The neurotransmitter level changes of ducks exposed 8-month in a mercury-polluted site (Wanshan, China) and a reference site (Shanghai, China) were examined. Chemical analyses showed both higher mercury and selenium concentrations in the organ of Wanshan ducks. An increased content of acetylcholine (ACh) in brain and blood and a decreased activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in blood were observed. Moreover, there was an increasing trend for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and nitric oxide(NO) production in duck brain, but a reduction of NOS activity in duck serum. The possible explanations were due to the interactive effect of selenium accumulation and the sublethal exposure level of mercury in Wanshan area. The present study showed that AChE and NOS were sensitive to mercury contamination of real circumstance, suggesting that these two indexes have the potential to be biomarkers in assessment of health effects by mercury contamination.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|
Front Neural Circuits
January 2025
Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, Advanced MRI Research Center, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
The substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), one of the main dopaminergic nuclei of the brain, exerts a regulatory function on the basal ganglia circuitry via the nigro-striatal pathway but its possible dopaminergic innervation of the thalamus has been only investigated in non-human primates. The impossibility of tract-tracing studies in humans has boosted advanced MRI techniques and multi-shell high-angular resolution diffusion MRI (MS-HARDI) has promised to shed more light on the structural connectivity of subcortical structures. Here, we estimated the possible dopaminergic innervation of the human thalamus via an MS-HARDI tractography of the SNc in healthy human young adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Tradit Complement Med
November 2024
Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao, Heilongjiang University of Chinese, Harbin, 150040, China.
Background And Aim: Goupi Plaster (GP) is topical traditional Chinese medicine preparation. It has been used to treat Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) in clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, the mechanisms of GP relieve KOA are poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Microbiol Biotechnol
December 2024
School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, P.R. China.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-proteinogenic amino acid, exhibits diverse physiological functions and finds extensive applications in food, medicine, and various industries. Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) can effectively convert L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) or monosodium glutamate (MSG) into GABA. However, the low food-grade expression of GAD has hindered large-scale GABA production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Microbiol Biotechnol
December 2024
Department of Medicinal Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea.
Inflammatory is a crucial part of the immune system of body protect it from harmful invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances. In this study, the effects of chloroform extract of fermented (CEFV) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophages were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Med
January 2025
Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Background: Long COVID or Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 is an emerging syndrome, recognized in COVID-19 patients who suffer from mild to severe illness and do not recover completely. Most studies define Long COVID, through symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and headache prevailing four or more weeks post-initial infection. Global variations in Long COVID presentation and symptoms make it challenging to standardize features of Long COVID.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!