Comparative tissue ascorbic acid studies in fishes

Comparative tissue ascorbic acid levels in four species of major carp viz., Labeo rohila, L. calbasu, Cirrhina tnrigala and Catla catla , were investigated. The ascorbic acid level was found to be the highest in the spleen in the four species studied (range 430–380 μg/g) followed by the anterior (adrenal) kidney, gonads, liver, renal kidney, brain and/or eye. Heart and blood had the lowest levels (range 26–18 μg/ml) amongst the tissues studied. Overall tissue ascorbic acid levels were the highest in L. rohita and the lowest in C. mrigala . Investigation on seasonal variations in blood and kidney ascorbic acid levels of Notopterus notopterus revealed peak levels in spring (February-April) and the lowest levels in the postspawning period (August-September).     

Burn Injury Reduces Neutrophil Directional Migration Speed in Microfluidic Devices

Thermal injury triggers a fulminant inflammatory cascade that heralds shock, end-organ failure, and ultimately sepsis and death. Emerging evidence points to a critical role for the innate immune system, and several studies had documented concurrent impairment in neutrophil chemotaxis with these post-burn inflammatory changes. While a few studies suggest that a link between neutrophil motility and patient mortality might exist, so far, cumbersome assays have prohibited exploration of the prognostic and diagnostic significance of chemotaxis after burn injury. To address this need, we developed a microfluidic device that is simple to operate and allows for precise and robust measurements of chemotaxis speed and persistence characteristics at single-cell resolution. Using this assay, we established a reference set of migration speed values for neutrophils from healthy subjects. Comparisons with samples from burn patients revealed impaired directional migration speed starting as early as 24 hours after burn injury, reaching a minimum at 72–120 hours, correlated to the size of the burn injury and potentially serving as an early indicator for concurrent infections. Further characterization of neutrophil chemotaxis using this new assay may have important diagnostic implications not only for burn patients but also for patients afflicted by other diseases that compromise neutrophil functions.     

A new species of the monogenea genus Heteromazocraes Mamaev, 1981, from a freshwater cyprinid Securicula gora (Ham.) from the Lucknow district,India

Heteromazocraes mamaevi n. sp. is described from a cyprinid, Securicula gora (Ham.) from the Lucknow district, India. It is characterised by well-developed cephalic glands, the shape of the genital spines, the structure of the egg and the shape of the clamp sclerites. This is the first record of the genus Heteromazocraes Mamaev, 1981 from a cyprinid fish.     

Localization of some steroidogenic enzymes in the ovary of the rabbit

The distribution of delta 5-3 beta-HSD, peroxidase and cytochrome oxidase in immature, sexually mature and pregnant rabbit ovary has been studied histochemically. Corpora lutea are found only in pregnant rabbits. delta 5-3 beta-HSD is present in the theca interna of mature follicles, corpora lutea and interstitial gland cells but is absent in the granulosa cells of both developing and mature follicles. The granulosa cells of mature and developing follicles, hypertrophied theca interna and the luteal cells all show intense cytochrome oxidase activity. Peroxidase is present in the corpora lutea only. It is suggested that delta 5-3 beta-HSD in the theca interna and interstitial gland cells is the enzyme responsible for steroid synthesis in the ovaries of immature as well as sexually mature rabbits, while peroxidase and delta 5-3 beta-HSD present in the corpora lutea together regulate luteal steroidogenesis during pregnancy. The intense cytochrome oxidase activity together with peroxidase and delta 5-3 beta-HSD confirms the observations that this tissue is a site of intense oxidative activity.     

Role of Melanin in Release of Extracellular Enzymes and Selection of Aggressive Isolates of Bipolaris sorokiniana in Barley

Eighteen barley isolates of Bipolaris sorokiniana belonging to wild and clonal type of black, mixed and white subpopulations were quantitatively assayed for their melanin content and aggressiveness with respect to production of some of the extracellular enzymes such as cellulase, pectinase, amylase and protease. Cellulase and pectinase constituted major portion of the enzymes recovered from the black, mixed and white isolates. Enzyme production and aggressiveness were relatively higher in melanin devoid or low melanin isolates. The melanin deficient isolates were also differentiated from black and mixed isolates on the basis of variation in internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal DNA. Higher enzyme productions positively correlated with area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) and lesion development. Melanin content was negatively correlated with extracellular enzymes and aggressiveness of the isolates. Based on melanin content, lesion size, AUDPC and extracellular enzymes, the isolates were grouped in two major clusters (I and II) with further division of cluster II into two sub-clusters (II-A and II-B). The results appears to indicate a possible role of melanin in release of extracellular enzymes and hence in evolution and selection of aggressive isolates of B. sorokiniana in barley.     

M89V Sialic Acid Acetyl Esterase (SIAE) and All Other Non-Synonymous Common Variants of This Gene Are Catalytically Normal

Catalytically defective rare variants of Sialic acid Acetyl Esterase (SIAE) have previously been linked to autoimmunity. Studies presented here confirm that the M89V SIAE protein and all other products of common variant alleles of SIAE are catalytically normal. Although overexpressing transfected non-lymphoid cells secrete small amounts of SIAE that can associate with the cell surface, normal human lymphocytes do not exhibit cell surface SIAE, supporting genetic evidence in mice that indicates that this protein functions in a lymphocyte intrinsic manner. Analyses of the plasma proteome also indicate that SIAE is not secreted in vivo. A re-analysis exclusively of catalytically defective rare variant alleles of SIAE in subjects in which this gene was completely sequenced confirmed an association of SIAE with autoimmunity. A subset of catalytically defective rare variant SIAE alleles has previously been typed in a large genotyping study comparing a diverse group of disease subjects and controls; our re-analysis of this data shows that catalytically defective alleles are enriched in disease subjects. These data suggest that SIAE may be associated with autoimmunity and that further study of catalytically defective rare variant SIAE alleles in terms of autoimmune disease susceptibility is strongly warranted.     

Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated with Increased Oxo-Nitrative Stress and Asthma-Like Changes in Lungs

Epidemiological studies have shown an increased obesity-related risk of asthma. In support, obese mice develop airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). However, it remains unclear whether the increased risk is a consequence of obesity, adipogenic diet, or the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Altered L-arginine and nitric oxide (NO) metabolism is a common feature between asthma and metabolic syndrome that appears independent of body mass. Increased asthma risk resulting from such metabolic changes would have important consequences in global health. Since high-sugar diets can induce MetS, without necessarily causing obesity, studies of their effect on arginine/NO metabolism and airway function could clarify this aspect. We investigated whether normal-weight mice with MetS, due to high-fructose diet, had dysfunctional arginine/NO metabolism and features of asthma. Mice were fed chow-diet, high-fat-diet, or high-fructose-diet for 18 weeks. Only the high-fat-diet group developed obesity or adiposity. Hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycaemia, and hyperlipidaemia were common to both high-fat-diet and high-fructose-diet groups and the high-fructose-diet group additionally developed hypertension. At 18 weeks, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) could be seen in obese high-fat-diet mice as well as non-obese high-fructose-diet mice, when compared to standard chow-diet mice. No inflammatory cell infiltrate or goblet cell metaplasia was seen in either high-fat-diet or high-fructose-diet mice. Exhaled NO was reduced in both these groups. This reduction in exhaled NO correlated with reduced arginine bioavailability in lungs. In summary, mice with normal weight but metabolic obesity show reduced arginine bioavailability, reduced NO production, and asthma-like features. Reduced NO related bronchodilation and increased oxo-nitrosative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis.     

Construction of Partially Balanced Incomplete Block Designs with Nested Rows and Columns

A number of methods of construction of partially balanced incomplete block designs with nested rows and columns are developed and new balanced incomplete block designs with nested rows and columns are obtained as a by-product.