Interaction between GSTM1 genotype and IL-6 on mortality in older adults: results from the ilSIRENTE study

Background and aimsThe inflammatory process is related to oxidative stress and inflammation was proven to be a strong determinant of the aging process and to ultimately lead to death. The aim of the present study was to assess if, in a population of older adults, the effect of antioxidant genes GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes on mortality may differ depending on levels of inflammation.MethodsData are from 353 older persons aged ?80 years enrolled in the ilSIRENTE study. Study population was divided into two groups computed based on the median value of serum IL-6 (low IL-6, n = 177 and high IL-6, n = 176). All participants were followed up for 48 months.ResultsMean age of study participants was 85.8 years (Standard Deviation 4.8), 235 (66.6%) were women. Overall 48/177 participant (27.1%) in the low IL-6 group died during the study period, compared with 97/176 (55.1%) in the high IL-6 group (p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, GSTM1 wildtype had no effect on mortality in the low IL-6 group (RR = 1.07; 95% CI 0.46–2.47), but it was associated with a significant lower mortality rate in the high IL-6 level (RR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.15–0.69). Testing the interaction between IL-6 and GSTM1 genotype, we found a significant result (p = 0.02). No significant effect of GSTT1 genotype on mortality was shown in participants with low and high IL-6 level.ConclusionGSTM1 wildtype is associated with reduced mortality among older adults with high levels of inflammation, but not among those with low levels of inflammation.     

Determination of the effects on learning and memory performance and related gene expressions of clothianidin in rat models

Clothianidin (CLO) is one of the pesticides used to protect against insects, and its potential toxic effects on cognitive functions are not clearly known. This study aims to evaluate the possible effects of dose-dependent CLO on learning and memory in infant and adult male rats and the expression of related genes in the hippocampus. Doses of 2, 8 and 24 mg/kg of CLO were administered to newborn infant and adult albino Winstar rats in the form of gavage and dissolved in vehicle matter. Their cognitive and learning functions were evaluated by the Morris water maze and probe tests. Expression levels of N-methyl D-aspartate 1 (GRIN1), muscuranic receptor M1, synoptophysin (SYP) and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) of tissues isolated from the hippocampus were determined using the real-time PCR method. In the Morris water maze test, no change (p > 0.05) was exhibited in the adult and infant rats after CLO was applied, although there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in performance between infants and the control group after 24 mg/kg was applied in the probe test. Also, expression levels GRIN1, M1, SYP, GAP-43 did not change when compared to the control (p > 0.05). Our study shows that exposure to high doses of CLO causes deterioration of cognitive functions in infant rats.     

Enhanced immune reconstitution by sex steroid ablation following allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation

Delayed immune reconstitution in adult recipients of allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) is related to age-induced thymic atrophy. Overcoming this paucity of T cell function is a major goal of clinical research but in the context of allogeneic transplants, any strategy must not exacerbate graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) yet ideally retain graft-vs-tumor (GVT) effects. We have shown sex steroid ablation reverses thymic atrophy and enhances T cell recovery in aged animals and in congenic bone marrow (BM) transplant but the latter does not have the complications of allogeneic T cell reactivity. We have examined whether sex steroid ablation promoted hemopoietic and T cell recovery following allogeneic HSCT and whether this benefit was negated by enhanced GVHD. BM and thymic cell numbers were significantly increased at 14 and 28 days after HSCT in castrated mice compared with sham-castrated controls. In the thymus, the numbers of donor-derived thymocytes and dendritic cells were significantly increased after HSCT and castration; donor-derived BM precursors and developing B cells were also significantly increased. Importantly, despite restoring T cell function, sex steroid inhibition did not exacerbate the development of GVHD or ameliorate GVT activity. Finally, IL-7 treatment in combination with castration had an additive effect on thymic cellularity following HSCT. These results indicate that sex steroid ablation can profoundly enhance thymic and hemopoietic recovery following allogeneic HSCT without increasing GVHD and maintaining GVT.     

The Effects of Leptin on Rat Brain Development; An Experimental Study

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics -     

Are black flies of the subgenus Wilhelmia (Diptera: Simuliidae) multiple species or a single geographical generalist? Insights from the macrogenome

Organisms with vast distributions often represent geographical mosaics of cryptic species. The black fly Simulium (Wilhelmia) lineatum is among the most widely distributed members of the family Simuliidae, ranging from the British Isles to eastern China. Rather than viewing S. lineatum as a possible aggregate of multiple species, taxonomists have suggested a more inclusive taxon with additional synonyms. Accordingly, S. lineatum is an ideal candidate for testing the hypothesis that a wide geographical distribution signals the presence of more than one species. A cytogenetic approach was used to probe the macrogenome of S. lineatum and other taxa proposed by taxonomists as conspecific. The banding patterns in the polytene chromosomes of 480 larvae from 15 countries across the Palearctic Region revealed 128 rearrangements of the complement. All rearrangements were autosomal and 89% were inversions nonrandomly distributed among species and among chromosome arms. The analyses clarify long‐standing confusion over previously proposed names and reveal a longitudinal succession of four species sequentially replacing one another from west to east: Simulium lineatum s.s., Simulium balcanicum, Simulium turgaicum, and Simulium takahasii. Thus, S. turgaicum is recalled from synonymy and the other three species are validated. Within the most‐represented species, S. balcanicum, the frequency of inversions follows a longitudinal gradient with a north–south bias; as the distance between the sites increases along this north‐west–south‐east axis, the similarity of inversion frequencies between sites decreases. Validation of the concept that broadly distributed black flies are composites of structurally similar species provides a framework for guiding discovery of additional biodiversity. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 114 , 163–183.     

The stiffness characteristics of hybrid Ilizarov fixators

The use of hybrid Ilizarov models around femoral area is gaining clinical popularity lately. Hybrid systems show different mechanical properties. The purpose of this report is to examine the stiffness characteristics of the C-arch and half-pins on the hybrid Ilizarov fixators. Eight models that included standard Ilizarov and hybrid models were applied to six femoral sawbones. The distal part of fixation was composed of a two-ring frame applied identically to all bones. The difference of the configuration was at the proximal part, where half-pins with or without C-arches were either added to the proximal two-ring frame or replaced the proximal one- or two-ring frame. Osteotomy was performed in the femoral diaphysis and the bone was distracted 2cm. The stability of the system was tested with the axial compression testing machine. Displacements between the adjacent fracture sides were measured with the video extensometer in three dimensions. We found that proximal half-pin applications alone had less stiffness, but half-pins with C-arch had more stiffness than the model including only half-pins. Additional half-pins onto one- or two-ring frames had more longitudinal stiffness, but this system showed weak resistance against transverse displacement.     

Comparative phylogeography of two African carnivorans presumably introduced into Europe: disentangling natural versus human‐mediated dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar

Aim Natural processes of colonization and human‐mediated introductions have shaped current patterns of biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin. We use a comparative phylogeographic approach to investigate the genetic structure of Herpestes ichneumon and Genetta genetta (Carnivora) across the Strait of Gibraltar, and test for their supposedly contemporaneous introduction into Iberia. Location Mediterranean Basin and Africa. Methods We sequenced two mitochondrial fragments (cytochrome b and control region) of 91 (H. ichneumon) and 185 (G. genetta) individuals, including the sole archaeological record of G. genetta in Iberia, dating from the Muslim occupation. We used phylogenetic and tokogenetic methods, summary statistics, neutrality tests, geographic–genetic pairwise comparisons and coalescent estimates to explore the history of the two species in the Mediterranean Basin. Results In North Africa, an autochthonous (Clade I) and a western African mtDNA clade, coalescing in the Middle to Late Pleistocene, co‐occurred in both species. Only Clade I was present in Europe. In H. ichneumon, the European pool showed deep coalescence (median = 335 kyr) and high genetic differentiation and diversity compared with its North African counterpart, suggesting long‐term stability of female effective population size. In sharp contrast, G. genetta in Europe exhibited lower genetic diversity, weak differentiation with North Africa and recent demographic expansion; however, Andalusia and Catalonia (Spain) showed distinctly higher genetic diversity, and the archaeological specimen had the predominant European haplotype. Main conclusions The co‐occurrence of autochthonous and sub‐Saharan lineages in North Africa (1) supports a new, emerging biogeographic scenario in North Africa, and (2) suggests a connection through the Sahara, possibly from the Middle Pleistocene onwards. Our results refute the idea that H. ichneumon was introduced into Europe contemporaneously with G. genetta. Instead, they support a scenario of sweepstake dispersal during Late Pleistocene sea‐level fluctuations, followed by long‐term in situ evolution throughout the last glaciation cycles. Genetta genetta appears to have undergone a recent spread from at least two independent introduction ‘hotspots’ in Catalonia and Andalusia, possibly following antique trade routes and/or Muslim invasions. Despite their contrasting histories, the European gene pools of both species represent unusual cases leading to the preservation of autochthonous, North African lineages.