Boron,a Trace Mineral,Alleviates Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

Biological Trace Element Research - The present study was considered to assess the protective effects of boron (B) on gentamicin-induced oxidative stress, proinflammatory cytokines, and...     

Effect of Nutrient Restriction and Re-Feeding on Calpain Family Genes in Skeletal Muscle of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Background

Calpains, a superfamily of intracellular calcium-dependent cysteine proteases, are involved in the cytoskeletal remodeling and wasting of skeletal muscle. Calpains are generated as inactive proenzymes which are activated by N-terminal autolysis induced by calcium-ions.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we characterized the full-length cDNA sequences of three calpain genes, clpn1, clpn2, and clpn3 in channel catfish, and assessed the effect of nutrient restriction and subsequent re-feeding on the expression of these genes in skeletal muscle. The clpn1 cDNA sequence encodes a protein of 704 amino acids, Clpn2 of 696 amino acids, and Clpn3 of 741 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of deduced amino acid sequences indicate that catfish Clpn1 and Clpn2 share a sequence similarity of 61%; catfish Clpn1 and Clpn3 of 48%, and Clpn2 and Clpn3 of only 45%. The domain structure architectures of all three calpain genes in channel catfish are similar to those of other vertebrates, further supported by strong bootstrap values during phylogenetic analyses. Starvation of channel catfish (average weight, 15–20 g) for 35 days influenced the expression of clpn1 (2.3-fold decrease, P<0.05), clpn2 (1.3-fold increase, P<0.05), and clpn3 (13.0-fold decrease, P<0.05), whereas the subsequent refeeding did not change the expression of these genes as measured by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Calpain catalytic activity in channel catfish skeletal muscle showed significant differences only during the starvation period, with a 1.2- and 1.4- fold increase (P<0.01) after 17 and 35 days of starvation, respectively.

Conclusion/Significance

We have assessed that fasting and refeeding may provide a suitable experimental model to provide us insight into the role of calpains during fish muscle atrophy and how they respond to changes in nutrient supply.     

Effects of Composts from Agroindustrial Wastes on Microbial Activity of a Typic Xerofluvent Soil Under Mediterranean Conditions,SE Turkey

Supplementing the nutrient requirement of crops through organic manures as compost derived from agroindustrial wastes plays a key role in sustaining soil fertility, and crop productivity and reducing use of chemical fertilizers. Therefore, this work was conducted for investigating the effects of addition of oily cumin compost (CC) and oily oregano compost (OC) (these composts were derived from oily cumin and oily oregano wastes of aromatic plant factory) at rates of 40 t ha^?1 to identify those potential organic amendments that might improve the quality of an Entisol. Additionally, those effects on the biochemical properties of a Typic xerofluvent soil were compared to chemical fertilization (CF) and also control (CT) during a cotton vegetation period under a Mediterranean climatic condition. Soil biological status was evaluated by measuring the soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), basal soil respiration (BSR), N-mineralization (N_min), soil metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and soil enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase-DHG, urease-UA, protease-PRO, and alkaline phosphate-ALKPA) in soil samples that were collected on the 19th, 78th and 190th days followed by compost application to the experimental soils. The MBC, BSR and qCO₂, as well as soil enzyme activities, increased significantly in the compost-treated soils compared with the CF-treated soil and nontreated soils (CT) with respect mean values. The level of microbial activity of soil applied chemical fertilizer was almost the same to those of control soil. As a result of cumin compost (CC) application 137-1810% increase of the level of microbial activity with respect to the CT and CF, followed by OC, 47-314% occurred at the end of the experiment. Because of this there were no toxic effects caused by composts observed. The application of these composts to the soil resulted in the most increase in DHG activity significantly. The application of CC with a C/N ratio of 23 resulted a more favorable soil biological properties than the application of OC (C/N ratio = 32) during cotton vegetation period (190 days). Results from this study suggest that composted aromatic plant wastes can be used to enhance the soil microbial activity, thereby promoting plant growth.     

Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus in Women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is not only a gynecological problem but also has serious effects on women’s health such as changes in hormone levels that can trigger fluctuations in blood sugar level and inflammation status. The present study was designed to determine vitamin D, copper, zinc, metabolic parameters [insulin, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)], inflammation parameters such as procalcitonin and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), and lipid profile in POI patients and control subjects with normal menstrual cycles. A total of 43 patients with nondiabetic POI were studied in order to evaluate and compare the findings with those of the control group, which comprised 33 women with normal menstrual cycles. The women with POI had higher levels of serum copper, serum insulin, glucose, LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, HOMA-IR, hs-CRP, and procalcitonin, whereas serum vitamin D and zinc levels were lower compared with the healthy control group. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were positively correlated with insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR, hs-CRP, procalcitonin, and copper and negatively correlated with vitamin D and zinc levels. In multivariate statistic analyses with body mass index and FSH as dependent variables, FSH was positively associated with copper and HOMA-IR negatively with vitamin D levels. The present study demonstrated that women with POI have traditional risk factors for diabetes mellitus, including lower levels of vitamin D, whereas higher levels of copper and HOMA-IR.     

Chromosome 9p21 rs10757278 polymorphism is associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common multifactorial disorder that involves abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. Genome-wide association studies have identified a major risk locus for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction on chromosome 9p21. Here, we examined the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 9p21 in a sample of Turkish patients with MetS and further investigated the correlation between regional SNPs, haplotypes, and MetS. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze 4 SNPs (rs10757274 A/G, rs2383207 A/G, rs10757278 A/G, rs1333049 C/G) in 291 MetS patients and 247 controls. Analysis of 4 SNPs revealed a significant difference in the genotype distribution for rs2383207, rs10757278, and rs1333049 between MetS patients and controls (p = 0.041, p = 0.005, p = 0.023, respectively) but not for rs10757274 (p = 0.211). MetS and control allelic frequencies for rs2383207, rs10757278, and rs1333049 were statistically different (p < 0.05). The rs2383207 AG variant, was identified as a MetS risk factor (p = 0.012, OR = 33.271; 95 % CI: 2.193–504.805) and the AA haplotype in block 1 and the GC, AG haplotypes in block 2 were associated with MetS (χ ² = 3.875, p = 0.049; χ ² = 9.334, p = 0.0022; χ ² = 9.134, p = 0.0025, respectively). In this study, we found that chromosome 9p21 SNP rs10757278 and related haplotypes correlate with MetS risk. This is the first report showing an association between a 9p21 variant and MetS and suggests that rs10757278 polymorphism may confer increased risk for disease.     

Characterization of two genes encoding metal tolerance proteins from Beta vulgaris subspecies maritima that confers manganese tolerance in yeast

Manganese (Mn²⁺) is an essential micronutrient in plants. However increased Mn²⁺ levels are toxic to plant cells. Metal tolerance proteins (MTPs), member of cation diffusion facilitator protein (CDF) family, have important roles in metal homeostatis in different plant species and catalyse efflux of excess metal ions. In this study, we identified and characterized two MTP genes from Beta vulgaris spp. maritima (B. v. ssp. maritima). Overexpression of these two genes provided Mn tolerance in yeast cells. Sequence analyses displayed BmMTP10 and BmMTP11as members of the Mn-CDF family. Functional analyses of these proteins indicated that they are specific to Mn²⁺ with a role in reducing excess cellular Mn²⁺ levels when expressed in yeast. GFP-fusion constructs of both proteins localized to the Golgi apparatus as a punctuated pattern. Finally, Q-RT-PCR results showed that BmMTP10 expression was induced threefold in response to the excess Mn²⁺ treatment. On the other hand BmMTP11 expression was not affected in response to excess Mn²⁺ levels. Thus, our results suggest that the BmMTP10 and BmMTP11 proteins from B. v. ssp. maritima have non-redundant functions in terms of Mn²⁺ detoxification with a similar in planta localization and function as the Arabidopsis Mn-CDF homolog AtMTP11 and this conservation shows the evolutionary importance of these vesicular proteins in heavy metal homeostatis among plant species.     

Cellular reprogramming of somatic cells

The process of 'cell reprogramming' can be achieved by somatic cell nuclear transfer, cell fusion with embryonic stem cells, exposure to stem cell extracts, or by inducing pluripotentcy mediated by defined factors giving rise to what are termed induced pluripotent stem cells. More recently, the fate of a somatic cell can be directly induced to uptake other cell fates, termed lineage-specific reprogramming, without the need to de-differentiate the cells to a pluripotent state. In this review we will describe the different methods of reprogramming somatic cells.     

Norrin immunolocalization and its possible functions in rat endometrium during the estrus cycle and early pregnancy

Mutations in Norrie Disease Pseudoglioma (NDP) gene cause serious sight loss, deafness and mental retardation in Norrie disease patients via the impairment of angiogenesis. Since norrin is a Wnt pathway ligand, it could function in several tissues other than eye and nervous systems. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the possible function of norrin in angiogenesis, cellular differentiation in stroma and in decidua and the survival of those cells using immunofluorescent labeling. While norrin had a uniform distribution in stroma and in blood vessels, it had a strong expression in luminal and glandular epithelia during the estrus cycle. Norrin had strong immunolocalization in the antimesometrial decidual reaction zone on day 7 of gestation, whereas it had a decreased expression in the mesometrial uterine luminal epithelium along with an increased localization in blood vessels and decidual cells of the same region on day 8 of gestation. As from day 9 of gestation, norrin demonstrated rather strong expression in the decidual cells and blood vessels of the mesometrial region in which the chorioallantoic placenta was going to develop. In all periods studied, norrin had rather weak expression in the primary decidual zone surrounding the embryo. Findings of the present study suggested that norrin might regulate the decidual reaction and the placental angiogenesis along with the survival and the differentiation of luminal and glandular epithelial and decidual cells in rats. In addition, it could play indirect important roles in the control of trophoblastic invasion and the programmed cell death.