Peniocereus striatus (Cactaceae) and Euphorbia cryptospinosa (Euphorbiaceae) both produce slender pencil-like stems with stomata restricted to series of furrows separated by bark-covered ribs. In each species, as the stems dehydrate, the ribs come together to close off the furrows. The unusual structure of these stems in two unrelated succulent genera is a remarkable example of evolutionary con...

BACKGROUND Although most studies have focused on the hepatocytes, all the hepatic cells participate in the regenerative process, among them the stellate cells. The stellate cells are mesenchymal cells involved in local neurotransmission and paracrine regulation of several liver functions. Acute hepatic tissue loss promotes the proliferation and activation of stellate cells from a quiescent stat...

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) are able to reduce the formation of the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 and increase nitric oxide bioavailability in human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). We tested the effects of two sulfhydryl-containing ACE-I, zofenoprilat, and captopril, and two nonsulfhydryl containing ACE-I, enalaprilat and lisinopril, on endothelin-1/nitric oxide ...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists are FDA-approved drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and are used to treat heart failure. Combined treatment with the ACEi lisinopril and the nonspecific MR antagonist spironolactone surprisingly improves skeletal muscle, in addition to heart function and pathology in a...

Introduction The risk of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) is high in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) necessitating dose adjustments or the avoidance of drug combinations. This study aimed to evaluate DDIs among patients with CKD in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, South-East Nigeria. Methods This study was a retrospective review of patients with CKD who recei...

UNLABELLED In patients with arterial hypertension (AH) pharmacotherapy often remains ineffective because of comorbid pathology. Research of haemodynamic and metabolic processes in such patients allows prescribe effective antihypertensive medicines, improve life quality and prognosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS 60 patients with AH, coronary artery disease and obesity were divided into three groups: ...

The definition of honey in both standards is the same: “Honey is the natural sweet substance, produced by honey bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ...

The goal of the current research was to synthesis zinc oxide nano-particles (ZnONPs) via simple, cheap and eco-friendly method which include reduction acetate dehydrate ZnONPs by using black currant aqueous extract (BC) as a reducing-agent. characterization stability, size, morphology, present functional groups on surface synthesized ZnOBCNPs were achieved SEM, X–ray diffraction, FTIR spectrosc...

AIMS To investigate the potential role of renalase in adriamycin nephropathy and the effect of lisinopril on the regulation of renalase. METHODS Adriamycin nephropathy was induced in male Wistar rats (n=12) by a single injection of adriamycin at 2 mg/kg body weight. Rats were then randomly assigned to a model group or a treatment group, to which were administered distilled water or the angiot...