Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase activity in dairy cows

Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase is considered the single most accurate marker of bone formation. In this study, 75 healthy Holstein dairy cows in their first, second, third, fourth or fifth parities underwent serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase quantification. The results indicate that enzyme activity values have a decreasing pattern with increasing order of parity (p < 0.05). However, the differences between cows in second and third parity and also between cows in fourth and fifth parity were not statistically significant (p > 0.1). We concluded that bone-specific alkaline phosphatase measurement by heat inactivation provides a simple method to determine bone metabolic status and useful data to evaluate calcium availability in dairy cows.     

Ureteral segment replacement using an ovine fetal urachus duct (new xenogenic graft) in dogs

The ureter is an important part of the urinary system that can be affected by several disorders such as congenital malformations, extensive iatrogenic ureteral obstruction, ureteritis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, trauma, necrosis, calculi, tumors, etc. We wished to determine whether ovine fetal urachus duct will be accepted when used as a ureteral replacement material in other species. The ureters of five adult native dogs were approached through a ventral midline laparotomy incision. A segment of 3-cm midureter was resected unilaterally. The left ureteral segments were replaced with ovine fetal urachus duct using 5-0 PDS interrupted sutures. Internal ureteral catheter was left for 6 weeks. The patency of the ureters was assessed by intravenous pyelography at 2 and 8 weeks after the surgery, while inflammation and regeneration were assessed grossly and histologically. All five urachus transplantations were accepted successfully in radiological, macroscopical, and histological evaluation. The ovine fetal urachus seems to be an embryonic tissue of extremely low antigenicity and therefore suitable for transplantation.     

Evaluation of anti-oxidative effects of propofol in experimental diabetes

This study was designed to evaluate the serum oxidative status during general anaesthesia established with propofol in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Sixty mice were randomly allocated into two equal groups. The mice in the diabetic group were injected intraperitoneally with alloxan. Diabetic and normal mice were further divided into five treatment groups of six mice per group. The control group consisted of no treatment whilst the experimental groups received one to four doses of propofol (100?mg/kg BW) at 60-min intervals. In each group, trunk blood samples were collected 30?min after the last injection for the measurement of serum glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities. Propofol reduced circulating MDA levels and increased serum GPX activity in both alloxan-treated and normal mice. Propofol had no effect on serum glucose concentration. Propofol's increasing effect on GPX activity was significantly greater in alloxan-treated mice (90.27% within 60?min, 131.58% within 120?min, and 77.04% within 180?min) compared to normal mice. Serum SOD activity was significantly higher during exposure to propofol (61% within 180?min) in diabetic mice but was not statistically altered during exposure to propofol over time in normal mice. The results of this study demonstrate ameliorative effects of propofol on oxidative status in an alloxan-induced model of diabetes in mice.     

The role of IL-1 family of cytokines and receptors in pathogenesis of COVID-19

A global pandemic has erupted as a result of the new brand coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This pandemic has been consociated with widespread mortality worldwide. The antiviral immune response is an imperative factor in confronting the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. Meantime, cytokines recognize as crucial components in guiding the appropriate immune pathways in the restraining and eradication of the virus. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 can induce uncontrolled inflammatory responses characterized by hyper-inflammatory cytokine production, which causes cytokine storm and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). As excessive inflammatory responses are contributed to the severe stage of the COVID-19 disease, therefore, the pro-inflammatory cytokines are regarded as the Achilles heel during COVID-19 infection. Among these cytokines, interleukin (IL-) 1 family cytokines (IL-1, IL-18, IL-33, IL-36, IL-37, and IL-38) appear to have a strong inflammatory role in severe COVID-19. Hence, understanding the underlying inflammatory mechanism of these cytokines during infection is critical for reducing the symptoms and severity of the disease. Here, the possible mechanisms and pathways involved in inflammatory immune responses are discussed.

     

Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and interferon-γ cytokines and expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 genes in renal allograft recipients after donor bone marrow cell infusion

Background

Cytokine storm generated by an alloimmune response after transplantation can lead to either graft survival or rejection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and interferon (IFN)-γ and expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in renal allograft recipients with or without donor bone marrow cell infusion (DBMI).

Methods

We retrospectively followed 28 living unrelated kidney recipients, including 14 with and 14 without DBMI infusion for 2 years. Also, 14 healthy subjects were included as a normal control group. PBMC gene expression analysis for mRNA levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 cytokines relative to β-actin as a reference gene was performed using quantitative fluorescence real-time polymerase chain reaction at the end of 2 years posttransplantation. Also, serum levels of IL-10, TGF-β1, IFN-γ, and IL-17 in the 3 groups were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the same time.

Results

Both patient groups showed increased gene expression and serum content of IL-10 compared with normal controls. The expression levels were only significant between control patients and normal subjects (P = .02). Serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-17 were higher in untreated patients compared with normal controls (P = .03 and P = .07, respectively). DBMI patients showed significantly lower levels of serum TGF-β1 and IL-17 compared with normal subjects (P = .05 and P = .06, respectively). Also, infused patients showed a positive correlation between circulating levels of IL-17 and IL-10 (r = 0.692; P = .006), and an inverse correlation between serum creatinine and TGF-β1 levels (r = −0.580; P = .03).

Conclusion

The decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines besides IL-10 with increased TGF-β1 levels and better allograft function with improved clinical outcomes were observed among infused patients, possibly indicating immunomodulatory effects of this approach in kidney allograft patients.