Elasmobranchs are good indicators of marine pollution as they accumulate pollutants from water and food, and occupy different trophic levels. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), ...polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorpyrifos were quantified in muscle, liver, gonads, gills, and brain in both sexes and maturity stages of the Southern Eagle Ray, Myliobatis goodei, captured in Argentine coastal waters. Moreover, possible histological alterations in the liver and gonads were analyzed. Pollutant concentrations were pervasive across all tissues, with PCBs > OCPs > chlorpyrifos. Elevated pollutant levels were notably found in the liver and gills. We identified thirty-six PCB congeners in tissues, with low-chlorine congeners prevailing. Among OCPs, ∑DDT and ∑endosulfan were predominant. Females exhibited higher pollutant levels in most tissues compared to males, except in the gonads, and adults generally displayed elevated pollutant levels. Histological analysis revealed the presence of atretic follicles and melanomacrophages (MM). Continuous monitoring of pollutant levels, alongside their effects on physiological and ecological traits, is imperative for effective management and conservation efforts.
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•Chlorpyrifos and POPs were detected in M. goodei's muscle, gonad, liver, gill and brain.•PCBs emerged as the primary pollutant detected across all tissue samples.•Females exhibited higher concentrations of pollutants in most tissues compared to males.•Elevated levels of pollutants were observed in adult specimens.•Histological analysis revealed the presence of atretic follicles and melanomacrophages.
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•Fluorescence was used to track the accumulation of nanoplastics in C. fluminea.•Like microplastics, nanoplastics were observed to aggregate in bivalves.•The uptake and excretion of ...nanoplastics were impacted by the neurotoxicity.•Nanoplastic-induced damage to the liver and gut of C. fluminea is firstly reported.
The outcomes of this research offer novel insights into the toxic effects of nanoparticles (i.e., nanoplastics or other nanomaterials) on the benthos. Herein, this study aimed to evaluate the accumulation pathway, distribution characteristics and potential biotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in C. fluminea. The results revealed that nanoplastics could accumulate in the mantle through adherence, in the visceral mass through ingestion and in the gill through respiration. The gill, intestine and stomach were the main accumulation organs for nanoplastics. The aggregation of nanoplastics was observed in C. fluminea, which may exacerbate their biotoxicity. Moreover, oxidative stress was observed in the visceral mass, gill and mantle. Liver damage, neurotoxicity and intestinal inflammation were caused by imbalance in the antioxidation system. Analysis of IBR values showed that the visceral mass had a more effective response to oxidative stress than the gill and mantle after exposure to nanoplastics.
Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers incorporated with ZnO nanoparticles were successfully fabricated by electrospinning technique. The developed nanofibrous composites were characterized by ...structural and morphological analysis techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Good dispersion of the nanoparticles in the resultant nanofibers was observed and the incorporated nanoparticles of ZnO were in the shape of flower buds. Moreover, porosity and swelling properties of the prepared membranes were evaluated. Antibacterial, cytotoxicity assays as well as in-vivo wound healing experiments in mice were also studied. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PVA/ZnO nanoparticles against S. aureus and E. coli was 250 and 62.5 μg/mL respectively, indicating the antibacterial activities of the nanocomposite fibers relating to the zinc oxide nanoparticles. In-vivo studies and higher values of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) further proved that PVA/ZnO composite nanofibers had accelerated wound healing properties. ZnO nanoparticles were responsible for the accelerated epithelial regeneration and better cell attachment based on the histological analysis.
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•Shaping flower buds PVA nanofibers incorporated with dispersed ZnO nanoparticles.•Accelerating wound healing through higher values of transforming growth factor.•Accelerating epithelial regeneration and better cell attachment using ZnO.•Antibacterial, cytotoxicity assays as well as in-vivo wound healing in mice.
Rambutan peel phenolic (RPP) extracts were prepared via dynamic separation with macroporous resin. The total phenolic content and individual phenolics in RPP were determined. Results showed that the ...total phenolic content of RPP was 877.11 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g extract. The content of geranin (122.18 mg/g extract) was the highest among those of the 39 identified phenolic compounds. RPP protected against oxidative stress in H2O2-induced HepG2 cells in a dose-response manner. The inhibitory effects of RPP on cell apoptosis might be related to its inhibitory effects on the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and increased effects on superoxide dismutase activity. The in vivo anti-aging activity of RPP was evaluated using an aging mice model that was induced by d-galactose (d-gal). The results showed that RPP enhanced the antioxidative status of experimental mice. Moreover, histological analysis indicated that RPP effectively reduced d-gal-induced liver and kidney tissue damage in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, RPP can be used as a natural antioxidant and anti-aging agent in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
•The phytochemical compounds and their contents of RPP were identified by UPLC-MS/MS.•RPP showed high inhibition on the H2O2-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells.•RPP could decrease intracellular ROS generation and increase intracellular SOD activity.•RPP could increase the antioxidative status of d-galactose-induced aging mice.•RPP could effectively reduce the liver and kidney tissues damage d-gal-induced by H&E.
Despite optimal arterial anastomosis, some finger replantations fail. Our objective was to evaluate how the mechanism of injury (MOI) affects the artery's microscopic appearance and the success of ...anastomosis. We hypothesized that the MOI influences arterial histology and microsurgical success.
This single-center prospective study enrolled patients who had an acute traumatic arterial injury of the hand and/or wrist. The proximal and distal ends of the artery were trimmed before anastomosis in every case. The arterial margins were analyzed in anatomical pathology. Clinical follow-up along with an ultrasound arterial patency check was carried out at 1 month postoperative.
Between 2018 and 2022, 104 patients were enrolled with a follow-up of 12 months. Macroscopically, 42% of the arterial margins were dilapidated. Histological analysis found damage in 74% of surgical specimens: blast (100%)>laceration by mechanical or power tool (92%; 82%)>amputation by mechanical or power tool (80%; 67%)>laceration by glass (50%)>crush injury (33%). The arterial margins were more likely to be normal based on the histological analysis when the MOI was laceration by glass (p<.05; OR=3.72) and the patient was 65 years or older (p<.01). Risk factors for anastomosis failure were an amputation by power tool (p<.01, OR 8.19) and shorter length of arterial resection (p<.02). The clinical failure rate was 7.8% and the patency failure rate was 10.4%.
Histological arterial lesions correlate with the MOI. Trimming >2mm from the proximal and distal arterial ends is recommended for all MOI before arterial end-to-end anastomosis. For blast injuries or amputation, we recommend trimming>4mm and using a vein bypass graft. This study's findings could lead to a change in surgical practices.
II; well-conducted non-randomized comparative study; recommendation grade B: scientific presumption.
Keratoconus (KC) is a degenerative condition affecting the cornea, characterized by progressive thinning and bulging, which can ultimately result in serious visual impairment. The onset and ...progression of KC are closely tied to the gradual weakening of the cornea's biomechanical properties. KC progression can be prevented with corneal cross-linking (CXL), but this treatment has shortcomings, and evaluating its tissue stiffening effect is important for determining its efficacy. In this field, the shortage of human corneas has made it necessary for most previous studies to rely on animal corneas, which have different microstructure and may be affected differently from human corneas. In this research, we have used the lenticules obtained through small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgeries as a source of human tissue to assess CXL. And to further improve the results' reliability, we used inflation testing, personalized finite element modeling, numerical optimization and histology microstructure analysis. These methods enabled determining the biomechanical and histological effects of CXL protocols involving different irradiation intensities of 3, 9, 18, and 30 mW/cm2, all delivering the same total energy dose of 5.4 J/cm2. The results showed that the CXL effect did not vary significantly with protocols using 3–18 mW/cm2 irradiance, but there was a significant efficacy drop with 30 mW/cm2 irradiance. This study validated the updated algorithm and provided guidance for corneal lenticule reuse and the effects of different CXL protocols on the biomechanical properties of the human corneal stroma.
•There was no difference in the stiffening effect of the anterior cornea for 3-18 mW/cm2 with the same energy of 5.4 J/cm2.
Introduction. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a state of chronic hyperglycemia that
is a predisposing factor to caries, gingivitis, inflammation of
periodontium, oral candidiasis, xerostomia and many other ...diseases of the
oral cavity. Inflammation of the supporting tissue of the tooth is a chronic
disease that destroys the supporting structure of the tooth, i.e.
periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. The aim of this study was to examine
using histological analysis the presence of periodontitis and gingivitis in
rats with experimentally induced DM that were sacrificed after 14 and 30
days. Material and methods. The research was conducted on 42 Wistar rats. DM
in experimental animals was induced by the use of Alloxan intraperitoneally.
The first group (Exp_14) consisted of 16 rats in which DM was induced and
sacrificed after 14 days, the second group (Exp_30) consisted of 16 rats in
which DM was induced and they were sacrificed after 30 days, while the
control consisted of 10 healthy rats. Results. Periodontitis and gingivitis
in the first group of rats (Exp_14) were determined in 54.5% of cases, while
in the second group (Exp_30) in 88% of cases. In the control group no case
of periodontitis and gingivitis was recorded. A highly statistically
significant difference was found between the examined groups (Chi-square =
14.685; p < 0.001). Conclusion. In the group of rats with experimentally
induced DM that were sacrificed after 30 days, a significantly higher
incidence of periodontitis and gingivitis was found compared to the group of
rats that were sacrificed after 14 days.
Since decades, bosentan has been in use for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, chronic exposure to bosentan leads to the development of resistance, tolerance, and ...serious adverse effects that have restricted its usage in clinical practices. To surmount these limitations, some new bosentan derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in PAH. Molecular docking analyses of all the synthesized derivatives were carried out using the endothelin (ET) receptor. In addition, the inhibitory ability of synthesized derivatives was determined in in vitro assay employing an ET-1 human ELISA kit. Among the synthesized derivatives, three derivatives namely 17d, 16j, and 16h with higher docking scores and lower IC50 values were selected for determination of the magnitude of the binding force between the derivative and ET receptor using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations study. Further, these derivatives were subjected to in vivo studies using monocrotaline (MCT) induced PAH in rat model. Results of in vivo studies inferred that the derivatives exhibit impressive ability to reduce PAH. Besides, its protective role was also evidenced in hemodynamic and right ventricular hypertrophy analyses, histological analysis, cardiac biomarkers, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α) levels, and biochemical studies. Furthermore, gene quantification by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis was also performed to examine its effect on the expression of key proteins in PAH.
Notably, amongst three, derivative 16h exhibited the most encouraging results in molecular docking analysis, in vitro, in vivo, histopathological, biochemical, protein expression, and MD studies. Besides, derivative 16h also showed impressive pharmacokinetic features in ADMET analysis.
In conclusion, derivative 16 h could act as a reliable ET receptor antagonist and requires further exploration to attain its therapeutic utility in PAH management.
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•Novel bosentan derivatives were designed and synthesized.•The bosentan derivatives exhibit endothelin receptor antagonistic activity.•Bosentan derivatives can reduce pulmonary hypertension in rats.
•Inoculum density and the interaction time in culture x inoculum density significantly affected cryopreservation evaluated as regrowth rate.•Sucrose preculture played a relevant role in ...cryopreservation of olive somatic embryos, significantly improving recovery rates after thawing.•Preculture in liquid ECO medium supplemented with 0.2 M sucrose for 28 days significantly increased recovery and regrowth rates and accelerated embryos response after rewarming.•Preculture in sucrose-enriched media stimulated the proliferation activity, thus modifying cellular composition of cryopreservation explants.
This study reports improvement of a protocol for cryopreservation of olive somatic embryos by using the droplet-vitrification method on aluminum foil strips. Two different approaches were considered in order to optimize cryopreservation: investigating the effect of somatic embryos growth conditions, specifically, the influence of the inoculum density of suspension cultures from which cryopreservation explants were collected, and studying the impact of preculture with different sucrose concentrations in both solid and liquid medium. The results obtained showed a significant effect of inoculum density on cryopreservation evaluated as regrowth rate, although a significant influence on recovery percentage could not be inferred. Sucrose preculture significantly improved recovery rates after cryopreservation. The best results were achieved with somatic embryos previously incubated in liquid ECO medium supplemented with 0.2 M sucrose for 28 days. After this treatment, 90% of explants resumed embryogenesis 12 weeks after thawing. Preculture in liquid medium containing 0.2 M sucrose also had a significant influence on the initial response after cryopreservation, with first signs of regrowth resumption 3 days after thawing, compared to 24-25 days in control, non-precultured embryos. Surviving explants continued actively growing, exhibiting the growth pattern normally observed in olive. As revealed by the histological analysis, cell proliferation greatly increased in somatic embryos precultured on sucrose-enriched media. Cellular features of meristematic and proembryogenic cells, mostly constituting the proliferative regions, make them more prone to survive cryopreservation, thus explaining higher recovery rates found after these treatments.
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Gaps in the roof line have been ascribed to epicardial conduction using the septopulmonary bundle.
We sought to evaluate the frequency of septopulmonary bundle bypass during roof line ablation, to ...describe anatomical conditions favoring this epicardial gap, and to propose an alternative strategy when present.
One hundred consecutive patients underwent atrial fibrillation ablation. A de novo roof line was created between the superior pulmonary veins. In cases of residual gaps, a floor line was created between the inferior pulmonary veins. Microtomography imaging and histological analyses of 5 human donor hearts were performed: a specific focus was made on the dome and the posterior wall.
Residual gaps were more frequent in roof lines than floor lines (33% vs 15%; P = .049). Electrogram morphologies, activation sequences, and pacing maneuvers indicated an epicardial bypass of the roof line in all cases. Conduction block was obtained in 67 roof lines and 28 floor lines, resulting in a 95% success rate of linear block, without "box" isolation. Between the superior pulmonary veins, the atrial myocardium was thicker and consistently displayed adipose tissue separating the septopulmonary bundle from the septoatrial bundle.
Epicardial conduction across the roof line is common and requires careful electrogram analysis to detect. In such cases, a floor line can be an effective alternative strategy, with clear validation criteria. Myocardial thickness and fat interposition may explain difficulties in achieving lesion transmurality during roof line ablation.
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