Dietary thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulates growth rate and increases the insulin: glucagon molar ratio of broiler chickens

The effects of thyroid manipulation on growth, feed efficiency, and plasma hormone levels were determined in rapidly growing chickens. Beginning at 3 weeks of age, eight broiler cockerels were provided with control feed (CF) or feed containing either 1 ppm of triiodothyronine (T3), 1 ppm of thyroxine (T4), 0.3% propylthiouracil (PTU), or 5 ppm of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) for 3 weeks. Blood samples were taken at 4, 5, and 6 weeks for determination of plasma levels of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, T3, T4, insulin, glucagon, glucose, and nonesterified fatty acids. Dietary TRH increased (P less than 0.05) the growth rate of chickens by 14% when compared with the CF group. Plasma growth hormone levels were reduced (P less than 0.05) 65% by dietary T3 and 33% by treatment with either T4 or TRH when compared with the CF group. Plasma insulin-like growth factor levels were 16% lower (P less than 0.05) in PTU-fed birds than the other treatment groups. Plasma T3 levels were elevated (P less than 0.05) 3-fold by dietary T3 and 38% by TRH whereas plasma T3 in the PTU group was 38% below the average of CF birds. Plasma T4 levels were increased (P less than 0.05) by 12-fold in T4-fed birds, decreased 48% in TRH-fed birds, and nondetectable in birds treated with either T3 or PTU. Compared with the other treatments, dietary PTU increased (P less than 0.01) plasma insulin levels 4.3-fold whereas TRH provided a 2.7-fold increase in plasma insulin. Plasma glucagon levels were 26% higher (P less than 0.05) in T3-fed birds than those fed either T4 or PTU. These observations indicate that thyroid activity plays an important role in regulating secretion of GH and the pancreatic hormones. Furthermore, our study demonstrates the potential use of TRH as an orally active growth promoter for poultry.     

A quantitative study of visual cortex synapses during the postnatal development of dark-reared rats

The method of Aghajanian and Bloom (1967) was applied to the visual cortex of normal and neonatally visually deprived rats. The rats were kept with their mothers in total darkness since birth, in a ventilated and temperature-controlled animal quarter. Controls were rats from the same stock, maintained in a regular 12-h-light/12-h-dark rhythm. The animals were killed at 15, 23, 40, and 65 days of age, and the visual cortices fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde and processed for electron micrography with ethanol-phosphotungstic acid. A total of 6249 synaptic profiles were counted and their numerical density (DS) determined in both conditions. Features of the presynaptic grid were used for classifying the synaptic profiles in: type A [with one presynaptic dense projection (PsDP)]; type B (with two or three PsDPS); and type C (with four or more PsDPS). In the visually deprived rats the DS increases with a rate similar to controls, but the values for each age are slightly lower (P > 0.01). Type B synapses predominate in the visually deprived group while types A and C are scarcer. The differences found between types were maximal at 65 days of age and the results were highly significant (P > 0.001). It is concluded that major effects of dark-rearing are manifested when the individual features of the presynaptic grid are considered. It seems that a selected population of synapses is affected by the alteration of the normal epigenetic influence of early visual experience.     

The sperm ultrastructure of Merluccius merluccius (Teleostei,Gadiformes): phylogenetic considerations

The anacrosomal aquasperm of the gadiform Merluccius merluccius is ultrastructurally similar to the advanced type II spermatozoa (perciform‐type sperm) typically found in most Perciformes. The perciform‐type spermatozoon is characterized by the lateral insertion of the flagellum and the location of the centrioles outside the nuclear fossa. Apart from these characteristics, the spermatozoon of M. merluccius is remarkable because of the mutually parallel arrangement of the centrioles, a rare feature among fishes, which is considered an apomorphic condition for animal sperm cells. Within the superorder Paracanthopterygii, which contains a large diversity of sperm patterns resulting from a high number of apomorphies, a perciform‐type sperm is present only in the order Gadiformes. The significance of the presence of perciform‐type spermatozoa in the three investigated gadiform families is discussed in a phylogenetic context.     

Determining the Optimal Thymidine Concentration for Growing Thy− Escherichia coli Strains

Changes of thymidine concentration in the growth medium affect the chromosome replication time of Thy⁻ strains without at the same time causing a detectable difference in the growth rate (R. H. Pritchard and A. Zaritsky, Nature 226:126–131, 1970). Consequently, the optimal thymidine concentration cannot be determined by ascertaining which concentration produces the highest growth rate. Here we present a method for determining the optimal thymidine concentration of any Thy⁻ Escherichia coli strain. Using this method, we found that the E. coli “wild-type” strain MG1655 has a partial Thy⁻ phenotype.     

Levels of 4-hydroxystilbene-oxidizing isoperoxidases related to constitutive disease resistance in in vitro-cultured grapevine

A zymographic screening of peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7) capable of oxidizing 4-hydroxystilbene was carried out by means of the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 4-hydroxystilbene and 4-aminoantipyrine. This screening reveals that only a few isoperoxidases are active in oxidizing 4-hydroxystilbene to viniferin-type compounds in in vitro cultures of grapevine. Unlike total peroxidase activity measured with 4-methoxy--naphthol, the levels of total peroxidase activity measured using 4-hydroxystilbene are related to disease resistance against downy mildew in axillary bud cultures of Vitis vinifera and (Vitis vinifera x Vitis rupestris) x Vitis riparia. From this observation, and using the above zymographic assay, it was found that a 4-hydroxystilbene-oxidizing isoperoxidase was overexpressed in both leaves and stems of the hybrid in relation to the increase in disease resistance of this species. These results suggest that constitutive 4-hydroxystilbene-oxidizing isoperoxidases may participate through their role in viniferin synthesis in the constitutive resistance mechanism that grapevines show against downy mildew.Abbreviations 4-AAP 4-aminoantipyrine - HRP horseradish peroxidase - 4-HS hydroxystilbene - HSPrx 4-hydroxystilbene-oxidizing peroxidase - 4-MN 4-methoxy--naphthol     

Comparison of mortality in Spain and France,following the method of "potential years of life lost"

Mortality trends in Spain from 13 major causes of death are analyzed for the period 1972-1982 and compared with trends for the same period in France. Increases in mortality in Spain are noted for three causes--malignant tumors, cardiac diseases, and suicides and homicides--whereas significant declines in mortality are noted for pneumonia, influenza, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. Excess mortality for males is common to both countries. (SUMMARY IN ENG)     

Leucine incorporation in the ganglia of praying mantids during a learning process

Leucine incorporation into four ganglia (‘brain’. B; prothoracic ganglion, P; mesothoracic ganglion, M; and metathoracic ganglion, T) was studied in mantids (Stagmatoptera biocellata) trained not to attack a black star figure in movement. There were two experimental groups, i.e. LM and WH experimental groups, and one control group. The LM and WH groups differed in the experimental conditions of training in such a way that both had similar motor activity and sensorial stimulation but only one of them evinced learning (Maldonado and Tablante, 1975).After training, incorporation of |¹⁴C| leucine into P and B was greater in experimental than in control animals. This result is not necessarily related to learning because no difference was found between LM and WH experimental groups. The metabolic gradient of the four ganglia of the experimental animals was P→B→M→T, whereas that found for the control group was M→T→P→B. The authors interpret these findings as supporting a hypothesis previously set forth that correlates the metabolic gradient in the four ganglia with differences regarding control of motor activity and/or sensorial input.Experiments involving double labelling and electrophoresis indicated that the P and B changes after training involved all the proteins, and were not restricted to one or a few protein species.     

Association between peripheral IFN-gamma producing CD8+ T-cells and disability score in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

A large body of evidence supports the involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, how the peripheral T-cells phenotypes are associated with factors such as the disability score, the effects of immunomodulatory treatments, or the activation period is poorly understood. In this study, we have centered our attention on the presence of IFN-gamma and IL-4 producing CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in the peripheral blood of 58 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients, 48 that were stable and 10 who were in relapse period, and 30 healthy controls (HC). Our results support the existence of an independent association between the percentage of IFN-gamma producing CD8+ lymphocytes and the increased levels of disability score. Furthermore, the number of IFN-gamma producing CD8+ lymphocytes and the disability score were not correlated in patients treated with interferon-beta, evidence of its possible benefits in combating a pro-inflammatory profile. Finally, we compared the T-cell populations in RRMS patients in the stable or active period, and we found a significant decrease of IFN-gamma producing CD4+ lymphocytes in active patients. In conclusion our study supports the hypothesis that different peripheral blood T-cell phenotypes are associated with disability score or active period of the disease.     

Scoring docking models with evolutionary information

We have developed methods for the extraction of evolutionary information from multiple sequence alignments for use in the study of the evolution of protein interaction networks and in the prediction of protein interaction. For Rounds 3, 4, and 5 of the CAPRI experiment, we used scores derived from the analysis of multiple sequence alignments to submit predictions for 7 of the 12 targets. Our docking models were generated with Hex and GRAMM, but all our predictions were selected using methods based on multiple sequence alignments and on the available experimental evidence. With this approach, we were able to predict acceptable level models for 4 of the targets, and for a fifth target, we located the residues involved in the binding surface. Here we detail our successes and highlight several of the limitations and problems that we faced while dealing with particular docking cases.