Bioactive chemical constituents of Caesalpinia bonduc (Fabaceae)

Phytochemical studies on the ethanolic extracts of Caesalpinia bonduc (Fabaceae) yielded two new homoisoflavonoids, caesalpinianone, and 6-O-methylcaesalpinianone along with five known natural products, namely, hematoxylol, stereochenol A, 6′-O-acetylloganic acid, 4′-O-acetylloganic acid, and 2-O-β-d-glucosyloxy-4-methoxybenzenepropanoic acid. Structures of these compounds were elucidated with the aid of extensive NMR spectral studies. All of these compounds exhibited different levels of glutathione S-transferase (GST) inhibitory and antifungal activities.     

Chemical constituents of Barleria prionitis and their enzyme inhibitory and free radical scavenging activities

From the aerial parts of Barleria prionitis, one new phenylethanoid glycoside, barlerinoside (1) along with six known iridoid glycosides, shanzhiside methyl ester (2), 6-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester (3), barlerin (4), acetylbarlerin (5), 7-methoxydiderroside (6), and lupulinoside (7) were isolated. Structures of these compounds were elucidated with the aid of extensive NMR spectral studies and chemical reactions. Compound 1 was significantly active in glutathione S-transferase (GST) inhibition assay with an IC₅₀ value of 12.4 μM but weakly active in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition assay. Compounds 2–7 also exhibited different levels of GST, AChE inhibitory and free radical scavenging activities.     

Sex differences in the prevalence of congenital anomalies: a population-based study

BACKGROUND: Limited data is available concerning the sex distribution of various congenital anomaly subtypes. This study investigated sex differences in the prevalence of congenital anomalies, overall and by subtype, using high quality population‐based data from the North of England. METHODS: Information on congenital anomalies occurring among singleton pregnancies during 1985–2003 were extracted from the Northern Congenital Abnormality Survey (NorCAS). Anomalies were categorized by groups, subtypes, and syndromes according to the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies guidelines. Relative risks (RRs) comparing the prevalences in males to that in females were calculated for a range of congenital anomaly subtypes. RESULTS: A total of 12,795 eligible cases of congenital anomaly were identified during the study period, including 7019 (54.9%) males and 5776 (45.1%) females. Overall, male fetuses were significantly more prevalent in pregnancies affected by a congenital anomaly than female fetuses (RR, male vs. female = 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11–1.19), but there was significant heterogeneity between subtypes (p < 0.001). Forty‐four of 110 (40%) unique subtypes were at least 40% more prevalent in males than females, with affected subtypes occurring across all major anomaly groups. Thirteen of 110 (12%) unique subtypes were at least 40% more prevalent in females than males, but the female‐biased RR of a neural tube defect was less pronounced than previously reported (RR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73–0.95). CONCLUSION:This study adds to the growing evidence of sex‐specific differences in the prevalence of a wide range of congenital anomaly subtypes. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A Comprehensive Assessment of Lymphatic Filariasis in Sri Lanka Six Years after Cessation of Mass Drug Administration

BackgroundThe Sri Lankan Anti-Filariasis Campaign conducted 5 rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) with diethycarbamazine plus albendazole between 2002 and 2006. We now report results of a comprehensive surveillance program that assessed the lymphatic filariasis (LF) situation in Sri Lanka 6 years after cessation of MDA.ConclusionsComprehensive surveillance is feasible for some national filariasis elimination programs. Low-level persistence of LF was present in all study sites; several sites failed to meet provisional endpoint criteria for LF elimination, and follow-up testing will be needed in these areas. TAS was not sensitive for detecting low-level persistence of filariasis in Sri Lanka. We recommend use of antibody and MX testing as tools to complement TAS for post-MDA surveillance.     

Spatial genetic structure of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak in western Canada: historical patterns and contemporary dispersal

Environmental change has a wide range of ecological consequences, including species extinction and range expansion. Many studies have shown that insect species respond rapidly to climatic change. A mountain pine beetle epidemic of record size in North America has led to unprecedented mortality of lodgepole pine, and a significant range expansion to the northeast of its historic range. Our goal was to determine the spatial genetic variation found among outbreak population from which genetic structure, and dispersal patterns may be inferred. Beetles from 49 sampling locations throughout the outbreak area in western Canada were analysed at 13 microsatellite loci. We found significant north-south population structure as evidenced by: (i) Bayesian-based analyses, (ii) north-south genetic relationships and diversity gradients; and (iii) a lack of isolation-by-distance in the northernmost cluster. The north-south structure is proposed to have arisen from the processes of postglacial colonization as well as recent climate-driven changes in population dynamics. Our data support the hypothesis of multiple sources of origin for the outbreak and point to the need for population specific information to improve our understanding and management of outbreaks. The recent range expansion across the Rocky Mountains into the jack/lodgepole hybrid and pure jack pine zones of northern Alberta is consistent with a northern British Columbia origin. We detected no loss of genetic variability in these populations, indicating that the evolutionary potential of mountain pine beetle to adapt has not been reduced by founder events. This study illustrates a rapid range-wide response to the removal of climatic constraints, and the potential for range expansion of a regional population.     

Glutathione S-transferase inhibitory,free radical scavenging,and anti-leishmanial activities of chemical constituents of Artocarpus nobilis and Matricaria chamomilla

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) inhibition-directed fractionations on the ethanolic extract of Artocarpus nobilis of Sri Lankan origin yielded four known triterpenoids, cyclolaudenyl acetate (1), lupeol acetate (2), β-amyrine acetate (3), and zizphursolic acid (4), along with five known flavonoids, artonins E (5), artobiloxanthone (6) artoindonesianin U (7), cyclocommunol (8) and multiflorins A (9). Our recent chemical studies on the methanolic extract of Matricaria chamomilla, collected from Manitoba, afforded one new compound, matriisobenzofuran (10), and six known natural products, fraxidin (11), scopoletin (12), apigenin (13), apigenin 7-O-β-glucopyranoside (14), palmatoside A (15) and p-hydroxyacetophenone (16). Compounds 1–16 were identified with the aid of extensive NMR and MS spectral data. Compounds 1–16 exhibited a wide range of GST inhibition activity. Compounds 5–9 exhibited significant anti-oxidant activity in DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Compounds 10 and 11 were also moderately active in anti-leishmanial assay.     

Determination of Optimal Sample Size for Quantification of β-Cell Area,Amyloid Area and β-Cell Apoptosis in Isolated Islets

Culture of isolated rodent islets is widely used in diabetes research to assess different endpoints, including outcomes requiring histochemical staining. As islet yields during isolation are limited, we determined the number of islets required to obtain reliable data by histology. We found that mean values for insulin-positive β-cell area/islet area, thioflavin S-positive amyloid area/islet area and β-cell apoptosis do not vary markedly when more than 30 islets are examined. Measurement variability declines as more islets are quantified, so that the variability of the coefficient of variation (CV) in human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) transgenic islets for β-cell area/islet area, amyloid area/islet area and β-cell apoptosis are 13.20% ± 1.52%, 10.03% ± 1.76% and 6.78% ± 1.53%, respectively (non-transgenic: 7.65% ± 1.17% β-cell area/islet area and 8.93% ± 1.56% β-cell apoptosis). Increasing the number of islets beyond 30 had marginal effects on the CV. Using 30 islets, 6 hIAPP-transgenic preparations are required to detect treatment effects of 14% for β-cell area/islet area, 30% for amyloid area/islet area and 23% for β-cell apoptosis (non-transgenic: 9% for β-cell area/islet area and 45% for β-cell apoptosis). This information will be of value in the design of studies using isolated islets to examine β cells and islet amyloid.     

Selection of the sex‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis in mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) driven by enhanced expression during early overwintering

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) is an insect native to western North America; however, its geographical range has recently expanded north in BC and east into Alberta. To understand the population structure in the areas of expansion, 16 gene‐linked microsatellites were screened and compared to neutral microsatellites using outlier analyses of F_st and F_ct values. One sex‐linked gene, inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), showed a strong signature of positive selection for neo‐X alleles and was analyzed for evidence of adaptive variation. Alleles of IAP were sequenced, and differences between the neo‐X and neo‐Y alleles were consistent with neutral evolution suggesting that the neo‐Y allele may not be under functional constraints. Neo‐Y alleles were amplified from gDNA, but not effectively from cDNA, suggesting that there was little IAP expression from neo‐Y alleles. There were no differences in overall IAP expression between males and females with the common northern neo‐X allele suggesting that the neo‐X allele in males compensates for the reduced expression of neo‐Y alleles. However, males lacking the most common northern neo‐X allele thought to be selected for in northern populations had reduced overall IAP expression in early October—at a time when beetles are preparing for overwintering. This suggests that the most common allele may have more rapid upregulation. The reduced function of neo‐Y alleles of IAP suggested by both sequence differences and lower levels of expression may foster a highly selective environment for neo‐X alleles such as the common northern allele with more efficient upregulation.