Beneficial effects of n-hexane bark extract of Onosma echioides L. on diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Onosma echioides Linn (Boraginaceae) is the most frequently used curative herb widely used for kidney obstruction, sciatic pain, and gout. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effects of n-hexane bark extract of O. echioides (OE) L. root in vivo against Streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy in SD rats. For in vivo activity, the experiment was categorized into five different groups (n = 5). Group-I was considered as nondiabetic/normal control (NC) treated with 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Group II as diabetic control, Group-III, IV, and V served as diabetic treated with OE 50, OE 100, and pregabalin at a dose of 50, 100, and 10 mg/kg body weight, orally, respectively. Body weight, blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, behavioral studies (motor coordination test, thermal hyperalgesia, cold allodynia, locomotor activity, oxidative biomarkers (thio barbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione [GSH], and catalase), and histopathology of the sciatic nerve were performed. Treatment with OE showed a dose-dependent increase in neuroprotective activity by improving the myelination and decreasing the axonal swelling of nerve fibers. The verdicts of behavioral activities showed a remarkable effect on animals after the treatment of extract and standard drug pregabalin. In conclusion, our findings supported the traditional application of OE and explored its importance in the management of diabetic neuropathy. Additional clinical experiments may provide novel therapeutic drugs for diabetes and its complications.     

Cloning of rat brain succinyl-CoA:3-oxoacid CoA-transferase cDNA. Regulation of the mRNA in different rat tissues and during brain development.

3-Oxoacid CoA-transferase, which catalyses the first committed step in the oxidation of ketone bodies, is uniquely regulated in developing rat brain. Changes in 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase activity in rat brain during the postnatal period are due to changes in the relative rate of synthesis of the enzyme. To study the regulation of this enzyme, we identified, with a specific polyclonal rabbit anti-(rat 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase), two positive cDNA clones (approx. 800 bp) in a lambda gtll expression library, constructed from poly(A)+ RNA from brains of 12-day-old rats. One of these clones (lambda CoA3) was subcloned into M13mp18 and subjected to further characterization. Labelled single-stranded probes prepared by primer extension of the M13mp18 recombinant hybridized to a 3.6 kb mRNA. Rat brain mRNA enriched by polysome immunoadsorption for a single protein of size 60 kDa which corresponds to the precursor form of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase was also found to be similarly enriched for the hybridizable 3.6 kb mRNA complementary to lambda CoA3. Affinity-selected antibody to the lambda CoA3 fusion protein inhibited 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase activity present in rat brain mitochondrial extracts. The 3.6 kb mRNA for 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase was present in relative abundance in rat kidney and heart, to a lesser extent in suckling brain and mammary gland and negligible in the liver. The specific mRNA was also found to be 3-fold more abundant in the brain from 12-day-old rats as compared with 18-day-old foetuses and adult rats, corresponding to the enzyme activity and relative rate of synthesis profile during development. These data suggest that 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase enzyme activity is regulated at a pretranslational level.     

Modifications in the surgical correction of trigonocephaly

A modified technique for the surgical correction of trigonocephaly is presented. The technical modifications are designed both to increase the stability of fixation of the supraorbital bar and lateral canthal advancements and to increase interorbital distance and anterior cranial fossa volume when utilized in those patients who exhibit the full expression of trigonocephaly, including midline ridging, bifrontal recession, hypotelorbitism, shortened anterior cranial fossa, deficient projection of lateral orbit, and bitemporal narrowing. It is a modification of the supraorbital bar remodeling/advancement procedure as originally described by Marchac with the introduction of a nasofrontal osteotomy and superior osteotomy bone graft and midline miniplate fixation of the supraorbital bar to the nasofrontal junction. Its use in 20 patients has been favorable.     

Evidence for a plasmid conferring salt-tolerance in the plant-root associated,diazotrophKlebsiella sp. NIAB-I

Summary Using analytical and preparative methods, we demonstrated the presence of an indigenous plasmid (pNIAB-I) in a diazotroph,Klebsiella sp. NIAB-I isolated, from the roots of Kallar grass, growing on saline lands in Pakistan. The plasmid is approximately 50 kilobase (kb) in size. Transformation experiments indicated that non-halophilic bacteria such asE. coli K12 strain (MV10) andK. pneumoniae M5AI on acquiring this plasmid become tolerant to high salt (NaCl) and alkaline pH.     

Identifying historical and future global change drivers that place species recovery at risk

Ecosystem management in the face of global change requires understanding how co-occurring threats affect species and communities. Such an understanding allows for effective management strategies to be identified and implemented. An important component of this is differentiating between factors that are within (e.g. invasive predators) or outside (e.g. drought, large wildfires) of a local manager's control. In the global biodiversity hotspot of south-western Australia, small- and medium-sized mammal species are severely affected by anthropogenic threats and environmental disturbances, including invasive predators, fire, and declining rainfall. However, the relative importance of different drivers has not been quantified. We used data from a long-term monitoring program to fit Bayesian state-space models that estimated spatial and temporal changes in the relative abundance of four threatened mammal species: the woylie (Bettongia penicillata), chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii), koomal (Trichosurus vulpecula) and quenda (Isoodon fusciventor). We then use Bayesian structural equation modelling to identify the direct and indirect drivers of population changes, and scenario analysis to forecast population responses to future environmental change. We found that habitat loss or conversion and reduced primary productivity (caused by rainfall declines) had greater effects on species' spatial and temporal population change than the range of fire and invasive predator (the red fox Vulpes vulpes) management actions observed in the study area. Scenario analysis revealed that a greater extent of severe fire and further rainfall declines predicted under climate change, operating in concert are likely to further reduce the abundance of these species, but may be mitigated partially by invasive predator control. Considering both historical and future drivers of population change is necessary to identify the factors that risk species recovery. Given that both anthropogenic pressures and environmental disturbances can undermine conservation efforts, managers must consider how the relative benefit of conservation actions will be shaped by ongoing global change.     

Age-mediated gut microbiota dysbiosis promotes the loss of dendritic cells tolerance

The old age-related loss of immune tolerance inflicts a person with a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the sentinels of the immune system that maintain immune tolerance through cytokines and regulatory T-cells generation. Aging disturbs the microbial composition of the gut, causing immune system dysregulation. However, the vis-à-vis role of gut dysbiosis on DCs tolerance remains highly elusive. Consequently, we studied the influence of aging on gut dysbiosis and its impact on the loss of DC tolerance. We show that DCs generated from either the aged (DC^Old) or gut-dysbiotic young (DC^Dysbiotic) but not young (DC^Young) mice exhibited loss of tolerance, as evidenced by their failure to optimally induce the generation of Tregs and control the overactivation of CD4⁺ T cells. The mechanism deciphered for the loss of DC^Old and DC^Dysbiotic tolerance was chiefly through the overactivation of NF-κB, impaired frequency of Tregs, upregulation in the level of pro-inflammatory molecules (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-12, IFN-γ), and decline in the anti-inflammatory moieties (IL-10, TGF-β, IL-4, IDO, arginase, NO, IRF-4, IRF-8, PDL1, BTLA4, ALDH2). Importantly, a significant decline in the frequency of the Lactobacillus genus was noticed in the gut. Replenishing the gut of old mice with the Lactobacillus plantarum reinvigorated the tolerogenic function of DCs through the rewiring of inflammatory and metabolic pathways. Thus, for the first time, we demonstrate the impact of age-related gut dysbiosis on the loss of DC tolerance. This finding may open avenues for therapeutic intervention for treating age-associated disorders with the Lactobacillus plantarum.     

Cryopreservation of immature spring wheat zygotic embryos using an abscisic acid pretreatment

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) zygotic embryos were successfully cryopreserved, without the addition of exogenous cryoprotectants, using only an abscisic acid (ABA) pretreatment. Optimum survival was obtained when embryos were cultured in vitro for 10 days on semisolid Murashige and Skoog (MS) nutrient medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L (±) ABA prior to cryopreservation. The embryos resumed growth within three days when returned to MS medium devoid of ABA but containing 2mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The embryogenic calli produced from these embryos exhibited normal plant regeneration on auxin-free media. Changes in dw/fw ratio, as well as the esterified fatty acid and sucrose concentrations correlated positively with the development of tolerance to cryopreservation.NRCC Publication No. 33519     

Metal tolerance in tissue cultures of anthoxanthum odoratum

Tissue cultures were initiated from one non-tolerant (S20) and two zinc and lead tolerant (T92 and T94) clones of Anthoxanthum odoratum. Growth of callus from the non-tolerant clone was reduced by the presence of zinc, lead, copper and nickel, whereas callus from the two tolerant clones showed no reduction of growth in the presence of zinc and lead but growth was reduced by copper and nickel. The specificity of metal tolerance shown by the parental material was maintained in the callus. Tolerant and non-tolerant callus accumulated similar amounts of zinc and lead.     

Detection of somaclonal variations in tissue cultured date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) using transposable element-based markers

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - In vitro regeneration of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plants through somatic embryogenesis leads to the generation of somaclonal variants. The...