Development of spermatic granuloma in albino rats following administration of water extract of Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk

A spermatic granuloma is a chronic inflammatory reaction produced in response to extravasated sperm within the intertubular connective tissue. The present study investigates the possible toxic effects of water extract of Heliotropium bacciferum on the reproductive system of male albino rats and the associated potential for the development of spermatic granulomas. H. bacciferum is a herbal plant used in traditional medicine and reported to have cytotoxic effects due to pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Histological examinations revealed no changes in the tissues of the testes, although, some changes were detected in the cauda epididymis, the most important of which was the development of small lesions of spermatic granulomas. Clear gaps were observed between the epithelial linings of the epididymal tubules.     

Accuracy of genomic selection for age at puberty in a multi‐breed population of tropically adapted beef cattle

Genomic selection is becoming a standard tool in livestock breeding programs, particularly for traits that are hard to measure. Accuracy of genomic selection can be improved by increasing the quantity and quality of data and potentially by improving analytical methods. Adding genotypes and phenotypes from additional breeds or crosses often improves the accuracy of genomic predictions but requires specific methodology. A model was developed to incorporate breed composition estimated from genotypes into genomic selection models. This method was applied to age at puberty data in female beef cattle (as estimated from age at first observation of a corpus luteum) from a mix of Brahman and Tropical Composite beef cattle. In this dataset, the new model incorporating breed composition did not increase the accuracy of genomic selection. However, the breeding values exhibited slightly less bias (as assessed by deviation of regression of phenotype on genomic breeding values from the expected value of 1). Adding additional Brahman animals to the Tropical Composite analysis increased the accuracy of genomic predictions and did not affect the accuracy of the Brahman predictions.     

Molecular and allergenic characterization of recombinant tropomyosin from mud crab Scylla olivacea

Molecular Biology Reports - Tropomyosin is a major allergen in crustaceans, including mud crab species, but its molecular and allergenic properties in Scylla olivacea are not well known. Thus, this...     

Dietary Flaxseed Oil Supplementation Mitigates the Effect of Lead on the Enzymes of Carbohydrate Metabolism, Brush Border Membrane, and Oxidative Stress in Rat Kidney Tissues

Lead is a heavy metal widely distributed in the environment. Lead is a ubiquitous environmental toxin that is capable of causing numerous acute and chronic illnesses. Human and animal exposure demonstrates that lead is nephrotoxic. However, attempts to reduce lead-induced nephrotoxicity were not found suitable for clinical use. Recently, flaxseed oil (FXO), a rich source of ω-3 fatty acids and lignans, has been shown to prevent/reduce the progression of certain types of cardiovascular and renal disorders. In view of this, the present study investigates the protective effect of FXO on lead acetate (PbAc)-induced renal damage. Rats were pre-fed normal diet and the diet rich in FXO for 14 days, and then, four doses of lead acetate (25 mg/kg body weight) were administered intraperitoneally while still on diet. Various serum parameters, enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, brush border membrane (BBM), and oxidative stress were analyzed in rat kidney. PbAc nephrotoxicity was characterized by increased serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. PbAc increased the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and NADP-malic enzyme, whereas it decreased malate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, and BBM enzyme activities. PbAc caused oxidant/antioxidant imbalances as reflected by increased lipid peroxidation and decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase. In contrast, FXO alone enhanced the enzyme activities of carbohydrate metabolism, BBM, and antioxidant defense system. FXO feeding to PbAc-treated rats markedly enhanced resistance to PbAc-elicited deleterious effects. In conclusion, dietary FXO supplementation ameliorated PbAc-induced specific metabolic alterations and oxidative damage by empowering antioxidant defense mechanism and improving BBM integrity and energy metabolism.     

Comparative expression of endogenous retrotransposons in adult mouse mammary gland during normal development and differentiation

Amplified expression of the endogenous retrotransposons, intracisternal A particles (IAPs) and murine leukemia virus-related elements (MLVEs), along with decreased expression of VL30 elements frequently occurs during mouse mammary tumorigenesis. We have now analyzed the expression of these retroelements during the normal developmental and differentiation cycle of the mammary gland as found in virgin, pregnant, lactating, and post-lactation adult female BALB/c mice. Retrotransposon expression was either unchanged or decreased during the progressive stages of the cycle compared to virgin tissue. Likewise, growth of mammary epithelial cells in primary culture had little or no effect on expression of IAPs, MLVEs and VL30 sequences. Thus, the dramatic changes involving these retrotransposons in many mouse mammary tumors appear unrelated to any normal state.     

Characterization of Molecular Determinants of the Conformational Stability of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor: Leucine 46 Hydrophobic Pocket

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) is a key mediator of inflammatory responses and innate immunity and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The oligomerization of MIF, more specifically trimer formation, is essential for its keto-enol tautomerase activity and probably mediates several of its interactions and biological activities, including its binding to its receptor CD74 and activation of certain signaling pathways. Therefore, understanding the molecular factors governing the oligomerization of MIF and the role of quaternary structure in modulating its structural stability and multifunctional properties is crucial for understanding the function of MIF in health and disease. Herein, we describe highly conserved intersubunit interactions involving the hydrophobic packing of the side chain of Leu46 onto the β-strand β3 of one monomer within a hydrophobic pocket from the adjacent monomer constituted by residues Arg11, Val14, Phe18, Leu19, Val39, His40, Val41, Val42, and Pro43. To elucidate the structural significance of these intersubunit interactions and their relative contribution to MIF’s trimerization, structural stability and catalytic activity, we generated three point mutations where Leu46 was replaced by glycine (L46G), alanine (L46A) and phenylalanine (L46F), and their structural properties, stability, oligomerization state, and catalytic activity were characterized using a battery of biophysical methods and X-ray crystallography. Our findings provide new insights into the role of the Leu46 hydrophobic pocket in stabilizing the conformational state of MIF in solution. Disrupting the Leu46 hydrophobic interaction perturbs the secondary and tertiary structure of the protein but has no effect on its oligomerization state.     

Association between Alcohol Consumption and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study

Purpose

Evidence is inconsistent regarding alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk, although heavy drinking may increase risk.

Methods

A population-based case-control study was conducted using 345 pancreas cancer cases diagnosed 2011–2012 and 1,285 frequency-matched controls from Ontario, Canada. Logistic regression was used to evaluate alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk; data was also stratified by sex and smoking status to assess interaction.

Results

Alcohol consumption was not associated with pancreatic cancer risk (age-adjusted odds ratio=0.78, 95% CI: 0.58, 1.05 for 1 - 3 drinks/week; age-adjusted odds ratio=0.86, 95% CI: 0.63, 1.17 for 4 - 20 drinks/week), however there was a non-significant increased risk for heavy drinkers consuming ≥21 drinks/week (age-adjusted odds ratio=1.35, 95% CI: 0.81, 2.27). Cigarette smoking modified the alcohol-cancer relationship; among current smokers, heavy alcohol consumption was associated with a significantly increased pancreatic cancer risk (age-adjusted odds ratio=4.04, 95% CI: 1.58, 10.37), whereas this significant association with heavy drinking was not observed among non-smokers (age-adjusted odds ratio=2.01, 95% CI: 0.50, 8.18). Furthermore, light – moderate alcohol intake was associated with increased pancreas cancer risk among current smokers.

Conclusions

While alcohol was not significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk, smoking status modified this relationship such that among current smokers, alcohol intake was associated with a greater than two-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The results should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes within subgroups and correction for multiple comparisons should be considered. These findings should be replicated in larger studies where more precise estimates of risk can be obtained.     

Accumulation of Essential and Trace Elements in Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and Guar Gum Cultivated in Semi-arid Regions of Sindh,Pakistan

Biological Trace Element Research - For physiological and biochemical studies, it is considered essential to have knowledge about the accumulation of mineral elements in plants and their...     

Expression and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma virens</Emphasis> UKM-1 endochitinase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis>

A gene encoding endochitinase from Trichoderma virens UKM-1 was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Both the endochitinase gene and its cDNA sequences were obtained. The endochitinase gene encodes 430 amino acids from an open reading frame comprising of 1,690 bp nucleotide sequence with three introns. The endochitinase was expressed as soluble and active enzyme at 20°C when induced with 1 mM IPTG. Maximum activity was observed at 4 h of post-induction time. SDS-PAGE showed that the purified endochitinase exhibited a single band with molecular weight of 42 kDa. Biochemical characterization of the enzyme displayed a near neutral pH characteristic with an optimum pH at 6.0 and optimum temperature at 50°C. The enzyme is stable between pH 3.0–7.0 and is able to retain its activity from 30 to 60°C. The presence of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions increased the enzyme activity up to 20%. The purified enzyme has a strong affinity towards colloidal chitin and low effect on ethyl cellulose and D-cellubiose which are non-chitin related substrates. HPLC analysis from the chitin hydrolysis showed the release of (GlcNAc)₃, (GlcNAc)₂ and GlcNAc, in which (GlcNAc)₂ was the main product.