We investigated the impact of a high-fat (HF) diet during pre- and post-weaning periods on the intestinal microbiota and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in male rats. Nutrition from birth was influenced by feeding rat dams with either a standard or HF diet. After weaning male pups nursed by control dams continued on a standard diet (CC) or HF diet (C-HF), while offspring nursed by HF dams continued on HF diet (HF) or standard diet (HF-C). The numbers of Bacteroides/Prevotella (BAC) and Lactobacillus/Enterococcus (LAB) in the gut were determined by FISH technique. HF pups displayed enhanced adiposity and increased AP activity (19 %), as well as higher LAB (P<0.001) and lower numbers of BAC (P<0.001) in the jejunum and colon than controls. In HF-C rats, post-weaning lower fat intake resulted in decreased fat deposition accompanied by reduced AP activity (20 %) compared to HF rats. Composition of the intestinal microbiota in these rats was not influenced. In contrast, in comparison with controls, C-HF rats displayed higher LAB (P<0.001) and lower BAC (P<0.001) together with increased adiposity and AP activity (14 %). These results indicate that consumption of diet with different fat content could modulate gut microbial/functional conditions depending on the period when the nutritional manipulation occurs., Z. Šefčíková, D. Bujňáková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study aimed to examine how regular aerobic training can affect the muscle hypertrophy induced by overloading. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: rest group, low-intensity aerobic exercise group, and high-intensity aerobic exercise group. Mice in the exercise groups were assigned to run at a speed of 10 m/min (low-intensity) or 25 m/min (high-intensity) for 30 min/day, five days/week, for four weeks. Then, the right hind leg gastrocnemius muscles were surgically removed to overload the plantaris and soleus muscles, while the left hind leg was subjected to a sham-operation. Both the plantaris and soleus muscles grew larger in the overloaded legs than those in the sham-operated legs. Muscle growth increased in the plantaris muscles in the low-intensity exercise group compared to that in the rest or high-intensity exercise groups at one and two weeks after overloading. This enhancement was not observed in the soleus muscles. Consistently, we observed changes in the expression of proteins involved in anabolic intracellular signaling, including Akt, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and p70S6K, in the plantaris muscles. Our data showed for the first time that chronic low-intensity aerobic exercise precipitates overload-induced muscle growth., Siriguleng, T. Koike, Y. Natsume, S. Iwama, Y. Oshida., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Physiological parameters were measured after experimental infection of roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) with Rhipidocotyle fennica Gibson, Valtonen et Taskinen, 1992 (Digenea) cercariae. The fish were caught from two lakes: a eutrophic bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME)-contaminated lake and an oligotrophic unpolluted lake. The intensity of infection was followed up to 10 days post infection (p.i.) and physiological parameters indicating non-specific stress responses and the condition of fish were examined simultaneously. The mean abundance, the number of parasites per fish, of R. fennica was significantly higher in the fish from the contaminated water during the first two days p.i., probably reflecting the decreased resistance of these fish to infection. The decrease of leukocrit, as well as the increase of the activity of transaminases (GOT and GPT) in infected fish of both groups are suggestive of pathological processes caused by cercariae penetrating the fish. A significantly lower leukocrit value, as well as higher alkaline phosphatase activity and plasma chloride levels were noted in fish originating from the contaminated lake compared to those from the unpolluted lake. No significant differences were noted in haematocrit, plasma protein and calcium values between the fish from the uncontaminated and contaminated lakes, or between the infected and uninfected control fish.
The effects of condensed tannins (CTs) extracted from pine bark on egg hatching, larval development and the viability of infective L3 larvae of Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Giles, 1892) and Teladorsagia circumcincta (Stadelmann, 1894) (syn. Ostertagia circumcincta) were evaluated using in vitro bioassays. Significant inhibitory effects of CTs were obtained on the viability of the infective larvae, egg hatching and larval development of both nematodes. In all bioassays, the larval stages of Te. circumcincta were significantly (P < 0.05) more susceptible to the inhibitory effects of CT than those of Tr. colubriformis. At 1 000 µg/ml, CTs from pine bark inhibited 48% and 69% of the infective larvae of Tr. colubriformis and Te. circumcincta, respectively, from passing through the sieve relative to the control incubations (no CT added; P < 0.0001). At the same concentration, CTs were able to inhibit 36% and 47% of the eggs of the two parasites, respectively, from hatching relative to the control incubations without CTs. Moreover, at 150 µg/ml, the CTs were able to inhibit 88% and 95% (P < 0.0001 relative to control incubation) of L1 larvae of the two nematodes, respectively, from attaining the full development to L3 larvae in comparison with the control incubations without CTs. At 200 µg/ml, CTs were able to inhibit completely the larval development in both nematodes. Addition of 2 µg polyethylene glycol (PEG; tannin inhibitor) per µg CT eliminated up to 87% of the CT activity (P < 0.0001) compared to incubations without PEG. In conclusion, this study shows that CTs are able to disrupt the life cycle of nematodes and their effects varied according to the parasite species and stage.
Cancer therapy with daunorubicin is limited by its cardiotoxicity. It has been suggested that daunorubicin-induced free radical generation can be involved. The precise molecular mechanism of daunorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is still not well understood but it is believed that mitochondria play an important role in this process. It has been reported that flavonoids with antioxidant properties may prevent anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. In this work, we investigated the effects of daunorubicin and quercetin on mitochondrial enzyme activities such as ATPase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR). Moreover, we also studied the changes of outer mitochondrial membrane using synchronous fluorescence spectra. The actitivity of ATPase and GR were significantly increased after daunorubicin application. Pretreatment with quercetin significantly alleviated this increase. On the other hand, GPx activity was significantly decreased and quercetin prevented this decrease. Treatment with quercetin alone had no significant effect on the enzyme activity studied. Quercetin also completely prevented daunorubicin-induced changes in fluorescence of the outer mitochondrial membrane. In conclusion, our data indicate that quercetin may be useful in mitigating daunorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity., J. Guzy, J. Kušnír, M. Mareková, Z. Chavková, K. Dubayová, G. Mojžišová, L. Mirossay, J. Mojžiš., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Radiation quality was an important environmental cue to stimulate seed germination in Acacia mangium. The photo-synthetic CO2 assimilation rate, dark respiration rate, total biomass, and relative growth rate of seedlings grown under monochromatic radiation were significantly lower than those of seedlings grown under full spectrum radiation. Blue and red radiation induced shade-avoidance and shade-tolerant responses of A. mangium seedlings, respectively. and Hua Yu, Bee-Lian Ong.
The ultrastructure of cotton leaves, exhibiting reddening as symptom of physiological disorder, was examined by means of transmission electron microscopy. Osmiophilisation of the membrane compartment was established. Massive agglomerations on the tonoplast in the vacuole of cells under the adaxial epidermis were observed, and were referred to as electron-dense osmiophilic substance, most probably of anthocyanin nature. In chloroplast stroma a zone of low electron density enclosing numerous osmiophilic aggregations of unclear chemical character was differentiated. Fragmentation and severe destruction of thylakoids in chloroplasts of reddening cotton leaves was not detected. and D. Stoyanova-Koleva ... [et al.].
The use of rock physics modeling and petrophysical analysis has become an integral part of quantitative seismic interpretation. In the present study, the above-mentioned techniques are applied to the reservoir interval of Basal Sand of Cretaceous age widely distributed in the Lower Indus Basin of Pakistan. The data used for this purpose consists of complete suits of wireline logs from four well A, B, C and D. The primary goal of this work is to understand the trends of seismic parameters such as P-wave velocity (VP), S-wave velocity (VS), bulk modulus, bulk density as a function of fluid saturation and porosity in this sand interval. Petrophysical analysis based on well logs is used to obtain petrophysical properties such as porosity, the volume of shale, fluid saturation, P-wave velocity (VP), S-wave velocity (VS) and density at reservoir conditions. The results show that seismic parameters are very sensitive to fluid saturation, fluid types and rock-forming sediments. Reservoir porosity and fluid saturation control the elastic response of Basal Sand due to which seismic velocities decrease with an increase in porosity and fluid saturation., Perveiz Khalid, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Irfan Ehsan, Aziz Ahmad and Shehzad Khurrum., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Resveratrol, which is a polyphenol present in red wines and vegetables included in human diets, exerts many biological effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate its effect on some activities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, particularly the generation of superoxide anion (O2-) in whole blood, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and nitric oxide (NO) production by isolated cells, and chemotaxis. Resveratrol showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effect on all these activities. In particular, it inhibited O2- generation in stimulated but not in resting neutrophils, decreased HOCl much more than O2- production indicating an effect on myeloperoxidase secretion since HOCl production is directly and proportionally dependent on O2- generation and reduced cell motility. The small dose of resveratrol (4.38 nM) used is attainable with a diet including red wine and vegetables confirming its protective role against some pathological processes such as inflammation, coronary heart disease, and cancer., A. Cavallaro, T. Ainis, C. Bottari, V. Fimiani., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Time course of symbiotic N2-fixing and photosynthetic activities during vegetative growth from 30 d after plantation until pod set was measured in the CB5 and 7964 cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] genotypes of contrasting senescence traits. At emergence, seedlings were inoculated with a "non-cowpea miscellany" Rhizobium strain generally used to inoculate Cicer arietinum. Maximum N2-fixing activity occurred in inoculated CB5 and 7964 plants about 54 and 68 d after plantation, respectively. A similar temporal shift of maximum was found for net photosynthetic rate
(PN), confirming a good coordination between the two processes. A higher PN was found from the first measurements in inoculated plants of both genotypes as compared with uninoculated plants. Apparently, the maximum activity of both N2-fixation and PN was timed to occur at a particular stage of plant ontogeny correlating the high N supply with the high N demand by the plant. Rhizobium inoculation did not significantly affect partitioning coefficients of biomass to various plant organs but extended leaf longevity by about 10 d in the CB5 genotype, retarding thus the monocarpic senescence. and D. Lippi ... [et al.].