Active transport of sodium by the malpighian tubules of the tsetse fly Glossian morsitans.

Isolated Malpighian tubules of Glossina morsitans are able to transport sodium against its concentration gradient. Their rate of secretion is dependent on the sodium concentration of the bathing medium. Potassium must be present in the bathing solution for rapid secretion to be maintained, but it does not play an active role in fluid secretion. Lithium and ammonium ions are able to substitute partially for sodium, other monovalent cations cannot. Ouabain does not affect rapid secretion by Glossina tubules in vitro. Conclusions drawn from the results are incorporated into a model of Malpighian tubule cell function in this insect.     

Faunistic control of Enteromorpha blooms: A field experiment

Gobies, Pomatoschistus microps (Krøeyer), were introduced to a series of cages on an estuarine mud-flat during the period in which the cover of Enteromorpha sp. was declining. They fed selectively on the grazers which either ingested Enteromorpha directly or browsed on micro-organisms attached to it and, therefore, significantly affected the breakdown rate of the alga. It is suggested that the balance between grazers and their predators may be at least partially responsible for the irregular development of Enteromorpha on estuarine mud-flats from year to year.     

Perturbation of pulmonary immune functions by carbon nanotubes and susceptibility to microbial infection

Occupational and environmental pulmonary exposure to carbon nanotubes (CNT) is considered to be a health risk with a very low threshold of tolerance as determined by the United States Center for Disease Control. Immortalized airway epithelial cells exposed to CNTs show a diverse range of effects including reduced viability, impaired proliferation, and elevated reactive oxygen species generation. Additionally, CNTs inhibit internalization of targets in multiple macrophage cell lines. Mice and rats exposed to CNTs often develop pulmonary granulomas and fibrosis. Furthermore, CNTs have immunomodulatory properties in these animal models. CNTs themselves are proinflammatory and can exacerbate the allergic response. However, CNTs may also be immunosuppressive, both locally and systemically. Studies that examined the relationship of CNT exposure prior to pulmonary infection have reached different conclusions. In some cases, pre-exposure either had no effect or enhanced clearance of infections while other studies showed CNTs inhibited clearance. Interestingly, most studies exploring this relationship use pathogens which are not considered primary pulmonary pathogens. Moreover, harmony across studies is difficult as different types of CNTs have dissimilar biological effects. We used Pseudomonas aeruginosa as model pathogen to study how helical multi-walled carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) affected internalization and clearance of the pulmonary pathogen. The results showed that, although HCNTs can inhibit internalization through multiple processes, bacterial clearance was not altered, which was attributed to an enhanced inflammatory response caused by pre-exposure to HCNTs. We compare and contrast our findings in relation to other studies to gauge the modulation of pulmonary immune response by CNTs.     

R-Spondin1 enhances wnt signaling and decreases weight loss in short bowel syndrome zebrafish

BackgroundR-spondins, including R-spondin 1 (RSPO1), are a family of Wnt ligands that help to activate the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is critical for intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and maintenance of intestinal stem cells. This proliferation underpins the epithelial expansion, or intestinal adaptation (IA), that occurs following massive bowel resection and short bowel syndrome (SBS). The purpose of this study was to identify if recombinant human RSPO1 (rhRSPO1) could be serially administered to SBS zebrafish to enhance cellular proliferation and IA.MethodsAdult male zebrafish were assigned to four groups: sham + PBS, SBS + PBS, sham + rhRSPO1, and SBS + rhRSPO1. Sham fish had a laparotomy alone. SBS fish had a laparotomy with distal intestinal ligation and creation of a proximal stoma. Fish were weighed at initial surgery and then weekly. rhRSPO1 was administered post-operatively following either a one- or two-week dosing schedule with either 3 or 5 intraperitoneal injections, respectively. Fish were harvested at 7 or 14 days with intestinal segments collected for analysis.ResultsRepeated intraperitoneal injection of rhRSPO1 was feasible and well tolerated. At 7 days, intestinal epithelial proliferation was increased by rhRSPO1. At 14 days, SBS + rhRSPO1 fish lost significantly less weight than SBS + PBS fish. Measurements of intestinal surface area were not increased by rhRSPO1 administration but immunofluorescent staining for β-catenin and gene expression for cyclin D1 was increased.ConclusionsIntraperitoneal injection of rhRSPO1 decreased weight loss in SBS zebrafish with increased β-catenin + cells and cyclin D1 expression at 14 days, indicating improved weight maintenance might result from increased activation of the canonical Wnt pathway.     

Large Scale Isolation of Pig Muscle Phosphoglucose Isomerase

large-scale purification procedure for phosphoglucose isomerase from pig skeletal muscle is described. It consists of two fractionations by selective precipitation and two ion exchange chromatography steps yielding an end product of approximately 900 units (micromoles of sub-strate converted to product per rain per mg of protein, at 30°) specific activity. The method separates three isoenzymic forms with an overall recovery of about 30% of the original total enzyme activity in the form of Isoenzyme III, the latter being the predominant enzyme species.     

Natural Infection of Burkholderia pseudomallei in an Imported Pigtail Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) and Management of the Exposed Colony

Identification of the select agent Burkholderia pseudomallei in macaques imported into the United States is rare. A purpose-bred, 4.5-y-old pigtail macaque (Macaca nemestrina) imported from Southeast Asia was received from a commercial vendor at our facility in March 2012. After the initial acclimation period of 5 to 7 d, physical examination of the macaque revealed a subcutaneous abscess that surrounded the right stifle joint. The wound was treated and resolved over 3 mo. In August 2012, 2 mo after the stifle joint wound resolved, the macaque exhibited neurologic clinical signs. Postmortem microbiologic analysis revealed that the macaque was infected with B. pseudomallei. This case report describes the clinical evaluation of a B. pseudomallei-infected macaque, management and care of the potentially exposed colony of animals, and protocols established for the animal care staff that worked with the infected macaque and potentially exposed colony. This article also provides relevant information on addressing matters related to regulatory issues and risk management of potentially exposed animals and animal care staff.Abbreviations: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; IHA, indirect hemagglutination assay; PEP, postexposure prophylacticBurkholderia pseudomallei, formerly known as Pseudomonas pseudomallei, is a gram-negative, aerobic, bipolar, motile, rod-shaped bacterium. B. pseudomallei infections (melioidosis) can be severe and even fatal in both humans and animals. This environmental saprophyte is endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia, but it has also been found in other tropical and subtropical areas of the world.^7,22,32,42 The bacterium is usually found in soil and water in endemic areas and is transmitted to humans and animals primarily through percutaneous inoculation, ingestion, or inhalation of a contaminated source.^{8, 22,28,32,42} Human-to-human, animal-to-animal, and animal-to-human spread are rare.^8,32 In December 2012, the National Select Agent Registry designated B. pseudomallei as a Tier 1 overlap select agent.³⁹ Organisms classified as Tier 1 agents present the highest risk of deliberate misuse, with the most significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effects to the economy, critical infrastructure, or public confidence. Select agents with this status have the potential to pose a severe threat to human and animal health or safety or the ability to be used as a biologic weapon.³⁹Melioidosis in humans can be challenging to diagnose and treat because the organism can remain latent for years and is resistant to many antibiotics.^12,37,41 B. pseudomallei can survive in phagocytic cells, a phenomenon that may be associated with latent infections.^19,38 The incubation period in naturally infected animals ranges from 1 d to many years, but symptoms typically appear 2 to 4 wk after exposure.^13,17,35,38 Disease generally presents in 1 of 2 forms: localized infection or septicemia.²² Multiple methods are used to diagnose melioidosis, including immunofluorescence, serology, and PCR analysis, but isolation of the bacteria from blood, urine, sputum, throat swabs, abscesses, skin, or tissue lesions remains the ‘gold standard.’^9,22,40,42 The prognosis varies based on presentation, time to diagnosis, initiation of appropriate antimicrobial treatment, and underlying comorbidities.^7,28,42 Currently, there is no licensed vaccine to prevent melioidosis.There are several published reports of naturally occurring melioidosis in a variety of nonhuman primates (NHP; 2,10,13,17,25,30,31,35 The first reported case of melioidosis in monkeys was recorded in 1932, and the first published case in a macaque species was in 1966.³⁰ In the United States, there have only been 7 documented cases of NHP with B. pseudomallei infection.^2,13,17 All of these cases occurred prior to the classification of B. pseudomallei as a select agent. Clinical signs in NHP range from subclinical or subacute illness to acute septicemia, localized infection, and chronic infection. NHP with melioidosis can be asymptomatic or exhibit clinical signs such as anorexia, wasting, purulent drainage, subcutaneous abscesses, and other soft tissue lesions. Lymphadenitis, lameness, osteomyelitis, paralysis and other CNS signs have also been reported.^{2,7,10,22,28,32} In comparison, human''s clinical signs range from abscesses, skin ulceration, fever, headache, joint pain, and muscle tenderness to abdominal pain, anorexia, respiratory distress, seizures, and septicemia.^7,9,21,22

Table 1.

Summary of reported cases of naturally occurring Burkholderia pseudomalleiinfections in nonhuman primates