Proteomic analysis of two novel peptides from the Odontobuthus doriae scorpion venom.

The venom of the Odontobuthus doriae scorpion, prevalent in East Asia and Iran, has not been fully characterized. This study provides the first proteomic profile of O. doriae venom to explore its potential as a medical. 2D-PAGE analysis revealed 96 protein spots with isoelectric points from 3 to 9 and molecular weights between 6.6 to 205 kDa. Fourteen toxin fractions were isolated via HPLC, and SDS-PAGE showed seven protein bands ranging from 3.8 to 182 kDa. MALDI-TOF MS identified Peptide 1 and Peptide 2, resembling Hemoglobin beta-2 chain and Chaperonin HSP60 and suggest potential therapeutic applications for P1 and P2.

Determinants of household vulnerability to food insecurity during COVID-19 lockdown in a mid-term period in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify and rank the different aspects of households' vulnerability to food insecurity. DESIGN: The data were collected by a standard online questionnaire. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to assess food insecurity levels, and first-order structural equation modelling was applied to determine factors that affect food insecurity. Seven dimensions of vulnerability were measured: economic, social, cultural, human, physical, psychology and information, using thirty-seven items extracted from the related literature review. SETTING: This study was implemented in Tehran province in Iran. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 392 families residing in Tehran province which was determined using random sampling. RESULTS: About 61 % of the total sample faced food insecurity, at marginal, moderate and severe levels. Economic, psychological and human aspects of vulnerability had the highest effect on food insecurity during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: Authorities and policymakers must provide economic and financial support to vulnerable households. Abolition of US economic and financial sanctions imposed on Iran must be implemented to battle with COVID-19 in this country.

Yohimbine hydrochloride ameliorates collagen type-II-induced arthritis targeting oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in Wistar rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common type of chronic inflammatory disease which is triggered by dysfunction in the immune system which in turn affects synovial joints. Current treatment of RA with NSAIDs and DMRDs is limited by their side effect. As a result, the interest in alternative, well tolerated anti-inflammatory remedies has re-emerged. Our aim was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities underlying the anti-RA effect of Yohimbine hydrochloride (YCL) in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in Wistar rats. The YCL was administered at doses of 5 and 10 mg kg-1 body weight once daily for 28 days. The effects of treatment in the rats were assessed by biochemical parameter (articular elastase, LPO, GSH, catalase, SOD), hematological parameter (ESR, WBC, C-reactive protein (CRP), immunohistochemical expression (COX2, TNF-α, and NF-κB), and histological changes in joints. YCL showed anti-RA efficacy as it significantly reduced articular elastase, LPO and catalase level and ameliorates histological changes. This is in addition to its antioxidant efficacy as YCL shown a significant increase in GSH and SOD level. Also, YCL showed effective anti-inflammatory activity as it significantly decreased the expression of COX-2, TNF-α, and NF-ĸB. The therapeutic effect of YCL against RA was also evident from lower arthritis scoring and reduced hematological parameter (ESR, WBC, and C-reactive protein level). The abilities to inhibit proinflammatory cytokines and modulation of antioxidant states that the protective effect of YCL on arthritis rats might be mediated via the modulation of the immune system. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 619-629, 2017.

Accumulation of reactivity to MBP sensitizes TRAIL mediated oligodendrocyte apoptosis in adult sub cortical white matter in a model for human multiple sclerosis.

Reactivity to myelin associated proteins is the hallmark of human multiple sclerosis (M.S) and its experimental counterparts. However, the nature of such reactivity has not been described fully. Herein, we report that myelin basic protein (MBP) reactivity accumulates in a rat model for M.S. over a period of time and sensitizes TRAIL mediated progressive oligodendrocyte apoptosis. We used active immunization by Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein (MOG, 50 µg) to study chronic remitting relapsing encephalomyelitis in rats. A time point analysis of the progressive disease revealed cumulative accumulation of anti myelin basic protein antibodies during the disease progression with minimal change in the anti-MOG antibodies. Increased reactivity to MBP was studied to sensitize TNF related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and other proinflammatory cytokines in a cumulative fashion leading to the Caspase dependent apoptosis of oligodendrocytes and myelin loss. In a rescue experiment, we could limit the demyelination and prevent disease progression by neutralizing the effector, TRAIL in an early stage of the disease. This is the first study to identify the accumulation of MBP antibodies in MOG induced EAE which possibly leads to TRAIL sensitized oligodendrocyte apoptosis in the white mater of EAE rats. This finding stresses on the need to study MBP antibody titers in M.S. patients and therefore might serve as an alternate marker for progressive demyelination.

Palladium Nanoparticles and Lung Health: Assessing Morphology-Dependent Subacute Toxicity in Rats and Toxicity Modulation by Naringin - Paving the Way for Cleaner Vehicular Emissions.

The release of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) from autocatalytic converters has raised concerns regarding public health and the environment due to their emergence as anthropogenic contaminants. With growing vehicular population, there is an urgent need for comprehensive toxicological studies of PdNPs to mitigate their risk. The present study aims to investigate the effects of spherical PdNPs with average sizes of 20 and 80 nm, as well as Pd nanorods, on the lung function of female Wistar rats following oral exposure to environmentally relevant doses (1 and 10 µg/kg) over a period of 28 days. Various biological parameters were evaluated, including liver and kidney biochemical changes, lung oxidative stress markers (SOD, CAT, GSH, LPO), lung inflammatory markers (IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α), and histopathological alterations in the lungs. Additionally, the potential mitigating effects of naringin on PdNPs-induced toxicity were examined. The results demonstrate a significant increase in oxidative stress, the onset of inflammation, and histological changes in lung alveolar sacs upon exposure to all tested particles. Specifically, 20@PdNPs and PdNRs exhibited higher cytotoxicity and pro-inflammatory properties compared to 80@PdNPs. Naringin effectively attenuated the pulmonary toxicity induced by PdNPs by modulating oxidative and inflammatory pathways. These findings contribute to the sustainable development of PdNPs for their future applications in the biomedical and environmental sectors, ensuring the advancement of safe and sustainable nanotechnology.

Piperine ameliorates oxidative stress, inflammation and histological outcome in collagen induced arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Piperine, a main component of Piper species, is a plant alkaloid with a long history of medical use in a variety of inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Due to side effects in current treatment modalities of rheumatoid arthritis, the interest in alternative, well tolerated anti-inflammatory remedies has re-emerged. The aim of this work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic effects of piperine. METHODS: Arthritis was induced in male Wistar rats by collagen induced arthritis (CIA) method. Piperine was administered at a dose of 100mgkg(-1) and indomethacin at 1mgkg(-1) body weight once daily for 21days. The effects of treatment in the rats were assessed by biochemical (articular elastase, MPO, LPO, GSH, Catalase, SOD and NO), inflammatory mediators (IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-10 and PGE2) and histological studies in joints. RESULTS: Piperine was effective in bringing significant changes on all the parameters (articular elastase, MPO, LPO, GSH, Catalase, SOD and NO) studied. Oral administration of piperine resulted in significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1ß, TNF-α and PGE2) and increased level of IL-10. The protective effects of piperine against RA were also evident from the decrease in arthritis scoring and bone histology. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the fact that piperine alter a number of factors known to be involved in RA pathogenesis indicates that piperine can be used similar to indomethacin as a safe and effective therapy for CIA and may be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Hesperidin inhibits collagen-induced arthritis possibly through suppression of free radical load and reduction in neutrophil activation and infiltration.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the destruction of articular cartilage and bone in a chronic phase. Pathology of rheumatoid arthritis suggests autoimmunity linked to inflammation. In our study, rheumatoid arthritis was induced in Wistar rats by intradermal injections of 100 µl of emulsion containing bovine type II collagen in complete Freund's adjuvant at the base of the tail. Disease developed about 13 ± 1 days after immunization and treatment with hesperidin (HES) at a dose of 160 mg kg(-1) body weight was given after onset of disease daily until 20th day. The effect of treatment in the rats was monitored by clinical scoring, biochemical parameters and histological evaluations in joints. A steady increase in the articular elastase, nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation was observed in joints of arthritic rats as compared to control, whereas a significant decrease in reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase activity and catalase was observed in collagen-induced arthritis rats as compared to control group. The results from the present work indicate that the treatment with hesperidin was effective in bringing about significant changes on all the parameters studied in collagen-induced arthritis rats. These data confirm that erosive destruction of the joint cartilage in collagen-induced arthritis is due free radicals released by activated neutrophils and produced by other biochemical pathways. In the present study, an attempt has been made to amelioration of the disease process by a natural product. These results suggest that oral administration of HES could be effective for treating human RA patients.

Simulating Potential Associated Socio-Economic Determinants With Sustainable Food Security (A Macro-Micro Spatial Quantitative Model).

Improving sustainable food security status, nowadays, is an important challenge globally, especially in developing countries. The policy goal should be equity-everyone has the same opportunity to be food secure-rather than equality-everyone gets the same subsidy. Since the culture and socioeconomic status within a country vary from region to region, collapsing all areas into a unique region may introduce errors and inaccurate results, as most studies carried out. This study assesses the geographical pattern of association between food security and socioeconomic factors in urban areas in Iran using a nationally and regionally representative household consumption-expenditure survey from 2010 to 2018. The logistic regression model and big data are used to achieve this goal. The results show that a substantial number of households face food insecurity in urban areas in Iran. Also, different geographic regions have various salient factors that affect food insecurity. Aggregation tests confirmed that researchers should estimate separate models for different provinces, states, and districts to assess and monitor the food security status of a country instead of estimating a unique model for the whole of the country. Geographical disparities should be considered as an important issue before suggesting any catch-all policies for a country. The geo-locational factor of households is a key determinant of the association between socioeconomic factors and food security in urban areas in Iran. In sum, the practical suggestions for improving Iranian households' food security in urban areas are as follows: (1) Developing job opportunities for the head of household. (2) Enhancing the potential for self-employment. (3) Facilitating the study of children within households including providing inexpensive uniforms, books, and materials, especially for poor households. (4) Supporting young couples in terms of accessing to financial resources and providing inexpensive essential equipment of home for them; and (5) Introduction of the importance of dietary diversity and different foods which can be cooked by using these food ingredients within a household. Comparative case studies using similar methodologies can test if our results are generalizable.

Increased spontaneous apoptosis of rat primary neurospheres in vitro after experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Survival of neuronal progenitors (NPCs) is a critical determinant of the regenerative capacity of brain following cellular loss. Herein, we report for the first time, the increased spontaneous apoptosis of the first acute phase of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) derived neurospheres in vitro. Neuronal as well as oligodendroglial loss occurs during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This loss is replenished spontaneously by the concomitant increase in the NPC proliferation evidenced by the presence of thin myelin sheaths in the remodeled lesions. However, remyelination depends upon the survival of NPCs and their lineage specific differentiation. We observed significant increase (P < 0.001) in number of BrdU (+) cells in ependymal subventricular zone (SVZ) in EAE rats. EAE derived NPCs showed remarkable increase in S-phase population which was indeed due to the decrease in G-phase progeny suggesting activation of neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) from quiescence. However, EAE derived neurospheres showed limited survival in vitro which was mediated by the significantly (P < 0.01) depolarized mitochondria, elevated Caspase-3 (P < 0.001) and fragmentation of nuclear DNA evidenced by single cell gel electrophoresis. Our results suggest EAE induced spontaneous apoptosis of NPCs in vitro which may increase the possibility of early stage cell death in the negative regulation of the proliferative cell number and may explain the failure of regeneration in human multiple sclerosis.

Scorpion (Odontobuthus doriae) venom induces apoptosis and inhibits DNA synthesis in human neuroblastoma cells.

Scorpion and its organs have been used to cure epilepsy, rheumatism, and male impotency since medieval times. Scorpion venom which contains different compounds like enzyme and non-enzyme proteins, ions, free amino acids, and other organic inorganic substances have been reported to posses antiproliferative, cytotoxic, apoptogenic, and immunosuppressive properties. We for the first time report the apoptotic and antiproliferative effects of scorpion venom (Odontobuthus doriae) in human neuroblastoma cells. After exposure of cells to medium containing varying concentrations of venom (10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/ml), cell viability decreased to 90.75, 75.53, 55.52, 37.85, and 14.30%, respectively, after 24 h. Cells expressed morphological changes like swelling, inhibition of neurite outgrowth, irregular shape, aggregation, rupture of membrane, and release of cytosolic contents after treatment with venom. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level increased in 50 and 100 µg/ml as compared to control, but there was no significant increase in LDH level at a dose of 10 and 20 µg/ml. Two concentrations viz. 50 and 100 µ/ml were selected because of the profound effect of these concentrations on the cellular health and population. Treatment with these two concentrations induced reactive nitrogen intermediates and depolarization in mitochondria. While caspase-3 activity increased in a concentration-dependent manner, only 50 µg/ml was able to fragment DNA. It was interesting to note that at higher dose, i.e., 100 µg/ml, the cells were killed, supposedly by acute necrosis. DNA synthesis evidenced by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. The cells without treatment incorporated BrdU with high affinity confirming their cancerous nature whereas very less incorporation was noticed in treated cells. Our results show apoptotic and antiproliferative potential of scorpion venom (O. doriae) in human neuroblastoma cells. These properties make scorpion venom a valuable therapeutic agent in cancer research.

Scorpion (Androctonus crassicauda) venom limits growth of transformed cells (SH-SY5Y and MCF-7) by cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest.

The purpose of study was to examine the cytotoxic and anti-cancer properties along with addressing the plausible pathway followed by scorpion venom to reduce cell viability in SH-SY5Y and MCF-7 cells. Following exposure of cells with scorpion venom, cytotoxicity was estimated using MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Apoptotic effects were measured by assessment of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive nitrogen species, DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 activity whereas antiproliferative effect was assayed using BrdU incorporation. Our results indicate that scorpion venom causes suppression of proliferation by arresting S-phase and induction of apoptosis through increased nitric oxide production, caspase-3 activity and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane. Induction of apoptosis and arrest of DNA synthesis are critical determinant factors for development of anti cancer drugs. These properties may lead to isolation of effective molecule(s) with potential anticancer activity from scorpion venom of Androctonus crassicauda.

Spatial analysis of food security in Iran: associated factors and governmental support policies.

This study analyzes caloric intake in Iran as a proxy for food security to determine factors associated with caloric intake that could be impacted by policies. We modeled regional heterogeneity by analyzing a complete countrywide dataset disaggregated for rural intra-provincial areas using unique data from the Iranian Statistical Centre for 2007-2016. We applied logistic regression modeling and likelihood ratio tests to assess the association between socio-economic determinants and caloric intake among rural areas of all provinces. National policies (nation-wide food subsidies and a cash equivalent for food for each adult regardless of residence or income) had significant negative associations with caloric intake among all provinces. The detected spatial diversity suggests policies specific to each area could be more effective than a centralized national policy for food security. Rather than implementing one-size-fits-all policies, such as across-the-board cash food subsidies, the government should take a differential spatially targeted approach to directly support low-income households.

Hippocampal neurodegeneration in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE): potential role of inflammation activated myeloperoxidase.

Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a well-established animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). The effect of this inflammatory disease on hippocampus has not been addressed. Keeping in view the above consideration an attempt was made to delineate the effect of EAE on the hippocampus of Wistar rats. The assessment of the damage to the hippocampus was done 16 days post induction by the immunolocalization of ChAT (choline acetyl transferase). ChAT decreased remarkably after induction that revealed cholinergic neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus. Subsequently, many biochemical parameters were assessed to ascertain inflammatory activation of nitric oxide and associated oxidative damage as a putative mechanism of the cholinergic degeneration. Nitric oxide metabolites increased significantly (P < 0.05) with enhancement of MPO (Myeloperoxidase activity) (P < 0.001) in the MOG (myelin oligodendrocyte protein) group as compared to the controls. Peroxidation of biomembranes increased (P < 0.001), while reduced glutathione depleted (P < 0.001) with parallel decrease in catalase (P < 0.01) and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity (P < 0.001) in the MOG group. Our results show a strong role of peroxidase dependent oxidation of nitrite and oxidative stress in cholinergic degeneration in EAE.

Impact of Emotional Support, Informational Support, and Norms of Reciprocity on Trust Toward the Medical Aesthetic Community: The Moderating Effect of Core Self-Evaluations.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of medical aesthetic services has become popular in recent years. Many people have purchased medical aesthetic services and treatments in pursuit of self-beauty. When members of online medical aesthetic communities actively participate in discussions and encourage and support one another, there is an increase in community commitment, trust toward each other, and trust toward the community, ultimately promoting social sharing in an environment of positive feedback. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore via the theory of social support-grounded in a deeper social capabilities framework developed by Khan following the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's groundbreaking work-whether emotional support, informational support, and norms of reciprocity in online communities impact group members in terms of creating trust toward other members. This enhances trust toward the community and generates a sense of community commitment, ultimately impacting social buying intention and social sharing intention. METHODS: This study used IBM SPSS and AMOS to analyze data. Data were collected through online questionnaires in online medical aesthetic community forums, thereby producing samples that were both representative and accurate. To understand whether core self-evaluation (CSE) is a moderator in the relationship between social sharing intention and social buying intention, this study averaged the point of CSEs in the sample after statistical analysis, dividing the sample into 2 groups. RESULTS: The results showed that emotional support and norms of reciprocity positively impact trust toward members, and trust toward members positively impact trust toward the community. This generates trust transfer, which positively impacts social buying intention and social sharing intention. At the same time, CSE is a moderator variable between trust toward the community and social buying intention, but CSE is not a moderator variable between trust toward the community and social sharing intention. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that when members of online medical aesthetic communities actively participate in discussions and encourage and support one another, community commitment, trust toward each other, and trust toward the community increases, ultimately promoting social sharing and buying intentions.

Role of serial quantitative gallium-67 tumor uptake in assessing response rates for chemotherapy in lymphoma patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate in serial gallium-67 scans (GS) the role of semiquantitative tumor-to-background (Tm/Bg) and tumor-to-liver ratios in assessing response rates to chemotherapy, in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven consecutive patients (15 Hodgkin's disease and 12 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients) with an average age of 30 (range, 5-60) years underwent GS at prechemotherapy, early chemotherapy (after first cycle), and postchemotherapy. Average tumor, background, and liver region of interest counts obtained and Tm/Bg, tumor-to-liver, and liver region to background ratios were derived for each patient on serial GS. All patients were assessed by visual and quantitative GS and followed up clinically for more than 7 years. RESULTS: At early visual GS, 70% (19 of 27) of the patients showed rapid response, 15% (four of 27) showed delayed response (negative at post-GS), and 15% showed no response. Mean early-GS Tm/Bg ratio of disease-free patients (1+/-0.04) was significantly different from relapsed (1.4+/-0.2) (P<0.025) and progressive disease (1.8+/-0.7) patients. A significant difference was noted (P<0.01) in serial paired comparisons of Tm/Bg ratios between pretherapy and early-therapy scans in relapsed patients, whereas progressive disease patients showed no significant change during the same time. At early-GS, 15 patients showed quantitative rapid response (Tm/Bg ratio 1.04), nine patients showed quantitative delayed response (Tm/Bg ratio >1.04 with significant serial change between pretherapy and early-therapy GS), and three patients showed quantitative no response (Tm/Bg ratio >1.04 with nonsignificant serial change between pretherapy and posttherapy GS). CONCLUSION: Quantitative GS is an effective tool in the detection of early response to chemotherapy. Quantitative response rates after the first cycle can more reliably identify patients who are most likely to be disease-free or relapse after first-line therapy or those that will show no response to therapy as compared with visual analysis alone.

Amelioration of oxidative stress in the joint tissue may be the basis for the antiarthritic activity of Terminalia arjuna bark extract.

AIM: In this study we have evaluated the antioxidant and antiarthritic activity of Terminalia arjuna bark extract (TABE) in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. METHODS: Arthritis was induced in rats by intradermal injection of the collagen-complete Freund's adjuvant emulsion. Right hind paw thickness was measured as a primary marker for severity of arthritis. Biochemical parameters such as tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), nitrites and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured to determine the effect of treatment on antioxidant defenses. Articular elastase (ELA) level in the arthritic tissue was measured as a marker for neutrophil infiltration. RESULT: Terminalia arjuna bark extract administration significantly inhibited the increase in paw thickness induced by immunization with collagen as compared to CIA-control animals. Further, it attenuated the fall in tissue SOD and GSH levels and mitigated the increase in tissue nitrites and TBARS levels as compared to CIA-control animals. Tissue ELA levels, which were significantly increased in the CIA-control animals as compared to normal animals were also significantly reduced by TABE administration. CONCLUSION: Results of our study demonstrate the antioxidant and antiarthritic activity of TABE in CIA in rats. We believe that TABE could find clinical application in the management of rheumatoid arthritis and associated disorders.

Radioprotective and antioxidant activity of fractionated extracts of berries of Hippophae rhamnoides.

Plants are an abundant source of medicinal compounds, some of which are useful in combating free radical-mediated oxidative stress. In the present study, initially two fractions designated REC-1001 (flavonoid-rich fraction) and REC-1002 (flavonoid-poor fraction) of Hippophae rhamnoides were screened on the basis of their reducing power in the aqueous phase. REC-1001 was selected for further study, since it exhibited 27.38 times higher antioxidant activity than REC-1002. REC-1001 also showed significant (P < .05) membrane protection potential at 50 microg/mL, which was attributed to its ability to scavenge peroxyl radicals (64.82 +/- 1.25% scavenging within 1,440 min). A significant (P < .05) difference of 67.02% in free radical scavenging activity at 1,000 ng/mL between REC-1001 and vitamin E demonstrated the extract fraction's worth in radiation protection. Such activities were attributed to the presence of quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol in this fraction. Further, REC-1001 was found to be nontoxic up to 200 mg/kg of body weight. This research suggests that the REC-1001 fraction of H. rhamnoides extract is a safe and effective antioxidant nutraceutical product.

The value of quantitative uptake of (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO white blood cells in detecting osteomyelitis in violated peripheral bones.

UNLABELLED: Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether measurement of quantitative uptake of (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphate (MDP) and (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) white blood cells (WBCs) is useful in detecting osteomyelitis in peripheral bony lesions. METHODS: Twenty-four patients (12 men and 12 women; age range, 25-72 y) were referred for imaging because of clinically suspected osteomyelitis. They had a traumatic fracture (n = 10), knee prosthesis (n = 5), hip prosthesis (n = 2), diabetic foot (n = 4), or chronic osteomyelitis (n = 3). Three-phase bone scanning and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC studies were performed on all patients within the same week. Regions of interest were drawn over the abnormal bony sites and the contralateral normal sites, and the abnormal-to-normal uptake ratios (A/N ratios) were obtained for both studies. RESULTS: All patients had abnormal findings on 3-phase bone scanning, whereas 17 (71%) had abnormal findings on (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC studies, of which 15 were confirmed to be true-positive. In those 15 patients, the mean A/N ratios for (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC were 3.0 +/- 1.6 (range, 1.3-6.2) and 1.8 +/- 0.3 (range, 1.4-2.2), respectively. In the other 9 patients, whose scan results were clinically confirmed to be true-negative, the mean A/N ratios for (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC were 2.1 +/- 1.2 and 1.2 +/- 0.2, respectively. In the group with a (99m)Tc-MDP A/N ratio greater than 2 (n = 15), 87% (13/15) had a high (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC A/N ratio (>1.5), including 2 that were false-positive. In the remaining 2 patients, one with chronic osteomyelitis and the other with a recent hip prosthesis, (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC ratios were normal. In the group with a bone A/N ratio of less than 2 (n = 9), only 4 patients (44%) were true-positive for acute osteomyelitis. CONCLUSION: (99m)Tc-MDP bone scanning alone, with an A/N ratio of more than 2, is useful in detecting osteomyelitis in violated bone except in the case of a recent hip prosthesis or chronic osteomyelitis.

3-O-beta-D-Galactopyranoside of quercetin as an active principle from high altitude Podophyllum hexandrum and evaluation of its radioprotective properties.

The aqueous-ethanolic extract (AEE) of high altitude Podophyllum hexandrum has earlier been reported to render a radioprotective effect against lethal gamma radiation in in vitro model. AEE has also been reported to possess metal chelating and DNA protecting properties. The present study was undertaken to isolate and characterize the bioactive principle present in AEE and investigate its role in radiation protection. A novel molecule was found to be present in AEE and was assigned as 3-O-beta-D-galactoside of quercetin by acid hydrolysis, LC-MS, LC-APCI-MS/MS and 13C NMR spectra. Various biological activities were investigated at in vitro level. The antioxidant potential of AEE in lipid and aqueous phase was determined against numerous stresses. AEE was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) protective, i.e., against Fe2+ and Cu2+-induced linoleic acid degradation, respectively. Radiation-induced lipid oxidation studies revealed that AEE maximally works at a [lignan]/0.25 kGy ratio 400 (ratio of concentration of AEE divided by the radiation dose, i.e., 0.25 kGy) and no drug-induced lipid oxidation at all concentrations tested was found. In a time-dependent study, total antioxidant activity was maximally exhibited at 1 mg/ml. The site-specific and non-site-specific deoxyribose degradation assay exhibited a dose-dependant hydroxyl scavenging potential of AEE (0.05-500 microg/ml). The anti-lipid peroxidation ability of AEE against radiation (0.25 kGy)-induced lipid peroxidation was higher in case of neural tissue homogenate as compared to kidney homogenate [activity ratio: 0.039 (brain) < 0.24 (kidney)]. The protein protection study using bovine serum albumin was also done for two time intervals (2 h and 4 h) and significant (p < 0.05) protection was observed at 500 microg/ml (> 97%). This study implies that 3-O-beta-D-galactoside present in AEE renders radioprotection by protecting lipids, proteins in renal and neural model system against supra-lethal (0.25 kGy) gamma radiation.