining of inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrotyrosine, and similar baseline 15-F2t-isoprostane. N-acetylcysteine did not affect responses in the control rats; but increased cardiac contractility to dobutamine, reduced myocardial immunostaining of inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrotyrosine and level of 15-F2t-isoprostane, and increased cardiac contractility to dobutamine in the diabetic rats. Antioxidant supplementation in diabetes reduces oxidative stress and improves cardiac function.

Desmodium gangeticum root extract attenuates isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophic growth in rats.

OpenAIRE

Divya Hitler; Parthasarathy Arumugam; Mathivanan Narayanasamy; Elangovan Vellaichamy

2014-01-01

Context: Desmodium gangeticum (L) DC (Fabaceae; DG), a medicinal plant that grows in tropical habitats, is widely used to treat various ailments including digestive and inflammatory disorders. Aims: To investigate the possible cardioprotective activity of a DG root extract against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced left ventricular cardiac hypertrophy (LVH) in adult Wistar rats. Methods: Daily intraperitoneal administration of ISO (10 mg/kg body weight, single injection) for 7 days induced LVH...

Current Problems of Trade Union-Party Relations in Switzerland: Reorientation Versus Inertia

Science.gov (United States)

Siegenthaler, Jurg K.

1975-01-01

The postwar realignment of union-party relations in Switzerland severed old formal ties but left some important links undisturbed; practical and effective cooperation on legislative items supports current informal union-party alliances. Major current problems include the unions' demand for codetermination in industry and the huge numbers of…

Second quarter technical progress report for Thermally Modified Sand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-14

The objective was to have the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities Operation & Maintenance Section use Thermally Modified Sand (TMS) for treatment of icy state roadways. The project included the evaluation on the workability of a large stockpile of TMS material left undisturbed throughout the 1993/94 winter season.

Hydrogen sulfide postconditioning protects isolated rat hearts against ischemia and reperfusion injury mediated by the JAK2/STAT3 survival pathway

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Heng-Fei Luan

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway is an important component of survivor activating factor enhancement (SAFE pathway. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway participates in hydrogen sulfide (H2S postconditioning, protecting isolated rat hearts from ischemic-reperfusion injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (230-270 g were divided into 6 groups (N = 14 per group: time-matched perfusion (Sham group, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R group, NaHS postconditioning group, NaHS with AG-490 group, AG-490 (5 µM group, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; <0.2% group. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts, with the exception of the Sham group, were subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 90 min of reperfusion after 20 min of equilibrium. Heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP, and the maximum rate of increase or decrease of left ventricular pressure (± dp/dt max were recorded. Infarct size was determined using triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC staining. Myocardial TUNEL staining was used as the in situ cell death detection method and the percentage of TUNEL-positive nuclei to all nuclei counted was used as the apoptotic index. The expression of STAT3, bcl-2 and bax was determined by Western blotting. After reperfusion, compared to the I/R group, H2S significantly improved functional recovery and decreased infarct size (23.3 ± 3.8 vs 41.2 ± 4.7%, P < 0.05 and apoptotic index (22.1 ± 3.6 vs 43.0 ± 4.8%, P < 0.05. However, H2S-mediated protection was abolished by AG-490, the JAK2 inhibitor. In conclusion, H2S postconditioning effectively protects isolated I/R rat hearts via activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Evaluation of left ventricular function by cardiac CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, Hiroaki; Kozuka, Takahiro

1982-01-01

Left ventricular function was evaluated by CT, which was compared with the data of left ventriculography for various cardiac diseases. The end diastolic volume of the left ventricle can be readily computed from CT, with a satisfactory correlation with that of left ventriculography (r = 0.95). The left ventricular ejection fraction, calculated from the areal ratio of the left ventricular lumen in end-diastolic imaging to that in end-sytolic imaging, also roughly reflects left ventricular contractile function, but shows correlation with left ventriculography by only r = 0.79. Although the cardiac output is not sensitive for functional evaluation, it can be directly calculated by means of dynamic scanning and shows a satisfactory correlation with the ear piece pigment dilution (r = 0.85). Evaluation of left ventricular function by CT shows a high precision in comparison with left ventriculography, but still lacks temporal resolving power. (Chiba, N.)

Protective effect of Kombucha tea on brain damage induced by transient cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rat

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Najmeh Kabiri

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of Kombucha on cerebral damage induced by ischemia in rats (n=99. Cerebral infarct volume in the ischemic rats received Kombucha solution showed no significance alteration. However, the permeability of blood-brain barrier significantly decreased in both ischemic rats received 15 mg/kg Kombucha tea and Sham group. In addition, brain water content in the ischemic groups treated with Kombucha solution was significantly higher than the Sham group, although right hemispheres in all of the treated groups illustrated higher brain water content than the left ones. Brain anti-oxidant capacity elevated in the ischemic rats treated with Kombucha and in the Sham group. Brain and plasma malondialdehyde concentrations significantly decreased in both of the ischemic groups injected with Kombucha. The findings suggest that Kombucha tea could be useful for the prevention of cerebral damage.

Renal Denervation Findings on Cardiac and Renal Fibrosis in Rats with Isoproterenol Induced Cardiomyopathy

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Liu, Qian; Zhang, Qi; Wang, Kai; Wang, Shengchan; Lu, Dasheng; Li, Zhenzhen; Geng, Jie; Fang, Ping; Wang, Ying; Shan, Qijun

2015-12-01

Cardio-renal fibrosis plays key roles in heart failure and chronic kidney disease. We sought to determine the effects of renal denervation (RDN) on cardiac and renal fibrosis in rats with isoproterenol induced cardiomyopathy. Sixty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to Control (n = 10) and isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiomyopathy group (n = 50). At week 5, 31 survival ISO-induced cardiomyopathy rats were randomized to RDN (n = 15) and Sham group (n = 16). Compared with Control group, ejection fraction was decreased, diastolic interventricular septal thickness and left atrial dimension were increased in ISO-induced cardiomyopathy group at 5 week. After 10 weeks, cardio-renal pathophysiologic results demonstrated that the collagen volume fraction of left atrio-ventricular and kidney tissues reduced significantly in RDN group compared with Sham group. Moreover the pro-fibrosis factors (TGF-β1, MMP2 and Collagen I), inflammatory cytokines (CRP and TNF-α), and collagen synthesis biomarkers (PICP, PINP and PIIINP) concentration significantly decreased in RDN group. Compared with Sham group, RDN group showed that release of noradrenaline and aldosterone were reduced, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/angiotensin II type-1 receptor (AT1R) axis was downregulated. Meanwhile, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/angiotensin-1-7 (Ang-(1-7))/mas receptor (Mas-R) axis was upregulated. RDN inhibits cardio-renal fibrogenesis through multiple pathways, including reducing SNS over-activity, rebalancing RAAS axis.

Morphological characteristics of renal artery and kidney in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoldas, Atilla; Dayan, Mustafa Orhun

2014-01-01

The gross anatomy and morphometry of the kidney and renal arteries were studied in the strains of laboratory rat: Sprague-Dawley (Sp) and Wistar (W) rats. Total of 106 three-dimensional endocasts of the intrarenal arteries of kidney that were prepared using standard injection-corrosion techniques were examined. A single renal artery was observed in 100% of the cases. The renal arteries were divided into a dorsal and a ventral branch. The dorsal and ventral branches were divided into two branches, the cranial and caudal branch. Renal arteries were classified into types I and II, depending on the cranial and caudal branches and their made of branching. The present study also showed that the right kidney was slightly heavier than the left one and that the kidney of the male was generally larger than that of the female. The mean live weights of the Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats were found to be 258.26 ± 5.9 and 182.4 ± 19.05 g, respectively. The kidney weights were significantly correlated (P kidney weights were not found significantly correlated (P > 0.01) with the length of renal arteries.

Aetiological factors in left-handedness

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Milenković Sanja M.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Lateralisation associates the extremities and senses of one side of the body, which are connected by afferent and efferent pathways, with the primary motor and sensory areas of the hemisphere on the opposite side. Dominant laterality denotes the appearance of a dominant extremity or sense in the performance of complex psychomotor activities. Laterality is manifested both as right-handedness or left-handedness, which are functionally equivalent and symmetrical in the performance of activities. Right-handedness is significantly more common than left-handedness. Genetic theory is most widely accepted in explaining the onset of lateralisation. According to this theory, the models of brain organisation asymmetry (anatomical, functional, and biochemical are strongly, genetically determined. However, the inability to clearly demonstrate the association between genetic factors and left-handedness has led researchers to investigate the effects of the environment on left-handedness. Of particular interest are the intrauterine environment and the factors influencing foetal development, of which hormones and ultrasound exposure are the most significant. It has been estimated that an extra five cases of nonright-handed lateralisation can be expected in every 100 males who were exposed to ultrasound in utero compared to those who were not. Socio-cultural pressure on left-handed individuals was much more severe in the past, which is confirmed by scientific findings that left-handedness is present in 13% of individuals in their twenties, while in less than 1% of individuals in their eighties.

Brief pressure overload of the left ventricle reduces myocardial infarct size via activation of protein kinase C.

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Tang, Chia-Yu; Lai, Chang-Chi; Chiang, Shu-Chiung; Tseng, Kuo-Wei; Huang, Cheng-Hsiung

2015-09-01

We have previously reported that brief pressure overload of the left ventricle reduced myocardial infarct (MI) size. However, the role of protein kinase C (PKC) remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated whether pressure overload reduces MI size by activating PKC. MI was induced by a 40-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery and a 3-hour reperfusion in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. MI size was determined using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Brief pressure overload was achieved by two 10-minute partial snarings of the ascending aorta, raising the systolic left ventricular pressure 50% above the baseline value. Ischemic preconditioning was elicited by two 10-minute coronary artery occlusions and 10-minute reperfusions. Dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle) or calphostin C (0.1 mg/kg, a specific inhibitor of PKC) was administered intravenously as pretreatment. The MI size, expressed as the percentage of the area at risk, was significantly reduced in the pressure overload group and the ischemic preconditioning group (19.0 ± 2.9% and 18.7 ± 3.0% vs. 26.1 ± 2.6% in the control group, where p overload and ischemic preconditioning (25.2 ± 2.4% and 25.0 ± 2.3%, where p overload of the left ventricle reduced MI size. Since calphostin C significantly limited the decrease of MI size, our results suggested that brief pressure overload reduces MI size via activation of PKC. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

Desipramine increases cardiac parasympathetic activity via α2-adrenergic mechanism in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawada, Toru; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi; Shimizu, Shuji; Fukumitsu, Masafumi; Kamiya, Atsunori; Sugimachi, Masaru

2017-07-01

Desipramine (DMI) is a blocker of neuronal norepinephrine (NE) uptake transporter. Although intravenous DMI has been shown to cause centrally-mediated sympathoinhibition and peripheral NE accumulation, its parasympathetic effect remains to be elucidated. We hypothesized that intravenous DMI activates the cardiac vagal nerve via an α 2 -adrenergic mechanism. Using a cardiac microdialysis technique, changes in myocardial interstitial acetylcholine (ACh) levels in the left ventricular free wall in response to intravenous DMI (1mg·kg -1 ) were examined in anesthetized rats. In rats with intact vagi (n=7), intravenous DMI increased ACh from 1.67±0.43 to 2.48±0.66nM (Padrenergic stimulation in experimental settings in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Undisturbed dust as a metric of long-term indoor insecticide exposure: Residential DDT contamination from indoor residual spraying and its association with serum levels in the VHEMBE cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaspar, Fraser W; Chevrier, Jonathan; Bornman, Riana; Crause, Madelein; Obida, Muvhulawa; Barr, Dana Boyd; Bradman, Asa; Bouwman, Henk; Eskenazi, Brenda

2015-12-01

Although approximately 123 million people may be exposed to high levels of insecticides through the use of indoor residual spraying (IRS) for malaria control, few studies exist on indoor insecticide contamination due to IRS and its relationship with human exposure. In the present study, we developed a sampling method to collect undisturbed dust from 50 homes in Limpopo, South Africa, a region where dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has been used in IRS programs to prevent malaria for ~70years. We quantified DDT and its degradation products, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) in dust samples to determine dust loading levels and compared these levels to paired serum concentrations of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE in women residents. p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE had the highest detection frequencies in both dust (58% and 34% detection, respectively) and serum samples (98% and 100% detection, respectively). Significantly higher detection frequencies for o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDD were observed in dust samples collected in buildings that had been previously sprayed for malaria control. We also observed a significant, positive association between dust loading and serum concentrations of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE (Spearman's rho=0.68 and 0.54, respectively). Despite the low detection frequency in dust, our results indicate that undisturbed dust may be a good metric to quantify long-term home exposure to DDT-related compounds and that contamination of the home environment may be an important determinant/source of DDT and DDE exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Left main percutaneous coronary intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Teirstein, Paul S; Price, Matthew J

2012-10-23

The introduction of drug-eluting stents and advances in catheter techniques have led to increasing acceptance of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as a viable alternative to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) for unprotected left main disease. Current guidelines state that it is reasonable to consider unprotected left main PCI in patients with low to intermediate anatomic complexity who are at increased surgical risk. Data from randomized trials involving patients who are candidates for either treatment strategy provide novel insight into the relative safety and efficacy of PCI for this lesion subset. Herein, we review the current data comparing PCI with CABG for left main disease, summarize recent guideline recommendations, and provide an update on technical considerations that may optimize clinical outcomes in left main PCI. Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of microRNA Expression Profiles Induced by Yiqifumai Injection in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure

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Yu Zhao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Yiqifumai Injection (YQFM is clinically used to treat various cardiovascular diseases including chronic heart failure (CHF. The efficacy of YQFM for treating heart failure has been suggested, but the mechanism of action for pharmacological effects of YQFM is unclear.Methods: Echocardiography detection, left ventricular intubation evaluation, histopathology and immunohistochemical examination were performed in CHF rats to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of YQFM. Rat miRNA microarray and bioinformatics analysis were employed to investigate the differentially expressed microRNAs. In vitro models of AngII-induced hypertrophy and t-BHP induced oxidative stress in H9c2 myocardial cells were used to validate the anti-hypertrophy and anti-apoptosis effects of YQFM. Measurement of cell surface area, ATP content and cell viability, Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed.Results: YQFM significantly improved the cardiac function of CHF rats by increasing left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening, decreasing left ventricular internal diameter and enhancing cardiac output. Seven microRNAs which have a reversible regulation by YQFM treatment were found. Among them, miR-21-3p and miR-542-3p are related to myocardial hypertrophy and cell proliferation, respectively and were further verified by RT-PCR. Target gene network was established and potential related signaling pathways were predicted. YQFM could significantly alleviate AngII induced hypertrophy in cellular model. It also significantly increased cell viabilities and ATP content in t-BHP induced apoptotic cell model. Western blot analysis showed that YQFM could increase the phosphorylation of Akt.Conclusion: Our findings provided scientific evidence to uncover the mechanism of action of YQFM on miRNAs regulation against CHF by miRNA expression profile technology. The results indicated that YQFM has a potential effect on alleviate cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis

Left-handedness and language lateralization in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Szaflarski, Jerzy P; Rajagopal, Akila; Altaye, Mekibib; Byars, Anna W; Jacola, Lisa; Schmithorst, Vincent J; Schapiro, Mark B; Plante, Elena; Holland, Scott K

2012-01-18

This fMRI study investigated the development of language lateralization in left- and righthanded children between 5 and 18 years of age. Twenty-seven left-handed children (17 boys, 10 girls) and 54 age- and gender-matched right-handed children were included. We used functional MRI at 3T and a verb generation task to measure hemispheric language dominance based on either frontal or temporo-parietal regions of interest (ROIs) defined for the entire group and applied on an individual basis. Based on the frontal ROI, in the left-handed group, 23 participants (85%) demonstrated left-hemispheric language lateralization, 3 (11%) demonstrated symmetric activation, and 1 (4%) demonstrated right-hemispheric lateralization. In contrast, 50 (93%) of the right-handed children showed left-hemispheric lateralization and 3 (6%) demonstrated a symmetric activation pattern, while one (2%) demonstrated a right-hemispheric lateralization. The corresponding values for the temporo-parietal ROI for the left-handed children were 18 (67%) left-dominant, 6 (22%) symmetric, 3 (11%) right-dominant and for the right-handed children 49 (91%), 4 (7%), 1 (2%), respectively. Left-hemispheric language lateralization increased with age in both groups but somewhat different lateralization trajectories were observed in girls when compared to boys. The incidence of atypical language lateralization in left-handed children in this study was similar to that reported in adults. We also found similar rates of increase in left-hemispheric language lateralization with age between groups (i.e., independent of handedness) indicating the presence of similar mechanisms for language lateralization in left- and right-handed children. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Treatment of osteoporosis with TheraCyte-encapsulated parathyroid cells: a study in a rat model.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, F-F; Huang, S-C; Chen, S-S; Wang, P-W; Huang, P-H; Lu, K-Y

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate parathyroid function at monthly intervals following the implantation of TheraCyte-encapsulated live human parathyroid cells into ovariectomized rats and to determine the effect on bone mineral density (BMD) 4 months after ovariectomy ( 3 months after implantation). Parathyroid tissues were obtained from patients undergoing surgery for secondary hyperparathyroidism. In total, 21 Sprague-Dawley rats divided randomly into three groups were subjected to one of three treatments: (1) implanted with TheraCyte A-encapsulated 4x10(6) live parathyroid cells; (2) implanted with TheraCyte B-encapsulated 4x10(5) live parathyroid cells; (3) a sham operation; the control group. Rats were ovariectomized 1 month prior to the implantation of the TheraCyte. Blood was drawn at the time of implantation and at monthly intervals thereafter for 3 months to check the levels of calcium, phosphorus and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH). The BMD of the lumbar spine (L1-L5) and of the left femoral bone was measured with dual-energy-X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) 1 month after ovariectomy and 3 months after implantation of the TheraCyte (4 months after ovariectomy). We found that the viability ratio of cryopreserved tissues was between 55 and 79% after thawing. In the control group, the BMD of the lumbar spine (L1-L5) had not decreased significantly (p=0.237) nor had the BMD of the left femoral bone increased significantly (p=0.063) 3 months after implantation. In the TheraCyte A group, the BMD of both the lumbar spine (p=0.018) and left femoral bone (p=0.018) had increased significantly 3 months after implantation. In the TheraCyte B group, the BMD of both the lumbar spine (p=0.017) and the left femoral bone (p=0.025) had also increased significantly 3 months after implantation. Serum iPTH levels were higher in the TheraCyte A group than in the TheraCyte B group (p=0.006), and higher in the TheraCyte B group than in the control group (p=0.040). Serum

Asynchronous ripple oscillations between left and right hippocampi during slow-wave sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Villalobos, Claudio; Maldonado, Pedro E; Valdés, José L

2017-01-01

Spatial memory, among many other brain processes, shows hemispheric lateralization. Most of the published evidence suggests that the right hippocampus plays a leading role in the manipulation of spatial information. Concurrently in the hippocampus, memory consolidation during sleep periods is one of the key steps in the formation of newly acquired spatial memory traces. One of the most characteristic oscillatory patterns in the hippocampus are sharp-wave ripple (SWR) complexes. Within this complex, fast-field oscillations or ripples have been demonstrated to be instrumental in the memory consolidation process. Since these ripples are relevant for the consolidation of memory traces associated with spatial navigation, and this process appears to be lateralized, we hypothesize that ripple events between both hippocampi would exhibit different temporal dynamics. We tested this idea by using a modified "split-hyperdrive" that allows us to record simultaneous LFPs from both right and left hippocampi of Sprague-Dawley rats during sleep. We detected individual events and found that during sleep periods these ripples exhibited a different occurrence patterns between hemispheres. Most ripple events were synchronous between intra- rather than inter-hemispherical recordings, suggesting that ripples in the hippocampus are independently generated and locally propagated within a specific hemisphere. In this study, we propose the ripples' lack of synchrony between left and right hippocampi as the putative physiological mechanism underlying lateralization of spatial memory.

Kappaphycus alvarezii as a Food Supplement Prevents Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

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Stephen Wanyonyi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The red seaweed, Kappaphycus alvarezii, was evaluated for its potential to prevent signs of metabolic syndrome through use as a whole food supplement. Major biochemical components of dried Kappaphycus are carrageenan (soluble fiber ~34.6% and salt (predominantly potassium (K 20% with a low overall energy content for whole seaweed. Eight to nine week old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups and fed for 8 weeks on a corn starch diet, a high-carbohydrate, high-fat (H diet, alone or supplemented with a 5% (w/w dried and milled Kappaphycus blended into the base diet. H-fed rats showed symptoms of metabolic syndrome including increased body weight, total fat mass, systolic blood pressure, left ventricular collagen deposition, plasma triglycerides, and plasma non-esterified fatty acids along with fatty liver. Relative to these obese rats, Kappaphycus-treated rats showed normalized body weight and adiposity, lower systolic blood pressure, improved heart and liver structure, and lower plasma lipids, even in presence of H diet. Kappaphycus modulated the balance between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the gut, which could serve as the potential mechanism for improved metabolic variables; this was accompanied by no damage to the gut structure. Thus, whole Kappaphycus improved cardiovascular, liver, and metabolic parameters in obese rats.

[Establishment of rat model with diabetes mellitus and concomitant periodontitis and the carotid artery lesions in the model rats].

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, X Y; Wang, C; Liu, X; Li, H; Gao, J H; Ge, X J

2017-12-09

Objectives: To establish SD rat model with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and concomitant chronic periodontitis (CP) and to evaluate the influence of periodontitis on the vascular lesions of type 2 diabetes rats. Methods: Totally 241 clean level SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, group A (normal control, NC, n= 27), group B (DM, n= 34), group C (CP, n= 90) and group D (DM+CP, n= 90). The rats of DM group were fed with high-fat and high-sugar diet for 8 to 10 weeks, and then were multiply injected with small dose streptozotocin under the condition of ice bath. Blood sugar levels after the injection were dynamically monitored at 72 h, 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. The CP model was established by means of ligation. Bilateral maxillary first and second molars were selected and ligated using 0.2 mm orthodontic wires binding with 4-0 surgical suture soaked with Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) suspension. After a period of 14 weeks, all the rats were put to death. Maxillary samples were subjected to methylene blue staining to observe alveolar bone loss. Bilateral carotid artery specimens were collected. The left carotid artery specimens were used to detect the prevalence of Pg using quantitative real-time PCR. The right carotid artery specimens were used to observe pathological changes. Results: Blood sugar levels of rats in group B and D increased and changed sharply after Streptozotocin injection with in 1 week. Symptoms of 'more drink, more food and body weight loss' appeared. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) was more than 7.8 mmol/L and (or) the random blood glucose (RBG) was more than 17.8 mmol/L. Both FBG and RBG became stable after 2 to 3 weeks. Levels of HbA1C in group B and D ([7.32±0.45]%, [9.41±0.45]%) were significantly higher than that of group A ([4.02±0.45]%) ( Pdiabetes vascular lesions.

Housing in Pyramid Counteracts Neuroendocrine and Oxidative Stress Caused by Chronic Restraint in Rats

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M. Surekha Bhat

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The space within the great pyramid and its smaller replicas is believed to have an antistress effect. Research has shown that the energy field within the pyramid can protect the hippocampal neurons of mice from stress-induced atrophy and also reduce neuroendocrine stress, oxidative stress and increase antioxidant defence in rats. In this study, we have, for the first time, attempted to study the antistress effects of pyramid exposure on the status of cortisol level, oxidative damage and antioxidant status in rats during chronic restraint stress. Adult female Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: normal controls (NC housed in home cage and left in the laboratory; restrained rats (with three subgroups subject to chronic restraint stress by placing in a wire mesh restrainer for 6 h per day for 14 days, the restrained controls (RC having their restrainers kept in the laboratory; restrained pyramid rats (RP being kept in the pyramid; and restrained square box rats (RS in the square box during the period of restraint stress everyday. Erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA and plasma cortisol levels were significantly increased and erythrocyte-reduced glutathione (GSH levels, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px and superoxide dismutase (SOD activities were significantly decreased in RC and RS rats as compared to NC. However, these parameters were maintained to near normal levels in RP rats which showed significantly decreased erythrocyte MDA and plasma cortisol and significantly increased erythrocyte GSH levels, erythrocyte GSH-Px and SOD activities when compared with RS rats. The results showed that housing in pyramid counteracts neuroendocrine and oxidative stress caused by chronic restraint in rats.

Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction and left atrium reverse remodeling after mitral regurgitation surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Lucia R; Meneghelo, Zilda M; Le Bihan, David C S; Barretto, Rodrigo B M; Carvalho, Antonio C; Moises, Valdir A

2014-11-06

Left atrium enlargement has been associated with cardiac events in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR). Left atrium reverse remodeling (LARR) occur after surgical correction of MR, but the preoperative predictors of this phenomenon are not well known. It is therefore important to identify preoperative predictors for postoperative LARR. We enrolled 62 patients with chronic severe MR (prolapse or flail leaflet) who underwent successful mitral valve surgery (repair or replacement); all with pre- and postoperative echocardiography. LARR was defined as a reduction in left atrium volume index (LAVI) of ≥ 25%. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of LARR. LARR occurred in 46 patients (74.2%), with the mean LAVI decreasing from 85.5 mL/m2 to 49.7 mL/m2 (p <0.001). These patients had a smaller preoperative left ventricular systolic volume (p =0.022) and a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p =0.034). LVEF was identified as the only preoperative variable significantly associated with LARR (odds ratio, 1.086; 95% confidence interval, 1.002-1.178). A LVEF cutoff value of 63.5% identified patients with LARR of ≥ 25% with a sensitivity of 71.7% and a specificity of 56.3%. LARR occurs frequently after mitral valve surgery and is associated with preoperative LVEF higher than 63.5%.

[Effects of 2-(p-dimethylaminostyryl) pyridine methycholide (DSPM-Ci) on ECG, left atrium contractivity and on papillary muscle action potentials].

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, X Y; Zhou, C M; Li, D M; Zhang, K J

1996-01-01

The effects of DSPM-Cl on ECG in rats, on the dose-effect curve in guinea pig left atria and on the fast action potential (AP), high-K+ depolarized slow action potential (SAP) in guinea pigs papillary muscle were examined electrophysiologically. DSPM-Cl (2 mg.kg-1) showed significant nagative frequency, negative conductivity effect, and prolonged the PP and PR interval. DSPM-CI (30-50 mumol.L-1) was shown to inhibit left atria contractility and shift the concentration-response curve of Iso and CaCl2 to the right with PD2' values of 4.60 and 4.13, respectively. In addition, DSPM-Cl was found to prolong the duration of action potential 90 (APD90) and effective refractory period (ERP), and decrease the maximal upstroke velocity (Vmax) in K(+)-depolarized guinea pigs papillary muscles. The results suggest that, like verpamil, DSPM-Cl might be a calcium antagonist.

Producing The New Regressive Left

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Crone, Christine

members, this thesis investigates a growing political trend and ideological discourse in the Arab world that I have called The New Regressive Left. On the premise that a media outlet can function as a forum for ideology production, the thesis argues that an analysis of this material can help to trace...... the contexture of The New Regressive Left. If the first part of the thesis lays out the theoretical approach and draws the contextual framework, through an exploration of the surrounding Arab media-and ideoscapes, the second part is an analytical investigation of the discourse that permeates the programmes aired...... becomes clear from the analytical chapters is the emergence of the new cross-ideological alliance of The New Regressive Left. This emerging coalition between Shia Muslims, religious minorities, parts of the Arab Left, secular cultural producers, and the remnants of the political,strategic resistance...

Bronchial compression by an enlarged left atrium in infants; a cause of hypovascularity of the left lung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corr, L.; Hallidie-Smith, K.A.; McCarthy, P.A.; Lavender, J.P.

1988-09-01

In three infants seen recently at our institution we noted signs of compression of the left main bronchus associated with enlarged left atria. None of our cases demonstrated the more usual signs of hyperinflation which are a hyperlucent lung field, depressed hemidiaphragm and mediastinal shift away from the affected side. In addition, hypoperfusion of the left lung was noted in each case. We believe that bronchial compression due to an enlarged left atrium, with consequent hypoxic vasoconstriction is a clinically significant entity, which is not well described and may be unappreciated in infants in whom the typical signs of hyperinflation are absent.

Small scale temporal distribution of radiocesium in undisturbed coniferous forest soil: Radiocesium depth distribution profiles.

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Teramage, Mengistu T; Onda, Yuichi; Kato, Hiroaki

2016-04-01

The depth distribution of pre-Fukushima and Fukushima-derived (137)Cs in undisturbed coniferous forest soil was investigated at four sampling dates from nine months to 18 months after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The migration rate and short-term temporal variability among the sampling profiles were evaluated. Taking the time elapsed since the peak deposition of pre-Fukushima (137)Cs and the median depth of the peaks, its downward displacement rates ranged from 0.15 to 0.67 mm yr(-1) with a mean of 0.46 ± 0.25 mm yr(-1). On the other hand, in each examined profile considerable amount of the Fukushima-derived (137)Cs was found in the organic layer (51%-92%). At this moment, the effect of time-distance on the downward distribution of Fukushima-derived (137)Cs seems invisible as its large portion is still found in layers where organic matter is maximal. This indicates that organic matter seems the primary and preferential sorbent of radiocesium that could be associated with the physical blockage of the exchanging sites by organic-rich dusts that act as a buffer against downward propagation of radiocesium, implying radiocesium to be remained in the root zone for considerable time period. As a result, this soil section can be a potential source of radiation dose largely due to high radiocesium concentration coupled with its low density. Generally, such kind of information will be useful to establish a dynamic safety-focused decision support system to ease and assist management actions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estrogen- and Satiety State-Dependent Metabolic Lateralization in the Hypothalamus of Female Rats.

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Istvan Toth

Full Text Available Hypothalamus is the highest center and the main crossroad of numerous homeostatic regulatory pathways including reproduction and energy metabolism. Previous reports indicate that some of these functions may be driven by the synchronized but distinct functioning of the left and right hypothalamic sides. However, the nature of interplay between the hemispheres with regard to distinct hypothalamic functions is still unclear. Here we investigated the metabolic asymmetry between the left and right hypothalamic sides of ovariectomized female rats by measuring mitochondrial respiration rates, a parameter that reflects the intensity of cell and tissue metabolism. Ovariectomized (saline injected and ovariectomized+estrogen injected animals were fed ad libitum or fasted to determine 1 the contribution of estrogen to metabolic asymmetry of hypothalamus; and 2 whether the hypothalamic asymmetry is modulated by the satiety state. Results show that estrogen-priming significantly increased both the proportion of animals with detected hypothalamic lateralization and the degree of metabolic difference between the hypothalamic sides causing a right-sided dominance during state 3 mitochondrial respiration (St3 in ad libitum fed animals. After 24 hours of fasting, lateralization in St3 values was clearly maintained; however, instead of the observed right-sided dominance that was detected in ad libitum fed animals here appeared in form of either right- or left-sidedness. In conclusion, our results revealed estrogen- and satiety state-dependent metabolic differences between the two hypothalamic hemispheres in female rats showing that the hypothalamic hemispheres drive the reproductive and satiety state related functions in an asymmetric manner.

Exposure to an open-field arena increases c-Fos expression in a distributed anxiety-related system projecting to the basolateral amygdaloid complex.

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Hale, M W; Hay-Schmidt, A; Mikkelsen, J D; Poulsen, B; Shekhar, A; Lowry, C A

2008-08-26

Anxiety states and anxiety-related behaviors appear to be regulated by a distributed and highly interconnected system of brain structures including the basolateral amygdala. Our previous studies demonstrate that exposure of rats to an open-field in high- and low-light conditions results in a marked increase in c-Fos expression in the anterior part of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (BLA) compared with controls. The neural mechanisms underlying the anatomically specific effects of open-field exposure on c-Fos expression in the BLA are not clear, however, it is likely that this reflects activation of specific afferent input to this region of the amygdala. In order to identify candidate brain regions mediating anxiety-induced activation of the basolateral amygdaloid complex in rats, we used cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) as a retrograde tracer to identify neurons with direct afferent projections to this region in combination with c-Fos immunostaining to identify cells responding to exposure to an open-field arena in low-light (8-13 lux) conditions (an anxiogenic stimulus in rats). Adult male Wistar rats received a unilateral microinjection of 4% CTb in phosphate-buffered saline into the basolateral amygdaloid complex. Rats were housed individually for 11 days after CTb injections and handled (HA) for 2 min each day. On the test day rats were either, 1) exposed to an open-field in low-light conditions (8-13 lux) for 15 min (OF); 2) briefly HA or 3) left undisturbed (control). We report that dual immunohistochemical staining for c-Fos and CTb revealed an increase in the percentage of c-Fos-immunopositive basolateral amygdaloid complex-projecting neurons in open-field-exposed rats compared with HA and control rats in the ipsilateral CA1 region of the ventral hippocampus, subiculum and lateral entorhinal cortex. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to the open-field arena activates an anxiety-related neuronal system with convergent input to the

Hydroxyapatite granules used in the obliteration of mastoid cavities in rats.

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Hamerschmidt, Rogério; Santos, Rafael Francisco dos; Araújo, João Cândido; Stahlke, Henrique Jorge; Agulham, Miguel Angelo; Moreira, Ana Tereza Ramos; Mocellin, Marcos

2011-06-01

Prospective experimental study in which we created a bony defect in the mastoids of rats and filled it up with hydroxyapatite to evaluate bone regeneration, to solve the problems of open cavities after mastoidectomies that frequently present with otorrhea, infection, granulation tissue and hearing loss. The aim was to evaluate bone regeneration in defects created in the mastoids of rats, using hydroxyapatite, to see how much of the cavity we could reduce. Twelve rats Wistar-Furth were used. A 0.5 x 0.5 cm bone defect was created in both temporal bones of the rats, and filled with 15 micrograms of hydroxyapatite. The left side was used as control. The animals were slaughtered 40 days afterwards and histology analyses were carried out. In the hydroxyapatite group, the new bone growth involved an area of 68.53% of the total; and in the control group it was only of 15.97%. It was observed a very good hydroxyapatite integration to the temporal bone in this experimental model. The microscopic results were superior with the use of hydroxyapatite when compared to the control group. It is a safe method and easy to apply to solve the problems of open cavities with chronic discharge and difficult to clean.

Protective effects of Rosmarinic acid against renal ischaemia/reperfusion injury in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozturk, H.; Ozturk, H.; Terzi, E.H.

2014-01-01

Objective: To investigate the potential protective effects of Rosmarinic acid (RA) on rats exposed to ischaemia/reperfusion renal injury. Methods: The prospective study was conducted at Abant Izzet Baysal University, Turkey, and comprised 21 male Spraque Dawley rats weighing 250-270g each. They were divided into three equal groups. Unilaterally nephrectomised rats were subjected to 60 minutes of left renal ischaemia followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion. Group 1 had shamoperated animals; group 2 had ischaemia/reperfusion untreated animals; and group 3 had ischaemia/reperfusion animals treated with rosmarinic acid. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, tissue malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, and light microscopic findings were evaluated. SPSS 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Treatment of rats with rosmarinic acid produced a reduction in the serum levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen compared to the other groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found. The levels of malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase were decreased in the renal tissue of group 3, while glutathione peroxidose and superoxide dismutase levels remained unchanged. The injury score decreased in the treatment group rats compared to the untreated group. Rosmarinic acid significantly decreased focal glomerular necrosis, dilatation of Bowman's capsule, degeneration of tubular epithelium, necrosis in tubular epithelium, and tubular dilatation. Conclusions: Rosmarinic acid prevented ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the kidneys by decreasing oxidative stress. (author)

Effect of grass cover on water and pesticide transport through undisturbed soil columns, comparison with field study (Morcille watershed, Beaujolais).

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Dousset, S; Thévenot, M; Schrack, D; Gouy, V; Carluer, N

2010-07-01

The purpose of this work is to assess the effectiveness of two grass covers (buffer zone and grass-covered inter-row), to reduce pesticide leaching, and subsequently to preserve groundwater quality. Lower amounts of pesticides leached through grass-cover soil columns (2.7-24.3% of the initial amount) than the bare soil columns (8.0-55.1%), in correspondence with their sorption coefficients. Diuron was recovered in higher amounts in leachates (8.9-32.2%) than tebuconazole (2.7-12.9%), in agreement with their sorption coefficients. However, despite having a sorption coefficient similar to that of diuron, more procymidone was recovered in the leachates (10.2-55.1%), probably due to its facilitated transport by dissolved organic matter. Thus even in this very permeable soil, higher organic matter contents associated with grass-cover reduce the amount of pesticide leaching and limit the risk of groundwater contamination by the pesticides. The results of diuron and tebuconazole transfer through undisturbed buffer zone soil columns are in agreement with field observations on the buffer zone. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The left atrium, atrial fibrillation, and the risk of stroke in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wachtell, K.; Devereux, R.B.; Lyle, P.A.

2008-01-01

was superior to atenolol-based treatment for reducing new-onset AF and complications, especially stroke, associated with new-onset or pre-existing AF. Potential mechanisms of AF prevention by angiotensin receptor blockade supported by LIFE results include greater reduction in left atrial size and LV......The Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension (LIFE) study provided extensive data on predisposing factors, consequences, and prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertension and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Randomized losartan-based treatment...... hypertrophy. Differential effects of antihypertensive treatment on the left atrium and left ventricle may help prevent AF and reduce risk of stroke associated with hypertensive heart disease Udgivelsesdato: 2008/12...

Additive effect of mesenchymal stem cells and defibrotide in an arterial rat thrombosis model.

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Dilli, Dilek; Kılıç, Emine; Yumuşak, Nihat; Beken, Serdar; Uçkan Çetinkaya, Duygu; Karabulut, Ramazan; Zenciroğlu, Ayşegu L

2017-06-01

In this study, we aimed to investigate the additive effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and defibrotide (DFT) in a rat model of femoral arterial thrombosis. Thirty Sprague Dawley rats were included. An arterial thrombosis model by ferric chloride (FeCl3) was developed in the left femoral artery. The rats were equally assigned to 5 groups: Group 1-Sham-operated (without arterial injury); Group 2-Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) injected; Group 3-MSC; Group 4-DFT; Group 5-MSC + DFT. All had two intraperitoneal injections of 0.5 ml: the 1st injection was 4 h after the procedure and the 2nd one 48 h after the 1st injection. The rats were sacrificed 7 days after the 2nd injection. Although the use of human bone marrow-derived (hBM) hBM-MSC or DFT alone enabled partial resolution of the thrombus, combining them resulted in near-complete resolution. Neovascularization was two-fold better in hBM-MSC + DFT treated rats (11.6 ± 2.4 channels) compared with the hBM-MSC (3.8 ± 2.7 channels) and DFT groups (5.5 ± 1.8 channels) (P < 0.0001 and P= 0.002, respectively). The combined use of hBM-MSC and DFT in a rat model of arterial thrombosis showed additive effect resulting in near-complete resolution of the thrombus.

Evidence that the periaqueductal gray matter mediates the facilitation of panic-like reactions in neonatally-isolated adult rats.

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Jeyce Willig Quintino-dos-Santos

Full Text Available Plenty of evidence suggests that childhood separation anxiety (CSA predisposes the subject to adult-onset panic disorder (PD. As well, panic is frequently comorbid with both anxiety and depression. The brain mechanisms whereby CSA predisposes to PD are but completely unknown in spite of the increasing evidence that panic attacks are mediated at midbrain's dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (DPAG. Accordingly, here we examined whether the neonatal social isolation (NSI, a model of CSA, facilitates panic-like behaviors produced by electrical stimulations of DPAG of rats as adults. Eventual changes in anxiety and depression were also assessed in the elevated plus-maze (EPM and forced-swimming test (FST respectively. Male pups were subjected to 3-h daily isolations from post-natal day 2 (PN2 until weaning (PN21 allotting half of litters in individual boxes inside a sound-attenuated chamber (NSI, n = 26 whilst siblings (sham-isolated rats, SHAM, n = 27 and dam were moved to another box in a separate room. Non-handled controls (CTRL, n = 18 remained undisturbed with dams until weaning. As adults, rats were implanted with electrodes into the DPAG (PN60 and subjected to sessions of intracranial stimulation (PN65, EPM (PN66 and FST (PN67-PN68. Groups were compared by Fisher's exact test (stimulation sites, likelihood ratio chi-square tests (stimulus-response threshold curves and Bonferroni's post hoc t-tests (EPM and FST, for P<0.05. Notably, DPAG-evoked panic-like responses of immobility, exophthalmus, trotting, galloping and jumping were markedly facilitated in NSI rats relative to both SHAM and CTRL groups. Conversely, anxiety and depression scores either did not change or were even reduced in neonatally-handled groups relative to CTRL, respectively. Data are the first behavioral evidence in animals that early-life separation stress produces the selective facilitation of panic-like behaviors in adulthood. Most importantly, results implicate

Antihypertensive effect of rhizome part of Acorus calamus on renal artery occlusion induced hypertension in rats

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Pinal Patel

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: The rhizomes part of Acorus calamus (AC having the calcium inhibitory effect and diuretic activity which may potentiate Na+ excretion in hypertension induced by occlusion of renal artery. Therefore this study was aimed to investigate the effect of AC on experimentally induced hypertension. Methods: Hypertension in rats was induced by clamping the left renal artery for 4h by arterial clamp (2K1C. At the end of experiment animal were anesthetized with ketamine (50 mg/kg. Carotid artery was cannulated which was connected to pressure transducer for estimation of blood pressure. Results: Ethyl acetate extract of Acorus calamus rhizomes (EAAC treated rats that underwent hypertension, demonstrated significant (P < 0.01 lower systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure when compared with 2K1C rats indicated blood pressure lowering activity. Plasma renin activity was significantly (P < 0.05 decreased in EAAC treated rats compared to 2K1C rats. EAAC treated rats that underwent hypertension demonstrated significant (P < 0.01 lower mean blood urea nitrogen and creatinine when compared with 2K1C rats. Lipid peroxidation was significantly (P < 0.001 decreased, where as nitric oxide level in tissue was significantly elevated in EAAC treated rats. Antioxidant enzymes like glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001 increased in EAAC treated rats when compared to 2K1C rats. Conclusions: In conclusions, EAAC treatment attenuated renal artery occlusion induced hypertension via nitric oxide generation and decreases the plasma renin activity.

Effects of a novel bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist and angiotensin II receptor blockade on experimental myocardial infarction in rats.

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Dongmei Wu

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of the novel bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist BI-113823 following myocardial infarction (MI and to determine whether B1 receptor blockade alters the cardiovascular effects of an angiotensin II type 1 (AT1 receptor antagonist after MI in rats.Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to permanent occlusion of the left descending coronary artery. Cardiovascular function was determined at 7 days post MI. Treatment with either B1 receptor antagonist (BI-113823 or AT1 receptor antagonist (irbesartan alone or in combination improved post-MI cardiac function as evidenced by attenuation of elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP; greater first derivative of left ventricular pressure (± dp/dt max, left ventricle ejection fraction, fractional shorting, and better wall motion; as we as reductions in post-MI up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2 and collagen III. In addition, the cardiac up-regulation of B1 receptor and AT1 receptor mRNA were markedly reduced in animals treated with BI 113823, although bradykinin B2 receptor and angiotensin 1 converting enzyme (ACE1 mRNA expression were not significantly affected by B1 receptor blockade.The present study demonstrates that treatment with the novel B1 receptor antagonist, BI-113823 improves post-MI cardiac function and does not influence the cardiovascular effects of AT1 receptor antagonist following MI.

Maternal protein restriction compromises myocardial contractility in the young adult rat by changing proteins involved in calcium handling.

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de Belchior, Aucelia C S; Freire, David D; da Costa, Carlos P; Vassallo, Dalton V; Padilha, Alessandra S; Dos Santos, Leonardo

2016-02-01

Maternal protein restriction (MPR) during pregnancy is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in the offspring in adulthood. In this study we evaluated the cardiac function of young male rats born from mothers subjected to MPR during pregnancy, focusing on the myocardial mechanics and calcium-handling proteins. After weaning, rats received normal diet until 3 mo old, when the following parameters were assessed: arterial and left ventricular hemodynamics and in vitro cardiac contractility in isolated papillary muscles. The body weight was lower and arterial pressure higher in the MPR group compared with young adult offspring of female rats that received standard diet (controls); and left ventricle time derivatives increased in the MPR group. The force developed by the cardiac muscle was similar; but time to peak and relaxation time were longer, and the derivatives of force were depressed in the MPR. In addition, MPR group exhibited decreased post-pause potentiation of force, suggesting reduced reuptake function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Corroborating, the myocardial content of SERCA-2a and phosphorylated PLB-Ser16/total PLB ratio was decreased and sodium-calcium exchanger was increased in the MPR group. The contraction dependent on transsarcolemmal influx of calcium was higher in MPR if compared with the control group. In summary, young rats born from mothers subjected to protein restriction during pregnancy exhibit changes in the myocardial mechanics with altered expression of calcium-handling proteins, reinforcing the hypothesis that maternal malnutrition is related to increased cardiovascular risk in the offspring, not only for hypertension, but also cardiac dysfunction. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of gastric varix draining via the left inferior phrenic vein into the left hepatic vein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibukuro, Kenji; Mori, Koichi; Tsukiyama, Toshitaka; Inoue, Yoshihiro; Iwamoto, Yukako; Tagawa, Kazumi

1999-01-01

We encountered a patient with gastric varix draining not via the usual left suprarenal vein but via the left inferior phrenic vein joining the left hepatic vein. Transfemoral balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) of the varix was performed under balloon occlusion of the left inferior phrenic vein via the left hepatic vein and retrograde injection of the sclerosing agent (5% of ethanolamine oleate) into the gastric varix. Disappearance of the gastric varix was confirmed on endoscopic examination 2 months later.

Systemic effects of fluoxetine on the amount of tooth movement, root resorption, and alveolar bone remodeling during orthodontic force application in rat

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Mehdi Rafiei

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Antidepressant drugs such as fluoxetine are of the most commonly used drugs among the public. These drugs may impact the regulation of bone cell functioning, and thus affect orthodontic tooth movement. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fluoxetine on tooth movements during orthodontic treatment in rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 male rats were randomly assigned into two groups and injected with fluoxetine 10 mg/kg (experimental group and normal saline (control group for a period of 1-month intraperitoneally 5 times/week. Then, the rats were anesthetized and a nickel-titanium closed-coil spring was placed between the left maxillary first molar and left maxillary central incisors of all samples, and then fluoxetine (experimental group and normal saline (control group were injected for another 3 weeks by the same method. After measuring tooth movements, rats were sacrificed, and histomorphometric analyses were conducted and the obtained data were statistically analyzed using independent t-test and the significance was set at 0.05. Results: Following the fluoxetine injection, the mean amount of tooth movements in the experimental group was reduced compared to the control group, which was not statistically significant (P = 0.14. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding bone apposition rate (P = 0.83, external root resorption rate (P = 0.1, and mean number of root resorption lacunae (P = 0.16. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, systemic use of fluoxetine may cause insignificant reduction of tooth movement rate in rats; however, this subject needs more evaluations.

Implantation of a HeartMate II left ventricular assist device via left thoracotomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Yang Hyun; Deo, Salil V; Schirger, John A; Pereira, Naveen L; Stulak, John M; Park, Soon J

2012-11-01

Left thoracotomy was used as an approach for the implantation of pulsatile ventricular assist devices. Avoiding the standard approach of median sternotomy is attractive in patients undergoing complicated redo cardiac surgery, especially with prior mediastinal radiation. We report a case of the use of left thoracotomy for the implantation of the HeartMate II axial-flow pump. Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electron autoradiographic study of intracellular conversion of fatty acids into glycogen in rats with alloxan diabetes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebkova, N.P.; Bobkov, Y.I.; Gorbonova, V.D.; Kolesova, O.E.

1985-01-01

An electron-autoradiographic study was undertaken of the intracellular distribution of hydrogen of fatty acids in alloxan diabetes. Alloxan diabetes was induced in rats; between 2 weeks and 2 months after development of the disease 0.1 ml of tritium-oleic or tritium-arachidonic acid was injected into the caudel vein of the rats. After decapitation, myocardial tissue from the subendocardial zone of the left ventricle, liver tissue, and glycogen isolated from the liver by a biochemical method, were taken for electron-autoradiographic investigation. Analysis of the data showed that a radioactive isotope, injected into the blood stream of the animals in the form of oleic or arachidonic acids, is incorporated into various structures of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes. Direct proof is obtained to show that glycogen in hepatocytes and cardiomyoctyes of diabetic rats may be formed from fatty acids

Betanin reduces the accumulation and cross-links of collagen in high-fructose-fed rat heart through inhibiting non-enzymatic glycation.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Junyan; Tan, Chang; Wang, Yiheng; Yang, Shaobin; Tan, Dehong

2015-02-05

We attempted to determine whether betanin (from natural pigments) that has antioxidant properties would be protective against fructose-induced diabetic cardiac fibrosis in Sprague-Dawley rats. Fructose water solution (30%) was accessed freely, and betanin (25 and 100 mg/kg/d) was administered by intra-gastric gavage continuously for 60 d. Rats were sacrificed after overnight fast. The rat blood and left ventricle were collected. In vitro antiglycation assay in bovine serum albumin/fructose system was also performed. In rats treated only with fructose, levels of plasma markers: glucose, insulin, HOMA and glycated hemoglobin rised, left ventricle collagen accumulated and cross-linked, profibrotic factor-transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) protein expression increased, and soluble collagen decreased, compared with those in normal rats, showing fructose induces diabetic cardiac fibrosis. Treatment with betanin antagonized the changes of these parameters, demonstrating the antifibrotic role of betanin in the selected diabetic models. In further mechanistic study, betanin decreased protein glycation indicated by the decreased levels of protein glycation reactive intermediate (methylglyoxal), advanced glycation end product (N(ε)-(carboxymethyl) lysine) and receptors for advanced glycation end products (AGEs), antagonized oxidative stress and nuclear factor-κB activation elicited by fructose feeding, suggesting inhibition of glycation, oxidative stress and nuclear factor-κB activation may be involved in the antifibrotic mechanisms. Betanin also showed anitglycative effect in BSA/fructose system, which supported that anitglycation was involved in betanin's protective roles in vivo. Taken together, the potential for using betanin as an auxillary therapy for diabetic cardiomyopathy deserves to be explored further. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 67023 - Notice of Temporary Closure on Public Lands in Mesa County, CO

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-08

... soils in place. A temporary closure of public land to vehicle and foot traffic within the burned area is necessary to stabilize soils, prevent erosion and protect public health and safety. The BLM spread a quick... seeds need to be left undisturbed to create root structure and stabilize soils. Soil erosion prevention...

Moral Markets for Troubling Youths: A Disruption!

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Cousins, Linwood H.

2001-01-01

Maintains that public policy discourse with narrow views of morality and character are at the center of contemporary definitions and marketing of services for violent/troubled youth. Uses descriptive and ethnographic data on violence in urban and black schools/communities to argue that, left undisturbed, moral entrepreneurs pose as much risk as…

Low Protein Diet Inhibits Uric Acid Synthesis and Attenuates Renal Damage in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

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Jianmin Ran

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. Several studies indicated that hyperuricemia may link to the worsening of diabetic nephropathy (DN. Meanwhile, low protein diet (LPD retards exacerbation of renal damage in chronic kidney disease. We then assessed whether LPD influences uric acid metabolism and benefits the progression of DN in streptozotocin- (STZ- induced diabetic rats. Methods. STZ-induced and control rats were both fed with LPD (5% and normal protein diet (18%, respectively, for 12 weeks. Vital signs, blood and urinary samples for UA metabolism were taken and analyzed every 3 weeks. Kidneys were removed at the end of the experiment. Results. Diabetic rats developed into constantly high levels of serum UA (SUA, creatinine (SCr and 24 h amounts of urinary albumin excretion (UAE, creatintine (UCr, urea nitrogen (UUN, and uric acid (UUA. LPD significantly decreased SUA, UAE, and blood glucose, yet left SCr, UCr, and UUN unchanged. A stepwise regression showed that high UUA is an independent risk factor for DN. LPD remarkably ameliorated degrees of enlarged glomeruli, proliferated mesangial cells, and hyaline-degenerated tubular epithelial cells in diabetic rats. Expression of TNF-α in tubulointerstitium significantly decreased in LPD-fed diabetic rats. Conclusion. LPD inhibits endogenous uric acid synthesis and might accordingly attenuate renal damage in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Protection of CpG ODN 1826 against radiation pulmonary fibrosis in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xuan; Qiao Tiankui; Zhuang Xibing; Zhang Jihong

2014-01-01

Objective: To explore the protectional function of CpG ODN 1826 against radiation pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Methods: The rat left lung was exposed to 20 Gy of 6 MV X-rays for establishing a radiation pulmonary fibrosis model. SD rats were randomly divided into control group, irradiated group and intervention group, with 30 rats in each group. CpG ODN 1826 was intraperitoneally injected into rats at 0, 1, 2, 5 and 7 d post-irradiation. The rats were terminated at 5, 15, 30 and 90 d post-irradiation, and the lung indexes were recorded. Paraffin sections of the radiated lung were conducted with HE staining and Masson staining, the pulmonary fibrosis scores were recorded. The serum concentrations of TGF-β1 and hydroxyproline (Hyp) were measured. Results: The radiation pulmonary fibrosis rat model was successfully established. The lung indexes of the control group were lower than those of the irradiated and intervention groups at 5 d post-irradiation (t = 3.046, 2.252, P < 0.05). The lung indexes of the intervention group were lower than those of the irradiated group (t = 4.120, 5.226, 5.719, P < 0.05). Pulmonary fibrosis scores of intervention group were lower than those of irradiated group (t = 3.212, 4.959, P < 0.05). The serum concentrations of TGF-β1 of irradiated group were higher than those of the intervention group (t = 4.138, 5.924, 4.138, 5.924, P < 0.05). The Hyp in the lung of irradiated group was higher than that of intervention group (t = 7.527, 8.416, P < 0.05). Conclusions: CpG ODN1826 will not worse the radiation pulmonary fibrosis, on the contrary, it could reduce the serum concentrations of TGF-β1 and the lung content of Hyp in radiation pulmonary fibrosis, and protects rat against radiation pulmonary fibrosis. (authors)

Cardiac protein expression patterns are associated with distinct inborn exercise capacity in non-selectively bred rats

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L.P. Ribeiro

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we successfully demonstrated for the first time the existence of cardiac proteomic differences between non-selectively bred rats with distinct intrinsic exercise capacities. A proteomic approach based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry was used to study the left ventricle (LV tissue proteome of rats with distinct intrinsic exercise capacity. Low running performance (LRP and high running performance (HRP rats were categorized by a treadmill exercise test, according to distance run to exhaustion. The running capacity of HRPs was 3.5-fold greater than LRPs. Protein profiling revealed 29 differences between HRP and LRP rats (15 proteins were identified. We detected alterations in components involved in metabolism, antioxidant and stress response, microfibrillar and cytoskeletal proteins. Contractile proteins were upregulated in the LVs of HRP rats (α-myosin heavy chain-6, myosin light chain-1 and creatine kinase, whereas the LVs of LRP rats exhibited upregulation in proteins associated with stress response (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, α-crystallin B chain and HSPβ-2. In addition, the cytoskeletal proteins desmin and α-actin were upregulated in LRPs. Taken together, our results suggest that the increased contractile protein levels in HRP rats partly accounted for their improved exercise capacity, and that proteins considered risk factors to the development of cardiovascular disease were expressed in higher amounts in LRP animals.

Aggravated Cardiac Remodeling post Aortocaval Fistula in Unilateral Nephrectomized Rats.

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Jie Wu

Full Text Available Aortocaval fistula (AV in rat is a unique model of volume-overload congestive heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy. Living donor kidney transplantation is regarded as beneficial to allograft recipients and not particularly detrimental to the donors. Impact of AV on animals with mild renal dysfunction is not fully understood. In this study, we explored the effects of AV in unilateral nephrectomized (UNX rats.Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD rats were divided into Sham (n = 10, UNX (right kidney remove, n = 10, AV (AV established between the levels of renal arteries and iliac bifurcation, n = 18 and UNX+AV (AV at one week after UNX, n = 22, respectively. Renal outcome was measured by glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, fractional excretion of sodium, albuminuria, plasma creatinine, and cystatin C. Focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS incidence was evaluated by renal histology. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography and hemodynamic measurements.UNX alone induced compensatory left kidney enlargement, increased plasma creatinine and cystatin C levels, and slightly reduced glomerular filtration rate and increased FGS. AV induced significant cardiac enlargement and hypertrophy and reduced cardiac function and increased FGS, these changes were aggravated in UNX+AV rats.Although UNX only induces minor renal dysfunction, additional chronic volume overload placement during the adaptation phase of the remaining kidney is associated with aggravated cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in UNX rats, suggesting special medical care is required for UNX or congenital monokidney subjects in case of chronic volume overload as in the case of pregnancy and hyperthyroidism to prevent further adverse cardiorenal events in these individuals.

Normobaric, intermittent hypoxia conditioning is cardio- and vasoprotective in rats.

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Manukhina, Eugenia B; Belkina, Ludmila M; Terekhina, Olga L; Abramochkin, Denis V; Smirnova, Elena A; Budanova, Olga P; Mallet, Robert T; Downey, H Fred

2013-12-01

Favorable versus detrimental cardiovascular responses to intermittent hypoxia conditioning (IHC) are heavily dependent on experimental or pathological conditions, including the duration, frequency and intensity of the hypoxia exposures. Recently, we demonstrated that a program of moderate, normobaric IHC (FIO2 9.5-10% for 5-10 min/cycle, with intervening 4 min normoxia, 5-8 cycles/day for 20 days) in dogs afforded robust cardioprotection against infarction and arrhythmias induced by coronary artery occlusion-reperfusion, but this protection has not been verified in other species. Accordingly, in this investigation cardio- as well as vasoprotection were examined in male Wistar rats completing the normobaric IHC program or a sham program in which the rats continuously breathed atmospheric air. Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (IR) was imposed by occlusion and reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in in situ experiments and by subjecting isolated, perfused hearts to global ischemia-reperfusion. Cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial infarct size were quantified in in situ experiments. Endothelial function was evaluated from the relaxation to acetylcholine of norepinephrine-precontracted aortic rings taken from in situ IR experiments, and from the increase in coronary flow produced by acetylcholine in isolated hearts. IHC sharply reduced cardiac arrhythmias during ischemia and decreased infarct size by 43% following IR. Endothelial dysfunction in aorta was marked after IR in sham rats, but not significant in IHC rats. Similar findings were found for the coronary circulations of isolated hearts. These findings support the hypothesis that moderate, normobaric IHC is cardio- and vasoprotective in a rat model of IR.

Left atrial appendage occlusion

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Ahmad Mirdamadi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Left atrial appendage (LAA occlusion is a treatment strategy to prevent blood clot formation in atrial appendage. Although, LAA occlusion usually was done by catheter-based techniques, especially percutaneous trans-luminal mitral commissurotomy (PTMC, it can be done during closed and open mitral valve commissurotomy (CMVC, OMVC and mitral valve replacement (MVR too. Nowadays, PTMC is performed as an optimal management of severe mitral stenosis (MS and many patients currently are treated by PTMC instead of previous surgical methods. One of the most important contraindications of PTMC is presence of clot in LAA. So, each patient who suffers of severe MS is evaluated by Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram to rule out thrombus in LAA before PTMC. At open heart surgery, replacement of the mitral valve was performed for 49-year-old woman. Also, left atrial appendage occlusion was done during surgery. Immediately after surgery, echocardiography demonstrates an echo imitated the presence of a thrombus in left atrial appendage area, although there was not any evidence of thrombus in pre-pump TEE. We can conclude from this case report that when we suspect of thrombus of left atrial, we should obtain exact history of previous surgery of mitral valve to avoid misdiagnosis clotted LAA, instead of obliterated LAA. Consequently, it can prevent additional evaluations and treatments such as oral anticoagulation and exclusion or postponing surgeries including PTMC.

Shenfu injection reduces toxicity of bupivacaine in rats

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王强; 刘艳红; 雷毅; 杨静; 陈绍洋; 陈敏; 熊利泽

2003-01-01

Objective To investigate the effects of injecting Shenfu, an extract of traditional Chinese herbal medicines, on the central nervous system (CNS) and the cardiac toxicity of bupivacaine in rats. Methods Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing form 280 to 320 g, were randomly assigned to two groups (n=8 in each group). Animals in the control group received a saline injection 10 ml/kg while animals in the Shenfu group received an injection of Shenfu 10 ml/kg intraperitoneally 30 minutes before intravenous infusion of bupivacaine. Lead Ⅱ of an electrocardiogram (EEG) was continuously monitored after 3 needles were inserted into the skin of both forelimbs and the left hind-leg of each rat. The femoral artery was cannulated for measurement of arterial blood pressure and blood sampling. The femoral vein was cannulated for the infusion of bupivacaine. After baseline measurement (arterial blood pressure, heart rate and arterial blood gas), 0.5% bupivacaine was infused intravenously at a rate of 2 mg*kg-1*min-1 to all animals until asystole occurred. The time of bupivacaine-induced convulsions, arrhythmia and asystole were determined. The dose of bupivacaine was then calculated at the corresponding time point. Results The doses of bupivacaine that induced convulsions, arrhythmia and cardiac arrest were remarkably larger in Shenfu injection-treated animals than in saline-treated rats ［convulsions, (10.5±1.9) mg/kg vs (7.2±1.5) mg/kg; arrhythmia (10.5±2.0) mg/kg vs (7.2±1.9) mg/kg; asystole, (32.8±8.5) mg/kg vs (25.0±5.0) mg/kg; P=0.006, 0.009 and 0.044, respectively］. Conclusion The Shenfu injection is able to reduce the toxicity of bupiralaine to CNS and cardiac system in rats.

Targeted NGF siRNA delivery attenuates sympathetic nerve sprouting and deteriorates cardiac dysfunction in rats with myocardial infarction.

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Hesheng Hu

Full Text Available Nerve growth factor (NGF is involved in nerve sprouting, hyper-innervation, angiogenesis, anti-apoptosis, and preservation of cardiac function after myocardial infarction (MI. Positively modulating NGF expression may represent a novel pharmacological strategy to improve post-infarction prognosis. In this study, lentivirus encoding NGF short interfering RNA (siRNA was prepared, and MI was modeled in the rat using left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Rats were randomly grouped to receive intramyocardial injection of lentiviral solution containing NGF-siRNA (n = 19, MI-SiNGF group, lentiviral solution containing empty vector (n = 18, MI-GFP group or 0.9% NaCl solution (n = 18, MI-control group, or to receive thoracotomy and pericardiotomy (n = 17, sham-operated group. At 1, 2, 4, and 8 wk after transduction, rats in the MI-control group had higher levels of NGF mRNA and protein than those in the sham-operated group, rats in the MI-GFP group showed similar levels as the MI-control group, and rats in the MI-SiNGF group had lower levels compared to the MI-GFP group, indicating that MI model was successfully established and NGF siRNA effectively inhibited the expression of NGF. At 8 wk, echocardiographic and hemodynamic studies revealed a more severe cardiac dysfunction in the MI-siRNA group compared to the MI-GFP group. Moreover, rats in the MI-siRNA group had lower mRNA and protein expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH and growth-associated protein 43-positive nerve fibers (GAP-43 at both the infarcted border and within the non-infarcted left ventricles (LV. NGF silencing also reduced the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF expression and decreased the arteriolar and capillary densities at the infarcted border compared to the MI-GFP group. Histological analysis indicated a large infarcted size in the MI-SiNGF group. These findings suggested that endogenous NGF silencing attenuated sympathetic nerve sprouting

Effect of lung resection and sham surgery on the frequency of infection in alloxan-diabetic rats

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A.C. Seidel

2003-03-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out in order to determine the effect of lung resection on the frequency of infections in alloxan-diabetic rats. Adult female Wistar rats were injected with alloxan (40 mg/kg, iv to induce diabetes mellitus (group D; N = 45 or with vehicle (1.0 ml/kg, iv to be used as controls (group C; N = 45. Thirty-six days after receiving alloxan both groups were randomly divided into three subgroups: no operation (NO; N = 15, sham operation (SO; N = 15, and left pneumonectomy (PE; N = 15. The rats were sacrificed 36 days after surgery and their lungs were examined microscopically and macroscopically. The occurrence of thoracic wall infection, thoracic wall abscess, lung abscess and pleural empyema was similar in groups D and C. In contrast, the overall infection rate was higher (P<0.05 in the diabetic rats (SO-D and PE-D subgroups, but not in the NO-D subgroup. Considering that the overall infection rate was similar in the SO-D and PE-D subgroups, we suggest that surgery but not pneumonectomy was related to the higher prevalence of infection in diabetic rats.

P6 Electroacupuncture Improved QTc Interval Prolongation by Upregulation of Connexin43 in Droperidol Treated Rats

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Feng Zhao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. This study investigated the effect of P6 EA on droperidol-induced QTc interval prolongation and Cx43 expression in ventricular muscle of rats. Methods. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into control group (C, droperidol group (D, or EA group (E. C group rats were injected with normal saline. D group rats were injected with droperidol 0.13 mg/kg. E group rats were pretreated with EA at left P6 acupoint for 30 min and then injected with droperidol (0.13 mg/kg. QTc intervals were recorded at lead II in ECG within 120 min. Cx43 expression was measured by RT-PCR and western blotting. Result. Droperidol significantly prolonged QTc intervals compared with controls at 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 30 min (P0.05. Conclusion. P6 EA could improve QTc interval prolongation induced by droperidol, which may relate to upregulation of Cx43 mRNA and protein. Antiemetic dose of droperidol had minor effects on Cx43 mRNA and protein expression at 120 min.

Anosognosia for hemiparesis after left-sided stroke.

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Baier, Bernhard; Vucurevic, Goran; Müller-Forell, Wibke; Glassl, Oliver; Geber, Christian; Dieterich, Marianne; Karnath, Hans-Otto

2014-12-01

In patients with left-sided lesions, anosognosia for hemiparesis (AHP) seems to be a rare phenomenon. It has been discussed whether this rareness might be due to an inevitable bias due to language dysfunction and whether the left hemisphere's role for our self-awareness of motor actions thus is underestimated. By applying functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we examined whether patients with AHP following a left hemisphere stroke show a regular, left-sided or a reversed, right-sided lateralization of language functions. Only the former observation would argue for an original role of the left hemisphere in self-awareness about limb function. In a consecutive series of 44 acute left-sided stroke patients, only one patient (=2%) was identified showing AHP. In this case, we could verify by using fMRI that lateralization of AHP and spatial neglect on the one hand and of language functions on the other hand were reversed. The present single case observation thus argues against an original role of the left hemisphere in self-awareness about limb function. We discuss the data in the context of previous observations in the literature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Left bronchial artery arising from a replaced left hepatic artery in a patient with massive hemoptysis

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Khil, Eun Kyung; Lee, Jae Myung [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

A 70-year-old man with a 3-year history of bronchiectasis presented with massive hemoptysis that had lasted for 3 days. In our attempt to perform bronchial artery embolization, upper abdominal angiography was required to locate the left bronchial artery, which in this case was of anomalous origin, arising from a replaced left hepatic artery, which arose from the left gastric artery-a very unusual anatomical variant. We performed embolization with polyvinyl alcohol particles, and the patient's symptoms resolved completely, with no additional complications after conservative treatment.

Left Ventricular Assist Devices

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Khuansiri Narajeenron

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Audience: The audience for this classic team-based learning (cTBL session is emergency medicine residents, faculty, and students; although this topic is applicable to internal medicine and family medicine residents. Introduction: A left ventricular assist device (LVAD is a mechanical circulatory support device that can be placed in critically-ill patients who have poor left ventricular function. After LVAD implantation, patients have improved quality of life.1 The number of LVAD patients worldwide continues to rise. Left-ventricular assist device patients may present to the emergency department (ED with severe, life-threatening conditions. It is essential that emergency physicians have a good understanding of LVADs and their complications. Objectives: Upon completion of this cTBL module, the learner will be able to: 1 Properly assess LVAD patients’ circulatory status; 2 appropriately resuscitate LVAD patients; 3 identify common LVAD complications; 4 evaluate and appropriately manage patients with LVAD malfunctions. Method: The method for this didactic session is cTBL.

Study on interstitial brachytherapy using 103Pd seeds on tumor-bearing rats

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Feng Huiru; Zhang Jingming; Tian Jiahe; Ding Weimin; Bai Hongsheng; Jin Xiaohai

2003-01-01

The effects of low-dose-rate brachytherapy are investigated in tumor-bearing rat. Walker 256 cells are transplanted subcutaneously with a trocar in the left leg of rats (Wistar). Two weeks later, rats with a tumor of 10 mm in mean diameter are divided into three groups (10 per group). Two groups are given 1 seed and 2 seeds implantation of 103 Pd, respectively, the third group is as an untreated control. Tumor size is measured twice a week until the 25th day when the rats are killed. Tumor is monitored either by palpation or further confirmed by histopathology. Kaplan-Meier statistic method is performed for survival analysis. The results show that the average weight of rats in untreated group is lower than in radiation groups (P 0.05). Tumor volumes in all treatment groups increase more obviously than in control till 16 days post-implantation. Tumor regression rate in 1 seed group is higher than in control group and in 2 seeds group. Although survival analysis show that the median survival time in 1 seed, 2 seeds and control groups are 24±0, 21±2 and 19±2 days with survival rate of 80%, 60% and 50% respectively, no significant differences are seen in all groups. So, brachytherapy with 103 Pd seed is effective on tumor-bearing rats. The implantation of seed can cause tumor edema in a self-limited way. A reasonable doses chosen for brachytherapy may play a role in treatment success