Comparative effectiveness of 2-phenoxyethanol and Propiscin as anesthetics for juvenile sea bass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dicentrarchus labrax</Emphasis> L.

The comparative effectiveness of 2-phenoxyethanol and Propiscin as anesthetics were studied on juvenile sea bass. Both anesthetics showed low toxicity and good hypnotic characteristics, however median survival times at the same concentration of both anesthetics differed. Propiscin showed much lower LT₅₀ than 2-phenoxyethanol, pointing towards its elevated toxicity in juvenile sea bass, even the same concentrations of Propiscin induced slower anesthesia than 2-phenoxyethanol. The most suitable Propiscin concentration for anesthesia was 0.56 ml/l, while the most suitable concentration of 2-phenoxyethanol was 0.32 ml/l for juvenile sea bass. Mortalities after 96 h were induced with Propiscin at lower concentrations then of 2-phenoxyethanol, resulting in the conclusion that the 2-phenoxyethanol is a safer anesthetic for use with juvenile sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.).     

Caspase activation in equine influenza virus induced apoptotic cell death.

Equine influenza virus (EIV) is the leading cause of acute respiratory infection in horses worldwide. In recent years, the precise mechanism by which influenza infection kills host cells is being re-evaluated. In this report, we examined whether caspases, a group of intracellular proteases, are activated following EIV infection and contribute to EIV-mediated cell death. Western blotting analysis indicated that a nuclear target of caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was proteolytically cleaved in EIV-infected MDCK cells, but not in mock-infected cells. In comparison with caspase-3 specific inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO, a general caspase inhibitor Boc-D-FMK provided much stronger inhibition of EIV-induced cytopathic effect and apoptosis. Our results suggest that EIV may activate more than one caspase. Caspase activation and cleavage of its cellular targets may play a critical role in EIV-mediated cytotoxicity.