Effects of salinity on the establishment and early growth of Prosopis argentina and Prosopis alpataco seedlings in two contrasting soils: Implications for their ecological success

Abstract In arid zones, water availability is the most important factor limiting seedling establishment and plant distribution. However, within a region with a defined water regime, the physical and chemical properties of the soil could be the cause of the spatial pattern of plant communities. Prosopis argentina Burk. and Prosopis alpataco Phil. are sympatric at a regional scale but at the local scale they occupy clearly differentiated edaphic niches. Prosopis argentina reaches its ecological optimum in the sandy soils of active dunes, whereas P. alpataco achieves it in heavy, clayish, saline and periodically flooded soils. We studied the effect of salinity, and its interaction with soil type, on the establishment and early growth of these species in order to evaluate their adaptive mechanisms, and to analyse how this was related to the ecological success of these species. Salinity affected emergence and early growth of P. argentina and P. alpataco seedlings differently. Higher salinity led to decreased height, total biomass and shoot and root biomass of plants in both species but the effect was stronger in P. argentina than in P. alpataco, and greater in clayish than in sandy soils. These results would indicate that exclusion of P. argentina from clayish and saline soils would occur during emergence and the first stages of seedling establishment as a consequence of salinity. In P. alpataco other edaphic limitations, like texture or fertility in sandy soils, appear to be always more important. The osmotic effect evidenced by decreasing water and osmotic potentials of plants under saline conditions may be associated with growth reduction in both P. argentina and P. alpataco. However, this factor cannot explain differences in growth between species under salinity. The higher contents of Ca⁺⁺ and K⁺, and the lower contents of Na⁺ in P. alpataco suggest that the greater tolerance of this species depends on its ability to regulate and control absorption and transport of ions.     

Interferon-α, interferon-γ and sizofiran in the adjuvant therapy in ovarian cancer — a preliminary trial

The study included 24 cases of negative second-look laparotomy (SLL) after operation on ovarian cancer. 12 cases were treated with sizofiran and recombinant interferon-gamma before and after SLL and then with human lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha. The remaining 12 cases (controls) were followed up without any drug therapy after SLL. There were no recurrences in the treated group, but in 3 cases of the control group. Also significant difference in survival was noted in the treated group.     

Mouse/human chimeric anti-HIV-1 gp120 antibody to the principal neutralizing determinant: Tolerability and pharmacokinetics in cynomolgus monkeys,Macaca fascicularis

In preparing for testing a pharmaceutical grade preparation of chimeric (mouse/human) antibody CGP 47 439 in HIV-1 infected individuals, it was administered toMacaca fascicularis (cynomolgus) monkeys to study tolerability, immunogenicity and pharmacokinetics. Four groups of monkeys, three males and three females per group, received respectively four infusions of 0, 1.43, 4.3, and 14.3 mg of CGP 47 4391 kg body weight at one-week intervals. The chimeric antibody induced no fever, was tolerated well throughout the 50-day observation period, elicited no tissue damage and no anti-antibody response. The pharmacokinetic profile was similar at all dose levels with a mean T_1/2 of 14.2 h (range 11.8–19.3 h) and a mean T_1/2 of 172.6h (range 137.2–220.5h). Following four successive antibody infusions serum concentrations of CGP 47 439 increased without reaching a steady state, and its measured concentrations were comparable to the simulated values. Collectively the study has provided safety and pharmacokinetic data that would allow human studies with this antibody in AIDS patients.     

Spheroids from adipose‐derived stem cells exhibit an miRNA profile of highly undifferentiated cells

Two‐dimensional (2D) cell cultures have been extensively used to investigate stem cell biology, but new insights show that the 2D model may not properly represent the potential of the tissue of origin. Conversely, three‐dimensional cultures exhibit protein expression patterns and intercellular junctions that are more representative of their in vivo condition. Multiclonal cells that grow in suspension are defined as “spheroids,” and we have previously demonstrated that spheroids from adipose‐derived stem cells (S‐ASCs) displayed enhanced regenerative capability. With the current study, we further characterized S‐ASCs to further understand the molecular mechanisms underlying their stemness properties. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in many cellular mechanisms, including stemness maintenance and proliferation, and adipose stem cell differentiation. Most studies have been conducted to identify a specific miRNA profile on adherent adipose stem cells, although little is still known about S‐ASCs. In this study, we investigate for the first time the miRNA expression pattern in S‐ASCs compared to that of ASCs, demonstrating that cell lines cultured in suspension show a typical miRNA expression profile that is closer to the one reported in induced pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, we have analyzed miRNAs that are specifically involved in two distinct moments of each differentiation, namely early and late stages of osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic lineages during long‐term in vitro culture. The data reported in the current study suggest that S‐ASCs have superior stemness features than the ASCs and they represent the true upstream stem cell fraction present in adipose tissue, relegating their adherent counterparts.     

Targeting to the HIV-1 RRE of the influenza virus NS1 protein effector domain as a potent, specific anti-HIV agent

The Rev axis of HIV autoregulation is one of two critical viral regulatory pathways required for expression of viral genomic and mRNA and for replication. Consequently it is an attractive therapeutic target. Previous studies have investigated the anti-HIV efficacy of targeting to the RRE (the viral RNA target sequence of the Rev axis) a trans-dominant negative inhibitor mutant Rev, M10. In this study we have fused a portion of the influenza virus NS1 protein (which normally inhibits polyA(+) mRNA transport and splicing) to the Rev M10 gene while deleting the NS1 poly(A) binding region. The resulting chimera demonstrates specific and enhanced inhibition of viral-RRE-containing RNA expression.