Effect of leflunomide on sciatic nerve of adult albino rats: a histological and immunohistochemical study

Leflunomide is a commonly used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. Potential clinical neurotoxic symptoms in patients treated with leflunomide in daily practice have been reported recently. It is unclear whether leflunomide is directly related to the occurrence of such nerve toxicity or whether other factors may be involved. This study was carried out to demonstrate the effect of leflunomide on sciatic nerve experimentally. For this purpose, 17 adult albino rats were used and were divided into three groups: a control group [five rats], the second group [seven rats], which received 2 mg/kg body weight of leflunomide orally once daily for 8 weeks, and the third group [five rats], which received 2 mg/kg body weight of leflunomide orally once daily for 8 weeks and left for 4 weeks withdrawal. Sciatic nerve specimens were processed for histological study by light microscopy, electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. The light microscopy data were morphometrically analyzed in the sciatic nerves of the groups. We observed splitting of myelin lamellae, presence of marked intramyelinic edematous clefts between the split myelin lamellae, infolded myelin loops, and myelin degeneration. Changes in the axons included formation of myelin rings and figures in some of the larger axons, degeneration, compression, irregularity, and shrinkage. Therefore, it is recommended that patients under leflunomide treatment should be regularly examined for neurophysiological effects of leflunomide on peripheral nerves

Histological characteristics of botulinum neurotoxin-A on rat skeletal muscles

Botulinum neurotoxins-A [BT-A] are bacterial enzymes that block neurotransmitter release. BT-A is widely used to treat spasticity and dystonias, and also in pharmacocosmetic and in the management of various types of pain. It is therefore important to clarify the histological characteristics involved in muscular tissue postinjection and to reconcile its injection for cosmoses under scope. Fifteen adult albino rats were used in this study and divided into three groups [five rats each]. Group I served as negative control; groups II and III were injected into the right gastrocnemius muscle with BT-A in addition to saline into the left side to serve as positive control. Muscle harvest was examined by LM, EM, and morphometry at 28th day for group II with two rats of group I and at 56th day for group III with three rats of group I. Histological examination revealed neurogenic atrophy, target fiber change, hypertrophied fibers, and dilated aggregates of the sarcotubular system. Neurogenic muscle atrophy following a single BT-A injection should be taken into consideration when repeated BT-A injections into the same muscle are needed

Fungal biotreatment of agro-industrial wastes for the production of bioethanol in bioreactor

BIOETHANOL production from lignocellulosic feedstocks is considered a promising strategy to increase global production of biofuels without impacting food supplies. This work aimed to evaluate bioethanol production by baker's yeast using a medium containing the hydrolysate of fungal biotreatment of five different lignocellulosic feedstocks with some amendments. The pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks using 5 % w/v NaOH, 1 % v/v H[2]SO[4] and sodium hypochlorite: H[2]O[2][10:1] prior to fungal biotreatment was studied. For bioethanol production, batch, fed-batch [two strategies] and continuous cultivations of baker's yeast on the fungal biotreated rice straw hydrolysate was evaluated in bioreactor. In batch and pulsed fed-batch cultivations, the highest bioethanol concentration, conversion coefficient, bioethanol yield and productivity were [0.41 % v/v, 36.9 % v/w, 36,9 % v/w and 0.114 ml/l/h, respectively], while in fed-batch cultivation with continuous feeding these parameters were [0.45 % v/v, 40 % v/w,. 40.5 v/w % and 0,015 ml/l/h, respectively]. The highest bioethanol concentration [0.52 % v/v] was obtained in continuous culture at dilution rate of 0.03 h[-1]. while conversion coefficient; yield and productivity were 31.2 % v/w, 31.4 % v/w and 0.022 ml/l/h, respectively

Effect of gama irradiation of bioethanol producing microorganisms on bioethanol formation from sugarcane bagasse and potato peels

THE PRESENT work was designed to investigate the production of bioethanol from agriculture feedstock [sugarcane bagasse and potato peels] using Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 7754 and Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 29191, exposed to different doses of gamma irradiation [0, 100, 300, 500, 1000 and 1500 Gy]. The effect of different hydrolysis pretreatments of feedstock on resulting sugars [initial sugars], which were later fermented to bioethanol, was also tested and compared to non-hydrolyzed feedstock. Hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and potato peels was conducted with dilute sulphuric acid [2 and 6 % v/v], running at 100 and 120°C for 30 and 60 min of retention time. The highest bioethanol concentration obtained from sugarcane bagasse was 10.3 gL[-1], which was produced by Sacch. cerevisiae ATCC 7754 irradiated at 300 Gy from hydrolysate of 2 % [v/v] H[2]SO[4] at 120°C for 60 min treatment. From the same treatment, the highest bioethanol concentration obtained by Z mobilis ATCC 29191 was 4.4 gL[-1], when irradiated at 100 Gy. This acid treatment produced 23.7 gL[-1] of sugars from the feedstock. The highest bioethanol concentration obtained from potato peels was 7.5 gL[-1], produced by Sacch. cerevisiae ATCC 7754 irradiated at 300 Gy from hydrolysate of 6 % [v/v] H[2]SO[4] at 100°C for 60 min treatment, followed by 5.7 gL[-1] produced by Z mobilis ATCC 29191 irradiated at 100 Gy. This treatment produced 24 gL[-1] of sugars from the feedstock