Effect of soil texture and its organic content on the efficacy of Trichoderma harzianum (MIAU 145 C) in controlling Meloidogyne javanica and stimulating the growth of kidney beans

The efficiency of Trichoderma harzianum (MIAU 145 C) in promoting kidney bean (cv. Goli) growth in different soil texture (sandy loam, loam and clay loam) and organic matter content (0.5 and 2% of leaf litter) was assessed in a factorial experiment in the absence of Meloidogyne javanica. In another factorial experiment, the effect of soil texture, soil organic content and control measure (no control, 10?ml of T. harzianum containing 10⁶ spore ml^?1 and 2?mg ai cadusafos kg^?1 soil) was determined on nematode-infected kidney bean’s growth, fungus controlling activity and M. javanica reproduction. Except for the shoot length, the fungus improved plant growth. Clay loam was not a proper soil type for the cultivation of kidney bean plants (even in the soil without nematode), but the plant grew better in sandy loam and loam soil. The presence of leaf litter in the soil enhanced plant growth, increased fungal efficiency and increased nematode reproduction. It seems that T. harzianum can activate the plant defence system in sandy loam soil. T. harzianum was more effective in sandy loam or loam soil containing 2% organic matter (leaf litter) and reduced the reproduction factor of the nematode in the tested soil textures equally to the chemical nematicide treatment.     

Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Leucine,Zinc, and Chromium,Alone and in Combination,in Rats with Type 2 Diabetes

The main objective was to determine the elemental profile of the lung lining fluid of rats which are used as model animals in various experiments. Lung lining fluid elemental constitution obtained after bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the biological trace elements along with calcium and magnesium. BALF was collected from healthy rats using a tracheal cannula. However, cells in BALF were counted to monitor any underlying inflammatory lung condition. Cell free BALF samples were processed and analyzed for the elements including magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), bromine (Br), and iodine (I). In view of this, calcium concentration was the highest (6318.08 ± 3094.3 μg/L) and copper concentration was the lowest (0.89 ± 0.21 μg/L). The detected elements, from high to low concentration, include Ca > Mg > Fe > Br > I > Cr > Ni > Zn > Mn > Se > Cu. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between cell count and concentration of any of the element detected in BALF. Correlation analysis also revealed significant positive correlation among Fe, I, Cr, Ni, and Mn. Ca was found to be correlated negatively with Cu and positively with Se. Br and Mg found to be positively correlated with each other. Zn remained the only element that was not found to be correlated with any of the elements in the rat BALF.     

Phage Shock Protein G,a Novel Ethanol-Induced Stress Protein in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella typhimurium</Emphasis>

Exposure to ethanol is a stress condition that Salmonella typhimurium often encounters during its life cycle. Food, beverage, drugs, and cosmetics have a long history of using alcohols to control pathogens. Ethanol is also commonly used for disinfecting medical instruments. This study was conducted to evaluate the ethanol stress variations on the protein profile, cell structure, and serologic features of S. typhimurium. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the phage shock protein G (pspG), a new ethanol-induced stress protein in cells adapted to 10% ethanol. The result was confirmed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The maximum quantity of this 9.02-kDa protein was produced in 12.5% (v/v) of ethanol-treated cultures. Scanning electron microscopy has demonstrated new phenotypic characteristics in bacterial structure. The cells were unable to undergo binary fission. This phenomenon explains the tight attachment of bacteria in a colony. Overall, ethanol extreme stress induced expression of new proteins like PspG and repression of some other proteins in S. typhimurium. These induction and repression processes have inflicted dramatic changes on Salmonella behaviors. Alireza Shoae Hassani, Kasra Hamdi and Amir Ghaemi are members of Young Researchers Club (YRC) of Tehran Science & Research Campus of IAU, Tehran, Iran.     

SLC30A8 gene polymorphism (rs13266634 C/T) and type 2 diabetes mellitus in south Iranian population

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial metabolic disorder which is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. T2DM is due to the interplay of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Zinc is an important element for insulin storage and secretion. Zinc transporters ensure zinc transportation across the biological membranes and enable the cellular flow of zinc into the extracellular matrix or the intracellular vesicles. Solute carrier family 30 member 8 (SLC30A8) gene encodes zinc transporter protein member 8. The rs13266634 C/T polymorphism in SLC30A8 gene has been reported with higher risk of T2DM in literature. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the association between rs13266634 polymorphism and T2DM in Fars province, Southern Iran and compare the results with other populations. A total of 306 subjects were collected from the outpatients of Shahid Motahhari clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. These subjects were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and validated by direct sequencing. The frequency of CC genotype in diabetic and control groups was 90 (59.6 %) and 89 (57.4 %). The number of CT genotype was 51 (33.8 %) in the case and 49 (31.6 %) in the control group. The TT genotype was 10 (6.6 %) and 17 (11 %) in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects, respectively. No significant difference was found between the normal and T2DM subjects regarding the allelic and genotypic distribution (p = 0.35, OR = 1.19, 95 % CI 0.82–1.7) and (p = 0.94, OR = 1.7, 95 % CI 0.7–3.9). No significant difference was found between the normal and diabetic subjects regarding the rs13266634 C/T polymorphism in SLC30A8 gene. In comparison with other ethnic groups, the C allele frequency in our population was very similar to that of the European but higher than that of the Eastern Asian and lower than the African populations.     

Immunogenicity Evaluation of a Rationally Designed Polytope Construct Encoding HLA-A*0201 Restricted Epitopes Derived from Leishmania major Related Proteins in HLA-A2/DR1 Transgenic Mice: Steps toward Polytope Vaccine

Background

There are several reports demonstrating the role of CD8 T cells against Leishmania species. Therefore peptide vaccine might represent an effective approach to control the infection. We developed a rational polytope-DNA construct encoding immunogenic HLA-A2 restricted peptides and validated the processing and presentation of encoded epitopes in a preclinical mouse model humanized for the MHC-class-I and II.

Methods and Findings

HLA-A*0201 restricted epitopes from LPG-3, LmSTI-1, CPB and CPC along with H-2Kd restricted peptides, were lined-up together as a polytope string in a DNA construct. Polytope string was rationally designed by harnessing advantages of ubiquitin, spacers and HLA-DR restricted Th1 epitope. Endotoxin free pcDNA plasmid expressing the polytope was inoculated into humanized HLA-DRB1*0101/HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice intramuscularly 4 days after Cardiotoxin priming followed by 2 boosters at one week interval. Mice were sacrificed 10 days after the last booster, and splenocytes were subjected to ex-vivo and in-vitro evaluation of specific IFN-γ production and in-vitro cytotoxicity against individual peptides by ELISpot and standard chromium-51(⁵¹Cr) release assay respectively. 4 H-2Kd and 5 HLA-A*0201 restricted peptides were able to induce specific CD8 T cell responses in BALB/C and HLA-A2/DR1 mice respectively. IFN-γ and cytolytic activity together discriminated LPG-3-P1 as dominant, LmSTI-1-P3 and LmSTI-1-P6 as subdominant with both cytolytic activity and IFN-γ production, LmSTI-1-P4 and LPG-3-P5 as subdominant with only IFN-γ production potential.

Conclusions

Here we described a new DNA-polytope construct for Leishmania vaccination encompassing immunogenic HLA-A2 restricted peptides. Immunogenicity evaluation in HLA-transgenic model confirmed CD8 T cell induction with expected affinities and avidities showing almost efficient processing and presentation of the peptides in relevant preclinical model. Further evaluation will determine the efficacy of this polytope construct protecting against infectious challenge of Leishmania. Fortunately HLA transgenic mice are promising preclinical models helping to speed up immunogenicity analysis in a human related mouse model.     

Hydroethanolic extract of Psidium guajava leaf for induced osteoarthritis using a guinea pig model

We investigated the therapeutic effects of an extract of Psidium guajava (guava) leaf on experimentally induced osteoarthritis in guinea pig. The left knee of 30 male guinea pigs was anesthetized and the cranial cruciate ligament was severed. The animals were followed for 8 weeks until osteoarthritis was confirmed by radiography and histopathology. Animals were divided randomly into five groups; group 1, the ligament was severed and untreated; group 2, the ligament was severed and treated with piascledine, an extract of soybean and avocado; group 3, the ligament was severed and treated with 200 mg/kg hydroethanolic extract of guava; group 4, the ligament was severed and treated with 400 mg/kg hydroethanolic extract of guava; and group 5, control animals without surgery or extracts. Radiological and histopathological evaluations after 8 weeks showed reduced severity of osteoarthritis in the piascledine treatment group compared to group 1. The guava extract also reduce the severity of osteoarthritis compared to controls. Histopathological examination of treatment and control groups showed that treatment the guava extract improved lesions significantly. Hydroethanolic extracts of guava leaf appears to prevent osteoarthritis by inhibition of free radical formation in the knee joint.     

Climate warming alters subsoil but not topsoil carbon dynamics in alpine grassland

Subsoil contains more than half of soil organic carbon (SOC) globally and is conventionally assumed to be relatively unresponsive to warming compared to the topsoil. Here, we show substantial changes in carbon allocation and dynamics of the subsoil but not topsoil in the Qinghai‐Tibetan alpine grasslands over 5 years of warming. Specifically, warming enhanced the accumulation of newly synthesized (¹⁴C‐enriched) carbon in the subsoil slow‐cycling pool (silt‐clay fraction) but promoted the decomposition of plant‐derived lignin in the fast‐cycling pool (macroaggregates). These changes mirrored an accumulation of lipids and sugars at the expense of lignin in the warmed bulk subsoil, likely associated with shortened soil freezing period and a deepening root system. As warming is accompanied by deepening roots in a wide range of ecosystems, root‐driven accrual of slow‐cycling pool may represent an important and overlooked mechanism for a potential long‐term carbon sink at depth. Moreover, given the contrasting sensitivity of SOC dynamics at varied depths, warming studies focusing only on surface soils may vastly misrepresent shifts in ecosystem carbon storage under climate change.     

Ni-hemin metal–organic framework with highly efficient peroxidase catalytic activity: toward colorimetric cancer cell detection and targeted therapeutics

Background

Given the great benefits of artificial enzymes, a simple approach is proposed via assembling of Ni²⁺ with hemin for synthesis of Ni-hemin metal–organic-frameworks (Ni-hemin MOFs) mimic enzyme. The formation of the Ni-hemin MOFs was verified by scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. This novel nanocomposite exhibited surprising peroxidase like activity monitored by catalytic oxidation of a typical peroxidase substrate, 3,3,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine, in the presence of H₂O₂. By using folic acid conjugated MOF nanocomposite as a recognition element, we develop a colorimetric assay for the direct detection of cancer cells.

Results

The proposed sensor presented high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and Human Caucasian gastric adenocarcinoma. By measuring UV–vis absorbance response, a wide detection range from 50 to 10⁵ cells/mL with a detection limit as low as 10 cells/mLwas reached for MCF-7 cells. We further discuss therapeutics efficiency of Ni-hemin MOFs in the presence of H₂O₂ and ascorbic acid. Peroxidase-mimic Ni-hemin MOFs as reactive oxygen species which could damage MCF-7 cancer cells, however for normal cells (human embryonic kidney HEK 293 cells) killing effect was negligible.

Conclusions

Based on these behaviors, the developed method offers a fast, easy and cheap assay for the interest in future diagnostic and treatment application.

     

Investigate of AQP gene expression in the liver of mice after ischemia–reperfusion

Ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury usually occurs during liver transplantation. Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane channels that facilitate water permeability through cell membranes and are essential for the regulation of water homeostasis. Changes in the AQPs expression have been correlated with several inflammatory diseases. Less is known about AQPs expression in hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury. To clarify the roles of AQPs in IR injury, in this current study we examined the gene expression patterns of AQP1, 8 and 9 in the liver after IR injury. Male balb/c mice were exposed to partial (70%) hepatic ischemia for 65 min and then randomized into five groups of reperfusion [0 h (A), 8 h (B), 1 day (C), 3 days (D), and 7 days (E)]. A surgical group was also selected as the sham group. Serum and liver tissue samples were collected for evaluation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and liver histopathology. Real time PCR was performed to evaluate the AQPs expression. I/R injury resulted in a significant increase in ALT and AST (p?<?0.05) compared to sham mice in each group. The gene expression of AQPs was significantly increased in the IR group compared with the sham group (p?<?0.05). AQP8 and AQP1 after 8 h (group B) showed the highest gene expression in comparison with other groups, but the highest level of AQP9 gene expression was observed after 1 day (group C). Pathologic changes in the liver after reperfusion were confirmed the IR. In the IR group cytoplasmic vacuolization, inflammatory cell infiltration and focal necrosis were detected. In conclusion, our findings indicated that the damage caused by ischemia–reperfusion in the liver can change the expression of AQP genes, which can interfere with hepatocellular homeostasis and their function. Upregulation of AQP1, 8 and 9 could contribute to the development of hepatocellular swelling after hepatic IR injury.