The effects of ethanol and silymarin treatment during gestation on spatial working memory.

Background  

Using a rat model we have found that the bioflavonoid silymarin (SY) ameliorates some of the negative consequences of in utero exposure to ethanol (EtOH). In the current study our aim was to determine if spatial working memory (SWM) was impaired in offspring whose mothers were maintained on a liquid diet containing EtOH during different gestational weeks. We also determined if SWM was altered with a concomitant administration of SY with EtOH during specific gestational weeks.     

Comparison of acid-induced inflammatory responses in the rat lung during high frequency oscillatory and conventional mechanical ventilation

Background  

The present study was performed to compare the effects of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) on pulmonary inflammatory responses in a rat acid-induced lung injury model.     

Heme oxygenase-1 mediates the anti-allergic actions of quercetin in rodent mast cells

Objective and design  

We investigated the involvement of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in the anti-allergic action of quercetin against degranulation of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells, rat peritoneal mast cells, and mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells.     

Combination therapy with dexamethasone and osteoprotegerin protects against arthritis-induced bone alterations in antigen-induced arthritis of the rat

Objective  

To investigate the influence of a combined therapy consisting of dexamethasone and osteoprotegerin (OPG) on bone alterations and disease activity in antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) in the rat.     

Corticosterone mediates electroacupuncture-produced anti-edema in a rat model of inflammation

Background  

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to produce anti-edema and anti-hyperalgesia effects on inflammatory disease. However, the mechanisms are not clear. The present study investigated the biochemical mechanisms of EA anti-inflammation in a rat model.     

Comparaison de trois milieux pour la culture de Clostridium difficile : intérêt des milieux favorisant la germination des spores ?

Aim

Clostridium difficile is the most common agent of postantibiotic and nosocomial bacterial diarrhoea. Since the emergence of the highly virulent and epidemic strain NAP1/027 in Europe, it appears necessary to isolate C. difficile strains to realize an epidemiologic follow-up by molecular typing. The aim of this work was to compare three selective culture conditions for the isolation of C. difficile.

Methods

One hundred and thirty stools collected from patients hospitalized at Jean Verdier were swabbed on the commercial medium CLO (BioMérieux) and on a medium prepared at the laboratory (CCTa: Columbia, cefoxitine 8 mg/l, cycloserine 250 mg/l, horse blood 5 %, sodium taurocholate 0.1 %) with and without preliminary alcoholic shock (EtOH). C. difficile was isolated from 38 stools and colonies were counted on each medium.

Results

The fluorescence intensity of C. difficile colonies is comparable on CLO and CCTa-EtOH media, however their aspect is more characteristic on CLO. This medium appears very selective contrary to the CCTa medium on which an associated flora obstructs the fluorescence reading and requires a new isolation of the suspect strains. On average 30 times more colonies of C. difficile are counted on CCTa ± EtOH than on CLO, suggesting the presence of great proportions of spores in the stools.

Conclusions

The medium CLO is successful for the isolation of C. difficile despite of its selectivity. Nevertheless, it appears interesting to associate a medium enhancing spore germination as the CCTa medium inoculated after alcoholic shock to increase the sensitivity of detection while being freed from conservation and transport conditions.     

Status of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in different brain regions of a rat model of Japanese encephalitis

Objectives  

This study evaluated cytokines and chemokine in different regions of the rat brain at different time points following Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection.     

Efficacy of periprosthetic erythromycin delivery for wear debris-induced inflammation and osteolysis

Objectives  

We have reported that oral erythromycin (EM) inhibits periprosthetic tissue inflammation in a group of patients with aseptic loosening. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of local, periprosthetic EM delivery in a rat model.     

The effects of lazaroid U-74389G in a rat sepsis model

Objective and design  

To examine the protective effects of a lazaroid, 21-aminosteroid U-74389G, in a rat septic shock model.     

RNA interference targeting ORC1 gene suppresses the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in rats

Background

The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and postangioplasty restenosis. The largest subunit of the origin recognition complex (ORC), ORC1, plays a critical role during the initiation of DNA replication in eukaryotes. However, the involvement of ORC1 in the initiation of DNA replication in VSMCs has not been studied yet.

Objective

The aim of this study was to silence ORC1 gene selectively by using RNA interference and analyze the effects of ORC1 gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of rat VSMCs.

Methods

Freshly isolated rat VSMCs were transfected with siRNA targeting ORC1 gene capsulated in liposome. ORC1 protein expression was determined by Western blotting and ORC1 mRNA level by RT-PCR. DNA synthesis was analyzed by ³H thymidine (³H-TdR) incorporation and cell proliferative activity and cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry. Two apoptosis-related proteins, Bax and Bcl-2, were examined immunohistochemically.

Results

Down-regulation of ORC1 mRNA and protein expression was observed in rat VSMCs at 24 h after transfection with the three pairs of siRNA targeting ORC1 gene and this reduction persisted at least 7 days post-transfection. Down-regulation of ORC1 mRNA (60%) and protein (80%) expression was observed at 72 h post-transfection in the cells transfected with B-ORC1 siRNA. A significant decrease in ³H thymidine incorporation was observed in rat VSMCs with ORC1 gene silencing after serum challenge, but not in the non-silenced control. A significant increase in the proliferation index and a significant decrease in the percentage of cells at G₀/G₁ phase after serum challenge were observed in the non-silenced control, but not in ORC1 gene silenced cells. A significant increase in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was observed after serum challenge in the non-silenced control, but only a slight increase was found in the ORC1 gene silenced cells. ORC1 gene silencing disappeared 7 days after transfection. Continuous serum challenge stimulated VSMCs to synchronously reenter the cell cycle as evidenced by increases in [³H] thymidine incorporation, the proliferation index, and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, as non-silenced cells were induced to resume cell cycle progression by the addition of 15% fetal bovine serum to the culture medium.

Conclusion

ORC1 gene silencing causes rat VSMCs to enter a reversible G₀ quiescent, growth arrested state; thus, ORC1 gene may be an important new target for suppressing VSMCs proliferation.     

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells markedly attenuate brain infarct size and improve neurological function in rats

Background  

The therapeutic effect of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) on brain infarction area (BIA) and neurological status in a rat model of acute ischemic stroke (IS) was investigated.     

Laxative effects of agarwood on low-fiber diet-induced constipation in rats

Background  

Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis), well known as incense in Southeast Asia, has been used as a digestive in traditional medicine. We investigated the laxative effects of an ethanol extract of agarwood leaves (EEA) in a rat model of low-fiber diet-induced constipation.     

Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvia leriifolia</Emphasis> Benth. root extracts on ischemia-reperfusion in rat skeletal muscle

Background  

Salvia leriifolia have been shown to decrease ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in brain tissues. In this study, the effects of S. leriifolia aqueous and ethanolic extracts were evaluated on an animal model of I/R injury in the rat hind limb.     

Formation of multinucleated giant cells and microglial degeneration in rats expressing a mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene

Background  

Microglial neuroinflammation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The purpose of this study was to provide a histopathological evaluation of the microglial neuroinflammatory response in a rodent model of ALS, the SOD1^G93A transgenic rat.     

Black tea polyphenol theaflavin suppresses LPS-induced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression via blockage of NF-κB and JNK activation in intestinal epithelial cells

Objective  

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the black tea polyphenol, theaflavin, on the expression of adhesion molecules and activation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced innate signaling in rat intestinal epithelial (RIE) cells.     

Moving and fusion of the pancreatic buds in the rat embryos during the embryonic period (carnegie stages 13-17) by a three-dimensional computer-assisted reconstruction

Aim  

The purpose of the present study was to illustrate the modality of rotation of ventral and dorsal pancreatic buds by three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions in the rat embryos, during the Carnegie stages 13–17.     

Peripheral muscarinic receptors mediate the anti-inflammatory effects of auricular acupuncture

Background  

The cholinergic and opioid systems play important roles in modulating inflammation. This study tests whether auricular acupuncture (AA) produces anti-inflammatory effects via opioid and peripheral cholinergic receptors in a rat model.     

Role of src-suppressed C kinase substrate in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial hyperpermeability stimulated by inflammatory cytokines

Objective  

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of src-suppressed C kinase substrate (SSeCKS) in the modulation of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (RPMVEC) permeability elicited by interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α.     

Comparison of cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of ischemia pre- and postconditioning in rats with myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury

Objective  

To compare cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of ischemia preconditioning (IPC) and ischemia postconditioning (IPOC) in a rat myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) model.     

Rat model of metastatic breast cancer monitored by MRI at 3 tesla and bioluminescence imaging with histological correlation

Background  

Establishing a large rodent model of brain metastasis that can be monitored using clinically relevant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques is challenging. Non-invasive imaging of brain metastasis in mice usually requires high field strength MR units and long imaging acquisition times. Using the brain seeking MDA-MB-231BR transfected with luciferase gene, a metastatic breast cancer brain tumor model was investigated in the nude rat. Serial MRI and bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was performed and findings were correlated with histology. Results demonstrated the utility of multimodality imaging in identifying unexpected sights of metastasis and monitoring the progression of disease in the nude rat.