Comparative Effects of Deferiprone and Salinomycin on Lead-Induced Disturbance in the Homeostasis of Intrarenal Essential Elements in Mice

Lead (Pb) exposure induces severe nephrotoxic effects in humans and animals. Herein, we compare the effects of two chelating agents, salinomycin and deferiprone, on Pb-induced renal alterations in mice and in the homeostasis of essential elements. Adult male mice (Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)) were randomized into four groups: control (Ctrl)—untreated mice administered distilled water for 28 days; Pb-exposed group (Pb)—mice administered orally an average daily dose of 80 mg/kg body weight (BW) lead (II) nitrate (Pb(NO₃)₂) during the first two weeks of the experimental protocol followed by the administration of distilled water for another two weeks; salinomycin-treated (Pb + Sal) group—Pb-exposed mice, administered an average daily dose of 16 mg/kg BW salinomycin for two weeks; deferiprone-treated (Pb + Def) group—Pb-exposed mice, administered an average daily dose of 20 mg/kg BW deferiprone for 14 days. The exposure of mice to Pb induced significant accumulation of the toxic metal in the kidneys and elicited inflammation with leukocyte infiltrations near the glomerulus. Biochemical analysis of the sera revealed that Pb significantly altered the renal function markers. Pb-induced renal toxicity was accompanied by a significant decrease in the endogenous renal concentrations of phosphorous (P), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu) and selenium (Se). In contrast to deferiprone, salinomycin significantly improved renal morphology in Pb-treated mice and decreased the Pb content by 13.62% compared to the Pb-exposed group. There was also a mild decrease in the renal endogenous concentration of magnesium (Mg) and elevation of the renal concentration of iron (Fe) in the salinomycin-treated group compared to controls. Overall, the results demonstrated that salinomycin is a more effective chelating agent for the treatment of Pb-induced alterations in renal morphology compared to deferiprone.     

Binary spinel cobaltites of nickel,copper and zinc as precursors of catalysts for carbon oxides methanation

The hydrogenation of carbon oxides (CO and CO₂) on bimetallic Cu/Co and Ni/Co as well as Co/ZnO catalysts obtained by reduction of the corresponding spinel cobaltites Me_xCo_3-xO₄ is investigated. The predominant hydrogenation process is methanation and in the case of nickel cobaltite high and stable activity and selectivity are reached, no carbon deposition and carbide formation being observed.     

Equilibrium and kinetic studies on the removal of some metal ions using biogenic amorphous silica

In the present study agricultural waste (rice husks) was used for the production of biogenic silica. The resulting material was obtained by incineration of rice husks at a temperature of 800°С and was characterized by means of XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, Hg-porosimetry and N₂-adsorption. The adsorption ability of the rice husks ash towards Fe(III), Pb(II), Cr(III) and Cu(II) ions in single- and multi-component aqueous solutions was studied in a batch system. The effects of contact time, acidity of initial solutions and metal ion concentrations were followed. Different models were used to determine the adsorption mechanism. Equilibrium experimental data were fitted to linear Langmuir and Freundlich models. The maximum adsorption capacities for single- and multi-component adsorption were calculated.     

Increase in the cerebrospinal fluid content of neurosteroids in patients with unipolar major depression who are receiving fluoxetine or fluvoxamine

We recently reported that fluoxetine or paroxetine, two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), when administered to rats, increase the brain content of the neurosteroid 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-20-one (3alpha5alpha-ALLO) without altering the brain content of other neurosteroids. ALLO (3alpha5alpha and 3alpha5beta isomers) binds with high affinity to various gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor A subtypes and facilitates the action of GABA at these receptors. We hypothesized that the increase of ALLO brain content induced by treatment with SSRIs could contribute to alleviating the anxiety and dysphoria associated with the symptomatology of major unipolar depression. We measured ALLO content in four cisternal-lumbar fractions of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) before and 8-10 weeks after treatment with fluoxetine or fluvoxamine in 15 patients with unipolar major depression. The concentration of ALLO ( approximately 40 fmol/ml in each CSF fraction of three control subjects) was about 60% lower in patients with major unipolar depression. However, in the same patients, fluoxetine or fluvoxamine treatment normalized the CSF ALLO content. Moreover, a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.58; P < 0.023; n = 15) existed between symptomatology improvement (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores) and the increase in CSF ALLO after fluoxetine or fluvoxamine treatment. The CSF content of PREG and PROG remained unaltered after treatment and failed to correlate with the SSRI-induced increase of CSF ALLO. The normalization of CSF ALLO content in depressed patients appears to be sufficient to mediate the anxiolytic and antidysphoric actions of fluoxetine or fluvoxamine via its positive allosteric modulation of GABA type A receptors.     

Electronographic investigation of the degree of preferred orientation of nickel electrodeposits

The influence of a polished platinum substrate upon the degree of orientation of [110]-oriented nickel electrodeposits has been investigated electronographically, in relation to layer thickness and current density. It has been shown that the influence of the substrate is restricted to only very thin layers of electrodeposited nickel. This influence decreases with the increase of current density, or with the decrease of size of the nickel crystallites.

The obtained experimental data are in good agreement with the two-dimensional theory of preferred orientation, when the epitaxial influence of the polycrystalline substrate is taken into consideration.