Redescription of Camallanus hypophthalmichthys Dogel and Akhmerov, 1959 (Nematoda: Camallanidae) and its first record from fishes in China

The nematode Camallanus hypophthalmichthys Dogel and Akhmerov, 1959 is redescribed from specimens collected from the intestine of the bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis, from Liangzihu Lake (Yangtze River basin), Hubei Province, central China. The light and scanning electron microscopical examination made it possible to study in detail the morphology of this so far little-known species and to confirm its validity. The main specific features of C. hypophthalmichthys distinguishing it from the most similar Camallanus spp. is the presence of 3 small caudal processes on the male tail tip, 13-16 longitudinal ridges on the inner surface of the valve of the buccal capsule, and the arrangement of preanal and postanal genital papillae in the male. This finding represents a new host record, the first record of this parasite in the Yangtze River basin, and the first documented record of C. hypophthalmichthys from China. Camallanus hypophthalmichthys is considered a specific intestinal parasite of fishes of the cyprinid Hypophthalmichthyinae.     

Fluvastatin in the therapy of acute coronary syndrome: Rationale and design of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (The FACS Trial)[ISRCTN81331696

BACKGROUND: Activation of inflammatory pathways plays an important contributory role in coronary plaque instability and subsequent rupture, which can lead to the development of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Elevated levels of serum inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) represent independent risk factors for further cardiovascular events. Recent evidence indicates that in addition to lowering cholesterol levels, statins also decrease levels of inflammatory markers. Previous controlled clinical trials reporting the positive effects of statins in participants with ACS were designed for very early secondary prevention. To our knowledge, no controlled trials have evaluated the potential benefits of statin therapy, beginning immediately at the time of hospital admission. A previous pilot study performed by our group focused on early initiation of cerivastatin therapy. We demonstrated a highly significant reduction in levels of inflammatory markers (CRP and interleukin-6). Based on these preliminary findings, we are conducting a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of another statin, fluvastatin, as an early intervention in patients with ACS. METHODS: The FACS-trial (Fluvastatin in the therapy of Acute Coronary Syndrome) is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of fluvastatin therapy initiated at the time of hospital admission. The study will enroll 1,000 participants admitted to hospital for ACS (both with and without ST elevation). The primary endpoint for the study is the influence of fluvastatin therapy on levels of inflammatory markers (CRP and interleukin-6) and on pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A). A combined secondary endpoint is 30-day and one-year occurrence of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, recurrent symptomatic ischemia, urgent revascularization, and cardiac arrest. CONCLUSION: The primary objective of the FACS trial is to demonstrate that statin therapy, when started immediately after hospital admission for ACS, results in reduction of inflammation and improvement of prognosis. This study may contribute to new knowledge regarding therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from ACS and may offer additional clinical indications for the use of statins.     

Survival factor-like activity of small peptides in hybridoma and CHO cells cultures

Synthetic peptides containing three to six amino acid residues were previously shown to improve key parameters of monoclonal antibody-producing mouse hybridoma cultures. The aim of the current work was to investigate whether small peptides also exert analogous beneficial impact on a CHO-K1-derived cell line (XMK-111-10) engineered for production of the human model glycoprotein SEAP (secreted alkaline phosphatase). Similar to hybridoma cultures, growth and SEAP production profiles of CHO XMK-111-10 were modulated by peptides. Both viable cell density and SEAP production were increased by tetraalanine or by a fraction of wheat gluten hydrolysate. Whereas tetraglycine increased the peak viable cell density, the growth-suppressing tripeptide Gly-Lys-Gly significantly boosted SEAP production. All peptide-supplemented cultures showed slight improvement of culture viability during the decline phase of the batch cultures, suggesting a survival factor-like activity of the peptides.     

A new trichosomoidid from the skin of Sebastes spp. (Pisces) from British Columbia, Canada

A new species of trichosomoidid nematode, Huffinanela canadensis n. sp., is described from the skin of rockfish (Sebastes spp.) from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Vancouver Island (Clayoquot Sound region), British Columbia, Canada, on the basis of the morphology of the adult worms and their eggs in the host's tissue and the biological characters. The species is characterized mainly by the shape and structure of the fully developed eggs (absence of surface envelope, surface with transverse ridges), by their small size (48-63 x 24-27 microm), and by the site of infection (skin). Besides Huffmanela huffmani, this is the second Huffmanela species in which adult worms are known in addition to the eggs from the host's tissues (most Huffmanela spp. have been described only from their conspicuous eggs occurring in various tissues of fishes). Adults of H. canadensis differ morphologically from those of H. huffmani, mainly in the structure of the male caudal end and in the distinctly elevated anterior vulvar lip of the female.     

A new cystidicolid nematode from Mullus surmuletus (Perciformes: Mullidae) from the western Mediterranean

Ascarophis valentina n. sp. is described from Mullus surmuletus off the Valencian coast of Spain on the basis of both light and scanning electron microscopy. It can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by the length of the left (long) spicule of the males and by egg morphology. An updated grouping of the species of Ascarophis considered valid is provided with respect to these characters. The new species resembles Ascarophis capelanus, belonging to the group of species possessing eggs with a single polar knob with filaments, but is distinguished by the size of the body, the length of the esophagus (especially in relation to body length), the position of the vulva, and the size of the left spicule. The new species also shows substantial morphological differences compared with the 3 species, Ascarophis mullusi, Ascarophis upenei, and Ascarophis parupenei, previously described from mullid hosts.     

Sequence variation in promoter regions of genes for CC chemokine ligands (CCL)19 and 21 in Czech patients with myocardial infarction

Recruitment of inflammatory cells to the arterial wall is an important pathogenic mechanism of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Functional variability in the genes encoding for chemokines that promote infiltration of atherosclerotic plaques by macrophages and lymphocytes may therefore contribute to the genetic susceptibility to CAD. We, therefore, investigated the association between myocardial infarction (MI) and polymorphisms in the promoter regions of the chemokine genes CCL19 and CCL21. Based on re-sequencing screening we selected and, using PCR-SSP, determined three polymorphisms of CCL19 gene (GenBank ID rs2233872) and CCL21 gene (GenBank ID rs11574914 and rs11574915) in 211 Czech patients with MI and 150 healthy control subjects. There was no difference in allelic frequencies of the investigated SNPs between patients and controls (p > 0.05). However, the proportion of homozygotes for the minor G allele of the CCL21 promoter variant (rs11574915 GG) was lower among the MI patients (1 %) in comparison with the control subjects (5 %, nominal p = 0.03). Though rare in the Czech population, CCL21 (rs11574915) GG genotype may confer protection from myocardial infarction. Our preliminary data have to be independently replicated.     

Microchip capillary gel electrophoresis of multiply PEGylated high-molecular-mass glycoproteins

PEGylation is the most successful approach, to date, to prolong the in vivo survival of recombinant proteins. The conjugation of the polymer to glycoproteins results in challenging analysis, and furthermore, requires a wide variety of analytical tools for the determination of the extent of PEGylation. Herein, we present microchip capillary gel electrophoresis (MCGE) with a non-commercial high-molecular-weight protein assay for the analysis of the PEGylation degree with a focus on multiple PEGylation. To show the potential of the modified MCGE system, high-mass PEGylated glycoproteins (e.g. coagulation factor VIII) were analyzed. For the von Willebrand factor, the influence of glycans and the hydrodynamic radius on migration time and molecular weight determination is shown. The modified MCGE assay system is a powerful tool for the rapid assessment of the degree of PEGylation, demonstrating conjugate quality or reaction control of PEGylated proteins. This is the main advantage over time-consuming conventional SDS-PAGE. Furthermore, electrophoretic separation, staining, destaining, and fluorescence detection in one step combined with automated data analysis show that the MCGE system is a promising technique for high-throughput monitoring. The MCGE system can be used for rapid structure confirmation ("MCGE fingerprinting") of multiply PEGylated glycoproteins beyond the 230 kDa molecular mass range.     

NAS agar is more suitable than McKay agar for primary culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus milleri</Emphasis> group (SMG) fastidious bacteria, <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. intermedius</Emphasis> in particular

Streptococcus milleri group (SMG) is a group of three streptococcal species (S. anginosus, intermedius and constellatus) that act as opportunist pathogens, among others in cystic fibrosis. Due to their fastidious character, they are both difficult to cultivate and to differentiate from less pathogenic streptococcal species, therefore being most probably underdiagnosed. Semi-selective McKay agar and NAS agar were developed to facilitate SMG recovery from clinical samples; however, direct comparison of recovery rates has not been published yet. We tested the performance of both media on 123 patient samples and demonstrated general superiority of NAS agar for SMG recovery during primary cultivation convincingly. This observation was also confirmed by quantitative drop tests during subculture. Despite the undisputed overall superiority of NAS agar over McKay agar, a smaller fraction of strains grew better on McKay agar. Inter-strain differences were the most probable explanation. Therefore, when economic conditions are not limiting and maximum recovery rate is desirable, both plates are advised to be used in parallel for primary cultivation of clinical samples.