Effects of diazinon on serum calcium and inorganic phosphate levels as well as ultrastructures of parathyroid and calcitonin cells of Rattus norvegicus

Daily intramuscular administration of two doses--0.50 LD550 (150 mg/kg b w) and 0.75 LD50 (225 mg/kg b w) of diazinon for 14 days induced progressive hypocalcemia without altering serum inorganic phosphate value in Rattus norvegicus. Hypocalcemic response of the pesticide was dose- as well as time-dependent. Parathyroid chief cells of the experimental rats exhibited degranulation, vacuolation, loss of secretory granules and lipid droplets, decreased chromatin, and degenerative changes in endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex as well as cristae of the mitochondria. Not much of ultrastructural changes could be seen in the C cells of the rats treated with diazinon.     

Effect of DDVP on the histology and AChE kinetics of heart muscles of Rattus norvegicus

The LD50 of DDVP (Dichloro, dimethyl vinyl phosphate) for Rattus norvegicus was 21.4 mg/kg. b.w. The two sub lethal doses 1 and 3 mg/kg showed many histopathological changes in the working heart muscles and also showed significant necrosis in this S-A node, A-V node and bunble of His of the cardiac conducting system. These sublethal doses of the OP pesticide caused a significant inhibition of AChE. The maximum inhibition was noticed at the highest dose. The enhanced inhibitory constant Km and ACh contents in the heart muscles with the increase of dose showed inhibition of enzyme. The constant Vmax showed competitive nature of inhibition. A significant inhibition of AChE (69%) indicated that DDVP is a strong inhibitor of enzyme in heart.     

Cybil induced hepatobiochemical changes in wistar rats

Cybil, 25%EC formulation of Cypermethrin, induces biochemical changes in the liver of wistar rats after oral intubation of the same at acute (one day) and subacute (7, 14 and 21 days) levels. The changes were tallied with the controls run simultaneously. LD50 of Cybil was estimated to be 622mg/kg body weight The acute dose is 80mg/kg body weight exposed for one day i.e. 24 hours and subacute dose is 4mg/kg body weight exposed for 7, 14 and 21 days. When compared with the control values, both the doses enhanced the level of glycogen, cholesterol, total lipid and acid phosphatase activities, while decreased activity of alkaline phosphatase. Alterations in glycogen, cholesterol, total lipid, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase resulted in the impairement in liver physiology.     

Radical scavenging activity of Trianthema triquetra in male albino rats intoxicated with CCl4

Radical scavenging activity of ethanolic extract of Trianthema triquetra root was investigated against CCl4 in rats. The rats were treated with T. triquetra (100 mg, 200 mg/kg b.w.) for a period of 7 days. Antihepatotoxic effect was studied by assaying the activities of thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx),catalase (CAT), super oxide dismutase (SOD) and vitamin C (Vit. C). Lipid peroxidation is evidenced by an increase in the value of TBARS and also a distinct diminution in the level of GSH, Vit. C at 200 mg/kg b.w. The activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as GPx, CAT SOD and Vit. E is significantly recovered towards an almost normal level in animals coadministrated with T. triquetra. The maximum protection against CCl4 induced hepatic injury was afforded by the dose of 200 mg/kg b.w. of Trianthema triquetra.     

Hepatoprotective activity of 1-(4-(Dimethylamino)Benzylidene)-5-(2-Oxoindolin-3-ylidene) Thiocarbohydrazone in rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of 1-(4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene)-5-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene) thiocarbohydrazone, a novel isatin derivative against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Hepatic damage was induced by administration of CCl₄ (1 ml/kg, b.w., p.o.) in combination with liquid paraffin (1:1) as a single dose. The hepatotoxic rats were treated with test compound at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg for three days and liver damage biomarkers, including activities of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and levels of total serum bilirubin (TB) measured in blood samples. Results demonstrated that treatment with test compound at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg to hepatotoxic rats produced a significant dose-dependent reduction of elevated SGOT, SGPT, ALP activities and TB levels indicating a hepatoprotective effect that was confirmed by histopathological examination of liver tissues. The study results confirmed the hepatoprotective activity of 1-(4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene)-5-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene) thiocarbohydrazone in rats.     

重金属对蚯蚓的毒性毒理研究

通过室内模拟实验以及对株洲市重金属污染区农田土壤中采样，进行了重金属对蚯蚓的毒性毒理研究．毒性实验表明，各重金属元素４８ｈ的ＬＤ５０分别为：Ｃｄ１０００ｍｇ／ｋｇ，Ｐｂ８１２ｍｇ／ｋｇ，Ｃｕ６３３ｍｇ／ｋｇ，Ｈｇ３０４ｍｇ／ｋｇ，Ｚｎ５２８ｍｇ／ｋｇ，Ｃｒ４２８ｍｇ／ｋｇ．对蚯蚓毒理研究证明，重金属对蚯蚓酯酶同工酶有抑活作用，而重金属对蚯蚓过氧化物酶同工酶有激活作用．在光镜下观察，可见重金属污染可引起蚯蚓的体表溃疡及产生肿瘤，可使胃肠道粘膜层出血、背血管肿胀，同时可引起胃肠道粘膜上皮细胞产生萎缩或溃疡灶．蚯蚓特有的黄色细胞团污染程度不同而显示出消长规律．在电镜下可见到在重污染区的蚯蚓胃肠道粘膜上皮细胞中的ｒＥＲ肿胀、高尔基体膨大，线粒体嵴消失，甚至空泡化或解体．另可见细胞核膜间隙肿胀、断裂、核质外溢，胞质自溶．蚯蚓以上病变的大小是随土壤重金属污染区的污染级别而定；各病理变化指标均能定性地反映土壤重金属污染状况．     

多拷贝表达转鲑鱼降钙素基因酵母的急性、亚急性毒性

口服转鲑鱼降钙素基因酵母为鲑鱼降钙素的应用开辟了一条新的途径.为评价转鲑鱼降钙素基因酵母的安全性,将转基因酵母分别灌胃昆明种小鼠和Wistar大鼠进行急性毒性实验(7 d)、亚急性毒性实验(8周).急性毒性实验结果表明灌喂转基因酵母对小鼠无致死效应(LD50>10 000 mg/kg);亚急性毒性实验中高(2.0 g/kg)、低(0.5 g/kg)剂量组动物的一般状况、体重、主要脏器系数、血液学指标及血液生化指标与各对照组比较,均未见明显差异(P>0.05),组织病理切片检查未发现病理性变化.实验结果说明转鲑鱼降钙素基因酵母不会对实验动物造成不良影响,是安全无毒的.图3表3参16     

Acute toxicity effect of the venom of the marine snail, Conus zeylanicus

Acute toxicity of the venom of Conus zeylanicus was studied to evaluate its risk and toxic factors in view of human safety The lethality of the crude venom (LD50 -60 mg/kg via i.p.) in mice was associated with increased heart rate and strong muscular hind limb paralysis, skeletal muscle paralysis, dyspnea, loss of spontaneous activity followed by respiratory failure. The effect on vital tissues revealed liver tissues were disrupted with hemorrhagic necrosis and the lung showed the pathogenic changes of diffused inflammation of the parenchyma and obliteration of the alveolar space. In brain, edema was observed throughout the parenchyma and the kidney shows the tubules with cloudyswelling of the lining cells and the parenchyma inflammation and few inflammatory cells infiltration.     

戊吡虫胍对几种非靶标生物的急性毒性

戊吡虫胍是一种从烟碱类和缩胺脲类杀虫剂活性结构拼接而成的系列化合物中筛选出来的新型杀虫剂,目前戊吡虫胍对非靶标生物的毒性研究报道较少。为探究戊吡虫胍的环境安全性,采用生物毒性试验方法测定了其对斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)、大型溞(Daphnia magna)、家蚕(Bombyx mori)、斑马鱼(Brachydanio rerio)、赤子爱胜蚯蚓(Eisenia fetide)、非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)、赤眼蜂(Trichogramma nubilale)、意大利蜜蜂(Apis mellifera)、日本鹌鹑(Coturnix coturnix japonica)共9种非靶标生物的急性毒性。结果显示戊吡虫胍对斜生栅藻和大型溞的半数有效浓度(EC50)分别为8.79 mg·L~(-1)和10.97 mg·L~(-1),对家蚕、斑马鱼、赤子爱胜蚯蚓和非洲爪蟾的半数致死浓度(LC50)分别为2.32 mg·L~(-1)、13.74 mg·L~(-1)、100 mg·kg~(-1)和19.30mg·L~(-1),对赤眼蜂的安全系数为0.16~0.031,对蜜蜂急性触杀和急性摄入毒性分别为51.82μg·bee~(-1)和10.8×10~3mg·L~(-1),对鹌鹑的急性经口和急性饲喂毒性LC50分别为1 000 mg·kg~(-1)和2×103mg·kg~(-1)。按照最新国标(GB/T31270—2014)化学农药环境安全评价准则的毒性等级划分,戊吡虫胍除了对家蚕和赤眼蜂为高毒和极高风险外,对其余非靶生物均为低毒。     

Interaction of alcohol and kola nut on brain sodium pump activity in Wistar rats

The effect of interaction of alcohol and kola nut on sodium pump activity was studied in Wistar rats. Thirty Wistar rats were divided into six groups of five rats per group. Control received a placebo (4 mL of distilled water). Groups 2–6 were treated for a period of 21 days with 10% (v/v) alcohol, 50 mg caffeine/kg, 50 mg kola nut/kg, or a combination of 10% (v/v) alcohol + 50 mg kola nut/kg, or 10% (v/v) alcohol + 50 mg caffeine/kg, respectively. One day after the final exposure, brains were harvested and several biochemical parameters examined including activities of total ATPase, ouabain-insensitive ATPase, ouabain sensitive ATPase (Na⁺–K⁺-ATPase) and levels of nonenzymatic breakdown of ATP and inorganic phosphate (P_i) released. Results showed that the essential enzyme of the brain responsible for neuronal function, Na⁺–K⁺-ATPase, was inhibited by alcohol–kola nut co-administration relative to control, resulting in a decreased ATP production, ion transport and action potential, leading to loss of neuronal activities.     

Effects of coconut product–caffeine interactions on liver cells in Wistar albino rats

The effects of interactions between coconut products and caffeine on the induction of drug-metabolizing enzyme in Wistar albino rats were studied. Twenty rats were randomly divided into four groups: (Group 1) control received via oral route a placebo (4 mL distilled water). Groups 2–4 were treated for a 14-day period, respectively, with 50 mg caffeine/kg body weight (BW), 50 mg caffeine/kg plus 50 mg coconut water/kg, or 50 mg caffeine/kg plus 50 mg coconut milk/kg in a 4 mL volume via gastric intubation. One day after the after the final exposure, the animals were euthanized by inhalation of an overdose of chloroform. The blood of each rat was collected by cardiac puncture, and the liver of each was harvested and processed to examine several biochemical parameters, including total protein and RNA levels, protein/RNA ratios, and the activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST, respectively). Results showed that while ingestion of coconut milk and coconut water increased the values of protein and protein/RNA ratios, there was a decrease in ALT and AST activities. These effects were opposite to those produced by caffeine alone and may prevent the adverse effects attributed to caffeine.     

Demonstration of sperm head shape abnormality and clastogenic potential of cypermethrin

Adult male Swiss albino mice were administered ip. suspension solution of cypermethrin in 0.15% DMSO at the doses of 30 mg, 60 mg and 90 mg/kg b. wt. daily for 5 days. Another group of animals was injected cyclophosphamide ip. (60 mg/kg b. wt.) in similar manner which served as positive control. Effect of cypermethrin on body and testes weight and sperm head morphology was studied. Clastogenic potential of cypermethrin was studied by using modified Allium test. The cytological changes were studied in the root tip cells of Allium cepa after 3 days treatment with three different concentration of cypermethrin (0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 microg/ml). The results revealed that body weight gain was considerably reduced in higher dose groups, but the testicular weight did not change significantly in any of the cypermethrin treated groups. However, a significant elevation in the number of abnormal shape of sperm head was noticed in higher dose groups as compared to control. It was observed that the abnormality in the shape of sperm head was dose-dependent. The cytological changes in the root tip cells of Allium cepa indicated that cypermethrin is having toxic effects on the root tip cells in the form of stickiness of chromosomes and also affect the mitotic activity. This study suggest that cypermethrin may have the potential to induce adverse effects on sperm head shape morphology of mouse as well as clastogenic effects on root tip cells of Allium cepa.     

Comparative hepatic and renal toxicity of cadmium in male and female rats

Rats (male and female) were exposed to 0.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg cadmium as cadmium chloride for 3 days and subsequently sacrificed for cadmium concentration and other biochemical variables indicative of hepatic and renal damage. The absorption of cadmium was supported by biochemical changes, which were significantly higher in females than in males. This could be due to higher rate of intestinal absorption of cadmium in females than males. Male and female rats both showed relatively higher cadmium concentration in kidneys than in liver. Female rats also showed the similar trend in tissue metal levels as compared to male rats. However, hepatic and renal histopathological observations showed that female rats suffered from severe hepatic injury like hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes, granulation, bile duct proliferation etc. In comparison to female rats, male rats did not show much remarkable changes. Renal damage was more prominent in female than male in the form of renal tubular damage; most of the tubular nuclei were pyknotic, congestion of the boundary of cortex and medulla etc. The results suggested that females were comparatively more vulnerable to the toxic effects of cadmium than males.     

Toxicological study of plant extracts on termite and laboratory animals

Toxic activity of leaf extracts of Polygonum hydropiper L. and Pogostemon parviflorus Benth. were tested in the laboratory against tea termite, Odontotermes assamensis Holm. Both the tested extracts caused mortality of the termite. The highest toxic activity (100%) was found in the 2.0% chloroform extracts of P. hydropiper. The chloroform extract of P. hydropiper was explored for possible mammalian toxicological effects. The LD50 was 758.58 mg/kg in male albino mice. Subcutaneous injection of sub-lethal dose of extract into male mice once a week for 6 weeks failed to express any significant influence on WBC, RBC count and blood cholesterol.     

Hepatotoxic and haematological effects of Nigerian Bonny light crude oil in male albino rats

The effect of Bonny light crude oil was assessed in adult albino rats. The rats were administered with 200, 400, and 800?mg/kg of the crude oil orally for 7 days. Fluid intake was measured daily, and the initial and final animal body weight recorded. Oral crude oil at these doses produced no effect on feed and fluid intake between the test groups and the control group. There was a significant decrease in body weight compared to the control group after 7 days of treatment with the different doses of crude oil.

The toxic effects of the liver and hematological effects were assessed. The packed cell volume (PCV) and total white blood cell (WBC) of the 200?mg/kg group were significantly decreased compared to the respective control values. Administration of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg of Bonny light crude oil, caused a significant dose-dependent increase in glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels, but a significant decrease in the alkaline phosphatase (AP) level compared to the control. Histological examination indicates that crude oil induced severe pathologic changes in the forms of necrosis and oedema.     

Biomonitoring insecticide pollution using non-target soil microarthropods

The scope of biomonitoring insecticide pollution in soil is discussed with the help of field and laboratory findings on the density, prey-predator ratio and fecundity of non-target microarthropod fauna. Field experiments were conducted in small plots with mustard, wheat and lady's finger crops and insecticides namely heptachlor 20EC (3.25 kg ai/ha = 16.25 lit/ha) and endosulfan 35EC (0.875 kg ai/ha = 2.5 lit/ha) applied at the seedling stages. Soil microarthropod population estimated at fortnightly intervals in the treated and untreated control plots revealed a general trend of adverse effect of the insecticides, prominently on the density and relative abundance of major prey groups like Collembola and Acari leading to notable decline in prey-predator ratio. Comparison of the percentage reductions of major taxonomic and trophic groups between pre-treatment and post-treatment intervals also demonstrated the ill effect of both heptachlor and endosulfan, notably on Collembola and the prey category. In the laboratory the survival success and fecundity of Cyphoderus javanus (Collembola) and Archegozetes longisetosus (Acari) were compared by exposing freshly emerged adults to sub-lethal concentrations of heptachlor and endosulfan for varying durations. The untreated control sets recorded high fecundity for both C. javanus and A. longisetosus, but chronic toxicity of the insecticides on adults confined to the treated soil resulted into very low fecundity. Even short duration exposure to heptachlor and endosulfan treated soil for 24 or 72 hours only was found to delay the egg-laying and decrease the fecundity of both the species. It is concluded that population responses and reproductive sensitivity in non-target soil microarthropods are potential eco-toxicological parameters for detecting pesticide pollution in soil and for ecological health assessment since the results are based on the bioactivity of toxicants.     

Daily rhythm of O2-evolution in the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium thiebautii under natural and constant conditions

The rate of oxygen evolution by the tropical marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium thiebautii was recorded at different times during the day in samples collected in 1992 from the Bahama Islands and the NE Caribbean Sea. This cyanobacterium is unique in that it is the only non-heterocystous diazotroph capable of N₂-fixation in daylight. Oxygen evolution was measured under conditions of natural day/night (LD, N=50), constant light (LL, N=14), and constant dark (DD, N=2×14). Photosynthesis vs intensity (P-I) relationships were calculated at various times of day, and the following parameters were used for further evaluation: photosynthesic capacity (P _max, 66 to 91 mg O₂ mg chl a ^-1 h^-1), initial slope of the P-I curve (, 0.23 to 0.27), dark respiration (R, 12 to 27 mg O₂ mg chl a ^-1 h^-1), and the intensity at which O₂ consumption is compensated by O₂ production (I _c, 78 to 160 Em^-2 s^-1). All means showed large standard deviations (for some parameters more than 200%). In some cases, these variations could be explained with a sinusoidal 24-h time course, but only the compensation point showed a significant daily variation (p0.001) in both LD and DD. The fact that the time course of I _c typical for natural conditions remains rhythmic under constant dark conditions strongly suggests a circadian regulation. Few circadian rhythms have been observed in prokaryotes, and this appears to be the first observation of such a rhythm in a cyanobacterium which fixes N₂ in daytime.     

Protective effect of Spirulina platensis against aluminium-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA damage in rats

The protective effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) powder against aluminium-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA damage in rats was studied. Male rats receiving daily 40 mg/kg b.wt. aluminium chloride (AlCl₃) orally had increased serum levels of urea and creatinine, up regulated kidney injury molecule-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 genes, down regulated catalase and glutathione peroxidase genes, and increased all parameters of kidney DNA damage using comet assay. Treatment with SP alleviated all AlCl₃-induced effects of toxicity, especially when the animals were pre-treated.     

不同暴露途径下有机污染物对大鼠急性毒性的相关性研究

不同暴露途径下有机物在生物体内的吸收分布不同,导致毒性效应亦不同,研究化学品在不同暴露途径下对生物体的毒性,对化学品的安全性评价有实际意义。本文通过研究静脉注射、腹腔注射、肌肉注射与经口灌胃4种暴露途径下527个有机物对大鼠的急性毒性数据相关性,比较了不同暴露途径下大鼠对有机污染物的敏感度顺序,结果为:静脉注射>腹腔注射>肌肉注射>经口灌胃途径,静脉注射途径下log1/LD50与其他几种注射途径下的log1/LD50有较显著的相关性,但是与灌胃途径下毒性值之间的相关性较差,相关系数r的范围为0.82~0.97。通过逐项分析研究不同暴露途径下化合物对大鼠的急性毒性与生物利用度、吸收速率、消除速率以及代谢过程的关系,结果表明,导致这种差异的原因主要是有机污染物在大鼠体内的吸附动力学过程不同所致。     

Comparative account of certain enzymes in the serum of homo-iothermal vertebrates subjected to production of myocardial infarction by isoproterenol hydrochloride

Myocardial infarction was produced by subcutaneous administration of isoproterenol hydrochloride (85 mg/kg b.w. for two consecutive days). The myocardial damage was proved by observing increase in the activity of SGOT and SGPT in serum whereas AChE activity was inhibited by increasing Km, without affecting Vmax. The inhibition of AChE and inhibitory kinetic may be useful in the diagnosis and management of salvage of myocardium.