The antibacterial activity of Vernonia cinerea (L.) extract was investigated using the broth dilution method. The extract showed a favorable antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) value of 3.13 mg/mL. V. cinerea extract at (1/2), 1, or 2 times the MIC significantly inhibited bacterial growth with a noticeable drop in optical density (OD) of the bacterial culture, thus confirming the antibacterial activity of the extract on P. aeruginosa. Imaging using scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy was done to determine the major alterations in the microstructure of the extract-treated P. aeruginosa. The main abnormalities noted via SEM and TEM studies were the alteration in morphology of the bacterial cells. The main reason for this destruction was the severe alterations of the cell wall with the formation of holes, invaginations, and morphological disorganization caused by the extract. The authors conclude that the extract may be used as a candidate for the development of antimicrobial agents.
The authors describe the case of a 50-year-old man with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO), diabetes mellitus (DM), and coronary artery disease. The patient had no cardiac conduction abnormalities. During coronary artery bypass surgery, his heart and two skeletal muscles were biopsied. All three muscles showed ragged red fibers. The heart muscle showed significant glycogen accumulation. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) showed a 5019-base-pair deletion, with no duplications. There were morphologically abnormal mitochondria in all 3 muscles, with clinically apparent difference in preservation of function. The combination of diabetes mellitus and mtDNA deletion is fortuitous, as they can be causally linked. The cardiac pathology allows speculation about the possible adaptive processes that may occur in the heart in DM. There are few reported cases with CPEO and excess glycogen in the heart. Most show deposition of fat and poorer clinical outcomes as compared to those with glycogen deposition. This observation may lend support to the hypothesis that in the myocardium, adaptive responses are mediated via changes in glucose handling, whereas alterations in fat metabolism likely represent maladaptation.
Despite intense preclinical research focusing on developing potential strategies of mitigating spinal cord injury (SCI), SCI still results in permanent, debilitating symptoms for which there are currently no effective pharmacological interventions to improve the recovery of the fine ultrastructure of the spinal cord. Spirulina platensis is thought to have potential neuroprotective effects. We have previously demonstrated its protective potential on the lesioned corticospinal tracts and behavioral recovery. In this study, spirulina, known for its neuroprotective properties was used to further explore its protective effects on spinal cord gray matter ultrastructural. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were used and divided into sham group (laminectomy without SCI), control group (SCI without S. platensis), and S. platensis group (SCI + 180 mg/kg S. platensis). All animals were anesthetized via intramuscular injection. A partial crush injury was induced at the level of T12. The rats were humanely sacrificed for 28 days postinjury for ultrastructural study. There were significant mean differences with respect to pairwise comparisons between the ultrastructural grading score of neuronal perikarya of control and the S. platensis following injury at day 28, which correlates with the functional locomotor recovery at this timepoint in our previous study. The group supplemented with spirulina, thus, revealed a better improvement in the fine ultrastructure of the spinal cord gray matter when compared to the control group thereby suggesting neuroprotective potentials of spirulina in mitigating the effects of spinal cord injury and inducing functional recovery.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results from penetrating or compressive traumatic injury to the spine in humans or by the surgical compression of the spinal cord in experimental animals. In this study, the neuroprotective potential of Spirulina platensis was investigated on ultrastructural and functional recovery of the spinal cord following surgical-induced injury. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups; sham group, control (trauma) group, and experimental (S. platensis) group (180 mg/kg) of eight rats each. For each group, the rats were then subdivided into two groups to allow measurement at two different timepoints (day 14 and 28) for the microscopic analysis. Rats in the control and experimental S. platensis groups were subjected to partial crush injury at the level of T12 with Inox number 2 modified forceps by compressing on the spinal cord for 30 s. Pairwise comparisons of ultrastructural grading mean scores difference between the control and experimental S. platensis groups reveals that there were significant differences on the axonal ultrastructure, myelin sheath and BBB Score on Day 28; these correlate with the functional locomotor recovery at this timepoint. The results suggest that supplementation with S. platensis induces functional recovery and effective preservation of the spinal cord ultrastructure after SCI. These findings will open new potential avenue for further research into the mechanism of S. platensis-mediated spinal cord repair.
Mefenamic acid (MFA) treatment is associated with a number of cellular effects that potentiate the incidence of renal toxicity. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential ultrastructural alterations induced by various preparations of MFA (free MFA, MFA-Tween 80 liposomes, and MFA-DDC liposomes) on the renal tissues. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a daily dose of MFA preparations for 28 days. Renal biopsies from all groups of rats under study were processed for transmission electron microscopic examination. The findings revealed that MFA preparations induced various ultrastructural alterations including mitochondrial injury, nuclear and lysosomal alterations, tubular cells steatosis, apoptotic activity, autophagy, and nucleophagy. These alterations were more clear in rats received free MFA, and MFA-Tween 80 liposomes than those received MFA-DDC liposomes. It is concluded that MFA-DDC liposomes are less potential to induce renal damage than free MFA and MFA-Tween 80 liposomes. Thus, MFA-DDC liposomes may offer an advantage of safe drug delivery.
Mefenamic acid (MFA) is used as an anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic agent for treatment of a wide range of pathological disorders. While the uncertainty of its safety and the poor oral bioavailability constitute the major limiting factors of its medical use, considerable efforts including liposomal encapsulation are needed to achieve maximum therapeutic advantages. The current work was conducted to investigate the ultrastructural alterations in the liver induced by free MFA and its liposomal preparation. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with daily oral doses of either free MFA or MFA entrapped in Tween 80 inoculated liposomes at the concentration of 80 mg/kg for 28 days. Ultrathin sections were prepared from biopsies taken from the liver of each member of all animals under study and subjected to examination by transmission electron microscopy. The liver of rats that were exposed to liposomal MFA showed more ultrastructural alterations than the rats treated with the free drug. While both groups of rats demonstrated sinusoidal dilatation, Kupffer cell hyperplasia, mitochondrial damage, and nuclear alterations, rats treated with liposome-encapsulated MFA induced an increase in the multiple lysosomes formation, hepatocytic steatosis, and apoptotic activity than free MFA-treated rats. The ultrastructural findings of the present study indicate that the use of liposomal MFA induces more hepatic damage than the use of free MFA.