Reproductive and neurobehavioural effects of thiabendazole administered to mice in the diet

Thiabendazole was given in the diet to provide levels of 0 (control), 0.031, 0.125, and 0.5% from 5 weeks of age of the F₀ generation to 9 weeks of age of the F₁ generation in mice, and selected reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters were measured. The average litter size and weight were significantly reduced in the high-dose group at birth. No adverse effects were observed in the sex ratio at birth. The average body weight of offspring was significantly increased in the low-dose group during the late lactation period, and was significantly reduced in the high-dose group during the lactation period. In the assessment of neurobehavioural parameters, surface righting at postnatal day (PND) 7 was significantly delayed in a dose-related manner in both sexes. Swimming limb movement at PND 14 and olfactory orientation at PND 14 were significantly depressed in the high-dose group in both sexes. In movement activity at 3 weeks of age in the F₁ generation, vertical time and number of defaecations were significantly decreased in the high-dose group in female offspring. Several adverse effects on reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters were produced at the highest dose level of thiabendazole used in the present study (equivalent to 700-1800mg/kg bw/day). Slight, dose-related delays were also seen in surface-righting ability at the two lower dose levels. The lowest dose level (equivalent to 50-180mg/kg bw/day) is 500     

几种制剂对辐射所致脂质过氧化作用的影响

本文报道了γ射线照射对小鼠肝、脾、肾中脂质过氧化物（ＬＰ０）含量的影响，以及照后服用知母宁、单宁酸和鲨烯等制剂的抗脂质过氧化作用。制剂均灌胃给药，ＬＰＯ用改良的ＴＢＡ分光光度法测定。结果表明，γ射线整体照射小鼠后７２ｈ，其组织中ＬＰＯ含量增高，在０－４Ｇｙ范围内辐射剂量与ＬＰＯ含量呈线性关系；三种制剂均有降低小鼠肝、脾、肾中ＬＰＯ的作用，其中知母宁（０．３５ｍｇ／ｄ）的抗脂质过氧化作用显著优于单宁酸（１５ｍｇ／ｄ）和鲨烯（０．６ｍｇ／ｇ）。     

氦氖激光照射对小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖反应影响的试验研究

目的：研究氦氖激光照射对小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖反应的影响。方法：以BALB/c小鼠为研究对象，应用7.33，11.00,14.67,22.00和36.67j/cm^2五种剂量的氦氖激光器照射小鼠哈德腺，连续照射8d，并于照射开始后第3、6、9、13和第17d动脉监测实验鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖反反应：结果:7.33,11.00,14.67和22.00j/cm^2四个剂量组均可增强脾淋巴细胞增殖反应，但11.00，14.67和22.00j/cm^2三个剂量组在第3d就达到峰值，此后逐步下降，而7.33j/cm^2剂量组直到第9d才达到峰值，且维持时间最短。与此相反的是，36.67j/cm^2剂量组则在第3d就出现抑制效应，直至第13d才恢复至正常水平。结论：适当剂量的氦氖激光照射可对小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖反应产生增强效应，而过大剂量He-Ne激光则对免疫机能产生抑制效应。     

Assessment of the In Vivo Toxicity of Gold Nanoparticles

The environmental impact of nanoparticles is evident; however, their toxicity due to their nanosize is rarely discussed. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) may serve as a promising model to address the size-dependent biological response to nanoparticles because they show good biocompatibility and their size can be controlled with great precision during their chemical synthesis. Naked GNPs ranging from 3 to 100 nm were injected intraperitoneally into BALB/C mice at a dose of 8 mg/kg/week. GNPs of 3, 5, 50, and 100 nm did not show harmful effects; however, GNPs ranging from 8 to 37 nm induced severe sickness in mice. Mice injected with GNPs in this range showed fatigue, loss of appetite, change of fur color, and weight loss. Starting from day 14, mice in this group exhibited a camel-like back and crooked spine. The majority of mice in these groups died within 21 days. Injection of 5 and 3 nm GNPs, however, did not induce sickness or lethality in mice. Pathological examination of the major organs of the mice in the diseased groups indicated an increase of Kupffer cells in the liver, loss of structural integrity in the lungs, and diffusion of white pulp in the spleen. The pathological abnormality was associated with the presence of gold particles at the diseased sites, which were verified by ex vivo Coherent anti-Stoke Raman scattering microscopy. Modifying the surface of the GNPs by incorporating immunogenic peptides ameliorated their toxicity. This reduction in the toxicity is associated with an increase in the ability to induce antibody response. The toxicity of GNPs may be a fundamental determinant of the environmental toxicity of nanoparticles.     

褪黑素改善小鼠睡眠作用的研究

为研究褪黑素的改善睡眠作用，通过直接睡眠试验、与戊巴比妥钠协同睡眠试验，观察褪黑素诱导小鼠的睡眠作用。结果显示：褪黑素８００ｍｇ／ｋｇＢＷ剂量灌胃小鼠，有直接诱导小鼠睡眠作用（Ｐ＜０．０１），睡眠时间为７０．８ｍｉｎ，潜伏期为３５．７ｍｉｎ；０．０８３、０．５、３．０ｍｇ／ｋｇＢＷ剂量，能显著延长戊巴比妥钠诱导的小鼠睡眠时间（Ｐ＜０．０１），显著增加戊巴比妥钠阈下剂量诱导的小鼠睡眠发生率（Ｐ＜０．０５、Ｐ＜０．０１）。由此可见，褪黑素具有改善小鼠睡眠作用     

Effect of the monascus pigment threonine derivative on regulation of the cholesterol level in mice

Different amino acid derivatives were synthesized during cultivation of a Monascus species. Derivatives exhibiting an inhibitory activity against HMG-CoA reductase were screened by in vitro tests. The threonine derivative had a high inhibitory activity of 38% while four other derivatives showed a greater than 23% activity. The orange monascus pigment showed a high activity of 36%. In vivo tests using female C57BL/6 mice were performed with the threonine derivative and orange pigment. Changes in the cholesterol and lipid levels in mice due to addition of the pigments were investigated. The total cholesterol (TC) level of mouse serum was reduced by 8–9% with the threonine derivative and by 16% with orange pigment. Supplementation with the threonine derivative and orange pigment decreased the LDL cholesterol level by 18–26% and increased the HDL cholesterol level by 1–9%. The atherogenic index (AI) value was reduced by 23–27% with pigment supplementation. The anti-atherosclerosis effect of monascus pigments can be induced by control of the lipid content in the serum rather than in the liver of mice.     

Ex-vivo cellular MRI with b-SSFP: quantitative benefits of 3 T over 1.5 T

INTRODUCTION: The use of MRI with iron-based magnetic nanoparticles for imaging cells is a rapidly growing field of research. We have recently reported that single iron-labeled cells could be detected, as signal voids, in vivo in mouse brains using a balanced steady-state free precession imaging sequence (b-SSFP) and a customized microimaging system at 1.5 T. METHODS: In the current study we assess the benefits, and challenges, of using a higher magnetic field strength for imaging iron-labeled cells with b-SSFP, using ex vivo mouse brain specimens imaged with near identical systems at 1.5 and 3.0 T. RESULTS: The substantial banding artifact that appears in 3 T b-SSFP images was readily minimized with RF phase cycling, allowing for banding-free b-SSFP images to be compared between the two field strengths. This study revealed that with an optimal 3 T b-SSFP imaging protocol, more than twice as many signal voids were detected as with 1.5 T. CONCLUSION: There are several factors that contributed to this important result. First, a greater-than-linear SNR gain was achieved in mouse brain images at 3 T. Second, a reduction in the bandwidth, and the associated increase in repetition time and SNR, produced a dramatic increase in the contrast generated by iron-labeled cells.     

Cystone,an ayurvedic herbal drug imparts protection to the mice against the lethal effects of γ‐radiation: A preliminary study

The effect of 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 160 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) of aqueous extract of cystone (an ayurvedic herbal medicine) administered intraperitoneally was studied on the radiation‐induced mortality in mice exposed to 10 Gy of γ‐radiation. Treatment of mice with different doses of cystone, consecutively for five days before irradiation, delayed the onset of mortality and reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness when compared with the non‐drug treated irradiated controls. The pretreatment of mice with different doses of cystone before exposure to 10 Gy of γ‐radiation resulted in a dose‐dependent elevation in the survival up to 40 mg/kg b. wt., where the highest number of survival (55.55%) was observed by 30 days post irradiation, when compared with the 10 Gy irradiated control (6.66%). Thereafter, the number of survivors declined and reached a nadir at 160 mg/kg, where no survivors could be observed. The optimum protection against irradiation was observed for 40 mg/kg cystone, where the highest number of survivors were reported by 30 days post irradiation and it was 8.34‐fold greater than that of the irradiated control group.     

红花籽油的抗氧化功能研究

针对红花籽油的抗氧化功能进行研究,通过其对1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼自由基、超氧阴离子自由基、羟自由基的清除能力以及还原能力的测定,进行体外抗氧化试验;在体内抗氧化试验中,将60只雄性昆明种小鼠分为6组,其中阴性对照组和模型对照组给予蒸馏水,阳性对照组每日灌胃0.02 g/kg bw VE,3个试验组每日分别灌胃0.625、1.25、2.5 g/kg bw红花籽油,连续灌胃30 d。末次灌胃后,除阴性对照组外,模型对照组、阳性对照组和3个试验组均给予50%乙醇12 m L/kg bw造过氧化损伤,6 h后取样测定血清和肝脏中超氧化物歧化酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、还原型谷胱甘肽、丙二醛和蛋白质羰基的含量。结果表明:在体外抗氧化试验中,红花籽油对化学体系产生的自由基具有较强清除能力,同时还具有还原能力;在体内抗氧化试验中,红花籽油能显著提高血清和肝脏SOD、GSH-Px、GSH水平,降低MDA和PC含量,对乙醇所致机体过氧化性损伤起保护作用,以0.625 g/kg bw剂量效果最佳。结论:红花籽油具有抗氧化作用,但不能过量摄入。