Fipronil-Induced Biochemical Alterations During Oral Subacute Toxicity in Buffalo Calves

In the present investigation, detailed oral subacute toxicity study of fipronil, a phenylpyrazole insecticide, was undertaken in male buffalo calves. In oral subacute toxicity study, fipronil was administrated to male buffalo calves at repeated oral dose of 0.5 mg kg^?1 day^?1 for 21 consecutive days. Fipronil produced varying degree of mild to moderate toxic signs in buffalo calves. Fipronil produced toxic signs of salivation, lachrymal discharge, dullness, depression, decreased body weight gain, alopecia and sunken eyes. All the fipronil-exposed animals recovered within 7 days after insecticidal treatment was stopped. Repeated oral administration of fipronil at the dose rate of 0.5 mg kg^?1 day^?1 for 21 consecutive days produced significant elevation of whole blood cholinesterase to the extent of 45.17 %. Fipronil on repeated oral administration produced significant increase in the plasma levels of lactate dehydrogenase (7.08 %), aspartate aminotransferase (43.55 %) and acid phosphatase (11.647), but no significant effect on the plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase in male buffalo calves. Subacute oral administration of fipronil elevated the levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (25.53 %), total plasma proteins (20.59 %) and blood glucose (40.75 %). However, no significant alteration in the levels of blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine and cholesterol was seen following daily oral administration of fipronil in the buffalo calves.     

Effect of Sub-Acute Oral Exposure of Bifenthrin on Biochemical Parameters in Crossbred Goats

Bifenthrin is an insecticide, used extensively on some crops, including corn. Roughly 70 % of all US-grown hops and raspberries are treated with bifenthrin. The current study on bifenthrin was undertaken to investigate the potential alterations in biochemical parameters, induced by sub-acute oral exposure of bifenthrin, in goats. The animals were randomly divided into two groups. Group A (n = 3) received only tap water and served as control, whereas, Group B goats (n = 4) received bifenthrin by gavage (Telstar 10 EC) at the dose rate of 5 mg Kg^?1 body weight for 28 consecutive days. Bifenthrin exposed group showed significant alterations in the enzyme biochemical parameters. The activities of erythrocyte cholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase reduced significantly from 7th day and 28th day of bifenthrin exposure, respectively. The activity of plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase increased significantly from the 21st day of bifenthrin exposure. The activity of acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase increased significantly from the 14th day of bifenthrin exposure. All these parameters returned to the non-significant levels by 7th day of post-exposure period. Non-significant alterations in blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and plasma proteins were also observed. The current study thus reveals that sub-acute oral administration of bifenthrin produces reversible liver damage.     

Evaluation of myocardial strain and artery elasticity using speckle tracking echocardiography and high-resolution ultrasound in patients with bicuspid aortic valve

Reduced artery elasticity and reduced myocardial strain were present in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Their relation to dilation of proximal aorta is unclear. We aimed to study their relation to dilation of proximal aorta. We studied 57 BAV patients categorized into 2 subgroup according to proximal ascending aortic dimensions (nondilated <35 mm and dilated ≥35 mm). Twenty-nine healthy subjects were recruited as control. Aortic and carotid strain, distensibility and stiffness index were derived. Left ventricular myocardial strain were acquired with speckle-tracking echocardiography. BAV patients with dilation of proximal ascending aorta had lower aortic strain (4.1?±?4.2?% vs. 7.1?±?3.5?%) and carotid strain (4.8?±?1.9?% vs. 10.6?±?4.2?%), lower aortic distensibility (1.4?±?1.5 cm² dyn^?1 10^?6 vs. 2.5?±?1.5 cm² dyn^?1 10^?6) and carotid distensibility (1.6?±?0.7 cm² dyn^?1 10^?6 vs. 3.9?±?2.4 cm² dyn^?1 10^?6), higher aortic stiffness index (19.7?±?14.1 vs. 8.3?±?4.9) and carotid stiffness index (12.2?±?8.5 vs. 5.0?±?2.2), and lower global circumferential (?15.9?±?5.8?% vs. ?19.1?±?4.1?%), radial (19.3?±?11.6?% vs. 29.8?±?14.9?%) and longitudinal (?15.7?±?3.4?% vs. ?18.4?±?3.4?%) compared with those without dilation of proximal ascending aorta. All mean values are different to p?<?0.05. Dilation of proximal ascending aorta is associated with more advanced reduction of aortic and carotid elasticity and myocardial strain in BAV patients, supporting the need for detailed and extensive vascular and cardiac surveillance in BAV patients.     

Comparison of Pharmacokinetics of Enrofloxacin After Single Oral Bolus and Pulse Dose Administration in Broiler Chicken

Enrofloxacin was administered to commercial broiler chicken of 6 weeks of age at 10 mg kg^?1 as oral bolus and pulse dose to two groups of twelve birds each. Blood was collected at predetermined time interval and plasma samples were analyzed for enrofloxacin concentration by using HPLC. Mean plasma concentration was significantly higher in oral bolus dose up to 2 h and at 48 h. In both the groups enrofloxacin concentration was above 0.30 μg mL^?1 up to 24 h. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by non compartmental analysis which revealed significant increase in AUC_0–∞ (25.35 ± 1.92 vs. 19.66 ± 1.68 μg h mL^?1) and t_1/2β (10.63 ± 0.35 vs. 8.70 ± 0.74 h) in oral bolus dose when compared to pulse dose. There was no significant difference in other pharmacokinetic parameters such as MRT, MAT, V_{d area}/F, V_dss/F, Cl_B/F, C_max and t_max. Hence it can be concluded that enrofloxacin administered to broiler chicken at 10 mg kg^?1 every 24 h as pulse dose will result in better clinical efficacy at par with oral bolus dose.     

In Vitro Plantlet Regeneration from Alysicarpus monilifer,a Source of Hepatoprotective Drug

A plantlet regeneration protocol has been developed for Alysicarpus monilifer, a medicinal plant that is a source of hepato-protective drugs. Callus was induced from mature cotyledonary leaves from 4 to 5 days old seedling on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^?1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D). Proliferation of cultures occurred on MS medium with 1.0 mg l^?1 each of 2,4-D, 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and kinetin (Kin). Shoot regeneration from proliferated callus was influenced by a number of factors namely plant growth regulators (PGRs), gelling agents, culture vessels and carbohydrate source. The highest (85.6 %) shoot regeneration was recorded in 250 ml culture flasks on agar gelled MS medium + 0.1 mg l^?1 α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) + 1.0 mg l^?1 each of BA, Kin and 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP) + 1 % glucose and 2 % maltose in addition to the usual 3 % sucrose. The shoots differentiated on PGRs, free MS medium, were stronger and longer than the shoots developed on MS medium containing PGRs (0.1 mg l^?1 NAA + 1.0 mg l^?1 each of BA, Kin and 2iP) with different leaf morphology and were easy to root. Rooting of the regenerated shoots was achieved both in vitro and ex vitro. About 80.4 % of the shoots rooted in vitro on half strength MS medium containing 1.0 mg l^?1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), while 84.9 % of the shoots rooted under the ex vitro condition when treated with 250 mg l^?1 IBA for 5 min. The plants were hardened in the green house and showed 85 % survival rate.     

Erythrocytic Oxidative Stress Indices and Haemato-biochemical Changes in Fluorotic Cattle from Industrial Fluorotic Zone of Odisha

Effect of chronic fluorosis on haemato-biochemical parameters and oxidant-antioxidant equilibrium in cattle of industrial fluorotic zones of district Angul, Odisha, India was studied. Ten fluorotic cattle of visible clinical signs of endemic area and ten healthy cattle of non-fluorotic area were selected for the present study. Plasma fluoride level along with haemato-biochemical parameters was studied. Erythrocytic oxidative stress parameters like catalase, superoxide dismutase and lipid peroxidase were examined from 10 % red blood cell hemolysate. Statistical analysis of these two groups revealed altered haemato-biochemical parameters. There is high plasma fluoride level in the fluorotic cattle as compared to the healthy ones. The blood samples of the fluorotic cattle showed significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in haemoglobin, total erythrocyte count, total leucocyte count and packed cell volume as compared to healthy cattle. Differential leukocyte picture showed significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in neutrophil count in fluorotic cattle while increase in eosinophil, monocyte and lymphocyte percentage as compared to cattle of non fluorotic zone. Fluoride affected cattle revealed significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) levels of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine level, whereas significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in plasma calcium level and increase in plasma phosphorous level was recorded in fluorotic cattle as compared to healthy ones. Marked increase (P ≤ 0.05) in lipid peroxidation whereas decrease in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities was observed in fluorotic cattle as compared to healthy ones.     

Effects of Resource Conservation Practices on Productivity,Profitability and Energy Budgeting in Maize–Wheat Cropping System of Indian Sub-Himalayas

Resource conservation issues have drawn the attention of scientists to devise innovative tillage and crop establishment techniques for higher productivity in small holder farming systems in the tropics but relatively less attention has been given in rainfed sloping lands of the Indian sub-Himalayan (sub-temperate) regions. To investigate these issues, an experiment was conducted on resource conservation practices under rainfed conditions for 5 years (June 2007–May 2012) at Dehradun, Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayan region. Four treatments, 1. 100:60:40 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O + conventional tillage (CT) + chemical weeding + PANICUM vegetation strip (T₁); 2. FYM (5 t ha^?1) + minimum tillage (MT) + 1 weed mulch (30 DAS) @ 0.52 t ha^?1 + PALMAROSA vegetation strip (T₂); 3. FYM (5 t ha^?1) + vermi-compost (1.0 t ha^?1) + MT + 2 weed mulch (25 and 50 DAS) @ 1.47 t ha^?1 + PALMAROSA vegetation strip (T₃) and 4. FYM (5 t ha^?1) + vermi-compost (1.0 t ha^?1) + poultry manure (2.5 t ha^?1) + MT + 3 weed mulch (20, 40 and 60 DAS) @ 2.18 t ha^?1 + PALMAROSA vegetation strip (T₄). The results showed that resource conservation treatments (T₄, T₃ and T₂) had significant (P ≤ 0.05) multiple benefits as compared to traditional agriculture treatments (T₁). T₁ gives the highest yield of maize whereas T₄ gives highest yield of wheat. For the maize–wheat cropping system, mean wheat equivalent yield (WEY) was ~16 % higher in T₄ than T₁. Mean runoff was ~30 % lesser and mean soil loss was ~34 % lesser in T₄ as compared with T₁. Similarly, mean soil moisture conservation for rainfed wheat was ~31 % higher in T₄ than T₁. Mean carbon retention potential increased by ~53 % which subsequently increased mean soil quality index (SQI) by ~25 %. Mean energy productivity increased by ~70 % and mean energy intensiveness decreased by ~56 % in T₄ than T₁. Treatment T₁ (2,560 MJ^?1) emerged to be the most energy intensive system as compared to T₄ (1,113 MJ Rs.^?1). On an average, T₄ had 7 % higher net returns than T₁ and in terms of net returns per tonne of soil loss, T₄ was the best treatment (Rs. 4,907). Therefore, resource conservation system (PALMAROSA as a vegetation strip along with organic amendments, FYM, vermi-compost, poultry manure and weed mulch under minimum tillage) had significant positive impact on yield, resource conservation and energy saving and may be introduced as a substitute of conventional system in the Indian sub-Himalayas and under similar climatic and edaphic conditions.     

Clearance and renal extraction of technetium-99m- L, L-ethylenedicysteine,I-131-ortho-iodohippurate and I-125-iothalamate in pigs

99mTc- L , L -ethylenedicysteine (^99mTc-EC) has been proposed as a ^99mTc-labelled alternative to radio-iodinated ortho-iodohippurate (OIH) for renal imaging and evaluation of renal function. The kinetics of this new renal function agent were studied by a single-injection plasma clearance technique in pigs. ^99mTc-EC, ¹³¹I-OIH and ¹²⁵I-iothalamate were injected and the plasma concentration of the three tracers was followed for 240 min. Renal, hepatic and total plasma clearance were calculated. There was no difference between the renal plasma clearance of ^99mTc-EC and ¹³¹I-OIH (175 ± 9 versus 178 ± 8 ml min^?1, P=0·43), whereas the difference between the total plasma clearance of ^99mTc-EC and ¹³¹I-OIH was highly significant (268 ± 16 versus 185 ± 9 ml min^?1, P=0·0001). ^99mTc-EC had a significant hepatic clearance of 83 ± 10 ml min^?1 whereas the hepatic clearance of ¹³¹I-OIH was negligible. Renal plasma extraction of both ^99mTc-EC and ¹³¹I-OIH decreased significantly between 2 and 240 min post-injection from 0·85 to 0·45% for ^99mTc-EC and from 0·93 to 0·57% for ¹³¹I-OIH. Red blood cell binding of ^99mTc-EC and ¹³¹I-OIH was 6·1% and 20%, respectively. The protein binding of ^99mTc-EC and ¹³¹I-OIH was 32% for both tracers. We conclude that ^99mTc-EC is not a suitable tracer for measuring renal function by the single-injection plasma clearance technique in pigs. This is due to a decreasing renal extraction and a significant hepatic clearance.     

Cardiac output measured by uncalibrated arterial pressure waveform analysis by recently released software version 3.02 versus thermodilution in septic shock

To evaluate the 3.02 software version of the FloTrac/Vigileo? system for estimation of cardiac output by uncalibrated arterial pressure waveform analysis, in septic shock. Nineteen consecutive patients in septic shock were studied. FloTrac/Vigileo? measurements (COfv) were compared with pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution-derived cardiac output (COtd). The mean cardiac output was 7.7 L min^?1 and measurements correlated at r = 0.53 (P < 0.001, n = 314). In Bland–Altman plot for repeated measurements, the bias was 1.7 L min^?1 and 95 % limits of agreement (LA) were ?3.0 to 6.5 L min^?1, with a %error of 53 %. The bias of COfv inversely related to systemic vascular resistance (SVR) (r = ?0.54, P < 0.001). Above a SVR of 700 dyn s cm^?5 (n = 74), bias was 0.3 L min^?1 and 95 % LA were ?1.6 to 2.2 L min^?1 (%error 32 %). Changes between consecutive measurements (n = 295) correlated at 0.67 (P < 0.001), with a bias of 0.1 % (95 % limits of agreement ?17.5 to 17.0 %). All changes >10 % in both COtd and COfv (n = 46) were in the same direction. Eighty-five percent of the measurements were within the 30°–330° of the polar axis. COfv with the latest software still underestimates COtd at low SVR in septic shock. The tracking capacities of the 3.02 software are moderate-good when clinically relevant changes are considered.     

The influence of PEEP and positioning on central venous pressure and venous hepatic hemodynamics in patients undergoing liver resection

Purpose

In order to assess the occurrence of blood congestion in the liver during liver resection, we aimed to evaluate the influence of a positive-end-expiratory-pressure (PEEP) and positioning of patients on central venous pressure (CVP) and venous hepatic blood flow parameters. We further analyzed correlations between CVP and venous hepatic blood flow parameters.

Methods

In 20 patients scheduled for elective liver resection we measured CVP and quantified venous hepatic hemodynamics by ultrasound assessment of flow-velocity and diameter of the right hepatic vein and the portal vein after equilibration following these maneuvers: M1: 0° supine position, PEEP 0 cmH₂O; M2: 0° supine position, PEEP 10 cmH₂O; M3: 20° reverse-trendelenburg position; PEEP 10 cmH₂O; M4: 20° reverse-trendelenburg position, PEEP 0cmH₂O.

Results

Changing from supine to reverse-trendelenburg position led to a significant decrease in CVP (M3 5.95?±?2.06 vs. M1 7.35?±?2.18 mmHg and M2 8.55?±?1.79 mmHg). A PEEP of 10 cmH₂O and reverse-trendelenburg position led to significant reduction of systolic (Vs_HV) and diastolic (Vd_HV) flow-velocities of the right hepatic vein (Vs_HV M3 19.96?±?6.47 vs. M1 27.81?±?11.03 cm s^?1;Vd_HV M3 14.94?±?6.22 vs. M1 20.15?±?10.34 cm s^?1 and M2 20.19?±?13.19 cm s^?1) whereas no significant changes of flow-velocity occurred in the portal vein. No correlations between CVP and diameters or flow-velocities of the right hepatic and the portal vein were found.

Conclusions

Changes of central venous pressure due to changes of PEEP and positioning were not correlated with changes of venous hepatic blood flow parameters as measured after equilibration. Strategies aiming for low central venous pressure cannot be supported by these results. However, before ruling out low-CVP-strategies during liver resections these results should be confirmed by further studies.