Antinociception by metoclopramide, ketamine and their combinations in mice.

Background: Metoclopramide is a centrally acting antiemetic and ketamine is a general anesthetic used with sedatives, tranquilizers and analgesics. Metoclopramide has analgesic effects and its combination with ketamine causes sedation and hypnosis. The contribution of metoclopramide to the analgesic effect of ketamine is not known.

Acute toxicity of veterinary and agricultural formulations of organophosphates dichlorvos and diazinon in chicks.

Formulation components of organophosphate insecticidal preparations might affect their toxic action in animals. The objective of this study was to examine and compare the acute toxicity and cholinesterase inhibition in seven to 14-day-old chicks dosed orally with dichlorvos and diazinon in standard veterinary and agricultural formulations. The acute (24 h) oral median lethal doses (LD50) of the formulations were determined using the up-and-down method.

Plasma and whole brain cholinesterase activities in three wild bird species in Mosul, IRAQ: In vitro inhibition by insecticides.

Plasma and brain cholinesterase activities were determined in three wild bird species to assess their exposure to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides which are used in agriculture and public health. In the present study, we used an electrometric method for measurement of cholinesterase activities in the plasma and whole brain of three indigenous wild birds commonly found in northern Iraq. The birds used were apparently healthy adults of both sexes (8 birds/species, comprising 3-5 from each sex) of quail (Coturnix coturnix), collard dove (Streptopelia decaocto) and rock dove (Columba livia gaddi), which were captured in Mosul, Iraq.

Developmental and behavioral effects of medetomidine following in ovo injection in chicks.

Developmental and behavioral effects of medetomidine were assessed in chicks following in ovo exposure on incubation day 4. Medetomidine at 25 and 50 μg/egg injected once into the air cell on incubation day 4, dose-dependently decreased the number of viable chick embryos starting on day 10 of the incubation. The percentages of successful hatching in the control and medetomidine treated groups were 93, 60 and 47%, respectively.

Transcriptomic analysis in a Drosophila model identifies previously implicated and novel pathways in the therapeutic mechanism in neuropsychiatric disorders.

We have taken advantage of a newly described Drosophila model to gain insights into the potential mechanism of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), a group of drugs that are widely used in the treatment of several neurological and psychiatric conditions besides epilepsy. In the recently described Drosophila model that is inspired by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced kindling epileptogenesis in rodents, chronic PTZ treatment for 7 days causes a decreased climbing speed and an altered CNS transcriptome, with the latter mimicking gene expression alterations reported in epileptogenesis. In the model, an increased climbing speed is further observed 7 days after withdrawal from chronic PTZ.

Cumulative effect of nitrogen and sulphur on Brassica juncea L. genotypes under NaCl stress.

In the present study, N and S assimilation, antioxidant enzymes activity, and yield were studied in N and S-treated plants of Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.

Magnetic nanomaterials for hyperthermia-based therapy and controlled drug delivery.

Previous attempts to review the literature on magnetic nanomaterials for hyperthermia-based therapy focused primarily on magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) using mono metallic/metal oxide nanoparticles. The term "hyperthermia" in the literature was also confined only to include use of heat for therapeutic applications. Recently, there have been a number of publications demonstrating magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia to generate local heat resulting in the release of drugs either bound to the magnetic nanoparticle or encapsulated within polymeric matrices.

Two new antioxidant bergenin derivatives from the stem of Rivea hypocrateriformis.

Two new bergenin derivatives, named rivebergenin A and B (1, and 2), together with two known compounds, bergenin (3) and norbergenin (4) were isolated from the stem of Rivea hypocrateriformis (Desr.) Choisy. The structures of the new compound have been assigned from (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra, DEPT, and by 2D COSY, HMQC, and HMBC experiments.

Gibberellic acid mediated co-ordination of calcium and magnesium ameliorate physiological activities, seed yield and fibre yield of Linum usitatissimum L.-a dual-purpose crop.

Commercial cultivation of linseed for both seed and fibre is not keeping pace with increasing demand for linseed products. Although, different strategies are being adopted to produce a dual-purpose linseed crop with good yield of seed and fibre, little progress has been achieved. The present study was carried out to investigate whether application of gibberellic acid (GA3) along with CaCl2 and/or MgSO4 could ameliorate the seed yield in three linseed genotypes 'Parvati', 'Shekhar' and 'Shubhra' without compromising the fibre production.

Influence of Gold Nanoshell on Hyperthermia of Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs).

Gold nanoshell around super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) was synthesized and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis suggests a gold coating of approximately 0.4 to 0.5 nm thickness.

Testosterone levels and quality of life in diverse male patients with cancers unrelated to androgens.

Purpose: Symptoms secondary to hormonal changes significantly impact quality of life (QoL) in patients with cancer. This cross-sectional study examines prevalence of hypogonadism and its correlation with QoL and sexual dysfunction.

Patients And Methods: We collected blood and medical histories from 428 male patients with non-testosterone-related cancer at three cancer centers.

Magnetic Gold Nanoshells: Step-wise Changing of Magnetism through Step-wise Biofunctionalization.

We report step-wise changing of magnetic behavior of iron oxide core gold shell nanoparticles from super paramagnetic to permanent magnetism at room temperature, on step-wise bio-functionalization with leutenizing hormone and releasing hormone (LHRH) through cysteamine linker. The observed permanent magnetism at room temperature in LHRH-capped gold nanoshells provides opportunities to extend fundamental investigations of permanent magnetism to other novel nanostructures and biofunctionalized nano gold architectures, simultaneously opening the way to newer applications, especially to those in biomedicine.

Experimental xylazine-ketamine anesthesia in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

The potential anesthetic effect of ketamine in combination with xylazine was examined in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Anesthesia (indicated by cessation of voluntary swimming and loss of responses to pinching the skin with forceps and pricking the tail with a needle) was induced by mixing 14.4 ml of ketamine (5% solution), or 11.

Kcnq1ot1 noncoding RNA mediates transcriptional gene silencing by interacting with Dnmt1.

A long noncoding RNA, Kcnq1ot1, regulates the expression of both ubiquitously and tissue-specific imprinted genes within the Kcnq1 domain. However, the functional sequences of the Kcnq1ot1 RNA that mediate lineage-specific imprinting are unknown. Here, we have generated a knockout mouse with a deletion encompassing an 890-bp silencing domain (Delta890) downstream of the Kcnq1ot1 promoter.

A new triterpenoid saponin from the stem bark of Pometia pinnata.

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of Pometia pinnata resulted in the isolation of a new triterpenoidal saponin. The structure of the new compound, pometin (1), was established as 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 3)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-oleanolic acid based on 1D and 2D-NMR analysis including COSY, 2D J-resolved, HMQC, HMBC correlations and chemical transformations.

Gender differences in a Drosophila transcriptomic model of chronic pentylenetetrazole induced behavioral deficit.

A male Drosophila model of locomotor deficit induced by chronic pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), a proconvulsant used to model epileptogenesis in rodents, has recently been described. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) ameliorate development of this behavioral abnormality. Time-series of microarray profiling of heads of male flies treated with PTZ has shown epileptogenesis-like transcriptomic perturbation in the fly model.

Severe hyperbilirubinaemia and kernicterus: more caution is needed in newborn jaundice surveillance.

Since the 1990s, there has been a re-emergence of cases of severe hyperbilirubinaemia and kernicterus. The current UK incidence of bilirubin encephalopathy is 0.9/100,000 with a higher reported incidence in some countries.

Red grain botryomycosis due to Staphylococcus aureus--a novel case report.

Staphylococcus aureus and some other bacteria are known to cause botryomycosis. These bacteria are known to produce yellowish-white soft grains. Only Actinomadura pelletieri is known to produce red grains.

Epigenetics of imprinted long noncoding RNAs.

It is becoming increasingly evident that noncoding RNA (ncRNA) constitutes an important component of chromatin and that ncRNA has a critical role in organizing the chromatin architecture and epigenetic memory by acting as an interface with the chromatin modifying machinery. Xist is the only RNA that has been shown to regulate gene expression by modulating chromatin structure using a multilayered silencing pathway. Recent emerging evidence indicates that long ncRNAs such as Kcnq1ot1 and Air which map to the Kcnq1 and Igf2r imprinted gene clusters, respectively, mediate the transcriptional silencing of multiple genes by interacting with chromatin and recruiting the chromatin modifying machinery.

Epigenetics of imprinted long non-coding RNAs.

It is becoming increasingly evident that noncoding RNA (ncRNA) constitutes an important component of chromatin and that ncRNA has a critical role in organizing the chromatin architecture and epigenetic memory by acting as an interface with the chromatin modifying machinery. Xist is the only RNA that has been shown to regulate gene expression by modulating chromatin structure using a multilayered silencing pathway. Recent emerging evidence indicates that long ncRNAs such as Kcnq1ot1 and Air which map to the Kcnq1 and Igf2r imprinted gene clusters, respectively, mediate the transcriptional silencing of multiple genes by interacting with chromatin and recruiting the chromatin modifying machinery.

Monoaminergic regulation of Sonic hedgehog signaling cascade expression in the adult rat hippocampus.

Monoamines are implicated in the modulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in depression models and following chronic antidepressant treatment. Given the key role of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in adult neurogenesis, we examined whether monoaminergic perturbations regulate the expression of Shh or its co-receptors Smoothened (Smo) and Patched (Ptc). Combined depletion of both serotonin and norepinephrine with para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) resulted in a significant decrease in Smo and Ptc mRNA within the dentate gyrus subfield of the hippocampus.

The long and the short of it: RNA-directed chromatin asymmetry in mammalian X-chromosome inactivation.

Mammalian X-chromosome inactivation is controlled by a multilayered silencing pathway involving both short and long non-coding RNAs, which differentially recruit the epigenetic machinery to establish chromatin asymmetries. In response to developmentally regulated small RNAs, dicer, a key effector of RNA interference, locally silences Xist on the active X-chromosome and establishes the heterochromatin conformation along the silent X-chromosome. The 1.

A Drosophila systems model of pentylenetetrazole induced locomotor plasticity responsive to antiepileptic drugs.

Background: Rodent kindling induced by PTZ is a widely used model of epileptogenesis and AED testing. Overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms may underlie epileptogenesis and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Besides epilepsy, AEDs are widely used in treating various neuropsychiatric disorders.

Kcnq1ot1 antisense noncoding RNA mediates lineage-specific transcriptional silencing through chromatin-level regulation.

Recent investigations have implicated long antisense noncoding RNAs in the epigenetic regulation of chromosomal domains. Here we show that Kcnq1ot1 is an RNA polymerase II-encoded, 91 kb-long, moderately stable nuclear transcript and that its stability is important for bidirectional silencing of genes in the Kcnq1 domain. Kcnq1ot1 interacts with chromatin and with the H3K9- and H3K27-specific histone methyltransferases G9a and the PRC2 complex in a lineage-specific manner.

Acute toxicity and cholinesterase inhibition in chicks dosed orally with organophosphate insecticides.

Acute toxic effects of three commonly used insecticidal preparations of the organophosphates chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and dichlorvos were examined in mixed breed broiler chicks, and cholinesterase activity in plasma and brain were measured. The acute (24 h) oral median lethal doses (LD50) of chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and dichlorvos were 10.79 mg kg(-1), 6.