The antihyperglycaemic effect of kolaviron (KV), a biflavonoid from Garcinia kola has been established in previous studies. In this study, we investigated the effect of KV (200 mg kg(-1) ) on the antioxidant, hormonal and spermatogenic indices of alloxan-diabetic male rats, and metformin hydrochloride (MET) (30 mg kg(-1) ) served as standard drug. The results showed that KV and MET significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the fasting blood glucose of the diabetic rats. Also, untreated and MET-treated diabetic groups had significantly (P < 0.05) lower body-weight gain and relative weights of testes. In addition, epididymal sperm abnormalities were increased, whereas sperm count, motility, testicular protein and sialic acid were decreased in untreated diabetic group. Also, antioxidant parameters, reduced glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in the testes with a concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation in untreated diabetic group. Furthermore, untreated diabetic group had significantly (P < 0.05) lower levels of testosterone, luteinising and follicle-stimulating hormones relative to controls. Treatment with KV restored the relative weights of testes, activities of antioxidant enzymes, sperm and hormonal indices of the diabetic animals. This study demonstrated the role of KV to promote fertility in diabetic male rats by enhancing the hormonal and antioxidant status of the rats.

Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, particularly young adults, can die from arrhythmia, but the mechanism underlying abnormal rhythm formation remains unknown. C57Bl6 × CBA/Ca mice carrying a cardiac actin ( ACTC) E99K (Glu99Lys) mutation reproduce many aspects of human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, including increased myofilament Ca sensitivity and sudden death in a proportion (up to 40%) of young (28-40 day old) animals. We studied the hearts of transgenic (TG; ACTC E99K) mice and their non-TG (NTG) littermates when they were in their vulnerable period (28-40 days old) and when they were adult (8-12 wk old). Ventricular myocytes were isolated from the hearts of TG and NTG mice at these two time points. We also examined the hearts of mice that died suddenly (SCD). SCD animals had approximately four times more collagen compared with age-matched NTG mice, yet myocyte cell size was normal. Young TG mice had double the collagen content of NTG mice. Contraction and Ca transients were greater in cells from young TG mice compared with their NTG littermates but not in cells from adult mice (TG or NTG). Cells from young TG mice had a greater propensity for Ca waves than NTG littermates, and, despite similar sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca content, a proportion of these cells had larger Ca spark mass. We found that the probability of SCD in young TG mice was increased when the mutation was expressed in animals with a CBA/Ca background and almost eliminated in mice bred on a C57Bl6 background. The latter TG mice had normal cellular Ca homeostasis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mice with the actin Glu99Lys hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation ( ACTC E99K) are prone to sudden cardiac death around 40 days, associated with increased Ca transients, spark mass, and fibrosis. However, adult survivors have normal Ca transients and spark density accompanied by hypertrophy. Penetrance of the sudden cardiac death phenotype depends on the genetic background of the mouse. Listen to this article's corresponding podcast at http://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/calcium-regulation-in-e99k-mouse-heart/ .

KV protects against ISO-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo, suggesting its usefulness as a possible chemoprophylactic agent against cardiotoxic drugs.

The management of MSW is a major concern in several cities of developing countries due to its public health and environmental sustainability implications. This paper thus presents an overview of the current solid waste management practices and problems in some selected states in Nigeria. In addition to the comprehensive review of MSW generation, its characterization, collection, and treatment options in the considered states, an attempt was made to evaluate the major waste–to–energy indicators such as calorific values and energy (electricity) recovery potential. The legislations in place at the federal level to maintain healthy environment is also lucidly presented. An estimated electricity recovery potential in the range of 48.31 to 933.69 MW with a total of about 2600MW from six states was established. Evidences from literature suggested that the existing solid waste management system is inefficient due to uncoordinated and properly planned waste management system. This paper concludes that the thermochemical conversion of waste-to-energy into electricity is a feasible option in Nigeria, although this might require the input of additional quantity of fuel to initiate combustion since the lower heating values of the considered MSW fall below the optimum stipulated by World bank.

Background: Dissimilar ventricular rhythms refer to the occurrence of different ventricular tachyarrhythmias in the right and left ventricles or different rates of the same tachyarrhythmia in the two ventricles. Objective: We investigated the inducibility of dissimilar ventricular rhythms, their underlying mechanisms, and the impact of anti-arrhythmic drugs (lidocaine and amiodarone) on their occurrence. Methods: Ventricular tachyarrhythmias were induced with burst pacing in 28 Langendorff-perfused Sprague Dawley rat hearts (14 control, 8 lidocaine, 6 amiodarone) and bipolar electrograms recorded from the right and left ventricles. Fourteen (6 control, 4 lidocaine, 4 amiodarone) further hearts underwent optical mapping of transmembrane voltage to study interventricular electrophysiological differences and mechanisms of dissimilar rhythms. Results: In control hearts, dissimilar ventricular rhythms developed in 8/14 hearts (57%). In lidocaine treated hearts, there was a lower cycle length threshold for developing dissimilar rhythms, with 8/8 (100%) hearts developing dissimilar rhythms in comparison to 0/6 in the amiodarone group. Dissimilar ventricular tachycardia (VT) rates occurred at longer cycle lengths with lidocaine vs. control (57.1 ± 7.9 vs. 36.6 ± 8.4 ms, p < 0.001). The ratio of LV:RV VT rate was greater in the lidocaine group than control (1.91 ± 0.30 vs. 1.76 ± 0.36, p < 0.001). The gradient of the action potential duration (APD) restitution curve was shallower in the RV compared with LV (Control - LV: 0.12 ± 0.03 vs RV: 0.002 ± 0.03, p = 0.015), leading to LV-to-RV conduction block during VT. Conclusion: Interventricular differences in APD restitution properties likely contribute to the occurrence of dissimilar rhythms. Sodium channel blockade with lidocaine increases the likelihood of dissimilar ventricular rhythms.

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The Ca2+-pumping ATPase of erythrocyte plasma membranes of hypertensive humans (HTN) show, in the absence of calmodulin, a low Vmax comparable to that of the enzyme of the erythrocyte membranes of normotensive humans (NTN). Although the addition of calmodulin (1.5 μgper ml) increased the maximum activity of the calcium pump of membranes of HTN and NTN individuals by at least 2-fold and 4-fold, respectively, the activator protein partially purifed from the erythrocytes of HTN individuals enhanced the activity of the enzyme in a fashion similar to that of the protein obtained from the haemolysate of NTN individuals. A determination of the dependence of the activity of the pump on concentration of ATP revealed that the Km (ATP) of the enzyme of membranes of HTN individuals is 52% higher than that of the enzyme of membranes of NTN individuals, while the Vmax (1.75 ± 0.28 μmol ATP mg protein-1 h-1) of the pump is 46% lower in the membranes of HTN humans than that of the enzyme of membranes of normal individuals (3.25 ± 0.42 μmol ATP mg protein-1 h-1). It seems likely from these results that elevated erythrocyte Ca2+ concentration associated with essential hypertension may be due to a defective interaction between the Ca2+-pumping ATPase and the calmodulin Ca2+ complex,

Molecular markers-based selection is a novel tool for unbundling complexities associated with the selection of animals for breeding improvement programmes because these markers could contribute to full exploitation of animal potential prior to enrollment for improvement programmes. This study examined in-silico polymerase chain reaction amplification of some selected Male Specific region Y (MSY) genes in genome assemblies including Bos_taurus_UMD_3.1.1/bosTau8 and ARS-UCD1.2/bosTau9;BaylorBtau_4.6.1/bosTau7, Bos_taurus_UMD_3.1/bosTau6, and Baylor4.0/bosTau4. The results of the amplification showed that 12 out of the selected 30 genes were expressed at an average primer melting temperature of 61.78 oC; while salt and annealing oligo concentrations were 50 mM and 50 nM per reaction, respectively. Out of expressed genes; 6, 5 and 1 genes were expressed in genome assemblies Bos_taurus_UMD_3.1.1/bosTau8, ARS-UCD1.2/bosTau9, and BaylorBtau_4.6. 1/bosTau7, respectively. The study concluded that the expressed genes are potential markers for selection of fertile bulls and the primers used are suitable for in-vivo annotation of the genes in the prospective bull selection process for breeding programmes.