Oral buprenorphine is anti-inflammatory and modulates the pathogenesis of streptococcal cell wall polymer-induced arthritis in the Lew/SSN rat

This study was carried out to determine an effective regimen for pain management in streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis in female Lew/SSN rats. Forty weanling rats lin 2 groups) were trained to accept disks of jelly as part of their dietary regimen. At 8 weeks of age weighing 150 g, SCW arthritis was induced and sublingual buprenorphine tablets were incorporated into the jelly disks to alleviate the pain of acute arthritis, which developed 24 h post-induction. Group A rats received buprenorphine at a rate of 1 mg/kg 12 hourly. Group B rats received buprenorphine at a rate of 2 mg/kg 12 hourly. Both groups of rats were monitored for symptoms of distress using an adaptation of the Morton and Griffin scale of adverse reactions. Group A rats with severe arthritis required additional subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of buprenorphine to alleviate the adverse effects of arthritis. Group B rats, with twice the dose of buprenorphine did not require additional s.c. injections of buprenorphine. Histological sections of rat hocks indicated that the inflammation was suppressed in Group B rats. We concluded that oral administration of buprenorphine is an effective method of pain management in the pathogenesis of SCW-induced arthritis in Lew/SSN rats. In this model of arthritis, oral buprenorphine has a significant anti-inflammatory effect and appears to modulate the destructive arthritic phase in joints in this animal model of arthritis.     

Conserved motifs reveal details of ancestry and structure in the small TIM chaperones of the mitochondrial intermembrane space

The mitochondrial inner and outer membranes are composed of a variety of integral membrane proteins, assembled into the membranes posttranslationally. The small translocase of the inner mitochondrial membranes (TIMs) are a group of approximately 10 kDa proteins that function as chaperones to ferry the imported proteins across the mitochondrial intermembrane space to the outer and inner membranes. In yeast, there are 5 small TIM proteins: Tim8, Tim9, Tim10, Tim12, and Tim13, with equivalent proteins reported in humans. Using hidden Markov models, we find that many eukaryotes have proteins equivalent to the Tim8 and Tim13 and the Tim9 and Tim10 subunits. Some eukaryotes provide "snapshots" of evolution, with a single protein showing the features of both Tim8 and Tim13, suggesting that a single progenitor gene has given rise to each of the small TIMs through duplication and modification. We show that no "Tim12" family of proteins exist, but rather that variant forms of the cognate small TIMs have been recently duplicated and modified to provide new functions: the yeast Tim12 is a modified form of Tim10, whereas in humans and some protists variant forms of Tim9, Tim8, and Tim13 are found instead. Sequence motif analysis reveals acidic residues conserved in the Tim10 substrate-binding tentacles, whereas more hydrophobic residues are found in the equivalent substrate-binding region of Tim13. The substrate-binding region of Tim10 and Tim13 represent structurally independent domains: when the acidic domain from Tim10 is attached to Tim13, the Tim8-Tim13(10) complex becomes essential and the Tim9-Tim10 complex becomes dispensable. The conserved features in the Tim10 and Tim13 subunits provide distinct binding surfaces to accommodate the broad range of substrate proteins delivered to the mitochondrial inner and outer membranes.     

Biodegradation of 1080: Testing soils in south‐eastern Australia for sodium fluoroacetate‐degrading micro‐organisms

Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) is a vertebrate poison commonly used for the control of vertebrate pests in Australia. Long‐term environmental persistence of 1080 from baiting operations has likely nontarget species and environmental impacts and is a matter of public concern. Defluorinating micro‐organisms have been detected in soils of Western and central Australia, and Queensland, but not in south‐eastern Australia. The presence or absence of defluorinating micro‐organisms in soils from south‐eastern Australia will assist in determining whether long‐term environmental persistence of 1080 is or is not occurring. Soils from the Central West Slopes and Plains and Central Tablelands of New South Wales were sampled to investigate the presence and capability of 1080 defluorinating soil micro‐organisms. Thirty‐one species of micro‐organisms were isolated from soils from each site after 10 days incubation in a 20 mM 1080 solution. Of these, 13 isolates showed measurable defluorinating ability when grown in a 1080 and sterile soil suspension. Two species, the bacteria Micromonospora, and the actinomycete Streptosporangium, have not been previously reported for their defluorinating ability. These results indicate that defluorinating micro‐organisms are present in soils in south‐eastern Australia, which adds weight to other studies that found that 1080 is subject to microbiological degradative processes following removal from the bait substrate. Soil micro‐organism defluorination, in combination with physical breakdown and uptake by plants, indicates that fluoroacetate in soils and natural water ways is unlikely to persist. This has implications for the better informed use of 1080 in pest animal management programmes in south‐eastern Australia.     

Issues in determining factors influencing bacterial attachment: a review using the attachment of Escherichia coli to abiotic surfaces as an example

The emergence of an increasing number of antibiotic resistant human clinical bacteria has been a great cause of concern for the last decades. As an example, Staphylococcus aureus isolates in the hospital environment are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics including vancomycin which is considered as a last line of defence in treatment of Staphylococcus aureus -resistant methicillin. On the other hand, food safety is threatened by development of pathogenic bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. The use of antimicrobial peptides such as glycopeptides, semi-synthetic peptides, bacteriocins including lantibiotics offers a hope to face these clinical and food microbiology concerns. Clinical approval of new chemotherapeutic agents requires a long period of time. Research on bacteriocins has demonstrated potential use to fight against undesired foodborne pathogens but the use industrial use of bacteriocins is limited. To date only lantibiotic nisin and in class IIa bacteriocin Pediocin PA-1 are legally used as food preservative in many countries. The present minireview is focused on divercin V41 (DvnV41), a class IIa bacteriocin naturally produced by Carnobacterium divergens V41. The last decade has been the witness of intensive investigations carried out on this cationic peptide tempting to answer multiple questions covering basic and applied aspects. DvnV41 has shown a wide spectrum of activity either alone or in combination with nisin and/or polymixins (synergistic effect). This outcome indicates that Cb. divergens V41 could potentially be used for safe and efficient prevention of L. monocytogenes growth in cold smoked salmon.     

Behavioural effects of hyperstriatal ablation in Gallus domesticus

Hens with bilateral ablations in the hyperstriatal complex were compared with birds with bilateral ablations in the posterior telencephalon and sham-operated controls with regard to their behaviour in their home pens, exploratory behavior and their responses to (1) a simulated aerial predator, (2) a startling stimulus and (3) an auditory stimulus. Ablations involving the ventral hyperstriatum made the birds less reactive to frightening stimuli while ablations in the posterior telencephalon resulted in the bird “freezing” in the experimental situations.     

Extra-lingual chemoreceptors in the chicken (Gallus domesticus)

The oral aversion behaviour of the chicken (head shaking, beakwiping and tongue/beak movements) was measured following oralstimulation with 0.1 M quinine hydrochloride, 40% sucrose, 3M sodium chloride, 5 M acetic acid and pure methyl anthranilate.Section of the lingual and laryngolingual nerves did not affectthe oral aversion behaviour and therefore demonstrates the presenceof functional extra-lingual chemoreceptors. The results arediscussed in relation to previous anatomical findings.     

The hyperstriatum and nesting behaviour in the domestic hen

Bilateral ablation of the ventral hyperstriatum resulted in hens ceasing to use trap-nests which they had formerly used. The appetitive component of their pre-laying behaviour was normal in form but was not directed towards the trap-nests, as it was in control birds. In the absence of trap-nests in a pen control birds laid in corners and were conservative in choice of site but both these characteristics were abolished by these ablations. Other bilateral ablations involving the Wulst had less drastic effects on pre-laying behaviour while bilateral ablations in the posterior telencephalon had no effect on this behaviour pattern.