Cryopreservation of immature equine oocytes, comparing a solid surface vitrification process with open pulled straws and the use of a synthetic ice blocker

The objective was to evaluate the effect of three cryopreservation methods on the in vitro maturation (IVM) and membrane integrity (MIn) of immature equine oocytes. An open pulled straw (OPS) method, a novel solid surface vitrification (SSV) process, and the addition of a synthetic ice blocker were evaluated. Compared with the control group (N = 269), the OPS (N = 159) and the SSV (N = 202) cryopreservation methods decreased both IVM (50.9 vs. 13.3 and 9.4%, respectively; P < 0.001) and MIn (76.6 vs. 31.1 and 33.7%; P < 0.001) of immature equine oocytes. However, inclusion of 0.1% ice blocker in the OPS vitrification process increased the rates of both IVM (30.5%; P < 0.01) and MIn (45.8%; P < 0.05) of the oocytes (N = 59). Including 0.1% ice blocker in the SSV process improved the IVM rate (20.9%; P < 0.05), whereas MIn remained compromised in this group (N = 67). However, increasing the concentration of the ice blocker (to 1.0%) in the cryopreservation methods did not significantly improve rates of IVM. In conclusion, the addition of a synthetic ice blocker (0.1%) to both cryopreservation processes significantly increased rates of both IVM and MIn of immature equine oocytes cryopreserved by OPS.     

Diterpene esters of aristolochic acids from Aristolochia pubescens

From the acetone and ethanol extracts of the tubercula of Aristolochia pubescens, two diterpene esters of aristolochic acids were isolated, together with 23 known compounds. The structures of the compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.     

In vitro culture of Aloe Barbadensis Mill.: Micropropagation from vegetative meristems

A method for rapid and highly effective plant micropropagation from vegetative meristems was established for Aloe barbadensis Mill. Plant micropropagation was achieved culturing apices on medium containing 1.1 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2.3 M kinetin for 15–30 days. High morphogenetic ability was maintained by transferring explants (after 60 days) on media containing 0.11 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2.2 M 6-benzylaminopurine.     

Landscape genetics of a tropical rescue pollinator

Pollination services are increasingly threatened by the loss and modification of natural habitats, posing a risk to the maintenance of both native plant biodiversity and agricultural production. In order to safeguard pollination services, it is essential to examine the impacts of habitat degradation on the population dynamics of key pollinators and identify potential “rescue pollinators” capable of persisting in these human-altered landscapes. Using a landscape genetic approach, we assessed the impact of landscape structure on genetic differentiation in the widely-distributed tropical stingless bee Trigona spinipes (Apidae: Meliponini) across agricultural landscape mosaics composed of coffee plantations and Atlantic forest fragments in southeastern Brazil. We genotyped 115 bees at 16 specific and highly polymorphic microsatellite loci, developed using next-generation sequencing. Our results reveal that T. spinipes is capable of dispersing across remarkably long distances, as we did not find genetic differentiation across a 200 km range, nor fine-scale spatial genetic structure. Furthermore, gene flow was not affected by forest cover, land cover, or elevation, indicating that reproductive individuals are able to disperse well through agricultural landscapes and across altitudinal gradients. We also found evidence of a recent population expansion, suggesting that this opportunistic stingless bee is capable of colonizing degraded habitats. Our results thus suggest that T. spinipes can persist in heavily-altered landscapes and can be regarded as a rescue pollinator, potentially compensating for the decline of other native pollinators in degraded tropical landscapes.     

Effect of end-stage renal disease and diabetes on zinc and copper status

The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional status of zinc and copper in patients with and without diabetes submitted to chronic hemodialysis. Thirty-three patients with type 2 diabetes (DM group), 30 nondiabetic patients (NDM group), and 20 healthy individuals (control group) were studied. Plasma, erythrocyte, and urinary zinc and plasma copper were obtained from atomic absorption spectrophotometry and ceruloplasmin by immunonephelometry. The anthropometric parameters were similar among the groups. Plasma zinc was lower and erythrocyte zinc was higher in the DM and NDM groups in relation to the control group. No difference in urinary zinc was observed comparing the groups. Plasma copper was higher in the DM group when compared to the NDM and control groups. Ceruloplasmin was similar in the three groups. Serum urea was a positive independent determinant of plasma zinc concentrations. The determinants of erythrocyte zinc were MAMC midarm nuscle circumference and Kt/V dialysis adequacy. The determinants of plasma copper concentration were serum creatinine and serum glucose. The results of this study demonstrate an alteration in the distribution of zinc of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) independently of the presence of DM. Also, the status of copper seems not to be influenced by CKD, but only by the metabolic derangements associated with diabetes.     

Inhibitory Effect of Dipyridamole and its Derivatives on Lipid Peroxidation in Mitochondria

Dipyridamole (DIP), 2,6-bis(diethanolamino)-4,8-dipiperidino-[5,4-d]pyrimidine, is a coronary vasodilator widely used in clinics. It has also been reported to have coactivator activity for a number of antitumour drugs and antioxidant activity in membrane systems. In recent years we have been studying the spectroscopic properties of this drug and several of its derivatives as well as their interaction with charged micelles and phospholipid monolayers. A strong interaction of DIP and DIP derivatives with these model membrane systems and a dependence of the strength of the interaction upon the chemical structure of the DIP derivative was observed. Here, the antioxidant effect of DIP and the derivatives, RA14, RA47, and RA25, was compared. We observed that although it strongly inhibits the iron-induced lipoperoxidation on mitochondria (IC₅₀ = 1 μM), it shows no protection against an organic oxidant, cumene hydroperoxide. The order of hydrophobicity of the DIP derivatives, DIP > RA14 > RA47 > RA25, correlates very well with both the values of the association constants of these derivatives to micelles, their localization in the micelles, and phospholipid films and their antioxidant effect on mitochondria. So, a very good correlation of the structure of the drug in regarded to the nature of its substituents with the biological activity is observed. Essentially the same result was observed either measuring the lipid peroxidation or the membrane fluidity by ESR, suggesting that the effect of DIP and DIP derivatives is probably associated to their binding to the lipid bilayer and not to interaction with membrane proteins.     

Lack of molecular relationships between lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial DNA single strand breaks in isolated rat hepatocytes and mitochondria

We investigated the molecular relationships between lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) single strand breaks (ssb) in isolated rat hepatocytes and mitochondria exposed to tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBH). Our results show that mtDNA ssb induced by TBH are independent of lipid peroxidation and dependent on the presence of iron and of hydroxyl free radicals. These data contribute to the definition of the mechanisms whereby mtDNA ssb are induced and provide possible molecular targets for the prevention of this kind of damage in vivo.     

Intraoperative tumor-specific fluorescence imaging in ovarian cancer by folate receptor-α targeting: first in-human results

The prognosis in advanced-stage ovarian cancer remains poor. Tumor-specific intraoperative fluorescence imaging may improve staging and debulking efforts in cytoreductive surgery and thereby improve prognosis. The overexpression of folate receptor-α (FR-α) in 90-95% of epithelial ovarian cancers prompted the investigation of intraoperative tumor-specific fluorescence imaging in ovarian cancer surgery using an FR-α-targeted fluorescent agent. In patients with ovarian cancer, intraoperative tumor-specific fluorescence imaging with an FR-α-targeted fluorescent agent showcased the potential applications in patients with ovarian cancer for improved intraoperative staging and more radical cytoreductive surgery.     

Phosphorylated p40PHOX as a negative regulator of NADPH oxidase

The leukocyte NADPH oxidase catalyzes the production of O(2)(-) from oxygen at the expense of NADPH. Activation of the enzyme requires interaction of the cytosolic factors p47(PHOX), p67(PHOX), and Rac2 with the membrane-associated cytochrome b(558). Activation of the oxidase in a semirecombinant cell-free system in the absence of an amphiphilic activator can be achieved by phosphorylation of the cytosolic factor p47(PHOX) by protein kinase C. Another cytosolic factor, p40(PHOX), was recently shown to be phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues upon activation of NADPH oxidase, but both stimulatory and inhibitory roles were reported. In the present study, we demonstrate that the addition of phosphorylated p40(PHOX) to the cell-free system inhibits NADPH oxidase activated by protein kinase C-phosphorylated p47(PHOX), an effect not observed with the unphosphorylated p40(PHOX). Moreover phosphorylated p40(PHOX) inhibits the oxidase if added before or after full activation of the enzyme. Direct mutagenesis of protein kinase C consensus sites enables us to conclude that phosphorylation of threonine 154 is required for the inhibitory effect of p40(PHOX) to occur. Although the phosphorylated mutants and nonphosphorylated mutants are still able to interact with both p47(PHOX) and p67(PHOX) in pull-down assays, their proteolysis pattern upon thrombin treatment suggests a difference in conformation between the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated mutants. We postulate that phosphorylation of p40(PHOX) on threonine 154 leads to an inhibitory conformation that shifts the balance toward an inhibitory role and blocks oxidase activation.     

Systematic review of Atractus schach (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) species complex from the Guiana Shield with description of three new species

The Guiana Shield harbours one of the best preserved and largest extents of tropical forest on Earth and an immense biodiversity. The herpetofauna of this region remains poorly known. The species-rich snake genus Atractus contains ～140 species, many with complicated taxonomic histories, including A. schach. Examination of specimens in museums and newly collected material from French Guiana has allowed the illustration of hemipenial morphology for the first time and an expanded diagnosis. Concatenated molecular phylogenetic (mitochondrial and nuclear genes) and phenotypic (morphometrics, external and hemipenial morphology) analyses confirm non-monophyly of the A. flammigerus group and indicate that A. schach is a species complex with three new species described here. The geographic distribution of A. schach sensu stricto is restricted to Guiana, Surinam, and French Guiana north of Tumucumaque massif. Populations tentatively assigned to A. schach from the east from French Guiana in the Roura lowlands to Almeirim, and from central Amazonia between the Negro and Trombetas rivers in Brazil are also recognized as new species. Our results suggest that populations from south of the Amazon River are not conspecific with those from the Guiana Shield.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A7AE40BC-4716-4302-B3BE-1F43600B0A72