Safety evaluation of auraptene in rats in acute and subacute toxicity studies.

Auraptene (AUR) is a natural, bioactive, monoterpene coumarin ether. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the acute and subacute toxicity of oral administration of AUR in rats by evaluating clinical signs, haematology, biochemical factors, pathological changes and immune-toxicity.

Liver ischemia preconditions the heart against ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmias.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the hypothesis that an antiarrhythmic effect might be obtained by ischemic preconditioning of the liver, and also to characterize the potential underlying mechanisms.

Materials And Methods: Male Wistar rats were anesthetized by thiopental sodium (50 mg/kg, IP) followed by IV injection of heparin (250 IU). Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) was induced by 3 cycles of 5 min liver ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion.

Effects of nitric oxide modulating activities on development of enteric nervous system mediated gut motility in chick embryo model.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) arises from the enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs), and many molecules and biochemical processes may be involved in its development. This study examined the effects of modulating embryonic nitric oxide (NO) activity on the intestinal motility induced by ENS. One-hundred-and-twenty fertilized chicken eggs were assigned to three main groups and incubated at 37 degrees Centigrade and 60 percent humidity.

Free radical scavengers improve liver function but not morphological changes induced by reperfusion injury.

Objective: Reperfusion injury (RI) is associated with high generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the extent of involvement of these agents in the injury remains controversial. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of ROS scavengers against hepatic reperfusion injury in the rat.

Methods: The RI was induced in the liver using an isolated slow-flow, reflow perfused rat liver in both anterograde and retrograde perfusion.

Allometric scaling relationship between frequency of intestinal contraction and body size in rodents and rabbits.

This study aimed to establish an allometric scaling relationship between the frequency of intestinal contractions and body mass of different mammalian species. The frequency of intestinal contractions of rabbit, guinea pig, rat and mouse were measured using an isolated organ system. The isolated rings were prepared from proximal segments of jejunums and the frequency of contractions was recorded by an isometric force procedure.

A comparison of hepatic ischemia/hypoxia-reperfusion injury models.

Introduction: A number of hepatic ischemia/hypoxia-reperfusion models have been described. This study characterised the functional and structural changes induced by the most commonly used in vivo and in situ models for hypoxia/ischemia-reperfusion in the rat liver.

Methods: A range of no-flow, slow-flow and lobar ischemia and reperfusion models were established in the rat liver.

Alteration of renal functional, oxidative stress and inflammatory indices following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion.

Liver ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a complex phenomenon that may cause local as well as remote organ injuries. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) along with many pro- and anti- inflammatory cytokines are implicated in the development of organ injury. The renal functional, histological, oxidative stress and inflammatory indices were studied during a short and a longer period of liver IR.

Histological and biochemical alterations in early-stage lobar ischemia-reperfusion in rat liver.

Aim: To investigate the structural and biochemical changes in the early stage of reperfusion in the rat livers exposed to lobar ischemia-reperfusion (IR).

Methods: The median and left lobes of the liver were subjected to 60 min ischemia followed by 5, 10, 30, 45, 60 and 120 min reperfusion. Blood samples were taken at different time intervals to test enzyme activities and biochemical alterations induced by reperfusion.

Dual lentivirus infection potentiates neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration: viral copassage enhances neurovirulence.

Infection by multiple lentiviral strains is recognized as a major driving force in the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic, but the neuropathogenic consequences of multivirus infections remain uncertain. Herein, we investigated the neurovirulence and underlying mechanisms of dual lentivirus infections with distinct viral strains. Experimental feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections were performed using cultured cells and an in vivo model of AIDS neuropathogenesis.

Proteinase-activated receptor-2 exerts protective and pathogenic cell type-specific effects in Alzheimer's disease.

The proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) are a novel family of G protein-coupled receptors, and their effects in neurodegenerative diseases remain uncertain. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder defined by misfolded protein accumulation with concurrent neuroinflammation and neuronal death. We report suppression of proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) expression in neurons of brains from AD patients, whereas PAR2 expression was increased in proximate glial cells, together with up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and reduced IL-4 expression (p < 0.