Natural vitamin E alpha-tocotrienol: retention in vital organs in response to long-term oral supplementation and withdrawal

The natural vitamin E tocotrienol (TCT) possesses biological properties not shared by tocopherols (TCP). Nanomolar alpha-TCT, not alpha-TCP, is potently neuroprotective (JBC 275:13049; 278:43508; Stroke 36:2258). The report that the affinity of TTP to bind (alpha-TCT is an order of magnitude lower than that for alpha-TCP questions the bioavailability of orally taken TCT to tissues. Oral supplementation of TCT for 3 years in nine generations of female and male rat was studied. Ten vital organs were examined. To gain insight into the turnover of alpha-TCT in tissues, a subset of supplemented rats was moved to vitamin E deficient diet for 7 weeks. Orally supplemented alpha-TCT was delivered to all vital organs including the brain and spinal cord in significant amounts. In organs such as the skin, adipose and gonads the maximum level of alpha-TCT achieved in response to supplementation was folds higher than baseline values of alpha-TCP in rats maintained on laboratory chow. Females had higher levels of alpha-TCT compared to matched tissues of corresponding males. To gain insight into how quickly alpha-TCT is metabolized in the tissues, washout of alpha-TCT from vital organs was examined. alpha-TCT accumulated in vital organs over more than 2 years was almost completely lost in less than 2 months when the supplementation was stopped. This is in sharp contrast with findings related to alpha-TCP retention. The ability of long-term oral supplementation to maintain and elevate alpha-TCT levels in vital organs together with the rapid elimination of the intact vitamin from all organs studied underscores the need for continuous oral supplementation of TCT.     

The influence of dietary vitamin C and E supplementation on the physiological response of pirarucu, Arapaima gigas, in net culture

This study evaluated the efficacy of dietary vitamin C (ascorbic acid or AA), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol or alpha-T), and C+E supplementation on the blood parameters of Arapaima gigas grown in net cages for 45 days. Four treatments were tested: control (commercial feed); C800; E500 and C+E (800+500) with supplementation of 800 mg AA kg(-1), 500 mg alpha-T kg(-1) and 800+500 mg AA+alpha-T kg(-1), respectively. Hematocrit (Ht), red blood cells (RBC), and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) (oxidative status indicators), thrombocytes and leukocytes (immunological indicators), plasma protein and glucose were evaluated. Fish fed vitamin C and C+E supplemented diets showed greater weight gain and survival. Dietary vitamin C and C+E diet supplementation resulted in increased Ht, Hb, RBC, MCHC, total leukocytes, total proteins, thrombocytes and eosinophils compared to the control and alpha-T. The alpha-tocopherol-supplemented diet reduced the number of total thrombocytes, lymphocytes and neutrophils and increased glucose and eosinophils relatively to the control. In general, leukocytes and thrombocytes were good indicators of the efficiency of vitamin on the defense mechanism of the A. gigas reared in cages. Results indicate that high alpha-T diet supplementation provides no benefit for the maintenance of the oxidative or the immunological status of A. gigas. However, it was demonstrated that high dietary AA improves A. gigas immunological status. Red blood cell indices and immune system indicators showed no synergistic effect between the vitamins after supplementing the A. gigas diet with alpha-T+AA.     

Isolation of clinically relevant fungal species from solid waste and environment of dental health services

Aims: This study was undertaken to detect, identify and determine antifungal susceptibility of yeast strains isolated from dental solid waste and to evaluate airborne fungi in the Brazilian dental health care environment and in the waste storage room. Methods and Results: A group of 17 yeast strains were identified by macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, API 20C Aux system and Multiplex PCR. All 104 airborne fungal colonies were identified by macroscopic and microscopic morphology. The CLSI broth microdilution method was utilized as the susceptibility test. Candida parapsilosis was the prevailing yeast species recovered from waste, followed by Rhodotorula glutinis. Three strains of Candida guilliermondii presented minimal inhibitory concentration values considered to be susceptible dose dependent (2 μg ml^?1) to voriconazole. Of all airborne fungal species, 69% were recovered from the waste storage room and 31% were recovered from the clinical/surgical environment. Most of them were identified as Cladosporium spp. Conclusions: These findings reinforce the potential risk of waste handling and point out the need for safe management to minimize the spread of these agents to the environment. Filamentous fungi isolation in almost all sampled environments indicates that a periodic monitoring of airborne microbiota in the dental health care service environment is required. Significance and Impact of the Study: The survival of yeast strains for 48 h suggests that dental waste should be carefully controlled and monitored.     

Multicenter study on the immunogenicity and safety of two recombinant vaccines against hepatitis B

The immunogenicity and safety of a new recombinant hepatitis B vaccine from the Instituto Butantan (Butang) were evaluated in a multicenter, double-blind, prospective equivalence study in three centers in Brazil. Engerix B was the standard vaccine. A total of 3937 subjects were recruited and 2754 (70%) met all protocol criteria at the end of the study. All the subjects were considered healthy and denied having received hepatitis B vaccine before the study. Study subjects who adhered to the protocol were newborn infants (566), children 1 to 10 years old (484), adolescents from 11 to 19 years (740), adults from 20 to 30 years (568), and adults from 31 to 40 years (396). Vaccine was administered in three doses on the schedule 0, 1, and 6 months (newborn infants, adolescents, and adults) or 0, 1, and 7 months (children). Vaccine dose was intramuscular 10 microg (infants, children, and adolescents) or 20 microg (adults). Percent seroprotection (assumed when anti-HBs titers were > 10 mIU/ml) and geometric mean titer (mIU/ml) were: newborn infants, 93.7% and 351.1 (Butang) and 97.5% and 1530.6 (Engerix B); children, 100% and 3600.0 (Butang) and 97.7% and 2753.1 (Engerix B); adolescents, 95.1% and 746.3 (Butang) and 96% and 1284.3 (Engerix B); adults 20-30 years old, 91.8% and 453.5 (Butang) and 95.5% and 1369.0 (Engerix B); and adults 31-40 years old, 79.8% and 122.7 (Butang) and 92.4% and 686.2 (Engerix B). There were no severe adverse events following either vaccine. The study concluded that Butang was equivalent to Engerix B in children, and less immunogenic but acceptable for use in newborn infants, adolescents, and young adults.     

Eye colour as a genetic marker for fertility and fecundity of Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834) Hemiptera,Reduviidae, Triatominae

Eye colour of Triatoma infestans is controlled at a single autosomal locus, with black-eye as the dominant gene and red-eye as the recessive. Inheritance of these characters follows a classical Mendelian system, enabling eye colour to be used as a marker for studies of mating frequency. We found no significant differences in oviposition rates and egg hatching rates irrespective of parental phenotypes. Different mating schedules between red-eye and black-eye parents showed that eye colour did not affect mating competence. Females mated with a single male or with different males together or in succession produced similar numbers of fertile eggs, with the eye colour of the offspring reflecting exposure to the different males. We conclude that although a single mating can provide sufficient sperm for the whole reproductive life of the female, multiple matings can result in balanced assortative sperm usage from the spermatheca.     

Multiblock PLS analysis of an industrial pharmaceutical process

The performance of an industrial pharmaceutical process (production of an active pharmaceutical ingredient by fermentation, API) was modeled by multiblock partial least squares (MBPLS). The most important process stages are inoculum production and API production fermentation. Thirty batches (runs) were produced according to an experimental planning. Rather than merging all these data into a single block of independent variables (as in ordinary PLS), four data blocks were used separately (manipulated and quality variables for each process stage). With the multiblock approach it was possible to calculate weights and scores for each independent block. It was found that the inoculum quality variables were highly correlated with API production for nominal fermentations. For the nonnominal fermentations, the manipulations of the fermentation stage explained the amount of API obtained (especially the pH and biomass concentration). Based on the above process analysis it was possible to select a smaller set of variables with which a new model was built. The amount of variance predicted of the final API concentration (cross-validation) for this model was 82.4%. The advantage of the multiblock model over the standard PLS model is that the contributions of the two main process stages to the API volumetric productivity were determined.     

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt's lymphoma in a Canadian family. I. HLA typing,EBV antibodies and serum immunoglobulins.

Two nasopharyngeal carcinomas of the lymphoepithelioma type and two Burkitt''s lymphomas with the characteristic histopathologic features developed in three siblings and one first-degree cousin in a large French-Canadian family. Epstein-Barr virus antibody titres in the two lymphoepithelioma cases but not in the Burkitt''s lymphoma cases were, as expected, greatly elevated. HLA typing of the family members failed to disclose HLA antigens A2 and B Sin-2, which have been associated with lymphoepithelioma in Asia. The occurrence, however, of a plasmacytoma in one other first-degree cousin and low serum IgA values in several siblings and cousins suggests the possibility of a genetically determined predisposing B-cell dysfunction in the development of these tumours.     

Use of fluoresceinated Epstein-Barr virus to study Epstein-Barr virus-lymphoid cell interactions.

As a direct approach to visualize Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) binding to its cellular receptors and to learn more on the nature of this binding, virus preparations were conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate and used to detect EBV receptors on lymphoid cells. Different enzymatic and chemical treatments were also applied either to the virus or to target cells or to both, and the effect of these treatments on virus binding was then examined. The results obtained show that: (i) EBV can be fluoresceinated without affecting its infectivity or cell binding ability, and the fluoresceinated virus represents an important tool to investigate the biology and nature of EBV interactions with its cellular receptors; (ii) the two virus strains (P3HR-1 and B95-8) share common receptors on Raji cells; (iii) protease treatment of EBV or target cells abrogates virus binding; (iv) EBV receptors regenerate after removal of the protease, and this regeneration is inhibited by cycloheximide or sucrose; (v) EBV particles bear concanavalin A receptors, and this lectin hinders the interaction of the virus with its cellular receptors; (vi) neuraminidase treatment, various monosaccharides, ovalbumin, and glycopeptides derived from EBV or cell surface do not inhibit virus binding. Taken together, the above data also demonstrate that some cellular and viral surface (glyco-) proteins are required for EBV binding to its targets.