Effects of thyroidectomy and submaxillary sialoadenectomy on physiological parameters in the female rat

The effects of interaction of the thyroid function with the submaxillary glands on the female rat, on the body growth, weight evolution of adrenal glands, ovary and parotid glands, puberty onset, estrous cycle, fertility, gestation and offspring size, plasmatic levels of glucose, glucagon, Na+, K+ and total protein have been studied. The effects of sialadenectomy and thyroid function are both independent in all parameters, except in ovary growth, which is depressed by thyroid function when submaxillary glands are removed, and in circulating glucose, since sialadenectomy stabilizes to hypoglycemia which results from thyroidectomy.     

The rose and the name: the unresolved debate on biotechnological terms

The largest survey on the perception of synthetic biology-related disciplines (Porcar et al., 2019,EMBO Rep 20) recently revealed that the Spanish society does not have a very positive perception of the term synthetic biology. On the other hand, the terms biotechnology and even genetic engineering received relatively higher scores. The issue of nomenclature and perception is a classical one in science perception studies. Synthetic biologists have been debating their neologism (Synthetic Biology, from now on SB) for years. Even in a 2006 blog, Rob Carlson discussed the various labels for the new field, such as intentional biology, constructive biology, natural engineering, synthetic genomics and biological engineering. This diversity of names, along with the above mentioned negative public perception of the term synthetic biology, raises the question on whether the term itself is suitable or whether it could, in an extreme scenario, be replaced by another combining scientific consensus with public acceptance.     

Optimization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Renealmia mexicana</Emphasis> (Klotzsch ex. Petersen) cultivation <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Renealmia mexicana (Klotzsch ex. Petersen) is a tropical plant found in southern México with an ornamental value and a potential source of curcuminoids. Its distribution in Chiapas has decreased because of deforestation and low propagation and germination rate, so a protocol for in vitro propagation was developed. An orthogonal experimental design of L₉ (3⁴) in triplicate was used to investigate the effect of 6-benzyl adenine (BA), indole butyric acid (IBA), silver nitrate (AgNO₃), and sucrose on shoot, root, and leaf development of plantlets grown in vitro. Plantlets with well-developed shoots and roots were transferred to pots containing a mixture of peat moss and agrolite for hardening before transfer to soil. The Murashige and Skoog (Physiol. Plant. 15:473–497, 1962) mineral medium (MS) supplemented with 4.4 μM BA, 2.5 μM IBA, 11.7 μM AgNO_3y and 5.5% (w/v) sucrose gave most shoots, 8.9 μM BA, 2.5 μM IBA, 17.7 μM AgNO₃ and 5.5% (w/v) sucrose most roots, and 8.9 μM BA, 4.9 μM IBA, 11.7 μM AgNO₃ and 3.0% (w/v) sucrose most leaves, although other combinations were statistically equivalent in each case. Sucrose was the factor that most explained the variation in the promotion of shoots, roots, and leaves. The protocol developed resulted in up to 100% survival when plantlets were transferred to soil using AgNO₃, confirming that hardening of plantlets in vitro using hormonal stimulation was a suitable strategy to improve acclimatization.     

Accuracy of serum luteinizing hormone and serum testosterone measurements to assess the efficacy of medical castration in prostate cancer patients

Background

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonists are the standard for androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Current guidelines recommend serum testosterone measurement to assess the efficacy of ADT and to define castration resistance. However, serum testosterone does not reflect the exclusive effect of castration due to its extratesticular production. The aim of this study is to analyze if serum LH reflects better than serum testosterone the activity of LH-RH agonists.

Methods

Serum LH and serum testosterone were measured with chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) in a cohort study of 1091 participants: 488 PCa patients “on LH-RH agonists”, 303 “off LH-RH agonist” in whom LH-RH agonists were withdrawn, and 350 men with PCa suspicion “no LH-RH agonist” who never received LH-RH agonists. In a validation cohort of 147 PCa patients, 124 on “LH-RH agonists” and 19 “off LH-RH agonists”, serum testosterone was also measured with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC MSMS).

Results

The area under the curve (AUC) to distinguish patients “on versus off LH-RH agonists” was 0.997 for serum LH and 0.740 for serum testosterone, P < 0.001. The 97.5 percentile of serum LH in patients “on LH-RH agonists” was 0.97 U/L, been the most efficient threshold 1.1 U/L. The AUCs for serum LH, testosterone measured with CLIA and with LC MSMS, in the validation cohort, were respectively 1.000, 0.646 and 0.814, P < 0.001. The efficacy to distinguish patients “on versus off LH-RH agonists” was 98.6%, 78.3%, and 89.5% respectively, using 1.1 U/L as threshold for serum LH and 50 ng/dL for serum testosterone regardless the method.

Conclusions

Serum LH is more accurate than serum testosterone regardless the method, to distinguish patients “on versus off LH-RH agonists”. The castrate level of serum LH is 1.1 U/l. These findings suggest that assessment of LH-RH agonist efficacy and castration resistance definition should be reviewed.

     

The p53 R72P polymorphism does not affect the physiological response to ionizing radiation in a mouse model

Tissue culture and mouse model studies show that the presence of the arginine (R) or proline (P) coding single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the tumor suppressor gene p53 at codon 72 (p53 R72P) differentially affects the responses to genotoxic insult. Compared to the P variant, the R variant shows increased apoptosis in most cell cultures and mouse model tissues in response to genotoxins, and epidemiological studies suggest that the R variant may enhance cancer survival and reduce the risks of adverse reactions to genotoxic cancer treatment. As ionizing radiation (IR) treatment is often used in cancer therapy, we sought to test the physiological effects of IR in mouse models of the p53 R72P polymorphism. By performing blood counts, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and survival studies in mouse populations rigorously controlled for strain background, sex and age, we discovered that p53 R72P polymorphism did not differentially affect the physiological response to IR. Our findings suggest that genotyping for this polymorphism to personalize IR therapy may have little clinical utility.     

Study of Poaceae phenology in a Mediterranean climate. Which species contribute most to airborne pollen counts?

The present study sought to determine which of the common Poaceae species in the study area contribute most to the Poaceae pollen season curve, and to determine the phenological behaviour of the species studied. The different floral phenophases in thirty-three Poaceae species common in and around the city of Córdoba (SW Iberian Peninsula) were checked periodically over the period 2004–2006. Results showed that longer phenological ranges were recorded in the coolest and wettest year, and shorter ranges in the warmest and driest year. Moreover, ranges varied as a function of altitude: populations in lower-lying areas flowered earlier than those at higher altitudes. The results, taken in conjunction with the findings of preliminary research into potential pollen production, showed that probably only four of the Poaceae species studied—Dactylis glomerata, Lolium rigidum, Trisetaria panicea and Vulpia geniculata—were major contributors to the Poaceae airborne pollen curve.     

Sex-specific aggression and sex ratio in wintering finch flocks: serins and siskins differ

Males are dominant over females in many bird species. This may lead to male monopolisation of resources whenever food is scarce or clumped and secondarily to lower female survival rates. As a result of the consequent male-biased sex ratio in the adult population, competition may arise either (1) between males and females, as males attempt to exclude females from feeding patches, or (2) between males because females do not pose a competitive threat. We recorded agonistic interactions between males and females in wintering foraging flocks of serins (Serinus serinus) and siskins (Carduelis spinus) to test for inter-specific differences. Most of the aggressive interactions in serins were between males and females, whereas in siskins they were between males. We also compared sex ratios for each species during the winter, determined from separate trapping efforts over an 11-year period, to test whether the direction of aggression by males (i.e. male/male; male/female) relates to variations in female survival rates. The proportion of females was smaller in winter than in autumn for serins, but differences in siskins were negligible. Results are interpreted in relation to the social organization displayed by both species studied.     

How Accurate are Paleoecological Reconstructions of Early Paleontological and Archaeological Sites?

Paleoecology allows construction of paleoenvironmental models, faunal changes and evolutionary trends of paleontological taxa using modern analogs. However, when linking modern analogs to paleontological taxa in paleoecological reconstruction, differential taxonomic preservation in the fossil record has to be taken into account. Paleontologists have known the biased nature of the fossil record since Efremov’s publication on taphonomy in 1940, yet many ecological models of habitats associated with hominins in paleontological and archaeological sites in Africa and elsewhere barely address the complexity of the fossil record. We use randomly sampled ungulates from modern biomes in a comparative taxonomic abundance to demonstrate how the combination of modern thanatocoenoses and taphocoenoses, when used in reference to habitat-specific biocoenosis, produce better inferences of past habitats in paleontological and archaeological sites than approaches currently used.     

Oxygen: a master regulator of pancreatic development?

Beyond its role as an electron acceptor in aerobic respiration, oxygen is also a key effector of many developmental events. The oxygen‐sensing machinery and the very fabric of cell identity and function have been shown to be deeply intertwined. Here we take a first look at how oxygen might lie at the crossroads of at least two of the major molecular pathways that shape pancreatic development. Based on recent evidence and a thorough review of the literature, we present a theoretical model whereby evolving oxygen tensions might choreograph to a large extent the sequence of molecular events resulting in the development of the organ. In particular, we propose that lower oxygenation prior to the expansion of the vasculature may favour HIF (hypoxia inducible factor)‐mediated activation of Notch and repression of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling, limiting endocrine cell differentiation. With the development of vasculature and improved oxygen delivery to the developing organ, HIF‐mediated support for Notch signalling may decline while the β‐catenin‐directed Wnt signalling is favoured, which would support endocrine cell differentiation and perhaps exocrine cell proliferation/differentiation.