ATP release guides neutrophil chemotaxis via P2Y2 and A3 receptors

Cells must amplify external signals to orient and migrate in chemotactic gradient fields. We find that human neutrophils release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from the leading edge of the cell surface to amplify chemotactic signals and direct cell orientation by feedback through P2Y2 nucleotide receptors. Neutrophils rapidly hydrolyze released ATP to adenosine that then acts via A3-type adenosine receptors, which are recruited to the leading edge, to promote cell migration. Thus, ATP release and autocrine feedback through P2Y2 and A3 receptors provide signal amplification, controlling gradient sensing and migration of neutrophils.     

Adenosine deaminase activity in serum, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of rats infected with Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae

Leptospirosis is a systemic disease of humans and domestic animals, mainly dogs, cattle and swine. The course of human leptospirosis varies from mild to severe fatal forms and the most severe form of human leptospirosis is principally caused by Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae (L. icterohaemorrhagiae). The enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA) plays an important role in the production and differentiation of blood cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of ADA in serum, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of rats infected with L. icterohaemorrhagiae, as compared with non-infected rats. Twenty-four adult rats, divided into two uniform groups (A and B) were used for the enzymatic assays. The animals in Group B were inoculated intraperitoneally with 2×10(8) leptospires/rat, and the rodents in Group A (control) were not-inoculated. Blood collection was performed on days 5 and 15 post-infection (PI) and the blood used to assess the ADA activity. The infection by L.icterohaemorrhagiae altered erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit, causing a decrease in all these parameters on day 15 PI. Lymphocytes decreased significantly on day 15 PI, and ADA activity in serum was inhibited in infected rats on days 5 and 15 PI and its activity in erythrocytes were increased on day 5 PI. On day 5 PI, we found an increase in ADA activity in erythrocytes of infected rats. No correlation was observed between hematocrit and erythrocyte ADA activity on days 5 and 15 PI. The ADA activity was inhibited in rats infected on day 15 PI. A positive correlation (r(2)=60) was also observed between the number of lymphocytes and ADA activity in lymphocytes on day 15 PI (P<0.05). In conclusion, our results showed that the ADA activity is altered in serum, lymphocytes and erythrocytes in experimental infection by L.icterohaemorrhagiae in rats, concomitantly with hematological parameters.     

Cysteine proteinases Fas1 and Fas2 are diagnostic markers for Fasciola hepatica infection in alpacas (Lama pacos)

Circulating antibody against Fasciola hepatica antigens was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoelectrophoresis in alpacas naturally exposed to F. hepatica. Serological assay parameters were established by using sera from eight infected animals and seven controls with no record of this parasitic infection. Excretory--secretory (ES-) products, Fas1- and Fas2-ELISA were used to survey 307 alpacas from a F. hepatica endemic area in the Peruvian Andes. Seroprevalence of F. hepatica infection varied from 56.7, 64.8 and 66.8% measured by Fas1-, Fas2- and ES-ELISA, respectively. The sensitivity for ES-ELISA was 95%, corresponding Fas1- and Fas2-ELISA sensitivity values were 90 and 95%. In this population, 7% of animals were positive for F. hepatica eggs in faeces, other parasites detected were Trichuris sp. (40%), Nematodirus sp. (34.6%), Lamanema sp. (12.8%) and Eimeria sp. (11.8%). The results show that F. hepatica infected animals elicit circulating antibodies against ES, Fas1 and Fas2. Fas2-ELISA may be proposed as a sensitive assay for the immunodiagnosis of fasciolosis in alpacas.     

Logging Impacts in Tropical Lowland Humid Forest on Tree Species Diversity and Environmental Conservation

This study assessed the effects of exploitations in natural forest ecosystems on tree species diversity and environmental conservation. This was achieved by comparing tree species diversity and yield in an unlogged forest (Strict Nature Reserve) and a forest reserve where active logging is in progress in Ondo State, Nigeria. Eight plots (20 m × 20 m) were assessed in each site using systematic sampling techniques. All living trees with dbh >10 cm were identified, categorized into families with their diameter at breast height (dbh) measured in each plot. Shannon-Weiner and species evenness indices were used to assess and compare tree species diversity and abundance. The results show that the tropical humid forest is very rich in tree species, as a total of 54 different tropical hardwood species from 23 families were encountered in both forest types. There were 46 species distributed among 21 families in the unlogged forest and 24 species in 14 families in the logged forest. Shannon-Weiner diversity index of 3.16 and 3.03 and evenness index of .83 and .81 were also obtained for the unlogged and logged forest, respectively. Every variable computed had a higher value in the unlogged forest relative to the logged forest. In the unlogged forest, the species with the highest number of occurrence was Mansonia altissima A. Chev. (80 stems/ha). Caesalpinoidae and Sterculiaceae families had the highest number of species (6). In the logged forest, Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum. (18 stems/ha) had the highest frequency and Caesalpinoidae family has the highest number of species (4). The study concludes that exploitation has affected species diversity in the ecosystem and subsequently, the roles of trees in environmental conservation are affected.     

Spatial Modeling of Tropical Deforestation Using Socioeconomic and Biophysical Data

Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. In Central America, a hectare of forest is cleared for agriculture every 5 min. This study was conducted in a forested 4,000 ha watershed of central Honduras to find deforestation causes based on socio-economic characteristics of population. First, a multitemporal analysis of Landsat TM imagery was conducted to determine deforestation rates and agricultural–forest boundaries. A GIS buffer procedure allowed determining which households were at the deforestation front and which households were located at the rest of the area (control). GIS techniques were used to extract biophysical information such as slope, elevation, land cover, temperature, precipitation, etc. Then, we set up a data base with more than 50 socioeconomic variables (level of education, income, children per family, major economic activity, use of conservation practices, etc.). Around 500 households, distributed all over the watershed, were visited, interviewed and GPS-located. A multivariate statistical analysis allowed an exploratory analysis to eliminate non useful and redundant variables and then to determine what variables appear to be important predictors of deforestation behavior among rural families. A resulting logistic regression model showed that household with lower annual income heads and with less use of conservation practices were more statistically prone to clear the forest (α = 0.001). The study uncovered the complexity of this problem and confirmed the need of using GIS–remote sensing techniques to combine socioeconomic and environmental data in several time–space dimensions to find the causes and trends of tropical deforestation.     

Grafts of porcine small intestinal submucosa seeded with cultured homologous smooth muscle cells for bladder repair in dogs

Background

Due to numerous complications associated to gastrointestinal augmented cystoplasty, this study aimed to analyze the anatomic repair of the bladder of 10 female dogs using grafts of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) seeded with cultured homologous smooth muscle cells, and compare them with the acellular SIS grafts.

Results

We assessed the possible side effects and complications of each type of graft by clinical examination, abdominal ultrasound and laboratory findings. Anatomic repair of neoformed bladder was assessed by histological staining for H/E and Masson''s Trichrome, analyzed with a Nikon Photomicroscope connected to the system of image analysis Image J.

Conclusions

We propose that SIS associated to homologous smooth cells can improve the quality of tissue repair, and consequently decrease the potential complications inherent to acellular SIS.