The herbal drink “Attoté” has been widely used in the Abidjan district to treat a number of illnesses, notably erectile dysfunction. Despite the popularity of its therapeutic effects, very few studies have been carried out on its effects on the health of users. The aim of this study was to identify the constituents contained in the phytomedicinal product and to assess their potential adverse effects in vivo. Phytochemical screening was conducted to identify the bioactive molecules in “Attoté” and to evaluate its hepatic effects in vivo. Forty (40) Wistar rats, randomly divided into 4 groups, with 10 animals per group (5 males and 5 females) were used to study potential hepatotoxic effects. Group 1 animals (control group) received distilled water. Batches I, II and III received by gavage a volume of Attoté extract corresponding to 1 ml/100 g body weight at 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg, respectively. Attoté extract was administered daily at the same time for 28 days, and serum was collected every two weeks to assess hepatic biochemical markers by spectrophotometry using a Cobas C311® HITACHI biochemistry system. After one month of study, the rats were euthanized by ether overdose and the livers were harvested for morphological and histopathological analysis. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, polyphenols, leucoanthocyanes, anthraquinones and quinones. Hepatic biochemical and hematological parameters such as red globular, hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALPs) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) showed no significant change (p > 0.05) in the treated rat group compared with controls. However, these variations were moderate and transient, with values remaining almost within their standard limits. Microscopic observations of liver tissue sections from treated rats showed no liver damage or dysfunction. This study merits further investigation, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the cytotoxic me
Currently, animal and clinical research on biomaterials, such as surgical sutures, are mainly performed by removing them from the experiment targets and observing them by microscopy. However, traditional microscopy is not able to observe the internal structure, and there is a risk of sacrificing animals to remove the suture and damaging the materials. Therefore, we introduced optical coherence tomography (OCT) to observe and evaluate four different kinds of surgical sutures in vivo (monofilament absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures and braided absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures). As a result, while the monofilament nonabsorbable sutures showed almost no change over time, the absorbable sutures had color fading and it was also confirmed that the internal structure became chaotic due to decomposition, which improved the OCT signal intensity. For the braided sutures, both absorbable and nonabsorbable, we found that the reflection signal improved from week 0 because blood got among the filaments of sutures and dried during recovery which increased OCT signal from week 0 to week 1. We also confirmed that the braided sutures untwisted over time. All four kinds of sutures were pulled due to the movement of rats during recovery. It is expected that OCT technology will be of great help in in vivo experiments on biomaterials such as sutures.
Cartilage is a highly specialized connective tissue that provides structure,flexibility,and strength to joints and serves as a crucial precursor to bone formation throughout embryonic growth and development.Cartilage formation relies on chondrocytes,which play a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis by producing substantial amounts of extracellular matrix(ECM)and ground substance.
Shirong JinHongfei ZhangJia LiHuaxing ZiJiulin DuHongyu Li
Sequence-activated chemiluminescence(CL)technique offers a unique approach to detecting specific biomolecules or cellular events with high sensitivity and spatial resolution.The fundamental principle behind sequence-activated CL probes involves tailoring highly-controllable CL signals in response to specific sequences or events of interest,thus enabling high-contrast signals under complex physiological conditions.This sequential activation could be triggered by enzymes,reactive oxygen species(ROS),biothiols or changes in the microenvironment.These unique sequence-activated CL probes bestow several advantages,including minimal background,deep-tissue penetration,and the ability of non-invasive or minimally invasive detection.The sequence-activated CL techniques represent a significant advancement in molecular imaging and diagnostics.In this mini-review,we focus on the latest developments in sequential CL probes,addressing the technical challenges and discussing the future trajectory by harnessing CL signaling and molecular recognition.
Antipalu is a phytomedicinal medicinal beverage that is popular in the District of Abidjan, particularly for the treatment of malaria. However, Antipalu could present potential health effects on patients, and few toxicological studies have been conducted before its use. In order to determine the cytotoxicity of Antipalu, two complementary tests, LDH activity and the MTT cell proliferation assay, were used using Vero cells. Vero cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of Antipalu and incubated for 24, 48 and 72 hours. In addition, forty (40) rats distributed randomly into 4 groups, including 10 animals per group (5 males and 5 females) were used for the potential hepatoxic effects. Animals in group 1 received distilled water and were used as a control group. On the other hand, Lot I, II and III received by gavage a volume of the Antipalu extract corresponding to 1 ml/100 g of body weight at 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 800 mg/kg, respectively. The extract was administered daily at the same time for 28 days and serum was collected once a week to evaluate hepatic biochemical markers. After 28 days of study, all rats were euthanized by an overdose of ether and the liver of the rats was removed for gross morphological and histopathological analysis. The results of the cell supernatant assay showed an increasing extracellular LDH enzyme activity with lethal concentrations at 10% and 50% (LC10 = 111 µg/mL and LC50 = 555 µg/mL, respectively). In addition, the MTT assay showed a decrease in mitochondrial activity and thus cell proliferation after 24, 48 and 72 H of incubation. Our study showed that Antipalu caused alterations in the plasma membranes of the cells, resulting in the release of lactase dehydrogenase (LDH) into the external environment and a decrease in the mitochondrial activity of the Vero cells. The biochemical parameters ALT, ASAT, ALPs, and GGT showed no significant change (P > 0.05) in the group of treated rats compared to the controls. However, these variations were moderate and transient, with value
The organotypic retinal explant culture has been established for more than a decade and offers a range of unique advantages compared with in vivo experiments and cell cultures.However,the lack of systematic and continuous comparison between in vivo retinal development and the organotypic retinal explant culture makes this model controversial in postnatal retinal development studies.Thus,we aimed to verify the feasibility of using this model for postnatal retinal development studies by comparing it with the in vivo retina.In this study,we showed that postnatal retinal explants undergo normal development,and exhibit a consistent structure and timeline with retinas in vivo.Initially,we used SOX2 and PAX6 immunostaining to identify retinal progenitor cells.We then examined cell proliferation and migration by immunostaining with Ki-67 and doublecortin,respectively.Ki-67-and doublecortin-positive cells decreased in both in vivo and explants during postnatal retinogenesis,and exhibited a high degree of similarity in abundance and distribution between groups.Additionally,we used Ceh-10 homeodomain-containing homolog,glutamate-ammonia ligase(glutamine synthetase),neuronal nuclei,and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 immunostaining to examine the emergence of bipolar cells,Müller glia,mature neurons,and microglia,respectively.The timing and spatial patterns of the emergence of these cell types were remarkably consistent between in vivo and explant retinas.Our study showed that the organotypic retinal explant culture model had a high degree of consistency with the progression of in vivo early postnatal retina development.The findings confirm the accuracy and credibility of this model and support its use for long-term,systematic,and continuous observation.
