Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of essential oils of three Artemisia species

Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is a vector for serious diseases in tropical regions. This pest is mainly controlled by commercial larvicides but the application of such products has led to environmental problems. Essential oils (EO) have been consistently reported as molecules with insecticidal activity and can be used to produce more environmentally friendly larvicides in the control of A. aegypti. In this study, the larvicidal effect of essential oils (EO) from the leaves of three Artemisia species was evaluated against A. aegypti. The oils were obtained from steam distillation and their chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The EO of Artemisia camphorata was the most active in the screening bioassay and presented LC₅₀ and LC₉₅ of 64.95 and 74.18 μg ml⁻¹, respectively. In addition, we found that germacrene D-4-ol was the constituent responsible for the toxicity of this EO. Artemisia camphorata EO and its major constituent, germacrene D-4-ol, are promising for the development of natural larvicides against A. aegypti.     

Plenty of rooftops with few neighbours occupied by young breeding Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis): Does this occur at the expense of their health condition?

Gulls, as largely flexible opportunistic individuals, have been increasingly breeding in many cities around the world, but it is still unclear whether urban habitats are of equal or higher quality than traditional natural habitats or represent an ecological trap with immediate reproductive benefits but longer-term detrimental consequences to health. Here we present a study of breeding parameters (nest density, egg dimensions, clutch size, hatching success and adult body condition) and physiological parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, haemoglobin concentration and measurements of oxidative stress) as indicators of the general health condition of Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis adults and chicks from natural and urban colonies. Yellow-legged Gulls in the largest urban area (Porto) laid smaller eggs and clutches, showed a significantly lower occurrence of inflammatory processes in chicks, and showed a slower early chick growth than in the natural colony of Deserta. This suggests that urban gulls might be facing important trade-offs between the advantages of breeding in lower density urban colonies, with fewer intraspecific interactions and a lower disease transmission probability, and the disadvantages of having an anthropogenic diet usually lower in nutritional value.     

A biphasic model of limb venous compliance: a comparison with linear and exponential models.

Compliance is not linear within the physiological range of pressures, and linear modeling may not describe venous physiology adequately. Forearm and calf venous compliance were assessed in nine subjects. Venous compliance was modeled by using a biphasic model with high- and low-pressure linear phases separated by a breakpoint. This model was compared with a linear model and several exponential models. The biphasic, linear, and two-parameter exponential models best represented the data. The mean coefficient of determination for the biphasic model was greater than for the linear and exponential models in the calf (biphasic 0.94 +/- 0.04, exponential 0.81 +/- 0.16, P = not significant; and linear 0.54 +/- 0.05, P < 0.05) and forearm (biphasic 0.83 +/- 0.17, exponential 0.79 +/- 0.15, P = not significant; and linear 0.51 +/- 0.06, P < 0.05). The breakpoint pressure in the biphasic model was higher in the calf than the forearm, 34.4 +/- 3.9 vs. 29.1 +/- 4.5 mmHg, P < 0.05. A biphasic model can describe limb venous compliance and delineate differences in venous physiology at high and low pressures. The steep low-pressure phase of the compliance curve extends to higher pressures in the calf than in the forearm, thereby enlarging the range of pressures over which hemodynamic regulation by the calf venous circulation occurs.     

Increased plasma corticosterone levels in bovine growth hormone (bGH) transgenic mice: Effects of ACTH,GH and IGF-I onin vitro adrenal corticosterone production

Previous work from our laboratory provided evidence for increased plasma corticosterone levels in mice transgenic for human and bovine growth hormone (GH). Corticosterone was elevated in both sexes, under both basal and ether-induced stress conditions. The objectives of the present study were to investigate thein vitro adrenal sensitivity to ACTH, GH and/or IGF-I in normal and bGH transgenic mice, to examine plasma corticosterone levels at different times of the day, and to determine plasma levels of ACTH in these animals. For the measurement of plasma corticosterone and ACTH levels, transgenic and normal siblings were housed 2 per cage and decapitated simultaneously within 20 seconds of the first disturbance of the cage. The corticosterone production byin vitro adrenal incubations did not differ between adrenals from normal and transgenic mice at the basal level or in the presence of different doses of ACTH. Growth hormone or IGF-I did not have any effect on corticosterone productionin vitro when given alone, and did not modify the effects of ACTH on the accumulation of corticosterone in the media. Plasma corticosterone concentrations were higher in transgenic than in normal animals in both morning and evening. Plasma concentrations of ACTH in animals killed in the morning were sharply increased in transgenic males as compared with their normal siblings. The results indicate that increased circulating levels of corticosterone in transgenic mice are not due to a potentiation of ACTH actions by GH or IGF-I, but rather to a chronic increase in plasma ACTH levels. The increase in ACTH is presumably a reflection of GH actions in the hypothalamic-pituitary system.     

Immune Evasion by Helicobacter pylori: Gastric Spiral Bacteria Lack Surface Immunoglobulin Deposition and Reactivity with Homologous Antibodies

Background. Helicobacter pylori infection persists in the presence of potent serum and gastric mucosal anti-body responses against bacterial antigens. The aim of this article is to report on a study determine whether there is antibody deposition on H. pylori in vivo in the stomach of infected patients and whether gastric and cultured forms of H. pylori differ in their antibody reactivity.
Materials and Methods. Serum, gastric biopsies, and antral brushings were obtained from 10 patients having endoscopy. H. pylori was cultured from gastric biopsies. Bacterial samples were stained directly for immunoglobulin deposition and indirectly using rabbit antiurease serum or patient serum. Samples were examined by immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry.
Results. Although spiral bacteria could be identified easily by acridine orange staining and antiurease staining of gastric brushings from H. pylori infected patients, gastric bacteria did not have detectable IgG or IgA present, and only one of five samples could be stained for IgG and IgA indirectly using patient serum. In contrast, cultured bacteria could be stained readily with homologous serum for IgG and IgA in the majority of cases. Low pH inhibited immunoglobulin reactivity with cultured H. pylori.
Conclusions. Gastric H. pylori may evade humoral defense owing to poor deposition of immunoglobulin in the gastric environment or failure to express surface antigens that are present on cultured forms of H. pylori.