OBJECTIVES Estrogen (E2) has neuroprotective effects on blood-brain-barrier (BBB) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In order to investigate the roles of estrogen receptors (ERs) in these effects, ER-α antagonist (MPP) and, ER-β antagonist (PHTPP), or non-selective estrogen receptors antagonist (ICI 182780) were administered. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ovariectomized rats were divided into 10 gro...

Most dyes related to trypan blue inhibited hemolytic activity of oligonucleotide-streptolysin S (SLS) complex, an exotoxin produced by Streptococcus pyogenes. Order of the inhibition was: trypan blue greater than benzo blue 2B greater than Congo red greater than Evans blue greater than benzo purpurine 4B greater than thiazine red greater than trypan red. When resting streptococcal cells were in...

Although the potency of trypan blue as a teratogenic agent in rodents has been known for almost twenty years the mechanism of its action remains obscure. The dye produces a variety of biological effects (see review by Beck & Lloyd, 1966) and most of these have at some time been suggested as possibly relevant to its teratogenicity. The investigation of such correlations would clearly be assisted...

We assessed a kallikrein-like amidase activity probably related to the kallikrein-kinin system, as well as the participation of leukocyte infiltration in renal ischemia and reperfusion. Male C57BL/KSJmdb mice were subjected to 20 or 60 min of ischemia and to different periods of reperfusion. A control group consisted of sham-operated mice, under similar conditions, except for ischemia induction...

Evans blue dye (EBD) is an inert tracer that measures plasma volume in human subjects and vascular permeability in animal models. Quantitation of EBD can be difficult when dye concentration in the sample is limited, such as when extravasated dye is measured in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) intact brain. The procedure described here used a very small volume (30 µl) per sample replicate, which en...