Effects of the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and of venom from the endoparasitic wasp Pimpla hypochondriaca on survival and food consumption of the pest slug Deroceras reticulatum; implications for novel biocontrol strategies

BACKGROUND: Controlling pests through disruption of biochemical pathways by physiologically active compounds/factors from animals and plants represents an expanding field of research. The authors investigated whether such factors in venom from the wasp Pimpla hypochondriaca (Retzius) can affect the viability and food consumption of the slug Deroceras reticulatum (Müller), and whether they can improve the efficacy of nematode-induced slug mortality. RESULTS: Exposure of slugs to 4 mL of water containing 500, 1000 and 5000 Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (Schneider) resulted in significant increases in mortality (with hazard ratios of 3.5, 3.9 and 5.8 respectively) and significant reductions in total food consumption and mean food consumption each day for 21 days. Injection of slugs with 4, 8 or 12 microL of P. hypochondriaca venom resulted in significant increases in mortality (with hazard ratios of 3.3, 4.5 and 9.0 respectively) and significant reductions in total food consumption compared with the controls. However, there was no significant effect of venom on the mean food consumption on individual days of the 21 day assay period, although significant reductions occurred for the 8 and 12 microL doses up to day 10. Injecting slugs with 4 microL of venom prior to exposure to 500 nematodes had no synergistic effect on either mortality or food consumption compared with either of the individual treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Pimpla hypochondriaca venom contains factors capable of killing and reducing food consumption by D. reticulatum. The utilization of these factors as components of integrated pest management strategies is discussed.     

Effects of swimming on experimental endometriosis in rats

AIM To evaluate the effect of swimming on experimental endometriosis in rats. METHODS 80 female SD rats were divided into 8 groups, including control group, model group and animals performed light exercise （swimming once a week）, moderate exercise （swimming 3 times a week）, and intense exercise （swimming 5 times a week） before or after endometriosis induction,10 rats in each group. The mRNA and protein expressions of fatty acid synthase （FAS）, matrix metalloproteinase 9 （MMP9） and proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA） in endometrium of rats were detected. RESULTS The swimming before the induction of the edometriosis lesions did not prove to have aprophylactic role against endometriosis, whereas the swimming after induction of the lesions had a beneficial effect regardless of frequency, with a greater reduction in the groups practicing moderate and intense activity （P<0.05）, an increase in FAS levels and a decrease in MMP9 and PCNA levels were also observed （P<0.05）. CONCLUSION Swimming after induction of the edometriosis is beneficial for the treatment of endometriosis, the mechanism may be related to the expression of FAS, MMP9 and PCNA protein.     

乳腺良性病变及乳腺癌组织中基质金属蛋白酶-2、-9的表达及其意义

目的：探讨基质金属蛋白酶—2、—9(MMP—2、MMP—9)在乳腺良性病变及乳腺癌组织中的表达及意义。方法：应用免疫组化SP法检测10例乳腺良性病变及29例乳腺癌组织中MMP—2和MMP—9的表达。结果：MMP—2和MMP—9在乳腺癌中的表达明显高于乳腺良性组织。且乳腺癌患者中有淋巴结转移组MMP—2、MMP—9的表达明显高于无淋巴结转移组。结论：MMP—2和MMP—9在乳腺癌组织中有高表达且在乳腺癌细胞突破基底膜向外扩散、转移中起着重要作用，两者参与了乳腺癌的转移过程。     

意大利蜜蜂蜂毒透明质酸酶基因的克隆与序列分析

从意蜂毒腺抽提总RNA,用RT-PCR获得蜂毒透明质酸酶(AmHya)基因,其核苷酸序列全长为1 149 bp.将AmHya氨基酸序列与中蜂蜂毒透明质酸酶(AcHya)和其它5种透明质酸酶(Hya)氨基酸序列比较,结果显示,AmHya与 AcHya的同源性最高(91%),同时对7种Hya作了分子结构与分子进化分析.     

Protease Inhibitors from Marine Venomous Animals and Their Counterparts in Terrestrial Venomous Animals

The Kunitz-type protease inhibitors are the best-characterized family of serine protease inhibitors, probably due to their abundance in several organisms. These inhibitors consist of a chain of ~60 amino acid residues stabilized by three disulfide bridges, and was first observed in the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI)-like protease inhibitors, which strongly inhibit trypsin and chymotrypsin. In this review we present the protease inhibitors (PIs) described to date from marine venomous animals, such as from sea anemone extracts and Conus venom, as well as their counterparts in terrestrial venomous animals, such as snakes, scorpions, spiders, Anurans, and Hymenopterans. More emphasis was given to the Kunitz-type inhibitors, once they are found in all these organisms. Their biological sources, specificity against different proteases, and other molecular blanks (being also K⁺ channel blockers) are presented, followed by their molecular diversity. Whereas sea anemone, snakes and other venomous animals present mainly Kunitz-type inhibitors, PIs from Anurans present the major variety in structure length and number of Cys residues, with at least six distinguishable classes. A representative alignment of PIs from these venomous animals shows that, despite eventual differences in Cys assignment, the key-residues for the protease inhibitory activity in all of them occupy similar positions in primary sequence. The key-residues for the K⁺ channel blocking activity was also compared.