International Journal of Biomedical Science : IJBS最新文献

Erythrocytes aggregation takes places under low shear conditions or at stasis. All suggested mechanisms of erythrocytes aggregation indicated the importance role of fibrinogen and other blood proteins in enhanced erythrocyte aggregation. Recently a special attention is given to the cellular factors that may effect on erythrocytes aggregation. The present study inferred the effect of the cellular properties of erythrocytes on their aggregation. In the present study, aggregation index was calculated by a simple microscopic method. Correlations between erythrocytes aggregation index and mean cell volume, osmotic fragility, electrophoretic mobility, and magnetophoretic mobility were studied. The findings of this study indicated that the aggregation index is significatly correlated to mean cell volume, magnetophoretic mobility, osmotic fragility and electrophoretic mobility. Thus, It is concluded that cellular factors should be taken into consideration when studying the mechanism of erythrocytes aggregation.

Myomectomy is the most common surgery with cesarean section. There is controversy between obstetricians about doing myomectomy with cesarean section. A 29 years old primigravida patient presented with a large lower segment myoma (20 cm.) who underwent myomectomy during cesarean section at the term pregnancy. Myoma weighted 1500 gr. She didn't have intra-operative hemorrhage or any post-partum complications. Seems that there is no absolute contra-indication for myomectomy during cesarean section specially if the surgeon has enough experience and the myoma is large, located at the lower segments.

In two trials, dietary and Glucosinolates' characteristics in four Maca phenotypes have been examined with an extension into the determination of DNA sequences. Hypocotyls of the four prime phenotypes of Peruvian Maca - Lepidium peruvianum Chacon, labelled as "Yellow", "Black", "Red" and "Purple" were separated from mixed Maca crops cultivated in four geographically-distant locations in the Peruvian Andes at altitudes between 2,800m and 4,300 m a.s.l. It was found that at higher altitudes where Red and Purple Maca phenotypes were grown, the significantly higher (P<0.05) Glucosinolates' concentrations, adopted as the marker of Maca physiological activity, were observed with the Purple phenotype showing the highest Glucosinolates' content at 4,300m a.s.l., followed by the Red-coloured hypocotyls. Black Maca showed a reversal, but also a significant (P<0.05) trend, while the Yellow phenotype showed no visible altitude-inflicted response (P>0.05) and has consistently the lowest Glucosinolates content. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the altitude at which Red, Purple and Black phenotypes of L. peruvianum are grown, may be responsible for the variation in physiologic functionalities, leading to different than expected specific therapeutic and health benefits induced by Maca phenotypes grown at diverse altitudes. Although promising, insufficiently precise differences in DNA sequences failed to distinguish, without any reasonable doubt, four Maca phenotypes cultivated either in the same or geographically-distant locations, and harvested at different altitudes a.s.l. Further research on DNA sequences is needed, with more primers and larger number of Maca phenotypes, considering biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and adaptation pathways induced by harsh environment at altitudes where Maca is cultivated.

Circadian rhythms play key roles in the regulation of physiological and behavioral systems including wake-sleep cycles. We evaluated the effects of passionflower (aerial parts of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus) extract (PFE) on circadian rhythms using NIH3T3 cells and mice. PFE (100 μg/mL) induced high-amplitude rhythms in the expression of period circadian protein (Per) 2, cryptochrome (Cry) 1, superoxide dismutase (SOD) 1, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in vitro from 12 h after a treatment with serum-rich medium. Isovitexin 2"-O-glucoside, isoschaftoside, and homoorientin, which were purified from PFE, also significantly enhanced Per2 mRNA expression at 20 h. An oral treatment with PFE (100 mg/kg/day) at zeitgeber time (ZT) 0 h for 15 days improved sleep latencies and sleeping times in the pentobarbital-induced sleep test in mice, similar to muscimol (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.). PFE induced high-amplitude rhythms without obvious phase shifts in serum corticosterone levels and the expression of Per1, Per2, and Cry1 in the liver as well as NIH3T3 cells. However, in the cerebrum, PFE enhanced the circadian expression of brain-muscle ARNT-like protein (Bmal) 1, circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (Clock), and Per1. Regarding this difference, we suggest the involvement of several neurotransmitters that influence the circadian rhythm. Indeed, PFE significantly increased dopamine levels at ZT 18 h, and then affected the mRNA expression of the synthetic and metabolic enzymes such as monoamine oxidase (MAO), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). The results obtained show that PFE positively modulates circadian rhythms by inducing high-amplitude rhythms in the expression of several circadian clock genes.