Purification and characterization of tributyltin-binding protein of tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes

We successfully purified Trub.TBT-bpα, a tributyltin (TBT) binding protein (bp) of the tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes. Tiger puffer was injected intraperitoneally with TBT (1.0 mg/kg body weight) and Trub.TBT-bpα was purified from serum by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis revealed that the Trub.TBT-bpα has a molecular mass of approximately 48.5 kDa and contains at least 40% N-glycan. The deduced 212 amino acid sequence of the protein showed the highest identity (41%, 212 amino acid overlap and E-value: 9e−42) with TBT-binding protein type 1 (TBT-bp1) of Paralichthys olivaceus (Japanese flounder). Analysis of the gene structure of Trub.TBT-bpα suggests that this protein belongs to the lipocalin superfamily, which may be important in the accumulation and elimination of TBT. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that functionalization of TBT-bps has occurred during evolution, and that the functions of this group of proteins might be important for fish survival.     

Bioremediation of crude oil by white rot fungi Polyporus sp. S133

The bioremediation potential of crude oil by Polyporus sp. S133 pre-grown in wood meal was investigated in two separate experiment trials; liquid medium and soil. The effect of three nutrients (glucose, polypeptone, and wood meal), oxygen flow, and some absorbent on the efficiency of the process was also evaluated. Degradation of crude oil in soil was significantly increased with an addition of oxygen flow and some absorbent (kapok and pulp). The highest degradation rate of crude oil was 93% in the soil with an addition of 10% kapok. The present study clearly demonstrates that, if suitably developed, Polyporus sp. S133 could be used to remediate soil contaminated with crude oil.     

Lipid glycation and protein glycation in diabetes and atherosclerosis

Recent instrumental analyses using a hybrid quadrupole/linear ion trap spectrometer in LC-MS/MS have demonstrated that the Maillard reaction progresses not only on proteins but also on amino residues of membrane lipids such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), thus forming Amadori-PE (deoxy-d-fructosyl PE) as the principal products. The plasma Amadori-PE level is 0.08 mol% of the total PE in healthy subjects and 0.15–0.29 mol% in diabetic patients. Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and pyridoxal are the most effective lipid glycation inhibitors, and the PE-pyridoxal 5′-phosphate adduct is detectable in human red blood cells. These findings are beneficial for developing a potential clinical marker for glycemic control as well as potential compounds to prevent the pathogenesis of diabetic complications and atherosclerosis. Glucose and other aldehydes, such as glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and glycolaldehyde, react with the amino residues of proteins to form Amadori products and Heynes rearrangement products. Because several advanced glycation end-product (AGE) inhibitors such as pyridoxamine and benfotiamine inhibit the development of retinopathy and neuropathy in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, AGEs may play a role in the development of diabetic complications. In the present review, we describe the recent progress and future applications of the Maillard reaction research regarding lipid and protein modifications in diabetes and atherosclerosis.     

Infant feeding practices among mildly wasted children: a retrospective study on Nias Island, Indonesia

Background

This study investigated the infant feeding practices of participating mothers who were recruited into a research project aimed at improving the nutritional status of mildly wasted children (< -1.0 to ?? -1.5 Weight-for-Height Z-scores) aged ?? 6 to < 60 months on Nias Island, Indonesia.

Methods

Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based interview of mothers of the index children (n = 215) who were admitted to the community program for mildly wasted children in the study area. Four focus groups and twenty in-depth interviews were conducted to explore further information on infant feeding practices in the study area.

Results

Retrospective results indicated that 6% of the mothers never breastfed. Fifty two percent of mothers initiated breastfeeding within six hours of birth, but 17% discarded colostrum. Exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age was practiced by 12%. Seventy-four percent of the mothers offered supplementary liquids besides breast milk within the first 7 days of life, and 14% of infants received these supplementary liquids from 7 days onwards until 6 months of age. Moreover, 79% of the infants were given complementary foods (solid, semi-solid, or soft foods) before 6 months of age. About 9% of the children were breastfed at least two years. Less than one in five of the mildly wasted children (19%) were breastfed on admission to the community program. Qualitative assessments found that inappropriate infant feeding practices were strongly influenced by traditional beliefs of the mothers and paternal grandmothers in the study areas.

Conclusion

Generally, suboptimal infant feeding was widely practiced among mothers of mildly wasted children in the study area on Nias Island, Indonesia. To promote breastfeeding practices among mothers on Nias Island, appropriate nutrition training for community workers and health-nutrition officers is needed to improve relevant counseling skills. In addition, encouraging public nutrition education that promotes breastfeeding, taking into account social-cultural factors such as the influence of paternal grandmothers on infant feeding practice, is needed.     

Spleen-Derived Interleukin-10 Downregulates the Severity of High-Fat Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Pancreas Disease

Obesity is associated with systemic low-grade inflammation and is a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD), but the molecular mechanisms of these associations are not clear. Interleukin (IL)-10, a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine, is released during acute pancreatitis and is known to limit inflammatory responses by downregulating the release of proinflammatory mediators. The origin of IL-10 that suppresses pancreatitis has not been investigated. Since obesity is known to reduce expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the spleen, we examined whether spleen-derived IL-10 regulates NAFPD caused by high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity. The following investigations were performed: 1) IL-10 induction from spleen was examined in male mice fed a HF diet; 2) triglyceride content, expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and infiltration of M1 and M2 macrophages were determined to evaluate ectopic fat accumulation and inflammatory responses in the pancreas of splenectomy (SPX)-treated mice fed HF diet; 3) exogenous IL-10 was systemically administered to SPX-treated obese mice and the resulting pathogenesis caused by SPX was assessed; and 4) IL-10 knockout (IL-10KO) mice were treated with SPX and ectopic fat deposition and inflammatory conditions in the pancreas were investigated. Obesity impaired the ability of the spleen to synthesize cytokines, including IL-10. SPX aggravated fat accumulation and inflammatory responses in the pancreas of HF diet-induced obese mice and these effects were inhibited by systemic administration of IL-10. Moreover, SPX had little effect on fat deposition and inflammatory responses in the pancreas of IL-10KO mice. Our findings indicate that obesity reduces IL-10 production by the spleen and that spleen-derived IL-10 may protect against the development of NAFPD.     

Are blue land crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) attracted to falling fruit?

Many species rely on multiple modalities to acquire information about predation risk, potential mates, and food. We studied the sensory modalities of blue land crabs, Cardisoma guanhumi, used for food detection. We isolated the acoustic and seismic cues of falling fruit and measured latency to emerge from their burrows after hearing the sound of falling fruits, seismic signals associated with fruit drop, and a combination of both modalities. In contrast to a previous study, we found no support that either substrate-born vibration or sound-enhanced emergence time. In fact, the actual fruit drop caused slower emergence times at one site. This crab lives in a seismically variable environment and perhaps such species are likely to rely more on other modalities to identify food.     

Fenitrothion Alters Sperm Characteristics in Rats: Ameliorating Effects of Palm Oil Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction

Exposure to organophosphate insecticides such as fenitrothion (FNT) in agriculture and public health has been reported to affect sperm quality. Antioxidants may have a potential to reduce spermatotoxic effects induced by organophosphate. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of palm oil tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) in reducing the detrimental effects occurring in spermatozoa of FNT-treated rats. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four equal groups: a control group and groups of rats treated orally with palm oil TRF (200 mg/kg), FNT (20 mg/kg) and palm oil TRF (200 mg/kg) combined with FNT (20 mg/kg). The sperm characteristics, DNA damage, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and protein carbonyl (PC) were evaluated. Supplementation with TRF attenuated the detrimental effects of FNT by significantly increasing the sperm counts, motility, and viability and decreased the abnormal sperm morphology. The SOD activity and GSH level were significantly increased, whereas the MDA and PC levels were significantly decreased in the TRF+FNT group compared with the rats receiving FNT alone. TRF significantly decreased the DNA damage in the sperm of FNT-treated rats. A significant correlation between abnormal sperm morphology and DNA damage was found in all groups. TRF showed the potential to reduce the detrimental effects occurring in spermatozoa of FNT-treated rats.     

The spatiotemporal expression pattern of the bone morphogenetic protein family in rat ovary cell types during the estrous cycle

In the mammalian ovary, great interest in the expression and function of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family has been recently generated from evidence of their critical role in determining folliculogenesis and female fertility. Despite extensive work, there is a need to understand the cellular sites of expression of these important regulatory molecules, and how their gene expression changes within the basic ovary cell types through the cycle. Here we have performed a detailed in situ hybridization analysis of the spatial and temporal expression patterns of the BMP ligands (BMP-2, -3, -3b, -4, -6, -7, -15), receptors (BMPR-IA, -IB, -II), and BMP antagonist, follistatin, in rat ovaries over the normal estrous cycle. We have found that: i) all of the mRNAs are expressed in a cell-specific manner in the major classes of ovary cell types (oocyte, granulosa, theca interstitial, theca externa, corpora lutea, secondary interstitial, vascular and ovary surface epithelium); and ii) most undergo dynamic changes during follicular and corpora luteal morphogenesis and histogenesis. The general principle to emerge from these studies is that the developmental programs of folliculogenesis (recruitment, selection, atresia), ovulation, and luteogenesis (luteinization, luteolysis) are accompanied by rather dramatic spatial and temporal changes in the expression patterns of these BMP genes. These results lead us to hypothesize previously unanticipated roles for the BMP family in determining fundamental developmental events that ensure the proper timing and developmental events required for the generation of the estrous cycle.