Opium can differently alter blood glucose, sodium and potassium in male and female rats

To determine the effects of opium on serum glucose, potassium and sodium in male and female Wistar rat, opium solution [60 mg/kg] injected intraperitoneally and the same volume of distilled water was used as control [7 rats in each group]. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 120, 240 and 360 minutes after injection from orbit cavity and the values of serum glucose, sodium [Na+] and potassium [K+] were measured. The data were then analyzed by the repeated measure ANOVA based on sex and case-control group. P < 0.05 considered as significant difference. Serum glucose increased significantly at 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes after opium solution injection, in female rats compared to a control group. However, the male rats had this rise at 30, 60 and 120 minutes after opium solution injection compared to control group. While serum glucose in male rats was significantly higher than females at 30, 60 and 120 minutes, this value was higher in the female rats at 360 minutes. Therefore, serum glucose alterations following opium injection was significantly different in groups and in the sexes at different times. Sodium [Na+] rose at 60, 240 and 360 minutes significantly in all rats compared to control group. However, sodium alteration following opium injection was significantly different only between treated and control groups but sex-independent at all times. Potassium [K+] increased significantly at 60, 120, 240 and 360 minutes in male rats, compared to a control group. In female rats K+ significantly raised at 30, 120, 240 and 360 minutes. Therefore, the alteration of K+ in male and female rats was found time dependent and sex independent. According to our results, opium increased serum glucose in male and female rats differently, and it interferes with metabolic pathways differently on a gender dependent basis. Opium raised serum Na+ and K+, thus it interfere with water regulation and blood pressure via different mechanism

Survey of changes in complete blood count and red cell indices of whole blood incubated in vitro at different temperatures up to 48 hours

Complete blood count [CBC] is one of the most common and conventional blood test that physicians usually request. However the results of this test are affected by different factors such as, the temperature and duration of incubation, therefore the aim of this survey was to evaluate the effect of temperature and time of incubation on CBC, red blood cells [RBC] indices and white blood cells [WBC] differential count. In a cross-sectional study, blood samples were taken from 30 healthy medical students of Rafsanjan University [15 males and 15 females]. The samples divided into three parts; CBC were done on the samples up to 48 hours incubation at temperature of 25, 30, and 37°C at the time of sampling, and after 2, 8, 24 and 48 hours. Data were statistically analyzed and the following results were obtained. RBC count, hematocrit, MCH, percent of monocytes and eosinophils were constant in different temperatures, WBC count, MCHC, hemoglobin, platelets count, the percent of lymphocytes and neutrophils were constant up to 24 hours and then tend to increase with increasing temperature except lymphocytes percent that tend to decrease. MCV decreased with increasing temperature up to 8 hours and then significantly increased [from 83.89 to 87.50 fmol/1, p<0.00l]. WBC, hematocrit, MCV, platelets count, and neutrophils' percent tend to increase by the time of incubation, but RBC count, MCHC, lymphocytes' percent decreased. Hemoglobin, MCH, and the percent of monocytes and eosinophils were constant. The finding of this survey showed that some of CBC parameters can be changed with the incubation, therefore it is better to do the CBC test after blood taking as soon as possible

Transfection of 6-23 a rat thyroid carcinoma cell line, with the neuropeptide Y cDNA

Neuropeptide Y [NPY] is a 36 amino acid peptide found throughout the central and peripheral nervous system of rat and human. NPY has been proposed to play an important role in satiety. The aim of this study was to produce cell lines that secrete high levels of bioactive NPY. For this purpose, the complementary DNA [cDNA] that encodes NPY was isolated by PCR. The cDNA was then cloned into pCEP4, to form pCEP4NPY. 6-23 cells were transfected with pCEP4NPY by electroporation. Transfected cells were selected by the addition of hygromycin B to the culture medium. Resistant colonies were picked and transferred to 96-well plates. The medium was tested for IR-NPY using a specific NPY radioimmunoassay [RIA]. The IR-NPY secreted by the cells was characterized by sephadex G50 chromatography and reversed phase fast protein liquid chromatography [FPLC]. It was found to co-elute with the synthetic standard in both cases. RNA was extracted from the cells and subjected to Northern blot analysis using labeled NPY cDNA as a probe. The cells were found to express high levels of NPY at mRNA levels