Hereditary minisatellite mutations among the offspring of Estonian Chernobyl cleanup workers

A single accidental event such as the fallout released from the Chernobyl reactor in 1986 can expose millions of people to non-natural environmental radiation. Ionizing radiation increases the frequency of germline mutations in experimental studies, but the genetic effects of radiation in humans remain largely undefined. To evaluate the hereditary effects of low radiation doses, we compared the minisatellite mutation rates of 155 children born to Estonian Chernobyl cleanup workers after the accident with those of their siblings born prior to it. All together, 94 de novo paternal minisatellite mutations were found at eight tested loci (52 and 42 mutants among children born after and before the accident, respectively). The minisatellite mutation rate was nonsignificantly increased among children born after the accident (0.042 compared to 0.036, OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.80-2.20). Furthermore, there was some indication of an increased mutation rate among offspring born after the accident to workers who had received doses of 20 cSv or above compared with their siblings born before the accident (OR 3.0, 95% CI 0.97-9.30). The mutation rate was not associated with the father's age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94-1.15) or the sex of the child (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.50-1.79). Our results are consistent with both no effect of radiation on minisatellite mutations and a slight increase at dose levels exceeding 20 cSv.     

Metapopulation-level adaptation of insect host plant preference and extinction-colonization dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes

Species living in highly fragmented landscapes typically occur as metapopulations with frequent turnover of local populations. The turnover rate depends on population sizes and connectivities, but it may also depend on the phenotypic and genotypic composition of populations. The Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) in Finland uses two host plant species, which show variation in their relative abundances at two spatial scales: locally among individual habitat patches and regionally among networks of patches. Female butterflies in turn exhibit spatial variation in genetically determined host plant preference within and among patch networks. Emigration, immigration and establishment of new populations have all been shown to be strongly influenced by the match between the host plant composition of otherwise suitable habitat patches and the host plant preference of migrating butterflies. The evolutionary consequences of such biased migration and colonization with respect to butterfly phenotypes might differ depending on spatial configuration and plant species composition of the patches in heterogeneous patch networks. Using a spatially realistic individual-based model we show that the model-predicted evolution of host plant preference due to biased migration explains a significant amount of the observed variation in host plant use among metapopulations living in dissimilar networks. This example illustrates how the ecological extinction-colonization dynamics may be linked with the evolutionary dynamics of life history traits in metapopulations.     

Surgical recovery and successful surgical transfer of conventionally frozen-thawed embryos in the farmed European polecat (Mustela putorius)

Surgical transfer of in vivo produced conventionally frozen-thawed embryos of farmed European polecat (Mustela putorius) was investigated as a part of an ex-situ preservation program which has the long-term aim of developing a genome resource bank for the endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola). Eighteen oestrous yearling European polecat donors were mated once daily on two consecutive days using 13 fertile males. The donors were surgically flushed for embryos 8-9 days after the first mating. The embryo recovery rate was 60% (116 embryos/193 corpora lutea). The embryos were cryopreserved with 1.5 M ethylene glycol in a programmable freezer using a conventional slow freezing protocol. The thawed embryos were surgically transferred either after dilution with 0.5 M sucrose or directly without removal of ethylene glycol. To induce ovulation, eight recipient females were mated once daily on two consecutive days with vasectomized males starting 7 or 8 days before embryo transfer. The recipients received 7-11 embryos each and three recipients delivered a total of nine pups after a gestation length of 44-46 days. The embryo survival rate was 10% (9 pups/93 frozen embryos). This report describes the first successful cryopreservation of embryos in the Mustelidae family resulting in viable offspring. The low embryo survival rate, however, indicates that the freezing-thawing protocol needs to be improved.     

Effect of training in Greco-Roman wrestling on neck strength at the elite level

Special training methods in wrestling have been assumed to improve the stability and tolerance of the neck. The aim of this study was to measure the neck strength levels reached in an extremely physically demanding sport. A neck strength measurement system was used to measure various parameters of maximal isometric neck strength in Finnish senior wrestlers competing at the international level. The results were compared with those achieved by junior wrestlers and a control group. The means (SD) of the maximal isometric neck strength for cervical rotation were 0.4 (0.1) Nm.kg(-1) for the senior wrestlers, 0.3 (0.1) Nm.kg(-1) for the junior wrestlers, and 0.2 (0.1) Nm.kg(-1) for the nonsportsmen. The respective results for cervical flexion were 4.4 (1.4), 3.8 (0.7), and 2.3 (0.8) Nm.kg(-1); for extension, 6.0 (1.1), 5.9 (0.7), and 4.0 (0.9) Nm.kg(-1). Neck strength in flexion seems to improve more than in extension as the result of wrestling. The greatest difference was found in rotation, which in the senior wrestlers was almost 3 times that in the nonsportsmen. There was great individual variation within all groups, and the results revealed weaknesses in all directions. Maximal neck strength measurements provide information useful in planning training programs to correct possible muscle deficiency and imbalance.     

Depletion of the photosystem II core complex in mature tobacco leaves infected by the flavum strain of tobacco mosaic virus

The flavum strain of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) differs from the wild-type (wt) virus by causing strong yellow and green mosaic in the systemically infected developing leaves, yellowing in the fully expanded leaves, and distinct malformations of chloroplasts in both types of infected tissues. Analysis of the thylakoid proteins of flavum strain-infected tobacco leaves indicated that the chlorosis in mature leaves was accompanied by depletion of the entire photosystem II (PSII) core complexes and the 33-kDa protein of the oxygen evolving complex. The only change observed in the thylakoid proteins of the corresponding wt TMV-infected leaves was a slight reduction of the alpha and beta subunits of the ATP synthase complex. The coat proteins of different yellowing strains of TMV are known to effectively accumulate inside chloroplasts, but in this work, the viral movement protein also was detected in association with the thylakoid membranes of flavum strain-infected leaves. The mRNAs of different enzymes involved in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway were not reduced in the mature chlorotic leaves. These results suggest that the chlorosis was not caused by reduction of pigment biosynthesis, but rather, by reduction of specific proteins of the PSII core complexes and by consequent break-down of the pigments.     

Rho‐kinase inhibitor Y‐27632 increases cellular proliferation and migration in human foreskin fibroblast cells

The idea of direct differentiation of somatic cells into other differentiated cell types has attracted a great interest recently. Rho‐kinase inhibitor Y‐27632 (ROCKi) is a potential drug molecule, which has been reported to support the gene expressions typical for the chondrocytes, thus restricting their phenotypic conversion to fibroblastic cells upon the cellular expansion. In this study, we have investigated the short‐term biological responses of ROCKi to human primary foreskin fibroblasts. The fibroblast cells were exposed to 1 and 10 μM ROCKi treatments. A proteomics analysis revealed expression changes of 56 proteins, and a further protein pathway analysis suggested their association with the cell morphology, the organization, and the increased cellular movement and the proliferation. These functional responses were confirmed by a Cell‐IQ time‐lapse imaging analysis. Rho‐kinase inhibitor treatment increased the cellular proliferation up to twofold during the first 12 h, and a wound model based migration assay showed 50% faster filling of the mechanically generated wound area. Additionally, significantly less vinculin‐associated focal adhesions were present in the ROCKi‐treated cells. Despite the marked changes in the cell behavior, ROCKi was not able to induce the expression of the chondrocyte‐specific genes, such as procollagen α₁(II) and aggrecan.     

Increased Visceral Adipose Tissue as a Potential Risk Factor in Patients with Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source (ESUS)

Purpose

The etiology of an ischemic stroke remains undetermined in 20–35% of cases and many patients do not have any of the conventional risk factors. Increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a suggested new risk factor for both carotid artery atherosclerosis (CAA) and atrial fibrillation (AF), but its role in the remaining stroke population is unknown. We assessed the amount of VAT in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) after excluding major-risk cardioembolic sources, occlusive atherosclerosis, and lacunar stroke.

Methods

Altogether 58 patients (mean age 57.7±10.2 years, 44 men) with ischemic stroke of unknown etiology but without CAA, known AF or small vessel disease underwent computed tomography angiography and assessment of VAT. For comparison VAT values from three different reference populations were used. Conventional risk factors (smoking, hypertension, diabetes, increased total and LDL-cholesterol, decreased HDL-cholesterol) were also registered.

Results

Mean VAT area was significantly higher in stroke patients (205±103 cm² for men and 168±99 cm² for women) compared to all reference populations (P<0.01). 50% of male and 57% of female patients had an increased VAT area. In male patients, VAT was significantly higher despite similar body mass index (BMI). Increased VAT was more common than any of the conventional risk factors.

Conclusion

Increased VAT was found in over half of our patients with ESUS suggesting it may have a role in the pathogenesis of thromboembolism in this selected group of patients.     

[18F]FDG Accumulation in Early Coronary Atherosclerotic Lesions in Pigs

Objective

Inflammation is an important contributor to atherosclerosis progression. A glucose analogue ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]FDG) has been used to detect atherosclerotic inflammation. However, it is not known to what extent [¹⁸F]FDG is taken up in different stages of atherosclerosis. We aimed to study the uptake of [¹⁸F]FDG to various stages of coronary plaques in a pig model.

Methods

First, diabetes was caused by streptozotocin injections (50 mg/kg for 3 days) in farm pigs (n = 10). After 6 months on high-fat diet, pigs underwent dual-gated cardiac PET/CT to measure [¹⁸F]FDG uptake in coronary arteries. Coronary segments (n = 33) were harvested for ex vivo measurement of radioactivity and autoradiography (ARG).

Results

Intimal thickening was observed in 16 segments and atheroma type plaques in 10 segments. Compared with the normal vessel wall, ARG showed 1.7±0.7 times higher [¹⁸F]FDG accumulation in the intimal thickening and 4.1±2.3 times higher in the atheromas (P = 0.004 and P = 0.003, respectively). Ex vivo mean vessel-to-blood ratio was higher in segments with atheroma than those without atherosclerosis (2.6±1.2 vs. 1.3±0.7, P = 0.04). In vivo PET imaging showed the highest target-to-background ratio (TBR) of 2.7. However, maximum TBR was not significantly different in segments without atherosclerosis (1.1±0.5) and either intimal thickening (1.2±0.4, P = 1.0) or atheroma (1.6±0.6, P = 0.4).

Conclusions

We found increased uptake of [¹⁸F]FDG in coronary atherosclerotic lesions in a pig model. However, uptake in these early stage lesions was not detectable with in vivo PET imaging. Further studies are needed to clarify whether visible [¹⁸F]FDG uptake in coronary arteries represents more advanced, highly inflamed plaques.