The Effects of Insulin-Induced Hypoglycaemia on Tyrosine Hydroxylase Phosphorylation in Rat Brain and Adrenal Gland

In this study we investigated the effects of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein and TH phosphorylation in the adrenal gland, C1 cell group, locus coeruleus (LC) and midbrain dopaminergic cell groups that are thought to play a role in response to hypoglycaemia and compared the effects of different concentrations of insulin in rats. Insulin (1 and 10 U/kg) treatment caused similar reductions in blood glucose concentration (from 7.5–9 to 2–3 mmol/L); however, plasma adrenaline concentration was increased 20–30 fold in response to 10 U/kg insulin and only 14 fold following 1 U/kg. Time course studies (at 10 U/kg insulin) revealed that in the adrenal gland, Ser31 phosphorylation was increased between 30 and 90 min (4–5 fold), implying that TH was activated to increase catecholamine synthesis in adrenal medulla to replenish the stores. In the brain, Ser19 phosphorylation was limited to certain dopaminergic groups in the midbrain, while Ser31 phosphorylation was increased in most catecholaminergic regions at 60 min (1.3–2 fold), suggesting that Ser31 phosphorylation may be an important mechanism to maintain catecholamine synthesis in the brain. Comparing the effects of 1 and 10 U/kg insulin revealed that Ser31 phosphorylation was increased to similar extent in the adrenal gland and C1 cell group in response to both doses whereas Ser31 and Ser19 phosphorylation were only increased in response to 1 U/kg insulin in LC and in response to 10 U/kg insulin in most midbrain regions. Thus, the adrenal gland and some catecholaminergic brain regions become activated in response to insulin administration and brain catecholamines may be important for initiation of physiological defences against insulin-induced hypoglycaemia.     

Serious adverse events following treatment with ivermectin for onchocerciasis control: a review of reported cases

This paper presents a summary of reported cases of Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) following treatment with Mectizan^® (ivermectin, Merck, Sharpe &; Dohme) in onchocerciasis mass treatment programs from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 2001 through a passive surveillance system. A total of 207 SAE cases were reported out of approximately 165 million reported treatments delivered during the period under review, giving rise to a cumulative incidence of 1 reported SAE per 800,000 reported treatments. The mean age was 40 years and 70% of the cases were males. The mean time between ivermectin intake and onset of illness was 1 day. For 57% of the cases (n = 118), that was their first exposure to ivermectin. The majority of cases were reported from Cameroon (n = 176; 85%) with peaks in the incidence of SAE reporting in 1989–1991 and 1994–1995 when the program expanded to ivermectin-naïve populations. Fifty-five percent of the cases from Cameroon (i.e. 97 out of 176 cases) were encephalopathic and were reported from the central-southern region of the country; two-thirds of these cases were 'probable' or 'possible' cases of Loa loa encephalopathy temporally related to ivermectin treatment. Reporting bias may explain some but not all of the differences in SAE reporting between the 34 onchocerciasis-endemic countries that have, or have had, mass treatment programs. Further research is needed to understand the apparent clustering of encephalopathy cases in central-southern Cameroon since L. loa infection alone probably does not explain the increased incidence of this type of SAE from this region.     

Are gardens effective in butterfly conservation? A case study with the pipevine swallowtail, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Battus philenor</Emphasis>

Gardens with nectar sources and larval host plants have been proposed to stem the decline in butterfly abundance caused by habitat loss. However, no study has provided evidence that gardens benefit butterflies. We examined the use of natural sites and gardens in the San Francisco bay area by the butterfly, Battus philenor. We found that natural sites were more likely to attract adult B. philenor, received more oviposition, and had higher juvenile survival than gardens sites. Butterflies were more likely to be present in gardens with established populations of the host plant, Aristolochia californica, growing in the sun. Battus philenor are unlikely to visit gardens with host plants planted within the past 7 years. Gardens between the ages of 8–40 years received oviposition, but did not always support completion of larval development of B. philenor. In gardens with host plants over 40 years of age, B. philenor consistently survived from egg to the adult stage. Natural enemy induced mortality of eggs did not differ between garden and natural sites, but overall egg survival was lower in gardens than at natural sites. It is unlikely that gardens serve as 'refugia' for B. philenor in years when populations in natural sites experience low survival or low fecundity. Even in gardens capable of supporting larvae to maturity, the density of eggs and survival rates were lower than in natural populations of the host plant suggesting that gardens were not optimal habitats. Therefore, without evidence that juvenile abundance and survival rates in gardens matches or exceeds that in natural sites, it is most likely that gardens act as population sinks for B. philenor.     

Lactobacillli expressing llama VHH fragments neutralise <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactococcus</Emphasis>phages

Background  

Bacteriophages infecting lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely acknowledged as the main cause of milk fermentation failures. In this study, we describe the surface-expression as well as the secretion of two functional llama heavy-chain antibody fragments, one binding to the major capsid protein (MCP) and the other to the receptor-binding proteins (RBP) of the lactococcal bacteriophage p2, by lactobacilli in order to neutralise lactococcal phages.     

Asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones to chiral alcohols catalyzed by plants tissue

As an important organic compound, chiral alcohols are the key chiral building blocks to many single enantiomer pharmaceuticals. Asymmetric reduction of the corresponding prochiral ketones to produce the chiral alcohols by biocatalysis is one of the most promising routes. Asymmetric reduction of different kinds of non-natural prochiral ketones catalyzed by various plants tissue was studied in this work. Acetophenone, 4'-chloroacetophenone and ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate were chosen as the model substrates for simple ketone, halogen-containing aromatic ketone and beta-ketoesters, respectively. Apple (Malus pumila), carrot (Daucus carota), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), onion (Allium cepa), potato (Soanum tuberosum), radish (Raphanus sativus) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) were chosen as the biocatalysts. It was found that these kinds of prochiral ketoness could be reduced by these plants tissue with high enantioselectivity. Both R- and S-form configuration chiral alcohols could be obtained. The e.e. and chemical yield could reach about 98 and 80% respectively for acetophenone and 4'-chloroacetophenone reduction reaction with favorable plant tissue. And the e.e. and yield for ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate reduction reaction was about 91 and 45% respectively.     

ABA may affect the dormancy in triticale caryopses by inhibition of embryo class I RNases,enzymes involved in P<Subscript>i</Subscript> release

The main objective of this study was to analyze the differences in profiles of RNase activities from triticale embryos (Triticosecale, cv. Ugo) between dormant and non-dormant caryopses and to determine the influence of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) on the activities of these enzymes. The major RNase from the examined tissue was detected following SDS-PAGE, with substrate-based gel assay, described by Yen and Green (Plant Physiol 97:1487–1493, 1991). The activities of enzymes were characterized according to their pH optima, ion dependence, EDTA sensitivity and DNase activity. In embryos with arrested growth (in a natural way by dormancy or artificially by ABA treatment), the activity of two enzymes—24 and 27 kDa—belonging to class I RNases was completely inhibited, whereas that of two other RNases of this family—23 and 25 kDa—was detectable. However, the activity of the class I ribonucleases (enzymes responsible for cellular P_i release) was very low. Moreover, in contrast with non-dormant caryopses, imbibing embryos of dormant or ABA-treated seeds contained 13- and 14-kDa enzymes. These enzymes have not been classified so far, and their specific properties are different from the generally accepted properties of ribonucleolytic enzymes. In addition to the above results, the P_i content in the analyzed samples was determined by the Ames (Methods Enzymol 8:115–118, 1966) method. The results suggest a very low and constant level of inorganic phosphate in dormant samples as well as an evidently decreasing P_i content in embryos under the influence of ABA treatment. The inhibition of the class I RNases activity induced by abscisic acid implies that one of the roles of ABA in seed dormancy may consist in arresting the catabolic release of P_i, which results in retarding the embryo’s growth.     

Neural control of olfaction and tentacle movements by serotonin and dopamine in terrestrial snail

We investigated the role of serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) in the regulation of olfactory system function and odor-evoked tentacle movements in the snail Helix. Preparations of the posterior tentacle (including sensory pad, tentacular ganglion and olfactory nerve) or central ganglia with attached posterior tentacles were exposed to cineole odorant and the evoked responses were affected by prior application of 5HT or DA or their precursors 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) and l-DOPA, respectively. 5HT applications decreased cineole-evoked responses recorded in the olfactory nerve and hyperpolarized the identified tentacle retractor muscle motoneuron MtC3, while DA applications led to the opposite changes. 5HTP and l-DOPA modified MtC3 activity comparable to 5HT and DA action. DA was also found to decrease the amplitude of spontaneous local field potential oscillations in the procerebrum, a central olfactory structure. In vivo studies demonstrated that injection of 5HTP in freely moving snails reduced the tentacle withdrawal response to aversive ethyl acetate odorant, whereas the injection of l-DOPA increased responses to “neutral” cineole and aversive ethyl acetate odorants. Our data suggest that 5HT and DA affect the peripheral (sensory epithelium and tentacular ganglion), the central (procerebrum), and the single motor neuron (withdrawal motoneuron MtC3) level of the snail’s nervous system.     

Probable Site of Sex Pheromone Emission in Female Vine and Obscure Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

In laboratory bioassays, male Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) and Planococcus ficus Signoret were attracted to body sections of females that included the metathoracic legs. Extracts of the metathoracic legs of female P. ficus were much more attractive to males than extracts of the other legs, and males exhibited copulatory behavior towards these extracts. Scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of translucent pores on the coxae of mature but not immature females. Collectively, the data suggest that the female-produced sex pheromones of these species are released from the metathoracic legs, probably from the translucent pores.     

Enhanced abundance of tintinnids under elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> level from coastal Bay of Bengal

The role of microzooplankton (MZP) in the pelagic trophodynamics is highly significant, but the responses of marine MZP to increasing CO₂ levels are rather poorly understood. Hence the present study was undertaken to understand the responses of marine plankton to increasing CO₂ concentrations. Natural water samples from the coastal Bay of Bengal were incubated under the ambient condition and high CO₂ levels (703–711 μatm) for 5 days in May and June 2010. A significant negative correlation was obtained between phytoplankton and MZP abundance which indicated that phytoplankton community structure can considerably be controlled by MZP in this region. The average relative abundances of tintinnids under elevated CO₂ levels were found to be significantly higher (68.65 ± 5.63% in May; 85.46 ± 9.56% in June) than observed in the ambient condition (35.68 ± 6.83% in May; 79 ± 5.36% in June). The observed dominance of small chain forming diatom species probably played a crucial role as they can be potentially grazed by tintinnids. This fact was strengthened by the observed high negative correlations between the relative abundance of major phytoplankton and tintinnids. Moreover, particulate organic carbon and total bacterial counts were also enhanced under elevated CO₂ level and can serve as additional food source for ciliates. The observed responses of tintinnids to increasing CO₂ might have multiple impacts on the energy transfer, nutrient and carbon cycling in the coastal water. The duration of the present study was relatively short and therefore further investigation on longer time scale needs to be done and might give us a better insight about phytoplankton and MZP species succession under elevated CO₂ level.