mU Min-1 Research Articles

Effects of replacing fish meal with different levels of Lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala) leaf powder on growth, survival, digestive enzymes activity, muscle biochemical composition and texture of white-leg shrimp Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931

This study investigated the effects of replacing fish meal with Leucaena leucocephala leaf powder on survival,growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, biochemical body composition and muscle texture of the whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931). Five different diets were examined, by replacing fish meal withL. leucocephala leaf powder at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%, in triplicates. Shrimps were stocked in 0.5 m3 tanks @ 70 shrimps pertank and fed on the experimental diets for a period of 60 days. The results showed that the survival rate (%), daily weightgain (g day-1), specific growth rate (% day-1), feed intake (% fish-1 day-1), feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, andprotein retention were not significantly different (p>0,05) among the treatment groups. The values of α-amylase and pepsinin the stomach and chymotrypsin (mU min-1 mg protein-1) in the intestine were not significantly different among treatments.However, the value of α-amylase in the intestine was significantly higher in animals fed diets that replaced fish meal withL. leucocephala leaf powder at 0, 5 and 10% compared to other treatments. The biochemical constituents (except for lipid)and the texture (N) of shrimp meat were not significantly different among treatment groups. The results suggested thatL. leucocephala leaf powder could replace fish meal up to 20% in white-leg shrimp diets. Keywords: Digestive enzyme, Growth, Leucaena leucocephala, White-leg shrimp

A bioassay on tissue cholinesterase activity of Rutilus kutum (Kamensky, 1901) exposed to some common pesticides in Iran.

The toxicological effects of three commonly used pesticides in Iran on the fries of Caspian kutum (Rutilus kutum, Kamensky, 1901) were investigated through determining 50.00% lethal concentration (LC50) 96hr and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition. The LC50 96-hr of carbaryl, glyphosate, and malathion were equal to 11.69, 6.64, and 0.97 mg L-1, respectively, that were considered as harmful (10.00 - 100 mg L-1), toxic (1.00 - 10.00 mg L-1) and very toxic (< 1.00 mg L-1) compounds for this species. The exposure of fries to sub-lethal concentrations of the pesticides over 15 days indicated that the average of ChE activity in the head and trunk were 1086.89 ± 124.34 and 627.36 ± 99.60 mU min-1 per mg protein, respectively, with a significant difference relative to each other. There was a significant difference between fry exposed to all three pesticides and the control group in cholinesterase inhibition. The fries exposed to carbaryl (890.12 ± 28.08 mU min-1 per mg protein) and glyphosate (891.77 ± 31.61 mU min-1 per mg protein) showed lower ChE inhibition than those exposed to malathion (790.00 ± 58.14 mU min-1 per mg protein).

Fermented soymilk and soy and cow milk mixture, supplemented with orange peel fiber or Tremella flava fermented powder as prebiotics for high exopolysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus pentosus SLC 13.

A high exopolysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus pentosus SLC 13 strain was isolated from mustard pickles and showed the characteristics of a probiotic. Orange peel fiber powder (OPFP) and Tremella flava fermented powder (TFP) were shown to be potential prebiotics for L. pentosus SLC 13. The present study aimed to further develop new symbiotic fermented lactic acid beverages using SLC 13 with different proportions of cow milk and soymilk as food substrates, as well as with OPFP or TFP as prebiotics. Acidification rate (soymilk groups, 3.02-4.37 mU min-1 ; soymilk/milk mixture groups, 1.33-2.84 mU min-1 ) and fermentation time (soymilk groups, 7.09-9.25 h; soymilk/milk mixture groups, 12.51-27.34 h) indicated that soymilk represents a suitable substrate for SLC 13-mediated fermentation. Moreover, OPFP and TFP induced a higher exopolysaccharide production of SLC 13 and a higher water holding capacity of fermented beverages. Sensory evaluations suggested that soymilk groups fermented with 10g kg-1 OPFP (SF-1.0P) and that with 5g kg-1 TFP (SF-0.5T) and also soymilk/milk mixture groups fermented with 5g kg-1 OPFP (HSMF-0.5P) and that with 10g kg-1 TFP (HSMF-1.0T) represent potential fermented drinks. Additionally, SF-1.0P and SF-0.5T products could be preserved for at least 21 days at 4°C, with high viable cell counts (> 8.8 log10 CFU mL-1 ) and water holding capacity. In the present study, we developed SF-1.0P and SF-0.5T products as a new symbiotic fermented lactic acid beverages. However, in the future, consumer acceptability could be improved by properly regulating the ratio of sugar to acid or seasoning. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

T-1032, a cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, acutely blocks physiologic insulin-mediated muscle haemodynamic effects and glucose uptake in vivo.

1. Cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors have been shown to alter blood flow in specific tissues by potentiating local NO-dependent vasodilatory mechanisms. Since the haemodynamic effects of physiologic insulin, particularly capillary recruitment, may be critical for muscle glucose uptake in vivo and are blocked by inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, we have explored the acute effects of the specific cGMP phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor T-1032 on physiologic insulin action in anaesthetized healthy rats in vivo. 2. Whole-body glucose infusion (GIR), femoral blood flow (FBF), hind leg vascular resistance (VR), hind leg glucose uptake (HGU), 2-deoxyglucose uptake into muscles of the lower leg (R'g), hind leg metabolism of infused 1-methylxanthine (1-MX), a measure of capillary recruitment, and muscle cGMP were determined. The experimental groups were T-1032 (10 microg min-1 kg-1) infused for 1 h before and during a euglycaemic insulin clamp (3 mU min-1 kg-1 x 2 h), T-1032 infused for 3 h with saline, T-1032 during a 2 h clamp, T-1032 with saline for 2 h, and a 2 h saline control. 3. Insulin increased GIR from zero to 13 mg min-1 kg-1, HGU from 0.1+/-0.01 to 0.43+/-0.05 micromol min-1, R'g and 1-MX, marginally increased FBF, and had no effect on blood pressure or heart rate. T-1032 alone had no effect on blood pressure, heart rate, FBF, VR, HGU, R'g or 1-MX, but increased muscle cGMP. T-1032 1 h before and during insulin completely blocked GIR (1 h), HGU (2 h), R'g (2 h), and 1-MX (2 h). T-1032 commenced with insulin had only partial blocking activity against insulin. 4. We conclude that T-1032 is a potent acutely acting inhibitor of the muscle effects of physiologic insulin on capillary recruitment and glucose uptake in vivo. These, together with inhibition of whole-body glucose infusion during insulin, may caution against the use of isoenzyme-5-specific cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors as therapeutic agents.

Megavoltage CT on a tomotherapy system

A megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) system was developed on the University of Wisconsin tomotherapy benchtop. This system can operate either axially or helically, and collect transmission data without any bounds on delivered dose. Scan times as low as 12 s per slice are possible, and scans were run with linac output rates of 100 MU min-1, although the system can be tuned to deliver arbitrarily low dose rates. Images were reconstructed with clinically reasonable doses ranging from 8 to 12 cGy. These images delineate contrasts below 2% and resolutions of 3.0 mm. Thus, the MVCT image quality of this system should be sufficient for verifying the patient's position and anatomy prior to radiotherapy. Additionally, synthetic data were used to test the potential for improved MVCT contrast using maximum-likelihood (ML) reconstruction. Specifically, the maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization (ML-EM) algorithm and a transmission ML algorithm were compared with filtered backprojection (FBP). It was found that for expected clinical MVCT doses enough imaging photons are used such that little benefit is conferred by the improved noise model of ML algorithms. For significantly lower doses, some quantitative improvement is achieved through ML reconstruction. Nonetheless, the image quality at those lower doses is not satisfactory for radiotherapy verification.

No role of interstitial adenosine in insulin-mediated vasodilation.

The mechanisms behind the vasodilatory effect of insulin are not fully understood, but nitric oxide plays an important role. We have investigated the possibility that insulin mediates vasodilatation in the human skeletal muscle via an increase in extracellular adenosine concentrations. In eight healthy subjects (H) and in four subjects with a complete, high (C5-C6/7) spinal cord injury (SCI) a hyperinsulinaemic (480 mU min-1 kg-1), isoglycaemic clamp was performed. SCI subjects were included as it has been proposed that adenosine and adenine nucleotides may be released from nerve endings in the skeletal muscle. Adenosine concentrations in the extracellular fluid (ECF) of skeletal muscle in the thigh were measured by means of the microdialysis technique. Leg blood flow (LBF) was measured by termodilution. In response to insulin infusion, LBF always increased (P < 0.05) (from 228 +/- 25 and 318 +/- 18 mL min-1 to 451 +/- 41 and 530 +/- 29 mL min-1, SCI and H, respectively [mean +/- SEM]). Concentrations of adenosine in the muscle ECF did not change with infusion of insulin and did not differ between groups (before: 147 +/- 55 [SCI] and 207 +/- 108 [H] nmol L-1; during: 160 +/- 36 [SCI] and 165 +/- 74 [H] nmol L-1). No significant correlation between concentrations of adenosine and corresponding LBF rates was achieved (LBF=[-0.0936. Adenosine] + 475. R=-0.092, P=0.22, number of samples=181, number of subjects=12). the mechanism by which insulin mediates an increase in skeletal muscle blood flow is not associated with adenosine in the ECF.

Reciprocal association between insulin sensitivity and the haematocrit in man

In epidemiological studies, a high haematocrit has been associated both with increased cardiovascular risk and with hyperinsulinaemia, a surrogate of insulin resistance. To examine directly the relationship between the haematocrit and insulin sensitivity, we studied 12 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with the use of a 4-hour hyperinsulinaemic [1 mU min-1 kg-1] isoglycaemic clamp. In the whole group, insulin sensitivity (as the ratio of insulin-mediated glucose clearance to steady-state plasma insulin concentrations) was inversely related to the haematocrit (r = 0.50, P < 0.01). To test whether acute changes in the haematocrit affect insulin sensitivity, in two NIDDM patients and three healthy subjects the clamp study was repeated after lowering (-18%) the haematocrit by erythro-apheresis. In all five subjects, the lower haematocrit was associated with slightly reduced (-7% on average, P = NS) rather than increased insulin sensitivity. We conclude that insulin sensitivity is inversely related to the haematocrit independently of the glucose tolerance status. The association does not result from acute haemodynamic effects on insulin sensitivity, and may therefore reflect an action of insulin resistance/ hyperinsulinaemia on blood viscosity, or the presence of a common determinant.

Reappraisal of the role of insulin on sodium handling by the kidney: effect of intrarenal insulin infusion in the dog

Since several studies suggest that increased insulin levels may induce antinatriuresis, the present work was undertaken to determine whether a physiological increase in insulin levels in blood perfusing the kidney may exert direct effect on kidney function, and more specifically on sodium reabsorption. To this end, insulin was infused directly into one renal artery of 10 anaesthetized dogs at the rate of 4 mU min-1 for a period of 90 min. The contralateral kidney was infused with saline alone, to provide reference values. Insulin level in the renal vein of the insulin-infused kidney went up from 1.4 +/- 0.9 before to 30.6 +/- 7.1 microU ml-1 after 90 min of insulin perfusion. There was no significant effect on renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate and renal uptake of substrates or oxygen between ipsi- and contralateral kidney. The fractional excretion of sodium was likewise unaffected, since it averaged at the end of insulin infusion 0.41 +/- 0.11% vs. 0.50 +/- 0.14% for the contralateral saline infused kidney. Even if one may assume that the baseline low insulin concentrations promote tubular sodium reabsorption, the results of the present study suggest that a moderate hyperinsulinaemia is without any additional effect on renal sodium handling.

Quantitative assessment of urinary protein and enzyme excretion--a diagnostic programme for the detection of renal involvement in type I diabetes mellitus.

In an effort to establish a reliable programme for the clinical monitoring of renal involvement in patients with type-I diabetes mellitus, we quantified the urinary excretion of immunoglobulin G (IgG), transferrin (Tf), albumin (Alb), alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1MG), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), and total protein in 130 dipstick negative children and young adults with type-I diabetes. Eighty-five sex- and age-matched healthy persons served as a control group for the definition of the upper reference limits (95th centiles; micrograms min-1 1.73 m2): transferrin 1.4; albumin 16.6; total protein 27.1; NAG: 2.0 mU min-1 1.73 m2. Sex-related differences were detected for IgG (men: 3.8; women: 1.7) and alpha 1 MG (men: 6.0; women: 4.0 micrograms min-1 1.73 m2). The urinary excretion of IgG, Tf, alpha 1MG, NAG, and total protein was significantly higher in subjects with diabetes when compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01). Furthermore, 20 patients (15%) showed an elevated excretion of tubular markers (alpha 1MG and NAG), and 3 patients (2%) of at least two glomerular markers (Alb and/or Tf and/or IgG). Additionally, 18 individuals (14%) presented a mixed excretion pattern of both tubular and glomerular markers. These data suggest that the quantitation of both glomerular and tubular proteinuria provides a sensitive and cost-effective instrument for the non-invasive screening for renal involvement in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Studies on the anti‐vasoconstrictor activity of BRL 34915 in spontaneously hypertensive rats; a comparison with nifedipine

1. The blood pressure lowering and anti-vasoconstrictor effects of BRL 34915 and nifedipine were compared in female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). 2. In conscious SHR, intravenous injection of BRL 34915 (0.1, 0.3 mg kg-1) produced rapid, dose-related falls in mean arterial pressure of greater than 3 h duration. Nifedipine, at the same intravenous dose levels, also evoked rapid anti-hypertensive effects, though these responses were of lesser magnitude and duration than those observed for BRL 34915. 3. In anaesthetized, ganglion-blocked SHR, BRL 34915 (0.1, 0.3 mg kg-1 i.v.) dose-dependently antagonized the pressor responses to incremental intravenous infusions of noradrenaline (3.8-28.5 ng min-1) or phenylephrine (120-907 ng min-1) but did not inhibit pressor responses to incremental infusions of methoxamine (0.47-3.63 micrograms min-1), angiotensin II (7.0-52.9 ng min-1) or vasopressin (0.27-2.0 mu min-1). 4. In anaesthetized, ganglion-blocked SHR, nifedipine (0.1, 0.3 mgkg-1 i.v.) antagonized the pressor responses to each of the infused vasoconstrictor agents, being most effective against responses to noradrenaline or angiotensin II. 5. In pithed SHR, both BRL 34915 and nifedipine (each at 0.3 mg kg-1 i.v.) reduced the basal blood pressure level and produced marked inhibition of frequency-dependent pressor responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the spinal cord sympathetic outflow (0.25-4.0 Hz). Restoration of the basal diastolic blood pressure to within the control range, using a continuous intravenous infusion of vasopressin (0.98 mu min-1), prevented the inhibitory effect of BRL 34915. In the case of nifedipine, however, even raising the basal blood pressure to a level exceeding that recorded in control rats (with vasopressin, 2.0 mu min-1), did not reverse the inhibitory effect of the drug on frequency-dependent pressor responses. 6. It is concluded that the anti-hypertensive properties of BRL 34915 in SHR are probably unrelated to an anti-vasoconstrictor action. In contrast, it is suggested that the broadly-based anti-vasoconstrictor properties of nifedipine may contribute substantially to the anti-hypertensive properties of this drug.