Unweaving hippolytoid systematics (Crustacea,Decapoda, Hippolytidae): resurrection of several families

The Hippolytidae is the fourth largest family within the Caridea, currently containing over 330 described species in 37 genera, and the classification of this family has been rather controversial. In this study, sequences of two nuclear protein‐coding genes, enolase and sodium‐potassium ATPase α‐subunit, and the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (totalling 1405 bp) from 29 hippolytid species in 20 genera plus 17 species from eight other caridean families were used to examine the phylogenetic status of Hippolytidae sensu lato. Our results clearly reject the monophyly of Hippolytidae and support the recognition of the Lysmatidae Dana, 1852, Thoridae Kingsley, 1879, Bythocarididae Christoffersen 1987 and Merguiidae Christoffersen 1990 .     

Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of hepatocellular carcinoma spheroids treated by an alternating electric field

Most of the current cancer therapies may induce serious side effects and affect patient quality of life. Recently, a novel treatment using an alternating low-intensity and intermediate-frequency electric field was proposed and found to be a noninvasive and minimally toxic approach. However, additional fundamental studies and scientific evidence are required to further support the development of this treatment into a standard cancer therapy. In the current work, an in-house fabricated culture plate was developed to study the responses of hepatocellular carcinoma spheroids to treatment with an alternating electric field. From the results of the viability study, the electric field was confirmed to influence the dividing cells in the spheroids. Fluorescent staining of live and dead cells revealed that a fraction of the cells were damaged in the field-treated spheroids. Moreover, flow cytometry analyses were conducted and showed that a fraction of the cells in the spheroids underwent apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Additionally, the apoptosis pathway (Bax/caspase) and cell cycle arrest pathway (p53/p21) were found to be activated after exposure to the electric field. In summary, the results further elucidated the cellular and molecular mechanism inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the field-treated hepatocellular carcinoma spheroids. This study provides more evidence to support the efficacy of electric-field-based cancer therapy.     

Neuropeptide α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Promotes Neurological Recovery and Repairs Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Type 1 Diabetes

Neurochemical Research - Persons with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of stroke compared with the general population. α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a neuropeptide...     

Membrane IgM, IgD, and IgG act as signal transmission molecules in a series of B lymphomas

Increases in intracellular free calcium concentration ((Ca2+)i) were observed in response to anti-immunoglobulin (Ig) antibodies in each of six B cell tumors or B cell hybridomas bearing mu or delta chains on their cell surface. The BAL17 cell line, bearing mu and delta chains on its surface, behaved similarly to mature B cells in the following respects. Anti-IgM and anti-IgD antibodies caused increases in (Ca2+)i and inositol phospholipid metabolism; the initial increases in (Ca2+)i were derived partly from an intracellular Ca2+ pool; lipopolysaccharide, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), B cell stimulatory factor-1, and antibodies to class I and class II major histocompatibility molecules and to the Fc gamma receptor failed to cause increases in (Ca2+)i or in inositol phospholipid metabolism; and increases in (Ca2+)i and inositol phospholipid metabolism in response to anti-Ig were inhibited by pretreatment with PMA. Furthermore A20, an IgG2a bearing lymphoma, showed increases in (Ca2+)i in response to anti-IgG2a, and a lymphoma cell line (6G8-2E10) expressing membrane IgG2b as a result of DNA-mediated transfer of the gamma 2b H chain gene, showed increases in (Ca2+)i in response to anti-IgG2b. These results indicate that Ig-bearing lymphomas display early events in B cell activation after receptor cross-linkage and can be used for detailed studies of the activation process.     

A possible role for cyclic AMP in the initiation of DNA synthesis by isoproterenol-activated parotid gland cells

An intraperitoneal injection of the β-adrenergic agonist dl-isoproterenol hydrochloride (100 mg/Kg body weight) into a rat caused an early, very large (400-fold) cyclic AMP surge (peaking at 10 minutes) in the parotid gland which was followed by a second, much smaller (two-fold) surge 12 to 16 hours later. DNA synthesis began about 16 to 20 hours after the isoproterenol injection and peaked between 24 and 28 hours. The maximum level of DNA-synthetic activity at 24 hours was correlated positively to the magnitude of the small cyclic AMP surge at 12 hours, but not to the size of the much larger cyclic AMP surge at 10 minutes. An intraperitoneal injection of dl-propranolol hydrochloride (59 mg/Kg body weight) at 8 hours after isoproterenol injection abolished the second cyclic AMP surge at 12 hours and markedly (65-75%) reduced the incorporation of [³H]-thymidine into DNA. Injection of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (6.3 mg/Kg body weight) and theophylline (25 mg/Kg body weight) at 8 hours prevented propranolol from inhibiting DNA synthesis. Propranolol appeared specifically to affect the cyclic AMP-dependent pre-DNA-synthetic step because it did not reduce [³H]-thymidine incorporation when injected after the second cyclic AMP surge had passed and DNA synthesis had just begun. Thus, the initial, large cyclic AMP surge following β-adrenergic stimulation may not be necessary for the initiation of prereplicative development, while the much smaller second surge may be needed for the initiation of DNA synthesis.