Protective effect of vilva juice on glycoconjugate levels in experimentally induced constipation in rats.

Efficacy of vilva, a polyherbal formulation was evaluated in morphine induced constipated rats. Vilva juice, at a dose of 1.5 ml/100 g body wt was given orally for a period of 7 days. Morphine sulfate was injected to induce constipation on 8th day, 45 min before the experiments. Protein bound glycoconjungates were estimated in intestinal tissue. Altered levels of glycoconjugates were maintained at near normalcy when pretreated with vilva juice in morphine induced rats. Histological changes were observed in the colon tissue. The damage to crypts of Liberkunn in constipated rats were found to be reduced in vilva pretreated rats. Vilva, thus, offered significant protection against morphine induced constipation by way of augmenting mucus secretion.

Alcohol's impact upon glycobiology.

This report reviews and illustrates ways in which some of the problems linked to excessive alcohol intake may develop from alcohol-induced alterations of eukaryotic cell surface molecules. Alcohol is the number one drug of abuse in the US, affecting at least 15 million Americans and causing annual losses of more than $80 billion and 100,000 lives. An estimated 20-40% of all persons admitted to general hospitals have alcohol-related problems and are often undiagnosed alcoholics being treated for the consequences of their drinking. Chronic alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver is the ninth leading cause of death in the US, with over 28,000 deaths annually. Alcohol has harmful effects on almost every organ system in the body, producing cardiovascular disorders, liver disease, neuropathological illness and fetal injury. The etiologic mechanisms for these effects of alcohol is a research area of considerable importance to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

An investigation of the nature of bladder mucosal glycoconjugates and their role in interstitial cystitis.

The long-term objective of this study is to elucidate the role of bladder mucosal glycosaminoglycans and mucin glycoproteins in the development of interstitial cystitis and other bladder diseases. Bladder biopsies and urine samples from patients and healthy controls were analyzed for glycoconjugates by biochemical and immunochemical methods. Due to the limited availability of human bladders for research purposes, detailed analysis of rabbit bladders glycoconjugates were also carried out. Biochemical analysis of rabbit bladders indicate that while the major portion of the glycoconjugates in the urothelium is sialoglycoprotein, low levels of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are also present. The correlating immunohistochemical data show very weak staining of the rabbit bladder epithelium by antiglycosaminoglycan antibodies. In contrast, the lamina propria and muscle layers stained intensely for chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. Thus, the quantity of glycosaminoglycans associated with the bladder epithelial layer, particularly as extracellular matrix components on the luminal surface of the bladder, appears insignificant. On the other hand, several lectins and anti-epitectin (a MUC1 sialoglycoprotein) antibodies showed strong staining of the luminal surface of rabbit and normal human bladders. Further, preliminary results with anti-epitectin antibodies reveal a weaker and patchy staining of biopsy specimens from interstitial cystitis patients compared to controls. The urinary levels of glycosaminoglycans and epitectin, in interstitial cystitis patients and healthy controls were determined by chemical or immunoassays. Urinary epitectin, but not glycosaminoglycans, was decreased in interstitial cystitis patients.

Características histoquímicas e estruturais do testículo do morcego hematófago (desmodus rotundus rotundus, Geoffrey, 1810) / Histochemical and structural characteristics of the testis of the vampire bat (desmodus rotundus rotundus, Geoffrey, 1810)

O estroma testicular do morcego hematófago, incluindo a cápsula testicular e a lâmina própria dos túbulos seminíferos, mostrou forte reatividade ao PAS. Esta reatividade foi possivelmente decorrente da grande quantidade de mucossubstância neutras (glicogênio e outros glicoconjugados), presentes aos níveis dos elementos estruturais da túnica albugínea e lâmina própria tubular, ou seja das fibras musculares lisas; células contráteis alongadas (mióides) e arranjos colágenos, fibrilares ou lamelares. Ao nível da lâmina própria, as membranas basais dos túbulos seminíferos se mostraram intensamente PAS-positivas, comprovando sua composiçäo predominante por mucossubstâncias neutras, de estruturaçäo complexa, previamente reportada (Malmi et al., 1987). O revestimento epitelial do complexo cavitário e superficial da rede testicular mostrou baixas reatividades para mucossubstâncias; proteínas e lipídios totais e enzimas oxidativas estudadas. Contudo, foi observada granulaçäo epitelial apical fortemente PAS-positiva na rede testicular, com hipótese de secreçäo glicoprotéica a este nível. As reaçöes de PAS, Sudan Black B, NADH, MDH e LDH no tecido intersticial testicular parecem se relacionar ao metabolismo esteróide (biossíntese e secreçäo) ao nível das células de Leydig. O epitélio seminífero, de forma gerla, demonstrou baixas reaçöes a todos os métodos histoquímicos utilizados. No entanto, no epitélio adbasal as localizaqçöes histoquímicas da NADH e LDH observadas se relacionaram possivelmente...