Brain Barrier Breakdown as a Cause and Consequence of Neuroinflammation in Sepsis

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) are important for the maintenance of brain homeostasis. During sepsis, peripheral production of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species are responsible for structural alterations in those brain barriers. Thus, an increasing permeability of these barriers can lead to the activation of glial cells such as microglia and the production of cytotoxic mediators which in turn act on the brain barriers, damaging them further. Thereby, in this review, we try to highlight how the brain barrier’s permeability is not only a cause but a consequence of brain injury in sepsis.     

Survivin and Cyclooxygenase-2 are co-expressed in human and mouse colon carcinoma and in terminally differentiated colonocytes

In the evolution of colon rectal cancer (CRC) the imbalance between cell proliferation and apoptosis is considered one of the prominent causes of tumor induction and/or progression. In order to establish the role of anti apoptotic proteins in colon cancer development, we studied with immunohistochemical techniques the expression of Survivin in a mouse model of colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine treatment. In this mouse model Survivin was over-expressed during tumor development, showing a distribution mimicking that described in the correspondent human malignancies. We also correlated Survivin distribution with COX-2 and beta-Catenin expression patterns. The co-localization of COX-2/beta-Catenin/Survivin in the same epithelial cells in tumor samples lends credence to possible in vivo regulatory effects of COX-2 and beta-Catenin on the intracellular Survivin levels in mouse and human colon cancer.     

High efficiency plant regeneration and genetic fidelity of regenerants by SCoT and ISSR markers in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

High efficient and repeatable in vitro regeneration protocol was established from embryo axis, half-seed, axillary meristem, and cotyledonary node explants of chickpea. Various concentrations and combinations of various plant growth regulators (PGRs) were employed to induce multiple shoots, shoot elongation and rooting of shoots to obtain complete plantlets of chickpea. The pretreatment of seeds with 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) at 1.0 mg l^?1 was found to significantly increase the multiple shoot regeneration from the all explants tested. Among three PGRs such as BAP, kinetin (KIN) and thidiazuron (TDZ) tested for multiple shoot induction; BAP at 2.0 mg l^?1 produced the maximum number of shoots in all tested explants. The maximum number of shoots (48.80 shoots/explant) was attained from the embryo axis explant followed by half-seed (32.76 shoots/explant), axillary meristem (28.34 shoots/explant) and cotyledonary node explant (18.47 shoots/explant) on medium augmented with 2.0 mg l^?1 BAP along with 0.05 mg l^?1 Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The optimum percentage of shoot elongation response was recorded (96.68%) on medium fortified with IAA (0.05 mg l^?1), GA₃ (1.0 mg l^?1) and BAP (1.0 mg l^?1) with an average shoot length of 8.82 cm. The elongated shoots were successfully rooted in medium augmented with 2.0 mg l^?1 IBA. The complete plants were acclimatized in the greenhouse with a survival rate of 72%. The plantlets regenerated from four explants appeared to be morphologically similar to mother plants. The genetic fidelity of in vitro regenerated plants was evaluated using Start Codon Targeted and Inter simple sequence repeats molecular markers. The in vitro regenerated plants from all four explants were found to be the true to type with their mother plant. The in vitro protocol presented in the study should offer as a feasible system for chickpea genetic transformation.

     

Studies on stimulus-response coupling in human neutrophils. II. Relationships between the effects of changes of external ionic composition on the properties of N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine receptors and on the respiratory and secretory responses

Studies were carried out on the mechanism responsible for the enhancement of the respiratory and secretory responses to N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe) exhibited by human neutrophils suspended in Na+-free, high-K+ buffered solution. The results demonstrate that: (a) the variation of Na+ concentration in the suspending solution induces in human neutrophils a marked modification of the recognition apparatus for the chemotactic peptide fMet-Leu-Phe, the lack of or low concentration of this ion increasing the number of the receptors and their specific affinity for the ligand; (b) the greater respiratory burst and secretion induced by fMet-Leu-Phe in human neutrophils suspended in Na+-free, high-K+ medium are due to the increased formation of receptor-ligand complexes at the cell membrane; (c) the greater respiratory response is partially due also to a higher efficiency of these receptor-ligand complexes. The molecular mechanism by which Na+ exerts a regulative role on the properties of the recognition apparatus for the chemotactic peptide and its possible significance are discussed.     

Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) plant cytotoxicity and activity towards malaria parasites. Part II: experimental studies with Aspidosperma ramiflorum in vivo and in vitro

Several species of Aspidosperma plants are used to treat diseases in the tropics, including Aspidosperma ramiflorum, which acts against leishmaniasis, an activity that is experimentally confirmed. The species, known as guatambu-yellow, yellow peroba, coffee-peroba andmatiambu, grows in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil in the South to the Southeast regions. Through a guided biofractionation of A. ramiflorum extracts, the plant activity against Plasmodium falciparum was evaluated in vitro for toxicity towards human hepatoma G2 cells, normal monkey kidney cells and nonimmortalised human monocytes isolated from peripheral blood. Six of the seven extracts tested were active at low doses (half-maximal drug inhibitory concentration < 3.8 µg/mL); the aqueous extract was inactive. Overall, the plant extracts and the purified compounds displayed low toxicity in vitro. A nonsoluble extract fraction and one purified alkaloid isositsirikine (compound 5) displayed high selectivity indexes (SI) (= 56 and 113, respectively), whereas compounds 2 and 3 were toxic (SI < 10). The structure, activity and low toxicity of isositsirikine in vitro are described here for the first time in A. ramiflorum, but only the neutral and precipitate plant fractions were tested for activity, which caused up to 53% parasitaemia inhibition of Plasmodium berghei in mice with blood-induced malaria. This plant species is likely to be useful in the further development of an antimalarial drug, but its pharmacological evaluation is still required.     

Effect of Geographic Origin and Ex Situ Growing Site on Phenology,Morphology, and Seed Yield of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) Germplasm from the Rhaetian Alps,Italy

Species adapted to prevailing soil and climatic conditions and native to the same geographic context are increasingly recommended for ecological restoration at high altitude. Better knowledge is required on the level of variation within these species for morpho‐physiological traits and seed yield. Adequate and affordable seed production is a prerequisite for native species to be widely adopted for restoration interventions. This study evaluated the variation of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) germplasm collected in the Rhaetian Alps, Italy. The worth of yarrow for restoration at high altitude has been repeatedly noted. The main goal of the study was to identify promising materials for selection purposes. The explored mountain section harbored valuable variation for traits of interest. Altitude, climate, and soil should frame an ecological correspondence between the collection site and the target restoration site, to secure the value of the native germplasm outside the boundaries of its collection area. The work also assessed any interaction between the germplasm and the ex situ growing environments, represented by a mountain and a lowland site, and verified the feasibility of the latter for seed multiplication. The growing site remarkably affected several morpho‐physiological characters. The lack of difference in mean seed yield between the two altitude‐contrasting sites suggested that seed multiplication of yarrow could also be conveniently carried out in lowland environments, with advantages in terms of production costs. Nonetheless, different yield responses in the two sites were observed, emphasizing the need of choosing the material to multiply based on the environment adopted for seed production.     

Propulsive adaptation to changing gait speed

Understanding propulsion and adaptation to speed requirements is important in determining appropriate therapies for gait disorders. We hypothesize that adaptations for changing speed requirements occur primarily at the hip. The slow, normal and fast gait of 24 healthy young subjects was analyzed. The linear power was analyzed at the hip joint. The anterior-posterior and vertical induced accelerations of the hip were also determined. Linear power and anterior-posterior-induced acceleration (IA) analyses of the hip reveal that the lower limb joint's moments contribute to body forward propulsion primarily during late swing and early stance. Propulsive adaptations to speed changes occur primarily at the hip and secondarily at the ankle. These analyses show that hip muscles, particularly the hip extensors, are critical to propulsion. They also show that ankle function is primarily for support, but is important to propulsion, especially at slow speeds.     

Effect of deadwood management on saproxylic beetle richness in the floodplain forests of northern Italy: some measures for deadwood sustainable use

Saproxylic beetles may act as bio-indicators of high-quality mature woodlands, and their conservation is strongly linked to the quality and quantity of deadwood in a biotope. We tested the effect of deadwood accumulation and habitat variables on saproxylic species richness by investigating six sampling sites under different deadwood management practices that belong to both alluvial and riparian mixed forests of the Po plain, Italy. We sampled 43 obligate saproxylic species. The main factor predicting saproxylic species richness was the amount of deadwood measured by both log diameter and volume. We found a threshold of 0.22 m diameter (confidence interval CI 0.18–0.37 m) and 32.04 m³/ha volume (CI 16.09–64.09 m³/ha) below which saproxylic beetle richness would be significantly reduced and a threshold of 35 m³/ha dead wood volume (CI 33–40 m³/ha) over which species richness increases by <5 %. The other deadwood and environmental components influenced saproxylic beetle richness to a lesser extent; some of them, however, should still be considered for proper management. Forest structure variables describing forest density such as large trees and basal areas have a negative effect on species richness. According to the results of our study, stumps and advanced decaying class are positively correlated, while small logs are negatively correlated to species richness. Thus, in extensively managed forests, the regular cutting of trees should be implemented to create artificial stumps, in order to assure a continuity of deadwood and, in the meantime, increase the number and width of openings in the forest. Moreover, prolonging rotation times can assure the presence of deadwood at intermediate/later stages of decay.     

Probiotic Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Water-Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese

This study evaluated the probiotic properties (stability at different pH values and bile salt concentration, auto-aggregation and co-aggregation, survival in the presence of antibiotics and commercial drugs, study of β-galactosidase production, evaluation of the presence of genes encoding MapA and Mub adhesion proteins and EF-Tu elongation factor, and the presence of genes encoding virulence factor) of four LAB strains (Lactobacillus casei SJRP35, Leuconostoc citreum SJRP44, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus SJRP57 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides SJRP58) which produced antimicrobial substances (antimicrobial peptides). The strains survived the simulated GIT modeled in MRS broth, whole and skim milk. In addition, auto-aggregation and the cell surface hydrophobicity of all strains were high, and various degrees of co-aggregation were observed with indicator strains. All strains presented low resistance to several antibiotics and survived in the presence of commercial drugs. Only the strain SJRP44 did not produce the β-galactosidase enzyme. Moreover, the strain SJRP57 did not show the presence of any genes encoding virulence factors; however, the strain SJRP35 presented vancomycin resistance and adhesion of collagen genes, the strain SJRP44 harbored the ornithine decarboxylase gene and the strain SJRP58 generated positive results for aggregation substance and histidine decarboxylase genes. In conclusion, the strain SJRP57 was considered the best candidate as probiotic cultures for further in vivo studies and functional food products development.     

Early diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a young immunocompetent patient

A 22-year-old insulin-dependent diabetic male was admitted for diabetic ketoacidosis. He developed hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) for which empirical antibiotic and antifungal therapy was started on the ward. On day 6, clinical and laboratory findings worsened, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed. Serum real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) indicated invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and led to antifungal therapy being initiated 48 hours before the results of the BAL culture were available. Despite early appropriate antifungal therapy, however, the patient died on day 22 while being supported by venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.