Explore the vast range of titles available.

The aim of this study was to investigate oxidative stress induced by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the brain and liver tissues of Balb/c mice as well as protective effects of taurine and coenzyme Q (CoQ ) in both organs. For this purpose, animals were treated with PFOA (15 and 30 mg/kg) orally and their lipid peroxidation, total glutathione levels (GSH), and antioxidant enzyme activities measured and both tissues analysed for histopathological changes. Our results showed a dose-dependent decrease in body weight and increase in relative brain and liver weights, PFOA-induced lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the brain tissue, and changes in GSH levels, GPx, superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities in the liver tissue. Pre-treatment with taurine or CoQ provided protection against PFOA-induced Cu-Zn SOD reduction in the liver tissue. Our findings evidence the depleting effect of PFOA on antioxidative systems and confirm that PFOA exerts its (neuro)toxicity through oxidative stress, but further research is needed to identify the exact toxicity mechanisms, especially in the brain.

Background Aluminum and indium are widely used in industrial manufacturing, in pharmaceutical products, in medical treatments, and in food packaging, so they could reach organisms by different way. In order to clarify whether these elements are dangerous, we already demonstrated the ultrastructural modifications observed in the testicles, the epididymides, and the seminal vesicles of rat. Their pro-oxidative effect was also confirmed concomitantly to a decrease in anti-oxidant defenses in the blood, the testicles, and the liver. Thus, it seemed very logic to evaluate damages in the reproductive organs, especially on the exocrine and endocrine functions of the testicles. Methods Aluminum and indium were intraperitoneally administered to male Wistar rats. Sperm solution was obtained from cauda epididymides. Motility, viability, density, and malformation of spermatozoa solution were assessed. Serum total unconjugated testosterone concentrations were measured using RIA technique. Results Our results showed a decrease in weight of the testicles, epididymides, and seminal vesicles of indium-treated rats and an increase in the weight of their kidneys. A decrease in motility, viability, and density of epididymides stored sperm as well as generation of many spermatozoa malformations was also observed especially in indium-treated rats. Testosterone levels were increased in indium but were enhanced in aluminum group. This confirmed our previous studies showing that aluminum and indium are toxic for the testicular tissues. This could be explained by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) affecting strongly the exocrine and the endocrine functions of the testicles. Conclusion Aluminum and indium are disturbing elements for the exocrine and endocrine functions of rat testicles.

Carcass characteristics, organ weights, and intestinal biometry of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with black velvet tamarind (Dialium guineense) stem bark (BSB) were assessed. Two hundred, day-old Ross 308 broilers were divided into 4 groups of 50 chickens, and each group replicated five times. Each group were assigned to one experimental diet in a completely randomised design designated T0 (0), T1 (0.5), T2 (1.0) and T3 (1.5 g BSB/kg feed). Data obtained on carcass characteristics, organ weights, and intestinal biometry were analysed statistically. Results showed that BSB was low in crude protein (6.42%) and high in crude fibre (30.65%) and ash (9.35%). Broiler chickens fed diet T1 had significantly higher (P < 0.05) breast and drumstick weights than those offered the other 3 diets. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the abdominal fat pad, liver, proventriculus, gizzard weight, and intestinal biometry of broiler chickens in all the groups. Results also showed that dietary BSB supplementation level had a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) on breast, drumstick, liver, proventriculus weight, abdominal fat pad, and intestinal biometry of broiler chickens. In contrast, dietary BSB supplementation levels had linear effect (P < 0.05) on gizzard weight. It can be concluded that BSB is rich in ash and fibre, and is suitable as a feed additive in broiler chicken diets at a level not beyond 0.5 g/kg feed for best organ weight, carcass yield, intestinal biometry. Thus, there is potential to utilize BSB for improved productivity of broiler chickens.

Pyrethroid pesticides, with low toxicity to birds and mammals and short persistence in the environment, are widely used now. With the development of intensive poultry farming, pesticide application leads to residues in poultry products and pollution in ecological environment. The aim of the present study was to examine deltamethrin subchronic toxicity in laying chickens. One hundred and twelve laying chickens were randomly assigned to 14 groups including 13 groups medicated with deltamethrin ( n = 8) and one unmedicated group used as control ( n = 8). Tissue samples were collected during and after administration for weighing and histopathological analysis. A single dose of deltamethrin (20 mg·kg −1 ·BW·d) was administered orally to laying chickens for 14 days. The results showed that deltamethrin has no significant effect on the relative organ weight of laying chickens ( p > 0.05). The activities of aspartate aminotransferase and cholinesterase in the plasma gradually decreased over time in the medicated group ( p < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, and creatinine significantly increased during treatment ( p < 0.05), and significant liver damage and loss of intestinal villous epithelium were observed. The intestinal wall thickness, villus height, and crypt depth of laying chickens were altered by deltamethrin treatment. During treatment was withdrawn, the intestinal repair was more extensive than the liver repair.

The effect of supplementing drinking water with sweet citrus peel powder (SCPP) on the performance, ileal microbial count, and relative weight of organs of broiler chickens reared in a tropical environment was investigated. Ninety-six (96) 1-day-old Ross broiler chickens, after brooding, were randomly allotted into four treatment groups: T1 (control) received drinking water without SCPP, while birds in T2, T3, and T4 were given water supplemented with 2, 4, and 6 g of SCPP per liter of water, respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times with eight birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Feed intake and weight gain were not significantly (p > 0.05) different among the treatments. However, significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed in the final weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) with birds on T4 (6 g SCPP) having the highest final weight of 2164.60 g and the lowest FCR of 2.11 compared with 1838.40 g final weight and 2.40 FCR recorded for birds in the control group. Total bacteria count (TBC) of 2.07 × 106 CFU/ml (T1), 1.20 × 106 CFU/ml (T2), 1.27 × 106 CFU/ml (T3), and 1.33 × 106 CFU/ml (T4) recorded showed no significant (p > 0.05) variations among the treatments. However, orthogonal contrast between control and SCPP treatment groups showed significant variation (p < 0.05) in TBC. Significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed in the live weight and relative weight of heart and pancreas. Higher live weight with lower FCR and TBC recorded in this study showed the positive effect of SCPP on the performance and ileal microbial count of broiler chickens.

The weights of normal organs were retrospectively culled for the years 1987–1991 from 684 forensic autopsy cases. All the subjects were Caucasoid adults who died of external causes and showed no pathological changes. The weights of the following organs were available: the heart, the right and the left lung, the liver, the spleen, the pancreas, the right and the left kidney and the thyroid gland. The external parameters used for statistical correlation were the age, the height, the body weight and the body mass index (BMI) of the deceased. The weight of all the organs was shown to correlate with at least one external parameter, with the exception of thyroids in females. Organ weights decreased with age except for the heart and the thyroid, and increased in relation to body height and/or BMI. Except for the heart, the organ weight showed a better statistical correlation with the body height than the BMI. These updated tables of organ weight were compared with the data collected in previous studies. Such tables have to be regularly updated by pathologists in order to keep organ weight as a good criterion to be used in post-mortem diagnosis.

Cancer-associated cachexia is a multi-organ weight loss syndrome, especially with a wasting disorder of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) serve as emerging messengers to connect primary tumour and metabolic organs to exert systemic regulation. However, whether and how tumour-derived sEVs regulate white adipose tissue (WAT) browning and fat loss is poorly defined. Here, we report breast cancer cell-secreted exosomal miR-204-5p induces hypoxia-inducible factor 1A (HIF1A) in WAT by targeting von Hippel-Lindau ( VHL ) gene. Elevated HIF1A protein induces the leptin signalling pathway and thereby enhances lipolysis in WAT. Additionally, exogenous VHL expression blocks the effect of exosomal miR-204-5p on WAT browning. Reduced plasma phosphatidyl ethanolamine level is detected in mice lack of cancer-derived miR-204-5p secretion in vivo. Collectively, our study reveals circulating miR-204-5p induces hypoxia-mediated leptin signalling pathway to promote lipolysis and WAT browning, shedding light on both preventive screenings and early intervention for cancer-associated cachexia. Tumour cells can communicate with cells from distant organs through extracellular vesicles. Here the authors show that breast cancer cells derived exosomal miR-204-5p induce leptin signalling pathway in white adipose tissue to promote cancer-associated cachexia.

Uricase-deficient rats could be one of the optimal model animals to study hyperuricemia. The present study aimed to find the biological differences between uricase-deficient (Kunming-DY rats) and wild-type male rats. Uricase-deficient rats and wild-type rats were commonly bred. Their body weight, water and food consumption, 24-h urine and feces, uric acid in serum and organs, and serum indexes were recorded or assayed. Organs, including the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, thymus, stomach, duodenum, and ileum, were examined using a routine hematoxylin-eosin staining assay. We found that the growth of male uricase-deficient rats was retarded. These rats excreted more urine than the wild-type rats. Their organ indexes (organ weight body weight ratio), of the heart, liver, kidney, and thymus significantly increased, while those of the stomach and small intestine significantly decreased. The uricase-deficient rats had a significantly higher level of serum uric acid and excreted more uric acid via urine at a higher concentration. Except for the liver, uric acid increased in organs and intestinal juice of uricase-deficient rats. Histological examination of the uricase-deficient rats showed mild injuries to the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, thymus, stomach, duodenum, and ileum. Our results suggest that uricase-deficient rats have a different biological pattern from the wild-type rats. Uricase deficiency causes growth retardation of young male rats and the subsequent increase in serum uric acid results in mild organs injuries, especially in the kidney and liver.

Incense smoke condensate (ISC) can have harmful mutagenic and genotoxic effects. Epidemiological and experimental studies have reported the negative effects of incense use on humans. We investigated the toxicological effects of the incense smoke condensate ISC in a 2-week repeated intratracheal instillation model in mice. Twenty-five male mice were divided into four treatment groups and one control group ( n  = 5 per group). The treatment groups received daily intratracheal instillations of ISC at doses of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day, and the control group received a vehicle control for the duration of the study. Mortality and body weight were recorded during the study period. At the end of the study, all mice were sacrificed and terminal body weight, organ weight, gross findings, total and differential cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histopathological findings were obtained. Lung inflammatory markers were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that ISC exposure led to dose-dependent increases in both absolute and relative left lung weights, as well as in the number of total cells, macrophages, and neutrophils in BALF. Furthermore, the ISC significantly elevated the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory markers such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and MMP-12 in the lung tissues in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological analysis revealed significant changes in the lungs, including epithelial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, and macrophage aggregation. These findings indicate that ISC induces lung inflammation. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of ISC was determined to be less than 2.5 mg/kg/day in this mouse model.

Salmon nasal cartilage is a rich source of proteoglycan and collagen that is widely used in food products. In Japan, a novel extraction method has been developed and patented that enable the simultaneous production of proteoglycan and undenatured collagen from salmon nasal cartilage. This study evaluated the subchronic oral toxicity of this extract mixture (SCP Complex-LS, containing 40% proteoglycan and 40% undenatured collagen) in a 90-day repeated toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats, following by a 14-day recovery period. Rats (20/group; 10 males and 10 females) were administered SCP Complex-LS once daily by oral gavage at doses of 0 (vehicle), 10.3, 20.6, or 41.2 mg/kg body weight/day, with additional recovery groups (10/groups; 5 males and 5 females) receiving vehicle or the high dose. Clinical endpoints included mortality, clinical observations, body weight, food consumption, estrous cyclicity, ophthalmoscopy, clinical pathology, organ weights, gross pathology, and histopathology. No deaths or test item-related clinical signs were observed. Sporadic changes in hematological, biochemical, urinary, or organ weight parameters occurred in some dose groups but were small in magnitude, showed no consistent dose-response relationship, and were not corroborated by histopathological alterations. Histopathology revealed only minimal findings, such as mild inflammation or congestion in the liver, kidneys, and lungs, occurring at low incidence and with similar frequency in both control and high-dose groups. Estrous cycles remained within normal limits, and recovery groups showed no evidence of delayed or irreversible toxicity. Based on these findings, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for SCP Complex-LS was determined to be 41.2 mg/kg body weight/day in Sprague-Dawley rats under the conditions of this study, supporting its safety for use as a food ingredient within the expected range of human intake.