Toad

About: Toad is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1624 publications have been published within this topic receiving 28732 citations.

Partial characterization of pepsins and gastricsins and their zymogens from human and toad gastric mucosae.

Abstract: 1. 1. Three zymogens have been isolated from human gastric mucosae and two from the stomachs of the toad Caudiverbera caudiverbera. 2. 2. Human zymogens I and III were immunologically related and cross-reacted with antisera prepared against porcine pepsinogen. The third, (II), showed no cross-reactivity. 3. 3. Human zymogens I and III and toad zymogen ZII gave rise to two human pepsins and to a pepsin-like enzyme, respectively. 4. 4. Human zymogen II (gastricsinogen) and toad zymogen ZI gave rise to human gastricsin and to a gastricsin-like enzyme respectively. 5. 5. The toad enzymes showed much greater stability at neutral and alkaline pH values than the human enzymes.

Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of Australian Cane Toad Skins Suppress Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion in U937 Cells via NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Abstract: Toad skin extracts, such as aqueous extracts (AE) of Chinese toad skins, have demonstrated therapeutic benefits for a range of diseases including pain, inflammation, swelling, heart failure, and various types of cancers. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of an AE (0.1-10 μg/mL) and a 60% ethanol extract (EE; 0.1-10 μg/mL) from Australian cane toad (Bufo marinus) skins and the known bioactive compound, bufotenine (BT; 0.1-10 nM). The assay employed a model of the human monocyte cell line U937 stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. We demonstrated that AE, EE, and BT significantly inhibited the release and expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner when the cells were pre-treated at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Further investigation revealed that the inhibition of TNF-α and IL-6 release and expression was associated with the suppression of nuclear factor (NF)-kappa (κ)B activation. These results indicate that AE, EE, and BT are strong inflammation inhibitors, thus have the potential for further development as anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents from a natural source regarded as a feral pest in Australia. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 2769-2780, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sensory activity in the telencephalon of the clawed toad, Xenopus laevis.

Abstract: In this study data are presented providing evidence that the striatum of the clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, processes mechanosensory, acoustic, and visual information and that multisensory interaction takes place in this telencephalic structure. Multimodal processing as well as the considerable effects of stimulus repetition rate on response amplitudes are in line with the finding that the striatum of Xenopus mediates attentional processes (Traub & Elepfandt, 1990). Further physiological studies are needed to delineate the functional organization of the striatum in amphibians.

Axanthism in amphibians: A review and the first record in the widespread toad of the Bufotes viridis complex (Anura: Bufonidae)

Abstract: Axanthism in amphibians is a relatively rare color aberration reported less often than leucism or albinism. It is caused by lack of specific types of pigment cells in the skin, namely xanthophores, erythrophores, and iridophores. Here, we present the first case of occurrence of this aberration in a widely distributed toad of the green toad ( Bufotes viridis ) complex and provide an extensive review of axanthism occurrence in amphibians. So far it has been reported in more than 20 species from nine families of amphibians with the highest occurrence in the family Ranidae.

Dual action of aldosterone on toad bladder: Na+ permeability and Na+ pump modulation.

Abstract: The effects of aldosterone on the functional characteristics of the Na+ entry step across the apical membrane and on the Na+ exit step across the basolateral membrane of the urinary bladder of toad...