Distribution and seasonal activity of tick species on cattle in the West Aegean region of Turkey

The aim of the present study was to determine the identity, seasonal activity and distribution of tick species of cattle in the West Aegean region of Turkey between June 2006 and May 2008. Nine villages within three provinces, viz. Manisa, Izmir and Aydin, were included in the study and a total of 75 animal barns were visited monthly for a period of 24 months and 443 cattle were examined for the presence of ticks. It was determined that 23% of cattle were infested with ticks. A total of 19,679 adult ticks were collected. The most abundant tick species was Hyalomma marginatum (33.5%) and H. excavatum (16.9%) in the study area. Seasonal appearance of the adult ticks varied among species. Adult ticks of the Hyalomma genus were present throughout the year, although in smaller numbers during the winter. Species of Rhipicephalus were detected in all seasons except autumn. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus was identified in July and August, Haemaphysalis parva was detected during the autumn. Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor marginatus were identified during spring, autumn and winter. The study demonstrated the presence of I. ricinus, D. marginatus, Hyalomma rufipes and Hae. parva for the first time in the West Aegean region of Turkey.     

Haemoglobinopathy survey in an Eti-Turk village.

Blood specimens were obtained from 281 inhabitants of an Eti-Turk village with a population of about 500. Starch gel (pH 8.6) and agar gel (pH 6.45) electrophoresis were performed in 279 of the specimens. Hb S was present in 105 partially interrelated persons (37.36%), three of whom had sickle-cell anaemia. Hb E was detected in 5 persons (1.79%), one of whom was a double heterozygote for Hb S and Hb E. One Hb S+alpha-thalassaemia and 7 Hb S with elevated Hb A'2 combinations were found. The beta-thalassaemia gene prevalence was 0.0377. Hb A2 was found in 4 persons (1.42%), and Hb F was slightly increased in 37 (22.3%) persons with a normal haemoglobin picture. Erythrocyte G-6-PD deficiency was 10% among males.     

Analysis of Thisbe and Pyramus functional domains reveals evidence for cleavage of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> FGFs

Background  

As important regulators of developmental and adult processes in metazoans, Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) proteins are potent signaling molecules whose activities must be tightly regulated. FGFs are known to play diverse roles in many processes, including mesoderm induction, branching morphogenesis, organ formation, wound healing and malignant transformation; yet much more remains to be learned about the mechanisms of regulation used to control FGF activity.     

Survey of Scalp Dermatophyte Carriage in a Day Care Center in Turkey

The prevalence of tinea capitis and the symptom-free colonisation of the scalp with dermatophytes were examined in 502 mentally retarded participants who attended day care centers in the Tarsus district, Mersin, Turkey. Between December 2006 and May 2007, a screening study was conducted in three centers on a total of 316 (62.9%) male and 186 (37.1%) female participants aged 12 ± 6.2 years. The examinations were carried out in parallel with the hairbrush, toothbrush, and cotton swab methods by inoculation onto Sabouraud glucose agar. No participant was diagnosed with tinea capitis; however, we detected three carriers, all of whom were boys aged 2–16 years. The total prevalence of carrier state was 0.6%. Of three boys, T. tonsurans was seen in two cases (66.7%), and in one case a zoophilic variant of T. mentagrophytes (33.3%) was isolated. The diagnosis was made via the hairbrush method in all three carriers. We also did a screening study on ten households of the three asymptomatic carriers. T. mentagrophytes also was isolated in a 5-year-old sister of the boy with T. mentagrophytes colonisation. All the carriers were followed-up without any antimycotic treatment. In two of the participants, the carrier state persisted at the 13th and 17th week follow-ups, and mycological clearance was documented at the 20th and 24th week for these individuals. The third case and the household’s culture were found negative at the 7- and 12-week follow-ups. Despite poor hygienic conditions and the participants’ difficulties in performing basic hygiene practices, asymptomatic carriage was found to be surprisingly less prevalent among the mentally retarded individuals.     

Germacrone improves liver fibrosis by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway

Liver fibrosis is a primary threat to public health, owing to limited therapeutic options. Germacrone (GM) has been shown to exert various curative effects against human diseases, including liver injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacological effects of GM in the pathophysiology of hepatic fibrosis and determine its potential mechanisms of action. A liver fibrosis rat model was established via carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) treatment, and LX-2 cells were stimulated with TGF-β1. The effects of GM on liver fibrosis and its relationship with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway were investigated. In the CCl₄ fibrosis-induced rat model, GM improved histological damage, inhibited the activity of hepatic α-smooth muscle actin and improved serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in a dose-dependent manner. GM potently inhibited hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) growth and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression, as reflected by the altered expression of proliferative (Ki-67, PCNA and cleaved caspase-3) and EMT-related (E-cadherin and vimentin) proteins. In TGF-β1-stimulated LX-2 cells, GM significantly inhibited the survival and activation of HSCs and induced cell apoptosis. GM also suppressed the migration ability and reversed the EMT process in HSCs. Following GM treatment, the phosphorylation of the PI3K, AKT and mTOR proteins was reduced in the liver of CCl₄-treated rats and TGF-β1-stimulated LX-2 cells, indicating that GM may attenuate hepatic fibrosis via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. These outcomes highlight the anti-fibrotic effects of GM and suggest that it is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of liver fibrosis.