Interrelationship between vitamins and cytokines in immunity

Cytokines are important proteins that modulate immunity and inflammation. Vitamins are also involved in immunity and inflammation. They are found to restore the ability of some cells to produce certain cytokines. Vitamin deficiency appears to affect the mechanism of immune cells, though the impact of reduced cytokine response in vitamin malnutrition is not clear. Vitamin D is involved in many medical conditions, such as infections and inflammation, and mediates innate immunity. Deficiency of vitamin D increases the risk of infectious and inflammatory diseases. In addition, this vitamin modulates Treg function and IL-10 production which is important for therapeutic treatment. Vitamin A increases inflammatory response and is involved in tissue damage; moreover, vitamin A is a key modulator of TGFbeta which can suppress several cytokines. Vitamin E, an anti-ageing compound, is associated with a defect of naive T cells and may inhibit some inflammatory compounds such as prostaglandin generation.     

Morin augments anticarcinogenic and antiproliferative efficacy against 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene induced experimental mammary carcinogenesis

In general, oxidative stress resulting from an imbalance between prooxidant and antioxidant systems plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Morin (3,5,7,2',4'-pentahydroxyflavone), a member of the flavanol group, has been shown to possess chemopreventive potential against hepatocellular and colon cancer in experimental animals. Given the demonstrated importance of morin, aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of morin on antiproliferative and anticarcinogenic effect against DMBA-induced experimental mammary carcinogenesis. Oral administration of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene (25 mg/kg body weight) to rats resulted in significant reduction of body weight, enzymic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase), and nonenzymic antioxidants (reduced glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E). The levels of lipid peroxidation markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hydroperoxides) and tumor markers such as CA 15-3, AFP and CEA in serum were increased significantly in cancer-induced animals as compared to control rats. Oral supplementation of morin at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight significantly improved the body weight, enzymic, and nonenzymic antioxidants and considerably decreased the lipid peroxidation marker and tumor markers levels. Histological observations also correlated with the biochemical parameters. Tumor bearing animals showed marked increase in proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells and also the number of AgNOR/nuclei compared with control rats while this expression levels were significantly reduced upon morin treatment. Thus, this study reveals the possible beneficial effect of morin as chemopreventive agent against the oxidative stress induced during mammary carcinogenesis.     

Cloning and Sequencing of Phytoplasma Ribosomal DNA (rONA) Associated with Kerala Wilt Disease of Coconut Palms

Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) the 165 rRNA gene of phytoplasma associated with Kerala wilt disease of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L) was amplified from infected leaf samples. Within the three universal primer pairs P1/P6, P1/P7and P41 P7, the primer pair P4/P7 only showed an amplification of 650 bp DNA fragment. 5ince P4/P7 amplifies the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region of 165 rRNA gene, the PCR product 650 bp of Kerala wilt disease palm indicates the phytoplasma DNA. The amplified fragment was sequenced and deposited in Genbank data library (Accession No. AY158660). The absence of restriction sites for Bcll and Rsa/l in 650 bp indicates phytoplasmic nature of DNA and its strain difference. A comparison of the 650 bp sequence with other phytoplasmas and its restriction profile indicates Kerala wilt disease phytoplasma as a separate 165 rRNA group in the classification of phytoplasmas. To our knowledge, this report records the first finding of the phytoplasma DNA using universal primers and its sequence analysis in coconut palms of Kerala, south India.     

Pathogenesis of tendinopathies: inflammation or degeneration?

The intrinsic pathogenetic mechanisms of tendinopathies are largely unknown and whether inflammation or degeneration has the prominent role is still a matter of debate. Assuming that there is a continuum from physiology to pathology, overuse may be considered as the initial disease factor; in this context, microruptures of tendon fibers occur and several molecules are expressed, some of which promote the healing process, while others, including inflammatory cytokines, act as disease mediators. Neural in-growth that accompanies the neovessels explains the occurrence of pain and triggers neurogenic-mediated inflammation. It is conceivable that inflammation and degeneration are not mutually exclusive, but work together in the pathogenesis of tendinopathies.     

Diet and dentition in tropical ariid catfishes from Australia

Synopsis The diets of 13 species of ariid catfishes from the tropical waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria are described and compared. Fishes were collected from two estuaries and inshore and offshore marine areas. Up to 10 species have been recorded from a single estuary. Although all are carnivorous and consume a variety of prey, diet analyses and statistical ordination reveal three feeding guilds - piscivores, polychaete-eaters and molluscivores. The diets of most species are similar between sites. There are strong relationships between dietary guild and the size and arrangement of the palatine teeth. The piscivorous group of catfish (guild 1) have large mouths with relatively large multiple palatine tooth plates, either in a band or in a triangular pattern and armed with sharp recurved teeth. The primarily polychaete-feeding group (guild 2) have a variable mouth size but it is usually smaller than that of guild 1 fish; their palatine teeth plates are fewer and smaller, and they have small, sharp recurved teeth. Guild 3 eat mainly molluscs, and have a small mouth and large posteriorly situated palatine plates with globular, truncated teeth. Overlaps in diet between species are probably reduced by differential distribution patterns within estuaries and different habitat preferences. The mouth-width and tooth-plate arrangements of ariids in tropical Australia are suitable for dealing with broad classes of prey rather than specific items, conferring dietary flexibility. This probably optimizes the trade-off for most species between occupation of broad feeding niches and the ability to shift diet easily.     

Food intake and growth in the Moses perch, Lutjanus russelli (Bleeker), with reference to predation on penaeid prawns

Juvenile Moses perch were fed various rations of penaeid prawn and pilchard foods at 26.4 and 28.7° C to elucidate feeding–growth relationships. Maintenance rations amounted to 5.0 and 3.8% of body weight per day (BW day^–1) on prawn and pilchard diets, respectively, at 26.4° C and 4.5% BW day ¹ for prawn at 28.7° C. This apparent reduction in maintenance ration at higher temperature is probably due to reduction in activity levels. Starvation weight loss, an indicator of resting metabolic rate, increased with temperature and exhibited a Q¹⁰ of 2.0 to 2.4.
Fish fed ad libitum once or twice per day at 26.4° C grew at 1.1 % BW day^–1 and ingested about 9% of their BW day^–1. At 28.7° C fish ingested about 8% of their BW day^–1 and grew 1 .0% BW day^–1. These growth rates are comparable to those of similar sized lutjanids in the wild. Since prawns comprise 64% of the diet of Moses perch in northern Australia, this level of consumption would require about 6% BW day^–1 of prawns. The relevance of these findings to the assessment of predator impact on prawns in Australian estuaries is discussed.     

Physicochemical characterization and functional site analysis of lactoferrin gene of Vechur cow

The Bos indicus Vechur breed cow milk is known for its medicinal value and the breed is listed under the category of critically maintained breeds by the Food and Agriculture Organization. The lactoferrin protein in milk is known for its nutritional value. Gene polymorphisms have been reported for Bovine lactoferrin. Mutations in the evolutionarily conserved sites tend to impair protein function and are related with the physicochemical difference between the known variants with 11 SNPs within the wild type. Structural differences are located due to these SNPs that may lead to functional variations. The structural variation is seen primarily in the first 48 residues at 5' end in all the samples modelled. Out of 11 SNPs 5 amino acid variations fall under alpha helix and beta sheet region, this might be of functional significance. This result may provide evidence that the SNPs detected in lactoferrin gene might have potential effects on milk composition. Our result demonstrates one major domain that could be a common binding pocket to all the samples, and important as an active site common to all the breeds that could be utilized for effective drug designing. Moreover, at some SNP positions in Vechur breed, antimicrobial peptides were located indicating importance of those residues for enhanced antimicrobial activity in lactoferrin of Vechur breed. Second binding pocket found in N- lobe region with the three required residues aspartic acid, histidine and tyrosine for iron binding, was considered as major binding site.