Castor oil Induces Morphological Changes in Endometrium and Biochemical Parameters in Pregnant Wistar Rats

Background: Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue, used for the management of miscarriages and labour. Castor oil is a natural plant extract that has been reported to have some abortifacient Properties Objectives: This study investigated the labour induction and abortifacient properties of castor oil, as well as possible effects on the electrolytes and hormones that regulate pregnancy, as well as to compare these effects with a standard labour inducing drug misoprostol, in Wistar rats. Methods: The study was conducted out in 2 phases. The pregnant rats were administered varying Castor oil doses of low (12.4ml/kg), medium (18.6ml/kg) and high (24.8ml/kg), which were compared with misoprostol group as well as a control group. All animals were euthanized on gestational day 15 and day 20 respectively for the two phases and blood samples collected via cardiac puncture from the apex of the heart for hormonal assay, electrolyte and kidney function tests. The uterus was also removed for histological processing. Results: The abortifacient effect of castor oil is dose dependent with high dose castor oil group seen to have significantly reduced serum progesterone level (32.8±4.25 and 40.8±0.70 compared with 51.0±2.00 of controls), resulted in weight loss and interference with kidney function (increase in serum potassium while decrease in sodium electrolytes). Castor oil also exhibited labor inducing properties. Conclusion: Castor oil has the potential to induce abortion. This study has demonstrated a possible usage of castor oil in medical induction of labor in rats as it exerted uterotonic principle on the uterus.

Study to elucidate the pharmacological activity of retinalamin in a rat model of ischemic retinopathy

Introduction: Over the past few years, the incidence of retinal ischemic disorders has been increasing, due to a rising prevalence of such socially burdensome diseases as diabetes and hypertension, which ultimately lead to ocular vascular pathology. The identification of new treatment options that would prevent retinal neuron death is a crucial task of modern pharmacology. Materials and methods: The research was carried out on male Wistar rats. Retinopathy was modeled by inducing a 30-min ischemic episode, with a 72-hour period of reperfusion and subsequent administration of Retinalamin and Emoxypine for 10 days. The effectiveness of the drugs was evaluated by electroretinographic, ophthalmoscopic and morphological assessments. Results and discussion: On Day 14 of the experiment, a dose-dependent preservation of the electroretinogram b-wave/a-wave amplitude ratio was observed in the animals treated with Retinalamin depending on a dose (1.39±0.06, 1.46±0.03 and 1.49±0.04 in low (0.214 mg/kg), medium (0.428 mg/kg) and high (0.857 mg/kg) Retinalamin dose groups, respectively). The ophthalmoscopic picture of the fundus oculi also improved following the treatment with Retinalamin (1.42, 1.69 and 1.90 times lower ophthalmoscopic scores compared to placebo-treated animals in low, medium and high dose groups, respectively). The morphologic “coefficient of change” applied to ganglion cell layer was 2.2, 1.7 and 1.6 points in low, medium and high dose Retinalamin groups, respectively. These results are significantly different from both intact and placebo group (p<0.05). Based on the aforementioned experimental findings, we conclude that Retinalamin has a retinoprotective effect and is superior to the drug of comparison (Emoxypine). Conclusion: The greatest neuroprotective effects were shown in the groups receiving Retinalamin. In these groups, the ERG b-wave/a-wave amplitude ratio was preserved, the ophthalmoscopic picture was less pathologic and retinal morphology features were close to those of the intact retina.

Effects of drying and providing supplemental oxygen to piglets at birth on rectal temperature over the first 24 h after birth

Neonatal piglets can experience both a decrease in body temperature and hypoxia, increasing risks for pre-weaning mortality. This research evaluated the effects of drying and providing supplemental oxygen to newborn piglets on rectal temperature (RT) over the first 24 h after birth. The study used a CRD with 3 Intervention Treatments (IT; applied at birth): Control (no intervention), Drying (dried using a desiccant), Oxygen [dried using a desiccant and placed in a chamber (at 40% oxygen concentration) for 20 min]. A total of 42 litters (485 piglets) were randomly allotted to treatments at the start of farrowing. At birth, each piglet was given a numbered ear tag, weighed, and the treatment was applied; RT was measured at 0, 20, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 1440 min after birth. Blood was collected from one piglet from each birth weight quartile within each litter at 24 h after birth to measure plasma immunocrit concentration. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of IT on piglet RT at 0 or 1440 min after birth. Between 20 and 60 min after birth, piglet RT was lower (P ≤ 0.05) for the Control than the Drying treatment, with the Oxygen treatment being intermediate and different (P ≤ 0.05) from the other two IT. The effect of piglet birth weight on responses to IT were evaluated by classifying piglets into Birth Weight Categories (BWC): Light (< 1.0 kg), Medium (1.0 to 1.5 kg), or Heavy (> 1.5 kg). There were IT by BWC interactions (P ≤ 0.05) for piglet RT at all measurement times between 20 and 120 min after birth. Relative to the Control, the effects of the Drying and Oxygen treatments on RT were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for Light than heavier piglets. Plasma immunocrit concentrations tended (P = 0.07) to be greater for piglets on the Control treatment compared to the other two IT and were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for Light than Heavy piglets, with Medium piglets being intermediate and different (P ≤ 0.05) to the other BWC. In conclusion, drying piglets at birth reduced the extent and duration of RT decline in piglets in the early postnatal period compared to undried piglets, especially for those of low birth weight. However, the combination of drying and placing piglets in an oxygen-rich environment provided no additional benefit over drying alone.

Effect of Alisma plantago-aquatica Linn extract on hyperprolactinemia in rats

Purpose: To investigate the anti-hyperprolactinemia effect and mechanism of action of of Alisma plantago-aquatica Linn. extract (APLE) in rats. Methods: The hyperprolactinemia (hyperPRL) model of rats was established by intraperitoneal (i.p.) metoclopramide (200 mg/kg daily) for 10 days. Sixty rats were divided into six groups (n = 10 each): normal group), hyperPRL control group, hyperPRL plus 0.6 mg/kg bromocriptine (as a positive control) group, and hyperPRL plus high (14.4 g/kg), medium (7.2 g/kg), or low (3.6 g/kg) dose of APLE. Bromocriptine or vehicle control was administered to the rats daily for 30 days, and the hypothalamus dopamine D2 receptor, protein kinase A (PKA), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels were investigated by Western blot. Results: Compared with the normal rats, hypothalamus dopamine D2 receptor protein expression was significantly lower in hyperPRL rats (p < 0.01), but was changed significantly after 30-day doses (various) of APLE administration (3.6 g/kg, p < 0.05; 7.2 and 14.4 g/kg, p < 0.01). Compared with the control rats, hypothalamus PKA and cAMP levels were significantly higher in hyperPRL rats (p < 0.01). These increases in PKA and cAMP were significantly attenuated by 30-day of bromocriptine treatment or various doses of APLE (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The anti-hyperPRL activity of APLE is confirmed from the findings of this study Thus, the plant can potentially be developed into a new anti-hyperprolactinemia drug.

Eriodictyol Attenuates MCAO-Induced Brain Injury and Neurological Deficits via Reversing the Autophagy Dysfunction

The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of eriodictyol on MCAO-induced brain injury and its regulation of neural function and to explore the mechanism of its regulation of autophagy in rats. Brain injury was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult rats and pretreated with eriodictyol (low dose: 20 mg/kg; medium dose: 40 mg/kg; high dose: 80 mg/kg) or saline. Rats in the treatment group had a smaller volume of infarction and improved neurological outcome and reduced the latency to the platform, increased the time spent in the correct quadrant compared to MCAO rats pretreated with saline. ELISA kits results confirmed that eriodictyol reduced the inflammatory response induced by MCAO. The results of apoptosis and proliferation by Nissl staining and immunofluorescence detection indicated that eriodictyol could inhibit apoptosis and promote the proliferation in MCAO rats. The expressions of LC3, ATG5, p62, and Beclin1 were used to evaluate the autophagy, as well as the reversal of the autophagy activator (rapamycin) on the neuroprotective effect of eriodictyol, which suggested that the protective effect of eriodictyol on brain injury may be related to the inhibition of autophagy. In summary, we, therefore, suggested that eriodictyol could reduce the inflammation response of brain injury and inhibit neuroapoptosis, directly affecting autophagy to alleviate brain injury. It will provide theoretical support for eriodictyol in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Dependence of productive qualities of cows of brown Swiss breed on their physiological devel-opment

The brown Swiss breed of cattle, which is currently being bred in the Smolensk region for dairy and meat productivity, is of interest from the point of view of its production feasibility and competitiveness, and the biological properties of livestock. The research was carried out in a breeding reproducer for the breeding of brown Swiss cattle of the Smolensk region, in the conditions of the farm, the age of fruitful insemination, physiological development, linear affiliation and productive qualities were analyzed (n=384). According to the terms of fertilization, the animals were conditionally divided into three groups: - early-maturing 46 heads (12%) live weight of the first insemination 329 kg, medium-maturing 191 heads (49.7%) live weight 388 kg and late-maturing 147 heads (38.3%) live weight 429 kg. The genealogical structure of the analyzed livestock includes descendants of the related groups Meridian 90827 (46.3%), Concentrate 106157 (25.4%), Master 106902 (25.4%) and line Laird 71151 (2.9%). The highest milk yield and fat for the first (4520 kg) and highest lactation (5022 kg, 3.97 %) in late-maturing animals. The group of first-calf cows of medium precocity in terms of milk yield occupies an intermediate position (4334 kg). The difference in live weight between the third and first groups is significant (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in milk fat and protein between the groups of cows. From these studies, it follows that the larger the live weight at the first insemination, the more productive they are.

One Is the Coldest Number: How Group Size and Body Weight Affect Thermal Preference in Weaned Pigs (3 to 15 kg)

Housing pigs within their thermal comfort zone positively impacts productivity and performance. However, fundamental information on behavioral thermoregulatory responses of individual and group-housed pigs is meager. As a gregarious species, pigs prefer to be near one another, touching and often huddling. As pigs huddle together, they decrease their heat loss to the environment by decreasing exposed surface area and increasing mass. Additionally, pigs gain weight rapidly as they age. As an individual grows, their ability to withstand lower temperatures increases. We hypothesized that group size would alter pig thermal preference and that thermal preference would change based upon body weight. Thirty-six groups of pigs (n = 2 pigs/group) were tested in a factorial design based on group size (1, 2, or 4) and weight category (small: 5.20 ± 1.15 kg; medium: 8.79 ± 1.30 kg; and large: 13.95 ± 1.26 kg) in both sexes. Treatment groups were placed inside a chamber with a controlled thermal gradient (4.6 m × 0.9 m × 0.9 m; L × W × H) that ranged in temperature from 18 to 30 °C. Pigs habituated to the gradient for 24 h. The following 24 h testing period was continuously video recorded and each pig’s location during inactivity (~70% daily budget) within the thermal apparatus was recorded every 10 min via instantaneous scan sampling. Data were analyzed using a GLM and log10 + 0.001 transformed for normality. Tukey tests and Bonferroni-corrected custom tests were used for post hoc comparisons. Peak temperature preference was determined by the maximum amount of time spent at a specific temperature. Both group size (p = 0.001) and weight category (p < 0.001) influenced the thermal location choice of pigs. Individual pigs preferred 30.31 °C, which differed from a group of 2 (20.0 °C: p = 0.003) and 4 pigs (20.0 °C: p < 0.001). The peak temperature preference of the small pigs (30.2 °C) differed from the large pigs (20.0 °C: p < 0.001) but did not differ from the medium-sized pigs (28.4 °C: p > 0.05). Overall, heavier pigs and larger groups preferred cooler temperatures.

Effect of within-litter birth weight variation after cross-fostering on piglet pre-weaning growth and mortality

Cross-fostering is commonly used in commercial swine production to equalize litter sizes and/or adjust piglet birth weights within litters. However, there is limited published information on optimum cross-fostering procedures. This study evaluated effects of within-litter birth weight variation after cross-fostering (using litters of 14 piglets) on piglet pre-weaning mortality (PWM) and weaning weight (WW). A RCBD was used (blocking factors were day of farrowing and sow parity, body condition score, and functional teat number) with an incomplete factorial arrangement of the following two treatments: 1) Birth Weight Category (BWC): Light (&lt; 1.0 kg), Medium (1.0 to 1.5 kg), or Heavy (1.5 to 2.0 kg); 2) Litter Composition: Uniform, all piglets in the litter of the same BWC [UNIFORM LIGHT (14 Light piglets); UNIFORM MEDIUM (14 Medium piglets); UNIFORM HEAVY (14 Heavy piglets)]; Mixed, piglets in the litter of two or more BWC [L+M (7 Light and 7 Medium piglets); M+H (7 Medium and 7 Heavy piglets); L+M+H (3 Light, 6 Medium, and 5 Heavy piglets)]. Piglets were weighed at 24 h after birth and randomly allotted to Litter Composition treatment from within BWC; all piglets were cross-fostered. There were 47 blocks of 6 litters (total 282 litters and 3,948 piglets). Weaning weights were collected at 18.7 ± 0.64 d of age; all PWM was recorded. Individual piglet WW and PWM data were analyzed using PROC MIXED and PROC GLIMMIX of SAS, respectively; models included fixed effects of BWC, Litter Composition, and the interaction, and random effects of sow within block. There were Litter Composition by BWC interactions (P ≤ 0.05) for WW and PWM. Within each BWC, WW generally increased and PWM generally decreased as littermate weight decreased. For example, WW were greatest (P ≤ 0.05) for Light piglets in UNIFORM LIGHT litters, for Medium piglets in L+M litters, and for Heavy piglets in L+M+H litters. Pre-weaning mortality was lowest (P ≤ 0.05) for Medium piglets in L+M litters, and for Heavy piglets in L+M+H litters; however, Litter Composition had no effect (P &gt; 0.05) on PWM of Light piglets. In conclusion, increasing the average birth weight of littermates after cross-fostering generally decreased WW and increased PWM for piglets of all birth weight categories. This implies that the optimum approach to cross-fostering that maximizes piglet pre-weaning growth and survival is likely to vary depending on the birth weight distribution of the population.

Safety of natural anthraquinone emodin: an assessment in mice

Background Emodin, a natural anthraquinone, has shown potential as an effective therapeutic agent in the treatment of many diseases including cancer. However, its clinical development is hindered by uncertainties surrounding its potential toxicity. The primary purpose of this study was to uncover any potential toxic properties of emodin in mice at doses that have been shown to have efficacy in our cancer studies. In addition, we sought to assess the time course of emodin clearance when administered both intraperitoneally (I.P.) and orally (P.O.) in order to begin to establish effective dosing intervals. Methods We performed a subchronic (12 week) toxicity study using 3 different doses of emodin (~ 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 80 mg/kg) infused into the AIN-76A diet of male and female C57BL/6 mice (n = 5/group/sex). Body weight and composition were assessed following the 12-week feeding regime. Tissues were harvested and assessed for gross pathological changes and blood was collected for a complete blood count and evaluation of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and creatinine. For the pharmacokinetic study, emodin was delivered intraperitoneally I.P. or P.O. at 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg doses to male and female mice (n = 4/group/sex/time-point) and circulating levels of emodin were determined at 1, 4 and 12 h following administration via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Results We found that 12 weeks of low (20 mg/kg), medium (40 mg/kg), or high (80 mg/kg) emodin feeding did not cause pathophysiological perturbations in major organs. We also found that glucuronidated emodin peaks at 1 h for both I.P. and P.O. administered emodin and is eliminated by 12 h. Interestingly, female mice appear to metabolize emodin at a faster rate than male mice as evidenced by greater levels of glucuronidated emodin at the 1 h time-point (40 mg/kg for both I.P. and P.O. and 20 mg/kg I.P.) and the 4-h time-point (20 mg/kg I.P.). Conclusions In summary, our studies establish that 1) emodin is safe for use in both male and female mice when given at 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg doses for 12 weeks and 2) sex differences should be considered when establishing dosing intervals for emodin treatment.

Effect of drying and warming piglets at birth on preweaning mortality

Piglets are susceptible to hypothermia early after birth, which is a major predisposing factor for preweaning mortality (PWM). Drying and warming piglets at birth has been shown to reduce early postnatal temperature decline. This study evaluated the effect of drying and warming piglets at birth on PWM and weaning weight (WW) under commercial conditions. A completely randomized design was used with 802 sows/litters (10,327 piglets); sows/litters were randomly allotted at start of farrowing to one of two Intervention Treatments (applied at birth): Control (no drying or warming); Drying+Warming (dried with a cellulose-based desiccant and placed in a box under a heat lamp for 30 min). Piglets were weighed at birth and weaning; PWM was recorded. Rectal temperature was measured at 0 and 30 min after birth on all piglets in a subsample of 10% of litters. The effect of farrowing pen temperature (FPT) on WW and PWM was evaluated by comparing litters born under COOL (&lt;25°C) to those born under WARM (≥25°C) FPT. The effect of birth weight on WW and PWM was evaluated by comparing three birth weight categories (BWC; Light: &lt;1.0 kg, Medium: 1.0 to 1.5 kg, or Heavy: &gt;1.5 kg). PROC GLIMMIX and MIXED of SAS were used to analyze mortality and other data, respectively. Litter was the experimental unit; piglet was a subsample of litter. The model included fixed effects of Intervention Treatment, and FPT or BWC as appropriate, the interaction, and the random effects of litter. Piglet rectal temperature at 30 min after birth was greater (P ≤ 0.05) for the Drying+Warming than the Control treatment (+2.33°C). Overall, there was no effect (P &gt; 0.05) of Intervention Treatment on PWM or WW, and there were no Intervention Treatment by BWC interactions (P &gt; 0.05) for these measurements. There was an Intervention Treatment by FPT interaction (P ≤ 0.05) for PWM. Drying and warming piglets reduced (P ≤ 0.05) PWM under COOL (by 2.4 percentage units) but not WARM FPT. In addition, WW were lower (P ≤ 0.05) under WARM (by 0.79 kg) than COOL FPT; however, there was no interaction (P &gt; 0.05) with Intervention Treatment. In conclusion, this study suggests that drying and warming piglets at birth increases rectal temperature and may reduce PWM under cooler conditions, which are typically experienced in temperate climates during the majority of the year.