Allyl isothiocyanate reduces liver fibrosis by regulating Kupffer cell activation in rats.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a metabolite of the glucosinolate sinigrin, protects the liver of rats injured by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). This study evaluated whether AITC reduces hepatic fibrosis in rats repetitively exposed to CCl4. Serum chemistry showed that AITC (doses of 5 and 50 mg) administered to rats exposed to CCl4 significantly reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activity that were elevated in CCl4-intoxicated rats. The connective tissue in AITC-treated rats was significantly reduced based on Sirius staining. In addition, Kupffer cell activation was significantly reduced in the AITC and CCl4 co-treated groups. Collectively, this study suggests that AITC mitigates hepatic fibrosis in rats repetitively exposed to CCl4 with concurrent regulation of Kupffer cell and monocyte activation.

Hepatoprotective effects of allyl isothiocyanate against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rat.

We evaluated the hepatoprotective activity of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats. Sprague Dawley rats were orally administered AITC at doses of 5 (AITC 5) and 50 (AITC 50) mg/kg body weight once daily for 3 days, with or without intraperitoneal injection of CCl4. Serum chemistry was assessed for changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were examined in liver tissues, while pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) mRNA expression were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. And heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and ionized calcium binding protein-1 (Iba-1) immunoreactivities were evaluated by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In serum chemistry, the oral administration of AITC itself did not affect the serum levels of ALT or AST, furthermore pretreatment with AITC 5 and AITC 50 significantly reduced the ALT and AST activity levels that were elevated in CCl4-intoxicated rats. In addition, AITC significantly suppressed the reduction of SOD and CAT, and the elevation of MDA, TNF-α mRNA expression, on the other hands, induced the expression of HO-1 compared with those of the vehicle-treated CCl4 group. The histopathological evaluation and Iba-1 immunoreactivity also supported the hepatoprotective effects of AITC against CCl4-induced liver injury. These results suggest that AITC ameliorates oxidative liver injury, possibly through reducing lipid peroxidation, enhancing antioxidant enzymes, and suppressing Kupffer cells and macrophages.

Histochemical study of the olfactory mucosae of the horse.

The olfactory mucosae of the horse were examined by using histology and lectin histochemistry to characterize the carbohydrate sugar residues therein. Histological findings revealed that olfactory epithelium (OE) consisted of both olfactory marker protein (OMP)- and protein gene product (PGP) 9.5-positive receptor cells, supporting cells and basal cells with intervening secretory ducts from Bowman's glands. Mucus histochemistry showed that Bowman's gland acini contain periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reagent-positive neutral mucins and alcian blue pH 2.5-positive mucosubstances. Lectin histochemistry revealed that a variety of carbohydrate sugar residues, including N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, fucose and complex type N-glycan groups, are present in the various cell types in the olfactory mucosa at varying levels. Collectively, this is the first descriptive study of horse olfactory mucosa to characterize carbohydrate sugar residues in the OE and Bowman's glands.

Effects of Kudoa septempunctata genotype ST3 isolate from Korea on ddY suckling mice.

This study investigated the effects of Kudoa septempunctata genotype ST3 spores on ddY suckling mice. Purified Kudoa septempunctata spores were administered into the stomachs of the mice at 5 × 10(6) or 5 × 10(7) spores/mouse, with inactivated Kudoa (5 × 10(6) spores/mouse) or vehicle as controls. No abnormal clinical symptoms were observed and there were no variations in fluid accumulation ratio and cytokine gene expression in all groups. In addition, intact Kudoa spores and the 18S rDNA gene were only detected (by microscopy and quantitative PCR, respectively) in the groups administered such spores. This study thus confirms that spores from the ST3 strain of Kudoa septempunctata were excreted in the faeces without infecting the gastrointestinal tract in ddY suckling mice.