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The properties of biochar derived from waste activated sludge and anaerobic digestion sludge under pyrolysis temperature varying from 400°C to 800°C were investigated. The heavy metals adsorption efficiency of the sludge-derived biochar was also examined. Among the biochar samples tested, ADSBC600 possessing highly porous structure, special surface chemical behaviors and high thermal stability was found to remove Pb 2+ from aqueous solutions efficiently with an adsorption capacity of 51.20mg/g. The Pb 2+ adsorption kinetics and isotherm for ADSBC600 can be described using the pseudo second-order model and Langmuir isotherm, respectively. Analysis of the characteristics of biochar before and after metal treatment suggests that electrostatic attraction, precipitation, surface complexation and ion exchange are the possible Pb 2+ removal mechanisms. This study demonstrates a successful example of waste refinery by converting anaerobic digestion sludge to feasible heavy metal adsorbents to implement the concept of circular economy., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Radiation-induced pneumonitis and fibrosis are major complications following thoracic radiotherapy. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tissue injury leading to organ fibrosis, including lung. Our previous studies have reported that radiation can induce EMT in the type II alveolar epithelial cells in both in vitro and in vivo . HDAC inhibitors are a new family of anti-cancer agents currently being used in several clinical trials. In addition to their intrinsic anti-tumor properties, HDAC inhibition is also important in other human diseases, including fibrosis and radiation-induced damage. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Trichostatin A (TSA), a HDAC inhibitor, on radiation-induced EMT in type II alveolar epithelial cells (RLE-6TN). Pre-treatment of RLE-6TN cells with TSA inhibited radiation-induced EMT-like morphological alterations including elevated protein level of α-SMA and Snail, reduction of E-cadherin expression, enhanced phosphorylation of GSK3β and ERK1/2, increased generation of ROS. Radiation enhanced the protein level of TGF-β1, which was blocked by N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant. Treating cells with SB-431542, TGF-β1 type I receptor inhibitor, diminished radiation-induced alterations in the protein levels of p -GSK-3β, Snail-1 and α-SMA, suggesting a regulatory role of TGF-β1 in EMT. Pre-incubation of cells with TSA showed significant decrease in the level of TGF-β1 compared to radiation control. Collectively, these results demonstrate that i] radiation-induced EMT in RLE-6TN cells is mediated by ROS/MEK/ERK and ROS/TGF-β1 signaling pathways and ii] the inhibitory role of TSA in radiation-induced EMT appears to be due, at least in part, to its action of blocking ROS and TGF-β1 signaling., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No conflicts of interest.

Background: Forelimb Asymmetry Test is a simple test of motor function, using exploration behavior of a rat in a novel environment and counting the number of times that a rat touches the wall with either forepaw. Our lab has noticed, however, that there appears to be an increased number of fingertip touches to the wall following a stroke in the impaired forelimb., New Method: We counted the number of times that the animal either laid its palm flat against the wall of the chamber or touched the wall with only its fingertips, for both the left and right forepaws. We also separated bouts of exploration, so we could clearly determine if fingertip touches normally were associated with a transition from resting state to exploration state., Results and Comparison With Existing Methods: Fishers exact test indicated that there were significant differences in the way that the animals touched the wall pre-stroke compared to post-stroke, with more fingertip touches occurring post-stroke. Counting palm touches as normal and fingertip touches as abnormal increases the sensitivity of the Forelimb Asymmetry analysis and gives a good correlation with the contralateral functional deficits determined by Montoya Staircase post-stroke. If we counted every wall touch as normal (palm touches and fingertip touches), we see a loss of sensitivity and a poor correlation with contralateral function as determined by Montoya Staircase., Conclusions: This refinement of the Forelimb Asymmetry analysis improves correlation with Montoya Staircase contralateral function after stroke., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a carbohydrate-rich microalga Neochloris aquatica CL-M1 was adapted to grow in swine wastewater. The effects of cultivation conditions (i.e., temperature, light intensity or N/P ratio) on COD/nutrients removal and carbohydrate-rich biomass production were investigated. The results indicate that the highest COD removal (81.7%) and NH 3 -N removal (96.2%) was achieved at 150µmolm -2 s -1 light intensity, 25°C and N/P ratio=1.5/1. The highest biomass concentration and carbohydrate content was 6.10gL -1 and 50.46%, respectively, when N/P ratio=5/1. The resulting carbohydrate-rich microalgal biomass was pretreated and used as a feedstock for butanol fermentation. With the initial sugar concentration of 48.7gL -1 glucose and 3.4gL -1 xylose in the pretreated biomass, the butanol concentration, yield, and productivity were 12.0gL -1 , 0.60molmol -1 sugar, and 0.89gL -1 h -1 , respectively, indicating the high potential of using Neochloris aquatica CL-M1 for butanol fermentation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biosorption has emerged as a promising alternative approach for treating wastewater with dilute metal contents in a green and cost effective way. In this study, extracellular proteins of an isolated thermophilic bacterium (Tepidimonas fonticaldi AT-A2) were used as biosorbent to recover precious metal (i.e., Au) from wastewater. The Au (III) adsorption capacity on the T. fonticaldi AT-A2 proteins was the highest when the pH was set at about 4.0-5.0. The adsorption capacity increased with increasing temperature from 15 to 70°C. Adsorption isotherm studies show that both Langmuir and Freundrich models could describe the adsorption equilibrium. The maximum adsorption capacity of Au (III) at 50°C and pH 5 could reach 9.7mg Au/mg protein. The protein-based biosorbent was also used for the recovery of Au from a wastewater containing 15mg/L of Au, achieving a high adsorption capacity of 1.45mg Au/mg protein and a removal efficiency of 71%., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Methylglyoxal (MG), a metabolic intermediate of glycolysis is a precursor for endogeneous production of advanced glycation end-products. The increased production of MG have negative influence over the structure and function of different biomolecules and thus plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiac complications. Retinoic acid (RA), an active metabolite of vitamin A, has a major role in preventing cardiac remodeling and ventricular fibrosis. Hence, the objective of the present study was to determine whether rats administered with all-trans retinoic acid (RA) could attenuate MG induced pathological effects. Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 rats were kept as control; Group 2 rats were administrated with MG (75 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. Group 3 rats were given RA (Orally, 1.0 mg/kg/day) along with MG; Group 4 rats received RA alone. Cardiac antioxidant status, induction of fibrosis, AGE receptor (RAGE) and cytokines expression was evaluated in the heart tissues. Administration of MG led to depletion of antioxidant enzymes, induction of fibrosis (p < 0.001), up-regulated expression of RAGE (3.5 fold), TGF-β (4.4 fold), SMAD2 (3.7 fold), SMAD3 (6.0 fold), IL-6 (4.3 fold) and TNF-α (5.5 fold) in the heart tissues compared to control rats. Moreover, the exogenous administration of MG caused significant (p < 0.001) increase in the circulating CML levels. Whereas, RA treatment prevented the induction of fibrosis and restored the levels of cytokines and RAGE expression. Methylglyoxal-induced fibrosis can lead to pathological effects in the heart tissues. RA attenuates the effects of MG in the heart, suggesting that it can be of added value to usual diabetic therapy.

One of the best options to alleviate the problems associated with global warming and climate change is to reduce burning of fossil fuels and search for new alternative energy resources. In case of biodiesel and bioethanol production, the choice of feedstock and the process design influences the GHG emissions and appropriate methods need to be adapted. Hydrogen is a zero-carbon and energy dense alternative energy carrier with clean burning properties and biohydrogen production by microalgae can reduce production associated GHG emissions to a great extent. Biohydrogen can be produced through dark fermentation using sugars, starch, or cellulosic materials. Microalgae-based biohydrogen production is recently regarded as a promising pathway for biohydrogen production via photolysis or being a substrate for anaerobic fermentation. This review lists the methods of hydrogen production by microalgae. The enzymes involved and the factors affecting the biohydrogen production process are discussed. The bottlenecks in microalgae-based biohydrogen production are critically reviewed and future research areas in hydrogen production are presented., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microalgae contribute up to 60% of the oxygen content in the Earth's atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis. Microalgae are abundantly available in the natural environment, thanks to their ability to survive and grow rapidly under harsh and inhospitable conditions. Microalgal cultivation is environmentally friendly because the microalgal biomass can be utilized for the productions of biofuels, food and feed supplements, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. The cultivation of microalgal also can complement approaches like carbon dioxide sequestration and bioremediation of wastewaters, thereby addressing the serious environmental concerns. This review focuses on the factors affecting microalgal cultures, techniques adapted to obtain high-density microalgal cultures in photobioreactors, and the conversion of microalgal biomass into biofuels. The applications of microalgae in carbon dioxide sequestration and phycoremediation of wastewater are also discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Although microalgae can serve as an appropriate alternative feedstock for biofuel production, the high microalgal cultivation cost has been a major obstacle for commercializing such attempts. One of the feasible solution for cost reduction is to couple microalgal biofuel production system with wastewater treatment, as microalgae are known to effectively eliminate a variety of nutrients/pollutants in wastewater, such as nitrogen/phosphate, organic carbons, VFAs, pharmaceutical compounds, textile dye compounds, and heavy metals. This review aims to critically discuss the feasibility of microalgae-based wastewater treatment, including the strategies for strain selection, the effect of wastewater types, photobioreactor design, economic feasibility assessment, and other key issues that influence the treatment performance. The potential of microalgae-bacteria consortium for treatment of industrial wastewaters is also discussed. This review provides useful information for developing an integrated wastewater treatment with microalgal biomass and biofuel production facilities and establishing efficient co-cultivation for microalgae and bacteria in such systems., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The contribution and insights of the immobilization technology in the recent years with regards to the generation of (bio)hydrogen via dark fermentation have been reviewed. The types of immobilization practices, such as entrapment, encapsulation and adsorption, are discussed. Materials and carriers used for cell immobilization are also comprehensively surveyed. New development of nano-based immobilization and nano-materials has been highlighted pertaining to the specific subject of this review. The microorganisms and the type of carbon sources applied in the dark hydrogen fermentation are also discussed and summarized. In addition, the essential components of process operation and reactor configuration using immobilized microbial cultures in the design of varieties of bioreactors (such as fixed bed reactor, CSTR and UASB) are spotlighted. Finally, suggestions and future directions of this field are provided to assist the development of efficient, economical and sustainable hydrogen production technologies., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The application of light and continuous forces for optimum physiological response and the least damage to the tooth supporting structures should be the primary aim of an orthodontist. Nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys with their desirable properties are one of the natural choices of the clinicians., Aim: This study was aimed to compare and rank them based on its tensile strength and electrical resistivity., Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of eight groups of 0.017 inch × 0.025 inch rectangular archwires from eight different manufacturers, and five samples from each group for tensile testing and nine samples for electrical resistivity tests were used. Data for stress at 10% strain and the initial slope were statistically analyzed with an analysis of variance and Scheffe tests with P < 0.05. The stress/strain plots of each product were ranked for superelastic behavior. The rankings of the wires tested were based primarily on the unloading curve's slope which is indicative of the magnitude of the deactivation force and secondarily on the length of the horizontal segment which is indicative of continuous forces during deactivation. For calculating the electric resistivity, the change in resistance after inducing strain in the wires was taken into account for the calculation of degree of martensite transformation and for ranking., Results: In tensile testing Ortho Organizers wires ranked first and GAC Lowland NiTi wires ranked last. For resistivity tests Ormco A wires were found superior and Morelli remained last., Conclusion: these rankings should be correlated clinically and need further studies.

Introduction: The cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method is a vital tool for assessing the biological maturation of the orthodontic patient to evaluate the amount of mandibular bone growth left., Aim: To assess and visualize the cervical vertebral morphology (bone density) of orthodontic patients of the age group 9,16,27 years., Material and Methods: Twenty four subjects with age group of 9,16,27 who were randomly selected and subjected to 3d tomographic study to estimate the biological age of the orthodontic patients by analyzing c1 c2 and c3 vertebrae., Result: The results showed that bone density of males is lesser than females in 9 and 16 years, whereas they have more bone density than females in 27 years., Conclusion: The study provides qualitative method of assessing the biological age of the patient by using images of cervical vertebrae by three dimensional approach. Hence it can be useful for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment plan.

Background: Computational protein design is a rapidly maturing field within structural biology, with the goal of designing proteins with custom structures and functions. Such proteins could find widespread medical and industrial applications. Here, we have adapted algorithms from the Rosetta software suite to design much larger proteins, based on ideal geometric and topological criteria. Furthermore, we have developed techniques to incorporate symmetry into designed structures. For our first design attempt, we targeted the (α/β)8 TIM barrel scaffold. We gained novel insights into TIM barrel folding mechanisms from studying natural TIM barrel structures, and from analyzing previous TIM barrel design attempts., Methods: Computational protein design and analysis was performed using the Rosetta software suite and custom scripts. Genes encoding all designed proteins were synthesized and cloned on the pET20-b vector. Standard circular dichroism and gel chromatographic experiments were performed to determine protein biophysical characteristics. 1D NMR and 2D HSQC experiments were performed to determine protein structural characteristics., Results: Extensive protein design simulations coupled with ab initio modeling yielded several all-atom models of ideal, 4-fold symmetric TIM barrels. Four such models were experimentally characterized. The best designed structure (Symmetrin-1) contained a polar, histidine-rich pore, forming an extensive hydrogen bonding network. Symmetrin-1 was easily expressed and readily soluble. It showed circular dichroism spectra characteristic of well-folded alpha/beta proteins. Temperature melting experiments revealed cooperative and reversible unfolding, with a Tm of 44 °C and a Gibbs free energy of unfolding (ΔG°) of 8.0 kJ/mol. Urea denaturing experiments confirmed these observations, revealing a Cm of 1.6 M and a ΔG° of 8.3 kJ/mol. Symmetrin-1 adopted a monomeric conformation, with an apparent molecular weight of 32.12 kDa, and displayed well resolved 1D-NMR spectra. However, the HSQC spectrum revealed somewhat molten characteristics., Conclusions: Despite the detection of molten characteristics, the creation of a soluble, cooperatively folding protein represents an advancement over previous attempts at TIM barrel design. Strategies to further improve Symmetrin-1 are elaborated. Our techniques may be used to create other large, internally symmetric proteins.

Most physiological processes in living systems are fundamentally regulated by protein-ligand interactions. Understanding the process of ligand recognition by proteins is a vital activity in molecular biology and biochemistry. It is well known that the residues present at the binding site of the protein form pockets that provide a conducive environment for recognition of specific ligands. In many cases, the boundaries of these sites are not well defined. Here, we provide a web-server to systematically evaluate important residues in the binding site of the protein that contribute towards the ligand recognition through in silico alanine-scanning mutagenesis experiments. Each of the residues present at the binding site is computationally mutated to alanine. The ligand interaction energy is computed for each mutant and the corresponding ΔΔG values are calculated by comparing it to the wild type protein, thus evaluating individual residue contributions towards ligand interaction. The server will thus provide a ranked list of residues to the user in order to obtain loss-of-function mutations. This web-tool can be freely accessed through the following address: http://proline.biochem.iisc.ernet.in/abscan/.

Background: Pre- and postablation atrial fibrillation (AF) brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were shown to predict increased recurrence of AF following ablation., Objective: Our objective was to assess whether elevated BNP levels merely represent the presence of AF at the time of measurement or indeed the true recurrence of AF., Methods and Results: In a prospective study of 88 patients undergoing AF ablation, BNP levels were measured immediately before, after, 24 h, and 4-6 months postablation. BNP levels were stratified by presenting rhythm and ventricular rate at the time of measurement. Median BNP level preablation was higher in patients presenting in AF compared to sinus rhythm (SR) (54(44-79) pg/ml vs. 30(18-47) pg/ml, p < 0.001). Postablation restoration of SR in patients presenting in AF reduced median BNP levels from 54(44-79) pg/ml to 40(37-51) pg/ml, (p < 0.001). However, no change was noted in patients who presented in and maintained SR throughout the procedure (30(18-47) pg/ml to 27(16-40) pg/ml, p = 0.270). At 4-6 months, BNP measured in patients in SR was not significantly different from postablation BNP (35(22-53) pg/ml vs. 38(20-52) pg/ml, p = 0.656), although 35% of them had AF recurrence in 1-year follow-up. Median BNP level measured in five patients while in atrial arrhythmia was elevated compared to postablation BNP (464(421-464) pg/ml to 37(36-37) pg/ml, p = 0.043). BNP levels and ventricular rates are positively correlated at all times pre- and postablation., Conclusions: BNP level rises acutely during AF and with rapid ventricular rates. BNP level seems to be a function of atrial rhythm and ventricular rate rather than short- or long-term predictor of AF ablation success.

Most of the biological processes are governed through specific protein-ligand interactions. Discerning different components that contribute toward a favorable protein- ligand interaction could contribute significantly toward better understanding protein function, rationalizing drug design and obtaining design principles for protein engineering. The Protein Data Bank (PDB) currently hosts the structure of ∼68 000 protein-ligand complexes. Although several databases exist that classify proteins according to sequence and structure, a mere handful of them annotate and classify protein-ligand interactions and provide information on different attributes of molecular recognition. In this study, an exhaustive comparison of all the biologically relevant ligand-binding sites (84 846 sites) has been conducted using PocketMatch: a rapid, parallel, in-house algorithm. PocketMatch quantifies the similarity between binding sites based on structural descriptors and residue attributes. A similarity network was constructed using binding sites whose PocketMatch scores exceeded a high similarity threshold (0.80). The binding site similarity network was clustered into discrete sets of similar sites using the Markov clustering (MCL) algorithm. Furthermore, various computational tools have been used to study different attributes of interactions within the individual clusters. The attributes can be roughly divided into (i) binding site characteristics including pocket shape, nature of residues and interaction profiles with different kinds of atomic probes, (ii) atomic contacts consisting of various types of polar, hydrophobic and aromatic contacts along with binding site water molecules that could play crucial roles in protein-ligand interactions and (iii) binding energetics involved in interactions derived from scoring functions developed for docking. For each ligand-binding site in each protein in the PDB, site similarity information, clusters they belong to and description of site attributes are provided as a relational database-protein-ligand interaction clusters (PLIC). Database URL: http://proline.biochem.iisc.ernet.in/PLIC.

Purpose: An association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and/or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is increasingly being identified; yet the role of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) of AF has not been systematically evaluated in these patient populations., Methods: We performed a prospective matched case-control study of AF patients with GERD and/or IBS who underwent RFA for AF in two centers in North America. AF patients with GERD and/or IBS (gastrointestinal [GI] group) were matched by age, gender, and type of AF at each of the centers with an equal number of AF patients without GERD or IBS (non-GI group)., Results: Sixty patients were included in the study with 30 in each group. Mean age of the population was 45 years with 14 (47 %) males and 21 (87 %) patients with paroxysmal AF in each group. More patients in the GI group had identifiable GI triggers for AF episodes. During RFA, more patients in the GI group had a "vagal response" compared to non-GI group (60 vs 13 %; p < 0.001). Left atrial scar as identified by electroanatomical mapping was more common in patients in the non-GI group compared to the GI group (57 vs 27 %; p = 0.018). At 1-year follow-up, 56 (93 %) of the patients were free from AF with no difference between both groups., Conclusions: Majority of AF patients with GERD and/or IBS have triggered AF and a positive vagal response during RFA. RFA is equally effective in this patient population when compared to those without GERD or IBS.

Pneumonitis and fibrosis are major lung complications of irradiating thoracic malignancies. In the current study, we determined the effect of thoracic irradiation on the lungs of FVB/N mice. Survival data showed a dose-dependent increase in morbidity following thoracic irradiation with single (11-13 Gy) and fractionated doses (24-36 Gy) of (137)Cs γ-rays. Histological examination showed a thickening of vessel walls, accumulation of inflammatory cells, collagen deposition, and regional fibrosis in the lungs 14 weeks after a single 12 Gy dose and a fractionated 30 Gy dose; this damage was also seen 5 months after a fractionated 24 Gy dose. After both single and fractionated doses, i] aquaporin-5 was markedly decreased, ii] E-cadherin was reduced and iii] prosurfactant Protein C (pro-SP-c), the number of pro-SP-c(+) cells and vimentin expression were increased in the lungs. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed co-localization of pro-SP-c and α-smooth muscle actin in the alveoli after a single dose of 12 Gy. These data suggest that, i] the FVB/N mouse strain is sensitive to thoracic radiation ii] aquaporin-5, E-cadherin, and pro-SP-c may serve as sensitive indicators of radiation-induced lung injury; and iii] the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition may play an important role in the development of radiation-induced lung fibrosis.

Radiotherapy is one of the major treatment regimes for thoracic malignancies, but can lead to severe lung complications including pneumonitis and fibrosis. Recent studies suggest that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tissue injury leading to organ fibrosis. To investigate whether radiation can induce EMT in lung epithelial cells and also to understand the potential mechanism(s) associated with this change, rat alveolar type II lung epithelial RLE-6TN cells were irradiated with 8 Gy of (137)Cs γ-rays. Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses revealed a time-dependent decrease in E-cadherin with a concomitant increase in α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vimentin after radiation, suggesting that the epithelial cells acquired a mesenchymal-like morphology. Protein levels and nuclear translocation of Snail, the key inducer of EMT, were significantly elevated in the irradiated cells. Radiation also induced a time-dependent inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), an endogenous inhibitor of Snail. A marked increase in phosphorylation of ERK1/2, but not JNK or p38, was observed in irradiated RLE-6TN cells. Silencing ERK1/2 using siRNAs and the MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 attenuated the radiation-induced phosphorylation of GSK3β and altered the protein levels of Snail, α-SMA, and E-cadherin in RLE-6TN cells. Preincubating RLE-6TN cells with N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, abolished the radiation-induced phosphorylation of ERK and altered protein levels of Snail, E-cadherin, and α-SMA. These findings reveal, for the first time, that radiation-induced EMT in alveolar type II epithelial cells is mediated by the ERK/GSK3β/Snail pathway., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with prosthetic valves have a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF). We report a multicenter experience of performing pulmonary vein antral isolation (PVAI) in this challenging, high-risk cohort of patients., Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for sinus rhythm restoration in AF patients with mitral or aortic mechanical prosthetic valves., Methods: A total of 50 patients with prosthetic valves (group I) who underwent RF ablation for AF between January 1, 2007, and April 30, 2009, were identified prospectively at four tertiary care centers. A matched group of 50 patients (group II) acted as controls., Results: Total procedural time (199.4 ± 49 minutes vs 166.6 ± 27.5 minutes, P <.001) and fluoroscopy time (60 ± 17 minutes vs 53.8 ± 6.8 minutes, P <.01) were prolonged, with a higher incidence of atrial flutter at 3 months in group I (18% vs 6%, P = .1) compared to group II. At 12 months, 80% of patients in the valve group were in sinus rhythm after an average of 1.3 procedures, and 82% of controls were in sinus rhythm after an average 1.2 procedures (P = .9). There was a trend toward a higher nonfatal complication rate in the valve group than in the control group (8% vs 4%, P = .1)., Conclusion: In patients with prosthetic valves, RF ablation for AF is feasible, safe, and efficacious, with a trend toward a higher nonfatal complication rate and an increased rate of postablation atrial flutter., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In the present study, ferulic acid (FA), a naturally occurring nutritional compound, was investigated for its protective effect against nicotine-induced toxicity in a dose dependent manner. The toxicity was induced by subcutaneous injection of nicotine at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) for 22 weeks in female albino Wister rats. Simultaneously, rats were treated with FA at three different doses (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w.) via intragastric intubations for 22 weeks. At the end of the experiment, circulatory marker enzymes (i.e. lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase) and tissue (lung, liver and kidney) lipid levels (i.e. cholesterol, free fatty acids, triglycerides and phospholipids) were analysed, which were significantly increased in the nicotine-treated group, whereas FA treatment positively modulated these levels. FA at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. was found to be more effective when compared with the other two doses. The lung, liver and kidney excised from the different groups were fixed and stained to perform histological assessments. The protective effect of FA on histological observations confirms that 20 mg/kg b.w. of FA modulates the deleterious effects of nicotine. The results suggest that FA exerts its inhibitory action against nicotine-induced tissue damage through its antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic properties.