Identification and sequence analysis of two antimicrobial peptides in Egyptian native and crossbred frisian cattle

Two antimicrobial peptides namely bovine tracheal antimicrobial peptide [TAP] and bovine neutrophil beta-defensin 4 [BNBD4] were investigated in crossbred Frisian and Egyptian native cattle. TAP and BNBD4 were tested for reaction with cDNA of various cattle tissues such as liver, lung, trachea, intestine, mammary gland, colon and blood using PCR. TAP and BNBD4 were positive in all tissues of the native cattle whereas in crossbred Frisian only the trachea PCR- product sequence was positive with both. NCBI-Blast analysis of TAP and BNBD4 sequences showed 89% and 92% alignment between crossbred Frisian and native cattle, respectively. Blast analysis of TAP PCR-product sequences of both native and crossbred Frisian cattle with GenBank published sequences revealed sequence homology between both native and crossbred Frisian cattle and Bos taunts TAP mRNA. Analysis also revealed homology [90%] between crossbred Frisian TAP and Bos taunts lingual antimicrobial peptide [LAP], whereas native cattle TAP was homologous [86%] to Bubalus bubalis LAP. Blast analysis of BNBD4 PCR-products sequence revealed sequence homology between both native and crossbred Frisian cattle and Bos taurus BNBD4 mRNA. Analysis also revealed homology with Bubalus bubalis enteric beta-defensin preproprotein mRNA, however the native cattle showed higher homology [128 nucleotide shared] than the crossbred Frisian where only 62 nitcleotides were shared. The presence of TAP and BNBD4 in all tested tissues of native cattle may reflect a higher tendency towards disease resistance in native cattle compared to the crossbred Frisian ones. Further studies on the expression of these genes in different organs of the native cattle will shed more light on their disease resistance

Effect of zomepirac sodium on bone marrow of laboratory rats

The effect of Zomepirac sodium on the bone marrow cells has been studied. Zomepirac sodium failed to induce any significant changes in the counts of stromal cells, erythroid, immature myeloids and mature leukocyte cells. It also failed to induce chromosomal or chromatid breakage as tested by the micro-nucleus test

Sister chromatid exchanges induced by zomepirac sodium

Sister chromatid exchanges induced in rat bone marrow cells, by zomepirac sodium were analyzed in order to assess the mutagenic potential of this analgesic drug. Three different doses namely 2, 5, 5 and 10mg zomepirac free acid/kg were used. Zomepirac sodium induced significant increase in SCE frequency particularly at the higher doses

Congenital abnormalities in rat embryos associated with maternal use of fluphenazine hydrochloride during pregnancy

Fluphenazine, a phenothiazine derivative, was administered intraperitoneally to pregnant rats, at different doses from the 6th and/or 10th to the 19th day of gestation. Body weights of pregnant rats decreased significantly after exposure to fluphenazine. Embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of fluphenazine were evaluated. High doses of fluphenazine when administered from the 6th day of gestation caused inhibition of implantation. It caused growth retardation and skeletal defects when administered from the 10th day of gestation. Morphological malformations such as micrognathia, gastro-schisis and macrophthalmous are also found to occur

On the teratogenic potential of zomepirac sodium

Zomepirac sodium, administered to pregnant rats did not cause any morphological abnormalities in transplacentally exposed embryos. It caused an inhibition of ossification of sternebral, specially the 5th and 6th, in as much as 30 percent of the treated embryos. Still birth, death, and sternebral malformation occurred under high dose treatments. However their frequencies did not reach statistical significance above those of the controls