Abstract. The present study demonstrates that Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the detection of virusinfected cells. Adenovirus infection of human embryonic kidney 293 cells was successfully detected at 12, 24, and 48 h after initiating the infection. The score plot of principal component analysis discriminated the spectra of the infected cells from those of the control cells. The viral infection was confirmed by the conventional immunostaining method performed 24 h after the infection. The newly developed method provides a fast and label-free means for the detection of virus-infected cells.

Esophageal cancer is a disease with high mortality. In order to improve the 5 year survival rate after cancer treatment, it is important to develop a method for early detection of the cancer and for therapy support. There is increasing evidence that Raman spectroscopy, in combination with chemometric analysis, is a powerful technique for discriminating pre-cancerous and cancerous biochemical changes. In the present study, we used Raman spectroscopy to examine early-stage (stages 0 and I) esophageal cancer samples ex vivo. Comparison between the Raman spectra of cancerous and normal samples using a t-test showed decreased concentrations of glycogen, collagen, and tryptophan in cancerous tissue. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis and self-organization maps (SOMs) discriminated the datasets of cancerous and normal samples into two groups, but there was a relatively large overlap between them. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based on Raman bands found in the t-test was able to predict the tissue types with 81.0% sensitivity and 94.0% specificity.

The effects of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) on 21-day-old C57Bl/6N mice and their Sertoli cell cultures were studied. Mice were given a single dose of 800 mg/kg MEHP by oral gavage and sacrificed 24 h later. At the same time, testes were harvested from another batch of mice for Sertoli cell cultures. Cultures were subsequently exposed to 0, 1, and 100 nmol/ml MEHP for 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. An antivimentin antibody was used to detect intermediate filament changes in Sertoli cells. Meanwhile, detection of preapoptotic signals and presence of apoptotic cells were done using annexin V-FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) and TUNEL (deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) analyses, respectively. In vivo results showed a correlation between the increase in TUNEL-positive cells and the vimentin disruption in treated mice. Toluidine blue staining of the Sertoli cell cultures showed the increased number and size of vacuoles in Sertoli cell cytoplasm. Vimentin immunohistochemistry showed gradual disappearance of vimentin in Sertoli cell cultures as time and dose increased. Some Sertoli cells were found to be annexin V-FITC positive, but no TUNEL-positive cells were found. Taken together, these results show that the appearance of vacuoles and the vimentin disappearance caused by MEHP in the Sertoli cells are related with each other and can be observed in relation to time. This can be used as an indicator of the loss of mechanical support for spermatogenic cells, which in the end causes apoptosis of spermatogenic cells.

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the capability of a miniaturized Raman endoscope (mRE) system to monitor the advancement of colorectal tumors in model mice as a method that is noninvasive to the tumor itself. Nevertheless, the endoscope is narrow enough to observe the inside of the mouse colon in such a way that is semi-noninvasive to the animal. However, the mRE system allowed the visualization and Raman spectral measurement of any targeted point within the colorectal tumor in model mice under anesthesia, without damaging the tissue (i.e., noninvasively). Continuous monitoring of the same tumor allowed the observation of alterations in its molecular composition and size, along with its advancement. The tumor lesion was discriminated from normal tissues of the control mouse with an accuracy of 86.8%. We succeeded in visualizing and performing Raman spectral observations on a shrinking polyp type tumor. The Raman analysis suggested that it was not cured but supposedly transformed to another tumor type.

Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and fat beneath the dermis layer were investigated using a ball lens top hollow optical fiber Raman probe (BHRP). Hamsters were fed with trilinolein (TL) and tricaprin (TC) for six weeks and measurements were carried out every two weeks. The BHRP with an 800 μm diameter fused-silica ball lens was able to obtain information on the subcutaneous fat in a totally non-invasive manner. Changes in the concentration of TL and TC during the treatment were analyzed, and the relationship between fat accumulation and dietary fat was studied. It was found that SAT had, in general, a higher degree of unsaturation than VAT. The accumulation rate of TC found in SAT and VAT was 0.52 ± 0.38 and 0.58 ± 0.4%, respectively, while the TL accumulation rate was 4.45 ± 1.6 and 4.37 ± 2.4%, respectively. The results suggest different metabolic pathways for TC, a typical medium-chain fatty acid, and TL, a long-chain unsaturated fatty acid. Raman subsurface spectra were successfully obtained and used to analyze the subcutaneous fat layer. The accumulation rates of TL and TC found in skin fat were 5.01 ± 3.53% and 0.45 ± 0.36%, respectively. The results demonstrate the high feasibility of Raman spectroscopy for non-invasive analysis of adipose tissue.

This study aims to determine the most effective concentration of extract that kills the larvae in the third instar Aedes aegypti, knowing the value of LC50 and LC90 anthen knowing the value of LT50 and LT90 of forest basil leaf extract (Ocimum sanctum). Research is using a completely randomized design with factorial, and the first factor is forest basil leaf extract with 5 level concentrations, there are 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9%, 1.2%, 1.5%, and 0% as control, whereas the second factor is observation period that began after the death of the larvae. Observations were made up to 4320 minutes. The results showed the influence of forest basil leaf extract against third instar larvae mortality of Aedes aegypti, and the most effective concentration of basil leaf extract to kill the larvae was 1.5%. LC50 values of this study was 0.97%, and for the LC90value was 1.42%. Value of LT50and LT90 of this study is 5,71 hours or 342,31 and 17,02 hours or 1021.22 minutes. The conclusion of this study is basil leaf extract forest affect mortality third instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, and the most effective concentration of extract was 1.5%.

Summary: Di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), a special plasticizer, is used as a substitute for di(n-butyl) phthalate(DBP). The effects of DiBP on testes in prepubertal rodents still remain to be obscure. Testicular toxicity of DiBP was investigated in 21-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6N mice, using with in situ TUNEL method. For an acute exposure experiment, animals were once given DiBP at various concentrations by oral gavage. For a subchronic exposure experiment, they were daily given DiBP at various concentrations for consecutive 7 days. Controls were treated with corn oil under the same condition. For a recovery experiment, rats were once given DiBP (1000 mg/kg), and were sacrificed at day 1 to 8 after administration. Furthermore, the disorder of vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells after daily administration of DiBP (500 mg/kg) for consecutive 7 days in rats also identified by immunohistochemistry using anti-vimentin antibody. As a result, the present study demonstrated that DiBP can induce testicular atrophy in rats due to the increase of TUNEL-positive spermatogenic cells in both acute and subchronic exposure experiments. At the same time, the disorder of vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells was recognized. However, no such damages could be found in mouse testis. For the recovery experiment, the testis weight and testicular morphology returned to normal at day 6 after administration. In conclusion, the present study indicates that DiBP causes the significant increase of TUNEL-positive spermatogenic cells and the disorder of vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells in rats and that DiBP shows a species-specific toxicity.

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