Selenium in combination with a tomato lipid extract as a therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia and its alterations in rats with induced BPH

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common adenoma in old men. Tomatoes are a rich source of bioactive compounds that, as well as selenium (Se), possess antioxidant and antiproliferative activity. The aim was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Se in combination with a tomato extract in aged rats with BPH. Aged male Wistar rats were divided in the following groups (n = 10 rats/group): Control (C), BPH, BPH + Finasteride (BPH + F), BPH + Tomato Lipidic Extract (BPH + E), BPH + Selenium (BPH + S) and BPH plus E plus S (BPH + E + S). After 4 weeks of treatment, prostate weight, diuresis, antioxidants enzymes, prooxidants and inflammatory markers, growth factors and androgens were determined. BPH + E + S reduced prostate weight by 59.29% and inhibited growth by 99.35% compared to BPH + F which only decreased weight and inhibited growth by 15.31% and 57.54%, respectively. Prooxidant markers were higher with BPH + F (49.4% higher vs. BPH), but BPH + E + S decreased these markers (94.27% vs. BPH) and increased antioxidant activity. Finally, diuresis was higher with the BPH + E + S combination and markers of inflammation and growth factors were significantly lower with respect to BPH + F. Our findings provide a beneficial and protective therapeutic option of E + S directed against androgens, oxidative stress and inflammation that regulates cell proliferation in the prostate gland.     

Effects of thermoradiation on bacteria.

A 60Co source was used to determine the effects of thermoradiation on Achromobacter aquamarinus, Staphylococcus aureus, and vegetative and spore cells of Bacillus subtilis var. globigii. The rate of inactivation of these cultures, except vegetative-cell populations of B. subtilis, was exponential and in direct proportion to temperature. The D10 (dose that inactivates 90% of the microbial population) value for A. aquamarinus was 8.0 Krad at 25 degrees C and 4.9 Krad at 35 degrees C. For S. aureus, D10 was 9.8 and 5.3 Krad at 35 and 45 degrees C, respectively. Vegetative cells of B. subtilis demonstrated a rapid initial inactivation followed by a steady but decreased exponential rate. The D10 at 25 degrees C was 10.3 Krad, but at 35 and 45 degrees C this value was 6.2 and 3.8 Krad, respectively. Between 0 and 95 Krad, survival curves for B. subtilis spores at 75 degrees C showed slight inactivation, increasing in rat at and above 85 degrees C. The D10 values for spores at 85 and 90 degrees C were 129 and 92 Krad, respectively. Significant synergism between heat and irradiation was noted at 35 degrees C for A. aquamarinus and 45 degrees C for S. aureus. The presence of 0.1 mM cysteine in suspending media afforded protection to both cultures at these critical temperatures. On the other hand, cysteine sensitized B. subtilis spores at radiation doses greater than 100 Krad. The combined effect of heat and irradiation was more destructive to bacteria than either method alone.     

Evidence of a landlocked reproducing population of the marine pejerrey Odontesthes argentinensis (Actinopterygii; Atherinopsidae)

In South America, the order Atheriniformes includes the monophyletic genus Odontesthes with 20 species that inhabit freshwater, estuarine and coastal environments. Pejerrey Odontesthes argentinensis is widely distributed in coastal and estuarine areas of the Atlantic Ocean and is known to foray into estuaries of river systems, particularly in conditions of elevated salinity. However, to our knowledge, a landlocked self-sustaining population has never been recorded. In this study, we examined the pejerrey population of Salada de Pedro Luro Lake (south-east of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) to clarify its taxonomic identity. An integrative taxonomic analysis based on traditional meristic, landmark-based morphometrics and genetic techniques suggests that the Salada de Pedro Luro pejerrey population represents a novel case of physiological and morphological adaptation of a marine pejerrey species to a landlocked environment and emphasises the environmental plasticity of this group of fishes.     

Characterization of the effects of a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) on mitochondrial bioenergetics of chronologically aged yeast

Increased membrane unsaturation has been associated with shorter longevity due to higher sensitivity to lipid peroxidation (LP) leading to enhanced mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS overproduction. However, the role of LP during aging has been put in doubt along with the participation of electron leak at the electron transport chain (ETC) in ROS generation in aged organisms. Thus, to test these hypothesis and gain further information about how minimizing LP preserves ETC function during aging, we studied the effects of α-linolenic acid (C18:3) on in situ mitochondrial ETC function, ROS production and viability of chronologically aged cells of S. cerevisiae, whose membranes are intrinsically resistant to LP due to the lack of PUFA. Increased sensitivity to LP was observed in cells cultured with C18:3 at 6 days of aging. This was associated with higher viability loss, dissipated membrane potential, impaired respiration and increased ROS generation, being these effects more evident at 28 days. However, at this point, lower sensitivity to LP was observed without changes in the membrane content of C18:3, suggesting the activation of a mechanism counteracting LP. The cells without C18:3 display better viability and mitochondrial functionality with lower ROS generation even at 28 days of aging and this was attributed to full preservation of complex III activity. These results indicate that the presence of PUFA in membranes enhances ETC dysfunction and electron leak and suggest that complex III is crucial to preserve membrane potential and to maintain a low rate of ROS production during aging.     

Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in the Mobile Genome of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic modules composed of a pair of genes encoding a stable toxin and an unstable antitoxin that inhibits toxin activity. They are widespread among plasmids and chromosomes of bacteria and archaea. TA systems are known to be involved in the stabilization of plasmids but there is no consensus about the function of chromosomal TA systems. To shed light on the role of chromosomally encoded TA systems we analyzed the distribution and functionality of type II TA systems in the chromosome of two strains from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (ATCC 23270 and 53993), a Gram-negative, acidophilic, environmental bacterium that participates in the bioleaching of minerals. As in other environmental microorganisms, A. ferrooxidans has a high content of TA systems (28-29) and in twenty of them the toxin is a putative ribonuclease. According to the genetic context, some of these systems are encoded near or within mobile genetic elements. Although most TA systems are shared by both strains, four of them, which are encoded in the active mobile element ICEAfe1, are exclusive to the type strain ATCC 23270. We demostrated that two TA systems from ICEAfe1 are functional in E. coli cells, since the toxins inhibit growth and the antitoxins counteract the effect of their cognate toxins. All the toxins from ICEAfe1, including a novel toxin, are RNases with different ion requirements. The data indicate that some of the chromosomally encoded TA systems are actually part of the A. ferrooxidans mobile genome and we propose that could be involved in the maintenance of these integrated mobile genetic elements.     

Acetylcholinesterase mediated susceptibility of soldiers and workers of formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) to chlorpyrifos

Target site studies were undertaken to examine the difference in susceptibility of Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, workers and soldiers to chlorpyrifos. Workers exhibited significantly greater acetylcholinesterase activity per insect than soldiers (118.63 +/- 48.51 versus 47.98 +/- 22.59 mOD/min/insect equivalent). Likewise, enzyme activity (mean +/- SD) per milligram of protein was greater in workers than soldiers (440.30 +/- 267.43 versus 311.53 +/- 149.83 mOD/min/mg protein). The enzyme of soldiers was more sensitive to the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors eserine and chlorpyrifos-oxon than that of workers. The I50s of chlorpyrifos-oxon were 2.66 and 4.59 nM for soldiers and workers, respectively, whereas the I50s of eserine were 16.56 and 25.41 nM for soldiers and workers, respectively. The amount of protein was significantly higher in workers than in soldiers with mean values of 0.270 +/- 0.102 and 0.154 +/- 0.054 mg/insect equivalent, respectively. We suggest that the differential response of workers and soldiers to chlorpyrifos may be due to the difference in AChE sensitivity to inhibition and the amount of protein between them.     

Studies on aroyl- and aryl-hydrazide derivatives from d-glycero-d-gulo-heptono-1,4-lactone

A series of aroyl- and aryl-hydrazide derivatives was prepared from d-glycero-d-gulo-heptono-1,4-lactone (1). The reactivity of the NH proton in these hydrazides, in terms of their dissociation constants (pK_a), was determined from their electronic spectra, and correlated to the Hammett σ values of the substituents. Comparable reactivities of the NH protons for the compounds, and the effect of the substituent, were studied by n.m.r. spectroscopy. Decomposition of the aroylhydrazides with copper(II) sulfate or nitrous acid resulted in the regeneration of 1.     

乌鲁木齐雅玛里克山土壤动物群落结构及其多样性研究

为了查明不同海拔高度对土壤动物群落多样性及其时空动态的影响,对乌鲁木齐雅玛里克山6种不同海拔高度样带土壤动物群落进行了调查分析,以探讨雅玛里克山土壤动物群落结构与不同海拔高度之间的关系.结果表明,共获得大、中小型土壤动物7 375只,隶属于6门16纲35目,其中真螨目(52.28%)和弹尾目(15.61%)为优势类群,共占总捕获量的67.89%,而寄螨目(8.37%)、三肠目(7.78%)、膜翅目(2.74%)、茅线目(1.53%)、双翅目幼虫(1.48%)、垫刃目(1.27%)、鞘翅目(1.11%)及半翅目(1.07%)等8类为常见类群,占总捕获量的25.35%,其余的25类为稀有类群,占总捕获量的6.76%.在6种不同海拔样带土壤动物个体数和类群数之间存在显著差异(P<0.05),个体数顺序为:样带A>样带B>样带C>样带E>样带D>样带F,而类群数顺序为:样带A>样带B>样带C>样带D>样带E>样带F.3个不同季节有明显的差异(P<0.01),其个体数依次为秋>春>夏.在6种不同高度样带和不同生境土壤动物群落多样性指标之间存在差异(P<0.05).组间聚类和排序结果表明,将6种不同海拔高度生境分为山底生境型、山中生境型及山顶生境型等三大类型.