Biology Commons^™

Toxic Effect Of Lead Chloride On Antioxidant Enzyme In The Liver And Kidney Of Fish, Bakhtawar Raza, Muhammad Javed, Faiza Ambreen, Fariha Latif

Journal of Bioresource Management

The contamination of aquatic habitats has become a serious problem for sustainability of the fisheries sector in Pakistan. Among different pollutants, heavy metals are very toxic. Their toxicity can be assessed by using antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers. These enzymes protect the living organisms from the oxidative stress caused by the heavy metals. Therefore, the effect of lead chloride (PbCl2) on the peroxidase enzyme activity in the tissues (liver and kidney) of Cirrhinamrigala was investigated. Four groups of Cirrhinamrigala were exposed, separately, to 96-hr LC50 concentration of PbCl2 along with its sub-lethal concentrations, viz.2/3rd, 1/4th and 1/5th for a period of …

Metal Mixtures Toxicity And Bioaccumulation In Tilapia Nilotica At 96-Hr Lc50 Exposure, Faiza Ambreen, Muhammad Javed

Journal of Bioresource Management

Laboratory tests were conducted on fingerlings of Tilapia nilotica to check the bioaccumulation patterns of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co) during acute toxicity at constant water temperature, pH and total hardness. Metal mixtures viz. Lead + Cadmium, Cobalt-Lead and Cadmium-Cobalt were selected to assess the acute toxicity in terms of 96-hr LC50 along with bioaccumulation patterns in selected organs of Tilapia nilotica (skin, muscles and liver). Sensitivity of Tilapia nilotica in terms of 96-hr LC50 for all mixtures varied significantly. The 96-hr LC50 of binary metal mixtures agreed in that order: cadmium-cobalt > lead-cadmium > cobalt-lead with statistically significant differences …

High Dietary Fructose Load Aggravates Lipid Metabolism In The Liver Of Wistar Rats Through Imbalance Between Lipogenesis And Fatty Acid Oxidation, Ana Teofilovic, Biljana Bursac, Ana Djordjevic, Danijela Vojnovic Milutinovic, Gordana Matic, Natasa Velickovic

Turkish Journal of Biology

Fructose ingestion is often associated with hepatic steatosis and hypertriglyceridemia. The homeostasis of hepatic lipids is mainly determined by the interplay of lipogenesis and fatty acid β-oxidation. In this study, we hypothesized that high fructose intake disturbs hepatic lipid metabolism through an imbalance between these processes. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of a 9-week-long consumption of a 60% fructose solution on physiological parameters, glycemia, and blood lipid profiles in male Wistar rats. The expression of key regulators of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and lipogenesis in the liver were assessed by western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed …

Histopathological And Biochemical Changes In The Liver, Kidney, And Bloodof Amphibians Intoxicated With Cadmium, Marcela Fátima Medina, Maria Elina González, Sandra Maria Roxana Klyver, Iris Maria Aybar Odstrcil

Turkish Journal of Biology

The worldwide decline in amphibian populations has made heavy metal pollution a subject of interest. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of sublethal doses of cadmium (Cd) on the liver, kidney, and blood of Rhinella arenarum specimens. Serum markers indicative of hepatic injury (gamma glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, pseudo cholinesterase, and total cholesterol) and markers of renal dysfunction (blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, calcium, and glucose) showed variation in animals treated with a 0.5 mg/kg dose compared to controls. Histopathological images revealed alterations in the liver (hepatocyte ballooning and hyperplasia of Kupffer cells) and kidney (renal tubular …

Changes In Gene Expression In Sirt3 Knockout Liver Cells, Randa Tao, Jamie Leclerc, Kübra Yildiz, Seong-Hoon Park, Barbara Jung, David Gius, Özkan Özden

Turkish Journal of Biology

The sirtuin (SIRT) gene family is reported to regulate critical intracellular processes from aging to cellular metabolism and repair. SIRT3 knockout (SIRT3-/-) mice develop receptor positive mammary tumors starting at 13 months and SIRT3 expression is decreased in human breast cancer samples as well as several other diseases. It is established that carcinogenesis results from the accumulation of multiple aberrant genetic events including the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes. To determine the potential early genomic events that may play a role in the tumor-permissive phenotype observed in SIRT3-/- cells, we compared gene expression profile in SIRT3-/- and …

Activity Of Antioxidant Enzymes In The Liver Of Wild Boars (Sus Scrofa) From A Selenium-Deficient Area Depending On Sex, Age, And Season Of The Year, Dorota Jankowiak, Renata Pilarczyk, Radoslaw Drozd, Bogumila Pilarczyk, Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak, Gabriela Wysocka, Izabella Rzad, Arleta Drozd, Jaroslaw Kuba

Turkish Journal of Biology

The aim of this study was to compare the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (total GSH-Px and Se-GSH-Px) in the liver of wild boars (Sus scrofa) selected from a selenium-deficient area with respect to season of the year, sex, and age. Only season had a significant effect on liver Se content. Liver selenium concentration in the wild boars was highest in spring (0.292 µg/g wet weight) and lowest in winter (0.185 µg/g wet weight) (P < 0.05). The highest mean activity of total GSH-Px, Se-GSH-Px, and CAT (404.0, 309.9, and 1170.0 U/mg protein, respectively) was found in the spring season, and the respective highest mean activity of SOD was found during autumn (31.5 U/mg protein). Females showed markedly higher mean activities of total GSH-Px (388.2 and 314.7 U/mg protein) and CAT (1151.0 and 765.8 U/mg protein) compared to males. In comparison to other groups of animals, those aged between 1 and 1.5 years were characterized by higher mean activity of total GSH-Px and Se-GSH-Px, and those over 2 years of age showed higher activity of CAT and SOD. The analysis showed that the strongest oxidative stress and the greatest risk of peroxidative damage to the liver occurred during the winter.

Melatonin Increased Vitamin C And Antioxidant Enzyme Values In The Plasma,Heart, Liver, And Kidney Of Adriamycin-Treated Rats, Ali̇ Zi̇ya Karakilçik, Muharrem Bi̇ti̇ren, Mustafa Zeri̇n, Haki̇m Çeli̇k, Nurten Aksoy

Turkish Journal of Biology

Adriamycin, an anticarcinogenic agent, causes excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These radicals may affect antioxidant defense systems. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of melatonin on antioxidant enzyme activities and vitamin C in Adriamycin-treated rats. In the current study, rats were divided into three groups: control, Adriamycin, and melatonin+Adriamycin groups. The control group was intraperitoneally injected physiological saline (0.9%) as a placebo. The Adriamycin and melatonin+Adriamycin groups were administered Adriamycin (25 mg/kg body weight). The melatonin+Adriamycin group was pretreated with melatonin (0.5 mg/kg body weight). Vitamin C concentration and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione …

The Effects Of Midazolam And Etomidate On The Antioxidant System In The Rat Liver, Di̇lek Bayram, Meral Öncü, Efkan Uz, Haci Ramazan Yilmaz, Ayşe Yi̇ği̇t, Ahmet Koçak

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study was conducted to investigate the histopathological and biochemical effects of midazolam and etomidate, which are intravenous anesthetics used in surgical operations, on rat liver. There were 3 study groups each consisting of 9 animals: the control, midazolam, and etomidate groups. Midazolam and etomidate were administered 10 times with 1-day intervals. At the end of the study, tissues were taken for histological examination and biochemical analysis. We determined superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the liver. There was a slight increase in MDA level in the midazolam-exposed group when compared with the controls, and this …

The Protective Effect Of Boric Acid On Aluminum-Induced Hepatotoxicity And Genotoxicity In Rats, Hasan Türkez, Fati̇me Geyi̇koğlu, Suat Çolak

Turkish Journal of Biology

The efficacy of boric acid (BA) was examined on liver marker enzymes in aluminum (Al)-treated rats. Also, a liver micronucleus assay was performed to evaluate the genotoxicity in hepatocytes. With these aims, Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly separated into 10 groups of 5 animals. Aluminum chloride (5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) AlCl3) and BA (3.25, 13, 36 and 58.5 mg/kg b.w.) alone were administered with injections to the experimental animals. Furthermore, the animals were also treated with Al for 4 consecutive days followed by BA exposure for 10 days. The rats were anesthetized after Al and BA injections and the levels …

Ultrastructural Changes In Rat Liver By Methyleugenol And Evaluation Of Some Biochemical Parameters, Ayşegül Çerkezkayabeki̇r, Gülnur Kizilay, Fi̇gen Ertan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study investigated the effect of methyleugenol, a food flavoring and fragrance agent, on the livers of laboratory rats. Doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg/day of methyleugenol (in 0.5% methylcellulose) were administered intragastrically (IG) to 2 dose groups for 10 days alongside a control group (n = 10 for each group). Gains in body weight were not statistically significant for either dose. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities decreased (P < 0.05) for both dose groups, but AST (aspartate aminotransferase) activity decreased significantly (P < 0.05) only in the 30 mg/kg/day methyleugenol dose group. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity did not change significantly in either group. The total amount of glucose remained unchanged, but glycogen in the liver decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the 30 mg/kg/day methyleugenol dose group. There was also an increase of swelling in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum sacs (sER), electron dense accumulations in the sER, cytoplasmic vacuolization, a slight increase of mitochondria and lysosomes, and invaginations in the nucleus membranes of hepatocytes. Extensions in bile canaliculi and increasing microvilli of bile canaliculi in the liver were also observed. These findings indicate the ultrastructural toxic effect of methyleugenol on rat livers in 10 and 30 mg/kg/day doses. Therefore, we may speculate that the toxic effect of methyleugenol needs to be examined in detail.

The Chronic Effects Of Teucrium Polium On Some Blood Parameters And Histopathology Of Liver And Kidney In The Rat, Khaled Khleifat, Jumah Shakhanbeh, Khaled A. Tarawneh

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of chronic treatment with small sublethal doses (20 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) of Teucrium polium ethanolic extract were investigated on the hematological and biochemical composition of the blood, histopathology of the liver and kidney, and fertility in the rat. Hematological and biochemical parameters of the blood, as well as sperm count, morphology and motility were normal after 6 weeks of herbal treatment. However, blood urea (P < 0.05) and cholesterol (P < 0.005) were significantly increased, with marked cytoplasmic vacuolation of the liver and kidney cells after chronic treatment with 50 mg/kg of the plant. These results demonstrate some histopathological effects of T. polium on the liver and kidney under long-term administration conditions.

The Effect Of Paraquat On The Activity Of Some Enzymes In Different Tissues Of Mice (Mus Musculus - Swiss Albino), Egemen Dere, Fi̇kri̇ye Polat

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of the LD_{30} (20 mg.kg^{-1}) dose of paraquat, a herbicide, were investigated on creatine kinase (CK), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities in the liver, kidney and lung of mice after 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 72 hours. After paraquat was given intraperitoneally to Mus musculus Swiss albino mice, the control groups were injected with physiological saline. The results were evaluated using the autoanalyzer as U/L. Even though significant increases in the liver tissue LDH and GGT, kidney tissue CK and lung tissue CK and …

Investigation On The Liver Functions Agriculturel Workers Chronically Exposed To Pesticides, Ülkü Çömelekoğlu, Bi̇rgül Mazmanci, Abdullah Arpaci

Turkish Journal of Biology

Blood samples were taken from agricultural workers who had been exposed to pesticides for long periods in Içel and the surrounding agricultural areas (n=150) and levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, total protein, albumin and globulin in serum were determined. The same parameters were measured in 64 persons who are not exposed to pesticides in any way. Study group showed significantly higher levels of AST, ALT, ALP and LDH (p

Boron Accumulation In Carp Tissues ( Cyprinus Carpio L., 1758) In Damlakes Çötören And Kunduzlar (Kırka-Eskişehir), Şaki̇r Özkurt

Turkish Journal of Biology

Samples of water, bottom clay, plankton and fish were collected over a period of one year. The boron contents of the samples taken were determined in the laboratory. The differences and relationships in the obtained data were identified using various statistical methods. Boron gradually accumulates in the plankton, bottom clay and water of Çatören and Kunduzar. Boron collects in the tissues of the fish Cyprinus carpio in both lakes, in the musce, brain and liver in Çatören, and in the musce, liver and brain in Kunduzlar. Boron pollution is more serious in Çatören dam than in Kunduzlar. It was observed …

Comparative Scanning, Transmission And Atomic Force Microscopy Of The Microtubular Cytoskeleton In Fenestrated Liver Endothelial Cells, Filip Braet, Ronald De Zanger, Wouter Kalle, Anton Raap, Hans Tanke, Eddie Wisse

Scanning Microscopy

Endothelial fenestrae control the exchange of fluids, solutes and particles between the sinusoidal lumen and the microvillous surface of the parenchymal cells. Fenestrae have a critical dimension in the order of 150-200 nm, making it necessary to use microscopes with a resolution better than the light microscope. Comparative whole-mount preparations of isolated, purified and cultured rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LEC) were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Examination of detergent-extracted LEC by SEM and TEM shows an integral cytoskeleton: sieve plates are delineated by a sieve plate-associated cytoskeleton ring and …

Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis Of Epithelial Cells: Aspects Of Cryofixation, Karl Zierold, Hartmut Hentschel, Frank Wehner, Armin Wessing

Scanning Microscopy

Content and distribution of diffusible ions in epithelial cells were studied by scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive electron probe X-ray microanalysis of freeze-dried cryosections from trout kidney, rat liver and Malpighian tubules of Drosophila larvae. Cryofixation of small excised kidney and liver samples by rapid immersion into liquid propane resulted in intracellular K/Na-ratios < 1. In contrast, K/Na-ratios > 7 were obtained after in situ cryofixation by means of a cryopunching device which allows tissue pieces to be frozen during excision from the intact organ. Isolated hepatocytes cryofixed in a small droplet of culture medium had a K/Na-ratio of 3.7. After culturing the hepatocytes, …

Use Of In Vitro Systems For X-Ray Microanalysis, Jarin Hongpaisan, Ann-Christin Mörk, Godfried M. Roomans

Scanning Microscopy

The use of X-ray microanalysis in human pathology may require the use of cryoprepared tissue. Often it is impossible to carry out freezing of the tissue in an optimal way, and in addition, it is difficult to carry out experiments in living patients. The use of in vitro systems and cell cultures allows separation of the process of tissue removal and the freezing procedure, and also makes testing of pharmacological or toxic substances possible. In experiments with animal tissue it was shown that incubation in a physiological buffer induced significant changes in the concentrations of Na, K, and Cl. In …

Effect Of Chronic Treatment With Diuretics On Mouse Liver: A Morphological And Microanalytical Investigation, Ann-Christin Mork, Anne Von Euler, Godfried M. Roomans

Scanning Microscopy

In an attempt to produce an animal model for the disease cystic fibrosis (CF), mice were treated chronically with the diuretics amiloride and furosemide, in order to cause chronic inhibition of transepithelial ion transport. Experiments were carried out on adult mice (2 months treatment); in addition, pregnant mice were treated with diuretics, and tissue from offspring 2 and 7 days post partum was investigated. Since biliary cirrhosis is a common occurrence in CF, hepatocytes in the treated mice were investigated by X-ray microanalysis and by light and electron microscopy.

Treatment with amiloride caused a significant decrease in cellular Na concentration …

The Vascularization Of The Digestive Tract Studied By Scanning Electron Microscopy With Special Emphasis On The Teeth, Esophagus, Stomach, Small And Large Intestine, Pancreas, And Liver, S. Aharinejad, A. Lametschwandtner, P. Franz, W. Firbas

Scanning Microscopy

The periodontal vessels in adult rats show a ladder-like pattern; in guinea pigs molars, by contrast, they present a honey-comb pattern. The vascular architecture in human teeth seems to be similar to that of rabbits. In guinea pigs, rats, rabbits and humans esophagus circumferential vessels give off perforating vessels. In human esophagus the number and diameter of the vessels in the submucous venous plexus decrease from proximal to distal. In the stomach the subepithelial capillary network shows a honey-comb pattern reflecting the arrangement of the gastric pits. A local portal system between the gastric glands and the surface mucosal cells …

The Hepatic Microcirculation In Experimental Cirrhosis A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study Of Microcorrosion Casts, E. Gaudio, L. Pannarale, M. Ripani, P. Onori, O. Riggio

Scanning Microscopy

The experimental model of liver cirrhosis induced by intragastric administration of CCl₄ reproduces not only the histological picture of the postnecrotic cirrhosis but also its pathophysiological features.

Corrosion casts of livers affected by CCl₄-induced cirrhosis show the loss of the lobular pattern. Once the cirrhosis has completely developed, the whole microvascular bed appears to be composed of groups of sinusoid nodules of diameters varying between 0.3 and 1.5 mm.. Pre- and post-sinusoidal vessels and anastomoses between the former and the latter are mainly located at the perinodular spaces.

This microvascular situation modifies the normal perfusion gradient within …

Intracellular Water Distribution And Aging As Examined By X-Ray Microanalysis, Thomas Von Zglinicki

Scanning Microscopy

The results reviewed here demonstrate that 1. the distribution of dry mass as observed in frozen-dried cryosections might be used as an unbiased measure of intracellular dry mass resp. water distributions in the tissue in vivo and 2. the well-known loss of water from cells during aging is solely due to a water loss from mitochondria without changes in the water content of all other components of the cell in the case of rat liver and heart muscle.

The reason for the water loss might be increased counter ion binding by membrane-bound enzymes due to decreased fluidity of the inner …

Microcorrosion Casting In Normal And Pathological Biliary Tree Morphology, E. Gaudio, L. Pannarale, F. Carpino, G. Marinozzi

Scanning Microscopy

The organization of the intrahepatic biliary tree was studied in three dimensions by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) corrosion casts, in normal and cholestatic rat liver.

In the normal liver the observation revealed the features of the biliary passages from the bile canaliculi to the canaliculo-ductular junction, to the ductules and the bile ducts, confirming previous SEM observations.

In cholestatic liver, the modifications and the proliferation of bile ductules appear clearly.

Resin flow from canalicular to sinusoidal network was never observed.

The method was found to be very useful in the evaluation of the architecture of the intrahepatic biliary tree, under …

Freeze-Drying And Related Preparation Techniques For Biological Microprobe Analysis, Romuald Wróblewski, Joanna Wróblewski, Matti Anniko, Lars Edström

Scanning Electron Microscopy

An X-ray microanalytical and morphological investigation has been carried out on rapidly frozen, freeze-dried or freeze-substituted tissues. A comparison was made between different embedding and polymerisation procedures following freeze-substitution and freeze-drying. The investigation also included an analysis of specimens infiltrated, embedded and polymerised by ultraviolet irradiation at low temperatures with Lowicryl HM20. The morphological preservation of Lowicryl embedded tissue was adequate for the identification of different cell structures like nuclei, mitochondria, lysosomes and different types of endoplasmic reticulum. X-ray microanalytical investigation of low temperature embedded material displayed an elemental composition of cells and organelles similar to that found in freeze-dried …