Successive Days Research Articles

Toxicological Studies on the Sinai Plant Urginea maritima (Scilla) in Wistar Albino Rats

The varied toxicity of Urginea maritima (a plant that grows in north Sinai) on Wistar albino rats was investigated. Twenty-four rats weighing 100±20 gm. were divided into 4 groups, the first group, which included six male rats, and the second group, which included six female rats, were given di-methyl sulfoxide orally for 45 consecutive days and were regarded as the control groups. The third group included six male rats who received 36 mg/kg B.W (1/20 LD50 from the alcoholic extract of Urginea maritima) for 45 days in succession. The fourth group was made up of six female rats who received a daily dose of 26 mg/kg B.W (1/20 LD50 of the alcoholic Urginea maritima extract) for 45 successive days. Serum samples were taken for biochemical study after the end of the experiment, and sciatic nerve, heart, and brain tissues were also taken for histopathological analysis. The findings demonstrated significant changes in the exposed animals' serum levels of calcium (Ca++), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+) ions. While serum K+ levels dramatically increased, serum Ca++ and Na+ levels significantly dropped. Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum creatine kinase (CK-MB) activities also significantly increased. In addition, pathological alterations in the heart, brain, and sciatic nerve were discovered when compared to control groups.

Lutein isolated from Scenedesmus obliquus microalga boosts immunity against cyclophosphamide-induced brain injury in rats

Lutein is a naturally potent antioxidant carotenoid synthesized in green microalgae with a potent ability to prevent different human chronic conditions. To date, there are no reports of the immune-stimulating effect of pure lutein isolated from Scenedesmus obliquus. Thus, we isolated the natural lutein from S. obliquus and evaluated its effectiveness as an immunostimulant against cyclophosphamide-induced brain injury. We purified all-E-(3R, 3′R, 6′R)-Lutein from S. obliquus using prep-HPLC and characterized it by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. We assigned rats randomly to four experimental groups: the Control group got a vehicle for lutein dimethyl sulfoxide for ten successive days. The Cyclophosphamide group received a single i.p injection of Cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). Lutein groups received 50 and 100 (mg/kg) of lutein one time per day for ten successive days after the cyclophosphamide dose. Lutein administration reduced brain contents of Macrophage inflammatory protein2 (MIP2), cytokine-induced- neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), and Matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1). Besides, it lowered the contents of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin 18 (IL-18), associated with low content of NLR pyrin domain protein 3 (NLRP3) and consequently caspase-1 compared to the cyclophosphamide group. In the histomorphometric analysis, lutein groups (50 and 100 mg/Kg) showed mild histopathological alterations as they significantly reduced nuclear pyknosis numbers by 65% and 69% respectively, compared to the cyclophosphamide group. This is the first study that showed the immunomodulatory roles of lutein against cyclophosphamide-induced brain injury via decreasing neuroinflammation, chemokines recruitment, and neuron degeneration with the modulation of immune markers. Hence, lutein can be an effective immunomodulator against inflammation-related immune disorders.

Systematic surveillance of patient-reported symptoms of viral respiratory tract infectious Syndromes in diverse populations

BackgroundPatient reported outcome measures (PROM) can improve patient care and be crucial for symptom tracking especially during disease outbreaks. FLU-PRO Plus is a validated PROM used to track viral respiratory symptoms. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using FLU-PRO© Plus, to track symptoms across three healthcare systems.MethodsThe prospective, longitudinal study recruited adults between February-May 2021 from HealthPartners Institute (HP), Kaiser Permanente Georgia (KPGA), and Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS). Adult members were eligible if they had a positive lab or diagnosis for either COVID-19 or influenza-like illness (ILI) or exhibited 2 + viral respiratory symptoms. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the patient characteristics for participants that were eligible for FLU-PRO Plus, successfully contacted, attempted to log in to the FLU-PRO Plus website, and participants who completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 1. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression using PROC GLIMMIXX investigated the patient characteristics associated with (1) successful contact and (2) FLU-PRO Plus Day 1 completion.ResultsWe identified a total of 15,650 eligible participants during the enrollment period: 9,582 from HP, 1,740 from KPGA, and 4,328 from KPMAS. Among the total of 409 eligible adults who attempted to participate in FLU-PRO Plus, 317 completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 1. Among the 317 individuals that completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 1, 205 (67.5%) were diagnosed with COVID-19; 112 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 14. Among adults successfully contacted, adults aged 35–64 (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.05, 1.87), females (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.38, 2.27), and adults diagnosed with COVID-19 (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.27, 2.17) had higher odds of completing FLU-PRO Plus Day 1; Asian adults (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.19, 0.76) and Black and African American adults (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.19, 0.76) had lower odds compared to White adults.ConclusionOur study reports on the feasibility of patients across three integrated healthcare systems utilizing FLU-PRO Plus to monitor their respiratory symptoms. Patient reported outcome measures (PROM) can improve patient care, quality of life, and reduce the strain of limited resources on healthcare systems. Future FLU-PRO Plus studies should develop an implementation strategy to fully integrate FLU-PRO Plus within clinical care and patient management.

528: CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW MONITORING PREDICTS RESPONSE TO INTRATHECAL NICARDIPINE TREATMENT FOR VASOSPASM

Introduction: A common complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage is cerebral vasospasm, which is associated with delayed cerebral ischemia, a predictor of poor functional outcome. Intrathecal administration of nicardipine upon detection of vasospasm holds promise as a treatment that reduces the incidence of secondary stroke. Herein, we utilize a novel non-invasive optical measurement of regional microvascular perfusion to determine the effect of intrathecal nicardipine on microvascular cerebral blood flow (CBF). Methods: In this observational study, we prospectively studied 20 patients with non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage who required an external ventricular drain to treat obstructive hydrocephalus and who were treated with intrathecal nicardipine as part of usual care for evolving cerebral vasospasm. Regional microvascular CBF in the frontal cortex was measured with diffuse correlation spectroscopy for up to 90 min after the first treatment dose, and for a subset of patients, on days 2 and 3 of treatment as well. Outcome was assessed as the presence of delayed cerebral ischemia on imaging. Results: CBF increased significantly over the 90 min of monitoring after the first dose (p< 0.001) in the absence of systemic hemodynamic changes. CBF also increased on average in response to repeated doses on days 2 and 3, although the magnitude of this response decreased with successive treatment day. In general, the CBF response was heterogeneous across subjects. Using data from the first dose, a latent class mixture model was used to classify 19/20 patients into two distinct classes of cerebral blood flow response: patients in class 1 (n=6) showed a decrease or no change in CBF, while patients in class 2 (n=13) showed a pronounced increase in CBF in response to nicardipine. The incidence of delayed cerebral ischemia was 5/6 in class 1 and 0/13 in class 2 (p< 0.001). Similar significant differences in CBF response in patients with and without delayed cerebral ischemia were also observed on days 2 and 3 (both p< 0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that the CBF response to intrathecal nicardipine reaches a therapeutic steady state with successive treatment days. Moreover, the CBF response may provide a valuable biomarker for treatment responsiveness.

Ameliorative effects of quercetin against hepatic toxicity of oral sub-chronic co-exposure to aluminum oxide nanoparticles and lead-acetate in male rats

The present study was designed to evaluate the probable ameliorative role of quercetin (QCN) against oxidative hepatotoxicity induced by aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3NPs) with a diameter < 30 nm and lead acetate (Pb) co-exposure in adult male Sprague–Dawley rats. Rats were weighed and allocated to seven groups (n = 10 each) and were treated orally via orogastric gavage for 60 successive days: rats of the 1st group were kept as control given distilled water (1 ml/kg), rats of the 2nd group received 2 ml/kg BW/day corn oil; rats of the 3rd group were administered 20 mg/kg BW QCN/day; rats of the 4th group received 100 mg/kg BW Al2O3NPs; rats of the 5th group received 50 mg/kg BW Pb; rats of the 6th group co-received Al2O3NPs and Pb at the same previous doses; and rats of the 7th group were co-administered Al2O3NPs, Pb, and QCN at the same previous doses. At the end of the experiment, serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total, direct, indirect bilirubin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, VLDL, and LDL were estimated. The hepatic oxidative stress biomarkers as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), were also evaluated. Finally, the histopathological and histomorphometric evaluations and the residues of Al and Pb in hepatic tissues were assessed. Al2O3NPs and/or Pb exposure significantly elevated lipid peroxidation levels and considerably altered the hepatic biochemical parameters; nevertheless, QCN significantly reduced hepatic enzymes compared to toxicant exposed groups. Additionally, QCN significantly improved Al2O3NPs-afforded liver tissue damage, as established in microscopic findings on the liver in the group treated with Al2O3NPs + Pb. Conclusively, QCN could be a candidate natural agent to safeguard the liver versus the co-harmful impacts of Al2O3NPs and Pb toxicity.

Exploring milk loss and variability during environmental perturbations across lactation stages as resilience indicators in Holstein cattle.

Genetic selection for resilience is essential to improve the long-term sustainability of the dairy cattle industry, especially the ability of cows to maintain their level of production when exposed to environmental disturbances. Recording of daily milk yield provides an opportunity to develop resilience indicators based on milk losses and fluctuations in daily milk yield caused by environmental disturbances. In this context, our study aimed to explore milk loss traits and measures of variability in daily milk yield, including log-transformed standard deviation of milk deviations (Lnsd), lag-1 autocorrelation (Ra), and skewness of the deviations (Ske), as indicators of general resilience in dairy cows. The unperturbed dynamics of milk yield as well as milk loss were predicted using an iterative procedure of lactation curve modeling. Milk fluctuations were defined as a period of at least 10 successive days of negative deviations in which milk yield dropped at least once below 90% of the expected values. Genetic parameters of these indicators and their genetic correlation with economically important traits were estimated using single-trait and bivariate animal models and 8,935 lactations (after quality control) from 6,816 Chinese Holstein cows. In general, cows experienced an average of 3.73 environmental disturbances with a milk loss of 267kg of milk per lactation. Each fluctuation lasted for 19.80 ± 11.46days. Milk loss traits are heritable with heritability estimates ranging from 0.004 to 0.061. The heritabilities differed between Lnsd (0.135-0.250), Ra (0.008-0.058), and Ske (0.001-0.075), with the highest heritability estimate of 0.250 ± 0.020 for Lnsd when removing the first and last 10days in milk in a lactation (Lnsd2). Based on moderate to high genetic correlations, lower Lnsd2 is associated with less milk losses, better reproductive performance, and lower disease incidence. These findings indicate that among the variables evaluated, Lnsd2 is the most promising indicator for breeding for improved resilience in Holstein cattle.

A telemedical interface for at-home cognitive testing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited in-lab cognitive testing. While at-home alternatives exist (testing over the phone), differences in test design and delivery complicate direct comparison of most in-lab and at-home tests. Here we describe the design, infrastructure, and implementation of the California Cognitive Assessment Battery (CCAB), a cognitive test battery and administration system. Using automated remote administration over cellular networks, identical computerized cognitive tests can be administered at-home or in the lab. The CCAB comprises 30+ computerized cognitive tests. Test delivery is automated through text, text-to-speech, and graphical instructions; test scoring is also automated, using automatic speech recognition for verbal responses. The test delivery infrastructure consists of two components: the test kit (MS Surface Pro tablet computer with mouse, headset, and cellular dongle) , and a web-browser application "CCAB Examiner," used by the test administrator to control test delivery, view real-time progress and scores, and monitor/chat with the participant via AV feeds. The system is coordinated by a cloud-based server which also delivers the CCAB Examiner application to any browser. Once connected, the "CCAB Test Station" application and CCAB Examiner communicate over a commercial Communication as a Service (CAAS) provider, which transmits AV streams and a text messaging protocol. CCAB Test Station is designed to isolate control, communications, and testing functions for maximal fault tolerance. For example, test administration continues automatically even if Examiner and Test Station lose connection. Test data is uploaded to the server during sessions and re-synced when the test kit returns. 442 participants underwent three 90-minute CCAB test sessions on successive days (72 total tests per participant). More than 98% of participants finished all three sessions, and >99% of tests were completed. Cellular connection failures occurred occasionally, but >98% resulted only in the loss of A/V feeds for the examiner, while tests continued automatically and examiners were able to monitor real-time performance data. The CCAB permits identical tests to be administered at home or in the laboratory, while cellular-network based remote administration allows for nationwide access for all socioeconomic groups, even for people in remote areas without Wi-Fi, or those with limited technical expertise.

The effect of Nateglinide and Octreotide on follicular morphology and free radical scavenging system in letrazole-induced rat model of PCOS.

To investigate the effects of octreotide and nateglinide on ovarian follicle count, ovarian tissue damage, biochemical parameters and free radical scavenging system in letrazole-induced rat model of PCOS. Forty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups. Group 1 (Control Group): after localizing the ovaries and the uterine horns, the abdominal wall was closed without any surgical procedure. Group 2 (PCOS Group): PCOS was induced by administrating Letrozole orally for 21 successive days. At the end of 21 days, rats underwent ovarian biopsies. The experimental PCOS model was considered successful in the presence of atretic follicles without granulosa cell stratification. Group 3 (PCOS + Nateglinide Group): Nateglinide was administered by oral dropper for 30 days to the rats in which PCOS model was created. Group 4 (Nateglinid only Group): 30 days of NG was applied to the rats without PCOS. Group 5 (PCOS+Octreotide Group): 0.1 mg/kg/day Octreotide was given intraperitoneally for 4 weeks to the rats in which PCOS model was created. Group 6 (Octreotide only Group): animals without PCOS given 0.1 mg/kg/day Octreotide at the end of the treatment, bilateral oophorectomy was performed and blood samples were collected from all groups. Ovarian tissue was stained immunohistochemically with TLR-4 in addition to conventional staining. In addition to follicle classification, ovarian damage was graded. Serum insulin, FSH and LH, TNF-α, IL-6, SHBG, SOD, IGF-1, MDA and GSH levels were also measured. The cystic and degenerated follicle density of PCOS group was high compared with the other groups. Both cystic and degenerated follicles were significantly reduced in PCOS+NG and PCOS+OC groups compared to PCOS group. There was no difference between the groups in terms of serum LH, FSH and insulin levels (p>0.05). Serum testosterone level was significantly higher in the PCOS group compared to the other groups (p<0.01). Adding OC or NG to PCOS groups did not cause significant changes in testosterone levels. TNF-α and IL-6 levels were high in PCOS group (p<0.03). IGF-1 and MDA levels were higher in PCOS than in other groups (p<0.03, p<0.01 respectively). Adding OC or NG to the treatment normalized IGF-1 and MDA levels. Serum GSH levels were significantly lower in the PCOS group (p<0.05). Adding NG to the treatment increased GSH levels. Both NG and OCT reverses atretic and degenerate follicle damage due to PCOS through TLR-4, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways.

The Bay Area Verbal Learning Test (BAVLT)

AbstractBackgroundVerbal learning tests are sensitive measures of memory decline in pre‐clinical Alzheimer’s Disease with recall scores correlating with amyloid and tau burden (Bejanin et al., 2017). Here we describe a digital version of the Bay Area Verbal Learn‐ing Test (BAVLT) (Woods et al., 2017)— a brief (8.5 minute), fully automated verbal learning test administered from participants’ homes.MethodThe BAVLT was administered to 399 healthy adults (41.5% female, Age = 64.4 years, ±15.0) from their homes using a tablet‐based testing interface (Figure 1). Participants underwent two test sessions on successive days and were remotely monitored via the test interface’s remote proctoring function.Participants were instructed to remember two lists — each with 12 words in four semantic categories. List A was presented three times with immediate recall after each presentation, followed by a single presentation and recall of distractor List B, then an uncued recall of List A. Thirty minutes later, participants completed a List A delayed recall, followed by a 2‐choice List A recognition test (Figure 2).ResultThe BAVLT showed excellent test‐retest reliability (r = 0.86 total, r = 0.73 delayed). Multiple regression analysis of total recall scores revealed significant effects of age (p&lt; 10–13) (Figure 2), gender (p&lt; 10–11), vocabulary (p&lt;10‐15), and education (p&lt;0.03), with these four variables aggregately accounting for 37.4% of variance. Total recall scores improved over list presentations and increased by 0.97 standard deviations on repeat testing (p&lt;10‐15) (Figure 3).ConclusionAt‐home administration of the BAVLT demonstrated excellent psychometric properties that are similar to those of well‐established verbal learning tests such as the CVLT (Delis et al., 1987).

Effect of Remote Ischaemic Conditioning on the Inflammatory Cytokine Cascade of COVID-19 (RIC in COVID-19): a Randomized Controlled Trial

PurposePatients hospitalized with COVID-19 may develop a hyperinflammatory, dysregulated cytokine “storm” that rapidly progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction, and even death. Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) has elicited anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective benefits by reducing cytokines following sepsis in animal studies. Therefore, we investigated whether RIC would mitigate the inflammatory cytokine cascade induced by COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, multicentre, randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind trial in Brazil and South Africa. Non-critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either RIC (intermittent ischaemia/reperfusion applied through four 5-min cycles of inflation (20 mmHg above systolic blood pressure) and deflation of an automated blood-pressure cuff) or sham for approximately 15 days. Serum was collected following RIC/sham administration and analyzed for inflammatory cytokines using flow cytometry. The endpoint was the change in serum cytokine concentrations. Participants were followed for 30 days.ResultsEighty randomized participants (40 RIC and 40 sham) completed the trial. Baseline characteristics according to trial intervention were overall balanced. Despite downward trajectories of all cytokines across hospitalization, we observed no substantial changes in cytokine concentrations after successive days of RIC. Time to clinical improvement was similar in both groups (HR 1.66; 95% CI, 0.938–2.948, p 0.08). Overall RIC did not demonstrate a significant impact on the composite outcome of all-cause death or clinical deterioration (HR 1.19; 95% CI, 0.616–2.295, p = 0.61).ConclusionRIC did not reduce the hypercytokinaemia induced by COVID-19 or prevent clinical deterioration to critical care.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04699227.

Modulation of miR-205/ EGLN2 by rosuvastatin mitigates colistin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: Involvement of ATF4/ CHOP and Nrf2 pathways

Although the beneficial role of microRNA has been investigated thoroughly, the reno-protective role of microRNA-205 (miR-205) against colistin-induced nephrotoxicity has not yet been tackled. Hence, our study sought to study the possible modulatory effect of rosuvastatin on miR-205 and its downstream target, Egl-9 family hypoxia-inducible factor 2 (EGLN2) to combat oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stresses as pivotal contributors to colistin-associated renal injury. Rats were randomly divided into four groups; normal, colistin (300 000 IU/Kg/day; i.p), colistin pretreated with rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg; p.o) and colistin pretreated with rosuvastatin (20 mg/kg; p.o) for 6 successive days. Pretreatment with rosuvastatin attenuated renal injury induced by colistin and enhanced kidney function with a marked reduction in renal injury markers, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and kidney injury molecule-1. Besides, rosuvastatin upregulated renal miR-205 expression and suppressed gene expression of EGLN2. In addition, it downregulated ER stress-related genes (activation transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP)) along with caspases 12 and 3. It also induced the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) as detected by immunohistochemical examination besides increased renal antioxidants, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase. In conclusion, rosuvastatin triggered a series of protective mechanisms against colistin-induced nephrotoxicity through modulating miR-205 and EGLN2 expression. Rosuvastatin suppressed ATF4/ CHOP trajectory and activated the Nrf2 pathway to substantiate its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic capacities.

USE OF SOME MEDICAMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF AFFECTED CALVES WITH HYPOMAGNESAEMIC TETANY

This trial comprised (28) naturally affected calves with hypomagnesaemic tetany, which were diagnosed clinically and by measuring the serum level of magnesium, calcium, sodium, inorganic phosphorus, potassium and SGOT &amp; CPK enzymes. There were significant decrease (P&lt;0.01) in serum level of magnesium and calcium. While serum potassium and serum enzymes level shown significant increase (P &lt; 0.01) during tetanic attacks. On the other hand serum sodium and inorganic phosphorus level were dropped slightly. Each calf was treated for three successive days with magnesium and calcium salts, with tranquilizers, in addition to sodium chloride for relief of dehydration. With the use of these medicaments as compared to the commerical preparations, the frequency of tetanic attacks decreased gradually then disappeared completely after the completion of treatment.

Genotoxicity, DNA damage and sperm defects induced by vinblastine

BackgroundThe treatment with chemotherapy may develop secondary tumors as a result of chemo genotoxicity. Sperm defects is another complication associated with chemo treatment. In this study the genotoxicity of vinblastine (VB) was estimated in both somatic and germ cells.Materials85 mice were taken. Four single doses of VB at 3, 4.5, 6 and 10 mg/kg and three successive doses at 3, 4.5 and 6 mg/kg were taken for estimation of chromosomal aberrations (CAs). Four single doses of VB were involved in estimating the DNA fragmentation, and comet assay. For sperm abnormalities mice were injected with three successive doses of VB at 3, 4.5, and 6 mg/kg.ResultsThe results demonstrated a significant frequency of DNA fragmentation in spleen cells and in the percentage of CAs in bone marrow. Numerical and structural aberrations were recorded with a pronounced number of polyploidy metaphases which reached (11.60%) after treatment with 6 mg/kg for three successive days vs zero for control. VB also induced a significant percentage of CAs in spermatocytes in the form of univalent. Sperm defects in the form of coiled tail, absence of acrosome and shapeless head and a significant DNA damage in the testes were recorded. The frequency of sperm abnormalities reached 11.06 ± 0.14 after treatment with highest tested dose (6 mg/kg) vs 3.04 ± 0.19 for control.ConclusionVB is genotoxic in somatic and germ cells. Sperm defects induced by VB are of serious concern to future generations and may affect the fertility of cancer survivors.

Abstract 10907: Woven Coronary Artery: A River With Many Currents

Introduction: Congenital coronary artery anomalies can increase the risk of cardiovascular events and sudden death. A woven coronary artery is a rare abnormality with multiple lumens in a single vessel, giving the appearance of complex coronary plaque or a dissection flap on coronary angiography. Clinical Case: A 57-year-old man with group IV pulmonary hypertension and chronic right-sided heart failure presented for consideration of pulmonary endarterectomy. He underwent preoperative coronary angiography which demonstrated nonobstructive disease within the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries and a complex lesion in the right coronary artery (RCA- Figure 1). The lesion was further evaluated using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) which demonstrated numerous, complex, communicating lumens and fenestrations within a single external elastic lamina suggestive of a woven coronary artery anomaly (Figure 2). This was recognized as a benign abnormality for which the patient was managed medically, and he underwent a successful pulmonary endarterectomy several days later. Discussion: Woven coronary arteries are rare and complex lesions made up of numerous lumens often found in the proximal to mid-RCA. These lesions typically permit normal blood flow and are found incidentally in asymptomatic patients. Woven coronary arteries can be mistaken for complex lesions, dissection, or recanalized thrombus, leading to unnecessary and potentially dangerous percutaneous coronary intervention. Woven arteries should not be treated with angioplasty in the absence of thrombotic occlusion as this can lead to arterial vessel damage. Intracoronary imaging, including IVUS, is vital to differentiate woven coronary arteries from other coronary pathologies. Conclusion: Woven coronary arteries may mimic dissection or recanalized thrombus, but can be promptly recognized as a benign congenital anomaly with intracoronary imaging modalities such as IVUS.

Phycocyanin improved alcohol-induced hepatorenal toxicity and behavior impairment in Wistar rats

The aim of this study was to investigate a potential preventive effect of phycocyanin extract from Spirulina platensis against ethanol- induced hepatorenal toxicity and cognitive behavior impairment in male Wistar rats. The animals were randomly and equally divided into four groups (six animals each): control group received saline solution, ethanol (EtOH) group was injected intraperitoneally with 1 ml/kg of ethanol solution 38% (w/v), phycocyanin groups were treated with 25 (PC1) or 50 (PC2) mg/kg phycocyanin extract followed by ethanol administration. All treatments were conducted for 14 successive days. Results revealed that ethanol induced oxidative stress in brain, liver, and kidney by increasing lipid peroxidation level and SOD and CAT activities. Serum biochemical perturbations were also observed in EtOH group, which was indicated by a significant elevation in ALT, AST, cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, and urea levels. Combined exposure to EtOH with phytocyanin contracted these biochemical alterations. Phycocyanin decreased also EtOH-induced anxiety and ameliorated exploratory behavior assessed by the elevated-plus maze and open field tests respectively.

Monitoring of oxolinic acid residues in tilapia flesh (Oreochromis niloticus) using a microbiological screening technique and an LC-UV confirmatory method

A relevant analytical strategy was developed by combining a microbiological screening and an LC-UV chromatographic method for the identification and the quantification of oxolinic acid (OXO) in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) flesh. The sensitivity, accuracy and specificity of the test were 100% for OXO. The detection capacity (CCß) of the screening test was 0.75 times the maximum residue limits for OXO (100 µg kg−1). The performance parameters of the LC-UV method were satisfactory in terms of linearity within the range of 2.5 to 1000 µg kg−1 (R2 = 0.99), precision (< 23%), accuracy (− 20% to + 10%), selectivity and specificity. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD) was 5 and 2.5 µg kg−1 respectively. The withdrawal of OXO in tilapia is estimated for 8 days after treatment of six successive days with a dose of 12 mg kg−1 body weight per day. The strategy used in this study is simple, inexpensive and practical for the control of oxolinic acid residues in fishery products and foodstuffs.

Cardioprotective effect of cinnamaldehyde pretreatment on ischemia/ reperfusion injury via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and gasdermin D mediated cardiomyocyte pyroptosis

Cinnamaldehyde (CD) is one of the most important active compounds derived from Cinnamomum cassia and showed multiple biological activities. Accumulating evidence has shown that the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome significantly contributes to sterile inflammatory response and gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated pyroptosis in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI). Whether CD has any influence on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis during myocardial I/R injury remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the cardioprotective effect of CD via establishing the MI/RI rats’ model by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min ischemia followed by 120 min reperfusion. Sprague-Dawley rats were intragastrically administered with CD (45 and 90 mg/kg/d) or vehicle for 7 successive days before ligation of the coronary artery to evoke MI/RI. The results found that CD significantly improved cardiac diastolic function, decreased cardiac infarct size and myocardial injury enzymes, inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, attenuated cardiac structure abnormality, and mitigated oxidative stress and inflammatory response. We also found that MI/RI activated the NLRP3 inflammasome as evidenced by the upregulation levels of NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, caspase-1, and ASC proteins and mRNA. Importantly, MI/RI could trigger cardiomyocyte pyroptosis by increased DNA fragmentation, membrane pore formation, and mitochondrial swelling as well as increased levels of pyroptosis-related proteins and mRNA, including GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β. As expected, all these deleterious alterations were reversed by CD pretreatment. Our findings demonstrated that CD showed an outstanding cardioprotective effect via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and GSDMD-mediated cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, which has a promising application value and development prospect against myocardial I/R injury in the future.

Development and Validation of Seven Phosphatidylethanol Homologues in Dried Blood Spots Including Preliminary Results after Excessive Use of an Ethanol-Based Hand Sanitizer.

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) has become a widespread marker offering an up to 4-week retrospective window to detect alcohol use. Due to the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, ethanol-based hand sanitizers are frequently used. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a method for the determination of up to seven different homologues of PEth from dried blood spots (DBSs) after use of an ethanol-based hand sanitizer. The objectives of its preliminary application were to prove whether a threshold of 20 ng/mL for PEth 16:0/18:1 is reached and whether other homologues are formed as well as if positive findings of urinary ethyl glucuronide (UEtG) can be observed with respect to assess monitoring of abstinence control programs. Ten volunteers (8 occasional and 2 regular drinkers) were recruited to excessively use an ethanol-based hand sanitizer on 5 successive days. DBSs and urine samples were collected daily. PEth and UEtG were determined by liquid chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry. In total, two volunteers with initial PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations of 19.3 and 14.6 ng/mL exceeded the threshold of 20 ng/mL six times. Subjects drinking daily or almost daily had starting PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations of 242 and 354 ng/mL, showing a decline of PEth concentrations in six out of the seven homologues over 5 days. In teetotalers, formation of PEth species could not be observed. Thus, not satisfying requirements in an alcohol monitoring program with initial PEth-negative blood cannot be explained by a frequent use of ethanol-based hand sanitizer only. In cases of regular alcohol consumption, PEth homologues are not likely to be further influenced. However, results indicated that individuals with a PEth concentration close to 20 ng/mL are at risk of exceeding the threshold by using ethanol-based hand sanitizer.

A case of ureteral stenosis due to ureteritis probably associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Ureteritis associated with the immunological disorder is rarely reported, and most cases in this category are small vessel vasculitis and immunoglobulin G4-related disease. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated ureteritis is uncommon, and underlying aetiology is unclear. We present a patient with ureteritis who had a medical history of RA and was successfully treated with steroids and immunosuppressant. A 49-year-old woman who had been treated for RA and atopic dermatitis suffered from gross haematuria for 5 successive days. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed right-dominant upper urinary tract dilatation with enhanced thickened wall. The haematuria continued accompanied with intermittent right back and lower abdominal pain, and the following CT image taken after 3 months presented the progression to bilateral hydronephrosis. Ureteral stents were placed, and antibiotic therapy was introduced for obstructive pyelonephritis. Ureterocystoscopy and following biopsy from the upper ureteral tract showed a chronic inflammatory change in the histopathology, and we finally considered the stenosing ureteritis to be caused by immune-mediated mechanism related to RA. After starting steroid therapy with methotrexate, therapeutic response was obtained to remove the stents. In the cases of ureteritis or ureteral stenosis of unknown aetiology with a medical history of immunological disorders, we should consider the underlying immune-activated state and try to test contrast-enhanced CT and histological examination before performing a surgical procedure. After excluding the common causes of ureteritis or ureteral stenosis, these tests would support the appropriate diagnosis.

Prediction and politics in Beijing, 1668: A Jesuit astronomer and his technical resources in a time of crisis

In late December 1668 the Kangxi 康熙 emperor (r. 1662–1722) asked the Jesuit astronomer Ferdinand Verbiest (1623–1688) to give publicly verifiable proof that the western astronomical system introduced to China by the Jesuits was accurate. In response Verbiest proposed that he and his Chinese opponents should be set the task of predicting the length of the shadow cast by a gnomon of a given length at a given time on a given day, and his suggestion was accepted. Success in this experimental trial was vital to the future of the Jesuit mission in China. After repeating the trial at noon on three successive days, Verbiest was judged to have succeeded in showing the superiority of western methods in this respect. In this paper, we provide a detailed technical analysis of the methods used by Verbiest to make his predictions of gnomon shadows, and trace the sources of his skills back to his astronomical studies in Europe before his departure for China. In the course of this investigation, we discuss changes in European astronomical techniques up to the mid 17th century that played a decisive role in his predictive task. As a result of this analysis, we are able to explain certain previously puzzling features of Verbiest’s predictions as a rational response on his part to the contentious circumstances under which the trial was conducted.