A wound signal originates at the site of injury in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) leaf tissue and propagates into adjacent tissue where it induces a number of physiological responses which include increased phenolic metabolism with the de novo synthesis of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5), the synthesis and accumulation of soluble phenolic compounds (e.g., chlorogenic acid), and subse...

The effects of an opioid agonist, [d-Ala2]methionine enkephalinamide (DAME), administered into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM) or caudal ventrolateral medulla (cVLM) on cardiovascular responses to isometric muscle contraction were determined in anesthetized rats. A 30-s contraction evoked by tibial nerve stimulation increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) by 34 ± 6 m...

Bromate (BrO(3)(-)) in drinking water is traditionally seen as an ozonation byproduct from the oxidation of bromide (Br(-)), and its formation during chlorination is usually not significant. This study shows enhanced bromate formation during chlorination of bromide-containing waters in the presence of cupric oxide (CuO). CuO was effective to catalyze hypochlorous acid (HOCl) or hypobromous acid...

The present study investigated for the first time some physical quality attributes of unripe Citrus × myrtifolia Rafinesque which is the ingredient of the popular soft drink Chinotto. Samples for analysis were processed to better reproduce the crude materials used for industrial chinotto extract, discarding part of the juice. Fruit bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid, carotenoids, chlorop...

To assess nickel-induced toxicity in plants, Zea mays seeds were germinated and cultured on nutrient solution with nickel concentrations of 50-200 μM for a period of two weeks. Observed biological makers included biomass, soluble and total protein contents, and the activities of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in the l...

The hepatic transport of hippuric acid (HA), a glycine-conjugated metabolite of benzoic acid that exhibits only modest plasma albumin binding (binding association constant of 2.1 × 103M-1), was studied in the single-pass perfused rat liver (12 ml/min), using the multiple indicator dilution (MID) technique. The venous recovery of [3H]HA on portal venous injection of a MID dose containing a mixtu...

Decreased generation of nitric oxide (NO) by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) characterizes endothelial dysfunction (ECD). Delivery of arginine to eNOS by cationic amino acid transporter-1 (CAT-1) was shown to modulate eNOS activity. We found in female rats, but not in males, that CAT-1 activity is preserved with age and in chronic renal failure, two experimental models of ECD. In contrast, durin...

Field experiments were carried out to study the interactive effects of plastic mulch and tillage method on yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) during 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Mulch levels in the study were plastic-mulching (PM; black plastic mulch) and no-mulching (NM) and tillage treatments were conventional tillage (CT; moldboard plowing + two passes of disk harrowing)...