Astaxanthin treatment reduced oxidative induced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in U937: SHP-1 as a novel biological target

It has been suggested that oxidative stress activates various intracellular signaling pathways leading to secretion of a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. SHP-1 is a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) which acts as a negative regulator of immune cytokine signaling. However, intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), generated endogenously upon stimulation and exogenously from environmental oxidants, has been known to be involved in the process of intracellular signaling through inhibiting various PTPs, including SHP-1. In this study, we investigated the potential role of astaxanthin, an antioxidant marine carotenoid, in re-establishing SHP-1 negative regulation on pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in U-937 cell line stimulated with oxidative stimulus. ELISA measurement suggested that ASTA treatment (10 μM) reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) induced through H(2)O(2), (100 μM). Furthermore, this property is elicited by restoration of basal SHP-1 protein expression level and reduced NF-κB (p65) nuclear expression, as showed by western blotting experiments.     

Application of artificial photoperiod in fish: a factor that increases susceptibility to infectious diseases?

This paper describes and evaluates the mortality associated with the potential stressor effect induced by application of artificial photoperiods in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). After application of artificial photoperiods, high mortalities of trout subjected to this management were recorded (36% in LD 14:10 and 25% in LD 24:0) as compared to controls (7%). The recorded signology related to diseased trout included darkening, lethargy and erratic swimming. Among the morphological changes, skin lesions and ulcerative-type necrosis could be observed. Blood tests, histopathology and isolation of pathogens identified as Flavobacterium psychrophilum, associated with Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Saprolegnia sp., were performed. The application of artificial photoperiods suggests that fish may be more susceptible to opportunistic diseases; thus, it is advisable to emphasize preventive measures in fish subjected to this management.     

Assessment of cold tolerance at early developmental stages and allelic variation at candidate genes in South American rice germplasm

Rice is susceptible to cold during early developmental stages. Most tolerant cultivars have been developed for other conditions than those occurring in South America’s rice growing areas, or their grain type is not suitable for the local markets. If locally adapted varieties were available, growers could anticipate sowing date, making flowering time coincide with the moment of maximum solar radiation and increasing yields. In this work, 116 rice inbred lines and varieties of diverse origin within the South American gene pool were tested for seedling survival and germination percentage under low temperature in controlled conditions. As a result, lines used as controls responded as expected, whereas lines with similar behavior to controls, intermediate between susceptible and tolerant controls and more extreme than controls were detected at both seedling and germination stages. Allelic variation at candidate genes OsGSTZ1, OsGSTZ2 and OsCDPK13 was analyzed in a subset of ten contrasting lines. Ten out of thirty-four polymorphisms detected in all three genes were associated with cold tolerance in these lines. A functional marker, designed from an aminoacid-changing SNP found in gene OsGSTZ2, was tested in the 116 lines. As a result, a tight association was observed between cold tolerance and marker score. In conclusion, wide variability for cold tolerance at early developmental stages has been detected in rice advanced breeding materials that are adapted to local growing conditions. Also, a functional marker tightly associated with the trait is available for performing marker assisted selection.     

Rates of Chlorimuron Applied in Glyphosate-Tolerant and Sulfonylurea-Tolerant Soybean

Susceptibility to chlorimuron varies according to soybean genotype. STS® (sulfonylurea-tolerant soybean) presents a high tolerance to some sulfonylureas; this feature is determined by semi-dominants alleles, Als1 and Als2. Experiments were conducted in the field for four seasons with two cultivars for season to evaluate the selectivity of chlorimuron rates in post-emergency (V4) of glyphosate-tolerant and sulfonylurea-tolerant soybean. Data analysis made it possible to infer that there was no significant effect on the productivity of the cultivars when they received application in post-emergency, of chlorimuron at the doses used (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 g ai ha^-1). The maximum recommended rate for non-STS cultivars of chlorimuron is 20 g ai ha^-1, or 4.5 times less than the maximum rate employed in this study. The soybean cultivars CD 250 RR/STS, CD 236 RR/STS, CD 2630 RR/STS, and BMX Turbo RR/STS were tolerant to the application, in post-emergency (V4) of the herbicide chlorimuron, until the rate of 90 g ai ha^-1.     

Modeling the Requirements of Agricultural Limestone in Acid Sulfate Soils of Brazil and Colombia

The aim of this study was to model the determination of the amount of agricultural limestone necessary to correct acidification in acid sulfate soils (ASS). This study used 14 equations and the chemical variables of the soils including pH, soil organic matter (SOM), potential acidity (H+ Al), sum of bases (BS), potential acidity (T), base saturation (V) and exchangeable Al with KCl. The results indicated that in the studied, the lowest requirements for doses of limestone (DL) were described by the equations DL = 2.906((H+ Al) (45-V)/100)°⁸⁰, DL = 0.08 + 1.22Al_KCl, DL = 0.6T – BS, and DL = 1.5Al_KCl, with mean values of 29.5, 30.5, 31.5 and 37.4 t ha^?1. In addition, the models with the best correlation for determining the limestone requirements to obtain 80% of the maximum production of sorghum (dry matter) were DL = ?1.43 + 0.9237 (SOM (6-pH)) and DL = ?0.022 + 2.7425 ((H+ Al) (45-V)/100).     

Influence of temperature and ontogeny on the levels of glucosinolates in broccoli (Brassica oleracea Var. italica) sprouts and their effect on the induction of mammalian phase 2 enzymes

Broccoli inflorescences have been recognized as components of healthy diets on the basis of their high content of fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, and glucosinolates/isothiocyanates. Broccoli sprouts have been recently shown to have high levels of glucoraphanin (4-methylsulfinylbutyl glucosinolate), the precursor of the chemoprotective isothiocyanate, sulforaphane. This study evaluated the effects of temperature and developmental stage on the glucosinolate content of broccoli sprouts. Seedlings cultivated using a 30/15 degrees C (day/night) temperature regime had significantly higher glucosinolate levels (measured at six consecutive days postemergence) than did sprouts cultivated at lower temperatures (22/15 and 18/12 degrees C; p < 0.001). Both higher (33.1 degrees C) and lower (11.3 degrees C) constant temperatures induced higher glucosinolate levels in sprouts grown to a uniform size. Glucosinolate levels were highest in cotyledons and lowest in roots of sprouts dissected both early and late in the 11 day developmental span investigated. Nongerminated seeds have the highest glucosinolate levels and concordantly greater induction of mammalian phase 2 detoxication enzymes. Levels decline as sprouts germinate and develop, with consistently higher glucosinolate content in younger developmental stages, independent of the temperature regime. Temperature stress or its associated developmental anomalies induce higher glucosinolate levels, specific elevations in glucoraphanin content, and parallel induction of phase 2 chemoprotective enzymes.