Association of polymorphic markers of chemokine genes,their receptors,and <Emphasis Type="Italic">CD14</Emphasis> gene with coronary atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis represents an inflammatory response to the disturbance of the endothelial layer in the arterial bloodstream. In the present study, an analysis of associations of polymorphic markers for the genes controlling synthesis of proteins involved in atherosclerosis pathogenesis in coronary atherosclerosis (CA) patients (217 subjects) and in a control group (250 subjects) was conducted. The following genes were examined: rs991804 (CCL2 gene), rs1126579 (CXCR2 gene), rs4074 (CXCL1 gene), rs4073 (CXCL8 gene), rs333 (CCR5 gene), rs2471859 (CXCR4 gene), rs1801157 (CXCL12 gene), and rs2569190 (CD14 gene). Using the Monte Carlo and Markov chain (APSampler) method, allele/genotype combinations associated with both low and high CA risk were revealed. The most important findings included the following: CXCR4*T/T + CCL2*C + CCR5*I/I (P_perm = 1 × 10^–6, OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.3–0.63), CXCR2*C + CD14*C + CXCL12*G + CCL2*C + CCR5*D (P_perm = 4 × 10^–6, OR = 5.78, 95% CI 2.34–14.28), CD14*C + CCL2*C/C + CCR5*D (P_perm = 6.3 × 10^–6, OR = 5.81, 95% CI 2.17–15.56), CXCL8*A + CXCR2*C + CD14*T + CXCR4*C (P_perm = 0.01, OR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.63–6.31).     

Genetic effect of mottled locus on reproduction and preweaning growth in laboratory mice

Summary An experiment was conducted to study the maternal and fetal effects of the sex-linked gene tortoise on litter size, birth weight, body weight from birth to 30-day of age, and mortality in normal (N) and mutant (M) mice (Mus musculus). The experiment involved two mating types: (1) N x N (dam x sire) which produced normal male and normal female offspring and (2) M X N which produced mutant males that died in utero, mutant females and normal male and female offspring. Comparison 1 consisted of all phenotypically normal male and female offspring from both N X N and M X N mating types born in 2 parities. The data supports the hypothesis that the tortoise gene, when present in the dam, did not significantly affect the body weight of normal progeny prior to 18 days old. There is also evidence for a negative maternal effect of the tortoise gene on body weight from 21 to 30 days of age postpartum. Mating type X parity interaction was not significant prior to 9 day postpartum. Sex of mice did not influence body weight of siblings prior to 18 day old, but males were heavier than females there-after. Normal and mutant females born in six parities from the M X N mating type constituted Comparison 2. The birth weight of the offspring in Comparison 2 was not significantly influenced by the presence of the tortoise gene. All other body weight measurements, however, were lower for mutant females when compared to normal females. Parity affected all body weight measurements in both comparisons. Mortality rate of the offspring was not influenced by parental mating type or parity, but sex differences were observed. Mutant females had higher mortality than normal sisters. This study provides evidence that the mottled locus in the tortoise dam and progeny influences growth and survival.Reference to a company and/or product named by the USDA is only for purposes of information and does not imply approval or recommendation of the product to the exclusion of others     

A New Entodiniomorphid Ciliate,Troglocorys cava n. g., n. sp., from the Wild Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from Uganda

ABSTRACT. Troglocorys cava n. g., n. sp. is described from the feces of wild eastern chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, in Uganda. This new species has a spherical body with a frontal lobe, a long vestibulum, a cytoproct located at the posterior dorsal side of the body, an ovoid macronucleus, a contractile vacuole near the cytoproct, and a large concavity on the left surface of the body. Buccal ciliature is non‐retractable and consists of three ciliary zones: an adoral zone surrounding the vestibular opening, a dorso‐adoral zone extending transversely at the basis of the frontal lobe, and a vestibular zone longitudinally extending in a gently spiral curve to line the surface of the vestibulum. Two non‐retractable somatic ciliary zones comprise arches over the body surface: a short dorsal ciliary arch extending transversely at the basis of the frontal lobe and a wide C‐shaped left ciliary arch in the left concavity. Because of the presence of three ciliary zones in the non‐retractable buccal ciliature, the present genus might be a member of the family Blepharocorythidae, but the large left concavity and the C‐shaped left ciliary arch are unique, such structures have never been described from other blepharocorythids.     

A survey of chlortetracycline concentration in feed and its residue in chicken egg in commercial layer farms

The worldwide increase in the use of antibiotics as an integral part of poultry and livestock production industry has recently received increasing attention as a contributory factor in the international emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in human beings. To gauge the presence of the aforementioned scenario in the Indian context, a preliminary survey was conducted to assess the use of chlortetracycline (CTC) in 12 commercial layer farms and to quantify and confirm its residue in the egg. Samples of feed and eggs were collected at day 0 (prior to CTC addition), 3rd, 5th and 7th day during treatment and on the 9th and 14th day (2nd and 7th day after withdrawal of CTC) from each of the 12 commercial poultry farms studied. Concentration of CTC in feed was significantly (P<0.01) high on the 3rd, 5th and 7th day. On the 9th day and 14th day CTC concentration in feed was significantly (P<0.01) lower compared to the earlier 3 days studied. A highly significant difference (P<0.01) of the antibiotic residue in egg was observed in all the 5 days with high residual levels of CTC in egg. CTC in feed and its residue in egg were detected even on the 9th and 14th day respectively.     

Combinations of cytokine gene network polymorphic markers as potential predictors of myocardial infarction

With the intent to identify informative predictors of myocardial infarction (MI) development in an ethnically homogenous group of Russian men after MI (255 subjects) and in a corresponding control group (257 subjects), an analysis of genotype frequency distribution for polymorphic DNA markers (SNP) rs16944 (?511C>T, IL1B gene), rs1800796 (?572G>C, IL6 gene), rs1800872 (?592C>A, IL10 gene), rs3212227 (1159A>C, IL12B gene), rs1800629 (?308G>A, TNF), rs909253 (252A>G, LTA), rs767455 (36A>G, TNFRSF1A) was conducted. Using the Monte Carlo method and a Markov chain (APSampler), allele combinations associated both with decreased and increased MI risk were revealed. The most significant results were obtained for IL6*C/C (P = 3 × 10^?4, OR = 6.3 CI 2.37–16.75), LTA*A + IL6*G/G (FDR = 2.3 × 10^?4, OR = 0.25 CI 0.14–0.46), LTA*G/G + IL12B*A/A (FDR = 0.0053, OR = 4.92 CI 1.8–13.33), TNF*G + LTA*G/G + TNFRSF1A*A (FDR = 0.013, OR = 4.38, CI 1.6–12.01), TNFRSF1A*G + IL10*A/A + IL12B*C (FDR = 0.016, OR = 8.79, CI 2.17–35.63), TNF*G + LTA*G/G + IL10*C (FDR = 0.0105, OR = 3.54 CI 1.55–8.09).     

The biomechanics of erections: two- versus one-compartment pressurized vessel modeling of the penis

Previous biomechanical models of the penis simulated penile erections utilizing 2D geometry, simplified 3D geometry or made inaccurate assumptions altogether. These models designed the shaft of the penis as a one-compartment pressurized vessel fixed at one end when in reality it is a two-compartment pressurized vessel in which the compartments diverge as they enter the body and are fixed at two separate anatomic sites. This study utilizes the more anatomically correct two-compartment penile model to investigate erectile function. Simplified 2D and 3D models of the erect penis were developed using the finite element method with varying anatomical considerations for analyzing structural stresses, axial buckling, and lateral deformation. This study then validated the results by building and testing corresponding physical models. Finally, a more complex and anatomically accurate model of the penis was designed and analyzed. When subject to a lateral force of 0.5 N, the peak equivalent von Mises (EVM) stress in the two-compartment model increased by about 31.62%, while in the one-compartment model, the peak EVM stress increased by as high as 70.11%. The peak EVM stress was 149 kPa in the more complex and anatomically accurate penile model. When the perforated septum was removed, the peak EVM stress increased to 455 kPa. This study verified that there is significant difference between modeling the penis as a two- versus a one-compartment pressurized vessel. When subjected to external forces, a significant advantage was exhibited by two corporal based cavernosal bodies separated by a perforated septum as opposed to one corporal body. This is due to better structural integrity of the tunica albuginea when subjected to external forces.     

Inhibition of Helicobacter hepaticus-induced colitis by IL-10 requires the p50/p105 subunit of NF-kappa B

Defects within the innate immune system sensitize NF-kappaB-deficient (p50(-/-); p65(+/-)) mice to Helicobacter hepaticus (Hh)-induced colitis. Because IL-10 plays a central role in the inhibition of Hh-induced colitis, we hypothesized that the ability of IL-10 to inhibit the innate inflammatory response to Hh may be compromised in NF-kappaB-deficient mice. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the ability of an IL-10-Ig fusion protein with IL-10-like properties to inhibit Hh-induced colitis in RAG-2(-/-) (RAG) and p50(-/-); p65(+/-); RAG-2(-/-) (3X/RAG) mice. As expected, IL-10-Ig efficiently inhibited the development of colitis in RAG mice. In contrast, the ability of IL-10-Ig to inhibit colitis was compromised in 3X/RAG mice. The defect in response to IL-10-Ig appeared to be primarily the result of the absence of the p50/p105 subunit, because the ability of IL-10-Ig to inhibit colitis was also compromised in p50(-/-); RAG-2(-/-) (p50/RAG) mice. Radiation chimeras demonstrated that the presence of p50/p105 within hemopoietic cells of the innate immune system was necessary for efficient inhibition of colitis by IL-10-Ig. Consistent with a defect in the suppressive effects of IL-10 in the absence of p50/p105, we found that the ability of IL-10 to control LPS-induced expression of IL-12 p40 was significantly compromised in macrophages lacking p50/p105. These results suggest that the absence of the p50/p105 subunit of NF-kappaB within hemopoietic cells of the innate immune system interferes with the ability of IL-10 to suppress inflammatory gene expression and Hh-induced colitis.     

The role of the microbiome in the neurobiology of social behaviour

Microbes colonise all multicellular life, and the gut microbiome has been shown to influence a range of host physiological and behavioural phenotypes. One of the most intriguing and least understood of these influences lies in the domain of the microbiome's interactions with host social behaviour, with new evidence revealing that the gut microbiome makes important contributions to animal sociality. However, little is known about the biological processes through which the microbiome might influence host social behaviour. Here, we synthesise evidence of the gut microbiome's interactions with various aspects of host sociality, including sociability, social cognition, social stress, and autism. We discuss evidence of microbial associations with the most likely physiological mediators of animal social interaction. These include the structure and function of regions of the ‘social' brain (the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus) and the regulation of ‘social’ signalling molecules (glucocorticoids including corticosterone and cortisol, sex hormones including testosterone, oestrogens, and progestogens, neuropeptide hormones such as oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, and monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine). We also discuss microbiome‐associated host genetic and epigenetic processes relevant to social behaviour. We then review research on microbial interactions with olfaction in insects and mammals, which contribute to social signalling and communication. Following these discussions, we examine evidence of microbial associations with emotion and social behaviour in humans, focussing on psychobiotic studies, microbe–depression correlations, early human development, autism, and issues of statistical power, replication, and causality. We analyse how the putative physiological mediators of the microbiome–sociality connection may be investigated, and discuss issues relating to the interpretation of results. We also suggest that other candidate molecules should be studied, insofar as they exert effects on social behaviour and are known to interact with the microbiome. Finally, we consider different models of the sequence of microbial effects on host physiological development, and how these may contribute to host social behaviour.