Chemical composition of industrially and laboratory processed Cyperus esculentus rhizomes.

We report here the results of the study of the chemical composition of Cyperus esculentus rhizomes. Ethanolic extracts have been separated by column chromatography and analyzed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Quercetin, stigmasterol, and linoleic and oleic acid glycerol esters, together with 4-chlorobutyl oleate, oleamide, myricetin, tyramine and N-feruloyltyramine, found for the first time in Cyperus esculentus rhizomes, have been isolated and quantified in the extracts. Alkaloids have not been detected, and the presence of flavonoids and sterols is moderate.

Toxicological assessment of Xanthigen® nutraceutical extract combination: Mutagenicity, genotoxicity and oral toxicity.

Xanthigen® is a nutraceutical combination for weight management capable of increasing energy expenditure via uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) in white adipose tissue. It consists of brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida extract, rich in the carotenoid fucoxanthin (FX) and pomegranate seed oil (PSO), rich in punicic acid. Xanthigen was screened to determine its genotoxicity and 90-days repeated oral toxicity. Genotoxicity was assessed with the Ames test (TA89, TA100, TA1535, TA1537, WP2), chromosomal aberration assay (Chinese hamster ovary cells) and mammalian micronucleus test (in mice). Xanthigen did not exhibit genotoxicity in any tested strain. Sub-chronic toxicity was evaluated with daily oral administration of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day doses of Xanthigen® to Sprague-Dawley rats over 90 days. No deaths and no deleterious effects were observed during the 90-day treatment, indicating an absence of sub-chronic toxicity and a no observed adverse effect level greater than 1000 mg/kg/day. A statistically significant decrease in bodyweight and food intake in Xanthigen® treated groups was attributed to the weight loss property of Xanthigen®. Overall, Xanthigen® shows no significant mutagenic or toxic effects.

Definite segregation of cortical neurons projecting to the dorsal column nuclei in the rat.

The dorsal column nuclei (DCN) receive a substantial contingent of projections that arise from a number of somatosensory and motor cortical areas. We investigated the spatial organization of these projections in the rat by placing small deposits of two retrograde fluorescent tracers in adjacent foci within the DCN. Single-labeled neurons were abundant in layer V of the primary somatosensory (SI) and motor areas, and in the posterior parietal cortex. More sparse labeling was found in the medial agranular cortex (or MII), and the second somatosensory area. A somatotopic-like arrangement of these neurons was more clearly noticed in the granular zones of SI. Double-labeled neurons were very uncommon, and appeared at border regions where single-labeled cells intermingled. The segregation of these projections supports some differential modulatory effects that the cortex exerts on the somatosensory processing that takes place in the DCN.

Photoaffinity labeling identification of a specific binding protein for the anabolic steroids stanozolol and danazol: an oligomeric protein regulated by age, pituitary hormones, and ethinyl estradiol.

We have demonstrated previously that both rat and human liver microsomes contain a highly specific binding protein for the anabolic steroids stanozolol (ST) and danazol (DA). In this study we solubilized the male rat liver ST-binding protein (STBP) and investigated the following parameters: 1) pharmacological properties, 2) hydrodynamic properties, 3) peptidic composition, 4) the effects of age and hypophysectomy, and 5) inducibility by 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol. We found that STBP is an integral protein bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) provided its optimal solubilization without changes in its pharmacological properties, i.e. high specificity for ST and danazol, between natural steroids and ligands of low affinity glucocorticoid-binding sites or of progesterone-binding sites. Hydrodynamic properties of the STBP showed that it has a molecular mass of at least 118 kDa. SDS-PAGE of covalently labeled STBP under nonreducing conditions showed that [3H]ST binds to a 110-kDa protein. The STBP was resolved under reducing conditions into three peptides of 55, 31, and 22 kDa, respectively. STBP increased from immature to adult rats, and it dramatically decreased after hypophysectomy. Unlike the 22-kDa peptide, both the 55- and 31-kDa peptides drastically decreased in both immature and hypophysectomized rats. 17alpha-Ethinyl estradiol administration to immature or hypophysectomized rats induced the 55- and 31-kDa [3H]STBP to a greater extent than the 22-kDa peptide. Thus, STBP appears as an oligomeric protein composed of hormone-regulated peptides. The availability of solubilized STBP and the fact that it can be induced in vivo represent major steps toward the purification and functional significance of this unique steroid-binding protein.

Usefulness of the detection of Toxoplasma gondii antigens in AIDS patients.

Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is a mayor cause of central nervous system infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 56 of 79 patients with AIDS (71%), in the present study. Fourteen out of 57 seropositive patients developed TF (25%) and had Toxoplasma gondii antigen detected in their urine. For this, most of them received an effective therapy, with the subsequent disappearance of the symptoms and discontinuity of excretion of the T. gondii antigens. Our results suggest that the monitoring of T. gondii antigen in the urine of AIDS patients may be useful to decide on the proper time for therapy, as well as to avoid the beginning of neurologic signs in these patients.

[Capture immunoassay for the detection of human IgG against Toxoplasma gondii protein P30]. / Inmunoensayo de "captura" para la detección de IgG humana anti proteína P30 de Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed disease with prevalence rates ranging between 40 and 80% in different parts of the world. The diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis constitutes a health problem since intra-uterine infection can lead to undesirable effects on the fetus. Immunoenzymatic methods are the techniques of choice for the serologic diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. The present paper describes an indirect sandwich ELISA with the murine anti-P30, the main surface antigen of Toxoplasma gondii, monoclonal antibody as the first antibody fixed to the polystyrene 96 wells plate for the capture of P30 molecule from T. gondii extracts and to detect the presence of human anti-P30 IgG. Serum samples from 42 pregnant women were studied and compared to results obtained with a commercial kit (Plastelia Toxo IgG, Institute Pasteur, Lille, France) for the same purpose, in which 83.4% of the serum samples were positives. Our results demonstrated a significant correlation (p < 0.001; r = 0.84) with those obtained with the commercial kit. We conclude that the IgG anti-P30 method should be very useful for screening of seroconversion in pregnant women not sensitized by T. gondii and to evaluate epidemiologically the prevalence rate infection by this parasite which can cause and transmit this disease subclinically.

Technique for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii antigens in mouse urine.

A simple and rapid staphylococcal coagglutination test for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii antigens in mice urine is described. A suspension of protein-A containing Staphylococcus aureus coated with rabbit hyperimmune serum was used as reagent. The sensitivity of the antigen assay was found to be at least 118 ng of the antigen protein per ml. No coagglutination was observed when the reagent was challenged against antigenic solutions of other parasites. The suitability of the method for detecting antigens of T. gondii in urine samples was studied by experimental toxoplasma infection in mice. Before the staphylococcal test, the urine samples were double serially diluted in 0.1 M PBS. From the second day on all samples from infected mice were positive at 1/16 dilution. At this dilution, all samples from non infected mice were negative or did not produce coagglutination. This method might be used in the rapid etiological diagnosis also in human cases of acute toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis II.Algunos aspectos relativos a trastornos oculares. / Toxoplasmosis II. Some aspectos in relation to ocular disorders

Se estudiaron comparativamente pacientes con afecciones oculares presuntamente toxoplasmosicas y un grupo control compuesto por personas asintomaticas, atendiendo a los resultados obtenidos con el empleo de la reaccion de fijacion del complemento para toxoplasmosis.Se reunieron 36 pacientes con uveitis anteriores, 50 con coriorretinitis y 100 personas sanas. Se encontro diferencias significativas entre las concentraciones de anticuerpos de ambos grupos sintomaticos con respecto a los controles. No se llego a conclusiones definitivas sobre si la presunta toxoplasmosis fue congenita o adquirida en los casos estudiados. Del analisis de la relacion entre los niveles de anticuerpos y el contacto con gatos dentro de cada grupo, solo fueron halladas diferencias en los controles, lo que indica en el universo estudiado, que la presencia de estos animales pudo haber influido en la infeccion, pero no en la enfermedad

Comparison of droperidol, haloperidol and prochlorperazine as postoperative anti-emetics.

The results of this study demonstrate that prochlorperazine, haloperidol and droperidol are all effective post-operative anti-emetic compounds when compared to saline but vary in onset of activity and duration of action. Haloperidol has the shortest onset of action, being effective within 30 minutes of intravenous administration. Prochlorperazine has an intermediate onset of action and droperidol is the slowest of the three compounds but the only one to provide significant anti-emesis 4-24 hours following administration. Our data suggest that a combination of haloperidol and droperidol may be more effective as an anti-emetic than any one of the compounds used alone.

Doppler determined blood pressure recordings: the effect of varying cuff sizes in children.

Ten children ages 12 months to 14 years were studied to determine the effect of cuff size on blood pressure determined by the Doppler ultrasonic technique compared to blood pressure recordings by the auscultatory method. It was found that Doppler determined blood pressure varied with cuff size as it does with the auscultatory method. Too small a cuff will give an artificially high recording while too large a cuff causes too low a recording. The effect of the large cuff is less marked than the effect of too small a cuff.

The effects of furosemide on remal blood flow and cortical perfusion during methoxyflurane and halothane anaesthesia.

Nephrotoxicity due to methoxyflurane may be due in part to alterations in intra-renal perfusion. Furosemide is believed to alter the intra-renal distribution of blood flow. Studies have been carried out to observe the effects of systemic furosemide administration during methoxyflurane and halothane anaesthesia in normotensive animals and in animals made hypotensive by increasing inspired concentrations of the anaesthetics. During halothane anaesthesia normotensive dogs showed a rise in total renal blood flow during the infusion of furosemide. Hypotensive dogs showed no increase in flow. During methoxyflurane anaesthesia no change in total renal blood flow followed furosemide administration to normotensive animals. Some diminution in total blood flow followed the administration of furosemide in hypotensive dogs during methoxyflurane anaesthesia. In normotensive dogs during halothane anaesthesia there was a significant increase in deep cortical perfusion after furosemide. Furosemide, therefore, is unlikely to mitigate the potential for nephrotoxicity which methoxyflurane possesses. Furthermore, this diuretic may adversely influence renal function when administered during halothane anaesthesia.