Individual and seasonal variation in fecal testosterone and cortisol levels of wild male tufted capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella nigritus

This study tested the "challenge hypothesis" and rank-based predictions for temporal steroid production in male tufted capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella. Fecal samples (n = 209) collected from six wild males were analyzed for testosterone and cortisol concentration by enzyme immunoassay. The temporal pattern in male steroid production was compared to female sexual activity and rates of male aggression. The top-ranking adult male did not differ from other adult males in testosterone or cortisol concentration. Mean adult testosterone was significantly higher than mean subadult testosterone throughout the year. There was a clear elevation of testosterone and cortisol in both adult and subadult males during the peak of adult female sexual activity after the birth season. In fact, the magnitude of increase in testosterone was higher than predicted for a species with low male-male aggression. However, there was no difference between nonbreeding baseline testosterone levels during the birth season, and the "breeding" baseline of testosterone in males found during asynchronous female sexual activity. Of all behavioral indices examined, the distribution of female-maintained consortships was the best predictor of mean adult male testosterone concentrations. Although in many species, elevated testosterone coincides with increased male-male aggression, in the present study, the sustained high-magnitude increase in steroids during the peak of adult female sexual activity was associated with a relatively low rate of male-male intragroup aggression.     

A Single Genetic Determinant that Prevents Sex Reversal in C57BL-YPOS Congenic Mice

Sex determination in the mammalian embryo begins with the activation of a gene on the Y chromosome which triggers a cascade of events that lead to male development. The mechanism by which this gene, designated SRY in humans and Sry in mice (sex determining region of the Y chromosome), is activated remains unknown. Likewise, the downstream target genes for Sry remain unidentified at present. C57BL mice carrying a Y chromosome from Mus musculus musculus or molossinus develop normally as males. In contrast, C57BL/6 mice with the Y chromosome from M. m. domesticus often show sex reversal, i.e., develop as XY females. It has been documented that C57BL mice with the Y chromosome from Poschiavinus (Y^POS), a domesticus subtype, always develop as females or hermaphrodites. This suggests that a C57BL gene either up- or downstream of Sry is ineffective in interacting with Sry, which then compromises the processes that lead to normal male sex development. Nonetheless, by selective breeding, we have been able to generate a sex reversal-resistant C57BL/6-congenic strain of mice in which the XY^POS individuals consistently develop as normal males with bilateral testes. Because the resistance to sex reversal was transferred from strain 129S1/Sv (nonalbino) by simple selection over 13 backcross generations, it is inferred that a single autosomal gene or chromosomal region confers resistance to the sex reversal that would otherwise result. XY^POS normal males generated in these crosses were compared to XY^POS abnormal individuals and to C57BL/6 controls for sexual phenotype, gonadal weight, serum testosterone, and major urinary protein (MUP) level. A clear correlation was found among phenotypic sex, MUP level, and testis weight in the males and in the incompletely masculinized XY^POS mice. The fully masculinized males of the congenic strain resemble C57BL/6 males in the tested parameters. DNA analysis confirmed that these males, in fact, carry the Y^POS Sry gene.     

Rapid immunodetection of Escherichia coli

A filtration flow-through design was used to develop the rapid immunodetection of Escherichia coli. Polyclonal anti-E. coli IgG was conjugated to small, 0.8 Blue latex beads. Cells were mixed with conjugated beads in the presence of anti-E. coli monoclonal IgM. The suspension was then filtered through a 5 nitrocellulose membrane. The cell-containing complexes were effectively collected on the filter, forming a blue spot. The method produced reliable detection of E. coli at a concentration of 10⁵ cells ml^–1, which is a current benchmark figure for urinary tract infection (UTI) diagnosis.     

Epidermal club cells and the innate immune system of minnows

Thousands of fish species belonging to the Superorder Ostariophysi possess specialized club cells in their epidermis. Damage to the cells, as would occur during a predator attack, releases chemical substances that evoke antipredator responses in nearby shoalmates. These chemical substances have often been referred to as alarm substances and the cells that release them as alarm cells. Understanding the evolution of the cells in an alarm context has been difficult. The fish needs to be captured prior to the chemicals being released, hence the benefit to the receiver is unclear. Recent studies have suggested that the club cells are part of the immune system and are maintained by natural selection owing to the benefits that they confer against pathogens, parasites, and general injury to the epidermis. In the present study, we gave fathead minnows intraperitoneal injections of cortisol, a known immunosuppressant, or injections of a control substance (corn oil). We found that fish exposed to cortisol had suppressed immune systems (as measured by a respiratory burst assay) and that they also reduced their investment in club cells. This is the best evidence to date indicating that the club cells of Ostariophysan fishes are part of the innate immune system and that the alarm function of the cells evolved secondarily. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98 , 891–897.     

Tenascin-C and carcinoma cell invasion in oral and urinary bladder cancer

Carcinoma invasion is a complex process regulated by genetic and epigenetic factors as well. A relevant supportive condition for cancer cell migration is the reorganization of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is realized in an orchestrated multicellular manner including carcinoma cells and stromal fibroblasts. An important key player in the process of ECM reorganization is Tenascin-C (Tn-C). The molecule occurs as different isoforms generated by alternative splicing and de novo glycosylation. Large variants of Tn-C are abundantly re-expressed in the invasive front of many carcinoma types. A special role for initiating migration and accompanied epithelial to mesenchymal transition has been suggested. Here, we review the current knowledge concerning the tumor biological importance of Tn-C, the synthesis and alternative splicing during the invasive process in general, and give an overview on the impact of Tn-C in urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UBC) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).     

METTL3/N6‐methyladenosine/ miR‐21‐5p promotes obstructive renal fibrosis by regulating inflammation through SPRY1/ERK/NF‐κB pathway activation

Renal fibrosis induced by urinary tract obstruction is a common clinical occurrence; however, effective treatment is lacking, and a deeper understanding of the mechanism of renal fibrosis is needed. Previous studies have revealed that miR‐21 impacts liver and lung fibrosis progression by activating the SPRY1/ERK/NF‐kB signalling pathway. However, whether miR‐21 mediates obstructive renal fibrosis through the same signalling pathway has not been determined. Additionally, studies have shown that N6‐methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification‐dependent primary microRNA (pri‐microRNA) processing is essential for maturation of microRNAs, but its role in the maturation of miR‐21 in obstructive renal fibrosis has not yet been investigated in detail. To address these issues, we employed a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in which the left ureters were ligated for 3, 7 and 14 days to simulate the fibrotic process. In vitro, human renal proximal tubular epithelial (HK‐2) cells were transfected with plasmids containing the corresponding sequence of METTL3, miR‐21‐5p mimic or miR‐21‐5p inhibitor. We found that the levels of miR‐21‐5p and m⁶A modification in the UUO model groups increased significantly, and as predicted, the SPRY1/ERK/NF‐kB pathway was activated by miR‐21‐5p, confirming that miR‐21‐5p plays an important role in obstructive renal fibrosis by enhancing inflammation. METTL3 was found to play a major catalytic role in m⁶A modification in UUO mice and drove obstructive renal fibrosis development by promoting miR‐21‐5p maturation. Our research is the first to demonstrate the role of the METTL3‐m⁶A‐miR‐21‐5p‐SPRY1/ERK/NF‐kB axis in obstructive renal fibrosis and provides a deeper understanding of renal fibrosis.     

Otoacoustic emissions,auditory evoked potentials and self-reported gender in people affected by disorders of sex development (DSD)

Both otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) are sexually dimorphic, and both are believed to be influenced by prenatal androgen exposure. OAEs and AEPs were collected from people affected by 1 of 3 categories of disorders of sex development (DSD) — (1) women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS); (2) women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH); and (3) individuals with 46,XY DSD including prenatal androgen exposure who developed a male gender despite initial rearing as females (men with DSD). Gender identity (GI) and role (GR) were measured both retrospectively and at the time of study participation, using standardized questionnaires. The main objective of this study was to determine if patterns of OAEs and AEPs correlate with gender in people affected by DSD and in controls. A second objective was to assess if OAE and AEP patterns differed according to degrees of prenatal androgen exposure across groups. Control males, men with DSD, and women with CAH produced fewer spontaneous OAEs (SOAEs) – the male-typical pattern – than control females and women with CAIS. Additionally, the number of SOAEs produced correlated with gender development across all groups tested. Although some sex differences in AEPs were observed between control males and females, AEP measures did not correlate with gender development, nor did they vary according to degrees of prenatal androgen exposure, among people with DSD. Thus, OAEs, but not AEPs, may prove useful as bioassays for assessing early brain exposure to androgens and predicting gender development in people with DSD.     

Baseline,diurnal variations,and stress-induced changes of stress hormones in three captive beluga whales,Delphinapterus leucas

Concentrations of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and aldosterone were investigated in three adult beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), held in a large outdoor public aquarium exhibit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate resting concentrations of these hormones and associated diurnal variations with routine interactions and medical procedures. Resting blood samples were collected voluntarily from the ventral fluke veins at predetermined times of the day to evaluate diurnal changes in analyte concentrations. In addition, hematology and serum chemistry analyses were performed to monitor health status and evaluate changes related to physical exam procedures. Analogous sampling was conducted during out-of-water physical examinations and before and after wading-contact sessions (WCS). Baseline stress hormone concentrations (± SD) were as follows: plasma ACTH (8.41 ± 5.8 pg/mL), serum cortisol (1.80 ± 0.71 g/dL), and serum aldosterone (11.42 ± 5.5 pg/mL). Plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations were consistently higher in early morning than evening, while aldosterone was higher in the evening. All stress-related hormones were significantly elevated during physical examination. Plasma ACTH concentrations were most increased, 5–10-fold, during physical examination, whereas cortisol and aldosterone showed 2–4-fold elevations. Stress response analytes measured during the WCS did not differ significantly from baseline concentrations.     

经耻骨上膀胱尿道悬吊术的手术护理

目的:探讨经耻骨上膀胱尿道悬吊术(SPARC)的手术护理方法。方法:对24例女性尿失禁采用SPARC进行手术治疗。结果:21例患者术后尿控满意,3例有轻度尿失禁,无排尿困难及尿路感染。结论:做好术前宣教、心理护理、熟悉手术步骤、对手术所需器械和物品的充分准备是保证手术顺利实施的前提。注意患者体位的护理,预防并发症的发生,熟练准确的技术配合是SPARC手术的护理核心。