Elucidation of membrane destabilization in post-mortem muscles using an extracellular paramagnetic agent (Gd-DTPA): an NMR study

The effect of Gd-DTPA on the development in NMR relaxation of skeletal rabbit muscles post-mortem was investigated by dynamic low-field (0.47 T) relaxation measurements from 4 min post-mortem and until 23 h post-mortem. Twelve rabbits were included in the study, and half of the animals were administered 0.2 mmol of Gd-DTPA iv 15 min before sacrifice, while the other half was administered an isotonic salt solution. A significant effect of Gd-DTPA treatment corresponding to a 25% reduction in the T(1) relaxation time was observed. T(2) relaxation was decomposed into two components reflecting intra- and extracellular components (T(2)()alpha and T(2)()beta, respectively), and Gd-DTPA treatment was found to affect both components. However, around 150 min post-mortem a dramatic increase in the difference between control and Gd-DTPA-treated rabbits was observed in the relaxation time of the intracellular water population (T(2)()alpha). Electrical stimulation of the muscles resulted in a significantly earlier onset of the increased effect of Gd-DTPA on the T(2)()alpha population. The increased effect of Gd-DTPA treatment on the T(2)()alpha component is believed to reflect leakage of water from the muscle cells due to membrane destabilization, known to be promoted by electrical stimulation. Accordingly, the present study demonstrates how Gd-DTPA can be used for probing membrane integrity in post-mortem muscles known to be of importance for subsequent water distribution and final water-holding capacity.     

Effect of cultivation and within-field differences in soil conditions on feral Helianthus annuus growth in ridge-tillage maize

Differences in weed population dynamics with respect to within-field heterogeneity are not well documented despite increasing interest in site-specific management of agro-ecosystems. The focus of this study was to determine if mechanical weed management (cultivation) and/or soil factors help to explain observed within-field distributions of feral common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The ridges and furrows created by the ridge–tillage system adds additional microsites to existing spatial heterogeneity for soil characteristics such as soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration. Experimental areas were selected on the basis of naturally high or low SOC concentration. Cultivation resulted in 100% mortality of H. annuus seedlings growing in the middle of furrows. Cultivation of pre-emergence herbicide treated and no-herbicide ridges resulted in small but statistically significant ( = 0.05) reductions in seedling survival. No differences were detected in H. annuus canopy height, stem diameter, stem length, or vegetative biomass between high and low SOC environments. Neither total reproductive biomass (P = 0.49) nor the biomass of flowers near physiological maturity (an estimate of fecundity; P = 0.59) were affected by SOC environment. Late season H. annuus lodging was observed to reduce reproductive biomass. Juvenile plants that survived mechanical weed control efforts grew and produced reproductive biomass similarly across SOC environments. The lack of difference in vegetative and reproductive characteristics between high and low SOC environments suggests that SOC (or the edaphic conditions associated with greater or lesser SOC level) was not critical in contributing to the observed distribution of H. annuus from juvenile to flowering stages of growth within well-fertilized, irrigated agricultural habitats.     

Saponin-containing subfractions of soybean molasses induce enteritis in the distal intestine of Atlantic salmon

The current work aimed at tracing the causative components for soybean-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Soybean molasses was subjected to phase separation using n-butanol. Three subfractions were obtained as follows: butanol phase, precipitate, and water phase. The biochemical composition of soybean molasses and the obtained subfractions were analyzed in detail: Protein, fat, and ash were quantified according to standard methods. Sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose were quantified using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. Soyasaponins were quantified using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Finally, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to evaluate the size distribution of the proteins present in each fraction. Molasses and the different subfractions were thereafter fed to Atlantic salmon in two successive fish trials. The level of intestinal inflammation was evaluated by light microscopy using a semiquantitative scoring system. Histological assessments revealed that Atlantic salmon fed a combination of butanol phase and precipitate displayed significant enteritis. Atlantic salmon fed the water phase displayed normal intestinal morphology. The causative components for soybean-induced enteritis withstand butanol treatment and prolonged heating at 70 degrees C. Sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, nor soybean proteins larger than 10 kDa induce enteritis alone. Soyasaponins, or components that follow the same solubility pattern, trigger the inflammatory reaction. We therefore suggest that soybean-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon is induced by soyasaponins alone or by soyasaponins in combination with other factors, e.g., antigenic soybean proteins or the intestinal microflora.     

Pod photosynthesis and drought adaptation of field grown rape (Brassica napus L.)

In rape (Brassica napus L., cv. Global) seed growth mainly depends on husk CO₂ assimilation. In irrigated plants, the net photosynthetic rate (A_max) was 10–13 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in non-maturing pods and correlated with nitrogen content. The stomatal conductance of water vapour (g_H2O) was 0.3 mol m⁻² s⁻¹ in non-maturing pods. The photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was 8.3 μmol CO₂g⁻¹ N s⁻¹, about one-third of that in leaves. The photosynthetic water use efficiency (WUE; A_maxg_H2O⁻¹) was similar in pods and leaves. In severely droughted plants, the photosynthetic rate was reduced to 38%. The seed growth rate, however, was not influenced by intermittent periods of water stress, indicating translocation of assimilates to the seeds. The drought resistant character of the pods was due to low specific area, succulence, low stomatal conductance causing a small decrease of ΔΨ day⁻¹ during soil drying and maintenance of high relative water content during severe drought. A mathematical formulation of the pod water release curve was undertaken. © (1997) Elsevier Science B.V.     

Effect of antioxidants on oxidation during the production of whey fat concentrate

Whey fat has a relatively high level of unsaturated fatty acids, and as such, whey products with a high fat content are vulnerable to oxidation. The purposes of the present study were to assess the oxidative development in whey fat concentrate (WFC) during production and investigate the effect of the addition of antioxidants. Green tea extract (GTE) or a mixture of ascorbyl palmitate and tocopherol (AP/TOC) were used, each in two concentrations. Samples were taken before and after pasteurization of WFC and after drying. The level of volatile oxidation products decreased during processing, while dityrosine concentrations increased during drying. GTE reduced oxidation in both unpasteurized and pasteurized WFC, while the effect of AP/TOC was nonsignificant. In the WFC powder, there was no significant effect of the antioxidants. In conclusion, results indicated that GTE was able to inhibit oxidation in WFC during production and that AP/TOC addition had no effect.     

Announcements

A system which controls the amount of rations fed and the length of the feeding periods independently in each of six simultaneous experiments is described with circuit diagrams.     

Mortality of scallop spat in cultivation, infested with tube dwellingbristle worms, Polydora sp.

Between 1995 and 1997, a traditional Norwegian oyster poll with an attachednursery was used for the production of scallop (Pecten maximus) spat.During summer 1997, four batches of 2 mm scallop spat were placed in thenursery. In June, hydroids (Obelia) caused problems with fouling andaccumulation of sediment in the nursery. Thereafter, the scallop spat wereheavily infested with tube dwelling polychaets (Polydora sp.). Thepolychaets were both introduced with poll water and reproduced inside thenursery. Infested spat suffered high mortalities. Although the spat could have been affected by the hydroids, as well as shortage of food, Polydorainfestations were considered the main cause of the mortalities. Dead andinfested spat were continuously sorted out and discarded, but the infestationproblems persisted. As a result, the scallop spat did not represent anycommercial value for the company, and in September, the nursery wasemptied. In total, approximately one million spat – representing onethird of Norway's intensive scallop spat production in 1997, was lost.     

Scallop introductions and transfers, from an animal health point ofview

The effects of transfers and introductions of bivalue molluscs are alwaysmore or less unpredictable. Moving scallops, there is a risk of introducingpathogenic agents or of disturbing the balance between potentiallypathogenic agents and host species in the recipient ecosystem. Risk is noteliminated by merely following official regulations. Some factors which maybe important in order to assess risk, and to choose the level of risk we arewilling to accept, are: The existence of ``stowaways', and the action of mechanical vectors.One organism may carry another, and it is seems impossible to obtain a``clean' organism, in spite of long quarantines. The biological vector function. There may be unknown reservoirs,intermediate or alternative hosts of pathogenic agents in the ``new'environment. An introduced species may also carry potentially pathogenicagents into a new ecosystem. The often lacking knowledge concerning epizootiology. Life cycles ofmany pathogenic agents are poorly known, as are the infectious dose ofagent, influence of environmental factors on disease, etc. The diagnostic tools, and the ``human factor' in diagnostics. Methodsare often not sensitive enough to detect a pathogenic agent in a carrierstate, or immediately after the agent has entered the host, or at a lowprevalence/how intensity level. It is also important that personnel aresufficiently trained to do the diagnostic work. The official priority of disease control. There are no notifiablediseases of scallops. EC regulations, and the ``one area/one agent/one bivalve species'management. National and international trade, including illegal transport of livebivalves.Considering these factors enables a better focus on the riskfactors and the assessment of risks associated with introductions andtransfers of scallops. Consideration may also help to clarify the scientificlevel of knowledge and experience required to handle scallop diseases, andfocus on practical problems in scallop health control.     

SOS response induction by beta-lactams and bacterial defense against antibiotic lethality

The SOS response aids bacterial propagation by inhibiting cell division during repair of DNA damage. We report that inactivation of the ftsI gene product, penicillin binding protein 3, by either beta-lactam antibiotics or genetic mutation induces SOS in Escherichia coli through the DpiBA two-component signal transduction system. This event, which requires the SOS-promoting recA and lexA genes as well as dpiA, transiently halts bacterial cell division, enabling survival to otherwise lethal antibiotic exposure. Our findings reveal defective cell wall synthesis as an unexpected initiator of the bacterial SOS response, indicate that beta-lactam antibiotics are extracellular stimuli of this response, and demonstrate a novel mechanism for mitigation of antimicrobial lethality.