Vijay K. Bharti

Melatonin Antioxidative Defense: Therapeutical Implications for Aging and Neurodegenerative Processes

The pineal product melatonin has remarkable antioxidant properties. It is secreted during darkness and plays a key role in various physiological responses including regulation of circadian rhythms, sleep homeostasis, retinal neuromodulation, and vasomotor responses. It scavenges hydroxyl, carbonate, and various organic radicals as well as a number of reactive nitrogen species. Melatonin also enhances the antioxidant potential of the cell by stimulating the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, and by augmenting glutathione levels. Melatonin preserves mitochondrial homeostasis, reduces free radical generation and protects mitochondrial ATP synthesis by stimulating Complexes I and IV activities. The decline in melatonin production in aged individuals has been suggested as one of the primary contributing factors for the development of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. The efficacy of melatonin in preventing oxidative damage in either cultured neuronal cells or in the brains of animals treated with various neurotoxic agents, suggests that melatonin has a potential therapeutic value as a neuroprotective drug in treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD), stroke, and brain trauma. Therapeutic trials with melatonin indicate that it has a potential therapeutic value as a neuroprotective drug in treatment of AD, ALS, and HD. In the case of other neurological conditions, like PD, the evidence is less compelling. Melatonin’s efficacy in combating free radical damage in the brain suggests that it can be a valuable therapeutic agent in the treatment of cerebral edema following traumatic brain injury or stroke. Clinical trials employing melatonin doses in the range of 50–100xa0mg/day are warranted before its relative merits as a neuroprotective agent is definitively established.

Effects of Melatonin and Epiphyseal Proteins on Fluoride-Induced Adverse Changes in Antioxidant Status of Heart, Liver, and Kidney of Rats

Several experimental and clinical reports indicated the oxidative stress-mediated adverse changes in vital organs of human and animal in fluoride (F) toxicity. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effect of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) epiphyseal (pineal) proteins (BEP) and melatonin (MEL) against F-induced oxidative stress in heart, liver, and kidney of experimental adult female rats. To accomplish this experimental objective, twenty-four adult female Wistar rats (123–143 g body weights) were divided into four groups, namely, control, F, F + BEP, and F + MEL and were administered sodium fluoride (NaF, 150u2009ppm elemental F in drinking water), MEL (10u2009mg/kg BW, i.p.), and BEP (100u2009µg/kg BW, i.p.) for 28 days. There were significantly (P < 0.05) high levels of lipid peroxidation and catalase and low levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase in cardiac, hepatic, and renal tissues of F-treated rats. Administration of BEP and MEL in F-treated rats, however, significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated these adverse changes in all the target components of antioxidant defense system of cardiac, hepatic, and renal tissues. The present data suggest that F can induce oxidative stress in liver, heart, and kidney of female rats which may be a mechanism in F toxicity and these adverse effects can be ameliorated by buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) epiphyseal proteins and melatonin by upregulation of antioxidant defense system of heart, liver, and kidney of rats.

Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Epiphyseal Proteins Counteract Arsenic-Induced Oxidative Stress in Brain, Heart, and Liver of Female Rats

Arsenic (As) toxicity through induction of oxidative stress is a well-known mechanism of organ toxicity. To address this problem, buffalo epiphyseal proteins (BEP, at 100xa0μg/kg BW, i.p. for 28xa0days) were administered intraperitoneally to female Wistar rats exposed to As (100xa0ppm sodium arsenite via drinking water for 28xa0days). Arsenic exposure resulted in marked elevation in lipid peroxidation in brain, cardiac, and hepatic tissues, whereas significant (pu2009<u20090.05) adverse change in catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and reduced glutathione level were observed in cardiac, hepatic, and brain tissues of As-administered animals. BEP significantly (pu2009<u20090.05) counteracted all the adverse changes in antioxidant defense system brought about by As administration. Based on these results, we consider BEP as a potent antioxidant to be used for protection from arsenic-induced oxidative stress related damage of vital organs.

Cerebral Epiphyseal Proteins and Melatonin Modulate the Hepatic and Renal Antioxidant Defense of Rats

The cerebral epiphysis (pineal gland) secrets melatonin and number of other proteins and peptides. It was thus hypothesized that antioxidant properties of epiphyseal proteins and melatonin could potentially benefit from exogenous therapies. In view of the therapeutic potential of these proteins, the present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of buffalo epiphyseal proteins (BEP, at 100u2009μg/kg BW, i.p.) and melatonin (MEL, at 10u2009mg/kg BW, i.p) on changes in hepatic and renal antioxidant enzymes of adult female Wistar rats. Buffalo epiphyseal proteins significantly (P < .05) increased hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), and renal LPO, catalase (CAT), GR, GSH, GPx levels as compared to control animals. Similarly, MEL treatment significantly (P < .05) up-regulated hepatic SOD and GPx activity, whereas CAT, GR, GPx, and GSH levels in renal tissues were increased while SOD and LPO remained unaffected. Buffalo epiphyseal protein treatment produced greater effects on hepatic GPx and renal CAT and GSH levels than did MEL. These findings support the conclusion that buffalo epiphyseal proteins and melatonin activate a number of antioxidant mechanisms in hepatic and renal tissues.

Evaluation of blood antioxidant defense and apoptosis in peripheral lymphocytes on exogenous administration of pineal proteins and melatonin in rats.

In view of the significant health impact of oxidative stress and apoptosis dysfunction, and further, because of suggestions that administration of antioxidants might reduce apoptosis rate through up-regulation of body antioxidant defense systems, therefore the purpose of this study was to compare the effect of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) pineal proteins (PP at 100xa0μg/kg BW, i.p.) with melatonin (MEL at 10xa0mg/kg BW, i.p.) on blood (erythrocytes) antioxidant defense system and apoptosis in isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes of female Wistar albino rats. The cell viability index (%) and apoptosis index (%), which are directly related to the apoptosis rate of the cells, were used as dependent measures for inferring PP and MEL activity. The total cell viability index did not differ between rats treated with MEL and PP from control animals. The percentage of apoptotic cell death through fluorescence microscopy also did not change in MEL and PP groups as compared with control. DNA fragmentation as an index of apoptosis was detected with propidium iodide staining and assessed by flow cytometry. Pineal proteins and MEL administration caused significant (pu2009<u20090.05) reduction in lipid peroxidation and increased level of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione in erythrocytes as compared with control. Interestingly, we did not observe increase in the non-viable cells and percentage of apoptotic cell death in PP-treated group, controls or in animals in which MEL had been administered. Therefore, the present study confirmed the up-regulation of erythrocytes (blood) antioxidant defense systems and absence of adverse effect on rate of apoptosis in PP and MEL-administered rats under absence of stress or toxicant exposure. Hence, these test agents can be tested for further therapeutic values against adverse apoptosis rate under stress or toxicants exposures.

Sequence analysis of the Toll-like receptor 2 gene of old world camels.

The Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) gene of old world camels (Camelus dromedarius and Camelus bactrianus) was cloned and sequenced. The TLR2 gene of the dromedary camel had the highest nucleotide and amino acid identity with pig, i.e., 66.8% and 59.6%, respectively. Similarly, the TLR2 gene of the Bactrian camel also had the highest nucleotide and amino acid identity with pig, i.e., 85.7% and 81.4%, respectively. Dromedary and Bactrian camels shared 77.9% nucleotide and 73.6% amino acid identity with each other. Interestingly, the amidation motif is present in camel (Dromedary and Bactrian) TLR2 only, and the TIR domain is absent in Dromedary camel TLR2. This is the first report of the TLR2 gene sequence of Dromedary and Bactrian camels.

Overexpression of genes associated with hypoxia in cattle adapted to Trans Himalayan region of Ladakh: Expression of hypoxia genes in high altitude native cattle of Ladakh

Ladakh is an important part of the Trans‐Himalayan region located between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south in the state of Jammu and Kashmir of India. The local cattle from Leh and Ladakh region, known as “Ladakhi cattle” is a unique germplasm having an excellent adaptation potential to high altitude hypobaric stress. In the present study, an effort was made to evaluate the transcriptional pattern of hypoxia inducing factor‐1 (HIF‐1) and several of its regulated genes in PBMCs of local Ladakhi cattle, Holstein Frisian crosses, Jersey (exotic) maintained at high altitude region and Sahiwal (Bos indicus) and Karan Fries (cross bred) cattle maintained in tropical environment. The combined data set indicated increased expression of HIF‐1 and its regulated genes viz., glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hexokinase (HK2) in high altitude cattle indicating their importance in maintaining cellular homeostasis during high altitude hypoxia. The data indicated that hypoxia associated genes accumulated under hypoxic conditions are part of an essential adaptive component for adaptation to the high altitude of the trans‐Himalayan region. In contrary, higher expression of molecular chaperons’ viz., HSP70 and HSP90 in tropically adapted cattle give tolerance to high ambient temperature prevalent in tropical condition. In conclusion, HIF‐1 and its regulatory genes could be termed as important candidates for producing homeostatic responses to hypoxia in cattle populations reared in higher altitudes of the Trans‐Himalayan region.

Evaluation of Physico-Chemical Parameters and Minerals Status of Different Water Sources at High Altitude

Physico-chemical properties and minerals status is an important decisive factor for assessment of drinking water quality. There are limited literatures on this aspect for drinking water quality of high altitude areas; therefore, the present investigation was carried out to evaluate different physico-chemical parameters and some essential minerals status in different drinking water sources. These water samples were collected from different sources like deep tube well, spring, and river from different villages of Leh District, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Thereafter, it was analyzed for physico-chemical parameters viz. dissolve oxygen, alkalinity, hardness, chloride, phosphate, sulphate, and nitrate according to standard methods. Similarly, all the essential minerals viz. sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, sulphur, and manganese were analyzed by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). All the results were compared with the WHO standard for drinking water. The fi ndings of this investigation indicated that dissolved oxygen, alkalinity and hardness were above the desirable level at some places as per WHO standards. Whereas, chloride, nitrate, and sulphate levels were lower in all the water samples collected across the sources. Among all the minerals, iron, potassium and aluminium level were above and sodium, magnesium, and manganese were lower than the desirable level at all the different altitude as per WHO standards. Interestingly, chloride, sodium, sulphur and aluminium level were high in Indus river water collected from the nearby city area. Therefore, it can be concluded that water sources near the city area are more contaminated than the other sites. Hence, present fi ndings indicated variation in physico-chemical parameters and mineral status of water of different sources of high altitude Himalayan region. More or less, the quality of drinking water is suitable for consumption except the hardness and aluminium level. Research Article Evaluation of Physico-Chemical Parameters and Minerals Status of Different Water Sources at High Altitude Vijay K Bharti*, Arup Giri and Krishna Kumar Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), DRDO, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India Dates: Received: 30 December, 2016; Accepted: 12 January, 2017; Published: 18 January, 2017 *Corresponding author: Vijay K Bharti, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), DRDO, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India, E-mail:

Minerals bio-availability in soil, water, forage and dairy cattle at high altitude

Statement of the Problem: A challenge faced when growing fruit in orchards is efficient weed control. Weed control is often done with tractors and mowing devices. The labour intensive nature of this operation causes that the frequency of mowing is limited to a minimum. An autonomous platform that can carry out this operation without human intervention would allow farmers to regularly tackle weeds in their orchards without the large labour requirement. In the design of an autonomous orchard robot, a combination of sensors and navigation algorithms need to be chosen which provides similar or higher navigational accuracies compared to current mowing with manual steering. The objective of this study is to investigate the accuracy of a sensor and algorithm combination for autonomous in-row navigation of an orchard robot.12 and 2012-13 to study the effect of split application of ld (7.25-7.45 t ha-1) and availability of kg ha-1 was significantly superior over the rest treatments. Significantly at par, 10 NPK (75% RDF) N1/3 (7DAT+ MT+PI) P and KStatement of the Problem: Quails are bred for their meat and eggs in East Asia, and are widely used as experimental model animals at research institutes around the world. We are currently focusing on subclinical infection in quail with infectious diseases, such as influenza. Utilization of innate immunity has the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics and to control the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. We identified the gene families of four quail host-defense peptides (HDPs): NK-lysin, liver expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP-2), cathelicidin (CATH) and β-defensin (AvBD), and investigated their genetic diversity.