Our aims were to evaluate N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity in an experimental rat model of chronic exposure to cadmium and its response to ozone therapy. Forty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: control, cadmium only, cadmium and oxygen, cadmium and ozone, and ozone only. Cadmium concentration (ASA method) and NAG activity (by the Maruhn method) were determined in the supernatants of the kidneys, liver, and pancreas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite excellent results of bariatric surgery in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight loss in human subjects, some patients do not obtain desired results. One of the reasons for this is that not all patients follow caloric intake recommendations.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of duodenojejunal omega switch (DJOS) surgery on body weight, glucose tolerance, and incretins in rats.
Background: Ileal transposition surgery is an increasingly used procedure in combination with sleeve gastrectomy to control obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A short-term effect on glycemia amelioration after the ileal transposition (IT) procedure is observed; however, it appears that the effect is time dependent, and it remains uncertain if this effect is also linked with an adipose tissue hormonal activity.
Methods: Twenty male Zucker rats underwent IT or sham surgery.
In the present study we describe the effect of chloronicotinoid pesticide (imidacloprid) on the digestive enzymes activity of the Cameraria ohridella larvae after lasting 1 year sublethal exposure to imidacloprid pesticide. Caterpillars - L4 stage (fourth instar, hyperphagic tissue-feeding phase) - were collected from chemically protected white horse chestnut trees 1 year after imidacloprid treatment, and compared with caterpillars collected from non-treated trees in a previous study. Enzymes activity of α-amylase, disaccharidases, glycosidases and proteases was assayed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe comet assay that provides a quantitative measure of the DNA-strand breaks may be used for assessing the 'genotoxic potential' of the environment. Young adults of Chorthippus brunneus (Orthoptera), collected at three sites in Southern Poland, differing in the level of pollution, particularly with heavy metals: Pilica (reference), Olkusz (moderately polluted) and Szopienice (heavily polluted) - were allowed to mate under laboratory conditions that were free from any pollution. Egg-pods were collected and, after diapause, brain cells from one-day old larvae were used for the comet assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCameraria ohridella is an invasive leaf miner, a severe pest of horse chestnut trees. Chemical control needs recognition of intrinsic metabolic capability to cope with external stressing factors. Our tasks were to check annual effects of generation, and host tree age on detoxifying abilities of the last larval stage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng
October 2012
This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that following exposure to insecticides, changes take place in the metabolism of carbohydrates and absorption in the midgut of insects. The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) was chosen for the experiment as a model organism, due to it being easy to breed and its relatively large alimentary tract, which was important when preparing the microperfusion midgut bioassay. In each group of cockroaches treated with imidacloprid and fenitrothion, absorption of glucose, expressed as the area under the curve (AUC), was elevated compared to the control group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article presents the activity of carbohydratases and proteases in the midgut of Cameraria ohridella larvae--an oligophagous pest whose preferred feeding is horse chestnuts leaves. Optimal media pH of the assayed enzymes were similar to those of other Lepidopterans. Relatively high amylase activity, as well as maltase and sucrase activities, indicates that starch and sucrose are the main digested saccharides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the funnel web spider Agelena labyrinthica (Agelenidae; A. l.), sheet web spider Linyphia triangularis (Linyphiidae; L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to show the direct effect of selenium on glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and GSH/GSSG concentrations in 3- and 6-month-old mice. An ozone-oxygen mixture was used to provoke an oxygen stress. To measure the Se-effect mice were gavaged with sodium selenite.
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