Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Vitamin D Supplementations Partially Reversed Metabolic Disorders and Restored Gut Microbiota in Obese Wistar Rats.

Obesity is a global public health issue linked to various comorbidities in both humans and animals. This study investigated the effects of vitamin D (VD) and omega-3 fatty acids (ω3FA) on obesity, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic alterations in Wistar rats. After 13 weeks on a standard (S) or High-Fat, High-Sugar (HFHS) diet, the rats received VD, ω3FA, a combination (VD/ω3), or a control (C) for another 13 weeks.

Long-term high-fructose high-fat diet feeding elicits insulin resistance, exacerbates dyslipidemia and induces gut microbiota dysbiosis in WHHL rabbits.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become a global public health burden due to its link to cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. The present study was designed to characterize the metabolic and cardiovascular disturbances, as well as changes in gut microbiota associated with high-fructose high-fat diet (HFFD)-induced MetS in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. Twenty-one Watanabe rabbits were assigned to a control (n = 9) and HFFD (n = 12) groups, receiving a chow diet and a HFFD, respectively.

Supplementing young cattle with a rumen-protected grape extract around vaccination increases humoral response and antioxidant defenses.

Vaccination is an important mainstay of biosecurity and disease prevention in livestock farming. Vaccination failures represent an economic burden for the farmer. Polyphenol supplementation, known for its antioxidant properties, could help reduce oxidative damage and improve the success of vaccination.

Long-term neurologic and cardiac correction by intrathecal gene therapy in Pompe disease.

Pompe disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by acid-α-glucosidase (GAA) deficiency, leading to glycogen storage. The disease manifests as a fatal cardiomyopathy in infantile form. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has recently prolonged the lifespan of these patients, revealing a new natural history.

The relaxant effect of the snake venom on vascular contractility.

Molecular richness of snake venoms is an important source of proteins and toxins with potent effects on the cardiovascular system. The alteration of the vascular system in the victim after a venomous snake bite is usually expressed by a significant decrease in blood pressure. Therefore, exploring snake venom to extract and characterize its biomolecules is of considerable medical interest, and formed the basis of this study.

A non-hypocholesterolemic atorvastatin treatment improves vessel elasticity by acting on elastin composition in WHHL rabbits.

Background And Aims: Statins are prescribed for their preventative effects within atherosclerosis development. To our knowledge, no study focusing on very low-dose (non-hypolipidemic effect) and long-term atorvastatin treatment in vivo was available. Our aim was to assess the effect of such atorvastatin treatment on the mechanical and functional characteristics of arteries in the context of primary prevention.

Protein content analysis and antimicrobial activity of the crude venom of Montivipera bornmuelleri; a viper from Lebanon.

Viperidae snakes venoms represent a source of efficient bioactive components that have already led to the development of several new drugs. In this work, we analyzed the protein content of the Montivipera bornmuelleri crude venom using LC-ESI-MS, sephadex G-75 gel filtration and SDS-PAGE and demonstrated the presence of proteins with molecular masses corresponding to metalloprotease III, serine-protease and PLA2 in three fractions collected after gel filtration. Equally, we examined the antimicrobial effect of the venom that showed an important potency, as bactericidal agent, based on MBC and MIC values obtained, against Staphylococcus aureus and Morganella morganii bacteria.

In vitro comparison of myometrial contractility induced by aglepristone-oxytocin and aglepristone-PGF2alpha combinations at different stages of the estrus cycle in the bitch.

The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the uterokinetic activity of oxytocin and dinoprost, the natural PGF2α, with or without aglepristone, in canine myometrial fibers. Thirty-three bitches were allocated into one of four groups, depending on their estrous stage and whether or not they had received a treatment with aglepristone (metestrus aglepristone, n = 5; metestrus without treatment, n = 9; anestrus aglepristone, n = 9; anestrus without treatment, n = 10). After hysterectomy, longitudinal and circular uterine strips were mounted in organ baths.

Beta-adrenoceptor-mediated vascular relaxation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Although the impairment of beta-adrenoceptor (beta-AR)-induced vascular relaxation to isoprenaline has been extensively described, discrepancy persisted in the literature. In this work, we investigated beta-AR-induced relaxation in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats aorta. We attempted to determine beta-AR subtypes involved in order to understand the conflicting data regarding the beta-AR-induced vasodilation to isoprenaline.

[Impairment of atypical beta-adrenergic-mediated relaxation in spontaneously hypertensive rats before and during the development of arterial hypertension].

The aims of this study was to characterize the functional response of atypical beta-adrenoceptors (beta-AR) in rat aorta and to investigate whether this relaxation was altered before and during the development of hypertension. Aortic rings from 4 or 12 weeks old Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats or spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were placed in organ baths and constricted with phenylephrine. Then, cumulative concentration-relaxation curves to the beta-AR agonists were constructed.

[Alteration in relaxation of atypical beta-adrenergic but not beta-3 receptors in arterial hypertension in the rat].

The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of beta 3-adrenoceptors (beta 3-AR) in hypertension. Aortic rings were isolated from 12 weeks old WKY (Wistar-Kyoto) and SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rat) rats. Rings were placed in organ baths and constricted with phenylephrine.