Effect of gamma radiation on storability and functional properties of sorghum grains (Sorghum bicolor L.).

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation at dose levels of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 kGy on fungal growth, free fatty acids, in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), protein solubility, and functional properties of sorghum grains. Results indicated that radiation process enhanced the storability properties. It eliminates the fungal incidence particularly at the higher doses 4.0 and 5.0 kGy, and significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the content of the free fatty acids to the level 3.4-3.2 mg/g. Moreover, a significant increase in IVPD and soluble protein was noticed in irradiated grains as compared to non-irradiated sample and this increased with the increase in dose; however, maximum IVPD (17.6%) and protein solubility (11.7%) were observed in sorghum grains irradiated at 2.0 kGy. On the other hand, a significant reduction in emulsion capacity was observed after radiation of grains, however, the emulsion activity and stability were stable up to 1.0 kGy. The foaming properties of the radiated sample show no significant change particular at low doses up to 2.0 kGy when they are compared to untreated samples. It can be concluded that low doses of gamma irradiation might improve the storability and quality characteristics of sorghum grains and can be used as an effective alternative postharvest method for preserving and extending the shelf life of sorghum and its products.

Insights into the role of IL-12B and IFN-gamma cytokine gene polymorphisms in HIV-1/AIDS infection.

One of the main characteristics of HIV-1 infection is persistent systemic immune activation. This immune activation and dysregulation is characterized by a specific pattern of cytokine production, expression of membrane activation molecules on the cells of the immune system, and changes in the levels of several immune parameters in blood. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of a Taq1 polymorphism in the 3'UTR of the IL-12B gene at position -1188 (A/C) and the biallelic polymorphism in the first intron of IFN-gamma at position +874 (T/A) on HIV-1/AIDS among north Indian population. IL-12B and IFN-gamma gene polymorphisms were studied in 300 patients with HIV-1/AIDS and an equal number of negatively diagnosed controls of the matched age, using DNA-based polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers and restriction digestion. The allelic as well as genotypic frequencies of interleukin-12B gene polymorphisms did not significantly differ between HIV-1/AIDS patients and negative healthy controls. A statistically significant correlation was found between IFN-gamma polymorphism and the risk of the disease. The present study suggested that individuals with mutant homozygous IFN-gamma AA genotype were at risk of HIV-1/AIDS (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.14-3.10, P = 0.008).

Antibodies to neuroblastoma cells in rheumatoid arthritis: a potential marker for neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of antibodies to neuroblastoma cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated by peripheral neuropathy (PN), and to determine whether there is any relationship of these antibodies with the severity of neuropathy. METHODS: The study was carried out on 28 patients with RA complicated by PN, 29 RA patients without PN and 28 healthy volunteers (HV). A cell-based ELISA method was used to test sera for the presence of IgG and IgM anti-neuroblastoma cell antibodies. Localisation and characterisation of neuroblastoma antigens recognised by patients' sera was carried out by immunofluorescent microscopy and Western blotting. RESULTS: Elevated levels of IgG anti-neuroblastoma cell antibodies were found in 10 (36%) neuropathic patients and in 1 (3%) RA control (chi 2 = 9.53, P = 0.002), while significant levels of IgM anti-neuroblastoma cell antibodies were demonstrated in 10 (36%) neuropathic patients and in 2 (7%) RA controls (chi 2 = 7.12, P = 0.008). Overall, the levels of antibodies in healthy volunteers were significantly lower than in RA controls and patients with PN. No significant relationship was found between the level of anti-neuroblastoma cell antibodies and severity of RA or neuropathy. Immunofluorescence staining of neuroblastoma cells with sera from 18 neuropathic patients demonstrated cytoplasmic and/or nuclear patterns. Western blotting demonstrated reactivity with a heterogeneous group of neuroblastoma antigens. Little or no reactivity was seen with RA control or HV sera. CONCLUSION: Antibodies against neuroblastoma cells are more prevalent in RA patients with peripheral neuropathy than in RA patients without peripheral nerve involvement. Such antibodies may be useful diagnostic markers for peripheral neuropathy in RA.

Soluble adhesion molecules and anti-endothelial cell antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis complicated by peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether levels of soluble adhesion molecules and anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) were elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated by peripheral neuropathy compared to controls with no neurological complications. METHODS: Levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), sE-selectin, and AECA were determined by ELISA in 33 patients with RA neuropathy, 23 patients with vasculitis who had no neurological complications, 29 patients with RA without neuropathy, and 25 healthy volunteer controls. RESULTS: The patients with neuropathy had significantly higher levels of serum sVCAM-1 (mean 1119+/-368 ng/ml) than patients without neuropathy (mean 869+/-214 ng/ml) and healthy controls (mean 578+/-204 ng/ml). Serum levels of sE-selectin were higher among neuropathic patients with RA (mean 73+/-34 ng/ml) than RA controls (mean 45+/-27 ng/ml) and healthy controls(mean 32+/-10 ng/ml). There was no significant difference in serum levels of sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, and AECA between patients with RA with neuropathy and patients with vasculitis uncomplicated by neurological disease. Abnormal levels of sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, or AECA were found in sera from 28 (85%) patients with RA neuropathy, 15 (65%) patients with vasculitis, 9 (31%) RA controls, and 2(8%) healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, and AECA are higher in patients with RA neuropathy than in patients with RA uncomplicated by neurological disease. These data suggest that development of peripheral neuropathy in RA is associated with increased endothelial cell activation.

Prevalence of antibodies to neurofilament polypeptides in patients with rheumatoid arthritis complicated by peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: Neurofilaments are essential components of the axon cytoskeleton. Neurofilament defects are suspected in several neurodegenerative conditions, and antibodies to neurofilaments have been found in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Our main objectives were: (i) to determine the prevalence of anti-neurofilaments antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated by peripheral neuropathy; and (ii) to relate the clinical features of RA and peripheral neuropathy to anti-neurofilament antibodies. METHODS: In this study we used an ELISA technique to measure IgG antibody levels against three neurofilament polypeptides (NF-L, 70 kD; NF-M, 150 kD; and NF-H, 200 kD) in RA patients with peripheral neuropathy, and compared them with the antibody levels in uncomplicated RA controls and healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Abnormal antibody levels to one or more of the neurofilament polypeptides were found in 9 (32%) of the peripheral neuropathy patients, but only in 3 (9%) of the RA and healthy controls. There were significant correlations between the levels of antibodies against the different neurofilaments; the cross-reactivity of some sera with different neurofilament proteins was also observed. There was no significant correlation between the levels of anti-neurofilament antibodies and measures of RA disease activity. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that a significant proportion of our RA patients with neuropathy had abnormal antibody levels to one or more neurofilaments and that the measurement of these antibodies may provide a useful diagnostic test.

Anti-ganglioside antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis complicated by peripheral neuropathy.

Gangliosides are a diverse class of glycolipids found in the plasma membrane of mammalian cells and are particularly abundant in cells of the nervous system. Serum antibodies to gangliosides have been detected in various neurological disorders with some evidence that they play a pathogenic role. In this study, we have investigated whether anti-ganglioside antibodies were elevated in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who developed peripheral neuropathy (PN). An ELISA technique was used to test sera from 28 patients with RA and PN. 38 RA patients without PN and 20 normal controls for the presence of IgG and IgM anti-GM1 and sulphatide antibodies. The patients with RA and PN had higher pain scores (P < 0.005), more extra-articular features (P < 0.05), higher erosive scores (P < 0.0001), lower haemoglobin (P < 0.005), higher ESR (P < 0.001) and were more often on disease-modifying drugs (P < 0.05). Twelve RA patients with PN (43%), but only two RA controls (5%), had positive titres against one or more gangliosides (P < 0.001). The neurologic disability score (NDS) correlated with RA duration (P < 0.05), and with levels of IgM anti-GM1 (P < 0.001) and IgM anti-sulphatide (P < 0.05) antibodies. We conclude that PN is more common in patients with severe rheumatoid disease, and a significant proportion have elevated levels of anti-ganglioside antibodies.

A clinical, serological and neurophysiological study of restless legs syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis.

The restless legs syndrome (RLS), defined by Gibb and Lees criteria, was investigated in patients with RA. RLS symptoms were more frequent in RA patients (25%) than in non-RA controls with OA or seronegative arthropathy (4%). RLS was significantly more common in females. Judged by a variety of clinical and laboratory indices, RA disease severity and current disease activity were greater in patients with RLS than in RA patients unaffected by RLS. In five out of 14 RLS patients undergoing neurophysiological study, delays in the P40 component of posterior tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were observed suggesting the existence of myelopathy, whilst in another four RLS patients evidence of peripheral neuropathy was found. Though the higher frequency of neurophysiological abnormalities in RA patients with RLS was not statistically significant, possibly because of the small numbers of patients studied, these data suggest that RLS symptoms in RA may reflect the presence of neurological disorder.

The effect of postexsanguination infusion of beef on composition, tenderness, and functional properties.

Ninety culled dairy cows were used in this study and were paired by weight and conformation similarity. Forty-five cows were arterially infused immediately after bleeding with 10% volume by weight of a solution composed of dextrose (.23%), glycerin (.21%), a phosphate blend (.14%) and maltose (.1%). The remaining cows (45) served as controls. In infused carcasses, some quantity of solution retained was in the following order: supraspinatus, chuck greater than longissimus, loin greater than semitendinosus, round muscles. Accordingly, percentage of protein, ether-extractable fat, and protein fat-free amounts were lowered (P less than .05) and percentage of moisture and moisture protein ratio were raised (P less than .05) in the supraspinatus muscle. Tenderness (P less than .01) and protein extractability (P less than .15) were improved. No difference was observed in water-holding capacity between infused and control carcasses. Percentages of moisture fat-free (r = .85) and protein fat-free (r = -.97) were highly correlated to moisture-protein ratio. Moisture percentage of the fat-free tissue was shown to be a more consistent indicator of added moisture in infused whole carcasses compared with moisture:protein ratio and percentage of protein fat-free. Very low correlations were observed between tenderness, percentage of moisture, percentage of water-holding capacity, and ether-extractable fat. The economics of the infusion process to the beef industry is discussed.

Efficacy of aqueous and butanolic fractions of Albizzia anthelmintica against experimental Hymenolepis diminuta infestation in rats.

The oral administration of the aqueous fraction of Albizzia anthelmintica bark extract in a concentration range of 50-150 g/kg body weight was safe and infestation with Hymenolepis diminuta was completely eliminated. The butanolic fraction of A anthelmintica bark extract given by stomach tube in concentrations ranging from 25-150 g/kg was highly toxic to rats and was inactive against H diminuta.

Activity of water extracts of Albizzia anthelmintica and A. lebbek barks against experimental Hymenolepis diminuta infection in rats.

The aqueous extract of Albizzia anthelmintica bark at 10-150 g/kg orally showed no toxicity and high anthelmintic activity (68-100%) against experimental Hymenolepis diminuta infection in albino rats. The water extract from A. lebbek bark at 10-100 g/kg orally was less effective against the cestode and was toxic to rats at the highest dose tested (150 g/kg).

Modified extraction 2-thiobarbituric acid method for measuring lipid oxidation in poultry.

A simple and accurate objective test for monitoring lipid oxidation in poultry products is needed. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of cooked poultry meat were determined by a distillation method and by a modified extraction method. Perchloric acid was used in the extraction method to release TBA reactive substances from the meat. The maximum absorption wavelength of the TBA-malonaldehyde complex was 531 nm. The TBA values for cooked chicken and turkey were highly correlated (r = .91) for both the extraction and distillation methods. Sensory scores of warmed-over flavor in precooked poultry were highly correlated with TBA values in both the distillation (r = .83) and extraction (r = .85) methods. Results indicate that the extraction method is faster, easier to perform, and as accurate as the distillation method for monitoring lipid oxidation in poultry.

Sodium-losing nephropathy.

We studied prospectively 18 patients with sodium-losing nephropathy. In 12 patients (66.7 per cent) the sodium-losing nephropathy was owing to obstructions, challenging the hitherto existing concept that the most common cause of the condition is pyelonephritis. The diagnosis of sodium-losing nephropathy is important in urological practice since sodium repletion in these cases shortens significantly the hospitalization and preoperative waiting time.