Neonatal Treatment With Beta-Cell Stimulatory Agents Reduces the Incidence of Diabetes in BB Rats

The aim of the study was to investigate whether various beta-cell stimulatory drugs, given neonatally, influence the incidence of diabetes in BB rats. Newborn BB rats were treated twice daily for 6 days and diabetes development was observed during the following 200-day study period. Compared to a diabetes incidence of 63.8% in 163 control BB rats which received saline or were untreated, the percentage of experimental BB rats that developed diabetes was as follows in the different subgroups: arginineglucose: 47% (n= 73, p < 0.02); glucagon: 37% (n = 93, p < 0.0001); tolbutamide-glucose: 36% (n = 58, p < 0.0005); and theophylline-glucose: 39% (n = 41, p < 0.005). A long-term arginine-glucose treatment was not superior to the shorter neonatal treatment. Histological examination revealed a higher degree of insulitis in diabetic than in non-diabetic animals but no difference according to the kind of treatment was observed. Finally, we found that the diabetes incidence in BB rats was higher in the first litter compared to subsequent litters (p = 0.04). Thus, neonatal treatment with various beta-cell stimulatory agents reduces diabetes incidence in BB rats. The theory behind the study, that the treatment accelerates beta-cell maturation leading to increased immunological tolerance towards beta cells, is discussed.     

Decorin regulates assembly of collagen fibrils and acquisition of biomechanical properties during tendon development

Tendon function involves the development of an organized hierarchy of collagen fibrils. Small leucine-rich proteoglycans have been implicated in the regulation of fibrillogenesis and decorin is the prototypic member of this family. Decorin-deficient mice demonstrate altered fibril structure and mechanical function in mature skin and tail tendons. However, the developmental role(s) of decorin needs to be elucidated. To define these role(s) during tendon development, tendons (flexor digitorum longus) were analyzed ultrastructurally from postnatal day 10 to 90. Decorin-deficient tendons developed abnormal, irregularly contoured fibrils. Finite mixture modeling estimated that the mature tendon was a three-subpopulation mixture of fibrils with characteristic diameter ranges. During development, in each subpopulation the mean diameter was consistently larger in mutant mice. Also, diameter distributions and the percentage of fibrils in each subpopulation were altered. Biomechanical analyses demonstrated that mature decorin-deficient tendons had significantly reduced strength and stiffness; however, there was no reduction in immature tendons. Expression of decorin and biglycan, a closely related family member, was analyzed during development. Decorin increased with development while biglycan decreased. Spatially, both had a comparable localization throughout the tendon. Biglycan expression increased substantially in decorin-deficient tendons suggesting a potential functional compensation. The accumulation of structural defects during fibril growth, a period associated with decorin expression and low biglycan expression, may be the cause of compromised mechanical function in the absence of decorin. Our findings indicate that decorin is a key regulatory molecule and that the temporal switch from biglycan to decorin is an important event in the coordinate regulation of fibrillogenesis and tendon development.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of poinsettia, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphorbia pulcherrima</Emphasis>, with virus-derived hairpin RNA constructs confers resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Poinsettia mosaic virus</Emphasis>

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation for poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. Ex Klotzsch) is reported here for the first time. Internode stem explants of poinsettia cv. Millenium were transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, strain LBA 4404, harbouring virus-derived hairpin (hp) RNA gene constructs to induce RNA silencing-mediated resistance to Poinsettia mosaic virus (PnMV). Prior to transformation, an efficient somatic embryogenesis system was developed for poinsettia cv. Millenium in which about 75% of the explants produced somatic embryos. In 5 experiments utilizing 868 explants, 18 independent transgenic lines were generated. An average transformation frequency of 2.1% (range 1.2-3.5%) was revealed. Stable integration of transgenes into the poinsettia nuclear genome was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis. Both single- and multiple-copy transgene integration into the poinsettia genome were found among transformants. Transgenic poinsettia plants showing resistance to mechanical inoculation of PnMV were detected by double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). Northern blot analysis of low molecular weight RNA revealed that transgene-derived small interfering (si) RNA molecules were detected among the poinsettia transformants prior to inoculation. The Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methodology developed in the current study should facilitate improvement of this ornamental plant with enhanced disease resistance, quality improvement and desirable colour alteration. Because poinsettia is a non-food, non-feed plant and is not propagated through sexual reproduction, this is likely to be more acceptable even in areas where genetically modified crops are currently not cultivated.     

Change in suicide rates for patients with schizophrenia in Denmark, 1981-97: nested case-control study

Objective To study the change in risk of suicide among patients with schizophrenia and related disorders.Design Nested case-control design with linked data.Setting 4 longitudinal Danish registers.Participants 18 744 people aged up to 75 years who committed suicide in 1981-97 individually matched with 20 controls.Results Over the time studied the reduction in suicide rate among patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorder was similar to that seen in the general population (incidence rate ratio 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.03). The reduction among patients with other psychosis in the schizophrenia spectrum was faster than the reduction seen in the general population. Among people admitted to hospital with schizophrenia the risk of suicide was highest in the first year after first admission, and the excess risk was largest in the younger age groups—that is, the risk decreased per year for every additional year of age.Conclusion The suicide rate among patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and related disorders has fallen. This may be due to better psychiatric treatment, reduced access to means of suicide, or improvements in treatment after suicide attempts.     

Maternally inherited Birk Barel mental retardation dysmorphism syndrome caused by a mutation in the genomically imprinted potassium channel KCNK9

We describe a maternally transmitted genomic-imprinting syndrome of mental retardation, hypotonia, and unique dysmorphism with elongated face. We mapped the disease-associated locus to ~7.27 Mb on chromosome 8q24 and demonstrated that the disease is caused by a missense mutation in the maternal copy of KCNK9 within this locus. KCNK9 is maternally transmitted (imprinted with paternal silencing) and encodes K_2P9.1, a member of the two pore-domain potassium channel (K_2P) subfamily. The mutation fully abolishes the channel's currents—both when functioning as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with K_2P3.1.     

Mitochondrial complex III deficiency associated with a homozygous mutation in UQCRQ

A consanguineous Israeli Bedouin kindred presented with an autosomal-recessive nonlethal phenotype of severe psychomotor retardation and extrapyramidal signs, dystonia, athetosis and ataxia, mild axial hypotonia, and marked global dementia with defects in verbal and expressive communication skills. Metabolic workup was normal except for mildly elevated blood lactate levels. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed increased density in the putamen, with decreased density and size of the caudate and lentiform nuclei. Reduced activity specifically of mitochondrial complex III and variable decrease in complex I activity were evident in muscle biopsies. Homozygosity of affected individuals to UQCRB and to BCSIL, previously associated with isolated complex III deficiency, was ruled out. Genome-wide linkage analysis identified a homozygosity locus of approximately 9 cM on chromosome 5q31 that was further narrowed down to 2.14 cM, harboring 30 genes (logarithm of the odds [LOD] score 8.82 at theta = 0). All 30 genes were sequenced, revealing a single missense (p.Ser45Phe) mutation in UQCRQ (encoding ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase, complex III subunit VII, 9.5 kDa), one of the ten nuclear genes encoding proteins of mitochondrial complex III.     

Effect of adjunct metformin treatment in patients with type-1 diabetes and persistent inadequate glycaemic control. A randomized study

Background

Despite intensive insulin treatment, many patients with type-1 diabetes (T1DM) have longstanding inadequate glycaemic control. Metformin is an oral hypoglycaemic agent that improves insulin action in patients with type-2 diabetes. We investigated the effect of a one-year treatment with metformin versus placebo in patients with T1DM and persistent poor glycaemic control.

Methodology/Principal Findings

One hundred patients with T1DM, preserved hypoglycaemic awareness and HaemoglobinA_1c (HbA_1c) ≥8.5% during the year before enrolment entered a one-month run-in on placebo treatment. Thereafter, patients were randomized (baseline) to treatment with either metformin (1 g twice daily) or placebo for 12 months (double-masked). Patients continued ongoing insulin therapy and their usual outpatient clinical care. The primary outcome measure was change in HbA_1c after one year of treatment. At enrolment, mean (standard deviation) HbA_1c was 9.48% (0.99) for the metformin group (n = 49) and 9.60% (0.86) for the placebo group (n = 51). Mean (95% confidence interval) baseline-adjusted differences after 12 months with metformin (n = 48) versus placebo (n = 50) were: HbA_1c, 0.13% (−0.19; 0.44), p = 0.422; Total daily insulin dose, −5.7 U/day (−8.6; −2.9), p<0.001; body weight, −1.74 kg (−3.32; −0.17), p = 0.030. Minor and overall major hypoglycaemia was not significantly different between treatments. Treatments were well tolerated.

Conclusions/Significance

In patients with poorly controlled T1DM, adjunct metformin therapy did not provide any improvement of glycaemic control after one year. Nevertheless, adjunct metformin treatment was associated with sustained reductions of insulin dose and body weight. Further investigations into the potential cardiovascular-protective effects of metformin therapy in patients with T1DM are warranted.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00118937","term_id":"NCT00118937"}}NCT00118937     

Necrotic enteritis challenge models with broiler chickens raised on litter: evaluation of preconditions, Clostridium perfringens strains and outcome variables

The effect of Clostridium perfringens challenge, number of challenge days, and pre-challenge antibiotic treatment on the induction of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens raised on litter was studied, and the relationship between bacterial counts and frequency of gut lesions was evaluated. Specific intestinal lesions in randomly selected birds were present despite a lack of disease-specific mortality. Challenge, number of challenge days and frequency of lesions were associated with median counts of C. perfringens. The effect of pre-challenge C. perfringens counts and antibiotics cannot be evaluated unless procedures for the control of pre-challenge infection and methods for the differentiation between wild-type and challenge strains are established.     

The roles of types XII and XIV collagen in fibrillogenesis and matrix assembly in the developing cornea

Corneal transparency depends on the architecture of the stromal extracellular matrix, including fibril diameter, packing, and lamellar organization. The roles of collagen types XII and XIV in regulation of corneal fibrillogenesis and development were examined. The temporal and spatial expression patterns were analyzed using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, Western analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Expression of types XII and XIV collagens in cornea development demonstrated that type XII collagen mRNA levels are constant throughout development (10D-adult) while type XIV mRNA is highest in early embryonic stages (10D-14D), decreasing significantly by hatching. The spatial expression patterns of types XII and XIV collagens demonstrated a homogeneous signal in the stroma for type XIV collagen, while type XII collagen shows segregation to the sub-epithelial and sub-endothelial stroma during embryonic stages. The type XII collagen in the anterior stroma was an epithelial product during development while fibroblasts contributed in the adult. Type XIV collagen expression was highest early in development and was absent by hatching. Both types XII and type XIV collagen have different isoforms generated by alternative splicing that may alter specific interactions important in fibrillogenesis, fibril-fibril interactions, and higher order matrix assembly. Analysis of these splice variants demonstrated that the long XII mRNA levels were constant throughout development, while the short XII NC3 mRNA levels peaked early (12D) followed by a decrease. Both type XIV collagen NC1 splice variants are highest during early stages (12D-14D) decreasing by 17D of development. These data suggest type XII collagen may have a role in development of stromal architecture and maintenance of fibril organization, while type XIV collagen may have a role in regulation of fibrillogenesis.