Molecular phylogeny and divergence times of Hormaphidinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) indicate Late Cretaceous tribal diversification

The aphid subfamily Hormaphidinae is a good candidate for the study of the evolution of insect – plant relationships. Most hormaphidine species depend on woody primary host plants and woody or herbaceous secondary host plants, and represent high host specificity, especially to their primary hosts. No detailed molecular phylogeny of Hormaphidinae has been reported, and the taxonomic positions of some taxa in this group remain unclear. To reconstruct major phylogenetic relationships and to understand the evolution of host association patterns for major lineages, we present the first detailed molecular phylogeny of Hormaphidinae, as inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences, using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. The monophyly of Hormaphidinae and its three traditional tribes was supported, and a sister relationship between Hormaphidini and Nipponaphidini was suggested. Most inner relationships within tribes were also supported, and some novel relationships were revealed. Two subtribes of Cerataphidini are proposed. Divergence times estimated using a Bayesian approach indicate that tribal diversifications occurred during the Late Cretaceous and were coincident with the appearance of their primary host plants. The current pattern of secondary host association for the three tribes may have evolved in different time ranges. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 165 , 73–87.     

Paternal care behaviour of the giant water bug Kirkaldyia deyrolli (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) against ants

1. Although potentially vulnerable to predators, the offspring of subsocial insects are effectively protected by their parent(s). The female giant water bug Kirkaldyia deyrolli lays its egg masses on the vegetation above the water surface in aquatic environments and the males supply the eggs with water and guard them against cannibalistic females until hatchling dispersal. Field observations showed that egg masses are attacked by ants if the attending males are not present. 2. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of paternal care by K. deyrolli against the ant Tetramorium tsushimae by means of four treatments: attending male with ant approach (WM‐WA); no attending male with ant approach (NoM‐WA); attending male without ant approach (WM‐NoA); and no attending male without ant approach (NoM‐NoA). 3. The rate of offspring survival was lower in the NoM‐WA group (45.3%) than in any other group, which showed similar offspring survival (WM‐WA = 80.4%, WM‐NoA = 75.1%, NoM‐NoA = 80.3%). Moreover, there were a total of 44 interactions between the attending male and ants in WM‐WA, and of these, a chemical compound was released by the attending male four times; this probably deterred ants from attacking because the ants went back to their colony. 4. In conclusion, the attending male can protect its eggs from ant predators and its care has an important role. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of Lethocerinae males protecting their egg masses from ants by means of physical and chemical defence.     

锂对铅引起的大鼠海马CA1区长时程增强效应（LTP）损伤的修复作用

应用离体脑片记录技术,记录大鼠海马CA1区的兴奋性突触后电位(EPSPs),研究了锂对铅引起的大鼠海马CA1区长时程增强效应(long-termpotentiation,LTP)损伤的修复作用。结果表明:对照组大鼠海马CA1区LTP幅度为194.42±14.05%(n=10);铅处理组LTP的幅度为147.06±9.55%(n=13);而锂加铅处理组LTP的幅度为193.45±14.91%(n=15)。与对照组相比,铅处理组LTP的幅度降低了47.36%,而锂几乎完全修复了铅对大鼠海马CA1区LTP幅度的损伤。锂和铅处理后对大鼠海马CA1区的双脉冲易化(paired-pulsefacilica-tion,PPF)都有一定的抑制作用,在脉冲间隔为50ms时,这种抑制效应最大:对照组为155.58±6.35%(n=7);铅暴露组为150.26±13.74%(n=8);锂加铅处理组为140.59±15.42%(n=8)。结果表明:锂对铅引起大鼠海马CA1区LTP的损伤有一定的修复作用。     

感应电治疗股外侧皮神经炎临床观察

目的:探讨感应电治疗股外侧皮神经炎的临床疗效.方法:将符合纳入标准的股外侧皮神经炎患者88例随机分为治疗组和对照组,对照组在髂前上棘下10cm处进行肌肉注射维生素B 1100mg和B1 20.5mg治疗,治疗组用感应电治疗.结果:治疗一疗程后蚁走感、烧灼感、麻木感积分改善情况治疗组与对照组比较差异有显著性(p<0.01或<0.05),治疗二疗程后各症状积分改善情况治疗组与对照组比较差异有显著性(p<0.01或<0.05);治疗一疗程后及治疗二疗程后治疗组的临床疗效均优于对照组(p<0.01或<0.05).结论:感应电治疗股外侧皮神经炎疗效较好,值得临床推广.     

Developmental changes in rat brain membrane lipids and fatty acids. The preferential prenatal accumulation of docosahexaenoic acid

Information on the prenatal accumulation of rat brain membrane lipids is scarce. In this study we investigated in detail the fatty acid (FA) composition of the rat brain, on each day from embryonic day 12 (E12) up to birth, and on 8 time points during the first 16 days of postnatal life, and correlated the FA changes with well-described events of neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. Between E14 and E17, there was a steep increase in the concentration of all the FAs: 16:0 increased by 136%, 18:0 by 139%, 18:1 by 92%, 20:4n-6 by 98%, 22:4n-6 by 116%, 22:5n-6 by 220%, and 22:6n-3 by 98%. After this period and up to birth, the concentration of the FAs plateaued, except that of 22:6n-3, which accumulated further, reaching an additional increase of 75%. After birth, except 22:5n-6, all FAs steadily increased at various rates. Estimation of the FA/PL molar ratios showed that prenatally the ratios of all the FAs either decreased or remained constant, but that of 22:6n-3 increased more than 2-fold; postnatally the ratios remained constant, with the exception of 22:4n-6 and 22:5n-6, which decreased. In conclusion, prenatal accumulation of brain fatty acids parallels important events in neurogenesis. 22:6n-3 is exceptional inasmuch in its steep accumulation occurs just prior to synaptogenesis.     

大熊猫胃肠道内分泌细胞分布型的研究

本文用ＰＡＰ法对３只大熊猫胃底,幽门腺区、十二脂肠,空肠,回肠、结肠和直肠的五羟色胺,生长抑素,胃素,胆囊收缩囊,神经降压素、胃动素、抑胃多肽、胰高血糖素、血管活性肠肽和内啡肽的ＩＲ细胞进行了研究。结果表明,大熊猫胃肠道粘膜上皮中具有前八种ＩＲ细胞。对７年龄个体胃肠各段相对数量的比较和各段内分布情况的观察结果表明,除五羟色胺ＩＲ细胞在空肠分布较多外,大多数种类的ＩＲ细胞集中分布于幽门区和十二指肠,     

Influence of tetrapeptide tuftsin on intracellular pH of mouse peritoneal macrophages

It has been shown by the method of probe microfluorimetry of single cells that tuftsin at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 μg/mL, increasing the phagocytic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages, causes biphasic changes in the intracellular pH (pHi) over time. First there was a decrease in pHi, reaching the limit in 5 min of incubation. Then, the pHi value increased until reaching the maximum 30 min after the interaction between the cells and the agent. Afterwards, the observed parameter (pHi) did not vary up to minute 55. It was shown that there was no increase in intracellular pH on the addition of the Na⁺/H⁺-exchange blocker ethylisopropylamiloride to the incubation medium in the presence of tuftsin. This fact suggests that the observed increase in pHi during tuftsin treatment in the second phase of cell response is associated with the Na⁺/H⁺ exchange system.     

Blood-brain barrier unlocked

The brain is protected by a physiological blood-brain barrier (BBB) against toxins and some metabolites circulating in the blood. At the same time, the BBB limits penetration into the brain of many neuroactive drugs. Efficient ways to increase BBB permeability for delivery of drugs of different chemical nature into the brain are unknown. This work deals with delivery into the brain of 10⁻² M dopamine, a substance that does not penetrate the BBB under normal circumstances. It was studied in two independent experiments: (i) penetration of ³H-labeled dopamine from its mixture with 10⁻⁵ M H₂O₂ into hypothalamus and striatum structures of intact rat brain, and (ii) effect of unlabeled dopamine from a mixture with H2O2 on the rat motor activity in a haloperidol catalepsy model. It was shown that (i) at the third minute after nasal application of the dopamine + H₂O₂ mixture, the dopamine level increases 45-fold in the hypothalamus and almost 30-fold in the striatum and (ii) motility of animals in the catalepsy haloperidol model is recovered 90 sec after intranasal introduction of dopamine. No such effects were observed after replacement of H₂O₂ by 0.9% NaCl solution. Thus, it was shown on the example of dopamine that its introduction into the nasal cavity simultaneously with H₂O₂ provides for rapid delivery of the drug into the brain. These results expand our knowledge concerning the biological role of exoROS in modulating BBB permeability and may contribute to the development of a new therapeutic strategy for neurological diseases.