The analgesic effects of insulin and its disorders in streptozotocin-induced short-term diabetes.

Evidence suggests that insulin resistance plays an important role in developing diabetes complications. The association between insulin resistance and pain perception is less well understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of peripheral insulin deficiency on pain pathways in the brain. Diabetes was induced in 60 male rats with streptozotocin (STZ). Insulin was injected into the left ventricle of the brain by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection, then pain was induced by subcutaneous injection of 2.5% formalin. Samples were collected at 4 weeks after STZ injection. Dopamine (DA), serotonin, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial glutathione (mGSH) were measured by ELISA, and gene factors were assessed by RT-qPCR. In diabetic rats, the levels of DA, serotonin, and mGSH decreased in the nuclei of the thalamus, raphe magnus, and periaqueductal gray, and the levels of ROS increased. In addition, the levels of expression of the neuron-specific enolase and receptor for advanced glycation end genes increased, but the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein expression was reduced. These results support the findings that insulin has an analgesic effect in non-diabetic rats, as demonstrated by the formalin test. ICV injection of insulin reduces pain sensation, but this was not observed in diabetic rats, which may be due to cell damage ameliorated by insulin.

Introducing a portable electrochemical biosensor for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis detection using graphene oxide and chitosan.

In this contribution, a novel, low-cost, high throughput, and ultra-selective electrochemical DNA nanobiosensor was developed for accurate on-site detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in real media for practical diagnosis of Johne's disease (JD). The method was designed based on the immobilization of graphene oxide and chitosan biopolymer on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode, modified by electrochemical immobilization of graphene oxide and chitosan biopolymer, followed by activation of biopolymer via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxy succinimide (EDC/NHS) coupling system. Afterward, the commercial probe DNA (ssDNA) was stabilized on the activated electrode surface to prepare an ultra-selective ssDNA-stabilized nanobiosensor for MAP sensing called "ssDNA-stabilized GO-CH-EDC/NHS-modified electrode". Several characterization methods distinguished the bioelectrode. The DNA hybridization between the nanobiosensor and target DNA was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. "At optimal experimental conditions, the nanobiosensor showed a linear range of 1.0 × 10-15-1.0 × 10-12 mol L-1, a detection limit as low as 1.53 × 10-13 mol L-1, and a repeatability with a relative standard deviation (%RSD) of 4.7%. The reproducibility was also appropriate, with a %RSD of about 10%. It was used to diagnose MAP in real samples with highly accurate results. Therefore, the developed nanobiosensor can be used for clinical diagnosis of MAP.

Plectranthus amboinicus and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oils effects on performance, antioxidant activity, intestinal health, immune response, and plasma biochemistry in broiler chickens.

This work aimed to assess the effects of Plectranthus amboinicus essential oil (PAE) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil (ROE) as feed additives on performance, antioxidant activity, intestinal microbiota, intestinal morphology, immune response, and plasma biochemistry using 320 unsexed 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens. The chickens were assigned randomly into four treatments containing eight replicates with 10 chickens each. Treatment diets included a basal diet as a control group, 100 mg/kg PAE, 200 mg/kg PAE, and 100 mg/kg ROE. ROE affected the growth performance in the starter phase by improving (p = .01) the feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with the control diet. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the plasma were elevated (p < .0001) by both feed additives. Supplementation of additives could increase (p < .006) total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Furthermore, malondialdehyde (MDA) values in the breast (p < .0001) and thigh (p < .001) for all supplemented diets were less than the control group. The essential oils (EOs) reduced (p < .005) coliform counts in the ileum and increased (p = .029) lactic acid bacteria counts. In addition, villus height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) increased, whereas the density of goblet cells decreased in the small intestine when feed additives were included. Also, the antibody titers against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) were increased (p < .0001) by EOs. Plasma total protein (p = .04) and globulin (p = .02) were increased, and cholesterol was reduced (p = .002) by supplemented diets. Our study revealed that PAE could effectively improve the antioxidant activity, intestinal microbiota population, intestinal morphology, immune response, and plasma biochemistry parameters in broiler chickens.

Effects of ethanolic extracts of Quercus, Cirsium vulgare, and Falcaria vulgaris on gastric ulcer, antioxidant and inflammatory indices, and gene expression in rats.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric ulcer is a multifaceted process and is usually caused by mucosal damage. Herbal medicines have received much attention considering the side effects of chemical drugs. Nowadays, the use of herbal medicines has received much attention considering the side effects of chemical drugs. Quercus brantii Lindl, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten, and Falcaria vulgaris Bernh are plants used as traditional phytomedicine for gastric ulcer diseases. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was aimed to investigate the protective effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of these herbs on ethanol-induced gastric ulceration, in addition, to investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gene expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty Sprague Dawley rats, (200-250 g), were divided into six groups: Control: intact animals; sham: gavaged with distilled water (14 days); negative control: gavaged with 20 mg/kg of omeprazole (14 days); experimental groups I, II, and III: gavaged with 500 mg/kg of the extract of Falcaria vulgaris, Quercus brantii, and Cirsium vulgare, respectively, (14 days). The number of ulcers and pathological parameters were assessed. The serum superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, albumin, total protein, haptoglobin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, total globulin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, C-fos, C-myc, and Caspase-9 were measured by ELISA and RT-PCR. RESULTS: The extracts significantly reduced gastric ulcer (52.33%). The results showed that the Quercus brantii extract was more effective. There were significant differences between the serum levels of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and those of alpha-2-macroglobulin. Also, there was a significant difference in the serum level of antioxidant parameters. Changes in the expression of the genes also confirmed the results suggested by other parameters. The expression levels of C-fos, C-myc, and caspase-9 were decreased, but the Bcl-2 expression increased. CONCLUSION: The hydro-alcoholic extracts revealed various protection and noticeable change in the expression of caspase-9, C-myc, C-fos, and Bcl-2 genes in rats.