Chick Heart Tissue Research Articles

Development of a Flexible Sensor-Integrated Tissue Patch to Monitor Early Organ Rejection Processes Using Impedance Spectroscopy.

Heart failure represents a primary cause of hospitalization and mortality in both developed and developing countries, often necessitating heart transplantation as the only viable recovery path. Despite advances in transplantation medicine, organ rejection remains a significant post-operative challenge, traditionally monitored through invasive endomyocardial biopsies (EMB). This study introduces a rapid prototyping approach to organ rejection monitoring via a sensor-integrated flexible patch, employing electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for the non-invasive, continuous assessment of resistive and capacitive changes indicative of tissue rejection processes. Utilizing titanium-dioxide-coated electrodes for contactless impedance sensing, this method aims to mitigate the limitations associated with EMB, including procedural risks and the psychological burden on patients. The biosensor's design features, including electrode passivation and three-dimensional microelectrode protrusions, facilitate effective monitoring of cardiac rejection by aligning with the heart's curvature and responding to muscle contractions. Evaluation of sensor performance utilized SPICE simulations, scanning electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry, alongside experimental validation using chicken heart tissue to simulate healthy and rejected states. The study highlights the potential of EIS in reducing the need for invasive biopsy procedures and offering a promising avenue for early detection and monitoring of organ rejection, with implications for patient care and healthcare resource utilization.

Face and content validity of a biological papilla designed for the Boškoski-Costamagna ERCP simulator

A biological papilla made of chicken heart tissue, incorporated into the Boškoski-Costamagna ERCP Trainer simulator, was recently designed to allow training in sphincterotomy. This study aimed to evaluate the face and content validity of this tool. Participants from 2 groups (nonexperienced and experienced [<600 or >600 lifetime ERCPs, respectively]) were invited to perform standardized assignments on the model: sphincterotomy and precut for both groups and papillectomy for the experienced group. Following these assignments, all participants filled out a questionnaire to rate their appreciation of the realism of the model, and experienced endoscopists were also asked to evaluate its didactic value using a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 19 participants were included (nonexperienced, n= 10; experienced, n= 9). Parameters regarding the realism of the tool in terms of general appearance, sphincterotomy, precut, and papillectomy were overall considered realistic (4 of 5), with good agreement rates in terms of overall realism between groups. Experienced operators reported the highest realism for "positioning the scope and needle-knife in the field of view" and "during precut," "cutting in small increments during precut," and "controlling the scope during papillectomy," and they highly agreed that this papilla should be included for training novice and intermediate trainees in sphincterotomy, precut, and papillectomy. Our results show good face validity and excellent content validity of this biological papilla combined with the Boškoski-Costamagna ERCP Trainer. This new tool provides a useful, inexpensive, versatile, and easy tool for training regarding sphincterotomy, precut, and papillectomy. Future studies should explore whether including this model in real-life training improves the learning curve of endoscopy trainees.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide tetramer acid (HFPO-TeA)-induced developmental toxicities in chicken embryo: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Alpha (PPARα) is involved

Hexafluoropropylene oxide tetramer acid (HFPO-TeA) is an emerging environmental contaminant, with environmental presence but limited toxicological information. To investigate its potential developmental toxicities, various doses of HFPO-TeA exposure were achieved in chicken embryos via air cell injection, and the exposed embryos were incubated until hatch. Within 24 h of hatch, the hatchling chickens were assessed with electrocardiography and histopathology for toxicological evaluation. For mechanistic investigation, in ovo silencing of PPARα was achieved via lentivirus microinjection, then the morphological/functional endpoints along with protein expression levels of PPARα-regulated genes were assessed. HFPO-TeA exposure in chicken embryo resulted in developmental cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Specifically, decreased right ventricular wall thickness, increased heart rate and hepatic steatosis were observed, whereas silencing of PPARα resulted in alleviation of observed toxicities. Western blotting for EHHADH and FABPs suggested that developmental exposure to HFPO-TeA effectively increased the expression levels of both targets in hatchling chicken heart and liver tissue samples, while PPARα silencing prevented such changes, suggesting that PPARα and its downstream genes are playing critical roles in HFPO-TeA induced developmental toxicities.

Ex vivo interaction study of NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanophosphors with isolated mitochondria.

Ex vivo interaction of NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanophosphors with isolated mitochondria has been investigated. The nanophosphors were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The synthesized NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanophosphors were characterized for physicochemical properties. The NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanophosphors showed successful upconversion with excitation wavelength lying in the near-infrared region. The effect of synthesized NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanophosphors on mitochondria isolated from the chicken heart tissue was examined through ROS generation capacity, membrane fluidity, and complex II activity. The exposer of NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanophosphors to isolated mitochondria inhibits ROS generation activity as compared to control. The mitochondria membrane fluidity of the lipid bilayer and complex-II activity of mitochondria was observed to be unaltered after the interaction with NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanoparticles. The results confirm that synthesized NaYF4 :Yb,Er nanoparticles can be used as a safe contrast agent.

Gingko biloba extract EGB761 alleviates heat-stress damage in chicken heart tissue by stimulating Hsp70 expression in vivo in vascular endothelial cells

ABSTRACT1. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Gingko biloba extract EGB761 on heat-stressed chicken heart in vivo and its underlying relevance to Hsp70.2. A total of 50 one-day-old female chicks were randomly divided into five groups: control (Con), heat-stress (HS), 0.1% EGB761 plus heat-stress (0.1%EGB+HS), 0.3%EGB761 plus heat-stress (0.3%EGB+HS) and 0.6%EGB761 plus heat-stress (0.6%EGB+HS) groups. After administration of EGB761 for 45 days, the chickens in each group were exposed to a single heat-stress event at 38 ± 1°C for 3 h.3. EGB761 attenuated the abnormal symptoms and pathological scores of myocardium of heat-stressed chickens. Despite a reduction in the transcription and translation of the Hsp70 gene in heat-stressed myocardium, EGB761 induced the expression of Hsp70 in endothelial cells of the microarteries and venules into the blood, and reduced heat-stress damage in vascular endothelial cells.4. Supplementation with EGB761 before heat-stress exposure protected chicken myocardium from damage by increasing serum Hsp70 protein from myocardial cells and cardiac microvascular endothelial cells and protected the microvascular system from adverse injury.

Investigation of antioxidative effects of a cardioprotective solution in heart tissue

A multi-component solution, containing α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), N-acetyl-seleno-l-methionine (NASeLM), and N-acetyl-l-methionine (NALM) as active ingredients, has been tested considering its supposed antioxidative effect with respect to heart transplantations. Oxidative stress was induced on isolated rat hearts through occlusion of a coronary artery and in chicken heart tissue through hydrogen peroxide. Both heart types were analyzed and the oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl proteins (CPs) were determined via HPLC/UV–Vis. In both approaches, it was found that treatment with the multi-component solution led to a lower amount of MDA and CPs compared to a negative control treated with Krebs–Ringer solution (KRS). Further investigation on chicken heart tissue identified α-KG as antioxidative component in these experiments. However, numerous factors like arrhythmia, vessel dilatation, and minimization of oxidative stress effects play an important role for successful transplantation. Therefore, the investigated multi-component solution might be a novel approach against oxidative stress situations, for example at ischemia reperfusion injury during heart transplantations.

Characterization of Oxidative Stress in Chicken Heart Tissue by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet‐Visible (HPLC–UV–Vis) Detection

Oxidative stress can lead to tissue damage in the body, resulting in conditions that may lead to heart failure. Carbonyl proteins and malondialdehyde are common markers for determining oxidative stress. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet‐visible (HPLC–UV–Vis) method was developed for both carbonyl proteins and malondialdehyde and compared with common spectrophotometric methods. The HPLC–UV–Vis method for determining carbonyl proteins showed a linear correlation in a range of 0.05–1.6 µg.mL−1 (correlation coefficient: 0.9939). The limits of detection and quantitation were determined to be 1.7 and 5.1 pmol on-column, respectively. The HPLC–UV–Vis method for malondialdehyde exhibited a linear correlation in the range of 0.04–13.6 µg.mL−1 (correlation coefficient: 0.9982) with limits of detection and quantitation of 1.5 and 4.5 pmol on-column, respectively. As a proof of concept, the applicability of the methods for both marker substances was investigated in chicken heart tissue as a complex matrix sample. To simulate oxidative stress, the tissue was treated with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizing agent. Samples prepared with hydrogen peroxide showed increased carbonyl protein and malondialdehyde levels when compared to non-oxidized samples and samples treated additionally with the antioxidant Trolox. Regarding oxidative stress, similar results were achieved when compared with common spectrophotometric methods. However, HPLC–UV–Vis presented higher reproducibility and accuracy. The developed methods for both markers enable rapid and simple investigation of possible antioxidant effects on tissue samples.

Lipoprotein lipase reaches the capillary lumen in chickens despite an apparent absence of GPIHBP1.

In mammals, GPIHBP1 is absolutely essential for transporting lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to the lumen of capillaries, where it hydrolyzes the triglycerides in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. In all lower vertebrate species (e.g., birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish), a gene for LPL can be found easily, but a gene for GPIHBP1 has never been found. The obvious question is whether the LPL in lower vertebrates is able to reach the capillary lumen. Using purified antibodies against chicken LPL, we showed that LPL is present on capillary endothelial cells of chicken heart and adipose tissue, colocalizing with von Willebrand factor. When the antibodies against chicken LPL were injected intravenously into chickens, they bound to LPL on the luminal surface of capillaries in heart and adipose tissue. LPL was released rapidly from chicken hearts with an infusion of heparin, consistent with LPL being located inside blood vessels. Remarkably, chicken LPL bound in a specific fashion to mammalian GPIHBP1. However, we could not identify a gene for GPIHBP1 in the chicken genome, nor could we identify a transcript for GPIHBP1 in a large chicken RNA-seq data set. We conclude that LPL reaches the capillary lumen in chickens - as it does in mammals - despite an apparent absence of GPIHBP1.

Assessment of arsenic trioxide in the heart of Gallus gallus: alterations of oxidative damage parameters, inflammatory cytokines, and cardiac enzymes.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in the chicken heart, and 72 1-day-old male Hy-line chickens were fed either a commercial diet (C group) or an arsenic supplement diet containing 7.5mg/kg (L group), 15mg/kg (M group), or 30mg/kg (H group) As2O3 for 90days. The results showed that exposure to As2O3 merely lowered (P<0.05) the activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in M and H groups at 90days, significantly downregulated the inhibition ability of hydroxyl radicals (OH·), and upregulated (P<0.05) the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) in As2O3 exposure groups at 30, 60, and 90days. Meanwhile, the messenger RNA levels of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and prostaglandin E synthase (PTGEs)) significantly increased (P<0.05) in As2O3 exposure groups at 30, 60, and 90days, and histological and ultrastructural damage was observed in As2O3 exposure groups. Additionally, As2O3-induced cardiac enzyme (aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (α-HBDH)) levels increased (P<0.05) at 90days. These findings suggested that As2O3 exposure led to oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and histological and ultrastructural damage and altered the levels of cardiac enzymes in chicken heart tissues. This result may be helpful for further studies on the toxicological mechanisms of As2O3 in the chicken heart.

The association of Hsp90 expression induced by aspirin with anti-stress damage in chicken myocardial cells.

The protective effect of aspirin during exposure to heat stress in broiler chickens was investigated. We assayed pathological damage, expression and distribution of Hsp90 protein and hsp90 mRNA expression in chicken heart tissues after oral administration of aspirin following exposure to high temperature for varying times. Heat stress induced increases in plasma aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities while causing severe heart damage, which was characterized by granular and vacuolar degeneration, nuclear shrinkage and even myocardium fragmentation in cardiac muscle fibers. After aspirin administration, myocardial cells showed fewer pathological lesions than broilers treated with heat alone. A high positive Hsp90 signal was always detected in the nuclei of myocardial cells from broilers treated with aspirin, while in myocardial cells treated with heat alone, Hsp90 in the nuclei decreased, as did that in the cytoplasm. Aspirin induced rapid and significant synthesis of Hsp90 before and at the initial phase of heat stress, and significant expression of hsp90 mRNA was stimulated throughout the experiment when compared with cells exposed to heat stress alone. Thus, specific pre-induction of Hsp90 in cardiovascular tissue was useful for resisting heat stress damage because it produced stable damage-related enzymes and fewer pathologic changes.

ARSENIC STATUS AND SPECIATION IN CHICKEN HEART TISSUES

SUMMARY This study evaluated the total and main arsenic species in chicken heart tissues. The experimental study was carried out using two sets of samples. In the first one, 30-day-old chickens were exposed to sodium arsenate, using spiked drinking water. These chickens grew normally and were killed after fifty days of arsenic exposure. The second sets were edible chickens were nonexposed to sodium arsenate for a parallel study. The total arsenic and arsenic species content in the exposed samples were at least twice those in the normal edible chicken. One important aspect is the capability of the heart tissues to preconcentrate the most toxic species, arsenite, in the exposed chicken. Arsenobetaine was also detected in fat in the non exposed chicken.This study could be a way of establishing similarities and differences with humans exposed to the same As(V) species, to ascertain whether chickens can be used in arsenic metabolism evaluation and the results extrapolated to humans. Keywords

Mathematical modeling improves EC50 estimations from classical dose–response curves

The β-adrenergic response is impaired in failing hearts. When studying β-adrenergic function in vitro, the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50 ) is an important measure of ligand response. We previously measured the in vitro contraction force response of chicken heart tissue to increasing concentrations of adrenaline, and observed a decreasing response at high concentrations. The classical interpretation of such data is to assume a maximal response before the decrease, and to fit a sigmoid curve to the remaining data to determine EC50 . Instead, we have applied a mathematical modeling approach to interpret the full dose-response curve in a new way. The developed model predicts a non-steady-state caused by a short resting time between increased concentrations of agonist, which affect the dose-response characterization. Therefore, an improved estimate of EC50 may be calculated using steady-state simulations of the model. The model-based estimation of EC50 is further refined using additional time-resolved data to decrease the uncertainty of the prediction. The resulting model-based EC50 (180-525 nm) is higher than the classically interpreted EC50 (46-191 nm). Mathematical modeling thus makes it possible to re-interpret previously obtained datasets, and to make accurate estimates of EC50 even when steady-state measurements are not experimentally feasible. The mathematical models described here have been submitted to the JWS Online Cellular Systems Modelling Database, and may be accessed at http://jjj.bio.vu.nl/database/nyman.

Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid cloning of avian G0/G1 switch gene 2, and its expression and association with production traits in chicken

As a member of the G0/G1 switch genes, G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2) is related to many regulatory processes in the human and mouse. For example, it interacts directly with adipose triglyceride lipase to active its triglyceride hydrolysis activities. In this study, G0S2 gene cDNA of the chicken (522 bp), zebra finch (420 bp), sparrow (417 bp), pigeon (417 bp), and Bengalese finch (416 bp) were cloned, and each of them was encoded as a protein of 99 amino acids. The expression of G0S2 mRNA was determined by real-time reverse-transcription PCR analysis in 20 tested tissues of 21- and 91-d-old chickens. The highest mRNA level was found in abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat in both stages. Considerable G0S2 mRNA was also observed in chicken heart and muscle tissues. Expression of the chicken G0S2 gene varied at different stages and sexes. The abundance of G0S2 mRNA on d 21 was far higher than that on d 91. The abundance in female chickens was higher than that in males at both stages. In the coding region, we found 4 SNP, among which only G197A led to a change in the amino acids (Arg66Gln); the rest were synonymous substitutions. Association analysis showed that both G102A and G255A were significantly associated with head width (P < 0.05) and were highly significantly associated with leg muscle color (P < 0.01). The G102A was significantly associated with shank diameter at 63 d (P < 0.05). The SNP G197A was significantly associated with shank diameter at 49 d; CP content of leg muscle; total weights of the heart, liver, gizzard, and glandular stomach; and small intestine length (P < 0.05). In conclusion, much higher G0S2 mRNA was detected in both male and female chickens at 21 d of age than at 91 d of age, and 3 SNP (G102A, G197, and G255A) were associated with chicken production traits.

A Minimal Model for the Mitochondrial Rapid Mode of Ca2+ Uptake Mechanism

Mitochondria possess a remarkable ability to rapidly accumulate and sequester Ca2+. One of the mechanisms responsible for this ability is believed to be the rapid mode (RaM) of Ca2+ uptake. Despite the existence of many models of mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics, very few consider RaM as a potential mechanism that regulates mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics. To fill this gap, a novel mathematical model of the RaM mechanism is developed herein. The model is able to simulate the available experimental data of rapid Ca2+ uptake in isolated mitochondria from both chicken heart and rat liver tissues with good fidelity. The mechanism is based on Ca2+ binding to an external trigger site(s) and initiating a brief transient of high Ca2+ conductivity. It then quickly switches to an inhibited, zero-conductive state until the external Ca2+ level is dropped below a critical value (∼100–150 nM). RaM's Ca2+- and time-dependent properties make it a unique Ca2+ transporter that may be an important means by which mitochondria take up Ca2+ in situ and help enable mitochondria to decode cytosolic Ca2+ signals. Integrating the developed RaM model into existing models of mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics will help elucidate the physiological role that this unique mechanism plays in mitochondrial Ca2+-homeostasis and bioenergetics.

Molecular Morphology of the Chick Heart Visualized by MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Utilization of MALDI-MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry) for tissue imaging is a relatively new proteomic technique that simultaneously maps the spatial distribution of multiple proteins directly within a single frozen tissue section. Here, we report the development of a methodology to apply MALDI tissue imaging to chick heart tissue sections acquired from fixed and paraffin-embedded samples. This protocol produces molecular images that can be related to the high-quality histological tissue sections. Perfused term chick hearts were fixed in acidic ethanol and embedded in paraffin wax. Tissue sections (15 microm) were collected onto conductive slides, deparaffinized with xylene, and transitioned into water with graded ethanol washes and allowed to air dry. In separate experiments, three different MALDI matrices were applied to chick heart tissue sections through repeated cycles from a glass nebulizer. Tissue sections were then analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry using a raster step-size of 75-100 microm, and molecular images for specific m/z ratios reconstituted. MALDI tissue imaging revealed spatially resolved protein signals within single heart sections that are specific to structures or regions of the heart, for example, vessels, valves, endocardium, myocardium, or septa. Moreover, no prior knowledge of protein expression is required as is the case for immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization methodologies. The ability to simultaneously localize a large number of unique protein signals within a single tissue section, with good preservation of histological features, provides cardiovascular researchers a new tool to give insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying normal and pathological conditions.

Proteomic Analyses of the Developing Chicken Cardiovascular System

Up until today, no proteomics approaches have been described for heart muscle development. We describe a proteomics method to study the proteome of different heart structures at three stages of chicken embryonic development. For this purpose, a combination of gel separation, nanoLC separation and mass spectrometry was used. With this method, we identified in total 267 proteins in different tissue structures of chicken heart. We observed differences in protein abundance for a number of proteins between the different tissue structures and time points of development using spectral counting as a semiquantitative measure of protein abundance. For myosin-heavy chain 6, myosin-heavy chain 7, titin, connectin, collagen alpha-1, and xin, differences in protein levels for the different stages and structures (great arteries, outflow tract and ventricles) have been observed. A pathway analysis is performed in which the identified proteins are related to theoretical protein networks. Most prominent was the 'cardiovascular system development and function' network with the abundantly present proteins myosin 6 and myosin 7. We showed that myosin 6 is highly regulated in a stage and heart tissue specific manner. In conclusion, this method can be used to study changes in protein levels of chicken heart tissue in a spatiotemporal manner.

The Neo-Papilla: a new modification of porcine ex vivo simulators for ERCP training (with videos)

Computer simulators, live pigs, and ex vivo porcine simulators are used for training in ERCP. The location of the porcine biliary orifice in the proximal duodenum is dissimilar to human anatomy, making the endoscopy experience less realistic. In addition, in native porcine anatomy, the pancreatic duct enters the duodenum distal to the biliary orifice, limiting the teaching of pancreatic techniques and selective duct cannulation. To overcome these limitations, we aimed to construct a Neo-Papilla that could be incorporated into an ex vivo model. We attached chicken heart tissue to the porcine duodenum, with integrated porcine arteries that resembled an artificial common bile duct and a pancreatic duct. The simulator was presented and evaluated at 2 major GI endoscopy conferences. The feasibility and the realism of this prototype was tested by 9 recognized ERCP experts who rated this model in comparison to other teaching models for ERCP by recollection of prior experience. The Neo-Papilla was more prominent and more distally located than the native porcine papilla. The experts rated this modification superior to existing models in its usefulness as an educational tool. Pilot study. We demonstrated the technical feasibility of a real-tissue Neo-Papilla modification of porcine ex vivo simulators, more closely approximating the natural anatomy. This new model should facilitate ERCP training. Formal validation studies are warranted.

Embryonic Myocardium Shows Increased Longevity as a Functional Tissue When Cultured in the Presence of a Noncardiac Tissue Layer

A major aim of regenerative medicine is the construction of bioengineered organs and tissue for transplantation into human patients; yet living tissue is dynamic, and thus arranging cellular and extracellular constituents into an architecture resembling normal adult organs may not be sufficient to maintain tissue stability. In this study, we used cultures of embryonic chick heart tissue as a model to explore how newly formed cardiac tissue constructs can sustain their morphological structure and functional capabilities over extended periods. During the initial days of incubation, embryonic cardiac explants will thrive as beating three-dimensional tissue aggregates. However, within the first week of culture, cardiac aggregates lose their contractile function and flatten. After 2 weeks of incubation, the cardiac cells will have spread out into a homogeneous monolayer and dedifferentiated to a noncardiac phenotype. In contrast, when the embryonic heart tissue was co-cultured with a noncardiac cell layer obtained from adult bone marrow, the cardiac aggregates maintained their contractile function, three-dimensional tissue morphology, and myocyte phenotype for a full month of incubation. The capacity of this noncardiac cell layer to sustain the phenotype and morphology of the cardiac explants was partially replicated by treatment of the heart tissue with conditioned media from bone marrow cells. These findings are discussed in regard to the importance of adjacent cell layers for facilitating organogenesis in the developing embryo and having potential utility in producing stable bioengineered tissue constructs.

Characterization of biochemical properties and biological activities of biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa mucoid and non-mucoid strains isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated soil samples

Biochemical and pharmacological properties of biosurfactants produced at 45 degrees C temperature by Pseudomonas aeruginosa mucoid (M) and non-mucoid (NM) strains, isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated soil samples, were characterized. Both the strains secreted appreciable amount of biosurfactants (5.0-6.5 g/l), responsible for the reduction of surface tension of the medium from 68 to 29 +/- 0.5 mN/m post 96 h of growth. Maximum yield of biosurfactants was observed following the supplementation of NH(4)Cl and glycerol as nitrogenous source and carbon source, respectively. These thermostable biosurfactants exhibited strong emulsifying property and could release appreciable amount of oil from saturated sand-pack column. Pharmacological characterization of these biosurfactants revealed that they induced dose-dependent hemolysis and coagulation of platelet-poor plasma but were non-detrimental to chicken lung, liver, heart and kidney tissues. Our study has documented that biosurfactants from P. aeruginosa M and NM strains could be exploited for use in petroleum sectors as well in pharmaceutical industries.

Distribution and biotransformation of arsenic species in chicken cardiac and muscle tissues.

This study evaluated the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of arsenic species in chicken heart and meat tissues. The experimental study was carried out using two sets of samples. In the first one, 10-d-old chickens were exposed to sodium arsenate, using spiked drinking water. These chickens grew normally and were killed after 50 d of arsenic exposure. The second set were edible chickens used as blanks for a parallel study. The total arsenic and arsenic species content in the exposed samples were at least twice those in the normal edible chicken. It has been demonstrated that sodium arsenate is biotransformed to arsenite and an unknown species and its distribution varies among the different cardiac and meat tissues. One important aspect is the capability of the auricle to preconcentrate the most toxic species, arsenite, in the exposed chicken. A nonidentified arsenic species from the edible chicken was detected. Arsenobetaine was also detected in several tissues. This article shows that chicken can be used as a representative animal when considering inorganic arsenic exposure in humans.