BACKGROUND Ultrasound gels may contain propylene glycol and glycerol, which are neurotoxic in high concentrations. If the needle passes through gel during regional anesthesia, gel may be injected near the nerve. It is unknown if this practice poses a risk for neurotoxicity. Using an animal model, we assessed the histological changes of perineural propylene glycol on nerves. We then assessed thr...

Carbendazim is usually used to control the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum of rapes during the flowering period. This paper presents a study on transfer assessment of carbendazim residues from rape flowers to apicultural products. In the field trials, the rapes were sprayed with carbendazim on standard dosage. Bees produced apicultural products (bee pollen, honey, and royal jelly) from sprayed rapes. ...

The extracellular matrix components are differentially distributed among various structures of the umbilical cord. Wharton's jelly is especially rich in collagens and growth factors. Cathepsin B is a major cysteine protease involved in collagen degradation, as well as in the activation of precursor forms of other collagenolytic enzymes and growth factors. We assessed the activity and expression...

Observations of magnetic field effects on biological systems have often been contradictory. For amphibian eggs, a review of the available literature suggests that part of the discrepancies might be resolved by considering a previously neglected parameter for morphological alterations induced by magnetic fields--the jelly layers that normally surround the egg and are often removed in laboratory ...

Many echinoderms spawn large numbers of eggs in rapid spawning bouts directly into the water column. During spawning, the eggs pass from the gonad along a narrow oviduct and through a rigid gonopore before reaching the water. As the eggs traverse this pathway, they are exposed to shear stress induced by the development of a velocity gradient within the fluid formed by the eggs. In some species,...

Impaired wound healing is a severe clinical challenge and research into finding effective wound healing strategies is underway as there is no ideal treatment. Gelatinous material from the umbilical cord called Wharton's jelly is a valuable source of mesenchymal stem cells which have been shown to aid wound healing. While the cellular component of Wharton's jelly has been the subject of extensiv...

The influx of Ca2+ and its subsequent intracellular increase are required for the acrosome reaction of sea urchin sperm to occur. Spermatozoa must undergo this reaction, which is triggered by the egg jelly, in order to fertilize the egg. Here, the egg jelly-induced Ca2+ influx mechanisms have been studied in sperm loaded with FURA-2 using Mn2+ under the assumption that this divalent ion is an i...

IN the analysis of events immediately preceding and following fertilization of the frog egg, it is frequently desirable to treat the eggs with various reagents. Any such treatment must circumvent the barrier represented by the fertilization membrane and the jelly layers. These membranes can be removed from fertilized eggs mechanically or by treatment with proteolytic enzymes (Spiegel, 1951) wit...

Background: Chronic diabetes mellitus is accompanied with enhanced oxidative stress and reduce the activity of antioxidant defense system. Due to significant role of enhanced oxidative stress in development of testes damage in diabetices, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of royal jelly on oxidative stress marker in testis tissue of diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: In this ex...

Objective(s):Paclitaxel is a potent chemotherapy agent with severe side effects, including allergic reactions, cardiovascular problems, complete hair loss, joint and muscle pain, which may limit its use and lower its efficiency. The cardioprotective effect of royal jelly was investigated on paclitaxel-induced damages. Materials and Methods:Adult male Wistar rats were divided into control and te...