Tick infestation (Acari: Ixodidae) in roe deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capreolus capreolus</Emphasis>) from northwestern Spain: population dynamics and risk stratification

During the 2007 and 2008 hunting seasons (April–October) the skin of 367 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.), hunted in different preserves from Galicia (Northwestern Spain), were examined for ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). The overall prevalence of infestation by ticks was 83.1%. The predominant species was Ixodes ricinus (83.1%), whereas a single Dermacentor marginatus specimen appeared in one roe deer. All developmental stages of I. ricinus were found parasitizing roe deer, the adults being the most frequent (82.2%), followed by nymphs (45.6%) and larvae (27.2%). The mean intensity of infestation by I. ricinus was 43.2 ± 49.85; most of them were adults (30.7 ± 31.64) and in a lesser extend nymphs (16.9 ± 24.74) and larvae (10.7 ± 29.90). Ixodes ricinus was present all over the study with percentages that oscillated between 100% in spring and 57.4% in autumn. CHAID algorithm showed the sex of roe deer as the most influential factor in tick prevalence, followed by the climatic area. The different developmental stages of I. ricinus were more frequent in males than in females, and the prevalence of adults and larvae were higher in roe deer from coastal areas than in those from mountainous and central areas, whereas nymphs were more frequent in mountainous areas. Host age and density were not determinants for tick infestation. Our results confirm that roe deer are important hosts for I. ricinus in northwestern Spain, serving as a vehicle for the geographic distribution of these ticks.     

The degradation of two fluoroquinolone based antimicrobials by SilA,an alkaline laccase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces ipomoeae</Emphasis>

The presence of fluoroquinolone based antimicrobials in natural waters represents a significant emerging environmental problem. In this study the suitability of a novel alkaline bacterial laccase, SilA, from Streptomyces ipomoeae to degrade two key antimicrobials, Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin under alkaline conditions in the presence of natural mediators was assessed. Results showed that only the selected SilA-acetosyringone system was able to degrade more than 90 % of both fluoroquinolones. HPLC analysis of the degradation products obtained after enzyme treatment confirmed the disappearance of the antimicrobials and the mediator after 24 h. The time course of the degradation showed that during the first 4 h a 75 % of degradation of fluoroquinolones was detected while the mediator remained stable. A concomitant appearance of new chromatographic peaks derived from the fluoroquinolones and/or the mediator was detected. Moreover, toxicity assays demonstrated that the SilA-acetosyringone system was able to reduce the toxicity of Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin by 90 and 70 %, respectively. In conclusion, these findings support the suitability of a low cost and environmentally friendly strategy based on the SilA-acetosyringone system for a primary treatment of contaminated alkaline wastewaters with this type of emerging pollutants.     

Altered proteinogram in short term portal vein stenosed rats

The electrophoretic pattern of serum proteins has been studied in short-term prehepatic portal hypertensive rats since atrophy is produced in the liver, which is the main origin of most of these proteins, during this postoperative period. After 28 days of evolution, rats (n = 9) with triple stenosing ligated portal vein showed hypoalbuminemia, hypo-alpha-globulinemia, hyper-alpha2-globulinemia and hyper-gamma-globulinemia, the albumin/globulin ratio decreased with respect to the control animals (n = 8). These alterations are associated with hepatic atrophy, portosystemic and portohepatic (44.4%) collateral circulation. The proteinogram alterations found in rats with short-term prehepatic portal hypertension suggest that hepatic failure exists in spite of potential portohepatic revascularization which is frequently originated by the development of portohepatic collateral circulation.     

Effect of long-term n-butanol ingestion on rat brain polypeptide synthesis directed by endogenous messengers.

Long-term ingestion of sublethal n-butanol doses by rats led to a noteworthy increase in the resistance of in vitro brain ribosomal function to the acute inhibitory action of ethanol and isopropanol. Withdrawal of n-butanol did not change this adaptation process immediately. The step affected seems to be the elongation of polypeptide chains. The dependence of in vitro translation on incubation temperature was affected by the adaptation process, the translation system of chronic animals being less stimulatable than that of control animals at low temperature.     

Inhibition of Brain Glutamate Decarboxylase Activity Is Related to Febrile Seizures in Rat Pups

Because previous work showed that in the newborn brain, but not in the adult brain, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) is notably susceptible to heat, we have studied the possible involvement of GAD inhibition in febrile convulsions and the related changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content. Rats of different ages were subjected to hyperthermia, and GAD activity was determined in brain homogenates by measuring the release of 14CO2 from labeled glutamate and by measuring the formation of GABA. The latter method gave considerably lower values than the former in the youngest rats, and was considered more reliable. With this method, we found a 37-48% inhibition of GAD activity in rat pups 2-5 days old, which showed febrile seizures at progressively higher body temperatures, whereas in 10- and 15-day-old animals, which did not show convulsions, GAD activity was not affected by hyperthermia. Whole-brain GABA levels, however, did not change at any age. In contrast to GAD, choline acetyltransferase and lactic dehydrogenase activities were not altered by hyperthermia at any of the ages studied. These results suggest that a decreased efficiency of the inhibitory neurotransmission mediated by GABA, consequent to the inhibition of GAD activity, may be a factor related to febrile convulsions.     

A new genus and species of turtle blood fluke (Digenea: Schistosomatoidea) from the Mekong snail-eating turtle, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malayemys subtrijuga</Emphasis> (Schlegel &amp; Müller) (Testudines: Geoemydidae) in Vietnam,with a reassessment of related Asiatic turtle blood flukes and molecular phylogeny

Platt sinuosus Roberts & Bullard n. g., n. sp. (type-species) infects the kidney and mesenteric blood vessels of Mekong snail-eating turtles, Malayemys subtrijuga (Schlegel & Müller), in the Mekong River Basin. Species of Platt Roberts & Bullard n. g. are unique by the combination of having a papillate ventral sucker, vasa efferentia that are dorsal to the gonads, a massive cirrus-sac that is directed anteriad or laterad, and a vitellarium that surrounds the intestinal caeca. The new species resembles Platt ocadiae (Takeuti, 1942) Roberts & Bullard n. comb. but differs from it by having an external seminal vesicle that overlaps with or is immediately posterior to the level of the ventral sucker. Seven species previously of Hapalorhynchus Stunkard, 1922 are reassigned herein to Platt: P. odhnerensis (Mehra, 1933) Roberts & Bullard n. comb.; P. yoshidai (Ozaki, 1939) Roberts & Bullard n. comb.; P. ocadiae; P. oschmarini (Belous, 1963) Roberts & Bullard n. comb.; P. sutlejensis (Mehrotra, 1973) Roberts & Bullard n. comb.; P. synderi (Platt & Sharma, 2012) Roberts & Bullard n. comb.; and P. tkachi (Platt & Sharma, 2012) Roberts & Bullard n. comb. A dichotomous key to Platt spp. is provided. Hapalorhynchus sheilae (Mehrotra, 1973) Bourgat, 1990 and Hapalorhynchus mica (Oshmarin, 1971) Bourgat, 1990 are considered as species inquirendae, and Hapalorhynchus indicus (Thapar, 1933) Price, 1934 and Hapalorhynchus macrotesticularis (Rohde, Lee, & Lim, 1968) Brooks & Sullivan, 1981 are considered as species incertae sedis. Phylogenetic analysis of the large subunit rDNA (28S) showed P. sinuosus and P. snyderi to be sister taxa distinct from a monophyletic Hapalorhynchus and Coeuritrema platti Roberts & Bullard, 2016.     

Electrophysiological properties of gap junctions between dissociated pairs of rat hepatocytes

Physiological properties of isolated pairs of rat hepatocytes were examined within 5 h after dissociation. These cells become round when separated, but cell pairs still display membrane specializations. Most notably, canaliculi are often present at appositional membranes which are flanked by abundant gap and tight junctions. These cell pairs are strongly dye-coupled; Lucifer Yellow CH injected into one cell rapidly diffuses to the other. Pairs of hepatocytes are closely coupled electrically. Conductance of the junctional membrane is not voltage sensitive: voltage clamp studies demonstrate that gj is constant in response to long (5 s) transjunctional voltage steps of either polarity (to greater than +/- 40 mV from rest). Junctional conductance (gj) between hepatocyte pairs is reduced by exposure to octanol (0.1 mM) and by intracellular acidification. Normal intracellular pH (pHi), measured with a liquid ion exchange microelectrode, was generally 7.1-7.4, and superfusion with saline equilibrated with 100% CO2 reduced pHi to 6.0-6.5. In the pHi range 7.5-6.6, gj was constant. Below pH 6.6, gj steeply decreased and at 6.1 coupling was undetectable. pHi recovered when cells were rinsed with normal saline; in most cases gj recovered in parallel so that gj values were similar for pHs obtained during acidification or recovery. The low apparent pK and very steep pHi-gj relation of the liver gap junction contrast with higher pKs and more gradually rising curves in other tissues. If H+ ions act directly on the junctional molecules, the channels that are presumably homologous in different tissues must differ with respect to reactive sites or their environment.     

Management of radiation necrosis of the chest wall following mastectomy: a new treatment option

A technique for covering areas of osteoradionecrosis in the medial aspect of the chest wall has been described. Utilizing a tissue expander, the skin was stretched sufficiently to obtain a suitable length whereby the medial defect could be covered and the donor site closed primarily. Such an operative approach should be considered when the patient presents with a medially located ulcer of small to moderate size and when nonirradiated skin is regionally available. Using this technique, long myocutaneous flaps that require extensive dissection, loss of functioning muscle, and resulting donor defects are avoided.