Serum Calcium Response Following Oral Zinc Oxide Administrations in Dairy Cows

Six non-pregnant cows were allocated into 3 groups. Group 1 comprised a pair of lactating cows, whereas groups 2 and 3 each comprised a pair of non-lactating cows. The cows in groups 1 and 2 were dosed intraruminally by stomach tube with zinc oxide at 120 mg Zn per kg of bodyweight at weekly intervals for a period of 33 days. Each cow received a total of 4 doses of zinc oxide. Group 3 served as non-treated control group. Blood samples were collected from all 6 cows daily. Serum was analysed for concentration of calcium. Within 12–24 h of each zinc oxide administration the serum calcium of the lactating cows dropped dramatically indicating the existence of an antagonistic effect between Zn and Ca. The first Zn induced hypocalcaemic episode in the lactating cows was followed by a rise in serum calcium to a level above the pre-dosing level and above the mean value of the control group. The depth of the hypocalcaemic response decreased with the number of zinc oxide dosings. This effect was explained as a response from the stimulation of the calcium homeostatic mechanisms. In the Zn dosed non-lactating cows responses were similar but less clear. The perspective of these findings is discussed in relation to resistance towards parturient hypocalcaemia.     

The diabetic rat kidney mediates inosituria and selective urinary partitioning of D-chiro-inositol

Diabetic nephropathy is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus with a pressing need for effective metabolic markers to detect renal impairment. Of potential significance are the inositol compounds, myo-inositol (MI), and the less abundant stereoisomer, D-chiro-inositol (DCI), which are excreted at increased levels in the urine in diabetes mellitus, a phenomenon known as inosituria. There is also a selective urinary excretion of DCI compared to MI. As the biological origins of altered inositol metabolism in diabetes mellitus are unknown, the aim of this study was to determine whether the diabetic kidney was directly responsible. Kidneys isolated from four-week streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were characterized by a 3-fold reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) compared to matched non-diabetic kidneys. When perfused with fixed quantities of MI (50 µM) and DCI (5 µM) under normoglycemic conditions (5 mM glucose), GFR-normalized urinary excretion of MI was increased by 1.7-fold in diabetic vs. non-diabetic kidneys. By comparison, GFR-normalized urinary excretion of DCI was increased by 4-fold. Perfusion conditions replicating hyperglycemia (20 mM glucose) potentiated DCI but not MI urinary excretion in both non-diabetic and diabetic kidneys. Overall, there was a 2.4-fold increase in DCI urinary excretion compared to MI in diabetic kidneys that was independent of glucose ambience. This increased urinary excretion of DCI and MI in diabetic kidneys occurred despite increased renal expression of the inositol transporters, sodium myo-inositol transporter subtype 1 and 2 (SMIT1 and SMIT2). These findings show that the diabetic kidney primarily mediates inosituria and altered urinary partitioning of MI and DCI. Urinary inositol levels might therefore serve as an indicator of impaired renal function in diabetes mellitus with wider implications for monitoring chronic kidney disease.     

Granule-bound starch synthase: structure, function, and phylogenetic utility

Interest in the use of low-copy nuclear genes for phylogenetic analyses of plants has grown rapidly, because highly repetitive genes such as those commonly used are limited in number. Furthermore, because low- copy genes are subject to different evolutionary processes than are plastid genes or highly repetitive nuclear markers, they provide a valuable source of independent phylogenetic evidence. The gene for granule-bound starch synthase (GBSSI or waxy) exists in a single copy in nearly all plants examined so far. Our study of GBSSI had three parts: (1) Amino acid sequences were compared across a broad taxonomic range, including grasses, four dicotyledons, and the microbial homologs of GBSSI. Inferred structural information was used to aid in the alignment of these very divergent sequences. The informed alignments highlight amino acids that are conserved across all sequences, and demonstrate that structural motifs can be highly conserved in spite of marked divergence in amino acid sequence. (2) Maximum-likelihood (ML) analyses were used to examine exon sequence evolution throughout grasses. Differences in probabilities among substitution types and marked among-site rate variation contributed to the observed pattern of variation. Of the parameters examined in our set of likelihood models, the inclusion of among-site rate variation following a gamma distribution caused the greatest improvement in likelihood score. (3) We performed cladistic parsimony analyses of GBSSI sequences throughout grasses, within tribes, and within genera to examine the phylogenetic utility of the gene. Introns provide useful information among very closely related species, but quickly become difficult to align among more divergent taxa. Exons are variable enough to provide extensive resolution within the family, but with low bootstrap support. The combined results of amino acid sequence comparisons, maximum-likelihood analyses, and phylogenetic studies underscore factors that might affect phylogenetic reconstruction. In this case, accommodation of the variable rate of evolution among sites might be the first step in maximizing the phylogenetic utility of GBSSI.      

Discovery of novel 4-amino-6-arylaminopyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde oximes as dual inhibitors of EGFR and ErbB-2 protein tyrosine kinases

We herein disclose a novel series of 4-aminopyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde oximes that are potent and selective inhibitors of both EGFR and ErbB-2 tyrosine kinases, with IC(50) values in the nanomolar range. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies elucidated a critical role for the 4-amino and C-6 arylamino moieties. The X-ray co-crystal structure of EGFR with 37 was determined and validated our design rationale.     

Synthesis and evaluation of pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine CDK1 inhibitors as anti-tumor agents

A series of 3,5-disubstituted pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors was synthesized. These compounds showed potent and selective CDK inhibitory activities and inhibited in vitro cellular proliferation in cultured human tumor cells. Selected compounds were evaluated in an in vivo tumor xenograft model. The synthesis and biological evaluation of these pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines and related compounds are reported.     

Trimethyloxonium modification of single batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels in planar bilayers. Changes in unit conductance and in block by saxitoxin and calcium

Single batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels from rat brain were modified by trimethyloxonium (TMO) after incorporation in planar lipid bilayers. TMO modification eliminated saxitoxin (STX) sensitivity, reduced the single channel conductance by 37%, and reduced calcium block of inward sodium currents. These effects always occurred concomitantly, in an all-or-none fashion. Calcium and STX protected sodium channels from TMO modification with potencies similar to their affinities for block. Calcium inhibited STX binding to rat brain membrane vesicles and relieved toxin block of channels in bilayers, apparently by competing with STX for the toxin binding site. These results suggest that toxins, permeant cations, and blocking cations can interact with a common site on the sodium channel near the extracellular surface. It is likely that permeant cations transiently bind to this superficial site, as the first of several steps in passing inward through the channel.     

Use of the EM algorithm to detect QTL affecting multiple-traits in an across half-sib family analysis

QTL detection experiments in livestock species commonly use the half-sib design. Each male is mated to a number of females, each female producing a limited number of progeny. Analysis consists of attempting to detect associations between phenotype and genotype measured on the progeny. When family sizes are limiting experimenters may wish to incorporate as much information as possible into a single analysis. However, combining information across sires is problematic because of incomplete linkage disequilibrium between the markers and the QTL in the population. This study describes formulæ for obtaining MLEs via the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm for use in a multiple-trait, multiple-family analysis. A model specifying a QTL with only two alleles, and a common within sire error variance is assumed. Compared to single-family analyses, power can be improved up to fourfold with multi-family analyses. The accuracy and precision of QTL location estimates are also substantially improved. With small family sizes, the multi-family, multi-trait analyses reduce substantially, but not totally remove, biases in QTL effect estimates. In situations where multiple QTL alleles are segregating the multi-family analysis will average out the effects of the different QTL alleles.