Effects of supplementation with plant extract product containing carvacrol,cinnamaldehyde and capsaicin on serum metabolites and enzymes during the finishing phase of feedlot-fed bull calves

This study investigated the in vivo effects of a commercial blend of plant extracts (carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and capsaicin) on serum metabolic parameters closely connected with energy and protein metabolism (glucose; l-lactate; non-esterified fatty acids, NEFA; urea nitrogen, SUN; creatinine; total protein, TSP) and enzymes associated with hepatic function (aspartate-aminotransferase, AST and gamma-glutamyl transferase, GGT) in finishing-stage Belgian Blue bull calves maintained in a commercial feedlot. Monitoring was performed over 86 days in 24 animals randomly allotted to two groups: (1) a control group (CTR, no supplementation; n = 10), and (2) a group receiving dietary supplementation with a commercial blend of plant extracts (PEX, 100 mg/kg DM of concentrate; n = 14). Under the conditions of our study, supplementation with the commercial blend did not give detrimental effects, but the opposite: the decrease in serum l-lactate, NEFA and creatinine levels and the increase in SUN concentrations; suggests an improvement in the energy status and protein turnover of the supplemented animals.     

Influence of liposomal local anesthetics on platelet aggregation in vitro

We assessed the effect of local anesthetics (LA) from different families such as esters (benzocaine), linear aminoamides (lidocaine) and cyclic aminoamides (bupivacaine) on the platelet aggregation induced by ADP. Liposomal formulations of the three LA, prepared with egg phosphatidylcholine:cholesterol alpha-tocopherol, were also tested. The three LA were able to inhibit platelet aggregation induced by ADP, in the following order: bupivacaine > lidocaine > benzocaine. After encapsulation into liposomes the inhibitory effect increased for all anesthetics studied, showing that aggregation tests could be used to assess the toxicity of new drug formulations.     

Morpho-physiology and maize grain yield under periodic soil flooding in successive selection cycles

This study was carried out to evaluate maize plants of different recurrent selection cycles of the variety (Zea mays L.—Saracura-BRS-4154) regarded to genetic gains, morphophysiology, and grain yield, achieved over the selection cycles under intermittent flooding of the soil. This variety has the capacity to survive and produce in temporarily flooded soils and was developed by the National Maize and Sorghum Research Center (EMBRAPA). The experiment was conducted in greenhouse by using ten alternating selection cycles (Cycle 1–18) and BR 107 a variety known for its susceptibility to flooding. The flooding initiated at six-leaf stage by applying 50 mm of water three times a week. At flowering, the following parameters were evaluated: rate of leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO₂ concentration, transpiration rate, photosynthetically active leaf area, root porosity, relative chlorophyll content, grain yield, harvest index, ear length, and interval between male and female flowering. Yield as a function of root porosity and photosynthesis were also evaluated. An index was created in this study, in order to help the discussion of the characteristics evaluated, it was called “Relative Tolerance Value—RTV”, only gaseous exchange measurements was not included in this index. By the way, it was observed throughout the selection cycles an increase in all gaseous exchange parameters, being the cycle 18, the one which presented the greatest averages. RTV for leaf area showed the greatest values for cycles 7 and 18, whereas root porosity, chlorophyll relative content, and harvest index, the greater RTV values were found in cycles 17 and 18. The largest grain yield RTV was observed in cycle 7, followed by cycles 13, 15, and 18. Flooding resulted in longer Anthesis-Silking Interval, especially for the first cycles. At flooding condition, grain yield was strongly related to root porosity (R ² = 0.66). These results showed that the selection cycles of “Saracura” maize improved some morphophysiologic characters, which favor their survival in flooded environments, also resulting in higher productivity.     

Intracellular positioning of isoforms explains an unusually large adenylate kinase gene family in the parasite Trypanosoma brucei

Adenylate kinases occur classically as cytoplasmic and mitochondrial enzymes, but the expression of seven adenylate kinases in the flagellated protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei (order, Kinetoplastida; family, Trypanosomatidae) easily exceeds the number of isoforms previously observed within a single cell and raises questions as to their location and function. We show that a requirement to target adenylate kinase into glycosomes, which are unique kinetoplastid-specific microbodies of the peroxisome class in which many reactions of carbohydrate metabolism are compartmentalized, and two different flagellar structures as well as cytoplasm and mitochondrion explains the expansion of this gene family in trypanosomes. The three isoforms that are selectively built into either the flagellar axoneme or the extra-axonemal paraflagellar rod, which is essential for motility, all contain long N-terminal extensions. Biochemical analysis of the only short form trypanosome adenylate kinase revealed that this enzyme catalyzes phosphotransfer of gamma-phosphate from ATP to AMP, CMP, and UMP acceptors; its high activity and specificity toward CMP is likely to reflect an adaptation to very low intracellular cytidine nucleotide pools. Analysis of some of the phosphotransfer network using RNA interference suggests considerable complexity within the homeostasis of cellular energetics. The anchoring of specific adenylate kinases within two distinct flagellar structures provides a paradigm for metabolic organization and efficiency in other flagellates.     

Simple and rapid method determination for metformin in human plasma using high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry: application to pharmacokinetic studies

A rapid and simple method for quantitation of metformin (MET) in human plasma by HPLC-MS/MS was developed and validated. The sample preparation consists of plasma deproteinization using acetonitrile. The mobile phase consisted of water-acetonitrile and formic acid (55/45/0.048, v/v/%) and the run time was 3 min. A pursuit C(18) (100 mm x 2.0 mm i.d., 3 microm) column connected to a guard column MS-pursuit (0.20 mm x 0.20 mm i.d., 5 microm) was used. The range of the calibration curve was from 20 to 5000 ng/mL, the limit of quantitation being 20 ng/mL. The detection was performed on a mass spectrometer (ESI+), using metoprolol as internal standard. The calibration curves have r(2) values of 0.995 (CV=0.24%, n=10). The accuracy and precision were between 90.74 and 106.7% and coefficients of variations (CV) of 1.10 and 4.35%, respectively. The method was applied to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters: C(max) (1667.25 ng/mL) and T(max) (3.89 h).     

RAPD-based genetic linkage maps of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg.).

A single cross between two clones of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg., 2n = 18) was selected for genetic mapping. The mapping population was composed of 90 F1 plants derived from a cross between 'IAPAR 123' (female parent) and 'IAPAR 06' (male parent). A total of 380 RAPD primers were analyzed according to two-way pseudo-testcross mapping design. The linkage analysis was performed using Mapmaker version 3.0 with LOD 4.0 and a maximum recombination fraction (theta) of 0.30. Map distances were estimated using the Kosambi mapping function. Linkage maps were constructed with 269 loci (2.38 markers/primer), of which 255 segregated 1:1, corresponding to a heterozygous state in one parent and null in the other. The linkage map for 'IAPAR123' consisted of 135 markers. A total of nine linkage groups were assembled covering 727.7 cM, with an average distance of 11.20 cM between framework loci. The sizes of the linkage groups ranged from 56 to 144.6 cM. The linkage map for 'IAPAR 06' consisted of 96 markers, covering 783.5 cM. The average distance between framework loci was 12.2 cM. The length of the nine linkage groups ranged from 20.6 to 144.2 cM. On average, both maps provided 61% genome coverage. Twenty-four loci (8.9%) remained unlinked. Among their many applications, these maps are a starting point for the identification of quantitative trait loci for resistance to the main bacterial disease affecting passion fruit orchards in Brazil, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. passiflorae, because parental genotypes exhibit diverse responses to bacterial inoculation.     

Cytotoxic effects of metal complexes of biogenic polyamines. I. Platinum(II) spermidine compounds: prediction of their antitumour activity

Cytotoxicity and cell growth inhibition studies were performed for three distinct polynuclear platinum(II) complexes of spermidine, which showed to have significant cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties on the HeLa cancer cell line. The chemical environment of the metal centres in the drugs, as well as the coordination pattern of the ligand, were found to be strongly determinant of their cytotoxic ability. In the light of the results gathered, the most effective anticancer compound among the ones tested (IC50=5 microM) was found to be the one displaying three difunctional (PtCl2N2) moieties ((PtCl2)3(spd)2). Both the cytotoxic activity and the antiproliferative properties of the complexes studied showed to be irreversible for all the concentrations tested.     

Genetic Diversity of Giardia duodenalis: Multilocus Genotyping Reveals Zoonotic Potential between Clinical and Environmental Sources in a Metropolitan Region of Brazil

Background

Giardia duodenalis is a flagellate protozoan that parasitizes humans and several other mammals. Protozoan contamination has been regularly documented at important environmental sites, although most of these studies were performed at the species level. There is a lack of studies that correlate environmental contamination and clinical infections in the same region. The aim of this study is to evaluate the genetic diversity of a set of clinical and environmental samples and to use the obtained data to characterize the genetic profile of the distribution of G. duodenalis and the potential for zoonotic transmission in a metropolitan region of Brazil.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The genetic assemblages and subtypes of G. duodenalis isolates obtained from hospitals, a veterinary clinic, a day-care center and important environmental sites were determined via multilocus sequence-based genotyping using three unlinked gene loci. Cysts of Giardia were detected at all of the environmental sites. Mixed assemblages were detected in 25% of the total samples, and an elevated number of haplotypes was identified. The main haplotypes were shared among the groups, and new subtypes were identified at all loci. Ten multilocus genotypes were identified: 7 for assemblage A and 3 for assemblage B.

Conclusions/Significance

There is persistent G. duodenalis contamination at important environmental sites in the city. The identified mixed assemblages likely represent mixed infections, suggesting high endemicity of Giardia in these hosts. Most Giardia isolates obtained in this study displayed zoonotic potential. The high degree of genetic diversity in the isolates obtained from both clinical and environmental samples suggests that multiple sources of infection are likely responsible for the detected contamination events. The finding that many multilocus genotypes (MLGs) and haplotypes are shared by different groups suggests that these sources of infection may be related and indicates that there is a notable risk of human infection caused by Giardia in this region.     

The Ozone-Iodine-Chlorate Clock Reaction

This work presents a new clock reaction based on ozone, iodine, and chlorate that differs from the known chlorate-iodine clock reaction because it does not require UV light. The induction period for this new clock reaction depends inversely on the initial concentrations of ozone, chlorate, and perchloric acid but is independent of the initial iodine concentration. The proposed mechanism considers the reaction of ozone and iodide to form HOI, which is a key species for producing non-linear autocatalytic behavior. The novelty of this system lies in the presence of ozone, whose participation has never been observed in complex systems such as clock or oscillating reactions. Thus, the autocatalysis demonstrated in this new clock reaction should open the possibility for a new family of oscillating reactions.