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Hepatoprotective effect of flavonol glycosides rich fraction from Egyptian Vicia calcarata Desf. against CCl4-induced liver damage in rats.

The hepatoprotective activity of flavonol glycosides rich fraction (F-2), prepared from 70% alcohol extract of the aerial parts of V. calcarata Desf., was evaluated in a rat model with a liver injury induced by daily oral administration of CCl4 (100 mg/kg, b.w) for four weeks. Treatment of the animals with F-2 using a dose of (25 mg/kg, b.w) during the induction of hepatic damage by CCl4 significantly reduced the indices of liver injuries. The hepatoprotective effects of F-2 significantly reduced the elevated levels of the following serum enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The antioxidant activity of F-2 markedly ameliorated the antioxidant parameters including glutathione (GSH) content, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), plasma catalase (CAT) and packed erythrocytes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) to be comparable with normal control levels. In addition, it normalized liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and creatinine concentration. Chromatographic purification of F-2 resulted in the isolation of two flavonol glycosides that rarely occur in the plant kingdom, identified as quercetin-3, 5-di-O-beta-D-diglucoside (5) and kaempferol-3, 5-di-O-beta-D-diglucoside (4) in addition to the three known compounds identified as quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl- (1-->6)-beta-D-glucoside [rutin, 3], quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucoside [isoquercitrin, 2] and kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside [astragalin, 1]. These compounds were identified based on interpretation of their physical, chemical, and spectral data. Moreover, the spectrophotometric estimation of the flavonoids content revealed that the aerial parts of the plant contain an appreciable amount of flavonoids (0.89%) calculated as rutin. The data obtained from this study revealed that the flavonol glycosides of F-2 protect the rat liver from hepatic damage induced by CCl4 through inhibition of lipid peroxidation caused by CCl4 reactive free radicals.

Animals↗

Comparison and characterization of the [Fe4S4]2+/3+ centre in the wild-type and C77S mutated HiPIPs from Chromatium vinosum monitored by Mössbauer, 57Fe ENDOR and EPR spectroscopies.

Mössbauer, 57Fe ENDOR, CW and pulsed EPR experiments were performed on the reduced and the oxidized high-potential iron proteins (HiPIPs) of the wild type (WT) and the C77S mutant from Chromatium vinosum. The EPR spectra of the oxidized WT and mutant show three species respectively having nearly the same g-values but strongly changed spectral contributions. Relaxation times were estimated for oxidized WT and mutant at T = 5 K with pulsed EPR. A-tensor components of both iron pairs were obtained by 57Fe ENDOR, proving a similar magnetic structure for the WT and the mutant. Electronic relaxation has to be taken into account at T = 5 K in native and mutated oxidized HiPIPs to achieve agreement between Mössbauer and 57Fe ENDOR spectroscopies. The Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that the oxidized cluster contains a pure ferric and a mixed-valence iron pair coupled antiparallel. While all cluster irons from reduced C. vinosum WT are indistinguishable in the Mössbauer spectrum, the reduced C77S mutant shows a non-equivalence between the serine-bound and the three cysteine-ligated iron ions. The Mössbauer parameters confirm a loss of the covalent character of the iron bond when S is replaced by O and indicate a shift of the cluster's electron cloud towards the serine. Mössbauer spectra of the oxidized mutant can be simulated with two models: model I introduces a single electronic isomer with the serine always ligated to a ferric iron. Model II assumes two equally populated electronic isomers with the serine ligated to a ferric iron and a mixed-valence iron, respectively. The latter model is in better agreement with EPR and NMR.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Estimation of chlorophyll content and daily primary production of the major algal groups by means of multiwavelength-excitation PAM chlorophyll fluorometry: performance and methodological limits.

The performance and methodological limits of the Phyto-PAM chlorophyll fluorometer were investigated with laboratory grown algae cultures and natural phytoplankton from the rivers Saar and Saale. The Phyto-PAM is a 4-wavelength chlorophyll fluorometer with the functional combination of chlorophyll (Chl) estimation and assessment of photosynthetic activity, both differentiated into the main algal groups. The reliability of fluorescence-based Chl estimation strongly depends on the group specific calibration of the instrument and the resulting chlorophyll/fluorescence (Chl/F) ratios in reference algal cultures. A very high reliability of the Chl estimation was obtained in the case of constant Chl/F-ratios. Algae grown at different light intensities showed marked differences in Chl/F-ratios, reflecting differences in pigment composition and Chl a specific absorption (a*). When the Phyto-PAM was calibrated with laboratory grown diatoms, the Chl a in river grown diatoms was underestimated, due a lower content of accessory pigments and stronger pigment packaging. While this aspect presently limits the application of PAM fluorometry in limnology, this limitation may be overcome by future technical progress in the detection of dynamic changes in Chl/F-ratio via fluorescence-based measurements of the functional PS II absorption cross-section. Practically identical Chl/F-ratios were found for the diatom-dominated waters of the rivers Saar and Saale, suggesting that the same instrument calibration parameters may be applied for hydrographically similar surface waters. For this particular case, despite of the present methodological limitations, the potential of PAM fluorometry in limnology could be demonstrated. Light response curves were measured to estimate primary production with a spectrally resolved model in daily courses at two sampling sites. Fluorescence based primary production was closely correlated with measured oxygen evolution rates until midday. In the afternoon, at the water surface the fluorescence approach gave higher rates than the measured oxygen evolution. Possible explanations for the observed differences are discussed.

Chlorophyll↗

Local anesthetics destabilize lipid membranes by breaking hydration shell: infrared and calorimetry studies.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that local anesthetics decreased the pretransition (L beta'-->P beta') temperature of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicle membranes four- to five-fold more than the main transition (P beta'-->L alpha) temperature. Because pretransition is mainly a change in the hydrophilic head property (tilted-rippled), the stronger effect on the pretransition suggests that the primary action site of local anesthetics is the lipid-water interface. The interfacial effect was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in water-in-oil (CCl4) reversed micelles. FTIR showed that the local anesthetics released hydrogen-bonded water molecules from the phosphate (P = O bands) and glycerol (sn-2 C = O) moieties. The N-H stretching band of the local anesthetics was deconvoluted into two bands: hydrogen bonded to the phosphate moiety of the lipid and free (unbound to lipid). The formation constants between lipid P = O and anesthetic N-H were estimated in CCl4 from the spectral changes: 110 M-1 for lidocaine and 250 M-1 for dibucaine. This small difference in the formation constants cannot explain the ten-fold stronger effect on the phase-transition temperature of dibucaine over lidocaine. By comparing the local anesthetic adsorption to the air/water interface in the presence and absence of lipid monolayers, we have previously shown (Lin et al. (1980) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 598, 51-65) that lipid-anesthetics interaction involves three forces: lipophilic effect, hydrophobic effect, and anesthetic-anesthetic interaction. The anesthetic potency depends mainly on the hydrophobic effect (the difference in the standard molar free energies of local anesthetics in water and at the interface) and anesthetic-anesthetic interaction energy. The anesthetic-anesthetic interaction means cooperativity of local anesthetics for the interfacial density: local anesthetics condense at the membrane surface when there are enough anesthetic molecules present at the interface to attract more anesthetics. The present data suggest that anesthetic action is directed to the interface between water and macromolecule, whether it is lipid membranes or proteins.

Anesthetics, Local↗

Eye oscillations in strobe reared cats.

Cats reared from birth in stroboscopic illumination develop abnormal spontaneous eye oscillations of low amplitude. The present experiments were undertaken to define these eye movements as recorded in the dark, in stroboscopic light of various frequencies, after exposure to normal light and after attenuation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain by optical reversal of vision. The interaction of spontaneous eye oscillations with voluntary saccadic eye movements, and optokinetic tracking (OKN), were also studied. Two cats, reared from birth to 18 months in 8 Hz strobe light, and one normally reared control animal, were used. Horizontal movement of the right eye was measured by the scleral eye coil method. The frequency content of eye movement records was determined by power spectral analysis. VOR gain was estimated in the dark, by rotating the animals sinusoidally at 1/8 Hz and 5 degrees/sec velocity amplitude. In the dark, both strobe reared cats had abnormal spontaneous eye oscillations at a frequency close to 8 Hz, with peak-to-peak amplitudes of 0.5--1.0 degrees. These abnormal eye movements did not interfere with, nor were they abolished by, normal oculomotor activity. The introduction of strobe light modified the spontaneous eye movements by entraining the oscillations at a given 'forcing' frequency, and by producing a number of harmonics or sub-harmonics. In one of the strobe reared animals, the effect of normal light was to reduce the characteristic 'dark' value of 9 Hz, to a new maintained 'light' value of 2.7 Hz. Adaptive attenuation of the VOR gain caused the abolition of regular spontaneous eye oscillations in the dark; nevertheless, transient oscillations to single strobe flashes could still be elicited in the VOR adapted condition. The results are interpreted as representing an organised attempt by the developing oculomotor system to attain the goal of stable visual perception in a new visual environment.

Animals↗

A computer-based statistical pattern recognition for Doppler spectral waveforms of intracranial blood flow.

A computer-based statistical pattern recognition system has been developed for the analysis of transcranial Doppler (TCD) spectral waveforms of the intracranial middle cerebral artery with varying degrees of increased intracranial pressure. This system extracts multidimensional features from TCD waveforms and performs a cluster analysis of those features. The system can automatically recognize the pattern of spectral waveform and classify it as a normal, abnormal, or borderline subclass of TCD spectral waveform. An optimum decision function was generated based on the Bayes Gaussian classifier. The accuracy of the Bayes Gaussian model the spectral waveforms reaches 100% by estimating posterior probability and using the resubstituting method of estimating misclassification in the training TCD data.

Artificial Intelligence↗

Influence of pathological state on the acoustic attenuation coefficient slope of liver.

The acoustic attenuation coefficient slope (beta) of liver was estimated in vivo from the spectral difference of returned echoes. beta of normal young subjects was lower than that of older subjects (mean: 0.340 vs 0.418 dB/cm.MHz). Limited fluid withdrawal from the body by haemodialysis did not affect beta. In alcoholic liver disease beta was related to the amount of fat and of fibrous tissue in liver biopsy specimens. High values of beta were observed as soon as the degree of steatosis exceeded 5 vol%. There was a similar increase of beta in the presence of fibrous interlobular septa. In normal liver beta was related to the amount of triglycerides in the liver specimen.

Acoustics↗

Comparison of Doppler signal analysis techniques for velocity waveform, turbulence and vortex measurement: a simulation study.

Simulated time-varying Doppler signals incorporating bandwidth, power variation and vortex simulation have been used to compare a number of signal analysis techniques with a view to optimising the accuracy of convective velocity waveform, spectral broadening and vortex signal estimation. The short-time Fourier transform (STFT), the autoregressive (AR) modified covariance estimator, the time-frequency pseudo-Wigner-Ville and Choi-Williams distributions and a partial stationarising algorithm were investigated for a range of some analysis parameters (such as window duration, AR model order). It was found that all methods could estimate the convective velocity waveform well and all the nonclassical methods were an improvement over the STFT for bandwidth estimation with the stationarising method giving the lowest error. For vortex measurement, using parameters that were optimum for mean frequency and bandwidth estimation, the stationarising, modified covariance, pseudo-Wigner-Ville with a 10-ms window and Choi-Williams methods gave improved performances compared with the STFT.

Algorithms↗

A spectral framework for sperm shape characterization.

A novel methodology for characterization of animal sperm shape involving the use of a spectral approach to multiscale curvature estimation is proposed. By using the derivative property of the Fourier transform, allied to Gaussian smoothing, accurate estimates of the curvature along the sperm contour can be obtained in such a way that the curvature peaks corresponding to the sperm head vertices can be effectively identified. The measurements derived from such a processing, namely the width of the basal region of the head, the centralization of tail implantation, and the multiscale bending energy, provide valuable resources for fertility and phylogenetic studies.

Animals↗

In-line monitoring of partial and overall solid concentration during solvent-mediated phase transition using Raman spectroscopy.

A calibration strategy for the continuous monitoring of solvent-mediated phase transition was developed using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Citric acid which exhibits enantiotropy during its anhydrous/monohydrate phase transition was selected as a model organic product. Using 25 samples in suspension, specific calibration of the spectral data was obtained for estimating in-line both the overall solid concentration in suspension and the composition of the solid phase. In addition to such key-measurements, reliable estimates of supersaturation were computed in-line from the mass balance of the solute. In order to validate the technique, anhydrous to monohydrate phase transition experiments were performed in suspensions at 15 degrees C and the kinetic process involved was monitored. Despite the use of various solid concentrations and reactor configurations, both the reproducibility and the reliability of the in situ Raman measurements are shown to be satisfactory.

Calibration↗

In vivo quantitative 1H MRS of cerebellum and evaluation of quantitation reproducibility by simulation of different levels of noise and spectral resolution.

A quantitative analysis of cerebellar metabolites in normal subjects has been performed by proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) with relaxation time correction. Quantitation was carried out in seven healthy human subjects with the well-established LCModel program. The prior knowledge utilized for quantitation was obtained from solutions containing the major brain metabolites and MRS investigated under the same experimental conditions. The tissue water signal was used as an internal standard for the in vivo studies. Both in vitro (for the prior knowledge template) and in vivo data were acquired separately at 1.5 T by PRESS sequence (TR, 1500 ms; TE, 30 ms). The absolute concentration of main cerebellar metabolites was corrected for relaxation time effects. Different noise and line broadening conditions were considered and simulated in the spectral processing in order to evaluate the effect of spectral quality on the concentration estimates.

Adult↗

Halothane augments event-related gamma oscillations in rat visual cortex.

Cortical gamma oscillations have been associated with neural processes supporting cognition and the state of consciousness but the effect of general anesthesia on gamma oscillations is controversial. Here we studied the concentration-dependent effect of halothane on gamma (20-60 Hz) power of event-related potentials (ERP) in rat primary visual cortex. ERP to light flashes repeated at 5-s intervals was recorded with chronically implanted, bipolar, intracortical electrodes at selected steady-state halothane concentrations between 0 and 2%. gamma-Band power was calculated for 0-1000, 0-300 and 300-1000 ms poststimulus periods and corresponding prestimulus (PS) periods. Multitaper power spectral analysis was used to estimate gamma power from both single-trial and average ERP in order to differentiate between phase-locked (evoked) and non-phase-locked (induced) gamma activities. Significant PS gamma power was present at all halothane concentrations. Flash elicited an increase in gamma power that lasted up to 1 s poststimulus at all halothane concentrations. Halothane at intermediate concentrations (0.5-1.2%) augmented both PS and ERP gamma power two to four times relative to the waking baseline. gamma Power was not different between waking and deeply anesthetized (2%) levels. gamma Power reached maximum, as predicted by a Gaussian fit of power-concentration data, at halothane concentration (0.86%) similar to the concentration (0.73%) that abolished the righting reflex, a behavioral index of loss of consciousness. Evoked, i.e. stimulus-locked, gamma power was present during the first 300 ms poststimulus but not later, and was approximately 50% of single-trial ERP gamma power. Single-trial gamma power was present also at 300-1000 ms poststimulus, reflecting ERP not phase-locked to the stimulus. In summary, these observations suggest that (1) gamma activity is present in states ranging from waking to deep halothane anesthesia, (2) halothane does not prevent the transfer of visual input to striate cortex even at surgical plane of anesthesia, and (3) anesthetic-induced loss of consciousness, as reflected by the loss of righting reflex, is not correlated with a reduction in gamma power. Variance with other studies may be due to an underestimation of gamma power by ERP signal averaging as compared with single-trial analysis.

Animals↗

Low temperature Fourier transform infrared spectra and hydrogen bonding in polycrystalline uracil and thymine.

The FTIR spectra of pure NH and isotopically diluted (NH/ND and ND/NH) polycrystalline uracil and thymine were measured in the range 4000-400 cm(-1) at temperatures from 300 to 10K. For the first time, the essentially narrow bands corresponding to the uncoupled stretching (nu(1)) and out of plane bending (nu(4)) NH proton modes of uracil and thymine were observed in the solid phase. It was found that in the nu(4) region the spectra reveal more details on the H-bond interactions present in both solids than in the nu(1) range. The frequencies of the various bands observed in both spectral regions were used for estimation of the H-bond energy, using empirical correlations between this property and both the red shift of nu(1) and the blue shift of nu(4) that occur upon crystallization due to the establishment of the H-bonds. The results are compared with known thermodynamic, structural and theoretical data. The IR data also suggest that the H-bond networks of both crystals contain, besides the two NH...O=C bonds revealed by X-ray experiments, additional types of H-bonds, which do not show long range periodicity and, thus, cannot be detected by the conventional structural methods. The assignment of some other bands in the spectra of both substances was also reviewed.

Cold Temperature↗

Activation of electron transfer reactions of the blue proteins.

Thermal activation of electron transfer reactions of the blue proteins is considered in terms of vibronic coupling. Use of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectral distribution to obtain an estimate of the force constant for the relevant protein mode is proposed and demonstrated. This analysis leads to a model in which the configurations of the cupric and cuprous sites are displaced only a few degrees from each other, both being close to the configuration midway between planar and tetrahedral.

Azurin↗

Image analysis of the axonal ingrowth into poly(D,L-lactide) porous scaffolds in relation to the 3-D porous structure.

Porous polymer scaffolds are promising materials for neural tissue engineering because they offer valuable three-dimensional (3-D) supports for the in vitro and in vivo axonal growth and tissue expansion. At the time being, how the in vivo neuronal cell development depends on the scaffold 3-D architecture is unknown. Therefore, scanning electron micrographs of longitudinal sections of porous polylactide scaffolds and immunohistological sections of these scaffolds after implantation and neurofilament staining have been studied by image analysis. Pore orientation and axonal ingrowth have been investigated by spectral analysis on gray level SEM images. Binary image processing has been carried out and the binary images have been studied by spectral analysis in order to estimate the possible effect of the image noise on the real pattern. In addition to axonal orientation, density and length distribution of the regenerated axons into the polymer scaffold have been measured. Dependence of the axonal ingrowth on the 3D-polymer scaffold has been discussed on the basis of the collected data.

Absorbable Implants↗

EEG coherence in post-LSD visual hallucinations.

LSD use in certain individuals may result in chronic visual hallucinations, a DSM-IV syndrome known as hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). We studied 38 HPPD subjects with a mean of 9.7 years of persistent visual hallucinations and 33 control subjects. Measures of local and medium distance EEG spectral coherence were calculated from all subjects. Coherence, a measure of spectral similarity over time, may estimate cortical coupling. In the eyes-open state in HPPD subjects, widespread reduction of coherence was noted. However, upon eye closure, the occipital region demonstrated augmented regional coherence over many frequencies but with reduced coherence of the occipital region to more distant regions. This occipital coherence increase correlated with previously reported shortened occipital visual evoked potential latency for HPPD subjects. We speculate from coherence and known clinical and psychophysical data that, in HPPD, there is widespread cortical inhibition in the eyes-opened state, but localized and isolated occipital disinhibition upon eye closure, a state known to facilitate hallucinatory experiences. An analogy is drawn to findings in the interictal and ictal epileptic focus. In HPPD, we speculate that occipital EEG hypersynchrony resulting from increased regional coherence, when coupled with relative isolation of visual cortex, especially upon eye closure, facilitates hallucinations and illusions.

Adult↗

Neutron fluences and dose equivalents measured with passive detectors on LDEF.

Neutron fluences were measured on LDEF in the low energy (< 1 MeV) and high energy (> 1 MeV) ranges. The low energy detectors used the 6Li(n,alpha)T reaction with Gd foil absorbers to separate thermal (< 0.2 eV) and resonance (0.2 eV-1 MeV) neutron response. High energy detectors contained sets of fission foils (181Ta, 209Bi, 232Th, 238U) with different neutron energy thresholds. The measured neutron fluences together with predicted spectral shapes were used to estimate neutron dose equivalents. The detectors were located in the A0015 and P0006 experiments at the west and Earth sides of LDEF under shielding varying from 1 to 19 g/cm2. Dose equivalent rates varied from 0.8 to 3.3 microSv/d for the low energy neutrons and from 160 to 390 microSv/d for the high energy neutrons. This compares with TLD measured absorbed dose rates in the range of 1000-3000 microGy/d near these locations and demonstrates that high energy neutrons contribute a significant fraction of the total dose equivalent in LEO. Comparisons between measurements and calculations were made for high energy neutrons based on fission fragment tracks generated by fission foils at different shielding depths. A simple 1-D slab geometry was used in the calculations. Agreement between measurements and calculations depended on both shielding depth and threshold energy of the fission foils. Differences increased as both shielding and threshold energy increased. The modeled proton/neutron spectra appeared deficient at high energies. A 3-D model of the experiments is needed to help resolve the differences.

Extraterrestrial Environment↗

Spectra and structure of silicon containing compounds. XXXII. Raman and infrared spectra, conformational stability, vibrational assignment and ab initio calculations of n-propylsilane-d0 and Si-d3.

The infrared (3100-40 cm(-1)) and Raman (3100-20 cm(-1)) spectra of gaseous and solid n-propylsilane, CH(3)CH(2)CH(2)SiH(3) and the Si-d(3) isotopomer, CH(3)CH(2)CH(2)SiD(3), have been recorded. Additionally, the Raman spectra of the liquids have been recorded and qualitative depolarization values obtained. Both the anti and gauche conformers have been identified in the fluid phases but only the anti conformer remains in the solid. Variable temperature (-105 to -150 degrees C) studies of the infrared spectra of n-propylsilane dissolved in liquid krypton have been recorded and the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 220+/-22 cm(-1) (2.63+/-0.26 kJ mol(-1)) with the anti conformer the more stable form. A similar value of 234+/-23 cm(-1) (2.80+/-0.28 kJ mol(-1)) was obtained for deltaH for the Si-d(3) isotopomer. At ambient temperature it is estimated that there is 30+/-2% of the gauche conformer present. The potential function governing the conformation interchange has been estimated from the far infrared spectral data, the enthalpy difference, and the dihedral angle of the gauche conformer, which is compared to the one predicted from ab initio MP2/6-31G(d) calculations. The barriers to conformational interchange are: 942, 970 and 716 cm(-1) for the anti to gauche, gauche to gauche, and gauche to anti conformers, respectively. Relatively complete vibrational assignments are proposed for both the n-propylsilane-d(0) and Si-d(3) molecules based on the relative infrared and Raman spectral intensities, infrared band contours, depolarization ratios, and normal coordinate calculations. The geometrical parameters, harmonic force constants, vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, Raman activities and depolarization ratios, and energy differences have been obtained for the anti and gauche conformers from ab initio MP2/6-31G(d) calculations. Structural parameters and energy differences have also been obtained utilizing the larger 6-311 + G(d,p) and 6-311 + G(2d,2p) basis sets. From the isolated Si-H stretching frequency from the Si-d(2) isotopomer the r(0) distances of 1.484 and 1.485 A have been determined for the SiH(s) and SiH(a) bonds, respectively, for the anti conformer, and 1.486 A for the SiH bond for the gauche conformer. Utilizing previously reported microwave rotational constants for the anti conformer and the determined SiH distances along with ab initio predicted parameters 'adjusted r(0)' parameters have been obtained for the anti conformer. The results are discussed and compared to those obtained for some similar molecules.

Silicon Compounds↗