Hip joint replacement surgery for idiopathic osteoarthritis aggregates in families

In order to determine whether there is a genetic component to hip or knee joint failure due to idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA), we invited patients (probands) undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty for management of idiopathic OA to provide detailed family histories regarding the prevalence of idiopathic OA requiring joint replacement in their siblings. We also invited their spouses to provide detailed family histories about their siblings to serve as a control group. In the probands, we confirmed the diagnosis of idiopathic OA using American College of Rheumatology criteria. The cohorts included the siblings of 635 probands undergoing total hip replacement, the siblings of 486 probands undergoing total knee replacement, and the siblings of 787 spouses. We compared the prevalence of arthroplasty for idiopathic OA among the siblings of the probands with that among the siblings of the spouses, and we used logistic regression to identify independent risk factors for hip and knee arthroplasty in the siblings. Familial aggregation for hip arthroplasty, but not for knee arthroplasty, was observed after controlling for age and sex, suggesting a genetic contribution to end-stage hip OA but not to end-stage knee OA. We conclude that attempts to identify genes that predispose to idiopathic OA resulting in joint failure are more likely to be successful in patients with hip OA than in those with knee OA.     

The heterochromatin of grasshoppers from the Caledia captiva species complex. I. Sequence evolution and conservation in a highly repeated DNA family

The restriction enzyme TaqI digests 0.2% of the genomic DNA from the grasshopper Caledia captiva to a family of sequences 168 bp in length (length of consensus sequence). The sequence variation of this "Taq family" of repeat units was examined among four races from C. captiva to assay the pattern of evolution within this highly repeated DNA. The Taq-family repeats are located in C-banded heterochromatin on at least one member of each homologous pair of chromosomes; the locations range from centromeric to telomeric. Thirty-nine cloned repeats isolated from two population 1A individuals along with 11 clones from seven populations taken from three of the races demonstrated sequence variation at 72 positions. Pairwise comparisons of the cloned repeats, both within an individual and between different races, indicate that levels of intraspecific divergence, as measured by reproductive incompatibility, do not correlate with sequence divergence among the 168-bp repeats. A number of subsequences within the repeat remain unchanged among all 50 clones; the longest of these is 18 bp. That the same 18-bp subsequence is present in all clones examined is a finding that departs significantly (P less than 0.01) from what would be expected to occur at random. Two other cloned repeats, from a reproductively isolated race of C. captiva, have sequences that show 56% identity with this 18-bp conserved region. An analysis showed that the frequency of occurrence of an RsaI recognition site within the 168- bp repeat in the entire Taq family agreed with that found in the cloned sequences. These data, along with a partial sequence for the entire Taq family obtained by sequencing uncloned repeats, suggest that the consensus sequence from the cloned copies is representative of this highly repeated family and is not a biased sample resulting from the cloning procedure. The 18-bp conserved sequence is part of a 42-bp sequence that possesses dyad symmetry typical of protein-binding sites. We speculate that this may be significant in the evolution of the Taq family of sequences.      

Epitheliocystis in wild marine fishes and its relation with anthropogenic pollution

Epitheliocystis is a fish disease with recorded in increasing numbers globally. Here we show that (a) pollution-exposed wild marine fishes have higher infection prevalence than nonexposed individuals from reference sites, suggesting that anthropogenic pollution predisposes individuals to this disease in natural systems, (b) the effect of pollution on infection status did not vary significantly between two sympatric fish species, and (c) infected and noninfected individuals from both species did not differ significantly in selected immune and general-health parameters, a result that deserves further study with increased sample sizes.     

Tradicional use of medicinal plants with diuretic properties at Quemado de Güines Municipality, Cuba

Medicinal plants are highly rich in Cuba and an amount of 179 species have been reported to be used by the population for diuretic purposes, nevertheless, no experimental validation has supported this effect. This study presents the relative importance of the medicinal plant species most widely used for diuretic purposes in two communities of Quemado de Guines Municipality, Villa Clara province. The information was obtained through the application of an interview to 85 inhabitants, from which 80 were random surveys to people with a great knowledge of plants, and five to herbalists and doctors practicing natural medicine. The etnopharmacological information was registered (gathered) by means of the "Tradicional of the Medicine of the Island" (TRAMIL) methodology and the interesting species were identified by a botanist and deposited in the Herbarium of the Central University "Marta Abreu" from Villa Clara, registered in the Index Herbarium, published periodically by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy. The data was analyzed by means of the indexes of use values and significant use level after TRAMIL. From the total of 19 botanical families, 26 medicinal species were identified, and 10 plants resulted with higher significant use and higher indexes of use values. From the plants reported as diuretics, 53.8% have not been experimentally validated in Cuba, the rest of the identified species have been validated at a preclinical level in some centers in the country, but its use have not been authorized as phytochemicals by the Cuban Regulatory Agency. The documentation related to the use of medicinal plants in the studied areas reveals that the traditional knowledge continues deeply rooted in the communities, and popular wisdom is kept through the representative images of the herbalist and people with considerable knowledge about this topic.     

Cultured endothelial cells produce heparinlike inhibitor of smooth muscle cell growth

Using cultured cells from bovine and rat aortas, we have examined the possibility that endothelial cells might regulate the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells. Conditioned medium from confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells inhibited the proliferation of growth-arrested smooth muscle cells. Conditioned medium from exponential endothelial cells, and from exponential or confluent smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, did not inhibit smooth muscle cell growth. Conditioned medium from confluent endothelial cells did not inhibit the growth of endothelial cells or fibroblasts. In addition to the apparent specificity of both the producer and target cell, the inhibitory activity was heat stable and not affected by proteases. It was sensitive flavobacterium heparinase but not to hyaluronidase or chondroitin sulfate ABC lyase. It thus appears to be a heparinlike substance. Two other lines of evidence support this conclusion. First, a crude isolate of glycosaminoglycans (TCA-soluble, ethanol-precipitable material) from endothelial cell-conditioned medium reconstituted in 20 percent serum inhibited smooth muscle cell growth; glycosaminoglycans isolated from unconditioned medium (i.e., 0.4 percent serum) had no effect on smooth muscle cell growth. No inhibition was seen if the glycosaminoglycan preparation was treated with heparinase. Second, exogenous heparin, heparin sulfate, chondroitin sulfate B (dermatan sulfate), chondroitin sulfate ABC, and hyaluronic acid were added to 20 percent serum and tested for their ability to inhibit smooth muscle cell growth. Heparin inhibited growth at concentrations as low as 10 ng/ml. Other glycosaminoglycans had no effect at doses up to 10 μg/ml. Anticoagulant and non- anticoagulant heparin were equally effective at inhibiting smooth muscle cell growth, as they were in vivo following endothelial injury (Clowes and Karnovsk. Nature (Lond.). 265:625-626, 1977; Guyton et al. Circ. Res. 46:625-634, 1980), and in vitro following exposure of smooth muscle cells to platelet extract (Hoover et al. Circ. Res. 47:578-583, 1980). We suggest that vascular endothelial cells may secrete a heparinlike substance in vivo which may regulate the growth of underlying smooth muscle cells.     

Habitat complexity and community composition: relationships between different ecosystem engineers and the associated macroinvertebrate assemblages

Several species of ecosystem engineers inhabiting coastal environments have been reported structuring different kinds of communities. The magnitude of this influence often depends on the habitat complexity introduced by the engineers. It is commonly accepted that an increase in habitat complexity will result in an increase in diversity and/or abundance in the associated fauna. The rocky salt marshes along the coast of Patagonia are dominated by cordgrasses, mussels, and barnacles forming a mosaic of engineered habitats with different complexity. This system allows us to address the following questions: how different is a macroinvertebrate assemblage when dominated by different ecosystem engineers? And, is there a positive relationship between increasing habitat complexity and the species richness, diversity and total density of the assemblages? To address these questions, we compared the three ecological scenarios with decreasing habitat complexity: cordgrass–mussel, mussel, and barnacle-engineered habitats. We found a total of 22 taxa mostly crustaceans and polychaetes common to all scenarios. The three engineered habitats showed different macroinvertebrate assemblages, mainly due to differences in individual abundances of some taxa. The cryptogenic amphipod Orchestia gammarella was found strictly associated with the cordgrass–mussel habitat. Species richness and diversity were positively related with habitat complexity while total density showed the opposite trend. Our study suggests that species vary their relative distribution and abundances in response to different habitat complexity. Nevertheless, the direction (i.e., neutral, positive or negative) and intensity of the community’s response seem to depend on the physiological requirements of the different species and their efficiency to readjust their local spatial distribution in the short term.     

The Versatility of Delftia sp. Isolates as Tools for Bioremediation and Biofertilization Technologies

Two Pb(II)-resistant bacteria isolated from a soil containing 2,500 mg/kg of Pb were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis as Delftia sp. and designated as 3C and 6C. Both isolates grew at a Pb(II) concentration of 62 mg/L and at the stationary phase showed a Pb(II)-sorption capability of 10 ± 1.5 (3C) and 5 ± 0.8 (6C) mg/g of biomass. Biochemical properties related to heavy metal resistance and plant growth promotion were analyzed and compared with the Cr(VI)-resistant plant growth-promoting Delftia sp. JD2, previously reported by our group. Both isolates and JD2 were resistant to Cr(VI), Pb(II) and many antibiotics, produced siderophores and the phytohormone indole-3-acetic, and showed clover growth-promoting activity in greenhouse conditions. Interestingly, the occurrence of integron class 1 was shown in all isolates. Our results add to previous reports and suggest that bacteria of the genus Delftia could be consider as good candidates for the design of technologies for cleaning up contaminated environments and/or the production of biofertilizers.     

Improvement of the growth and yield of lettuce plants by non-uniform magnetic fields

Influence of pre-sowing magnetic treatments on plant growth and final yield of lettuce (cv. Black Seeded Simpson) were studied under organoponic conditions. Lettuce seeds were exposed to full-wave rectified sinusoidal non uniform magnetic fields (MFs) induced by an electromagnet at 120 mT (rms) for 3 min, 160 mT (rms) for 1 min, and 160 mT (rms) for 5 min. Non treated seeds were considered as controls. Plants were grown in experimental stonemasons (25.2 m(2)) of an organoponic and cultivated according to standard agricultural practices. During nursery and vegetative growth stages, samples were collected at regular intervals for growth analyses. At physiological maturity, the plants were harvested from each stonemason and the final yield and yield parameters were determined. In the nursery stage, the magnetic treatments induced a significant increase of root length and shoot height in plants derived from magnetically treated seeds. In the vegetative stage, the relative growth rates of plants derived from magnetically exposed seeds were greater than those shown by the control plants. At maturity stage, all magnetic treatments increased significantly (p < 0.05)--plant height, leaf area per plant, final yield per area, and fresh mass per plant--in comparison with the controls. Pre-sowing magnetic treatments would enhance the growth and final yield of lettuce crop.     

Intercalation of proflavine and a platinum derivative of proflavine into double-helical Poly(A)

The equilibria and kinetics of the interactions of proflavine (PR) and its platinum-containing derivative [PtCl(tmen)(2)HNC(13)H(7)(NHCH(2)CH(2))(2)](+) (PRPt) with double-stranded poly(A) have been investigated by spectrophotometry and Joule temperature-jump relaxation at ionic strength 0.1 M, 25 degrees C, and pH 5.2. Spectrophotometric measurements indicate that base-dye interactions are prevailing. T-jump experiments with polarized light showed that effects due to field-induced alignment could be neglected. Both of the investigated systems display two relaxation effects. The kinetic features of the reaction are discussed in terms of a two-step series mechanism in which a precursor complex DS(I) is formed in the fast step, which is then converted to a final complex in the slow step. The rate constants of the fast step are k(1) = (2.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(-1) = (2.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) s(-1) for poly(A)-PR and k(1) = (2.3 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(-1) = (1.6 +/- 0.2) x 10(3) s(-1) for poly(A)-PRPt. The rate constants for the slow step are k(2) = (4.5 +/- 0.5) x 10(2) s(-1), k(-2) = (1.7 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) s(-1) for poly(A)-PR and k(2) = 9.7 +/- 1.2 s(-1), k(-2) = 10.6 +/- 0.2 s(-1) for poly(A)-PRPt. Spectrophotometric measurements yield for the equilibrium constants and site size the values K = (4.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) M(-1), n = 1.3 +/- 0.5 for poly(A)-PR and K = (2.9 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) M(-1), n = 2.3 +/- 0.6 for poly(A)-PRPt. The values of k(1) are similar and lower than expected for diffusion-limited reactions. The values of k(-1) are similar as well. It is suggested that the formation of DS(I) involves only the proflavine residues in both systems. In contrast, the values of k(2) and k(-2) in poly(A)-PRPt are much lower than in poly(A)-PR. The results suggest that in the complex DS(II) of poly(A)-PRPt both proflavine and platinum residues are intercalated. In addition, a very slow process was detected and ascribed to the covalent binding of Pt(II) to the adenine.     

The role of the physical structure of Spartina densiflora Brong. in structuring macroinvertebrate assemblages

In Patagonian rocky salt marshes, the presence of the austral cordgrass Spartina densiflora provide habitat for diverse faunal assemblages. Two different mechanisms may influence the distribution and abundance patterns of these associated organisms: those generated by the biological properties of cordgrasses and those caused or mediated by the physical structure supplied by the plants. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine the effect of cordgrasses on macroinvertebrate assemblages dominating a rocky marsh and (2) to determine how much of this effect is caused by the physical structure supply by the plants. In order to achieve these objectives, we conducted two field manipulative experiments. In the first one, we manipulated the presence of defaunated transplants of cordgrass, and in the second one, we did the same with plastic cordgrass mimics simulating the architecture of Spartina densiflora. In both experiments, sessile and mobile assemblages were separately examined to evaluate whether they respond in the same way or not. Abundance and richness of mobile and sessile organisms were higher in transplant and mimic cordgrass plots compared to the controls, indicating that the presence of cordgrasses, either transplanted or artificial, has a positive effect on sessile and mobile assemblages. Furthermore, we found that the composition of mobile and sessile macroinvertebrates assemblages did not differ between transplants and mimics. Therefore, the physical structure of cordgrass was found to be the major factor influencing macroinvertebrates assemblages in the studied Patagonia rocky salt marshes. Within the period of 1 year, mobile and sessile fauna colonized several times more abundantly transplant and artificial cordgrass than the control unvegetated plots, highlighting the key role of cordgrasses in optimizing the colonization rate of macroinvertebrate communities in this rocky bottom environment. Since Spartina densiflora is invading different regions worldwide, our study may help to predict its potential effect on the invaded communities.