Assessment of therapeutic responses to gametocytocidal drugs in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Background

Effective mating between laboratory-reared males and wild females is paramount to the success of vector control strategies aiming to decrease disease transmission via the release of sterile or genetically modified male mosquitoes. However mosquito colonization and laboratory maintenance have the potential to negatively affect male genotypic and phenotypic quality through inbreeding and selection, which in turn can decrease male mating competitiveness in the field. To date, very little is known about the impact of those evolutionary forces on the reproductive biology of mosquito colonies and how they ultimately affect male reproductive fitness.

Methods

Here several male reproductive physiological traits likely to be affected by inbreeding and selection following colonization and laboratory rearing were examined. Sperm length, and accessory gland and testes size were compared in male progeny from field-collected females and laboratory strains of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto colonized from one to over 25 years ago. These traits were also compared in the parental and sequentially derived, genetically modified strains produced using a two-phase genetic transformation system. Finally, genetic crosses were performed between strains in order to distinguish the effects of inbreeding and selection on reproductive traits.

Results

Sperm length was found to steadily decrease with the age of mosquito colonies but was recovered in refreshed strains and crosses between inbred strains therefore incriminating inbreeding costs. In contrast, testes size progressively increased with colony age, whilst accessory gland size quickly decreased in males from colonies of all ages. The lack of heterosis in response to crossing and strain refreshing in the latter two reproductive traits suggests selection for insectary conditions.

Conclusions

These results show that inbreeding and selection differentially affect reproductive traits in laboratory strains overtime and that heterotic ‘supermales’ could be used to rescue some male reproductive characteristics. Further experiments are needed to establish the exact relationship between sperm length, accessory gland and testes size, and male reproductive success in the laboratory and field settings.     

Comparative genomic assessment of Multi-Locus Sequence Typing: rapid accumulation of genomic heterogeneity among clonal isolates of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Campylobacter jejuni</Emphasis>

Background  

Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) has emerged as a leading molecular typing method owing to its high ability to discriminate among bacterial isolates, the relative ease with which data acquisition and analysis can be standardized, and the high portability of the resulting sequence data. While MLST has been successfully applied to the study of the population structure for a number of different bacterial species, it has also provided compelling evidence for high rates of recombination in some species. We have analyzed a set of Campylobacter jejuni strains using MLST and Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) on a full-genome microarray in order to determine whether recombination and high levels of genomic mosaicism adversely affect the inference of strain relationships based on the analysis of a restricted number of genetic loci.     

A second gene at the tomato Cf-4 locus confers resistance to cladosporium fulvum through recognition of a novel avirulence determinant

The tomato Cf-4 and Cf-9 genes confer resistance to the leaf mould pathogen Cladosporium fulvum and map at a complex locus on the short arm of chromosome 1. It was previously shown that the gene encoding Cf-4, which recognizes the Avr4 avirulence determinant, is one of five tandemly duplicated homologous genes (Hcr9-4s) at this locus. Cf-4 was identified by molecular analysis of rare Cf-4/Cf-9 disease-sensitive recombinants and by complementation analysis. The analysis did not exclude the possibility that an additional gene(s) located distal to Cf-4 may also confer resistance to C. fulvum. We demonstrate that a number of Dissociation-tagged Cf-4 mutants, identified on the basis of their insensitivity to Avr4, are still resistant to infection by C. fulvum race 5. Molecular analysis of 16 Cf-4 mutants, most of which have small chromosomal deletions in this region, suggested the additional resistance specificity is encoded by Hcr9-4E. Hcr9-4E recognizes a novel C. fulvum avirulence determinant that we have designated Avr4E.     

In vitro testing and the carcinogenic potential of several nitrosated indole compounds

4-chloro-methoxyindole is a naturally occurring compound in Vicia faba which can easily react with nitrite to form a N-nitroso compound. In this in vitro study, the potential genotoxic effects of nitrosated 4-chloro-6-methoxyindole and its structural analogue 4-chloroindole were evaluated for the first time by using both Salmonella and Chinese hamster V79 cells. Additionally, the inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication in V79 cells by these compounds was determined; this is a validated parameter for tumor-promoting activity. Most assays were also performed with nitrosated indole-3-acetonitrile, a naturally occurring compound in brassicas. Both nitrosated chloroindoles were highly mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA100 without the need of exogenous metabolic activation and were potent inducers of Sister Chromatid Exchanges. Nitrosated indole-3-acetonitrile generated the same effects, although at much higher concentrations. Equivocal results were obtained for the nitrosated chloroindoles in a forward mutation assay using the hypoxanthine guaninephosphoribosyltransferase locus. All nitrosated indole compounds significantly inhibited gap junctional intercellular communication. These results indicate that nitrosated chloroindoles and nitrosated indole-3-acetonitrile should be considered as mutagens and agents with potential tumor-promoting capacity.Abbreviations BrdU 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine - 4Cl 4-chloroindole - 4C6MI 4-chloro-6-methoxy-indole - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide - EBSS Earle's balanced salt solution - EMS ethyl methanesulfonate - GJIC gap junctional intercellular communication - HBSS Hanks balanced salt solution - HGPRT hypoxanthine guaninephosphoribosyl transferase - I₃A indole-3-acetonitrile - MNNG 1-methyl-1-nitroso-3-nitroguanidine - NOC N-nitroso compounds - NQO 4-nitroquinolone-N-oxide - SCE sister chromatid exchange - 6TG 6-thioguanine - TPA 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate     

Adverse events of interferon beta-1a: a prospective multi-centre international ICH-GCP-based CRO-supported external validation study in daily practice

Background

Due to methodological shortcomings the available post-registration data on the adverse events (AEs) occurring in interferon beta-1a (INFb-1a)-treated patients fail to adequately validate phase III data and only partially inform on safety in daily practice. We assessed AEs in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients treated with intramuscular (IM) INFb-1a in daily practice using data quality assurance measures similar to those in phase III trials.

Methods

A prospective, International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) - Good Clinical Practice (GCP)-based, clinical research organization (CRO)-supported study in 36 practices in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg. During 24 months after start of IM INFb-1a treatment 275 RRMS patients were assessed for AEs'' severity (mild, moderate, severe) and relationship to treatment (not, unlikely, likely, definite). Data were compared with those reported in the pivotal phase III trial.

Findings

75.3% of the patients experienced one or more AEs that were likely or definitely related to INFb-1a. Of all AEs 40.5% were likely or definitely treatment-related; 68.5% of these were mild, and 3% severe. 6.6% of the patients discontinued treatment because of an AE. Compared to the pivotal phase III trial, we found statistically significantly lower incidences for most of the common AEs: headache, muscle ache, fatigue, fever, chills, nausea. One patient died following two cerebral vascular events in study month 22, both AEs were assessed as not related to INFb-1a.

Conclusion

Three out of four RRMS patients treated with IM INFb-1a in daily practice experience treatment-related AEs, most of these being mild. Our data externally validate the favorable phase III safety profile of IM INFb-1a and suggest that the real-life incidence of treatment-related AEs is less than reported in the pivotal phase III trial. Larger studies are needed to detect rare, potentially hazardous AEs of IM INFb-1a.     

Disintegration of Dung Pats from Cattle Treated with the Ivermectin Anthelmintic Bolus,or the Biocontrol Agent Duddingtonia flagrans

An experiment was performed during the grazing seasons of 1998, 1999 and 2000 to study the influence of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin and the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans on cattle dung disintegration. The faeces originated from groups of animals that were part of a separate grazing experiment where different control strategies for nematode parasite infections were investigated. Each group consisted of 10 first-season grazing cattle that were either untreated, treated with the ivermectin sustained-release bolus, or fed chlamydospores of D. flagrans. Faeces were collected monthly on 4 occasions and out of pooled faeces from each group, 4 artificial 1 kg dung pats were prepared and deposited on nylon mesh on an enclosed pasture and protected from birds. The position of the new set of pats was repeated throughout the 3 years of the study. Each year, the dung pats were weighed 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after deposition and immediately afterwards replaced to their initial positions.

Results showed that there was no difference in faecal pat disintegration between groups. However, the time-lag between deposition and complete disintegration of the faeces varied significantly between deposition occasions. Dung pats disappeared within 2 weeks (visual observation) when subjected to heavy rainfall early after deposition, whereas an extended dry period coincided with faeces still remaining 12 months after deposition.