Objective To study the abortifacient activity of aqueous extract of Senna alata leaves in female Wistar rats.Methods Pregnant rats weighing 143.65 ± 13.11 g were completely randomized into 5 groups（A-E）.Rats in...Objective To study the abortifacient activity of aqueous extract of Senna alata leaves in female Wistar rats.Methods Pregnant rats weighing 143.65 ± 13.11 g were completely randomized into 5 groups（A-E）.Rats in group A（negative control） were orally administered,once daily with 0.5 ml of distilled water on days 10-18 post-coitum while those in groups B,C,D,and E were treated exactly like the negative control except they received the same volume containing 2.85 mg/kg body weight of mifepristone（group B,reference drug）,250,500 and 1 000 mg/kg body weight of the extract respectively（groups C-E）.Results Phytochemical screening of the extract showed positive results for saponins（1.22%）,flavonoids（1.06%）,cardiac glycosides（0.20%）,cardenolides and dienolides（0.18%）,phenolics（0.44%） and alkaloids（0.52%）.Respiratory distress,salivation,diarrhoea,changes in the appearance of hair as well as maternal mortality were not observed at any time during the exposure period except in the mifepristone-treated animals where there was episode of diarrhoea and tiredness.The extract significantly reduced（P〈0.05） the number of life foetus,weight and survival ratio of the foetus,numbers of implantations and Corpora lutea,implantation index,progesterone,prolactin,estradiol,follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones whereas the number of dead foetus,number and percentage of rats that aborted,percentage vaginal opening,resorption index,pre-and post-implantation losses increased significantly.In addition,mifepristone-treated animals produced resorption index that compared well with the distilled water control.There was also no dead or life foetus and serum progesterone concentration was increased in the animals treated with mifepristone.All cases of abortion were accompanied with vaginal bleeding.Although,the final weight of the rats increased significantly,the feed and water intake were not significantly altered in all the treatment groups.The weight of the uterus,uterine-body weight ratio,length of the right uterus horn and uterine cholesterol decreased significantly in all the treatment groups.The uterine alkaline phosphatase activity and glucose concentration increased in only the extract-treated animals whereas mifepristone decreased the uterine alkaline phosphatase activity and glucose content of the animals.Conclusion This study has provided evidence to the age-long claim of S.alata leaves in ＂washing the uterus＂.The abortifacient properties were most pronounced at 500 and 1 000 mg/kg body weight of the extract and were similar to the animals treated with 2.85 mg/kg body weight of mifepristone.Hormonal influence,changes in implantation site,estrogenicity and uterogenicity are suggested as possible mechanism of abortifacient activity of aqueous extract of S.alata leaves.Overall,the extract may be used as an abortifacient especially at 500 and 1 000 mg/kg body weight and therefore not safe for consumption as oral remedy during pregnancy.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the impact of ethanol extract of Spondias(S.)mombin leaves on the biochemical parameters of testicular function,hormonal profile,sperm profile and reproductive outcomes of guinea pigs.Methods:...Objective:To investigate the impact of ethanol extract of Spondias(S.)mombin leaves on the biochemical parameters of testicular function,hormonal profile,sperm profile and reproductive outcomes of guinea pigs.Methods:Sexually matured male[(1000.40±8.12)g]and female[(810.00±7.09)g]guinea pigs were used.In testicular function study,a total of 24 male guinea pigs were randomised into 4 groups of 6 guinea pigs each.Group A(control)was orally administered 1 mL of physiological saline,once daily for 60 days while groups B,C and D were treated like the control group except that they were orally administered 100,250 and 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves.For the fertility study,the same animal groupings and treatments in the testicular function study were adopted.The male guinea pigs were paired with the females(1:1)and afterwards examined for pregnancy outcomes.Results:The ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves contained saponins,alkaloids,flavonoids,tannins,steroids,phenolics,phlobatannins,cardiac glycosides,cardenolides and dienolides with saponins(4.80 mg/mL)occurring the most whilst cardenolides and dienolides(0.08 mg/mL)were the least.The ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves significantly and dose dependently reduced the activities of alkaline phosphatase,glutamate dehydrogenase,3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase,malic enzyme,17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase,lactate dehydrogenase,catalase and superoxide dismutase as well as levels of testosterone,glycogen,total protein and ascorbic acid in the testes when compared with the control group(P<0.05).All the doses of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves also reduced the levels of sorbitol dehydrogenase,3-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase,glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and sialic acid whereas the levels of testicular acid phosphatase,gamma glutamyl transferase and cholesterol increased dose dependently(P<0.05).The serum luteinising hormone,testosterone and estradiol were reduced after the administration of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves whereas levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone increased significantly.The 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves increased the testosterone/estradiol ratios whilst the 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves decreased it.The sperm motility,sperm count,normal sperm morphology,sperm density,sperm viability and semen viscosity were significantly reduced in the ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves-treated guinea pigs(P<0.05)whereas the head-,tail-and neck-defects increased significantly when compared with the control group(P<0.05).In contrast,the semen volume and pH were not significantly altered by the ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves(P>0.05).The ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves at both 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight significantly reduced the total number,circumference,weight and length of the pups whereas the 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves-treated rats did not produce any pup.The 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves induced degenerative and necrotic changes in the seminiferous tubules with vacuoles in the germinal epithelium and a few to complete absence of spermatozoa.In all of these,the 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves produced the most pronounced alteration on the parameters.Conclusions:S.mombin leaves have induced infertility in the male guinea pigs via endocrine dysregulation,anti-spermatogenic activity,testicular dysfunction and oxidative stress and made possible by the presence of saponins,alkaloids,flavonoids,tannins,steroids,phenolics,and cardiac glycosides.展开更多
Morphogenesis is a process describing how the shapes of living tissues and bodies are created during development. Livingand fossil organisms exhibit enormously diverse tissue architecture and body forms, although the ...Morphogenesis is a process describing how the shapes of living tissues and bodies are created during development. Livingand fossil organisms exhibit enormously diverse tissue architecture and body forms, although the functions of organs areevolutionally conserved. Current knowledge reveals that relatively conserved mechanisms are applied to control developmentamong different species. However, the regulations of morphogenesis are quite diverse in detail. Animals in the oceandisplay a wide range of diversity of morphology suitable for their seawater environment. Nevertheless, compared with theintensive studies on terrestrial animals, research on marine animal morphogenesis is still insufficient. The increasing genomicdata and the recently available gene editing methods, together with the fast development of imaging techniques, quantitativeanalyses and biophysical models, provide us the opportunities to have a deeper understanding of the principles that drivethe diverse morphogenetic processes in marine animals. In this review, we summarize the recent studies of morphogenesisand evolution at molecular, cellular and tissue levels, with a focus on three model marine animals, namely ascidians, seaurchins and sea anemones.展开更多
The leafy seadragon(Phycodurus eques)or Glauert’s seadragon is one of the most ornately camouflaged creatures on this planet.It is found in temperate South Australian waters,where its colouration and gossamer leaf-sh...The leafy seadragon(Phycodurus eques)or Glauert’s seadragon is one of the most ornately camouflaged creatures on this planet.It is found in temperate South Australian waters,where its colouration and gossamer leaf-shaped appendages give it excellent camouflage on kelp-covered rocky reefs.Leafy seadragons are very poor swimmers and rely on their camouflage to avoid predation.Reaching lengths up to 50 cm,they are relatively large compared with their next relatives,the pipefish.展开更多
Upon initiation at a start codon,the ribosome must maintain the correct reading frame for hundreds of codons in order to produce functional proteins.While some sequence elements are able to trigger programmed ribosoma...Upon initiation at a start codon,the ribosome must maintain the correct reading frame for hundreds of codons in order to produce functional proteins.While some sequence elements are able to trigger programmed ribosomal frameshifing(PRF),very little is known about how the ribosome normally prevents spontaneous frameshif errors that can have dire consequences if uncorrected.Using high resolution ribosome profling data sets,we discovered that the translating ribosome uses the 3�end of 18S rRNA to scan the AUG-like codons afer the decoding process.Te postdecoding mRNA:rRNA interaction not only contributes to predominant translational pausing,but also provides a retrospective mechanism to safeguard the ribosome in the correct reading frame.Partially eliminating the AUG-like“sticky”codons in the reporter message leads to increased+1 frameshif errors.Remarkably,mutating the highly conserved CAU triplet of 18S rRNA globally changes the codon“stickiness”.Further supporting the role of“sticky”sequences in reading frame maintenance,the codon composition of open reading frames is highly optimized across eukaryotic genomes.Tese results suggest an important layer of information embedded within the protein-coding sequences that instructs the ribosome to ensure reading frame fdelity during translation.展开更多
文摘Objective To study the abortifacient activity of aqueous extract of Senna alata leaves in female Wistar rats.Methods Pregnant rats weighing 143.65 ± 13.11 g were completely randomized into 5 groups（A-E）.Rats in group A（negative control） were orally administered,once daily with 0.5 ml of distilled water on days 10-18 post-coitum while those in groups B,C,D,and E were treated exactly like the negative control except they received the same volume containing 2.85 mg/kg body weight of mifepristone（group B,reference drug）,250,500 and 1 000 mg/kg body weight of the extract respectively（groups C-E）.Results Phytochemical screening of the extract showed positive results for saponins（1.22%）,flavonoids（1.06%）,cardiac glycosides（0.20%）,cardenolides and dienolides（0.18%）,phenolics（0.44%） and alkaloids（0.52%）.Respiratory distress,salivation,diarrhoea,changes in the appearance of hair as well as maternal mortality were not observed at any time during the exposure period except in the mifepristone-treated animals where there was episode of diarrhoea and tiredness.The extract significantly reduced（P〈0.05） the number of life foetus,weight and survival ratio of the foetus,numbers of implantations and Corpora lutea,implantation index,progesterone,prolactin,estradiol,follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones whereas the number of dead foetus,number and percentage of rats that aborted,percentage vaginal opening,resorption index,pre-and post-implantation losses increased significantly.In addition,mifepristone-treated animals produced resorption index that compared well with the distilled water control.There was also no dead or life foetus and serum progesterone concentration was increased in the animals treated with mifepristone.All cases of abortion were accompanied with vaginal bleeding.Although,the final weight of the rats increased significantly,the feed and water intake were not significantly altered in all the treatment groups.The weight of the uterus,uterine-body weight ratio,length of the right uterus horn and uterine cholesterol decreased significantly in all the treatment groups.The uterine alkaline phosphatase activity and glucose concentration increased in only the extract-treated animals whereas mifepristone decreased the uterine alkaline phosphatase activity and glucose content of the animals.Conclusion This study has provided evidence to the age-long claim of S.alata leaves in ＂washing the uterus＂.The abortifacient properties were most pronounced at 500 and 1 000 mg/kg body weight of the extract and were similar to the animals treated with 2.85 mg/kg body weight of mifepristone.Hormonal influence,changes in implantation site,estrogenicity and uterogenicity are suggested as possible mechanism of abortifacient activity of aqueous extract of S.alata leaves.Overall,the extract may be used as an abortifacient especially at 500 and 1 000 mg/kg body weight and therefore not safe for consumption as oral remedy during pregnancy.
文摘Objective:To investigate the impact of ethanol extract of Spondias(S.)mombin leaves on the biochemical parameters of testicular function,hormonal profile,sperm profile and reproductive outcomes of guinea pigs.Methods:Sexually matured male[(1000.40±8.12)g]and female[(810.00±7.09)g]guinea pigs were used.In testicular function study,a total of 24 male guinea pigs were randomised into 4 groups of 6 guinea pigs each.Group A(control)was orally administered 1 mL of physiological saline,once daily for 60 days while groups B,C and D were treated like the control group except that they were orally administered 100,250 and 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves.For the fertility study,the same animal groupings and treatments in the testicular function study were adopted.The male guinea pigs were paired with the females(1:1)and afterwards examined for pregnancy outcomes.Results:The ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves contained saponins,alkaloids,flavonoids,tannins,steroids,phenolics,phlobatannins,cardiac glycosides,cardenolides and dienolides with saponins(4.80 mg/mL)occurring the most whilst cardenolides and dienolides(0.08 mg/mL)were the least.The ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves significantly and dose dependently reduced the activities of alkaline phosphatase,glutamate dehydrogenase,3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase,malic enzyme,17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase,lactate dehydrogenase,catalase and superoxide dismutase as well as levels of testosterone,glycogen,total protein and ascorbic acid in the testes when compared with the control group(P<0.05).All the doses of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves also reduced the levels of sorbitol dehydrogenase,3-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase,glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and sialic acid whereas the levels of testicular acid phosphatase,gamma glutamyl transferase and cholesterol increased dose dependently(P<0.05).The serum luteinising hormone,testosterone and estradiol were reduced after the administration of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves whereas levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone increased significantly.The 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves increased the testosterone/estradiol ratios whilst the 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves decreased it.The sperm motility,sperm count,normal sperm morphology,sperm density,sperm viability and semen viscosity were significantly reduced in the ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves-treated guinea pigs(P<0.05)whereas the head-,tail-and neck-defects increased significantly when compared with the control group(P<0.05).In contrast,the semen volume and pH were not significantly altered by the ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves(P>0.05).The ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves at both 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight significantly reduced the total number,circumference,weight and length of the pups whereas the 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves-treated rats did not produce any pup.The 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves induced degenerative and necrotic changes in the seminiferous tubules with vacuoles in the germinal epithelium and a few to complete absence of spermatozoa.In all of these,the 500 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of S.mombin leaves produced the most pronounced alteration on the parameters.Conclusions:S.mombin leaves have induced infertility in the male guinea pigs via endocrine dysregulation,anti-spermatogenic activity,testicular dysfunction and oxidative stress and made possible by the presence of saponins,alkaloids,flavonoids,tannins,steroids,phenolics,and cardiac glycosides.
文摘Morphogenesis is a process describing how the shapes of living tissues and bodies are created during development. Livingand fossil organisms exhibit enormously diverse tissue architecture and body forms, although the functions of organs areevolutionally conserved. Current knowledge reveals that relatively conserved mechanisms are applied to control developmentamong different species. However, the regulations of morphogenesis are quite diverse in detail. Animals in the oceandisplay a wide range of diversity of morphology suitable for their seawater environment. Nevertheless, compared with theintensive studies on terrestrial animals, research on marine animal morphogenesis is still insufficient. The increasing genomicdata and the recently available gene editing methods, together with the fast development of imaging techniques, quantitativeanalyses and biophysical models, provide us the opportunities to have a deeper understanding of the principles that drivethe diverse morphogenetic processes in marine animals. In this review, we summarize the recent studies of morphogenesisand evolution at molecular, cellular and tissue levels, with a focus on three model marine animals, namely ascidians, seaurchins and sea anemones.
文摘The leafy seadragon(Phycodurus eques)or Glauert’s seadragon is one of the most ornately camouflaged creatures on this planet.It is found in temperate South Australian waters,where its colouration and gossamer leaf-shaped appendages give it excellent camouflage on kelp-covered rocky reefs.Leafy seadragons are very poor swimmers and rely on their camouflage to avoid predation.Reaching lengths up to 50 cm,they are relatively large compared with their next relatives,the pipefish.
基金We would like to thank Qian lab members for helpful discussion.We also thank Drs.Sunnie Tompson(University of Alabama)for providing us with the CrPV reporter construct and Vincent Mauro(Te Scripps Research Institute)for sending us constructs expressing 18S rRNA.We thank Cornell University Life Sciences Core Laboratory Center for performing deep sequencing.Tis work was supported by grants to Shu-Bing Qian from National Institutes of Health(R01AG042400)DOD Idea Award(W81XWH-14-1-0068),and HHMI Faculty Scholar(55108556).
文摘Upon initiation at a start codon,the ribosome must maintain the correct reading frame for hundreds of codons in order to produce functional proteins.While some sequence elements are able to trigger programmed ribosomal frameshifing(PRF),very little is known about how the ribosome normally prevents spontaneous frameshif errors that can have dire consequences if uncorrected.Using high resolution ribosome profling data sets,we discovered that the translating ribosome uses the 3�end of 18S rRNA to scan the AUG-like codons afer the decoding process.Te postdecoding mRNA:rRNA interaction not only contributes to predominant translational pausing,but also provides a retrospective mechanism to safeguard the ribosome in the correct reading frame.Partially eliminating the AUG-like“sticky”codons in the reporter message leads to increased+1 frameshif errors.Remarkably,mutating the highly conserved CAU triplet of 18S rRNA globally changes the codon“stickiness”.Further supporting the role of“sticky”sequences in reading frame maintenance,the codon composition of open reading frames is highly optimized across eukaryotic genomes.Tese results suggest an important layer of information embedded within the protein-coding sequences that instructs the ribosome to ensure reading frame fdelity during translation.
