The roles played by IL-10, IL-23 and IL-17A in term delivery.

BACKGROUND: The immune system significantly participates in the development of the successful delivery process. The roles played by cytokine molecules in the induction of term delivery are yet to be clarified. The aim of this project was to explore the serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-17A, and IL-23 in the mothers with term and prolonged pregnancy and their infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 60 samples were collected from either mothers with term and prolonged pregnancy or their infants, collectively 240 samples. Serum levels of IL-10, IL-17A and IL-23 were explored using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. RESULTS: IL-10 serum levels significantly decreased in the neonates with prolonged pregnancy when compared to their mothers. Serum levels of IL-23 were increased either in term or prolonged pregnancy neonates when compared to their corresponded mothers. Serum levels of IL-10 and IL-23 significantly decreased and increased, respectively, in the female in comparison to male in the prolonged pregnancy neonates. IL-10 also significantly decreased in the term mothers who had higher gravidity. CONCLUSION: Although, IL-17A does not play a key role in the delivery mechanism, IL-10 and IL-23 may be considered as potential factors in the modulation of term delivery.

Cooperative mechanisms involved in chronic antidiuretic response to bendroflumethiazide in rats with lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Previous studies of central diabetes insipidus suggested that thiazides acutely exerted a paradoxical antidiuresis by either indirectly activating volume-homeostatic reflexes to decrease distal fluid-delivery, or directly stimulating distal water-reabsorption. This study investigated whether the direct and indirect actions of bendroflumethiazide (BFTZ) simultaneously cooperated and also whether the renal nerves were involved in inducing long-term antidiuresis in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). BFTZ or vehicle was gavaged into bilateral renal denervated and innervated rats with lithium-induced NDI for 10 days, constituting four groups. At one day before (D0) and one, five and ten days after starting administration of BFTZ or vehicle, rats were placed in metabolic cages to collect urine for 6 hours. BFTZ-treatment in both renal innervated and denervated rats caused equivalent reductions in urine-flow, creatinine clearance, lithium clearance and free-water clearance, but rises in urine-osmolality, fractional proximal reabsorption and fractional distal reabsorption at all days compared to D0, as well as to those of their relevant vehicle-received group. Therefore, the chronic antidiuretic response to BFTZ in conscious NDI rats was exerted through a concomitant cooperation of its direct distal effect of stimulating water-reabsorption and its indirect effect of reducing distal fluid-delivery by activating volume-homeostatic mechanisms, which appeared independent of the renal nerves.

Early renal post-ischaemic tissue damage and dysfunction with contribution of A1-adenosine receptor activation in rat.

AIM: This study investigated the effect of a selective A(1)-adenosine receptor (A(1)-AR) antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), on the renal dysfunction and histological damage induced by ischaemia/reperfusion at an early stage. METHODS: Pentobarbital anaesthetised rats were prepared for measuring renal functional variables. Ischaemia was induced by bilateral renal artery clamping for 30 min followed by a 4 h reperfusion period. In DPCPX-treated rats, it was infused (i.v.) at 10 microg/kg per min before and after renal ischaemia. Both kidneys were examined using light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: The renal ischaemic challenge resulted in major histological and ultrastructural damages, which were associated with decreased creatinine clearance, absolute potassium-excretion and effective free-water reabsorption, but increased fractional sodium-excretion and urine flow during reperfusion period. In DPCPX-treated rats, the histological and ultrastructural damage to the kidneys was improved along with the decrease in creatinine clearance and increase in fractional sodium-excretion being smaller, but the increase in urine flow being larger than those of the non-treated rats, while absolute potassium-excretion and effective free-water reabsorption were equal to those of the sham-operated rats. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that endogenous activation of A(1)-AR contributes to the early development of renal ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Chemically modified carbon paste electrode for determination of copper(II) by potentiometric method.

The utility of carbon paste electrode modified with DTPT (3,4-dihydro-4,4,6-trimethyl-2(1H)-pyrimidine thione) for the potentiometric determination of Cu(II) in aqueous medium is demonstrated. The electrode exhibits linear response to Cu(II) over a wide concentration range (9.77x10(-7)-7.6x10(-2)) with Nernstian slope of 30+/-2 mV per decade. It has a response time of about 45 s and can be used for a period of two months with good reproducibility. The detection limit of this electrode was 7.0x10(-7) M. The proposed electrode shows a very good selectivity for Cu(II) over a wide variety of metal ions. This chemically modified carbon paste electrode was successfully used for the determination of Cu(II) in electronics waste sample solution.

Effect of renal perfusion pressure on renal function, renin release and renin and angiotensinogen gene expression in rats.

1. A study was undertaken to examine the influence of acute renal perfusion pressure (RPP) reduction on renin release, renal renin and angiotensinogen gene expression and the role played by angiotensin II in these responses. 2. In chloralose-urethane anaesthetised rats, reduction of RPP to 60 mmHg for 3 h in vehicle or losartan-treated (5 days at 10 mg kg-1 bis in die (b.i.d.)) rats decreased renal blood flow by 46 and 29 % (both P < 0.001), respectively, glomerular filtration rate by 45 and 57 % (both P < 0.001), respectively, and sodium excretion by 96 and 98 % (both P < 0.01). 3. Chloralose-urethane anaesthesia and surgery caused a rise in plasma renin activity but was associated with a suppression of renal renin (50 %, P < 0.01) and angiotensinogen (40 %, P < 0.05) gene expression. Following reduction of RPP to 60 mmHg for 3 h, plasma renin activity was increased more than 7-fold (P < 0.001) and renal renin gene expression about 2-fold (P < 0.05). 4. Chronic (5 days) blockade of angiotensin II receptors with losartan elevated plasma renin activity some 29-fold (P < 0.001) and caused a marked increase (30-fold, P < 0.05) in renal renin gene expression, compatible with angiotensin II exerting a negative feedback control on renin release and gene expression. Reduction of RPP to 60 mmHg for 3 h in these animals had little effect on renal renin gene expression. 5. From these findings it can be concluded that (a) chloralose-urethane anaesthesia and surgery had a stimulatory effect on renin release but suppressed basal levels of renal renin and angiotensinogen gene expression; (b) acute reduction of RPP for 3 h could stimulate renin gene expression in the renin producing cells; and (c) the negative feedback control of angiotensin II on renin release and synthesis which was evident following chronic losartan treatment was not apparent during short-term reduction of RPP.