Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with better endothelial function: a cross sectional study

Background

Natural heterologous valved conduits with a diameter greater than 22 mm that can be used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in adults are not commercially available. The purpose of this study was to measure by ultrasonography the maximum diameter of the distended jugular veins of horses and cattle, respectively, to identify a population of animals that would be suitable for post-mortem collection of jugular veins at sizes greater than 22 mm.

Methods

The study population included 60 Warmblood horses, 25 Freiberger horses, 20 Brown Swiss cows, and 20 Holstein cows (including 10 Holstein and 10 Red Holstein). The maximum cross-sectional diameter of the distended jugular veins was measured at a location half-way between the mandibular angle and the thoracic inlet. The thoracic circumference (heart girth length) was used as a surrogate of body size. The jugular vein diameters of the different populations were compared by analysis of variance and the association between heart girth length and jugular vein diameter was determined in each of the four study populations by linear regression analysis.

Results

There was considerable individual variation of jugular vein diameters within each of the four study populations. There was no statistically significant relationship between thoracic circumference and jugular vein diameter in any of the populations. The jugular vein diameters of Brown Swiss cows were significantly larger than those of any of the other populations. Warmblood horses had significantly larger jugular vein diameters compared to Freiberger horses.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that the production of bovine or equine xenografts with diameters of greater than 22 mm would be feasible. Differences between species and breeds need to be considered. However, prediction of the jugular vein diameter based on breed and heart girth length in an individual animal is inaccurate.     

The seasonal variability of Drosophila population according to the individual asymmetry

The natural Drosophila population is characterized by the presence of directional (DA) and fluctuating (FA) asymmetry of individuals. It was found that genotype has an effect on DA-level. FA evaluated in spring, summer and autumn periods had its maximum value in summer period. Genetically determined seasonal decrease in size of individuals was accompanied with increase in their FA. The structure of FA population variability is defined by genotypes of individuals. The phenotype and genotype structures of Drosophila population were investigated by FA of the individuals. There was regrouping of lineages number within of each frequency class in period from spring to autumn. Investigating central frequency class with least FA values in spring to summer period we observed the decrease in number of lineages for all traits with the exception of sternoupleral bristles (SB). At the same time the increase in number of lineages in the central and extreme frequency class with maximal FA values of sternoupleral bristles (SB). At the same time the increase in number of lineages in the central and extreme frequency class with maximal FA values of lines is observed. The number of lineages in the central frequency class of genotype structure is prevailing to all traits, without dependence on season. Individuals with rather high FA value acquire advantages in summer period whereas the individuals with low FA--in spring and autumn periods. Annual dynamics of FA is defined by this population parameters reorganization. The reasons of seasonal change of FA are discussed.     

Immunogenicity of recombinant analog of antitumor protein lactaptin

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins including cytokines are commonly used in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. In most cases, these protein-based drugs exhibit a high therapeutic efficacy, which is unfortunately frequently associated with a variety of side effects. We have investigated the in vitro and in vivo immunogenicity of recombinant antitumor protein lactaptin (RL2). Based on the qRT-PCR analysis, we have shown that, in MDA-MB-231 human breast adenocarcinoma cells, RL2 suppresses the NF-kB signaling cascade that regulates the reactions of innate immunity. RL2 inhibits the expression of the CXCL1 protein and apoptosis inhibitor A20 and enhances expression of IkB, NF-kB repressor. The ELISA method has been used to evaluate the antibody titer in the blood of mice, which received single and triple intravenous or intraperitoneal injections of RL2. The multiplex immunoassay of 23 cytokines in the mice blood has shown that the RL2 injections lead to a slight increase in the levels of systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-5 (IL-5) and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), a homologue of human macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1). These observations indicate the low immunogenicity of the recombinant lactaptin analog, which can be considered to be a potential molecular drug candidate for further clinical development.     

The comparative aspects of spatial ecology of lizards exemplified by the toad-headed lizards (Reptilia, Agamidae, Phrynocephalus)

The possibility of analysis of phylogenetic parameters of the spatial distribution of populations is discussed by an example of the agamid toad-headed lizards (Phrynocephalus). Summarizing both original and published data on the individual home ranges and the relocation of individuals of 30 populations from 12 species showed that differentiation of the type of spatial distribution is weak in toad-headed lizards. This observation confirms the idea that this clade of agamids is phylogenetically young and relatively recently radiated. At the interspecific level, positive correlation between home range size and body size was observed in the studied group. Such spatial parameters, shared by all toad-headed lizards, as relatively large size and weakly structured individual home ranges can be explained by the peculiarities of their reproduction features and their foraging mode. The individual type of space-usage in toad-headed does not fit the traditional scheme dividing all the lizards into the territorial Iguania and the nonterritorial Autarchoglossa.     

Hyphal growth and colony expansion

Several generations of soil microbiologists and plant pathologists have attempted to unravel the microbial composition, population dynamics and various life-sustaining processes in the soil. However, until recently, this basic resource for plant growth and nutrient recycling has to a large extent remained a black box. Studies have been made of the behavior of individual microorganisms or their population dynamics, but the relationship between the growth of individual organisms or parts of organisms (such as fungal hyphae) and that of populations and communities has been largely unknown. In particular, the spread of fungal colonies in soil has been an enigma, but now Bailey et al . (pp. 000–000 in this issue) have clearly demonstrated that spatial behavior of Rhizoctonia colonies can switch from finite to invasive expansion dependent on the non-linear relationship between the distance among substrate particles and the probability of colonization.     

Specific features of source-sink relations in alloplasmic hybrid of winter wheat with alien cytoplasm of goatgrass with emphasis on resistance to low temperature stress

We studied the influence of alien cytoplasm of spring goatgrass Aegilops ovata L. on some physiological parameters in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Mironovskaya 808, under normal conditions and in the case of modified source-sink relations. Measurements of relative rates of plant dry matter growth and its distribution among organs, CO₂ exchange (photosynthesis upon light saturation and dark respiration), content of sugars (sucrose + glucose + fructose) and their ratio in leaves, frost hardiness, and indices of membrane stability and damage of leaves by frost have shown that, on average, alloplasmic hybrid differed from the initial cultivar by almost all parameters. Reduced frost hardiness, increased index of leaf damage by frost, lowered leaf content of sugars, and reduced sucrose/(glucose + fructose) ratio in the alloplasmic hybrid were combined with higher roots/leaves ratio, relative rate of dry matter growth, and photosynthesis and respiration rates. The alloplasmic hybrid was more tolerant to decreased source strength in source-sink relations as compared to the initial cultivar.     

Altered ivermectin pharmacology and defective visual system in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> mutants for histamine receptor HCLB

The Drosophila gene hclB encodes a histamine-gated chloride channel, which can be activated by the neurotoxin ivermectin when expressed in vitro. We have identified two novel hclB mutants, carrying either a missense mutation (P293S, allele hclB ^T1 ) or a putative null mutation (W111*, allele hclB ^T2 ), as well as a novel splice form of the gene. In survival studies, hclB ^T1 mutants were more sensitive to ivermectin than wild-type, whereas hclB ^T2 were more resistant. Electroretinogram recordings from the two mutants exhibited enlarged peak amplitudes of the transient components, indicating altered synaptic transmission between retinal photoneurons and their target cells. Ivermectin treatment severely affected or completely suppressed these transient components in an allele-specific manner. This suppression of synaptic signals by ivermectin was dose-dependent. These results identify HCLB as an important in vivo target for ivermectin in Drosophila melanogaster, and demonstrate the involvement of this protein in the visual pathway. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Homology in Trivaline Complex Formation with dsDNA and ssRNA

Abstract

It has been shown by the equilibrium dialysis that at a polyU concentration above the “critical” one, the complete polymer saturation with trivaline reaches approximately 0.7 trivaline molecules per one phosphate group. i.e. at these conditions peptide dimer occupies on polyU a site of three bases (phosphates) in length. The trivaline complex with polyU at a concentration lower than the “critical” one does not reveal any noticeable fluorescence, but has rather significant positive linear dichroism at 265 and 330 nm. The trivaline-nucleic acids complex has a significant fluorescence at any dsDNA concentration while with polyU it is only so at a concentration above the “critical” one. Electron microscopy has shown that at a rather high concentration of dsDNA molecules in solution a “biduplex” structure undergoes an additional stage of compaction, during which the extended particles more than 30 nm in diameter are formed.

Schematic models for the trivaline complexes and compact structures with dsDNA and ssRNA are propose     

Increase in Sensitivity of HEK293FT Cells to Influenza Infection by CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Knockout of IRF7 Transcription Factor

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - Interferon-regulated factors play a central role in the activation of the innate immune response. The interferon-regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) is one of the...