Vol.2 No.07 -4 : Morphological observations, length-weight relationships, and condition factors of the Whipfin fish, Gerres filamentosus (Cuvier, 1829) in the Hurghada Red Sea, Egypt.

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By : Taher M. Abu El-Nasr

Abstract

During the period from January 2010 to December 2010, the biometric studies of 669 (both sexes- 12:39 centimeters) the whipfin, silver biddy, Gerres filamentosus (Cuvier,1829) have been described to clarify the identity of the fish population in the Hurghada Red Sea, Egypt. The straight lines of the regression equations of twenty one morphometric measurements relative to the total length or the head length indicate the linear relationships of the different body parts. Significant curvilinear relationship existed between total length and other morphometric characters and between head length and other characters of the head. Relationships between total length and various body measurements of the fish were highly significant (p < 0.01) except the relationship between total length and 2nd spine dorsal fin length of fish (p < 0.05). The Meristic characters including the number of fin rays, lateral line scales and gill rakers were found to be more or less similar except slight differences. The length-weight relationships respect to the total or the gutted weight were also investigated. It is obvious that, the value of the exponent (n=2.9475) indicates the negative allometric growth of this species. The values of condition factors (kc) in the total length body-weight relationships for female , male and combined sexes were found to be 1.49 , 1.47 and 1.51, respectively. The mean values of relative condition factors (kn) were 1.03 , 0.97 and 1.00 for female , male and combined sexes, respectively. However, relative condition factor (Kn) of Gerres filamentosus computed for July was 1.116 ± 0.24 and for January was .934 ± 0.012, which suggest the specimens were healthy and in good condition due to spawning cycle or other physiological activities or environmental factors. In searching of new potential aquaculture marine species, Gerres filamentosus may play role for enhancement of fish production as well as upliftment of socioeconomic condition in Egypt.

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Vol.2 No.07 -5 : Melatonin counteracts age-related progression of oxidative stress in young Down syndrome patients.

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By : Mohamed E. Abdraboh1*, Mohamed A. El missiry1, Azza I Othman1,Faeza A. El-Dahtory2, Nissren Khafaga1

Abstract

Melatonin (MLT) is a pineal gland hormone known for its potent antioxidant effect associated with neural protection. The presence of three copies of the SOD gene is considered to be the main cause of oxidative stress-dependent neural degeneration and dementia that Down syndrome (DS) patients may suffer from. In this study we aim to assess a possible protective effect of MLTagainst the age-related progression of oxidative stress-induced damage in lymphocytes of DS patients. Lymphocytes from infants with DS were treated with mitomycin C (an H2O2 promoter) in order to mimic the oxidative stress status of aged patients in presence and absence of MLT. The data indicated a significant effect of MLT in downregulating the levels of the oxidative radicalsH2O2 and NO compared to untreated DS patients’ lymphocytes. This downregulation was accompanied by a profound effect of MLT in reducing the number of oxidative stress-dependent damaged chromosomes, along with a reduction in cell apoptosis and DNA protection in the p53 dependent pathway. These observations suggest that early administration of exogenous MLT in young DS patients may help in gaining control over growth-related progression of mental retardation, or at least delaying the onset of DS-related pathological complications.

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Vol.2 No.07 -6 : The Fecundity of the whipfin silver-biddy fish, Gerres filamentosus (Cuvier, 1829) In The Hurghada Red Sea, Egypt.

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By : Taher M.Abu El-Nasr

Abstract

Fecundity estimates were made on a total of 92 mature fish of whipfin Silver-biddy, Gerres filamentosus (Cuvier, 1829) of different lengths and weights, collected during the early June of 2010 to October 2010. Log-Log relationships were calculated between fecundity (either absolute or relative) and fish length, fish weight, ovary length and ovary weight. A linear relationship exists between the individual absolute fecundity and fish length or ovary weight. It was found that, absolute fecundity increased at a rate proportional to the power of 4.31115, 1.41549, 1.89836 and 1.122 of the total length, the body weight, the ovary length and the ovary weight, respectively. While the regression coefficients of the relative fecundity estimations for the total length, the body weight, the ovary length and the ovary weight were 3.31115, 0.41549, 0.89836 and 0.0.122, respectively. The observations of the present study showed that fecundity, either absolute or relative, depended mainly on body length and to a lesser extent on body weight, and ovary length. Therefore, fish length is the best expression for fish fecundity and can be used for the prediction of Gerres filamentosus (Cuvier, 1829) production in the Hurghada Red Sea, Egypt.

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Vol.2 No.07 -7 : Neurobehavioral disorders in a group of children suffering from idiopathic epilepsy.

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By : *Shewikar El Bakry;**Soha Abdel Hady Ibrahim ; Hasnaa Abdelrhman Abdallah

Abstract

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder in which the normal activity of the brain cells is sometimes disturbed this can result in strange sensation, emotions and behaviors. The aim of the work is to study neurobehavioral changes that occur in group of children suffering from idiopathic epilepsy. This retrospective study included 80 children and adolescents, 50 of them with age range 2-6 years (28 males and 22 females, age 42.32±10.949 months) and 30 with age range 6-18 years (17 males and 13 females, age 9.57±2.369 years), enrolled from outpatient clinic of pediatric psychiatry& neurology Benha University Hospital.All patients were subjected to a complete history taking with stress on age of onset, duration of attack, character of

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Vol.2 No.07 -8 : Ameliorative potential of β-1,3-D-Glucan on acrylamide-induced cytogenetic alterations in mice.

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By : Mohamed A. Ismail

Abstract

Acrylamide (AA) is formed in food during heat preparation (frying and baking), causing DNA toxicity. So, the aim of this study is applied β-1,3-D-Glucan (BDG) as a natural polysaccharide ameliorative to reduce the DNA hepatotoxicity and genotoxicity of bone-marrow chromosomes in male mice by using three parameters: alkaline comet assay, cytochemical DNA and cytogenetical protocols. The AA-oral fed mice are classified into three groups, the first received low dose and the second intake the double fashion of AA in alone or concomitant with BDG for 30 days, besides the fourth group of controls. The study observed that AA induced both numerical and structural chromosomal aberrations in a significant increase (p<0.05 or p<0.0001) in a dose-dependent relationship. The cytochemical study on DNA exhibited that the AA-treated hepatocyte nuclei, showed strong stainability with condensed DNA inclusions and releasing outside their nuclear envelops. Under the comet assay conditions, AA-treated hepatocytes revealed a distinct comet tail electrophoretic migration of DNA fragments that resulted from AA-induced DNA strand breaks. The study also observed similarity configurations of AA-DNA fragmented damage between the findings of cytochemical DNA and comet assays in hepatocytes, and reinforced with the stretching and pulverized chromosome aberrations. But, after enhancing with BDG, the most implications of AA were inclined into mitigation as detected by microscopical and by 3D-comet image analysis, to indicate the potential alleviation role of BDG on AA-induced DNA alterations in hepatocytes and chromosomes of mice.

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Vol.2 No.07 -9 : Molecular and cytochemical comparative assessment between the two food additives,sunset yellow and curcumin-induce testicular toxicity in mice.

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By : Mohamed A. Ismail

Abstract

The present work was planned to study the effects of E110 (sunset yellow) as a common synthetic in Egypt and E110 (curcumin) as a natural food-drug colorants on the testis of the male mouse. The plan of work was designed to cover six parameters: histopathological, cytochemical (involving DNA and total proteins), testis weight, sperm parameters (i.e., sperm abnormalities and sperm motility), and measuring testosterone levels in blood sera. The mice were divided into three groups, ten per each. The first group remained as controls, whilst the second orally given sunset yellow-E110 (30 mg/kg b.wt/day) as SY-group and the third one E100 ‘CU-group’ also gavage 37 mg/kg b.wt., both fed on their acceptable daily intake (ADI) dosages for 60 days. The results detected that SY revealed distinct alterations in the desired parameters, particularly histological changes in structure of seminiferous tubules such as vacuolation, necrosis and multinucleate cells. Whilst, the cytochemical DNA and proteinic profiles of the SY-treatment mice exhibited severe damage in the DNA and total protein configurations. However, such deteriorations in the spermatogenic epithelia were also approved with changes in the other criteria after administration with E110. From such alterations, the E110 recorded a highly significant increase (P< 0.0001) in the abnormalities of sperm morphology and motility. Moreover, the testosterone levels in sera of male mice indicated the significant differences among groups. The molecular protocol manifested SY (E110) - induced DNA polymorphic changes in confrontation with control by primer OPC07, whilst CU (E100) kept on the control pattern. In conclusion, the present study explored the possibility of using the applied six parameters to assessment and differentiate between the two food flavours indicating that E100 (CU) is more biosafe than the synthetic additive E110 (SY).

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Vol.2 No.07 -10 : A study on the possible role of date fruit on the electrophysiology and neuropathic changes in diabetic polyneuropathy.

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By : Mohamed Bendary1 and Basma M.H.Zawawi2

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with many neurovascular complications particularly diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) that is mostly developed secondary to much release of reactive oxygen species (ROS, the potential mediators of DM-induced oxidative stress). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the possible neuroprotective role of Date Fruit Extract (DFE), an antioxidant nutrient, in ameliorating the DPN in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Forty adult male rats were used in this study. They were divided into 4 equal groups. Group I (Control group). Group II (DEF group), supplemented orally with 250mg/kg DFE daily for 6 weeks, Group III (Diabetic group): The rats were rendered diabetic through their injection with 50 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally and Group IV (Diabetic-DFE group). At the end of 6 weeks-experimental period; fasting serum glucose, serum insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb A1ic), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-) (as an index of inflammation), glutathione peroxidase enzyme (GPX) (as an index of the tissue antioxidant enzyme defense activity) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (a tissue marker of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation) were measured. In addition, to ensure the development of DPN in the rats, the thermal pain threshold of the rats was assessed through a paw withdrawal latency (PWL) using the hot plate analgesia meter. In addition, Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) of the isolated sciatic nerves of the rats was assessed. The results revealed that the untreated diabetic group exhibited a significant increase of the serum glucose, Hb A1ic, serum MDA and serum TNF- together with a significant decrease of serum insulin and
GPX. In addition, the PWL and NCV were significantly lower in the diabetic rats relative to the control group. Interestingly, when the diabetic rats were supplemented with DEF, a significant improvement of all the altered parameters was obtained. In conclusion, DEF has a beneficial effect in ameliorating the altered biochemical parameters and NCV in experimentally-induced DPN, probably through its antioxidant and its anti-inflammatory effects.

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Vol.2 No.6 -1 : Study the association between glutathione peroxidase-1 gene in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Egypt.

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By : Ibrahim A. Elelaimy1, Eman L. Shehata2, Mohamed A. Abdel-Hamid3

Abstract

cancer in the world. The main risk factors associated with HCC are hepatitis B and hepatitis C viral infections and other factors that play a role in HCC development. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between production and elimination of reactive metabolites of oxygen and nitrogen, in favor of their production leading to potential damage. During oxidative stress, biologically important molecules and cells can be damaged, and this can be significant in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is known to activate the apoptosis of some hepatocytes and therefore contribute to inflammation, regeneration, fibrogenesis, and carcinogenesis. The enzyme generally considered to be the frontline defense against ROS is glutathione peroxidase (GPX).The present study aims to investigate the association of progression of HCC with GPX1 (Pro198Leu) gene polymorphisms in HCC Egyptian patients. One hundred HCC cases and matched 100 controls were recruited from National Cancer Institute and Kasr El-Aini respectively. The detection of the genetic polymorphisms of GPX1 (Pro198Leu) were determined by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using real time PCR technique. The results showed that there is a significant association between the GPX1 polymorphisms and the progression of HCC, the distribution of different GPX1 polymorphisms in HCC patients infected with HCV was (47.5% CC, 47.0% CT and 81.3% TT) respectively and in controls was (52.5% CC, 53.0% CT and 18.8% TT) respectively (P=0.033). Our findings suggested that the genetic polymorphisms in GPX1 play a role in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma.Conclusion: AFP is highly significant in relation to HCC cases and in also with GPX1 gene mutation. Our findings suggested that the genetic polymorphisms in GPX1 play a role in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma.

1. Study the association between glutathione peroxidase-1 gene in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Egypt.
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Vol.2 No.6 -2 : Anticancer activity of Morus nigra on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) the role of fresh and dry fruit extracts.

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By : Ahmed A.1, Ali M. 1, El-Kholie E. 1, El-Garawani I.2* and Sherif N. 1

Abstract

Black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) has a long history of medicinal use in folk medicine. In this study, in vitro anticancer properties of fresh and dry black mulberry (BM) ethanolic extracts on breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) were investigated. Cytotoxic effect of both extracts was investigated by neutral red uptake method and the IC50 was assessed. The morphological changes, apoptosis and/or necrosis, were detected by Giemsa staining and acridine orange/ethidium bromide dual fluorescent staining methods, in addition to DNA fragmentation assay by gel electrophoresis and comet assay. Mitotic index was evaluated in MCF-7 groups to investigate the antiproliferative potential of fresh and dry BM extracts. Furthermore, micronucleus and other nuclear abnormalities were also investigated. BM extracts administration gave significant (p < 0.05) morphological evidence of apoptosis and increased cell death after 48 hours more than that of 24 hours-treated MCF-7 cells among fresh and dry extract groups. DNA analysis after 24 h of BM extracts treated groups has no fragmentation while apoptosis is generated after 48h showing more fragmentation in fresh BM groups. The mitotic index records were significantly decreased in dose and time dependent manner showing the better antiproliferative effect with fresh extract treatments. DNA single strand breaks were also increased among the treatment groups at dose and time dependent manner with the best results with fresh extract. It can be concluded that black mulberry fruit is a considerable source of health dietary supplement and its integration for pharmaceutical industries has to be in concern.

2. Anticancer activity of Morus nigra on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) the role of fresh and dry fruit extracts.
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Vol.2 No.6 -3 : Pomegranate peel Extract Protects Cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity in albino mice.

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By : Amal A. El-Daly

Abstract

Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) is a toxicant heavy metal displays adverse properties in humans creating public health risks. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is widely known as antimicrobial and antioxidant. This study investigated the cadmium induced structural effects in mice and evaluated the beneficial effect of alcoholic extract of P. granatum fruit peel (PPE) to protective CdCl2 nephrotoxicity. Animals were divided into 4 groups; group 1: control, group 2: given 25ml/kg PPE, group 3: given CdCl2 at a dose level of 2mg/kg and group 4: given CdCl2 and PPE. The animals were given the previous treatment daily for 14days. CdCl2 intoxication led to obvious many histopathological alterations in kidney glomeruli accompanied with wide and congested blood vessels, renal tubules missed their distinct form with cytoplasmic vacuolation of their epithelial cells and pyknotic nuclei and leucocytes cells infiltration in the intertubular spaces. On the other hand, the immunohistochemical staining of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expressions were positive after CdCl2 exposure compared with the control group. Ultrastructure observations revealed thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and fusion of the podocytes foot processes, tubular epithelial cells vacoulation with pyknotic nuclei, perforation and vacoulation of mitochondria, deterioration of endoplasmic reticulum, and increase of lysosomes. CdCl2-exposure accompanied by increased level of serum urea, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) as well as significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) besides decreased of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level. In contrast, co-administration of PPE plus CdCl2 ameliorated these parameters around the normal levels. It contributed the improvement by the histological, ultrastructure and decreased Bcl-2 and α smooth muscle protein expression, and kidney function through significant decrease in urea, creatinine and BUN, reduced the level of serum MDA as lipid peroxidation marker and restored the altered antioxidant system activity. It was concluded that Cd induced nephrotoxicity at a dose level 2 mg/kg b.w. in mice. The PPE may be involved in the protection of toxicity displayed by CdCl2 induction attributed to the high antioxidant capacity.

3. Pomegranate peel Extract Protects Cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity in albino mice.
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