Pain threshold variations in female rats as a function of the estrus Cycle

In this study, the response of female rats in different phases of the estrus cycle to nociceptive stimulation was evaluated using thermal (hot plate and tail immersion) and chemical (formalin) tests. In the hot plate test, the paw licking latency fell significantly (p < 0.05) in the metestrus and diestrus phases compared with the proestrus and estrus phases. The observations in the tail immersion test also followed the same pattern. The significant reductions in the paw licking and tail withdrawal latencies due to a lowered threshold denote an increase in pain sensitivity in the metestrus and diestrus phases. In the formalin test, the licking time fell significantly from the metestrus to the diestrus phase compared with the proestrus and estrus phases, the reduction in this test which was due to an increased threshold connotes a decrease in pain sensitivity. The results therefore seem test dependent. In conclusion, pain threshold in female rats depends on the estrus state. Keywords: Pain threshold, Variation, Estrus cycle.     

Anti-parasite activity of nucleoside analogues: the metabolism of carbocyclic inosine in promastigotes of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania donovani and its activity against amastigotes of Leishmania donovani in vitro

Carbocyclic inosine is a potent inhibitor for the growth of the promastigote form of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania donovani. In culture, the EC50 values of carbocyclic inosine are 8.3 X 10(-8) and 1.3 X 10(-7) M for the promastigotes of L. tropica and L. donovani, respectively. On the other hand, it is less toxic towards mouse mammary tumor FM3A cells: the EC50 value is 2.7 X 10(-4)M. Carbocyclic inosine is metabolized by Leishmania promastigotes to give carbocyclic adenosine-5'-triphosphate(aristeromycin-5'-triphosphate) and carbocyclic guanosine-5'-triphosphate. This metabolic conversion provides a mechanism for the parasite-selective toxicity of carbocyclic inosine. Carbocyclic inosine was found to be active against L. donovani amastigotes in an in vivo-like cultivation in vitro.     

天山北麓典型水库细菌多样性分析

为了探讨天山北麓中段水库细菌的多样性及其功能,选取蘑菇湖水库（MGW）、奎屯/车排子水库（KCW）、安集海水库（AJW）和八一水库（BYW）为典型水库进行宏基因组学分析。多点采集水库水样,收集水样中的微生物,CTAB法提取总DNA,用细菌16S rDNA通用引物扩增V3-V4区,扩增产物进行高通量测序,使用BLAST、USEARCH、QIIME等软件和在线工具分析水库细菌的多样性,使用PICRUSt软件和KEGG数据库预测细菌功能基因组成。结果表明,水库细菌分属18个门、38个纲和181个属,其中AJW的操作分类单元（Operational taxonomic units,OTUs）数量和多样性指数较高。4个水库菌群组成有一定的共性,在门分类阶元上优势菌为变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）;在纲分类阶元上优势菌为黄杆菌纲（Flavobacteriia）;在属分类阶元上优势菌为黄杆菌属（Flavobacterium）。然而各水库菌群组成也存在较大差异,在变形菌门中,γ-变形菌纲（Gammaproteobacteria）的相对丰度在MGW和BYW较高,α-变形菌纲（Alphaproteobacterial）和β-变形菌纲（Betaproteobacteria）分别于AJW和KCW具有较高丰度;芽孢杆菌纲（Bacilli）在AJW和MGW具有较高丰度;相对丰度较高的菌属还包括AJW的动性杆菌属（Planomicrobium）、KCW的马赛菌属（Massilia）、MGW的不动杆菌属（Acinetobacter）和动性杆菌属以及BYW的假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas）和嗜冷杆菌属（Psychrobacter）;另外,AJW特有多种丰度较高的菌纲和菌属,其中微小杆菌属（Exiguobacterium）和CL500-29_marine_group均有利于水质和菌群多样性的维持。PICRUSt功能预测分析表明,4个水库菌群的多种代谢以及遗传信息处理、信号传递和细胞生长相关功能基因丰度较高,并含有环境异生物降解代谢相关基因,其中苯甲酸、氨基苯甲酸酯、氯烷烃和氯烯烃以及萘降解相关基因的相对丰度较高。以上结果提示,天山北麓中段不同水库菌群组成存在差异,其与水源、周边环境和人类活动等因素相关。水库菌群含有芳香族和有机氯等化合物降解相关基因,其可在污染物的降解和生物修复中发挥作用。     

Combined method of whole mount and block-face imaging: Acquisition of 3D data of gene expression pattern from conventional in situ hybridization

Visualization of spatiotemporal expression of a gene of interest is a fundamental technique for analyzing the involvements of genes in organ development. In situ hybridization (ISH) is one of the most popular methods for visualizing gene expression. When conventional ISH is performed on sections or whole-mount specimens, the gene expression pattern is represented in 2-dimensional (2D) microscopic images or in the surface view of the specimen. To obtain 3-dimensional (3D) data of gene expression from conventional ISH, the “serial section method” has traditionally been employed. However, this method requires an extensive amount of time and labor because it requires researchers to collect a tremendous number of sections, label all sections by ISH, and image them before 3D reconstruction. Here, we proposed a rapid and low-cost 3D imaging method that can create 3D gene expression patterns from conventional ISH-labeled specimens. Our method consists of a combination of whole-mount ISH and Correlative Microscopy and Blockface imaging (CoMBI). The whole-mount ISH-labeled specimens were sliced using a microtome or cryostat, and all block-faces were imaged and used to reconstruct 3D images by CoMBI. The 3D data acquired using our method showed sufficient quality to analyze the morphology and gene expression patterns in the developing mouse heart. In addition, 2D microscopic images of the sections can be obtained when needed. Correlating 2D microscopic images and 3D data can help annotate gene expression patterns and understand the anatomy of developing organs. These results indicated that our method can be useful in the field of developmental biology.     

Reduced levels of mutagen processing potential in the Schistosoma japonicum-infected mouse liver

Epidemiological studies have shown the presence of a positive correlation between the infection of Schistosoma japonicum and colorectal and/or liver cancers in the humans. To explore the mechanism underlying this correlation, we have investigated the mutagen-activating potentials of the liver homogenate fraction (S9) from Schistosoma japonicum infected mice and those from control mice, by use of the Ames test with 2-acetylaminofluorene, aflatoxin B1 and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2) as test mutagens. Liver S9 prepared from the infected group at the 15th week after the infection showed a potential significantly lower than that from the control group. The hepatic cytochrome P-450 concentration in the infected mice was persistently low, about a half of that in the uninfected mice, during the period of 6-18 weeks after the infection. Thus, in mice bearing chronic schistosomiasis, mutagen-processing potentials are decreased.     

A preliminary study on relationships among selected Australian members of the tribe Spilomelini (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Pyraustinae)

A preliminary study was conducted on phylogenetic relationships among some selected genera of the Australian Spilomelini, focusing on relationships among the Australian Glyphodes group (Glyphodes Guenée, 1854, Dysallacta Lederer, 1863, Talanga Moore, 1885 and Agrioglypta Meyrick, 1932) and the 17 genera which are morphologically similar to it. Representatives of three genera of the Pyarustini were used as outgroups. Cladistic analysis of morphological data from the adult moths produced 10 equally MP trees (length = 221, CI=0.294, and RI=0.608). The clade formed by the 21 selected genera of the Australian Spilomelini had low bootstrap support even though a good apomorphy supported the monophyly of this group, namely, a strong, bilobed praecinctorium of abdominal tympanal organs. The analysis showed that the Glyphodes group is not monophyletic because the genus Chrysothyridia Snellen appears within it in the 10 MP trees. The concept of the Glyphodes group should be expanded to include Chrysothyridia and also the Synclera Zeller and Didymostoma (Walker) since the Synclera + Didymostoma clade, as the hypothesised sister group of the Glyphodes group, is not sufficiently supported as a separate monophyletic group. The analysis also showed that genus Glyphodes is not a monophyletic group, while Metallarcha Meyrick is a monophyletic group.     

Morphological investigation of nanocomposites from sorbitol plasticized starch and tunicin whiskers

Nanocomposites were prepared from waxy maize starch plasticized with sorbitol as the matrix and a stable aqueous suspension of tunicin whiskers-an animal cellulose-as the reinforcing phase. The composites were conditioned at different relative humidity levels. The conditioned films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, water uptake experiments, and wide-angle X-ray scattering studies. Contrarily to our previous report concerning tunicin whisker filled glycerol plasticized starch nanocomposites (Macromolecules 2000, 33, 8344), the present system exhibited a single glass-rubber transition, and no evidence of transcrystallization of amylopectin on cellulose whisker surfaces and resultant antiplasticizing effects were observed. It was found that the glass-rubber transition temperature of the plasticized amylopectin matrix first increases up a whiskers content around 10-15 wt % and then decreases. A significant increase in crystallinity was observed in the composites by increasing either moisture content or whiskers content.     

Purification and characterization of chitinase B from moderately thermophilic bacterium Ralstonia sp. A-471

Chitinase B was purified from a culture medium of Ralstonia sp. A-471 by precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 and column chromatography with DEAE-Toyopearl 650 M and Sephacryl S-200. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight was 45,000 by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH was 5.0 and stable pH was from 5.0 to 10.0. In the early stage of the reaction, chitinase B produced beta-anomer of (GlcNAc)2 from the substrate (GlcNAc)6, whereas (GlcNAc)4 produced almost at equilibrium, indicating that the enzyme predominantly hydrolyzes the second glycosidic linkage from the nonreducing end of (GlcNAc)6.     

Estimates and implications of the costs of compliance with biosafety regulations in developing countries

Estimating the cost of compliance with biosafety regulations is important as it helps developers focus their investments in producer development. We provide estimates for the cost of compliance for a set of technologies in Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries. These costs vary from US $100,000 to 1.7 million. These are estimates of regulatory costs and do not include product development or deployment costs. Cost estimates need to be compared with potential gains when the technology is introduced in these countries and the gains in knowledge accumulate during the biosafety assessment process. Although the cost of compliance is important, time delays and uncertainty are even more important and may have an adverse impact on innovations reaching farmers.