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“We examined the expression of galectin-1, an selleck inhibitor endogenous lectin with one carbohydrate-binding domain, in the adult mouse hippocampus after systemic kainate administration. We found that the expression of galectin-1 was remarkably

increased in activated astrocytes of the CA3 subregion and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and in nestin-positive neural progenitors in the dentate gyrus. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that the galectin-1 mRNA level in hippocampus began to increase 1 day after kainate administration and that a 13-fold increase was attained within 3 days. Western blotting analysis confirmed that the level of galectin-1 protein increased to more than three-fold a week after the exposure. We showed that isolated astrocytes express and secrete galectin-1. To clarify selleck the significance of the increased expression of galectin-1 in hippocampus, we compared the levels of hippocampal cell proliferation in galectin-1 knockout and wild-type mice after saline or kainate administration. The number of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells detected in the subgranular zone (SGZ)

of galectin-1 knockout mice decreased to 62% with saline, and to 52% with kainate, as compared with the number seen in the wild-type mice. Most of the BrdU-positive cells in SGZ expressed doublecortin and neuron-specific nuclear protein, indicating that they are immature neurons. We therefore concluded that galectin-1 promotes basal and kainate-induced proliferation of neural progenitors in the hippocampus.”
“Cattle are poisoned by N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine type (MSAL-type) and 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine type (MDL-type) norditerpenoid alkaloids in Delphinium spp. Alkaloids in D. glaucescens are primarily of the MSAL-type, while D. barbeyi is a mixture of MSAL and

MDL-types. The objectives of this study were to determine and compare the toxicokinetics of selected alkaloids from D. glaucescens and D. barbeyi in cattle. The two species of larkspur were dosed to three groups of Angus steers via oral gavage at doses of 8 mg kg(-1) MSAL-type alkaloids for D. barbeyi and either 8.0 or 17.0 mg kg(-1) MSAL-type alkaloids for D. glaucescens. In cattle dosed with D. barbeyi, serum deltaline (MDL-type) concentrations Z-DEVD-FMK cost peaked at 488 +/- 272 ng ml(-1) at 3 h and serum methyllycaconitine (MSAL-type) concentrations peaked at 831 +/- 369 ng ml(-1) at 6 h. Delta line was not detected in the serum of cattle dosed with D. glaucescens. Serum methyllycaconitine concentrations peaked at 497 +/- 164 ng ml(-1) at 18 h, and 1089 +/- 649 ng ml(-1) at 24 h for the 8 mg kg(-1) and 17 mg kg(-1) doses of D. glaucescens respectively. There were significant differences between the maximum serum concentrations and the area under the curve for the two doses of D. glaucescens but not D. barbeyi.