Relationship between deterrence and toxicity of plant secondary compounds for the alfalfa weevil Hypera brunneipennis

A variety of plant secondary compounds, several of which are quite widespread in nature were tested for their deterrence to the specialist coleopteran Hypera brunneipennis (Boheman) in short-term behavioral assays. The compounds were nicotine, quinine, sparteine, hordenine, linamarin, amygdalin, sinigrin, morin, juglone, chlorogenic acid, digitonin, mimosine, diosgenin, rutin and ursolic acid. Nine of these were then tested for their post-ingestional effects over one to two weeks of adult life, using fecundity as a measure of the effects. In only one case was there any indication of a detrimental effect or any trend suggesting one. The evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.     

Models for Trypanosoma evansi (surra), its control and economic impact on small-hold livestock owners in the Philippines

Simple demographic and infectious disease models of buffaloes and other domestic hosts for animal trypanosomosis (surra) caused by Trypanosoma evansi were developed. The animal models contained deterministic and stochastic elements and were linked to simulate the benefit of control regimes for surra in village domestic animal populations in Mindanao, Philippines. The impact of the disease on host fertility and mortality were key factors in determining the economic losses and net-benefit from the control regimes. If using a high (99%) efficacy drug in surra-moderate to high risk areas, then treating all animals twice each year yielded low prevalence in 2 years; targeted treatment of clinically sick animals, constantly monitored (monthly), required 75% fewer treatments but took longer to reach a low prevalence than treating all animals twice each year. At high drug efficacy both of these treatment strategies increased the benefit over untreated animals by 81%. If drug efficacy declined then the benefit obtained from twice yearly treatment of all animals declined rapidly compared with regular monitoring and targeting treatment to clinically sick animals. The current control regimen applied in the Philippines of annual sero-testing for surra and only treating sero-positive animals provided the lowest net-benefit of all the control options simulated and would not be regarded as effective control. The total net-benefit from effective surra control for a typical village in a moderate/high risk area was 7.9 million pesos per annum (US $158,000). The value added to buffaloes, cattle, horses, goats/sheep and pigs as a result of this control was US $88, $84, $151, $7, $114 per animal/year, respectively.     

Familial breast/ovarian cancer and BRCA1/2 genetic screening: the role of immunohistochemistry as an additional method in the selection of patients.

Only 20-25% of families screened for BRCA1/2 mutations are found positive. Because only a positive result is informative, we studied the role of BRCA1/2 immunohistochemistry as an additional method for patient selection. From 53 high-risk-affected probands, 18 (34%) had available paraffin blocks of their tumors and were selected for this study. Mutation screening was done by conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. For immunohistochemistry, 21 neoplastic specimens (15 breast carcinomas, 5 ovary neoplasms, and 1 rectal adenocarcinoma) were analyzed with BRCA1 (monoclonal antibody, Ab-1, oncogene) and BRCA2 (polyclonal antibody, Ab-2, oncogene) antibodies. Absence of the BRCA1 protein was confirmed in negative tumors by Western blotting. Seven patients were positive for BRCA1/2 mutations: 5 for BRCA1 and 2 for BRCA2. Four out of five positive patients had tumors negative for BRCA1 immunostaining, and the remaining 13 BRCA1-negative patients had positive BRCA1 immunostaining in all tumor samples. Sensitivity to predict for BRCA1 mutation carriers was 80%, and specificity was 100%, with a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 93%. This correlation was statistically significant (p=0.001). No correlation was observed for BRCA2. If larger studies confirm these results, high-risk patients with BRCA1-negative tumors should be screened first for this gene.     

Cross reactive antigens of Acholeplasma laidlawii and L-form of Staphylococcus aureus]

We demonstrated that the membrane of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8 and L-form of Staphylococcus aureus, both of which induce cellular immunity in BALB/c mice, were antigenically related each other. Foodpad responses of the mice immunized with a mixture of either antigen and Freund's complete adjuvant showed clearly a cross reaction when challenged with the other antigen. Cross responses to incorporate 3H-thymidine to the spleen lymphocytes of the mice immunized with either antigen occurred in the presence of the other antigen. Furthermore, the purified T cells, but not B cells, of the spleen were activated in the presence of antigen-presenting cells. These antigens existing in the membrane fractions of both microorganisms were purified by Razin's method. Finally, these membrane components of A. laidlawii and L-form of S. aureus were subjected to gel electrophoresis and transferring to nitrocellulose membrane and used to stimulate the spleen lymphocytes of the mice immunized with A. laidlawii or of non-immunized mice. The fractions representing molecular weights of approximately 45 kD, 25 kD, and 13 kD of both microorganisms consistently stimulated the lymphocytes of the immunized mice but not those of non-immunized mice.     

Mitochondrial protein synthesis is inhibited by 2'-5' linked oligoadenylic acid triphosphate

An exogenously added mixture of 2′ 5′-oligoadenylic acid triphosphates (2-5A) inhibits the protein synthesis of mitochondria isolated from Raji cells. The required concentration of 2-5As for substantial inhibition of mitochondrial protein synthesis is much higher than that required for inhibition of cytoplasmic protein synthesis.