Lumbosacral non-terminal myelocystocele associated with teratoma: case report and review of literature.

Non-terminal myelocystoceles are commonly found in the cervical or thoracic spinal region. Their sac can rarely be associated with tumor. A rare case of an infant with a lumbosacral non-terminal myelocystocele and accompanying mature teratoma is reported in whom the tumor was attached to the placode not as a part of the sac.

Grain source and chromium supplementation: Effects on health, metabolic status, and glucose-insulin kinetics in Holstein heifer calves.

Carbohydrate-rich diets may increase urinary excretion of chromium (Cr) and the need to supplement the diet with Cr to meet animal requirements. The present study was performed to examine the effect of the type of grain (corn vs. barley) and Cr-methionine supplementation on health-related variables, blood levels of metabolites and hormones related to energy metabolism, and insulin sensitivity in Holstein calves. Forty-eight newborn heifers (3 d of age) were assigned randomly to 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Experimental diets were either corn-based (CBD) or barley-based (BBD) diets supplemented with 0 or 0.05 mg/kg of metabolic body weight. Chromium was provided in milk before weaning (d 3-73 of age) and in prewarmed water after weaning (d 74-94 of age). There was no interaction between the type of grain and Cr on the health-related variables and blood metabolites and hormones. Type of grain did not affect fecal score, respiration rate, and rectal temperature; however, there were tendencies for higher diarrhea occurrence (odds ratio = 1.69) and lower chance of having pneumonia (odds ratio = 0.49) in calves fed BBD versus CBD despite longer duration of diarrhea (0.54 d) and shorter days with pneumonia (0.63 d) in calves fed BBD. Calves supplemented with Cr had lower fecal score during the preweaning and overall periods and respiration rate throughout the study. Supplemental Cr decreased the duration (0.63 d) and chance of having pneumonia (odds ratio = 2.01). Calves fed BBD had lower blood levels of urea N during the postweaning period, with no changes in other blood variables between CBD and BBD. Tendencies were detected for lower blood levels of ß-hydroxybutyric acid during the preweaning and overall periods and higher cortisol in Cr-supplemented calves. Chromium supplementation increased insulin clearance rate and decreased the time to half-maximal concentration and the area under the curve in BBD but not CBD calves. The calves were generally healthy, and the type of grain did not affect the health and blood variables related to energy metabolism. However, Cr supplementation increased fecal consistency, decreased respiration rate and days with pneumonia, and increased insulin sensitivity when added to BBD.

Grain source and chromium supplementation: effects on feed intake, meal and rumination patterns, and growth performance in Holstein dairy calves.

Carbohydrate-rich diets may increase urinary excretion of chromium (Cr) and increase its requirements. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of grain type (barley v. corn) and Cr supplementation on feed intake, feeding behavior and weight gain in dairy calves. Forty-eight neonatal Holstein female calves were assigned randomly to four experimental diets in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Experimental diets were either barley-based diet (BBD) or corn-based diet (CBD) supplemented with (+Cr) or without (-Cr) Cr as Cr-methionine (0.05 mg/kg of BW0.75). Chromium was provided in milk (from days 3 to 73 of life) during the pre-weaning period and then in pre-warmed water (from day 74 until day 94 of life) after weaning. Meal length tended to increase in calves fed the BBD v. CBD during the pre-weaning period. During the post-weaning period, meal size, inter-meal interval, and eating rate increased concurrently but meal frequency and eating time decreased in the BBD v. CBD. During the pre-weaning period, feed efficiency, BW at weaning, and heart girth increased and non-nutritive oral behaviors tended to decrease with Cr supplementation. Due to increased meal frequency, the starter feed intake but not eating time increased by Cr supplementation during the post-weaning period. Supplementing Cr increased starter feed intake, final BW, average daily gain and heart girth during the overall period. Rumination time increased in BBD+Cr calves due to increases in the frequency and duration of rumination, or decreased rumination bout interval. Overall, the type of grain had no effect on feed intake and growth performance; however, Cr supplementation decreased non-nutritive oral behaviors and increased starter feed intake via increasing the meal frequency and thereby improved growth performance.

A new highly hydroxylated triterpene from Salvia atropatana Bunge.

One new triterpenoid olean-18-ene-1ß, 2α, 3ß-triol (1) along with four known compounds were isolated from the chloroform extract of the aerial part of Salvia atropatana Bunge. The known compounds were two flavonoids, 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone (2) and 5-hydroxy-6,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (3), an abietane-type diterpene namely taxodione (4) and a phytosterol namely γ -sitosterol (5). The structure of (1) was elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis including electron ionization-mass spectra (EI-MS), (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT), H,H correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC) and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC). The structure of known compounds 2-5 were identified by comparison of their spectral data with those reported in the literature.

Artemisinin can inhibit the calmodulin-mediated activation of phosphodiesterase in comparison with Cyclosporin A.

Artemisinin and Cyclosporin A were examined for their ability to inhibit the calmodulin-mediated activation of phosphodiesterase, which is based on the hydrolysis of cAMP to AMP by phosphodiesterase in the presence or absence of inhibitors, followed by quantitative analysis using spectrophotometer method. Anti-calmodulin activity of these agents was investigated by spectrofluorometry. Our results indicates that Artemisinin and Cyclosporin A induced some conformational changes on calmodulin and increased the fluorescence emission, but Artemisinin increased fluorescence emission of calmodulin in higher amounts compared with the Cyclosporin A. Kinetic analysis of the Artemisinin-calmodulin and Cyclosporine A-calmodulin interaction showed that these agents competitively inhibited the activation of phosphodiesterase without affecting Vmax. Artemisinin increased Km value in higher amounts compared with the Cyclosporin A. Ki values of Artemisinin and Cyclosporin A were determined as 10 microM and 35 microM, respectively. The DeltaG (H2O), the best parameter for the estimation of macromolecule stability, was determined for calmodulin in the absence and presence of Artemisinin and Cyclosporin A. However, the degree of decrease in DeltaG (H2O) value was as follows: Artemisinin>Cyclosporin A, which means Artemisinin induced more instability in the calmodulin structure.In conclusion, our findings showed a good correlation between the ability of both Artemisinin and Cyclosporin A to block the activation of phosphodiesterase and their ability to bind to the activator and that Artemisinin is a more potent inhibitor of phosphodiesterase compared with Cyclosporin A.

Structure and antibacterial activity ofp6 new labdane diterpenoid from Salvia leriaefolia.

Phytochemical investigation of the choloroform extract of Salvia leriaefolia afforded 8(17),12E,14-labdatrien-6,19-olide (1), and its structure was determined by a combination of spectral methods. Compound 1 was found to possess antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.