Biophysical and biochemical features' feedback associated with a flood episode in a tropical river basin model.

Global climate change scenarios such as frequent and extreme floods disturb the river basins by destructing the vegetation resulting in rehabilitation procedures being more costly. Thus, understanding the recovery and regeneration of vegetation followed by extreme flood events is critical for a successful rehabilitation process. Spatial and temporal variation of biochemical and biophysical features derived from remote sensing technology in vegetation can be incorporated to understand the recovery and regeneration of vegetation. The present study explores the flood impact on vegetation caused by major river basins in Sri Lanka (a model tropical river basin) by comparing pre-flood and post-flood cases. The study utilized enhanced vegetation index (EVI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR), and gross primary productivity (GPP) of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) platform. A remarkable decline in EVI, LAI, FPAR, GPP, and vegetation condition index was observed in the post-flood case. Notably, coupled GPP-EVI and GPP-LAI portrayed dependency of features and showed a significant impact triggered by the flood episode by narrowing the feature in post-flood events. EVI depicted the highest regeneration (0.333) while GPP presented the lowest regeneration (0.093) after the flood event. Further, it was revealed that 1.18 years have been on the regeneration. The regeneration of GPP and LAI remained low comparatively justifying the magnitude and impact of the flood event. The study revealed successful implications of vegetation indices on flood basin management of small to large tropical river basins.

Vitamin D Levels in Children with Recurrent Acute Tonsillitis in Jordan: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Vitamin D is essential for many functions of the body. In addition to its primary function of regulating the absorption of calcium in the small intestine, its role in the immune system has recently been studied. The current study aimed to test the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the rate of recurrent acute tonsillitis in children. Methods: According to Paradise criteria, two hundred forty-two children with recurrent acute tonsillitis were recruited. A group of healthy children (n = 262) was also recruited as controls. Poisson regression was run to predict the number of tonsillitis episodes per year based on vitamin D levels. The mean vitamin D level in the study group was lower than in the control group (p < 0.0001). Poisson regression of the rate of recurrent tonsillitis and vitamin D level (OR = 0.969 (95% CI, 0.962−0.975)) showed that for every single unit increase in vitamin D level, there was a 3.1% decrease in the number of tonsillitis episodes per year (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher rates of recurrent acute tonsillitis. Future controlled trials should investigate the role of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the rate of recurrent tonsillitis.

The efficacy of aerobic training on the pulmonary functions of hemophilic A patients: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the efficacy of a program of aerobic exercise on pulmonary functions in adult males with hemophilia A (HA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 40 patients with HA who met the eligibility criteria (40 HA; age range: 20-39 years) were invited to participate in the study. The patients were divided into two groups, 20 per each. Participants in the study group (A) underwent selected physical therapy program, along with aerobic training sessions on a cycle ergometer (50-60% heart rate reserve, moderate intensity), while the control group (B) underwent a selected physical therapy program only. The pulmonary functions (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, PIF, and MVV) were measured before and after treatment program. RESULTS: There were noteworthy statistical differences between pre- and post-measurements in the study group in all measured variables (p < 0.05). There were also significant statistical differences between the study and control groups in all measured variables post treatment (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that hemophilic A patients' pulmonary functions have improved significantly following aerobic exercise training. As a result, aerobic exercise can be used in addition to medical treatment for hemophilic A patients.

Generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line (JUCTCi019-A) from a patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A2 (CMT2A2) due to a heterozygous missense substitution c.2119C > T (p.Arg707Trp) in MFN2 gene.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is an inherited neurological disorder characterized by the progressive damage of the peripheral nerves. We generated a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line JUCTCi019-A using dermal fibroblasts-derived from a 50-year-old CMT2A2 patient carrying a heterozygous missense substitution c.2119C > T (p.Arg707Trp) in the MFN2 gene. Fibroblasts were reprogrammed by Sendai viruses encoding for the reprogramming factors: OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC. Characterization showed normal iPSC morphology and karyotype, expression of pluripotency markers and differentiation into three-germ layers. This iPSC line represents an ideal source for disease modelling and drug development of CMT2A2 disease.

Choosing between cocaine and sucrose under the influence: testing the effect of cocaine tolerance.

RATIONALE: Cocaine use not only depends on the reinforcing properties of the drug, but also on its pharmacological effects on alternative nondrug activities. In animal models investigating choice between cocaine and alternative sweet rewards, the latter influence can have a dramatic impact on choice outcomes. When choosing under cocaine influence is prevented by imposing sufficiently long intervals between choice trials, animals typically prefer the sweet reward. However, when choosing under the drug influence is permitted, animals shift their preference in favor of cocaine. OBJECTIVES: We previously hypothesized that this preference shift is mainly due to a direct suppression of responding for sweet reward by cocaine pharmacological effects. Here we tested this hypothesis by making rats tolerant to this drug-induced behavioral suppression. RESULTS: Contrary to our expectation, tolerance did not prevent rats from shifting their preference to cocaine when choosing under the influence. CONCLUSION: Thus, other mechanisms must be invoked to explain the influence of cocaine intoxication on choice outcomes.

Metal vs fibre posts - which is clinically superior for the restoration of endodontically treated teeth?

Data sources Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases. Grey literature searches (OpenGrey, ProQuest databases), hand searches in the reference list of eligible studies and relevant journals.Study selection Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective clinical trials (PCTs) with direct comparisons between metal posts (MPs) and fibre posts (FPs). Trials contained a minimum of ten patients and endodontically treated permanent teeth that had received either single crowns or fixed partial dentures (bridges) and followed up for a minimum of one year. The primary outcome compared the difference in failure rates between FPs and MPs, with subgroup analysis comparing location (anterior/posterior), type of MP (cast post core/preformed MP) and most frequent modes of failure (debond/root fracture).Data extraction and synthesis Study selection, data collection and risk of bias assessments were completed independently by two reviewers. Disagreements were discussed with a third reviewer to reach a consensus. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool (RCTs) or the ROBINS-I tool (PCTs). The quality of responses was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development And Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The meta-analysis (MA) was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method. Trial heterogeneity was assessed using random- and fixed-effects models. Inter-examiner agreement during the database search and study selection process was checked using the kappa statistic.Results After duplicates were removed, 1,026 articles were assessed and screened by title and abstract. Of these, 21 articles underwent full-text evaluation, with ten articles meeting the eligibility criteria. Eligible studies included six RCTs and four PCTs. A total of 844 endodontically treated teeth (ETT) were restored with intra-radicular posts in 704 participants. Four hundred and fifty-three ETT were restored with FPs and 391 with MPs. The mean age of participants was 42.7 (33.95-55.45) years, with a mean follow-up period of 50.95 (12-154) months. Most studies reported failures during the follow-up period, but the MA revealed no significant difference between FPs and MPs in terms of failure rates (P = 0.39; RR: 0.82 mm; CI: 0.52-1.29). Sub-analysis showed no difference in failure rates between anterior and posterior regions and no difference when comparing FPs to cast post and core vs prefabricated MPs. Root fractures and post debondings were the most common modes of failure, but within these failures, no difference was observed between FPs and MPs.Conclusions No evidence was identified for a difference in failure rates between FPs and MPs. This was independent of the type of MP and position within the arch. Reporting of RCTs and PCTs was variable and further high-quality studies are needed.

Green Medicine: A Novel Preparation Method for Green Synthesizing of Iron Nanoparticles Derived from Beta Vulgaris Extract.

This study aimed to synthesize new iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using Beta Vulgaris (beet) extract as a reducing agent and test its bioactivity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In total, five grams of beet were ground and dissolved in 50 ml of distilled water and filtered with filter paper. The filtrate was then isolated. Different concentrations, including 25%, 50%, 100%, and 150% of the isolated filtrated substances were prepared from the stock solution. FeNPs were prepared from 0.5 moles of iron nitrate salt (Fe(NO3)3.9H2O which was mixed with the aqueous solution of beet extract. Moreover, two aqueous solutions were mixed thoroughly with continuous stirring at 60°C. The FeNPs were isolated, separated, identified, and characterized using different physicochemical techniques (i.e., X-Ray Diffraction, Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscope). Subsequently, the bioactivity of the NPs against P. aeruginosa was tested. The Vitek antibiotic test for P. aeruginosa showed resistant activity against Piperacillin/Tazobactam, Cefazolin, Ceftazidime, Cefepime, Imipenem, Cefepime, Ceftazidime, Cefazolin, and Piperacillin/Tazobactam; in addition, it revealed high sensitivity toward Tobramycin, Levofloxacin, Trimethoprim, Gentamicin, Nitrofurantoin, and Ciprofloxacin. The FeNPs at 50% concentration showed the best inhibition activity against P. aeruginosa. In the current study, novel FeNPs were synthesized which showed activity toward P. aeruginosa that could be used to replace certain antibiotics as a green medicine.

Habit, choice, and addiction.

Addiction was suggested to emerge from the progressive dominance of habits over goal-directed behaviors. However, it is generally assumed that habits do not persist in choice settings. Therefore, it is unclear how drug habits may persist in real-world scenarios where this factor predominates. Here, we discuss the poor translational validity of the habit construct, which impedes our ability to determine its role in addiction. New evidence of habitual behavior in a drug choice setting are then described and discussed. Interestingly, habitual preference did not promote drug choice but instead favored abstinence. Here, we propose several clues to reconcile these unexpected results with the habit theory of addiction, and we highlight the need in experimental research to face the complexity of drug addicts' decision-making environments by investigating drug habits in the context of choice and in the presence of cues. On a theoretical level, we need to consider more complex frameworks, taking into account continuous interactions between goal-directed and habitual systems, and alternative decision-making models more representative of real-world conditions.

Growth, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of broilers fed a low-energy diet supplemented with a multienzyme preparation.

The effect of a low-ME diet with a multienzyme (Kemzyme Plus, Kemin, Des Moines, IA) blend on performance, meat quality, and carcass traits was evaluated in Hubbard broiler chicks. A total of 120 Hubbard broiler chicks were allocated to the following 4 experimental groups and every group was separated into 6 replicates, with 5 birds per replicate: control (3,180 kcal/kg of ME), control + 0.50 g/kg diet of enzyme (Cont-Enz), low-ME diet (3,080 kcal/kg), and low-ME + 0.50 g/kg diet of enzyme (low-ME-Enz). The trail lasted for 16 D (32 to 48 D of age). No significant differences in growth parameters or carcass traits were observed among treatments. However, liver weight increased with the low-ME-Enz diet (P = 0.038). The low-ME diet recorded the highest weight for the bursa (P = 0.043) and thymus (P = 0.019). Dietary treatments had significant impacts on the length of duodenum, ileum, and cecum, as well as the weight of duodenum. The length of duodenum, ileum, and cecum increased with enzyme supplementation. The myofibril fragmentation index was lower with the Cont-Enz, low-ME, and low-ME-Enz diets than with the control diet (P = 0.043). The shear force increased with the low-ME-Enz diet (P = 0.022) than the control diet. Dietary treatments influenced breast meat yellowness (P = 0.019), whereas the low-ME diet had the lowest yellowness at the slaughtering age. The dietary treatments affected the breast meat pH (P = 0.001), with the control diet having the highest pH value after 24 hours. Thus, there was no effect of low-ME or enzyme supplementation to the control or low-ME diet on growth performance or carcass yield. However, feeding a low-ME diet or Cont-Enz preparation influenced organ and small intestine weights and meat characteristics.

Effects of stock, sex, and muscle type on carcass characteristics and meat quality attributes of parent broiler breeders and broiler chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of using breeder parents (434-days-old) and broiler chickens (37 D of age) from Ross 308 on meat quality parameters and carcass characteristics; sex and muscle type were also estimated. Carcass assessment involved hot carcass weight, carcass yield, and cuts (breast, legs, wings, back, and shoulder). A total of 120 birds were divided into 2 groups (60 birds from each stock), each stock contain equal number of sexes (30 males and 30 females), and further divided into 6 replicates, so that there were 5 birds in each replicate. The birds were fed ad libitum. A sample of 30 birds (male, n = 15 and female, n = 15) from each group was slaughtered for assessing carcass and physical characteristics. Sensory analysis was carried out on each group after boiling or roasting the bird. Live weight, carcass weight and yield, breast weight, legs, wings, and back weights and yield were higher (P < 0.001) for breeder parents when compared to broilers, with the exception of breast percentage. Moreover, better carcass characteristics were observed in males than in females. Parent stock had better water-holding capacity and myofibrillar fragmentation whereas broilers had more tender meat than breeders. Moreover, cooking loss and other sensory characters were not significant between the two groups; however, females had more tender pectoral muscles and more myofibrillar fragmentation than males. We concluded that parent breeders had better carcass characteristics than broiler chickens. The broiler chickens of Ross 308 and female birds had better meat quality than parent breeders.

Response of Biomass Development, Essential Oil, and Composition of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. to Irrigation Frequency and Harvest Time.

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effects of four irrigation intervals (4, 8, 12, and 16 days) and six harvests (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months after transplanting) on biomass, essential oil content, and composition of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. Fresh weight and essential oil yield decreased with increasing irrigation interval; whereas, essential oil content was stimulated by water stress and increased as the irrigation interval increased. Fresh weight of Plectranthus amboinicus irrigated every 4 days peaked when harvested at 6 months, but essential oil content peaked when irrigated every 16 days and harvested at 2 months after transplantation. On the other hand, essential oil yield peaked when irrigated every 8 days and harvested at 6 months. Thymol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, and ß-caryophyllene were the major compounds, and they peaked at different irrigation intervals and harvest times. This study showed biomass, essential oil content, and yield as well as the major and minor constituents of Plectranthus amboinicus are influenced by irrigation interval and the timing of harvest.

Effect of subchronic intake of green tea extract on liver of albino rat histomorphometric, ultrastructural and biochemical study.

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports on the effect of green tea extract (GTE) on the liver of animals. Some studies failed to show any adverse hepatic effects following administration of GTE to mice, rats, and dogs. Others reported severe hepatic necrosis, resulting in death in female Swiss-Webster mice following its administration. The aim of the study was to examine the subchronic toxicity of GTE on the liver of the adult male albino rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male adult Wistar albino rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into four groups; group I (control), group II (low-dose green tea), group III (medium-dose green tea) and group IV (high-dose green tea). Histological, biochemical and histomorphometric analyses were done. RESULTS: Mild hepatic affections were observed in group II. The affections were severe in groups III and IV. The central veins and hepatic sinusoids were congested. The hepatocytes were degenerated. Hypertrophy of the hepatic arteries, dilation of the bile ducts and cellular infiltration were clearly observed in the last two groups. Mild degenerative changes were observed in the hepatocytes in rat's group II; the cytoplasm was rarefied and vacuolated. Some mitochondria were ruptured. The blood sinusoids were congested. The rough endoplasmic retinaculum was fragmented in group III. More degenerative changes were observed in group IV; the hepatic architectures were lost with disruption of cell membranes. Most of the cell organelles were degenerated and most of mitochondria were ballooned. As compared to that of the control groups: the total serum protein values in groups II, III and IV showed a statistically significant decrease (12%, 20% and 21%, respectively), the mean area per cent of collagen fibres in groups III and IV increased 5 and 7 folds. CONCLUSIONS: Subchronic administration of GTE resulted in structural and functional affection of the rats' liver. The dose of 250 mg/kg/day seemed to be safe, while the doses of 500 mg/kg/day and 1000 mg/kg/day had deleterious effect being more evident in the latter dose.

Therapeutic efficacy of differentiated versus undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells in experimental type I diabetes in rat.

Selective MSCs differentiation protocol into pancreatic beta cells was conducted in the present study using exendin-4 and TGF-beta. Differentiated and undifferentiated MSCs were assessed in experimental type I diabetes in rats. Ninety female white albino rats were included in the study and divided equally (n=15/group) into 6 groups: healthy control, healthy control rats received acellular tissue culture medium, diabetic rats, diabetic rats received acellular tissue culture medium, diabetic rats received undifferentiated MSCs and diabetic rats received differentiated MSCs. Therapeutic efficacy of undifferentiated versus differentiated MSCs was evaluated via assessment of quantitative gene expressions of insulin1, insulin 2, Smad-2, Smad-3, PDX-1, PAX-4, neuroD. Blood glucose and insulin hormone levels were also assessed. Results showed that quantitative gene expressions of all studied genes showed significant decrease in diabetic rat groups. Use of undifferentiated and differentiated MSCs led to a significant elevation of expression levels of all genes with more superior effect with differentiated MSCs except smad-2 gene. As regards insulin hormone levels, use of either undifferentiated or differentiated MSCs led to a significant elevation of its levels with more therapeutic effect with differentiated MSCs. Blood glucose levels were significantly decreased with both undifferentiated and differentiated MSCs in comparison to diabetic groups but its levels were normalized 2 months after injection of differentiated MSCs. In conclusion, use of undifferentiated or differentiated MSCs exhibited significant therapeutic potentials in experimental type I diabetes in rats with more significant therapeutic effect with the use of differentiated MSCs.

Potentiality of uranium biosorption from nitric acid solutions using shrimp shells.

Biosorption has gained important credibility during recent years because of its good performance and low cost. This work is concerned with studying the potentiality of the chitin component of the shrimp shells for uranium biosorption from nitric acid liquid solutions. The structural characteristics of the working chitin have been determined via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface morphology was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The adsorption capacity of biomass was investigated experimentally. The influence of contact time, pH, metal ion concentration, solution volume to mass ratio and temperature were evaluated and the results were fitted using adsorption isotherm models. The kinetic of uranium biosorption was also investigated as well as biosorption thermodynamic.

Morphological and radiometrical study of the human intervertebral foramina of the cervical spine.

BACKGROUND: Degenerative changes of the cervical spine are an inevitable response to certain occupational status and aging processes. Compression of cervical nerve roots may result from disc degeneration, disc herniation or intervertebral foraminal stenosis. The precise and detailed anatomical knowledge of the intervertebral foramen of the cervical spine is essential for the diagnosis and management of cervical radiculopathy. The significance of the observations and findings of the present study was to elucidate the correlation between the morphology and disorders of the cervical intervertebral foramina in normal and pathological conditions especially at the level of C3-C4 to C6-C7 on both sides and in both sexes. Moreover, it will help greatly in the planning of both surgical and conservative strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, 5 formalin-fixed adult cadavers and radiological specimens of the cervical region of the vertebral column of 28 normal and 209 subjects suffering from cervical disorder from both sexes and different age groups. They subjected for morphological and radiometrical analysis. RESULTS: All measurements of the present study of the cervical disorders in females were found to be 6% less than in males in all age groups, which is statistically significant (p < 0.01) as compared with the control group (2%). The mean intervertebral foraminal areas in the control group of C5-C6 and C6-C7 are significantly greater than those of C3-C4 and C4-C5. CONCLUSIONS: The mean intervertebral foraminal area was greater in the lower cervical region than the upper in normal adult individuals. In pathological condition the affection of C3-C4 and C4-C5 intervertebral foramina was more due to narrower surface area. The pathology of cervical spine affecting the intervertebral foramina of female which complaint earlier than male due to narrower foramina.

The science of making drug-addicted animals.

Research involving animal models of drug addiction can be viewed as a sort of reverse psychiatry. Contrary to clinicians who seek to treat addicted people to become and remain abstinent, researchers seek to make drug-naïve animals addicted to a drug with known addictive properties in humans. The goals of this research are to better understand the neuroscience of drug addiction and, ultimately, to translate this knowledge into effective treatments for people with addiction. The present review will not cover the vast literature that has accumulated over the past 50 years on animal models of drug addiction. It is instead more modestly devoted to recent research spanning the past decade on drug self-administration-based models of addiction in the rat (the animal species most frequently used in the field), with a special focus on current efforts to model compulsive cocaine use as opposed to nonaddictive use. Surprisingly, it turns out that modeling compulsive cocaine use in rats is possible but more difficult than previously thought. In fact, it appears that resilience to cocaine addiction is the norm in rats. As in human cocaine users, only few individual rats would be vulnerable. This conclusion has several important implications for future research on the neuroscience of cocaine addiction and on preclinical medication development.

Study of methyl transferase (G9aMT) and methylated histone (H3-K9) expressions in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) and normal early pregnancy.

We investigated the expression of methyl transferase G9a and methylated histone H3-K9 in fresh human decidual/endometrial tissue of 12 normal early pregnancies and 15 unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions (URSA). The samples were obtained through dilatation and curettage and collected as per strict inclusion-exclusion criteria. The tissue was subjected to immunohistochemical analysis (IHC), western blotting (WB) and RT-PCR analysis. The results demonstrated methyl transferase G9a to have a lower expression in abortions when compared with that in normal pregnancy (P < 0.05). The sensitivity of RT-PCR, IHC and WB were respectively 66.67, 75 and 71.43%, while specificity of the same were 66.67, 60 and 78.92%, respectively. Methylated histone H3-K9 was significantly lower (P < 0.0001) in URSA tissues than in controls. This study suggests that methylation may cause URSA and indicates the need for further work to explore the role of methylation in URSA and its possible prevention through locally acting methylating/demethylating agents.

Extraction and phytochemical investigation of Calotropis procera: effect of plant extracts on the activity of diverse muscles.

CONTEXT: Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae) is a shrub or small tree that grows wild in Egypt. Calotropis acts as a purgative, anthelmintic, anticoagulant, palliative (in problems with respiration, blood pressure), antipyretic, and analgesic, and induces neuromuscular blocking activity. Little research has been done to study the electrophysiological effects of this plant's extracts on cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscle activities. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to determine the phytochemical composition and the effect of the total alcohol extract of the shoot of the plant, which contains almost all of C. procera's cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, and saponins. Also, this study attempted to throw more light on the electrophysiological effects of the plant extracts on cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscle activities and to clarify the mechanism(s) of their observed action(s). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aerial parts of the plant were air dried and their ethanol extracts partitioned with successive solvents. Cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscles were used in this study to investigate the physiological and pharmacological effects of the plant extracts from different solvents. The data were analyzed by paired t-test. RESULTS: The phytochemical investigation of Calotropis procera revealed the presence of cardenolides, flavonoids, and saponins. The effects of ethanol, n-butanol, and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts were each evaluated on isolated toad heart and their mechanisms of action determined. Perfusion with 2 µg/mL ethanol, 0.2 µg/mL butanol, and 0.2 µg/mL EtOAc extracts caused a significant decrease in heart rate (bradycardia), significant increase in the force of ventricular contraction, and increase in T-wave amplitude. In addition, the effects of different extracts of the studied plant on smooth muscle and skeletal muscle were investigated in this study. The different extracts and latex of C. procera induced a negative chronotropic effect and decreased the heart rate (HR) of isolated toad heart. The different extracts increased the power of contraction of the duodenum (trace a). Pretreatment with atropine sulfate as a muscarinic receptor blocker abolished the stimulatory effect of the different plant extracts and latex of C. procera (trace b). DISCUSSION: The present data suggest that ethanol, butanol, and EtOAc extracts of Calotropis procera have negative chronotropism and positive inotropism. Verapamil could abolish the inotropic effect of ethanol as well as that of butanol and EtOAc extracts. Meanwhile, atropine did not abolish the observed negative chronotropic effect. The ethanol extract increased the power of contraction of rabbit duodenum, but atropine abolished this effect. It also decreased the skeletal muscle contraction; this effect could be through blocking of the nicotinic receptors. Butanol and EtOAc extract data for smooth and skeletal muscles are very close to those for the corresponding ethanol extract of the studied plant. The present data for C. procera indicate its direct action on the myocardium, its increase of smooth muscle motility, and its relaxation of skeletal muscle contraction. The chemical constituents could directly affect the cell membrane probably through receptors coupling to G proteins. They regulate the ion channel physiology as in the myocardium. CONCLUSION: The present data on the extracts of C. procera indicate a direct action on the myocardium, stimulatory effect on smooth muscle motility, and relaxant action on skeletal muscle contraction. Chemical constituents could directly affect the cell membrane probably through receptors coupling to G proteins. They regulate the ion channel physiology as in the myocardium.