A review of the effects of supplementary nutrition in the ewe on the concentrations of reproductive and metabolic hormones and the mechanisms that regulate folliculogenesis and ovulation rate

This paper discusses the phenomenon of nutritional flushing in ewes whereby increased nutrition stimulates folliculogenesis and ovulation rate. In addition the paper reviews recent findings on the effects of increased levels of nutrition on the blood concentrations of reproductive and metabolic hormones in the ewe and some of the intraovarian changes that take place in response to nutritional stimulation. Finally, in the paper, we propose a model of the physiological mechanism for the nutritional stimulation of folliculogenesis and we review how closely the model fits recent published and unpublished evidence examining the mechanism of flushing. Nutritional stimulation alters the blood concentrations of some metabolic hormones. By using short-term models of nutritional flushing, we have shown that as the blood concentrations of insulin and leptin increase that of growth hormone decreases while that of IGF-I appears unaffected by the nutritional flushing. Nutritional flushing also alters the blood concentrations of some reproductive hormones. Again, using the same model, we have shown that there is a transient increase in FSH and a decrease in oestradiol concentrations in the blood. The changes in oestradiol are particularly evident in the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle. In the ovary, the effect of nutrition is to stimulate folliculogenesis. These changes are associated with intra-follicular alterations in the insulin-glucose, IGF and leptin metabolic systems. The stimulation of these intra-follicular systems leads to a suppression in follicular oestradiol production. The consequence of these direct actions on the follicle is a reduced negative feedback to the hypothalamic-pituitary system and increased FSH secretion that leads to a stimulation of folliculogenesis.     

Kinetic and thermodynamic properties of an immobilized glucoamylase from a mesophilic fungus, Arachniotus citrinus

Purified glucoamylase from Arachniotus citrinus was immobilized on polyacrylamide gel with 70% yield of immobilization. The immobilization improved the pH optima, temperature optima, values of K(m), V(max), and activation energy. Irreversible thermal denaturation studies of soluble and immobilized glucoamylase indicated that immobilization decreased the entropy and enthalpy of deactivation by magnitudes and made the immobilized glucoamylase thermodynamically more stable.     

Cytotoxic chalcones and flavanones from the tree bark of Cryptocarya costata

A new flavanone, 7-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxyflavanone (1), together with three other flavonoids, didymocarpin (2), 2',4'-dihydroxy-5',6'-dimethoxychalcone (3), and isodidymocarpin (4), had been isolated from the methanol extract of the tree bark of Cryptocarya costata. The structures of these compounds were determined based on spectral evidence, including UV, IR, 1-D and 2-D NMR, and mass spectra. Cytotoxic properties of compounds 1-4 were evaluated against murine leukemia P-388 cells. The chalcones 3 and 4 were found to have substantial cytotoxicity with IC50 of 5.7 and 11.1 microM, respectively.     

Isolation and functional analysis of cotton universal stress protein promoter in response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses

The 949 bp promoter fragment upstream from the translation initiation site of the GUSP gene encoding a universal stress protein was isolated from the genomic DNA of Gossypium arboreum. Some putative cis-acting elements involved in stress responses including E-box, ABRE, DPBF-box, and MYB-core elements were found in the promoter region. In an Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression assay, strong activation of the GUSP full promoter region occurred in tobacco leaves following dehydration, abscisic acid, salt, heavy metal, gibberellic acid and dark treatments. Deletion analysis of the promoter revealed that the dehydration, abscisic acid and salt responses were affected by the deletion between −208 and −949 bp and showed 2–4-fold induction. However, in response to dark, gibberellic acid and heavy metals the induction was only 2-fold. These findings further our understanding of the regulation of GUSP expression. This is an important study as no report of this universal stress protein promoter is available in literature.     

Oxidative burst inhibitory and cytotoxic amides and lignans from the stem bark of Fagara heitzii (Rutaceae)

Two amides, heitziamide A and heitziamide B and two phenylethanoids, heitziethanoid A and heitziethanoid B together with thirteen known compounds were isolated from F. heitzii (Letouzey). The structures of all compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis.Nine compounds were evaluated for oxidative burst inhibitory activity in a chemoluminescence assay and for cytotoxicity against PC-3 prostate cancer cells.All compounds exhibited a clear suppressive effect on phagocytosis response upon activation with serum opsonized zymosan at the range of IC₅₀ = 2.0–6.5 μM, but no cytotoxic effect was observed (IC₅₀ > 100 μM).     

The role of endogenous opioids in the protective effects of local sublethal hyperthermia against the progression of burn injury

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of endogenous opioids in local sublethal hyperthermia-induced protection against burn injury.Second-degree burn wounds were induced on the back of Balb/c mice. Progression of burn injury and expression of heat shock protein (HSP)-70 were evaluated after 24 h.Both inhibition of HSP synthesis and blocking opioid receptors before applying local sublethal hyperthermia decreased the protective effects of sublethal hyperthermia against the progression of burn injury. Blocking opioid receptors attenuated induction of HSP-70 by sublethal hyperthermia.     

Ectodermal dysplasia-cutaneous syndactyly syndrome maps to chromosome 7p21.1-p14.3

Ectodermal dysplasia syndromes are genetically heterogeneous group of disorders involving one or more of the classical ectodermal appendages (hair, nail, teeth, sweat glands) in association with anomalies of other organs or systems. In the present study a novel form of ectodermal dysplasia syndrome, ectodermal dysplasia cutaneous syndactyly (EDCS), segregating in an autosomal recessive pattern in a Pakistani family was investigated. The clinical features of the affected individuals included large prominent ear pinnae, tooth enamel hypoplasia, hypoplastic nails, bilateral partial cutaneous syndactyly, hypotrichosis, palmoplantar keratoderma and hyperhidrosis. Through genetic linkage study, EDCS syndrome was mapped on human chromosome 7p21.1-p14.3 flanked by markers D7S488 and D7S817. A maximum two-point LOD score of 2.94 (θ = 0.00) was obtained at marker D7S2496 while a maximum multipoint LOD score of 3.07 was obtained with several markers along the disease-interval. This interval spans 19.80-cM, which corresponds to 13.74-Mbp according to the sequence-based physical map (Build 36.1). Sequence analysis of 27 candidate genes, located in the candidate interval, did not reveal any functional sequence variant.     

Potential of xylanase from thermophilic Bacillus sp. XTR-10 in biobleaching of wood kraft pulp

An extracellular xylanase produced under optimal conditions by a thermophilic strain of Bacillus sp. XTR-10 was evaluated for its potential application in biobleaching of wood kraft pulp. Spectrophotometric analysis showed considerable release of lignin derived compounds and chromophoric material by the xylanase treated pulp samples. Xylanase was found to be effective in the liberation of reducing sugars in the pulp filtrates with increment in enzyme dose and reaction time. Eight hours pretreatment with 40 IU of xylanase/g of dry pulp resulted in 16.2% reduction of kappa number with 25.94% ISO increase in brightness as compared to the control. The same treatment slightly lowered the tensile strength and burst index, however. Enzyme pretreatment of the pulp saved 15% active chlorine charges in single step and 18.7% in multiple steps chemical bleaching with attainment of brightness at the level of the control. These results indicate the potential of enzymatic pretreatment of pulp for reduction in environmental discharge of hazardous waste from the pulp and paper industry.     

Organotin(IV) 4-methoxyphenylethanoates: Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, X-ray structures and in vitro anticancer activity against human prostate cell lines (PC-3)

A series of organotin(IV) carboxylates, [Bu₂SnL₂] (1), [Et₂SnL₂] (2), [Me₂SnL₂] (3), [Bu₃SnL]_n(4), [Me₆Sn₂L₂]_n(5), [Ph₃SnL]_n(6) and [Oct₂SnL₂] (7), where L = O₂CCH₂C₆H₄OCH₃-4, have been synthesized. These complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and multinuclear NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn). Based on spectroscopic results, the ligand appeared to coordinate to the Sn atom through COO moiety. Single crystal analysis has shown a bridging behavior of ligand in tributyl- and trimethyltin(IV) derivatives, and a chelating bidentate mode in diethyltin(IV) complex. Bioassay results have shown that these compounds have good antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor activity. The activity against prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3) decreased in the order 1 > 5 > 2 > 3 > 7.     

A phosphine complex of copper (I) bromide as single-source precursor for the aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of phosphide

A new homobimetallic complex [Cu₂(tpp)₂(dppm)Br₂] (1) of copper(I) bromide with triphenylphosphine (tpp) and bis-diphenylphosphinomethane (dppm) has been synthesized and charaterized by m.p., elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, mass spectrometry, thermal studies and single crystal X-ray analysis. The solid-state molecular structure of 1, belonging to the monoclinic crystal system with space group P2₁/n, describes it as a neutral dinuclear species in which two copper atoms are bridged together through two bromides and a dppm ligand and each copper atom possesses a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Complex 1 was studied as a single-source precursor for the fabrication of phase pure thin films of Cu₃P by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition. The films have been characterized by PXRD, SEM and ED-XRF analyses and found to exhibit the particles size range 200−400 nm with high purity and surface uniformity.