Phenotypic variability and therapeutic implications of Candida species in patients with oral lichen planus

We investigated the prevalence and phenotypic variation of Candida species in oral lichen planus (OLP) and the therapeutic implications of our findings. Eighty patients with clinically and histopathologically confirmed cases of OLP (64 non-erosive, 16 erosive) and a control group of 80 healthy individuals with no predisposing factors for oral candidiasis were examined for evidence of Candida infection. Oral swabs and smears were obtained for cytology and culture. Identification, speciation and antifungal susceptibility tests of Candida isolates were performed using an automated microbial identification system. Fifty percent of erosive OLP cases, 28% of non-erosive cases and none of the controls showed evidence of Candida. Candida albicans was found predominantly in non-erosive OLP, while other Candida species were predominate in erosive OLP. Non-Candida albicans isolates (C. glabrata, C. krusei) were resistant to the commonly used antifungals, clotrimazole and fluconazole. Candida infection is common in cases of OLP. We recommend antifungal sensitivity testing prior to antifungal therapy for the erosive form of OLP.     

Contribution of “substrate shuttles” in the transport of extramitochondrial reducing equivalents by hepatic mitochondria from chronic alcohol-fed mice

Effects of chronic alcohol treatment have been investigated on the rates of extramitochondrial NADH utilization by hepatic mitochondria in the presence or absence of “malate-aspartate shuttle,” oxidation of ethanol, α-glycerophosphate, and the activity of succinic dehydrogenase, along with the changes in the intrahepatic distribution of aspartate aminotransferase. The rates of blood alcohol clearance, hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity, and NADPH-dependent microsomal ethanol oxidation were also studied after different time intervals of alcohol withdrawal from chronically alcohol-fed animals. Hepatic mitochondria from chronically ethanol-fed mice (ethanol withheld 20 hr before sacrifice) utilized extramitochondrial NADH at rates 25–40% higher than the corresponding pair-fed controls. Addition of malateaspartate shuttle components to mitochondria from control and ethanol-fed groups resulted in 70 and 90% stimulation of NADH utilization, respectively. Mitochondria from both groups showed respiratory control upon ADP addition (state 3). Preincubation with amino-oxyacetate or hydrazine, which inhibit aspartate aminotransferase activity, prevented the stimulatory effect of malate-aspartate shuttle on NADH utilization. Mitochondria from livers of chronic ethanol-fed mice in the presence of reconstituted malate-aspartate shuttle showed 30–40% higher utilization of ethanol than the corresponding pair-fed control animals. The rate of mitochondrial α-glycerophosphate utilization by alcohol-fed animals was significantly higher than the control group. Succinic dehydrogenase activity measured as an index of mitochondrial permeability in the absence of Ca²⁺ showed 85% higher activity in alcoholtreated group than the control animals. Chronic ethanol feeding for 4 weeks resulted in an increase in the activity of hepatic aspartate aminotransferase in the cytoplasmic fraction and a corresponding decrease in the mitochondrial fraction. Alcohol withdrawal from chronic alcohol-fed animals resulted in a decrease in the blood alcohol clearance rate after 10 days. Furthermore, a lack of correlation was observed between the rates of blood alcohol clearance and the activity of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase on one hand, and between the rates of blood alcohol clearance and the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing activity on the other.     

Plasma neurotensin release and gastric emptying in the dumping syndrome

Seventy-three patients were studied after ingesting a liquid glucose meal, tagged with ¹¹³Indium. Nineteen of these patients were awaiting surgery for their duodenal ulcer, while 54 were studied postoperatively, 25 of whom experienced troublesome postprandial (dumping) symptoms in their daily lives. The radioactive marker emptied significantly faster in the symptomatic patients than in the symptomfree, pre and post-operative groups (initial emptying rate 3.45 ± 0.23, compared with 1.16 ± 0.19 and 1.27 ± 0.15% fall in counts/min respectively; p < 0.01). Initial (20 min) rises in the plasma concentrations of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity measured during the test correlated significantly with the rate of gastric emptying in all patients, being greatest in patients with dumping symptoms. Physiological concentrations of neurotensin have been shown to delay gastric emptying. The excessive rise in plasma neurotensin-like immunoreactivity in patients with dumping symptoms, presumably occuring as a result of the rapid passage of nutrients to the neurotensin-rich ileum, may possibly have a compensatory role in slowing further emptying from the stomach.     

Floral ontogeny inMazus pumilus (Scrophulariaceae)

InMazus pumilus, all the floral appendages are initiated in acropetal sequence in the second cell layer (except stamens) of the floral primordium by periclinal divisions. The actinomorphic calyx tube is formed due to zonal growth. The zygomorphy in corolla is evident from the inception of petal primordia which arise sequentially as independent units in order of one anterior, a pair of anterio-lateral followed by a pair of posterio-lateral. Later these primordia exhibit differential growth because of which zygomorphy becomes more pronounced. The upper corolla tube is formed by interprimordial growth and lower corolla tube by zonal growth. Stamens are initiated in the third layer of the floral apex. Unlike sepals and petals, in the development of stamens (4) underlying cells of corpus also contribute. Posterior stamen is absent. The stamens become epipetalous because of interprimordial and zonal growth in the common region below the bases of petals as well as stamens. The two carpel primordia arise as crescent shaped structures which become continuous due to interprimordial growth. The ovary is formed by a ring of zonal meristem. The style develops later between stigma and ovary because of intercalary growth. The residual apex grows vertically along with the ovary and forms the septum of the ovary. All the floral appendages exhibit similar pattern of histogenesis and early growth suggesting thereby the appendicular nature of these appendages.     

Response surface optimization for enhanced production of cellulases with improved functional characteristics by newly isolated Aspergillus niger HN-2

Fungi isolated from partially decayed wood log samples showing characteristic diversity for spore colour, colony morphology and arrangement of spores were assessed for cellulolytic enzyme production. Isolates showing a cellulolytic index of ≥2.0 were assayed for filter paper (FP) cellulase and β-glucosidase (BGL) production. Molecular characterization confirmed the identity of the selected cellulolytic isolate as a strain of Aspergillus niger (A. niger HN-2). Addition of 2 % (w/v) urea enhanced FP and BGL activity by about 20 and 60 %, respectively. Validation studies conducted at parameters (29 °C, pH 5.4, moisture content 72 % and 66 h) optimized through response surface methodology in a solid-state static tray fermentation resulted in FP, BGL, cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI), endoglucanase (EG), xylanase activity and protein content of 25.3 FPU/g ds, 750 IU/g ds, 13.2 IU/g ds, 190 IU/g ds, 2890 IU/g ds and 0.9 mg/ml, respectively. In comparison, A. niger N402 which is a model organism for growth and development studies, produced significantly lower FP, BGL, CBHI, EG, xylanase activity and protein content of 10.0 FPU/g ds, 100 IU/g ds, 2.3 IU/g ds, 50 IU/g ds, 500 IU/g ds and 0.75 mg/ml, respectively under the same process conditions as were used for A. niger HN-2. Process optimization led to nearly 1.8- and 2.2-fold increase in FP and BGL activity, respectively showing promise for cellulase production by A. niger HN-2 at a higher scale of operation. Zymogram analysis revealed two isoforms each for EG and cellobiohydrolase and three isoforms for BGL. Crude cellulase complex produced by A. niger HN-2 exhibited thermostability under acidic conditions showing potential for use in biofuel industry.     

Transverse lumbar flap for sacral bed sores

Over the last 30 months, we covered all the 21 cases of sacral pressure sores admitted to our section with the transverse lumbar flap. All the flaps survived. The rationale of the flap design, its technique, and complications are described. The advantages and the drawbacks of the flap are also described. One of the major principles of bed-sore flaps, i.e., that the flap should be as large as possible, need not be adhered to.     

Bacterial community structure analysis of a hot spring soil by next generation sequencing of ribosomal RNA

In the present study the whole bacterial community structure of Tapovan hot spring soil located in the state of Uttarakhand, India was analysed through next generation sequencing. The hot spring soil is slightly alkaline in nature with abundance of sulphur. The spring soil was rich in various metallic and non-metallic elements required for bacterial survival. The community was found to comprise of 14 bacterial phyla with representation of members belonging to Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Thermi, Bacteroidetes, Aquificae, Actinobacteria, chloroflexi, TM7, Fusobacteria etc. At the genus level Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Symbiobacterium, Thermus, Geobacillus, Anoxybacillus were found in abundance as compared to other genera like Flavobacterium, Ureibacillus, Clostridium, Meiothermus, Acinetobacter, Desulfotomaculum and Rheinheimera.     

Common molecular pathways involved in human CD133+/CD34+ progenitor cell expansion and cancer

Background  

Uncovering the molecular mechanism underlying expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells is critical to extend current therapeutic applications and to understand how its deregulation relates to leukemia. The characterization of genes commonly relevant to stem/progenitor cell expansion and tumor development should facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic targets in cancer.     

Conjugated fatty acid synthesis: residues 111 and 115 influence product partitioning of Momordica charantia conjugase

Conjugated linolenic acids (CLNs), 18:3 Δ(9,11,13), lack the methylene groups found between the double bonds of linolenic acid (18:3 Δ(9,12,15)). CLNs are produced by conjugase enzymes that are homologs of the oleate desaturases FAD2. The goal of this study was to map the domain(s) within the Momordica charantia conjugase (FADX) responsible for CLN formation. To achieve this, a series of Momordica FADX-Arabidopsis FAD2 chimeras were expressed in the Arabidopsis fad3fae1 mutant, and the transformed seeds were analyzed for the accumulation of CLN. These experiments identified helix 2 and the first histidine box as a determinant of conjugase product partitioning into punicic acid (18:3 Δ(9cis,11trans,13cis)) or α-eleostearic acid (18:3 Δ(9cis,11trans,13trans)). This was confirmed by analysis of a FADX mutant containing six substitutions in which the sequence of helix 2 and first histidine box was converted to that of FAD2. Each of the six FAD2 substitutions was individually converted back to the FADX equivalent identifying residues 111 and 115, adjacent to the first histidine box, as key determinants of conjugase product partitioning. Additionally, expression of FADX G111V and FADX G111V/D115E resulted in an approximate doubling of eleostearic acid accumulation to 20.4% and 21.2%, respectively, compared with 9.9% upon expression of the native Momordica FADX. Like the Momordica conjugase, FADX G111V and FADX D115E produced predominantly α-eleostearic acid and little punicic acid, but the FADX G111V/D115E double mutant produced approximately equal amounts of α-eleostearic acid and its isomer, punicic acid, implicating an interactive effect of residues 111 and 115 in punicic acid formation.