Genotoxic evaluation of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors by use of the somatic mutation and recombination test in Drosophila melanogaster

This study evaluated different concentrations of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (citalopram and sertraline) for genotoxicity by use of the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster. Three-day-old larvae, trans-heterozygous for the multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare (flr3) genes were treated with these two compounds. Two recessive markers were located on the left arm of chromosome 3, i.e. 'multiple wing hairs' (mwh) in map position 0.3 and 'flare-3' (flr3) at 38.8, while the centromere was located in position 47.7. SMART is based on the loss of heterozygosity, which may occur through various mechanisms, such as mitotic recombination, mutation, deletion, half-translocation, chromosome loss, and non-disjunction. Genetic changes occurring in somatic cells of the wing's imaginal discs, cause the formation of mutant clones on the wing blade. The results of this study show that citalopram had a genotoxic effect in the Drosophila SMART. Sertraline, however, did not show any genotoxic effect in balancer heterozygous wings. This study concluded that more information is needed to be certain regarding the mutagenic effects of sertraline.     

Stochastic frontier model approach for measuring stock market efficiency with different distributions

The stock market is considered essential for economic growth and expected to contribute to improved productivity. An efficient pricing mechanism of the stock market can be a driving force for channeling savings into profitable investments and thus facilitating optimal allocation of capital. This study investigated the technical efficiency of selected groups of companies of Bangladesh Stock Market that is the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) market, using the stochastic frontier production function approach. For this, the authors considered the Cobb-Douglas Stochastic frontier in which the technical inefficiency effects are defined by a model with two distributional assumptions. Truncated normal and half-normal distributions were used in the model and both time-variant and time-invariant inefficiency effects were estimated. The results reveal that technical efficiency decreased gradually over the reference period and that truncated normal distribution is preferable to half-normal distribution for technical inefficiency effects. The value of technical efficiency was high for the investment group and low for the bank group, as compared with other groups in the DSE market for both distributions in time-varying environment whereas it was high for the investment group but low for the ceramic group as compared with other groups in the DSE market for both distributions in time-invariant situation.     

Comparative geno-plasticity analysis of Mycoplasma bovis HB0801 (Chinese isolate)

Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia in cattle has been epidemic in China since 2008. To investigate M. bovis pathogenesis, we completed genome sequencing of strain HB0801 isolated from a lesioned bovine lung from Hubei, China. The genomic plasticity was determined by comparing HB0801 with M. bovis strain ATCC? 25523?/PG45 from cow mastitis milk, Chinese strain Hubei-1 from lesioned lung tissue, and 16 other Mycoplasmas species. Compared to PG45, the genome size of HB0801 was reduced by 11.7 kb. Furthermore, a large chromosome inversion (580 kb) was confirmed in all Chinese isolates including HB0801, HB1007, a strain from cow mastitis milk, and Hubei-1. In addition, the variable surface lipoproteins (vsp) gene cluster existed in HB0801, but contained less than half of the genes, and had poor identity to that in PG45, but they had conserved structures. Further inter-strain comparisons revealed other mechanisms of gene acquisition and loss in HB0801 that primarily involved insertion sequence (IS) elements, integrative conjugative element, restriction and modification systems, and some lipoproteins and transmembrane proteins. Subsequently, PG45 and HB0801 virulence in cattle was compared. Results indicated that both strains were pathogenic to cattle. The scores of gross pathological assessment for the control group, and the PG45- and HB0801-infected groups were 3, 13 and 9, respectively. Meanwhile the scores of lung lesion for these three groups were 36, 70, and 69, respectively. In addition, immunohistochemistry detection demonstrated that both strains were similarly distributed in lungs and lymph nodes. Although PG45 showed slightly higher virulence in calves than HB0801, there was no statistical difference between the strains (P>0.05). Compared to Hubei-1, a total of 122 SNP loci were disclosed in HB0801. In conclusion, although genomic plasticity was thought to be an evolutionary advantage, it did not apparently affect virulence of M. bovis strains in cattle.     

Helminths of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey

Fifteen roe deer were examined at necropsy from Northern Turkey in the period 2006-2010 for the helminth infections. Totally 6470 helminth specimens were collected and identified by morphological criteria. Twenty-five helminth species were identified (1 of the Class Trematoda, 1 of Cestoda and 23 of Nematoda). Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Prevalence 20%) was found in liver. Cysticercus tenuicollis (6.6%) was found in mesentery. Haemonchus contortus (53.3%), Ostertagia leptospicularis (73.3%), O. leptospicularis (minor morph: kolchida) (53.3%), Ostertagia ostertagi (26.6%), Spiculopteragia spiculoptera (66.6%), S. spiculoptera (minor morph: mathevossiani) (6.6%), Teladorsagia circumcincta (40.0%), T. circumcincta (minor morph: davtiani) (6.6%), T. circumcincta (minor morph: trifurcata) (6.6%), Trichostrongylus axei (66.6%) were found in abomasum. Trichostrongylus andreevi (6.6%), T. colubriformis (6.6%), T. longispicularis (26.6%), T. vitrinus (40.0%), T. capricola (6.6%), Cooperia oncophora (26.6%), C. punctata (6.6%), Nematodirus filicollis (66.6%), and Capillaria bovis (26.6%) were found in small intestine. Oesophagostomum venulosum (46.6%), Chabertia ovina (26.6%), and Trichuris ovis (13.3%) were found in large intestine. Dictyocaulus capreolus (6.6%) was found in lungs.     

GM-CSF provides autocrine protection for murine alveolar epithelial cells from oxidant-induced mitochondrial injury

Exposure of mice to hyperoxia induces alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) injury, acute lung injury and death. Overexpression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the lung protects against these effects, although the mechanisms are not yet clear. Hyperoxia induces cellular injury via effects on mitochondrial integrity, associated with induction of proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family. We hypothesized that GM-CSF protects AEC through effects on mitochondrial integrity. MLE-12 cells (a murine type II cell line) and primary murine type II AEC were subjected to oxidative stress by exposure to 80% oxygen and by exposure to H(2)O(2). Exposure to H(2)O(2) induced cytochrome c release and decreased mitochondrial reductase activity in MLE-12 cells. Incubation with GM-CSF significantly attenuated these effects. Protection induced by GM-CSF was associated with Akt activation. GM-CSF treatment also resulted in increased expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member, Mcl-1. Primary murine AEC were significantly more tolerant of oxidative stress than MLE-12 cells. In contrast to MLE-12 cells, primary AEC expressed significant GM-CSF at baseline and demonstrated constitutive activation of Akt and increased baseline expression of Mcl-1. Treatment with exogenous GM-CSF further increased Akt activation and Mcl-1 expression in primary AEC. Conversely, suppression of AEC GM-CSF expression by use of GM-CSF-specific small interfering RNA resulted in decreased tolerance of oxidative stress, Furthermore, silencing of Mcl-1 prevented GM-CSF-induced protection. We conclude that GM-CSF protects alveolar epithelial cells against oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial injury via the Akt pathway and its downstream components, including Mcl-1. Epithelial cell-derived GM-CSF may contribute to intrinsic defense mechanisms limiting lung injury.     

Molecular phylogeny and insular biogeography of the lowland tailorbirds of Southeast Asia (Cisticolidae: Orthotomus)

The lowland tailorbirds of Southeast Asia (Orthotomus) offer an excellent opportunity for comparative biogeography because of their diversity in the Greater Sunda and Philippine islands. We reconstructed the phylogeny of all species in the genus using maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and coalescent methods on DNA sequences of three gene segments: an autosomal intron (TGF), a Z-linked intron (MUSK), and a mitochondrial coding gene (ND2). Although resolution is low in parts of the phylogeny, several well defined clades emerge. When considered in light of distribution, these clades indicate that the Greater Sunda and Philippine islands were occupied early in Orthotomus history by the ancestors of O. sericeus in the Greater Sundas and O. frontalis in the Philippines. Subsequently, tailorbirds diversified further in each island group: O. atrogularis, O. ruficeps, and O. sepium arose in the Greater Sundas, and O. castaneiceps castaneiceps, O. c. chloronotus, O. derbianus, O. samarensis, O. nigriceps, and O. cinereiceps in the Philippines. Among the continental taxa (including Sundaic birds), the older lineages (O. sutorius and O. sericeus) are habitat generalists and the recently evolved taxa are more specialized. In the Philippines, several taxa once considered conspecific with O. atrogularis turn out to be highly divergent species (>9% in ND2). Indeed, all Philippine allospecies are well diverged from one another. This finding supports the recent assertion of higher-than-appreciated bird endemicity in the Philippines.     

Effects of repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise on plasma adiponectin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels in sedentary men

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise on plasma adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels in sedentary men. Fourteen healthy, nonsmoking, and sedentary men aged between 18.4 and 21.4 years participated in the study. All the subjects performed 5 Wingate tests (WTs) with 75 g per kilogram body weight load with 2-minute intervals between the tests. Blood samples were collected at preexercise, immediately after, 15 and 60 minutes after the fifth WT. Serum and plasma samples were stored at -80°C until the time of analysis for myoglobin, adiponectin, IL-6, and TNF-α. Plasma adiponectin levels decreased, whereas IL-6 levels increased postexercise compared with that preexercise. The TNF-α levels were not changed with supramaximal exercise. In conclusion, repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise cause an inflammatory response in exercised muscle and increase in plasma IL-6 levels and decrease in adiponectin concentrations.