Immunohistochemical analysis of the serotonin system in the brain of lizard Ophisaurus apodus

The distribution of serotoninergic neurons (localization of somata, principal fiber tracts and projection zones) was investigated in the brain of the lizard Ophisaurus apodus using a specific antibody directed against serotonin (5-HT). A comparison of the results with those of the literature revealed that in spite of minor variations in the distribution of 5-HT in the different reptiles examined there exist common features which correspond to a general organizational pattern.     

Salvadora persica L.: hypolipidemic activity on experimental hypercholesterolemia in rat.

Stems of Salvadora persica are widely used as tooth cleaning sticks in Arabic countries and decoctions show hypocholesterolemic properties. The effects of prolonged administration of a lyophilized stem decoction of Salvadora persica were evaluated in diet-induced rat hypercholesterolemia. The preparation was administered for 15 and 30 days (by gavage at a dose of 500 mg/kg in an aqueous vehicle in a volume of 0.5 ml/100 g b.w.). Cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride plasma levels were assayed. The results showed that the S. persica decoction significantly lowered cholesterol and LDL plasma levels in rats, proving to be more active at 30 days of treatment. The systemic administration of Triton results in a rise in plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The results obtained show that S. persica decoction was inactive at 18 hr after treatment, whereas at 27 hr, it was able to reduce cholesterol and LDL plasma levels. In all experiments HDL and triglycerides were unchanged.     

The vitelline envelope-to-fertilization envelope transformation in the toad Bufo arenarum.

An investigation of some changes associated with the transformation of the vitelline envelope into the fertilization envelope in the egg of the toad Bufo arenarum is reported here. In most of the experiments described, the parameter used to demonstrate these changes was the stability of structural integrity of isolated envelopes when submitted to different agents and conditions. The envelopes used for this purpose exhibited a high degree of purity and remained apparently unaltered by the isolation procedure. As a quantitative method to ascertain their solubility rate, the release of uv-absorbing materials into solution was determined. Compared to the vitelline envelope, the fertilization envelope has proven to be less soluble in water, more stable in the presence of the chaotropic ion thiocyanate, and less susceptible to digestion in the presence of sperm lysin, trypsin, and pronase. In Bufo arenarum, as in other species, the vitelline envelope appears to be composed of glycoproteins. In contrast to previous results, however, disulfide bonds do not seem to be involved in their structural integrity. Thus, experiments carried out with isolated envelopes as well as with envelopes in situ have demonstrated a lack of effect of disulfide bond breaking agents on envelope stability. Evidence is presented suggesting that the solubility of envelopes in mercaptan solutions, as reported by other laboratories, is likely to be the expression of artifactual results.     

Lactoferrin efficacy versus ferrous sulfate in curing iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women

Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the most common iron disorders throughout the world. ID and IDA, particularly caused by increased iron requirements during pregnancy, represent a high risk for preterm delivery, fetal growth retardation, low birth weight, and inferior neonatal health. Oral administration of ferrous sulfate to cure ID and IDA in pregnancy often fails to increase hematological parameters, causes adverse effects and increases inflammation. Recently, we have demonstrated safety and efficacy of oral administration of 30% iron saturated bovine lactoferrin (bLf) in pregnant women suffering from ID and IDA. Oral administration of bLf significantly increases the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin, total serum iron and serum ferritin already after 30 days of the treatment. The increasing of hematological values by bLf is related to the decrease of serum IL-6 and the increase of serum hepcidin, detected as prohepcidin, whereas ferrous sulfate increases IL-6 and fails to increase hematological parameters and prohepcidin. bLf is a more effective and safer alternative than ferrous sulfate for treating ID and IDA in pregnant women.     

Specific and common epitopes in mating pheromones of Euplotes raikovi revealed by monoclonal antibodies.

Polypeptide mating pheromones Er-1 and Er-2, purified from the supernatant of Euplotes raikovi cultures of mating type I and mating type II, respectively, were used to immunize mice and obtain monoclonal antibodies. Five hybridoma clones producing antibodies specific to the mating pheromones were selected. They were analyzed for immunospecificity by immunoperoxidase assay, immunoblotting, and for their efficacy in inhibition of mating pheromone activity. Monoclonal antibodies from two hybridoma clones recognized only the mating pheromone used as antigen: those from the other three clones reacted, to comparable extents, with both mating pheromones. On the basis of these results it was assumed that two immunogenic sites exist in Er-1 and Er-2, one specific and the other common to both mating pheromones.     

Expression and localization of nodal in bovine oviduct and uterus during different functional stages of oestrus cycle and pregnancy

Members of TGF-β superfamily play a major role in the endometrial changes involved in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Their deregulated expression and action could lead to absolute or partial failure of embryo implantation. Nonetheless, the precise function and mechanism of many of these cytokines remain unclear. Nodal, a transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily member, was characterized in the human and rodent uterus and implicated in the tissue remodeling events during menstruation and embryo implantation. In order to study its possible role in the cattle reproductive process, we have analyzed Nodal expression pattern and localization in the oviduct and uterine horn during the oestrus cycle and early pregnancy (day 20). Nodal was detected both in oviduct and uterus during either the oestrus cycle or pregnancy; however, it shows a differential expression profile in the uterine horn at dioestrus and pregnancy, decreasing 1.5 and 1.4 folds in comparison with oestrus. Nodal immunostaining intensity was observed in stromal and in epithelial cells of the surface and the glandular epithelium. The staining pattern correlates with the RT-qPCR expression profile. This work is the first to evidence the presence of Nodal in the bovine reproductive tract; our data suggest that Nodal is a novel cytokine that would be involved in the remodelling occurring in the endometrium of cattle during the oestrus cycle and in the embryo implantation. The identification of new molecules that participate in endometrium cycling and/or pregnancy may be useful for predicting the ability of the uterine tissue to establish and maintain pregnancy or for detecting the infertility processes. These results highlight Nodal as a possible novel marker of the fertility process, nevertheless further studies should be done to determine its role in the reproductive system.     

Sequence similarity is more relevant than species specificity in probabilistic backtranslation

Background  

Backtranslation is the process of decoding a sequence of amino acids into the corresponding codons. All synthetic gene design systems include a backtranslation module. The degeneracy of the genetic code makes backtranslation potentially ambiguous since most amino acids are encoded by multiple codons. The common approach to overcome this difficulty is based on imitation of codon usage within the target species.     

Physico-chemical properties influence the functions and efficacy of commercial bovine lactoferrins

Human and bovine lactoferrin (hLf and bLf) are multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein constitutively synthesized and secreted by glandular epithelial cells and by neutrophils following induction. HLf and bLf possess very high similarity of sequence. Therefore, most of the in vitro and in vivo studies are carried out with commercial bLf (cbLf), available in large quantities and recognized by Food and Drug Administration (FDA, USA) as a safe substance. Physico-chemical heterogeneity of different cbLf preparations influences their effectiveness. CbLf iron-saturation affects thermal stability and resistance to proteolysis. Moreover, other metal ions such as Al(III), Cu(II), Mg(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) are chelated by cbLf, even if at lower affinity than Fe(III). Ca(II) is also sequestered by the carboxylate groups of sialic acid present on glycan chains of cbLf thus provoking the release of LPS, contributing to bactericidal activity. Similarly to more than 50% of eukaryotic proteins, cbLf possesses five N-glycosylation sites, also contributing to the resistance to proteolysis and, putatively, to the protection of intestinal mucosa from pathogens. CbLfs possess several functions as anti-microbial, anti-biofilm, anti-adhesive, anti-invasive and anti-inflammatory activities. They are also relevant modulators of iron and inflammatory homeostasis. However, the efficacy of cbLfs in exerting several functions can be erratic mainly depending from integrity, degree of iron and other metal ions saturation, N-glycosylation sites and chains, desialylated forms, Ca(II) sequestration, presence of contaminants and finally the ability to enter inside nucleus.     

Comparative Study on Phenolic Profile and Biological Activities of the Aerial Parts of Sinapis pubescens L. subsp. pubescens (Brassicaceae) Wild from Sicily (Italy)

This work aimed to investigate Sinapis pubescens subsp. pubescens spontaneously grown in Sicily (Italy) as new potential source of active metabolites; specifically, a comparative study on leaf, flower, and stem hydroalcoholic extracts was performed. Polyphenols were quantitatively determined by spectrophotometric methods and characterized by HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS; a total of 55 polyphenolic compounds were identified, highlighting considerably different qualitative-quantitative profiles. The extracts showed antioxidant activity, evaluated by in vitro assays; particularly, the leaf extract displayed the best radical scavenging activity (DPPH test) and reducing power, while the flower extract showed the greatest chelating activity. The antimicrobial properties of the extracts were investigated against bacteria and yeasts by standard methods; no antimicrobial activity was found against the strains tested. The extracts resulted to be non-toxic after preliminary toxicity evaluation by the Artemia salina lethality bioassay. The aerial parts of S. pubescens subsp. pubescens proved to be valuable sources of antioxidants for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.