Cytogenetic effects of pesticides. III. Induction of micronuclei in mouse bone marrow by the insecticides cypermethrin and rotenone

The production of micronuclei in mouse bone marrow by the pyrethroid insecticide, cypermethrin and the botanical insecticide, rotenone was examined. Three routes of administration were used for the insecticides: intraperitoneal, oral and dermal. The different routes of treatment with cypermethrin and rotenone caused toxicity of marrow as indicated by a significant increase in the percentage of polychromatic erythrocytes (PEs) over that of the control. Cypermethrin showed mutagenic potential as evidenced by a positive response in the micronucleus assay. Oral administration of the insecticide at a dietary level of 900 ppm for 7 and 14 consecutive days as well as double and multiple (total 4) dermal treatments (360 mg/kg body wt.) induced a statistically significant increase in the frequency of PEs with micronuclei. The conducted intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatments with cypermethrin: single injection at 60 and 180 mg/kg body wt., double and multiple injections (total 3) at 60 mg/kg body wt. did not affect the percentage of PEs with micronuclei. The different treatments with rotenone: single, double and multiple (i.p.) injections (total 3) at 2 and 3 mg/kg body wt., oral administration for 14 consecutive days at dietary level of 225 ppm and multiple dermal treatments (total 4) with 135 mg/kg body wt. showed no effect on the frequency of micronuclei in PEs.     

人热休克蛋白gp96基因的克隆及其在大肠杆菌中的表达与纯化

热休克蛋白gp96是热休克蛋白90家族成员,能够引起非特异性和特异性免疫反应。得到大量高纯度的蛋白质是研究开发gp96的关键。然而重组的gp96容易在E．coli中降解,并在一定条件下形成多聚体。实验先将人gp96基因克隆到pET-30a载体上并在E．coli Blstar中表达,再经过亲和层析、阴离子交换、分子筛分别纯化gp96。最终去掉了大部分的降解片段和多聚体,得到一定量的可溶性gp96,为进一步研究其结构和功能打下一定的基础。     

Macrophages rapidly transfer pathogens from lipid raft vacuoles to autophagosomes

Macrophages activate autophagy as an immediate response to Legionella pneumophila infection, but what marks the pathogen phagosome as a target for the autophagy machinery is not known. Because a variety of bacteria, parasites, viruses, and toxins that associate with the endoplasmic reticulum enter host cells by a cholesterol-dependent route, we tested the hypothesis that autophagy is triggered when microbes engage components of lipid raft domains. As the intracellular respiratory pathogen L. pneumophila or the extracellular uropathogen FimH(+) Escherichia coli entered macrophages by a cholesterol-sensitive mechanism, they immediatezly resided in vacuoles rich in glycosylphosphatidylinositol moieties and the autophagy enzyme Atg7. As expected for autophagosomes, the vacuoles sequentially acquired the endoplasmic reticulum protein BiP, the autophagy markers Atg8 and monodansyl-cadaverine, and the lysosomal protein LAMP-1. A robust macrophage response to the pathogens was cholesterol-dependent, since fewer Atg7-rich vacuoles were observed when macrophages were pretreated with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin or filipin. A model in which macrophages exploit autophagy to capture pathogens within the lipid raft pathway for antigen presentation prior to disposal in lysosomes is discussed.     

A comparative study of flavonoids in some members of the Papaveraceae

The leaf flavonoids of the family Papaveraceae were studied.     

Algae as Bio-fertilizers: Between current situation and future prospective

Bio-fertilization is a sustainable agricultural practice that includes using bio-fertilizers to increase soil nutrient content resulting in higher productivity. Soil micro-flora has been exposed to improve soil fertility and increase biomass productivity and identified as a correct environmentally friendly bio-based fertilizer for pollution-free agricultural applies. The majority of cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and several species including Anabaena sp., Nostoc sp., and Oscillatoria angustissima is known to be effective cyanobacterial based bio fertilizers. Acutodesmus dimorphus, Spirulina platensis Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus dimorphus, Anabaena azolla, and Nostoc sp. are some of the green microalgae and cyanobacteria species that have been successfully used as bio fertilizers to boost crop growth. Also, Chlorella vulgaris is one of the most commonly used microalgae in bio fertilizer studies. The addition of seaweed species that are Sargassum sp. and Gracilaria verrucosa leads to chemical changes as a soil fertility indicator on clay and sandy soils, and the addition of seaweed conditioner to soil can improve its organic content, return pH to normal, and reduce C/N ratio in both sandy and clay soil. This review provides an effective approach to increase soil fertility via environmentally friendly bio-based fertilizer using micro and macro algae. Instead of the usage of inorganic and organic fertilizers that have polluted impacts to soil as aggregation of heavy metals, in addition to there their human carcinogenic effects.     

干扰素研究及应用进展

1957年,英国科学家Isaacs和Lindenmann利用鸡胚绒毛尿囊研究流感干扰现象时,发现一种能够干扰病毒繁殖的物质,称之为干扰素（IFN）,由于干扰素对许多疾病有很好的治疗作用,一直是医学领域研究的重要物质之一。现在干扰素已成功地用于肝炎、肿瘤治疗等方面。为了充分发挥干扰素的作用,人们稍用基因工程的方法来对干扰素的产量及功效进行改进,已达到更好的应用,因此基因工程干扰素越来越多地成了研究的重点。     

Leptin modulates lymphocytes' adherence to hepatic stellate cells is associated with oxidative status alterations

We investigated leptin effects on lymphocyte interactions with hepatic-stellate-cells (HSCs). Leptin showed pro-fibrotic effects on HSCs with oxidative status imbalance.In co-cultures, leptin activates HSCs and consequently adhered HCV-lymphocytes more than healthy ones. Leptin also increased healthy and HCV lymphocyte proliferations; increased their reactive-oxygen-species; decreased antioxidants (reduced-glutathione) levels while inhibited apoptosis only of HCV-lymphocytes. The leptin-treated HCV-lymphocytes activated HSCs, increase interleukin-4 while decreased their apoptosis.Leptin-receptor-deficient (db–db)-HSCs did not adhere lymphocytes. db/db-lymphocytes however showed fewer adherences to HSCs when compared to WT-counterparts.This study presents immune and oxidative modulatory effects of leptin on lymphocytes and their consequent interaction with HSCs.     

China,Vietnam, and the South China Sea: Disputes and Dispute Management

This article examines recent developments in the South China Sea; in particular, the China-Vietnam relationship. The developments are presented in the broader context of the Sino-Vietnamese approach to managing border disputes since full normalization of relations in late 1991. The challenges for China and Vietnam in managing their disputes and related tension in the South China Sea are also discussed.     

Storage Temperature Alters the Expression of Differentiation-Related Genes in Cultured Oral Keratinocytes

Purpose

Storage of cultured human oral keratinocytes (HOK) allows for transportation of cultured transplants to eye clinics worldwide. In a previous study, one-week storage of cultured HOK was found to be superior with regard to viability and morphology at 12°C compared to 4°C and 37°C. To understand more of how storage temperature affects cell phenotype, gene expression of HOK before and after storage at 4°C, 12°C, and 37°C was assessed.

Materials and Methods

Cultured HOK were stored in HEPES- and sodium bicarbonate-buffered Minimum Essential Medium at 4°C, 12°C, and 37°C for one week. Total RNA was isolated and the gene expression profile was determined using DNA microarrays and analyzed with Partek Genomics Suite software and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Differentially expressed genes (fold change > 1.5 and P < 0.05) were identified by one-way ANOVA. Key genes were validated using qPCR.

Results

Gene expression of cultures stored at 4°C and 12°C clustered close to the unstored control cultures. Cultures stored at 37°C displayed substantial change in gene expression compared to the other groups. In comparison with 12°C, 2,981 genes were differentially expressed at 37°C. In contrast, only 67 genes were differentially expressed between the unstored control and the cells stored at 12°C. The 12°C and 37°C culture groups differed most significantly with regard to the expression of differentiation markers. The Hedgehog signaling pathway was significantly downregulated at 37°C compared to 12°C.

Conclusion

HOK cultures stored at 37°C showed considerably larger changes in gene expression compared to unstored cells than cultured HOK stored at 4°C and 12°C. The changes observed at 37°C consisted of differentiation of the cells towards a squamous epithelium-specific phenotype. Storing cultured ocular surface transplants at 37°C is therefore not recommended. This is particularly interesting as 37°C is the standard incubation temperature used for cell culture.     

Molecular Detection and Identification of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks Collected from the West Bank,Palestinian Territories

Background

Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Although Spotted Fever is prevalent in the Middle East, no reports for the presence of tick-borne pathogens are available or any studies on the epidemiology of this disease in the West Bank. We aimed to identify the circulating hard tick vectors and genetically characterize SFG Rickettsia species in ixodid ticks from the West Bank-Palestinian territories.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A total of 1,123 ixodid ticks belonging to eight species (Haemaphysalis parva, Haemaphysalis adleri, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Hyalomma dromedarii, Hyalomma aegyptium and Hyalomma impeltatum) were collected from goats, sheep, camels, dogs, a wolf, a horse and a tortoise in different localities throughout the West Bank during the period of January-April, 2014. A total of 867 ticks were screened for the presence of rickettsiae by PCR targeting a partial sequence of the ompA gene followed by sequence analysis. Two additional genes, 17 kDa and 16SrRNA were also targeted for further characterization of the detected Rickettsia species. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 148 out of the 867 (17%) tested ticks. The infection rates in Rh. turanicus, Rh. sanguineus, H. adleri, H. parva, H. dromedarii, and H. impeltatum ticks were 41.7, 11.6, 16.7, 16.2, 11.8 and 20%, respectively. None of the ticks, belonging to the species Rh. bursa and H. aegyptium, were infected. Four SFG rickettsiae were identified: Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia africae, Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae and Candidatus Rickettsia goldwasserii.

Significance

The results of this study demonstrate the geographic distribution of SFG rickettsiae and clearly indicate the presence of at least four of them in collected ticks. Palestinian clinicians should be aware of emerging tick-borne diseases in the West Bank, particularly infections due to R. massiliae and R. africae.