The influence of alcohol-containing and alcohol-free beverages on lipid levels and lipid peroxides in serum of rats

It is an established fact that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to some positive biochemical changes in blood that are widely regarded as indicators of improved prevention of atherosclerosis. However, at present, there are different opinions regarding the biologically active compounds of alcoholic beverages that bring about these changes. This experiment was conducted on 60 male Wistar rats, which were divided into five groups, each of which contained 12 rats: four experimental groups (EG1, EG2, EG3, EG4) and one control group (CG). During 4 weeks, all groups of rats were fed basal diet (BD) supplemented with dry red wine (EG1), beer (EG2), lyophilized dry red wine (EG3), or lyophilized beer (EG4). The rats of the CG were fed BD only. The rats of EG1 and EG2 were fed BD supplemented daily with 2.0 mL of wine and 6.0 mL of beer, respectively. The rats of EG3 and EG4 were fed BD supplemented daily with lyophilized wine and lyophilized beer at a concentration corresponding to an intake of 2.0 mL of original wine and 6.0 mL of original beer, respectively. Before and after completion of the trial, a wide range of laboratory tests including lipids and lipid peroxides were performed. The results of this investigation reveal that both original and lyophilized wine and beer exercise statistically significant beneficial lipidemic and antioxidant effects by reducing total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipid peroxides (P < 0.05 for all) and by elevating the high density lipoprotein cholesterol:TC ratio. There were no statistically significant differences in the results between groups fed BD supplemented with original wine and beer versus groups fed BD supplemented with lyophilized wine and beer. Therefore, it can be concluded that the biologically active compound of these beverages is their dry matter containing inter alia polyphenols in relatively high concentrations.     

Frequency-dependent changes in neuromuscular responses to cyclic lumbar flexion

Repetitive lifting in the workplace has been identified to be a cause of low back disorders. Epidemiologic data further supports an hypothesis that higher repetition rate (i.e. frequency) is an added risk factor. The objective of this study was to provide experimental data testing the above hypothesis. An in vivo feline model was subjected to 20-min of cyclic lumbar loading at frequencies of 0.1 Hz and 0.5 Hz while monitoring the EMG from the L-3/4-L-5/6 multifidus muscles and the creep at the L-4/5 level. Seven hours of rest were allowed after the cyclic flexion/extension was terminated. During this rest period, a single test cycle was performed every hour to assess recovery of EMG and lumbar creep. The results demonstrate that cyclic lumbar flexion elicits a transient neuromuscular disorder consisting of EMG spasms during the cyclic loading and initial and delayed muscular hyperexcitabilities during the rest period. Cyclic loading at 0.5 Hz resulted in significant (p<0.05) increase in the hyperexcitability magnitude and duration during the recovery period. It was concluded that repetitive lumbar loading at fast rates is indeed a risk factor as it induces larger creep in the lumbar viscoelastic tissues which in turn intensify the resulting neuromuscular disorder.     

Bone quality and healing in a swine vascularized bone allotransplantation model using cyclosporine-based immunosuppression therapy

Although vascularized bone and joint allotransplantation is a promising new treatment option for reconstructing large bone defects, the need for immunosuppressive agents to prevent rejection in these procedures poses a major problem. This problem stems from the fact that several of these agents can cause harmful side effects, such as alterations in bone quality and healing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine what effect the commonly used immunosuppressant regimen cyclosporine A-based combination therapy has on bone quality and healing. In 10 pigs, vascularized bone allografts with skin and muscle components (osteomyocutaneous free flaps) were transplanted from size-matched donor animals. Recipient animals received oral cyclosporine A/mycophenolate mofetil/prednisone therapy for 90 days. Bone quality was studied before and after transplantation by measuring the bone's acoustic velocity and density and calculating the bone's elastic coefficient. Bone healing was assessed using radiographic analysis. Four animals were lost as a result of graft rejection or immunosuppression-related complications before the 90-day endpoint of the study. Although bone specimens taken from the six animals that completed the 90-day protocol had histological signs of rejection, they all seemed to have normal bone healing. Posttransplant bone density values were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) (1544.7 +/- 47.5 kg/m3) as compared with pretransplant values (1722.7 +/- 44.1 kg/m3). Results of the acoustic velocity and elastic coefficients measurements showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in posttransplant values (from 3503.0 +/- 165.1 meters/sec to 2963.0 +/- 54.6 meters/sec and from 21.6 +/- 2.2 GPa to 13.6 +/- 0.5 GPa, respectively), indicating diminished bone quality. The findings indicate that cyclosporine A/mycophenolate mofetil/prednisone combination therapy is ineffective in preventing bone rejection, that it decreases bone quality, and that it is associated with systemic toxicity, suggesting that this immunosuppressive regimen at the doses used in this study is not ideal for vascularized bone allotransplantation procedures.     

Genetics of salt tolerance in higher plants: theoretical and practical considerations

Summary An interdisciplinary approach to breeding for stress tolerance in plants has gained considerable recognition in the past few years. Accordingly, this article presents a synthesis of the genetic, physiological, and ecological aspects of salt tolerance in plants. An understanding of these aspects and the interrelationships between them is essential for an efficient breeding program.A significant part of the presentation concentrates on the basic problems associated with the genetics of tolerance to stresses and of quantitative characters in general, since many of the unsolved problems relevant to the genetics of salt tolerance are still general. Significant progress in the breeding of quantitative as well as qualitative traits in multicellular organisms depends on an understanding of the genetic and epigenetic dimensions of gene action. The discussion therefore includes an overview of (1) the limited existing knowledge on the genetic control of salt tolerance and (2) the physiological mechanisms and molecular targets central to the control of salt resistance as expressed by the amount and stability of yield.An additional subject emphasized here concerns the main strategies of adaptation of wild species to their natural habitats. An understanding of them is essential to (1) enable distinction between traits that can increase agricultural yield and traits that are favorable only for survival under natural conditions (such a distinction is essential, especially when wild species are used as a gene source), and (2) predict the best combinations of characters for efficient agricultural production in stressful environments.     

Effects of light, temperature, gibberellin (GA3) and their interaction on coleoptile and leaf elongation of tall, semi-dwarf and dwarf wheat

Near-isogenic wheat lines differing in height-reducing (Rht) alleles, in each of two cultivars, were used to investigate the effects of light intensity and of their interaction with temperature and GA₃ application, on the elongation of the coleoptile and the first seedling leaf. Darkness caused a conspicuous increase in the lengths of the coleoptile and of the sheath and lamina of the first leaf, in GA₃ treated and untreated seedlings of all genotypes grown at 11 and 25°C. The genotype effects and the effects of light intensity and GA₃ application on leaf length were ascribed entirely to their effects on the rate of leaf elongation since the duration of leaf elongation was not affected by these factors. Temperature elevation from 11 to 25°C caused a 55% shortening of the duration of leaf elongation and a concomitant increase in elongation rate, which diminished with increased genotypic dwarfness. Accordingly, temperature elevation resulted in a significant reduction in leaf-length of the light-grown dwarf genotypes and the dark-grown dwarf and semi-dwarf genotypes. It is suggested that this temperature × light × genotype interaction effect is due to environmental dependent upper limits of elongation rate set by the Rht alleles.Abbreviations PAR Photosynthetic Active Radiation     

An elusive endosymbiont: Does Wolbachia occur naturally in Aedes aegypti?

Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria found within many insect species. Aedes mosquitoes experimentally infected with Wolbachia are being released into the field for Aedes‐borne disease control. These Wolbachia infections induce cytoplasmic incompatibility which is used to suppress populations through incompatible matings or replace populations through the reproductive advantage provided by this mechanism. However, the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in target populations could interfere with both population replacement and suppression programs depending on the compatibility patterns between strains. Aedes aegypti were thought to not harbor Wolbachia naturally but several recent studies have detected Wolbachia in natural populations of this mosquito. We therefore review the evidence for natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti to date and discuss limitations of these studies. We draw on research from other mosquito species to outline the potential implications of natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti for disease control. To validate previous reports, we obtained a laboratory population of A. aegypti from New Mexico, USA, that harbors a natural Wolbachia infection, and we conducted field surveys in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where a natural Wolbachia infection has also been reported. However, we were unable to detect Wolbachia in both the laboratory and field populations. Because the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in A. aegypti could have profound implications for Wolbachia‐based disease control programs, it is important to continue to accurately assess the Wolbachia status of target Aedes populations.