Ontogeny of interleukin 2 responsive cells in the fetal thymus

The ontogeny of IL 2-responsive cells in the thymus of CBA/J mice was examined in neonatal animals and in fetuses at 14, 16, and 18 to 20 days gestation. The thymocytes were tested for responsiveness to 2 micrograms/ml Con A, TCGF, IL 2, and co-stimulation by Con A plus TCGF or IL 2. These responses were compared with those of thymocytes of 6- to 8-wk-old CBA/J. Thymocytes (1 X 10(5)) were cultured, and the reaction was measured at maximum response (96 hr). Neonatal animals gave an unusually high response to TCGF or partially purified IL 2 alone, approximately five times greater than the adult. A low but significantly enhanced proliferation, stimulated by partially purified IL 2 alone, was observed with 14-day fetal thymocytes, even though cultures of these cells in medium alone had higher background proliferation than any other age tested. In the co-stimulator reaction, proliferation significantly above background was measured at 16 days of gestation with Con A plus TCGF. The magnitude of the co-stimulator reaction increased with age, especially between the 16th and 18th day of gestation and immediately after birth.     

Ammonia formation and soil pH increase caused by decomposing fruitbodies of macrofungi

The formation of gaseous compounds from decomposing fruibodies of three common macrofungi was qualitatively analysed. It was shown that significant production of ammonia took place. When the fruitbodies were decomposing on the surface of a podzolic forest floor more than 90% of the ammonia produced was absorbed by the soil, causing soil pH to increase.     

Electron microscopy of lanthanum in plasma

Summary Aqueous solutions of lanthanum nitrate may be used as electron microscopic tracers in vivo to study vascular permeability in the experimental animal. However, with this technique the size of the tracer particles is not known. To gain information about the tracer size, we injected lanthanum nitrate into the blood circulation of living rabbits. The plasma obtained from such animals 30 min later, was studied with the electron microscope. The plasma contained an electron-dense material, readily visible in the electron microscope. A precipitate obtained after centrifugation of the whole blood to separate the cells, also contained the tracer. Lanthanum was found in large amounts in the fibrin clot obtained after treating the plasma with thrombin. The tracer was not detected in the serum (i.e. thrombin-treated plasma). The study indicates that ionic lanthanum injected into the blood circulation of living rabbits, is to a great extent bound to fibrinogen, and that the smallest possible size of the tracer is that of the fibrinogen,molecule (m. w. 330,000). Larger particles are present as well.     

Preliminary histopathological study of intra-articular injection of a novel highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid in a rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease mostly occurring in the knee and commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly adults. Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid has been widely used for treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular injection of a novel highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid, alone or in combination with ropivacaine hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide, on knee articular cartilage in a rabbit model of collagenase-induced knee osteoarthritis. After induction of experimental osteoarthritis by intra-articular injection of collagenase, adult New Zealand white rabbits (n = 12) were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (control group) received 0.3 ml phosphate buffered saline into the right knee joint. Group 2 received 0.3 ml cross-linked hyaluronic acid (33 mg/ml) into the right knee joint. Group 3 received a mixture of 0.15 ml cross-linked hyaluronic acid (33 mg/ml), 0.05 ml ropivacaine hydrochloride 1 % and 0.1 ml triamcinolone acetonide (10 mg/ml) into the right knee joint. Intra-articular injections were given 4 weeks after first collagenase injection and were administered once a week for 3 weeks. Gross pathology and histological evaluation of rabbits’ knee joints were performed after 16 weeks following initial collagenase injection. Histological analysis of sections of right knee joints at lesion sites showed a significant decrease in Mankin’s score in groups treated with hyaluronic acid alone or in combination with ropivacaine hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide versus control group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively). This evidence was consistent with strong articular degenerative changes in control right knee joints (grade III osteoarthritis), while the treated groups revealed less severe articular degenerative changes (grade II osteoarthritis). The present results show that cross-linked hyaluronic acid, alone or in combination with ropivacaine hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide, produces a significant improvement in knee articular cartilage degeneration in a rabbit model of collagenase-induced osteoarthritis.     

Length–weight relationships of freshwater fishes from the western part of Anatolia,Turkey

Length–weight relationships were calculated for nine freshwater fish species belonging to two families using 1020 specimens from 15 water sources in the western part of Anatolia, Turkey. This study is the first reference on length–parameters for these species, eight of which are endemic, and with new maximum length records for three of the species.     

Airborne pollen concentration in Ankara,Turkey 1990–1993

Atmospheric pollen was collected with a Burkard spore trap in Ankara, Turkey, from January 1990 to January 1993. A total of 135.787 grains/m³ belonging to 47 taxa were observed. The local pollen season started in February in 1990 and 1991 and in March in 1992. Relatively low pollen concentrations were recorded in 1990 and 1992, probably because of precipitation and low wind speed in the spring. A relatively high pollen concentration was recorded in 1991 which could be caused by higher wind speed in the spring and more precipitation during the winter. Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Pinaceae, Gramineae, Betula, Moraceae, Platanus, Populus, Acer, Quercus, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Plantago, Rumex are found to be the dominant pollen types in the atmosphere in Ankara. The pollen composition generally reflects the vegetation of gardens, parks and roadsides, while the natural steppe vegetation of the area around Ankara is not properly represented.     

Clinical and Molecular Manifestations of Congenital Muscular Alpha-Dystroglycanopathy due to an ISPD Gene Mutation

Neurophysiology - Congenital muscular alpha-dystroglycanopaties (MDDGAs) are rare congenital muscular dystrophies that are accompanied by a variety of brain and eye malformations. More than 19 gene...     

Delayed administration of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38 ameliorates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice by modulating Toll-like receptors

We investigated whether pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38 (PACAP38) ameliorates kidney injury after ischemia/reperfusion (IR) by modulating Toll-like receptor (TLR)-associated signaling pathways. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia for 45 min. PACAP38, 20 μg in 100 μl of saline, was administered i.p. at 24 and 48 h after IR, and mice were euthanized at 72 h. In IR mice, PACAP38 maintained serum creatinine near control levels (0.81 ± 0.08 vs. 0.69 ± 0.17 mg/dl in controls, p = NS, vs. 1.8 ± 0.03 in saline-treated IR mice, p < 0.01) and significantly reduced the expression of kidney injury biomarkers. PACAP38 significantly reduced the levels of apoptosis and neutrophil infiltration, and protected against tubular damage. With PCR arrays, 59 of 83 TLR-related genes significantly changed their expression after IR. TLR2 increased 162 fold, followed by Fas-associated death domain (37 fold) and TLR6 (24 fold), while ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 variant 1 (UBE2V1) decreased 55 fold. PACAP38 given 24 and 48 h after IR injury significantly reversed these changes in 56 genes, including TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR6, and genes in the NF-κB pathways. The alterations in TLR2, TLR3, TLR6, and UBE2V1 were confirmed by RT-PCR. After IR, PACAP38 also suppressed protein levels of TLR-associated cytokines. PACAP38 reversed the changes in IR-activated TLR-associated NF-κB signaling pathways even when treatment was delayed 24 h. Therefore, PACAP38 could be an effective therapeutic for unexpected IR-mediated renal injury. The prominently IR-induced TLR-related genes identified in this study could be novel drug targets.     

Effects of Low Temperature on Winter Wheat and Cabbage Leaves

Contents of soluble proteins, proline and chlorophyll in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Doğu-88) and cabbage leaves (Brassica oleracea convar. acephala) during acclimation to low temperature were investigated. When both of the plants species were cold acclimated, soluble proteins, proline and chlorophyll contents were higher than in the controls (non-acclimated). Also protein patterns differed between the plants at control and cold conditions. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.