Detection of rabies viral antigens in non-autolysed and autolysed tissues by using an immunoperoxidase technique

The objectives of this study were to determine the potential of an immunoperoxidase technique involving the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) stain for the diagnosis of rabies in fresh tissues and compare it with other standard methods, including the fluorescent antibody test (FAT), haematoxylin and eosin and Seller's stain, and to investigate its capacity to detect rabies antigen in autolysed tissues. Samples of non-autolysed brain from 81 domestic and wild animals suspected of having rabies were examined. Rabies antigen was detected by FAT in 41 of these samples and Negri bodies were detected in 40 (97.6 per cent) of them by the immunoperoxidase technique, in 25 by haematoxylin and eosin and in 22 by Seller's stain. The sensitivity of the immunoperoxidase technique decreased as the tissues were left to autolyse; after two days it was 91.2 per cent, after four days 70.6 per cent, and after seven days 11.8 per cent.     

Polypeptide Alteration During The Cold Stratification In Mazzard Seed

Many seeds of woody plants require low temperature for germination and that’s called seed dormancy has been investigated for relations of proteins by several researchers. We determined polypeptide profiles of cold-stratified Mazzard seeds. Seeds were studied in five different periods: seeds in dormancy (none stratified), 30, 60, 90 and 120 days cold-stratified. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE) of the soluble protein fractions from stratified and none stratified seeds was utilized for determination of changes in polypeptides. SDS-PAGE revealed a decrease in the concentrations of 14 polypeptides and appearance of four low-molecular weight (15.1, 16.3, 17.8 and 19.4?kDa) polypeptides were determined in 90 and 120 day stratified seeds. The study results exhibited the evidences of the involvement of protein changes in response of Mazzard seeds during cold stratification.     

Directing gonadal differentiation in bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque), and black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur), by periodic estradiol-17β immersions

We investigated the feminization of bluegill and black crappie by short periodic immersions in an aqueous estradiol‐17β (E₂) solution. Bluegill fry (13.8 mm) were immersed in a 1 mg L^?1 E₂ solution every 5 days on three occasions over an 11‐day period. In the positive control treatment, the same cohort of fry was fed 200 mg kg^?1 E₂ diet for 45 days. Two different size (26.1 and 20.1 mm) but the same age (45 days old) black crappie fry were immersed in the same concentration of E₂ solution for 5 h a day every 3–5 days on 10 occasions between 45 and 86 days post hatch. Both modes of E₂ administration were effective to induce feminization in bluegill. Feeding fry E₂ impregnated diet for 45 days yielded 99.3% female populations from a 38.8% female experimental population. Only three short‐time E₂ immersions of fry over a much shorter treatment period also produced 76.9% female populations. E₂ immersions had no effect on sex ratios of larger black crappie fry and produced variable levels of feminization (60–82% female) in smaller black crappie fry. Results of the present study showed that feminization in both species can be achieved by periodic immersions of fry in a 1 mg L^?1 E₂ solution with no adverse effects on survival. Yet, further researches on timing and intensity of immersion treatments are still needed for optimization of the procedures.     

Determination of chemical profile, antioxidant, DNA damage protection and antiamoebic activities of Teucrium polium and Stachys iberica

This work deals with the evaluation of in vitro antioxidant, DNA preventing and antiamoebic activities of the water extracts of Teucrium polium and Stachys iberica. In all systems, T. polium extract exhibited excellent activity potential than that of S. iberica. The amount of total phenolics and flavonoids were high in this extract. In the presence of 40 mg/ml T. polium extract, a significant protection was observed for native super coiled DNA of pBR322 plasmid DNA. In the presence of 32 mg/ml of T. polium extract, no trophozoite was after the 24th hour.