Rupam Sharma

Zingiber officinale exhibits behavioral radioprotection against radiation-induced CTA in a gender-specific manner

At the organismic level, exposure to radiation can produce taste aversion (CTA) learning and emesis, which have been proposed as behavioral endpoints that are mediated by harmful effects of radiations on peripheral systems, primarily the gastrointestinal system. Thus, the aim of the present investigation was to study the gastroprotective action of hydroalcoholic extract of zingiber rhizome (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) against radiation-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in both male and female species of animals, for testing its potential as a behavioral radioprotector. Administration of zingiber extract 1 h before 2-Gy gamma-radiation was significantly effective in blocking the saccharin avoidance response, with 200 and 250 mg/kg b.wt. i.p., being the most effective doses for male and female rats, respectively. A comparison of the efficacy of zingiber extract with two antiemetic drugs, ondansteron and dexamethasone, revealed that the extract rendered comparable protection against radiation-induced CTA. Our experiments also confirmed the existence of sex dichotomy (i.e., the sex of animal greatly influenced response towards radiation exposure) in relation to behavioral responses (CTA) or differential metabolism. The observed gender variations were hypothesized to be a result of hormonal fluctuations and differences in pharmacological parameters in male and female rats. To correlate the mechanism of action, the free-radical-scavenging potential of zingiber extract to scavenge hydroxyl ion and nitric oxide was also tested, in cell-free system and a concentration of 1000 microg/ml, was found to be the most potent, which has been proposed as one the many activities assisting in its overall ability to modulate radiation-induced taste aversion. The results demonstrate that Z. officinale possesses antioxidant, radioprotective and neuromodulatory properties that can be effectively utilized for behavioral radioprotection and for efficiently mitigating radiation-induced CTA in both males and females species.

Cellular metabolic, stress, and histological response on exposure to acute toxicity of endosulfan in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus).

Endosulfan is one of the most hazardous organochlorines pesticides responsible for environmental pollution, as it is very persistent and shows bio‐magnification. This study evaluated the impact of acute endosulfan toxicity on metabolic enzymes, lysozyme activities, heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 expression, and histopathology in Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). Among the indicators that were induced in dose dependent manner were the enzymes of amino acid metabolism (serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase), carbohydrate metabolism (serum lactate dehydrogenase), pentose phosphate pathway (Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase) as well as lysozyme and Hsp70 in liver and gill, while liver and gill Isocitrate dehydrogenase (TCA cycle enzyme) and marker of general energetics (Total adenosine triphosphatase) were inhibited. Histopathological alterations in gill were clubbing of secondary gill lamellae, marked hyperplasia, complete loss of secondary lamellae and atrophy of primary gill filaments. Whereas in liver, swollen hepatocyte, and degeneration with loss of cellular boundaries were distinctly noticed. Overall results clearly demonstrated the unbalanced metabolism and damage of the vital organs like liver and gill in Tilapia due to acute endosulfan exposure.

Chitosan-nanoconjugated hormone nanoparticles for sustained surge of gonadotropins and enhanced reproductive output in female fish.

A controlled release delivery system helps to overcome the problem of short life of the leutinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) in blood and avoids use of multiple injections to enhance reproductive efficacy. Chitosan- and chitosan-gold nanoconjugates of salmon LHRH of desired size, dispersity and zeta potential were synthesized and evaluated at half the dose rate against full dose of bare LHRH for their reproductive efficacy in the female fish, Cyprinus carpio. Whereas injections of both the nanoconjugates induced controlled and sustained surge of the hormones with peak (P<0.01) at 24 hrs, surge due to bare LHRH reached its peak at 7 hrs and either remained at plateau or sharply declined thereafter. While the percentage of relative total eggs produced by fish were 130 and 67 per cent higher, that of fertilised eggs were 171 and 88 per cent higher on chitosan- and chitosan-gold nanoconjugates than bare LHRH. Chitosan nanoconjugates had a 13 per cent higher and chitosan gold preparation had a 9 per cent higher fertilization rate than bare LHRH. Histology of the ovaries also attested the pronounced effect of nanoparticles on reproductive output. This is the first report on use of chitosan-conjugated nanodelivery of gonadotropic hormone in fish.

Potential of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Preventive Management of Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Pandemic: Thwarting Potential Disasters in the Bud.

The emergence of novel H1N1 has posed a situation that warrants urgent global attention. Though antiviral drugs are available in mainstream medicine for treating symptoms of swine flu, currently there is no preventive medicine available. Even when available, they would be in short supply and ineffective in a pandemic situation, for treating the masses worldwide. Besides the development of drug resistance, emergence of mutant strains of the virus, emergence of a more virulent strain, prohibitive costs of available drugs, time lag between vaccine developments, and mass casualties would pose difficult problems. In view of this, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) offers a plethora of interesting preventive possibilities in patients. Herbs exhibit a diverse array of biological activities and can be effectively harnessed for managing pandemic flu. Potentially active herbs can serve as effective anti influenza agents. The role of CAM for managing novel H1N1 flu and the mode of action of these botanicals is presented here in an evidence-based approach that can be followed to establish their potential use in the management of influenza pandemics. The complementary and alternative medicine approach deliberated in the paper should also be useful in treating the patients with serious influenza in non pandemic situations.

Expression analysis of Sox9 genes during annual reproductive cycles in gonads and after nanodelivery of LHRH in Clarias batrachus

Transcription factor Sox9 plays a crucial role in determining the fate of several cell types and is a primary factor in regulation of gonadal development. Present study reports full-length cDNA sequence of Sox9a gene and partial coding sequence (cds) of Sox9b (two duplicate orthologs of Sox9 gene) from Clarias batrachus. The coding region of Sox9a gene encoded a peptide of 460 amino acids. The partial cds of Sox9b with the length of 558bp was amplified that codes for 186 amino acids. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that Sox9a and Sox9b mRNA expression was significantly higher in gonads and brain tissues. Furthermore Sox9a and Sox9b mRNA expression levels were high during preparatory and pre-spawning phases and decreased gradually with onset of spawning and post-spawning phases of reproductive cycles in gonads. Chitosan nanoconjugated sLHRH (CsLHRH) of particle size 133.0nm and zeta potential of 34.3mV were synthesized and evaluated against naked sLHRH (salmon luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone). The entrapment efficiency of CsLHRH was 63%. CsLHRH nanoparticles increased the expression level of Sox9 transcripts in gonads and steroid hormonal levels in blood of male and female. Thus, our findings clearly indicate that Sox9 genes play essential role during seasonal variation of gonads. Besides, the current study reports that sustained release delivery-system will be helpful for proper gonadal development of fish. To the best of our knowledge, till date no study has been reported on nanodelivery of sLHRH and their effect on reproductive gene expression in fish.

Effect of tanniferous leaf meal based multi-nutrient blocks on feed intake, hematological profile, immune response, and body weight changes in Haemonchus contortus infected goats

Aim: The aim was to assess the effect of multi nutrient block (MNB) supplementation with and without tanniferous leaf meal mixture on feed intake, hematological profile, immune response, and body weight changes of goats that were experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Materials and Methods: Total 12 adult male goats of similar age and body weight (26.49±0.87) were allocated in 3 groups in completely randomized design. MNB supplemented in first two groups i.e. in T1 (no infection) and T2 (H. contortus infection @ 1500 L3/goat) group, while, MNB-condensed tannin (CT) supplemented in T3 (H. contortus infection @ 1500 L3/goat + CT source). All goats were fed concentrate mixture @ 100 g/day/goat, ad lib wheat straw and MNB or MNB-CT to meet their requirement for maintenance. Body weights were recorded and blood and fecal samples were collected at 0 day and thereafter at 15 days intervals for a period of 75 days for the assessment of body weight changes, hematological profile and H. contortus loads. Both humoral and cell-mediated immune (CMI) response were assessed at the end of feeding trial. Results: Mean hemoglobin and packed cell volume (PCV) levels were found to be highest (p<0.001, p<0.05) in T1 group followed by T3 group and lowest values were observed in T2 group. However, The PCV values between T1 and T3 groups were found to be statistically non-significant (p<0.05). The humoral and CMI response were significantly (p<0.036) higher in T3 group as compared to T2 group. MNB-CT supplementation significantly (p<0.001) reduced fecal egg counts in T3 group as compared to MNB supplemented T2 group. Conclusion: Supplementation of MNB-CT could be used as an alternative sustainable method to control H. contortus and maintained health status and performance of goats in face of parasitic challenge.

Mint oil (Mentha spicata Linn.) offers behavioral radioprotection: a radiation-induced conditioned taste aversion study.

Mentha spicata Linn. (mint), a herb well known for its gastroprotective properties in the traditional system of medicine has been shown to protect against radiation‐induced lethality, and recently its constituents have been found to possess calcium channel antagonizing properties. The present study examined the behavioral radioprotective efficacy of mint oil (obtained from Mentha spicata), particularly in mitigating radiation‐induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA), which has been proposed as a behavioral endpoint that is mediated by the toxic effects of gamma radiation on peripheral systems, primarily the gastrointestinal system in the Sprague‐Dawley rat model. Intraperitoneal administration of Mentha spicata oil 10% (v/v), 1 h before 2 Gy gamma radiation, was found to render significant radioprotection against CTA (p < 0.05), by blocking the saccharin avoidance response within 5 post‐treatment observational days, with the highest saccharin intake being observed on day 5. This finding clearly demonstrates that gastroprotective and calcium channel antagonizing properties of Mentha spicata can be effectively utilized in preventing radiation‐induced behavioral changes. Copyright

In silico analysis and expression studies of kisspeptin gene in C. catla

We report the characterization of kisspeptin gene which is considered to be essential for successful animal reproduction. The full-length cDNA sequence of kiss2 was 583 bp, consisted of 11 bp 5′-UTR (untranslated region) and 194 bp 3′-UTR, respectively. Open reading frame of 378 bp encoding a putative protein of 125 amino acids. The Catla catla kiss2 protein was having a molecular weight of 14.51 kDa and isoelectric point (pI) of 8.46. There were four serine (Ser), four threonine (Thr) and two tyrosine (Tyr) phosphorylation sites and no N-glycosylation sites on the predicted protein. The amino acids on positions 8, 11, 24, 80 and 114 were detected to be ligand binding sites. The signal peptide analysis predicted that C. catla kiss2 is a secretory protein. Kiss2 protein is localized in nuclear region (49.7%) and the extracellular region (38.3%) of the cell. Analysis of tissue distribution revealed that, kiss2 transcripts were predominantly expressed in the brain and gonads, with expression levels in female higher than those of male. Ontogenetic analysis of kiss2 demonstrated that expression level was low during early phase of development stages and more expression was observed during mature stage. Overall present results lay a strong basis for understanding the role of kisspeptin in the neuroendocrine system in teleosts.

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene expression construct: Development, nanodelivery and effect on reproduction in air-breathing catfish, Clarias batrachus

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is responsible for the relocation of cholesterol across mitochondrial membrane in vertebrates and is, therefore, a key factor in regulating the rate and timing of steroidogenesis. In the present study, we developed chitosan nanoparticle (CNP) conjugated StAR gene construct (CNP-pcDNA4-StAR) in a eukaryotic expression vector, pcDNA4/HisMax A. CNPs of 135.4nm diameter, 26.7mV zeta potential and 0.381 polydispersity index were used for conjugation. The loading efficiency (LE) of pcDNA4-StAR construct with CNPs was found to be 86%. After the 24h of intramuscular injection, the CNP-pcDNA4-StAR plasmid could be detected from testis, brain, kidney and muscle tissues of Clarias batrachus. The transcript levels of important reproductive genes viz. cyp11a1, cyp17a1, 3β-hsd, 17β-hsd and cyp19a1 in CNP-pcDNA4-StAR treated group were initially low up to 24h, but significantly increased subsequently up to 120h. In naked pcDNA4-StAR treated group, the mRNA level of 3β-hsd, 17β-hsd and cyp19a1 increased initially up to 24h, while cyp11a1 and cyp17a1 increased up to 48h and then started declining. Similar results were obtained for 11-Ketotestosterone and 17β-estradiol. The results indicate relatively long lasting effects of nano-conjugated construct compared to the construct alone. Furthermore, the histopathology of gonads and liver authenticates its possible role in the gonadal development in fish without any adverse effect.

Microsatellite Markers to Determine Population Genetic Structure in the Golden Anchovy, Coilia dussumieri

Coilia dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1848) commonly called as golden anchovy, constitutes a considerable fishery in the northern part of both the west and east coasts of India. Despite its clear-cut geographic isolation, the species is treated as a unit stock for fishery management purposes. We evaluated 32 microsatellite primer pairs from three closely related species (resource species) belonging to the family Engraulidae through cross-species amplification in C. dussumieri. Successful cross-priming was obtained with 10 loci, which were sequenced for confirmation of repeats. Loci were tested for delineating the genetic stock structure of four populations of C. dussumieri from both the coasts of India. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 18, with a mean of 12.3. Results of pairwise FST indicated genetic stock structuring between the east and west coast populations of India and also validated the utilization of identified microsatellite markers in population genetic structure analysis.