These data extend those of Nec-1s our previous study (Carey et al., 2005 [14]) and demonstrate that overt preweaning neurobehavioral effects are apparent in rats exposed to acrylamide pre- and postnatally, but only at the highest doses tested. Published by Elsevier Inc.”
“Aims: African-Americans, in particular women, exhibit disproportionate

levels of hypertension, inflammation, and oxidative stress compared to other ethnic groups. The relationship between prehypertension, renal function, inflammation, and oxidative stress was examined. Methods: Twenty-eight African-American women (53.5 +/- 1.1 years) followed an AHA diet and then underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring. Urinary albumin (uAlb), serum and urinary creatinine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), 24-hour urinary Na(+) excretion, plasma superoxide

dismutase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), urinary (uNOx) and plasma (pNOx) nitric oxide levels, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured. Results: When the group was divided by average 24-hour ABP into optimal and non-optimal groups, a significant difference existed between the groups for uNOx (p = 0.001; nonoptimal: 933.5 +/- 140.4, optimal: 425.0 +/- 52.6 mu mol/gCr), and for hsCRP (p = 0.018, nonoptimal: 3.9 +/- 0.7, optimal: 1.9 +/- 0.6 mg/l). Significant inverse relationships existed between hsCRP and Selleck PF477736 uNOx and between uAlb and pNOx in the non-optimal group, between GFR and pNOx in the entire group, and positive association existed between TAC and uNOx in the optimal group. Conclusions: These results suggest that in

African-American women as BP levels rise toward hypertension, the NO/NOS balance may be associated with renal function, and may have implications for CV risk based on their hsCRP levels. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Teratogenic alkaloids are found in many species of plants including Conium maculatum L., Nicotiana glauca, Nicotiana tabaccum, and multiple Lupinus spp. Fetal musculoskeletal defects produced by alkaloids from these plants include arthrogyropisis, scoliosis, torticollis, kyposis, lordosis, and cleft palate. A pharmacodynamic comparison of the alkaloids ammodendrine, anabasine, anabaseine, Selleck NCT-501 anagyrine, and coniine in SH-SY5Y cells and TE-671 cells was made. These alkaloids and their enantiomers were more effective in depolarizing TE-671 cells which express the human fetal-muscle type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) relative to SH-SY5Y cells which predominately express autonomic nAChRs. The rank order of potency in TE-671 cells was: anabaseine > (+)-anabasine> (-)-anabasine > (+/-)-anabasine > anagyrine > (-)-coniine > (+/-)-coniine > (+)-coniine > (+/-)-ammodendrine > (+)-ammodendrine. The rank order potency in SH-SY5Y cells was: anabaseine > (+)-anabasine > (-)-coniine > (+)-coniine > (+)-ammodendrine > anagyrine > (-)-anabasine > (+/-)-coniine > (+/-)-anabasine> (-)-ammodendrine.