Inhibitory effect of Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. and Piper aduncum L. essential oils from Ecuador on West Nile virus infection

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible of neuroinvasive manifestations. Natural products are well-known for their biological activities and pharmaceutical application. In this study, the inhibitory effects of essential oils (EOs) of Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. and Piper aduncum L. on WNV replication were investigated. WNV was incubated with EOs before adsorption on Vero cells, viral replication was carried out in the absence or presence of EO. Cells were exposed to EO before the adsorption of untreated-virus. GC-MS and GC-FID were used for chemical characterization of EOs. Cell protection from infection was observed for both EOs. P. aduncum EO was characterized by dillapiole as main compound (48.21%) and O. quixos EO by 1,8-cineole (39.15%). Further investigations, such as the study of molecular and cellular mechanisms of action and in vivo evaluation, should be performed on these essential oils to derive new potential drugs against WNV.     

Hip joint replacement surgery for idiopathic osteoarthritis aggregates in families

In order to determine whether there is a genetic component to hip or knee joint failure due to idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA), we invited patients (probands) undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty for management of idiopathic OA to provide detailed family histories regarding the prevalence of idiopathic OA requiring joint replacement in their siblings. We also invited their spouses to provide detailed family histories about their siblings to serve as a control group. In the probands, we confirmed the diagnosis of idiopathic OA using American College of Rheumatology criteria. The cohorts included the siblings of 635 probands undergoing total hip replacement, the siblings of 486 probands undergoing total knee replacement, and the siblings of 787 spouses. We compared the prevalence of arthroplasty for idiopathic OA among the siblings of the probands with that among the siblings of the spouses, and we used logistic regression to identify independent risk factors for hip and knee arthroplasty in the siblings. Familial aggregation for hip arthroplasty, but not for knee arthroplasty, was observed after controlling for age and sex, suggesting a genetic contribution to end-stage hip OA but not to end-stage knee OA. We conclude that attempts to identify genes that predispose to idiopathic OA resulting in joint failure are more likely to be successful in patients with hip OA than in those with knee OA.     

Distribution of internal secretory structures in Tagetes patda (Asteraceae)

Poli, E, Sacchetti, G. & Bruni, A. 1995. Distribution of internal secretory structures in Tagetes parula (Asteraceae). - Nord. J. Bot. 15: 197–205. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107–055X.
Seedlings and flowering plants of Tagetes patula present secretory reservoirs similar to many other Asteraceae which produce poly acetylenes. These poly acetylene reservoirs (PRs) that contain both thiophenes and essential oils, show a blue-yellow fluorescence and a red colour when observed in the UV and conventional microscope respectively. In the root of the seedlings two arrays of six PRs arise abutting on the endodermis. PRs of branch roots are connected to those in the parent roots. A single layer of "epithelial" non-specialised cells forms the secretory tissue. In the hypocotyl four PRs, characterised by a uniseriate epithelium, arise in the cortex in front of the vascular bundles. In the epicotyl, instead, we found eight PRs localised between the vascular bundles. In the cotyledons, in the leaves and in the flower bracts there are only secretory cavities. In the flowering plant, PRs also occur in the corolla of the tubular and ligulate flowers of the inflorescence, with a typically biseriate epithelium.     

The heterochromatin of grasshoppers from the Caledia captiva species complex. I. Sequence evolution and conservation in a highly repeated DNA family

The restriction enzyme TaqI digests 0.2% of the genomic DNA from the grasshopper Caledia captiva to a family of sequences 168 bp in length (length of consensus sequence). The sequence variation of this "Taq family" of repeat units was examined among four races from C. captiva to assay the pattern of evolution within this highly repeated DNA. The Taq-family repeats are located in C-banded heterochromatin on at least one member of each homologous pair of chromosomes; the locations range from centromeric to telomeric. Thirty-nine cloned repeats isolated from two population 1A individuals along with 11 clones from seven populations taken from three of the races demonstrated sequence variation at 72 positions. Pairwise comparisons of the cloned repeats, both within an individual and between different races, indicate that levels of intraspecific divergence, as measured by reproductive incompatibility, do not correlate with sequence divergence among the 168-bp repeats. A number of subsequences within the repeat remain unchanged among all 50 clones; the longest of these is 18 bp. That the same 18-bp subsequence is present in all clones examined is a finding that departs significantly (P less than 0.01) from what would be expected to occur at random. Two other cloned repeats, from a reproductively isolated race of C. captiva, have sequences that show 56% identity with this 18-bp conserved region. An analysis showed that the frequency of occurrence of an RsaI recognition site within the 168- bp repeat in the entire Taq family agreed with that found in the cloned sequences. These data, along with a partial sequence for the entire Taq family obtained by sequencing uncloned repeats, suggest that the consensus sequence from the cloned copies is representative of this highly repeated family and is not a biased sample resulting from the cloning procedure. The 18-bp conserved sequence is part of a 42-bp sequence that possesses dyad symmetry typical of protein-binding sites. We speculate that this may be significant in the evolution of the Taq family of sequences.      

Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase isoenzyme forms and lipoproteins in normal and pathological sera

The molecular nature of serum (from normal subjects and from patients affected by various hepatobiliary diseases) gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) isoenzymes has been studied by selective lipoprotein precipitation. Some fractions co-precipitate with LDL + VLDL (pre-beta-, beta-, beta/gamma-, gamma-, and dep-GGT fractions) or with HDL (partial precipitation of alpha 1-GGT in cirrhosis). Alpha 1-GGT + alpha 2-GGT in normal subjects, and Alb-GGT did not precipitate with either of the precipitation treatments. Total GGT and its isoenzymes were stable at 4 degrees C and at -20 degrees C for at least 20 days, with the exception of Alb-GGT which at -20 degrees C decreased by 20%. The percentage of GGT associated with LDL + VLDL appeared to be a possible marker to discriminate liver tumors from cirrhosis. A cut-off value of 20 U/L of this marker yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 87% and a diagnostic specificity of 85%.     

Memorization of contextual and CS conditioned fear response (freezing) in a one-trial acquisition paradigm.

In fear-conditioned Wistar rats freezing was induced by the delivery of a series of footshocks paired to tones (CS) in a specific conditioning chamber (context). CS and contextual fear were acquired in the same single conditioning session without preexposition to the conditioning chamber (day 1). Different groups of animals were conditioned employing three increasing US (footshock) intensities (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 mA). During the retention sessions context and CS conditioned freezing (fear response) were measured using a paradigm that fulfilled the following conditions: i) CS freezing retention was measured in a context different from the conditioning one; ii) CS and context freezing were measured at increased delays after the training session (days 3 and 4, 14 and 15, 28 and 29). The results show that there are significant differences between CS and context freezing retention, which are clearly related to delay after the initial session and to US intensity. In particular: 1) conditioned freezing to a discrete tone is better retained than conditioned freezing to context (irrespective of US intensity); 2) context freezing is directly related to US intensity much more than to tone freezing; 3) context freezing is easier to extinguish than tone freezing. The results are discussed in relation to previous ones and to their relevance to freezing genesis neural correlates.     

Intercalation of proflavine and a platinum derivative of proflavine into double-helical Poly(A)

The equilibria and kinetics of the interactions of proflavine (PR) and its platinum-containing derivative [PtCl(tmen)(2)HNC(13)H(7)(NHCH(2)CH(2))(2)](+) (PRPt) with double-stranded poly(A) have been investigated by spectrophotometry and Joule temperature-jump relaxation at ionic strength 0.1 M, 25 degrees C, and pH 5.2. Spectrophotometric measurements indicate that base-dye interactions are prevailing. T-jump experiments with polarized light showed that effects due to field-induced alignment could be neglected. Both of the investigated systems display two relaxation effects. The kinetic features of the reaction are discussed in terms of a two-step series mechanism in which a precursor complex DS(I) is formed in the fast step, which is then converted to a final complex in the slow step. The rate constants of the fast step are k(1) = (2.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(-1) = (2.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) s(-1) for poly(A)-PR and k(1) = (2.3 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(-1) = (1.6 +/- 0.2) x 10(3) s(-1) for poly(A)-PRPt. The rate constants for the slow step are k(2) = (4.5 +/- 0.5) x 10(2) s(-1), k(-2) = (1.7 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) s(-1) for poly(A)-PR and k(2) = 9.7 +/- 1.2 s(-1), k(-2) = 10.6 +/- 0.2 s(-1) for poly(A)-PRPt. Spectrophotometric measurements yield for the equilibrium constants and site size the values K = (4.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) M(-1), n = 1.3 +/- 0.5 for poly(A)-PR and K = (2.9 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) M(-1), n = 2.3 +/- 0.6 for poly(A)-PRPt. The values of k(1) are similar and lower than expected for diffusion-limited reactions. The values of k(-1) are similar as well. It is suggested that the formation of DS(I) involves only the proflavine residues in both systems. In contrast, the values of k(2) and k(-2) in poly(A)-PRPt are much lower than in poly(A)-PR. The results suggest that in the complex DS(II) of poly(A)-PRPt both proflavine and platinum residues are intercalated. In addition, a very slow process was detected and ascribed to the covalent binding of Pt(II) to the adenine.     

Prediction bands and intervals for the scapulo-humeral coordination based on the Bootstrap and two Gaussian methods

Quantitative motion analysis protocols have been developed to assess the coordination between scapula and humerus. However, the application of these protocols to test whether a subject's scapula resting position or pattern of coordination is “normal”, is precluded by the unavailability of reference prediction intervals and bands, respectively. The aim of this study was to present such references for the “ISEO” protocol, by using the non-parametric Bootstrap approach and two parametric Gaussian methods (based on Student's T and Normal distributions).