Effects of NADPH oxidase inhibitor of the Etlingera elatior (E. elatior) fruits extracts in animal sepsis models.

Infectious diseases with complications of sepsis are still public health concern in both developed and developing countries. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening systemic immune response to infection that can lead to end- stage organ failure and death. Sepsis involves multiple mechanisms such as neuroendocrine, complement activation, blood coagulation, and fibrinolytic system. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an inflammatory mediator produced by NADPH oxidase activation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanol extract of E. elatior fruits on NADPH oxidase activity. Forty Mus musculus mice were randomized divided into five groups (n=8), with the intervention group receiving an intraperitoneal injection of 0.3 mg/kg BW lipopolysaccharide (LPS). There was a normal group without LPS injection (N-1), LPS injection only (N-2), and those that received LPS injection and ethanol extracts of E. elatior fruits containing 2.1 mg/20 g (N-3), 4.2 mg/20 g (N-4), and 8.4 mg/20 g (N-5). NADPH oxidase activity were measured using ELISA. The oneway ANOVA was used to investigate the differences between the groups. After administration of the extract at a varied dose, N-5 group the lowest NADPH oxidase activity (p=0.001). The ethanol extract of E. elatior fruit has antioxidant effects. In this study, a dose of 8.4 mg/20 g of extract significantly reduced NADPH oxidase activity. The ethanol extract of E. elatior might be considered a treatment in sepsis.

Identifying and addressing knowledge gaps for improving greenhouse gas emissions estimates from tropical peat forest fires.

Tropical peatlands are areas of high carbon density that are important in biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Drainage and burning of tropical peatlands releases about 5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet there is great uncertainty in these estimates. Our comprehensive literature review of parameters required to calculate GHG emissions from burnt peat forests, following the international guidelines, revealed many gaps in knowledge of carbon pools and few recent supporting studies. To improve future estimates of the total ecosystem carbon balance and peatfire emissions this study aimed to account for all carbon pools: aboveground, deadwood, pyrogenic carbon (PyC) and peat of single and repeatedly burnt peat forests. A further aim was to identify the minimum sampling intensity required to detect with 80% power significant differences in these carbon pools among long unburnt, recently burnt and repeatedly burnt peat swamp forests. About 90 Mg C ha-1 remains aboveground as deadwood after a single fire and half of this remains after a second fire. One fire produces 4.5 ± 0.6 Mg C ha-1 of PyC, with a second fire increasing this to 7.1 ± 0.8 Mg C ha-1. For peat swamp forests these aboveground carbon pools are rarely accounted in estimates of emissions following multiple fires, while PyC has not been included in the total peat carbon mass balance. Peat bulk density and peat carbon content change with fire frequency, yet these parameters often remain constant in the published emission estimates following a single and multiple fires. Our power analysis indicated that as few as 12 plots are required to detect meaningful differences between fire treatments for the major carbon pools. Further field studies directed at improving the parameters for calculating carbon balance of disturbed peat forest ecosystems are required to better constrain peatfire GHG emission estimates.

The Influence of Sodium Fluoride on the Growth of Ameloblasts and Kidney Proximal Tubular Cells.

Fluoride has toxic potential particularly for teeth, bones, and kidney. This study was aimed to investigate the NaF exposure effects on the growth of ameloblasts and kidney proximal tubular cells. Adult male healthy rats were used as experiment models, divided into control and NaF-induced groups. The expression of amelogenin, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 were significantly different in the control and NaF-induced group (P < 0.05). There was no correlation among these proteins in the control group but significant correlation in the NaF-induced group (r = 0.694). There was a significant correlation in proximal tubular cells, as seen from the increase of caspase-3 in the NaF-induced group (r = 0.715).

Energy expenditure in relation to activity of lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus).

Heat production (HP) of male and female mouse deer during eating, standing and sitting was determined using the open circuit respiration chamber (RC). The time taken for similar activities was also determined in an outdoor enclosure (OD). The animals were fed kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and rabbit pellet ad libitum. Male mouse deer consumed more dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and gross energy (GE) than female. The time for each activity of male and female mouse deer kept in RC and OD was similar. The average time spent in RC and OD for both male and female, respectively, for sitting (956 and 896 min/day) was significantly (P<0.01) longer than standing (463 and 520 min/day) and eating (21 and 24 min/day). Heat production for male and female mouse deer, respectively, during eating was the highest (0.44 and 0.43 kJ/kg W(0.75)/min) followed by standing (0.37 and 0.33 kJ/kgW(0.75)/min) and sitting (0.26 and 0.26 kJ/kg W(0.75)/min). The difference in HP per min during standing between male and female was significant (P<0.05). The HP for 08.00-14.00 h and 14.00-20.00 h periods were higher than 20.00-02.00 h and 02.00-08.00 h periods. The overall HP for males during 08.00-14.00 h and 14.00-20.00 h periods were significantly (P<0.05) higher (114.8 and 119.2 kJ/kg W(0.75)) than female (107.5 and 110.4 kJ/kg W(0.75)), respectively.