IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP receptor are not critical for development of experimental murine malaria

IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP, which are produced predominantly by epithelial cells, can induce production of Th2-type cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5 and/or IL-13 by various types of cells, suggesting their involvement in induction of Th2-type cytokine-associated immune responses. It is known that Th2-type cytokines contribute to host defense against malaria parasite infection in mice. However, the roles of IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP in malaria parasite infection remain unclear. Thus, to elucidate this, we infected wild-type, IL-25^?/?, IL-33^?/? and TSLP receptor (TSLPR)^?/? mice with Plasmodium berghei (P. berghei) ANKA, a murine malaria strain. The expression levels of IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP mRNA were changed in the brain, liver, lung and spleen of wild-type mice after infection, suggesting that these cytokines are involved in host defense against P. berghei ANKA. However, the incidence of parasitemia and survival in the mutant mice were comparable to in the wild-type mice. These findings indicate that IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP are not critical for host defense against P. berghei ANKA.     

Growth response of cultured larvae of silver therapon Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Kner, 1864) in outdoor tanks in relation to fertilizer type and fish density

This study evaluated the effects of fertilizer type and fish density on early growth and survival of silver therapon Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Kner, 1864) larvae reared in outdoor tanks. In the first experiment, larvae (1.92 ± 0.09 mm total length) were stocked into nine, 4 m³ tanks at an initial density of 0.5 larvae L^?1 and reared for 42 days at an ambient temperature of 28.8–30.7°C. Three treatments with three replicates each were compared: organic (chicken manure, OF) or inorganic fertilizers (ammonium phosphate, IF) applied once every 2 weeks, and the unfertilized (NF) tanks serving as the control group. Water quality, zooplankton densities, survival or growth of L. plumbeus larvae did not vary significantly in either fertilized or unfertilized tanks. Fertilization resulted in elevated nutrient concentrations, which did affect survival (2.10%–6.07%) of the fish larvae. In the second experiment, larvae were stocked at densities of 0.4 or 0.6 larvae L^?1 in tanks fertilized at 4–5 days interval with OF and IF for 30 days. Growth performance of L. plumbeus larvae was affected by fish density, with significantly larger (20.04 ± 2.65 mm in total length) and higher specific growth rate (SGR; 6.97 ± 0.48% day^?1) at 0.4 larvae L^?1 than at 0.6 L^?1. Fry production did not vary significantly between fish density treatment groups given the same fertilizer types, but survival rates were improved at 0.4 L^?1. Together, production of L. plumbeus larvae in outdoor tanks can be optimized at a lower stocking density, regardless of the type of fertilizer used.     

Effect of Antiadherents on the Physical and Drug Release Properties of Acrylic Polymeric Films

Antiadherents are used to decrease tackiness of a polymer coating during both processing and subsequent storage. Despite being a common excipient in coating formulae, antiadherents may affect mechanical properties of the coating film as well as drug release from film-coated tablets, but how could addition of antiadherents affect these properties and to what extent and is there a relation between the physical characteristics of the tablet coat and the drug release mechanisms? The aim of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics of films containing different amounts of the antiadherents talc, glyceryl monostearate, and PlasACRYL^TM T20. Eudragit RL30D and Eudragit RS30D as sustained release polymers and Eudragit FS30D as a delayed release material were used. Polymer films were characterized by tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), microscopic examination, and water content as calculated from loss on drying. The effect of antiadherents on in vitro drug release for the model acetylsalicylic acid tablets coated with Eudragit FS30D was also determined. Increasing talc concentration was found to decrease the ability of the polymer films to resist mechanical stress. In contrast, glyceryl monostearate (GMS) and PlasACRYL produced more elastic films. Talc at concentrations higher than 25% caused negative effects, which make 25% concentration recommended to be used with acrylic polymers. All antiadherents delayed the drug release at all coating levels; hence, different tailoring of drug release may be achieved by adjusting antiadherent concentration with coating level.     

Competition for Mitogens Regulates Spermatogenic Stem Cell Homeostasis in an Open Niche

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A genetic screen for modifiers of the delta1-dependent notch signaling function in the mouse

The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved transduction pathway involved in embryonic patterning and regulation of cell fates during development. Recent studies have demonstrated that this pathway is integral to a complex system of interactions, which are also involved in distinct human diseases. Delta1 is one of the known ligands of the Notch receptors. Mice homozygous for a loss-of-function allele of the Delta1 gene Dll1(lacZ/lacZ) die during embryonic development. Here, we present the results of two phenotype-driven modifier screens. Heterozygous Dll1(lacZ) knockout animals were crossed with ENU-mutagenized mice and screened for dysmorphological, clinical chemical, and immunological variants that are dependent on the Delta1 loss-of-function allele. First, we show that mutagenized heterozygous Dll1(lacZ) offspring have reduced body weight and altered specific clinical chemical parameters, including changes in metabolites and electrolytes relevant for kidney function. In our mutagenesis screen we have successfully generated 35 new mutant lines. Of major interest are 7 mutant lines that exhibit a Dll1(lacZ/+)-dependent phenotype. These mutant mouse lines provide excellent in vivo tools for studying the role of Notch signaling in kidney and liver function, cholesterol and iron metabolism, cell-fate decisions, and during maturation of T cells in the immune system.     

Chemical and genetic diversity of Ligularia latihastata and Ligularia villosa in Yunnan Province of China

The chemical constituents of the root extracts and the nucleotide sequences of the atpB-rbcL intergenic region of Ligularia latihastata and L. villosa, collected in northwestern Yunnan Province, were studied. In the twelve collected samples of L. latihastata, two major benzofurans, 5,6-dimethoxy-2-(1-methylethenyl)-1-benzofuran (1) and euparin (2) were detected as major components. The minor compound (2R*,3S*)-5-acetyl-2,3-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-(1-methylethenyl)-1-benzofuran-3-yl (2Z)-2-[(acetoxy)methyl]but-2-enoate (4) was found to be susceptible to artifact formation upon extraction with EtOH. The intra-specific diversity in chemical composition of the samples was small, but the diversity in the atpB-rbcL sequence was fairly large. Compounds 1 and 2 were also found in the three collected samples of L. villosa, indicating that the two species are chemically close to each other, in agreement with morphological taxonomy.