Effect of Polymeric Nanoparticles with Entrapped Fish Oil or Mupirocin on Skin Wound Healing Using a Porcine Model.

The utilization of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) with entrapped fish oil (FO) loaded in collagen-based scaffolds for cutaneous wound healing using a porcine model is unique for the present study. Full-depth cutaneous excisions (5 × 5 cm) on the pig dorsa were treated with pure collagen scaffold (control, C), empty PLGA NPs (NP), FO, mupirocin (MUP), PLGA NPs with entrapped FO (NP/FO) and PLGA NPs with entrapped MUP (NP/MUP). The following markers were evaluated on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 post-excision: collagen, hydroxyproline (HP), angiogenesis and expressions of the COX2, EGF, COL1A1, COL1A3, TGFB1, VEGFA, CCL5 and CCR5 genes. The hypothesis that NP/FO treatment is superior to FO alone and that it is comparable to NP/MUP was tested. NP/FO treatment increased HP in comparison with both FO alone and NP/MUP (day 14) but decreased (p < 0.05) angiogenesis in comparison with FO alone (day 3). NP/FO increased (p < 0.05) the expression of the CCR5 gene (day 3) and tended (p > 0.05) to increase the expressions of the EGF (day 7, day 14), TGFB1 (day 21) and CCL5 (day 7, day 21) genes as compared with NP/MUP. NP/FO can be suggested as a suitable alternative to NP/MUP in cutaneous wound treatment.

Fatty acid composition, oxidative stability, and sensory evaluation of the sausages produced from the meat of pigs fed a diet enriched with 8% of fish oil.

The objective of the present study was to increase by dietary means the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) n-3 content in selected meat products. Fatty acid (FA) composition, texture, sensory characteristics, and oxidative stability were determined in the Vienna sausages (V-sausages) and Bologna-type salami (B-salami) produced from the meat of six pigs fed a standard feed (control, C) and six pigs fed a standard feed enriched with 8% of fish oil (F), respectively. The saturated FA content in the unheated FV and FB products was decreased (p < 0.05) by 24% and 39%, PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio improved (p < 0.001) from 13.9 to 2.8 and from 13.5 to 2.6, respectively. LC-PUFA n-3 content in the VF and BF products was 360 and 214 mg/100 g, which corresponds to 80% and 48% of the recommended daily intake. Interestingly, dietary fish oil decreased (p < 0.01) instrumentally the measured core hardness of the V-sausages, but increased (p < 0.001) this texture characteristic in the B-salami. Malondialdehyde content in the VF and BF products increased (p < 0.05) on average by 23% and the flavor of the heated FV sausages scored lower (p < 0.05) in comparison with the C-counterparts.

Effect of High Dietary Level (8%) of Fish Oil on Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid n-3 Content in Pig Tissues and Plasma Biochemical Parameters.

There were two objectives of the present study using dietary fish oil (FO) in pigs: to use pigs as a model for studying the effects of high FO doses on selected physiological markers; and to evaluate the physical traits and nutritive value of pork enriched with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3. Two groups of six female pigs were fed for 30 days with either a standard feed mixture (control, C) or the same mixture supplemented with 8% FO (F). Physical characteristics of the muscle, fatty acid deposition in tissues and selected hematologic and plasma markers were tested. The daily weight gain of the F-pigs was lower in comparison with controls (p < 0.05). Dietary fish oil decreased Warner-Bratzler shear force of the longissimus muscle (p < 0.01). The eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid content was higher (p < 0.05) in all tested F-tissues. Dietary fish oil had no effect on plasma cholesterol (p < 0.05), but it increased plasma triacylglycerol levels by 260% (p < 0.05), and increased counts of leukocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils in the blood plasma (p < 0.05). In conclusion, high dietary FO improved the texture and nutritive value of meat, but negatively affected plasma biochemical parameters.

Intraindividual variability of homocysteine and related thiols concentrations in follicular fluid.

PURPOSE: To determine intraindividual variability in concentrations of homocysteine and related thiols in follicular fluids of particular follicles after ovarian stimulation and assess the differences between follicles with/or without oocytes. METHODS: HPLC-FD analysis of plasma and follicular fluid cysteine, homocysteine, cysteinylglycine and glutathione in women undergoing IVF. RESULTS: In blood plasma, the homocysteine, cysteine, and cysteinylglycine concentrations decreased significantly during stimulation with rec FSH (p<0.001). We found significant differences in concentrations of cysteine and glutathione between follicles with or without retrieved oocytes. High intraindividual variability in concentrations of thiols was determined. CONCLUSIONS: The concentration variability of thiols between single follicles is very high and we recommend mean at least from 3 follicles with/or without oocytes for characterization of each woman. It is the best to examine individual follicles for further research and analysis of fertility outcomes.

Effect of free radical scavengers on myocardial function and Na+, K+-ATPase activity in stunned rabbit myocardium.

OBJECTIVES: The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mechanism of myocardial stunning was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts were subjected to 15 min normothermic ischemia followed by 10 min reperfusion with Krebs-Henseleit solution+/-mannitol or histidine. RESULTS: In hearts reperfused without free radical scavenger the left ventricular developed pressure as well as its maximal positive and negative first derivatives (+dP/dt, -dP/dt) was significantly depressed, whereas end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) increased when compared to preischemic values. Treatment with mannitol had little protective effects, whereas singlet oxygen scavenger histidine significantly improved the recovery of LVEDP and -dP/dt. Sarcolemmal Na+, K+-ATPase activity (control, 400+/-41 nmol Pi.min-1.mg-1) was depressed in untreated stunned hearts (260+/-27 nmol Pi.min-1.mg-1), but was almost completely recovered in hearts pretreated with histidine (364+/-27 nmol Pi.min-1.mg-1). The inhibition of Na+, K+-ATPase was only slightly prevented by mannitol (302+/-29 nmol Pi.min-1.mg-1l). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that ROS-induced inhibition of Na+, K+-ATPase activity is involved in the mechanism of postischemic contractile dysfunction and support the view that singlet oxygen may be one of the major causes of oxidative injury during ischemia and reperfusion.

Effect of myocardial stunning on thiol status, myofibrillar ATPase and troponin I proteolysis.

To investigate the mechanism underlying postischemic contractile dysfunction (myocardial stunning) we examined myocardial sulflhydryl group content, myofibrillar Ca2+-dependent Mg2+-ATPase activity and protein profile after global ischemia and reperfusion. The Langerdorff-perfused rabbit hearts were subjected to 15 min normothermic ischemia followed by 10 min reperfusion and myofibrils were isolated from homogenates of left ventricular tissues. Depressed contractile function during reperfusion was accompanied by a decrease in total sulfhydryl group content. However, myofibrillar protein profile was unchanged and Western immunoblotting analysis showed no significant differences in troponin I immunoreactive bands between control and stunned hearts. Likewise, myofibrillar Mg2+-ATPase activity was unaltered after ischemia and reperfusion. We conclude that myocardial stunning is not caused by altered myofibrillar function and protein degradation but may be partly due to the oxidative modification of as yet undefined proteins.