Three medicinal plants affecting human ovarian cell viability, hormone release, and response to environmental contaminant toluene.

The present study examined the effect of medicinal plants - ginkgo, tribulus (puncture vine), and yucca - on ovarian functions and their response to the toxic influence of toluene. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of toluene with and without these plant extracts on cultured human ovarian granulosa cells. Cell viability and the release of progesterone, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I), oxytocin, and prostaglandin F (PGF) were analyzed using the trypan blue test, enzyme immunoassay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The ginkgo, tribulus and yucca were able to suppress ovarian cell viability and alter the release of hormones. Toluene suppressed cell viability and the release of PGF, but not of progesterone, IGF-I, or oxytocin. The negative effect of toluene on cell viability was prevented and even reversed by ginkgo and yucca, whereas its effect on PGF was prevented or inverted by all tested plant extracts. These findings (1) demonstrated the direct toxic effect of toluene on ovarian cells, (2) showed the direct effect of some medicinal plants on ovarian cell functions, and (3) demonstrated the ability of these plants to inhibit the effects of toluene and to act as natural protectors against the suppressive effect of toluene on female reproduction.

Quercetin can affect porcine ovarian cell functions and to mitigate some of the effects of the environmental contaminant toluene.

The present in vitro experiments aimed to examine the effects of the plant polyphenol quercetin and the environmental contaminant toluene on basic ovarian cell functions, including the ability of quercetin to be a natural protector against the adverse effects of toluene. The influence of toluene, quercetin, and their combination on proliferation (accumulation of PCNA), apoptosis (accumulation of bax) and release of progesterone, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor I (IGFI) by cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells was investigated. Toluene stimulated cell proliferation and inhibited progesterone, IGF-I and testosterone release but did not affect apoptosis. Quercetin, when administered alone, inhibited cell proliferation, apoptosis, IGF-I and testosterone release and stimulated progesterone output. When administered in combination with toluene, quercetin mitigated toluene's effects on proliferation and on progesterone release and induced toluene to exhibit a pro-apoptotic effect. These observations demonstrate the direct effects of both quercetin and toluene on basic ovarian functions and a protective effect of quercetin against the effects of toluene. Therefore, quercetin-containing plants could be regulators of porcine reproduction and natural protectors against the adverse effects of the environmental contaminant toluene.

Potential protective effect of puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris, L.) against xylene toxicity on bovine ovarian cell functions.

The action of the medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris (TT) on bovine ovarian cell functions, as well as the protective potential of TT against xylene (X) action, remain unknown. The aim of the present in vitro study was to elucidate the influence of TT, X and their combination on basic bovine ovarian cell functions. For this purpose, we examined the effect of TT (at doses of 0, 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL), X (at 20 ?g/mL) and the combination of TT + X (at these doses) on proliferation, apoptosis and hormone release by cultured bovine ovarian granulosa cells. Markers of proliferation (accumulation of PCNA), apoptosis (accumulation of Bax) and the release of hormones (progesterone, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor I, IGF-I) were analyzed by quantitative immunocytochemistry and RIA, respectively. TT addition was able to stimulate proliferation and testosterone release and inhibit apoptosis and progesterone output. The addition of X alone stimulated proliferation, apoptosis and IGF-I release and inhibited progesterone and testosterone release by ovarian cells. TT was able to modify X effects: it prevented the antiproliferative effect of X, induced the proapoptotic action of X, and promoted X action on progesterone but not testosterone or IGF-I release. Taken together, our observations represent the first demonstration that TT can be a promoter of ovarian cell functions (a stimulator of proliferation and a suppressor of apoptosis) and a regulator of ovarian steroidogenesis. X can increase ovarian cell proliferation and IGF-I release and inhibit ovarian steroidogenesis. These effects could explain its anti-reproductive and cancer actions. The ability of TT to modify X action on proliferation and apoptosis indicates that TT might be a natural protector against some ovarian cell disorders associated with X action on proliferation and apoptosis, but it can also promote its adverse effects on progesterone release.

The inhibitory influence of toluene on mare ovarian granulosa cells can be prevented by fennel.

The influence of environmental contaminant toluene and of plant fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) on reproduction are reported, but the mechanisms of their action and the protective effect of fennel on contaminant influence remain to be elucidated. In this study, we hypothesized that toluene and fennel directly affects basic ovarian cell functions, and that fennel can be used as an appropriate natural protective agent against the potential adverse effects of toluene. This study aimed to examine the action of toluene (20 µg/mL) and fennel extract (0, 1, 10, 100 µg/mL), and assess their combination on viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and hormone release by cultured healthy mare ovarian granulosa cells. Viability, proliferation (percentage of PCNA-positive cells), apoptosis and release of progesterone, oxytocin and prostaglandin F were evaluated by using Trypan blue exclusion tests, immunocytochemistry and enzyme immunoassays, respectively. Toluene, when given alone, inhibited viability, proliferation, apoptosis, progesterone, prostaglandin F and IGF-I. However, it did not affect oxytocin release. Moreover, Fennel, when given alone, inhibited viability, progesterone, and prostaglandin F release, as well as stimulating proliferation and oxytocin release. In addition, Fennel did not affect apoptosis. When given in combination with toluene, fennel was able to suppress, and even invert, the effects of toluene on viability, proliferation, apoptosis, prostaglandin F, and IGF-I. However, it did not alter its effect on progesterone release. Moreover, fennel induced the inhibitory effect of toluene on oxytocin output. The findings of our study suggest direct adverse effects of toluene on the basic ovarian functions of mares. Lastly, we also observed the direct influence of fennel on these functions, as well as its ability to be a natural protector against the action of toluene on the ovarian functions of mares.

[Mathematical model of the global carbon cycle in the biosphere].

Changes in the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, temperatures of the atmosphere, and parameters of land biota as a result of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, forest clearance, and soil erosion are calculated in a spatial mathematical model of the global carbon cycle in the biosphere. Restrictions on the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere are deduced from the requirements of Kyoto Protocol to The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other scenarios. An ability is revealed for the atmospheric CO2 concentration to grow fast, which arises from a number of emerging and developing countries with large population and high CO2 emission rates and which surpasses greatly the effect of growth retardation due to Kyoto Protocol. Those countries' role will become mostly apparent to the year of 2060 and later. Russia has shown to be in an exclusive position relative to other countries: ecosystems of its territory absorb more of the atmospheric carbon dioxide than does any other country, and the inductrial emissions from its territory are practically equal to the absorption by ecosystems.

Heterogeneity considerations in accident modeling.

Panel data sets are becoming readily available and increasingly popular in safety research. Despite its advantages, panel data raises new specification issues, the most important of which is heterogeneity, which have not been addressed in previous studies in the safety area. Based on a county accident data set, the present analysis extends prior research in a significant direction. There is an explicit effort to control for cross-section heterogeneity that may otherwise seriously bias the resulting estimates and invalidate statistical tests. Because common modeling techniques such as the fixed and random effects models, developed to account for heterogeneity, are impractical for count data, this study uses cluster analysis to overcome this. First, observations are disaggregated into homogeneous clusters. Then, separate negative binomial models including a time trend factor are developed for each group. The results clearly indicate that there are significant differences between the models developed, and that separate models describe data more efficiently than the joint model.

[Cardiovascular reactions in orthostatic tests and human resistence to vestibular stimuli]. / Serdechno-sosudistye reaktsii pri ortostaticheskikh probakh i rezistentnost' cheloveka k vestibuliarnym razdrazhiteliam.

The paper discusses the relationship between the vestibular stability of man and his cardiovascular regulation that develops during the recumbent-to-upright change of the body position. It describes specific parameters typical of the intermediate processes of the cardiovascular system that are prognostically important for the evaluation of the vestibular stability. The paper gives equations of multiple regression helping to predict the level of vestibular resistance with respect to the pattern of intermediate processes of the cardiovascular system during orthostatic tests.