Palmitate and inflammatory state additively induce the expression of PTP1B in muscle cells

The factors responsible for up-regulation of PTP1B, a negative regulator of insulin signaling, in insulin resistance state are not well understood. We performed a series of experiments in C2C12 muscle cells to determine the role of palmitate and an inflammatory state in regulation of PTP1B. Palmitate (0.75 mM) induced PTP1B mRNA and protein level only at 16 h. The combination of palmitate and macrophages, accompanied by a great increase of TNF-α and IL-6 in the culture media, additively caused a higher level of PTP1B protein levels in the muscle. Higher concentrations of palmitate reduced insulin stimulated glucose uptake in myotubes. A specific inhibitor of PTP1B partly increased insulin stimulated glucose uptake in palmitate treated cells. In conclusion, our results showing the additive influence of palmitate and the inflammatory state in the expression of PTP1B imply the involvement of these factors in the overexpression of PTP1B in insulin resistance state. We further provided the evidence suggesting the mediatory role for PTP1B in palmitate induced insulin resistance in myotubes.     

Mycophagy and its influence on habitat use and ranging patterns in Callimico goeldii

Mycophagy has been documented in a number of species of marmosets and lion tamarins (Callitrichinae) but its effect on ranging behavior is not known. We present the results of 10 years of research on five groups of Goeldi's monkey (Callimico goeldii) at a field site in northwestern Bolivia. We studied the diet and ranging behavior of two of the groups. On average, groups contained 4.5 individuals (range 2.0–9.0), but they gradually decreased in size until only the breeding female remained in the home range. The annual diet was composed of fungi (31.1–34.9%), fruits (34.0–40.6%), prey (17.4–30.1%), and exudates (1.0–10.9%). They had large home ranges (114–150 ha) and over time individuals tended to shift their core areas of use. They used secondary and bamboo forest and forest with dense understories more than expected based on availability. We suggest that the large home ranges and shifting core areas used by C. goeldii are components of a foraging strategy to track patchy, low density, and ephemeral fungal fruiting bodies. Our results, along with data published on other callitrichines, indicate that groups of Leontopithecus, Callithrix, and Callimico that eat fungi have larger home ranges than those that do not. Mycophagy is one of the several factors that evidently affect home range size in callitrichines. Fungi are clearly an important food source for a number of populations, but additional studies are needed to determine why some eat fungi frequently while others do not. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Novel antigenic determinants from peptidorhamnomannans of Sporothrix schenckii

Antisera were raised in rabbits against acetone-dried yeast-likeand mycelium forms of Sporothrix schenckii. These antisera weretested for immunoprecipitation of peptidorhamnomannans isolatedfrom both cell types. Both antisera reacted strongly with S.schenckiipeptidorhamnomannans, but the reactions were weak with ß-eliminatedpeptidopolysaccharides. These antisera did not recognize theSaccharomyces cerevisiae mannoprotein, and reacted poorly withCeratocystis (Ophiostoma) stenoceras cell wall glycopeptides.Since ß-eliminated glycopeptides were poorly reactive,we investigated the activity of O-glycosidically linked oligosaccharideswhich were liberated from the peptidorhamnomannans by mild alkalinehydrolysis, using a hapten inhibition test. The rates of inhibitionshowed that the immunodominant epitopes in O-linked tetra- andpentasaccharides had the following novel structures:     

Cecilin,a 1-benzyl-β-carboline from aniba santalodora

The trunk wood of Aniba santalodora (Lauraceae) contains benzyl benzoate and a novel alkaloid, 1-p-hydroxybenzyl-6-methoxy-β-carboline.     

Molecular Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Other Sexually Transmitted Bacteria in Semen of Male Partners of Infertile Couples in Tunisia: The Effect on Semen Parameters and Spermatozoa Apoptosis Markers

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasmas, and Ureaplasmas in semen samples of the male partners of infertile couples and to investigate whether Chlamydia trachomatis could initiate apoptosis in human spermatozoa. A total of 85 males partners of infertile couples undergoing routine semen analysis according to World Health Organization guidelines were included. Specimens were examined for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum by Real time PCR (qPCR). Semen specimens were analysed for the appearance of apoptotic markers (sperm DNA fragmentation, activated caspase 3 levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm)) using flow cytometry. C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, U. urealyticum, M genitalium were detected in semen samples of 13 (15.2%), 5 (5.8%), 5 (5.8%) and 3 (3.5%) male partners of infertile couples, respectively. M. hominis and U. parvum were detected in semen sample of only one patient (1.1%). The semen of infertile men positive for C. trachomatis showed lower mean of semen count and lower rapid progressive motility (category [a]) of spermatozoa compared to uninfected men with statistically significances (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively). Flow cytometry analyses demonstrated a significant increase of the mean rate of semen with low ΔΨm and caspase 3 activation of infertile men positive for C. trachomatis compared to uninfected men (p = 0.006 and p = 0.001, respectively). DNA fragmentation was also increased in sperm of infertile men positive for C. trachomatis compared to uninfected men but without statistical significances (p = 0.62). Chlamydial infection was associated to loss of ΔΨm and caspase 3activation. Thus, C. trachomatis infection could be incriminated in apoptosis induction of spermatozoa. These effects may explain the negative direct impact of C. trachomatis infection on sperm fertilizing ability.     

Morphological variation in the appendicular skeleton of atlantic forest sigmodontine rodents

Rodents of the subfamily Sigmodontinae comprise a highly diversified group in the Atlantic Forest, with semifossorial, terrestrial, semiaquatic, scansorial, and arboreal forms. In this study, we analyzed morphometric variation in humerus, scapula, ulna, radius, femur, tibia, and pelvis to investigate its possible relationship with the different types of locomotion recorded in the literature. Skeletal characters were measured in 321 specimens belonging to 29 species and 19 genera either restricted to or recorded in this ecoregion. Multivariate morphometric analyses (principal component and canonical variate analyses) arranged individuals of different genera in groups congruent with the different types of locomotion. This arrangement was more clearly defined when analyses included only forelimb measurements, indicating that most of the variation in appendicular traits associated with the different locomotor modes occurs in the forelimb skeleton. Semifossorial forms exhibited the most distinct appendicular morphology, as well as the greatest frequency of endemism among analyzed species. These results suggest that this mode of locomotion led to greater differentiation in semifossorial Atlantic forest sigmodontines than in terrestrial and arboreal forms, which were found to have more subtle differentiation and fewer endemics. Scansorial species could not be set apart from terrestrial ones in terms of appendicular morphology, suggesting that these two modes of locomotion are the most similar and generalized for the group, as they occur in most lineages in the subfamily. The results of this study corroborate previous observations on the relevance of appendicular characters in the differentiation of species and genera in the subfamily Sigmodontinae. J. Morphol. 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Invasion of the Gran Canaria ravines ecosystems (Canary Islands) by the exotic species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia farnesiana</Emphasis>

The main objective of this study was to analyze if Acacia farnesiana, an introduced shrub from North and Central American tropics is spreading from areas in which it was introduced, and also to determine which animals operate as vectors for the shrub dispersion in the study area. The study site was located in southern Gran Canaria, one of the islands of the Canary Island archipelago. We selected six ravines in an area where approximately 40 plants of A. farnesiana were planted around 40 years ago. We analyzed the size structure of the population of A. farnesiana (density and biovolume) in the ravines, as well as its spatial distribution, in order to assess the degree of aggressiveness of this shrub in terms of spreading and expansion. Our results suggest that this shrub is spreading to new areas very quickly due to dispersion of seed by rabbits and an enhanced germination by the action of Mimoseste mimosae, a bruchid that decreases the germination period of the seed once it has separated from the fruit. Based on the results obtained in this study, we strongly suggest that managers of this area consider a management program to control further spread.