Hypoxia and a hypoxia mimetic up-regulate matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 in equine laminar keratinocytes

The aim of this study was to determine if hypoxia and the hypoxia mimetic cobalt chloride regulate the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 in cultures of equine hoof keratinocytes. These effects were assessed in primary cultures of laminar keratinocytes using gelatin zymography. Incubation of keratinocytes with cobalt chloride significantly increased the levels of active MMP-2 compared to untreated controls. Hypoxia significantly increased the expression of active MMP-2 and -9 in keratinocyte cultures. This up-regulation was observed after 6h and peaked at 24h. The study findings provide novel evidence of a potential link between hypoxia within the hoof and up-regulation of MMPs which may in turn result in damage to the lamellar basement membrane.     

Molecular characterization of norovirus and sapovirus detected in animals and humans in Costa Rica: Zoo-anthropozoonotic potential of human norovirus GII.4

Background:Noroviruses (NoV) and sapoviruses (SaV) are major causes of acute viral gastroenteritis in humans worldwide, as well as gastrointestinal infections in animals. However, it has not been determined whether these viruses are zoonotic pathogens.Aim:In this study, we investigated the presence of NoV and SaV in stool samples from dogs, pigs, cows, and humans to determine some aspects of the molecular epidemiology and the genetic relationship of several strains present in these species.Methods:Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of NoV and SaV strains present in stool samples from humans and dogs with diarrhea, pigs, and cattle with and without diarrhea were carried out during fragmented periods from 2002 to 2012.Results:Of all samples analyzed, 11.6% (123/1,061) of the samples were positive for NoV and 0.88% (9/1,023) were positive for SaV. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed 16 human strains of NoV (HuNoV) belonging to HuNoV G?/GII.P2 (1), GII.4/GII.P4 (5), G?/GII.P4 (9), and GII.6/GII.P6 (1) and allowed us to verify and assign three strains of human SaV to genotypes GI.2 (1) and GII.5 (2). In dogs, eight strains of NoV [HuNoV G?/GII.P4 (4) and canine G?/GVI.P1 (4)] and two strains of canine SaV were determined. In pigs, six strains were assigned to HuNoV G?/GII.P4 and four strains to porcine SaV were assigned to genogroup GIII (2), GVIII (1), and GXI (1). In bovines, five strains were characterized as HuNoV G?/GII.P4.Conclusions:This study showed that NoV and SaV prototype strains have been present in humans and dogs in Costa Rica. Additionally, it revealed that the zoonotic potential of SaV is very limited, while the zoonotic implications for HuNoV GII.4 are stronger due to the simultaneous circulation of strains related to HuNoV GII.4 in four species, which suggests a zoo-anthropozoonosis.     

Iron Tolerance in Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica)

Excess iron in soils affects many agricultural areas worldwide, causing great losses in cultivated plants particularly in waterlogged environments. Plants, such as the calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica), which grows in such wetlands, have been widely used for the treatment of wastewater. White calla lily plants were grown hydroponically from seeds in a greenhouse in Tunja, Colombia, under either of three different levels of iron (0, 100 or 200 ppm Fe) to evaluate the plant’s tolerance to excess iron. The total dry mass production, water uptake, water use efficiency (WUE), dry matter partitioning and root to shoot ratio were recorded four months after transplanting. The dry mass production per plant decreased as the iron level increased. Although water uptake decreased inversely proportional to the iron level, the WUE was not affected by iron. On the other hand, iron affected dry matter partitioning to the plant organs, accumulating more dry matter in the roots than in the shoot with higher iron levels. Hence, we suggest that the calla plant is moderately tolerant to excess iron and would be appropriate for the phytoremediation of wetlands contaminated with this metal.     

Dissection of white matter association fasciculi in bovine (Bos taurus), pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) brains

The cerebral fasciculi (association, commissural and projection) pass through the cerebral white matter in organized groups connecting regions, hemispheres, gyri, areas and brain lobes to each other. The study can be done in vivo through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) but presenting some technical problems. The post-mortem study by dissection allows to have a clearer view of its location, path and connections. In this work, we dissect, identify and compare the fasciculi of association of the white matter of the dorsolateral face of bovine hemispheres (Bos taurus), pig hemispheres (Sus scrofa domesticus) and rabbit hemispheres (Oryctolagus cuniculus), applying the Klingler´s technique. In 30 cerebral hemispheres (10 of each species, five right and five left), we applied the Klingler technique to identify and isolate the occipitofrontal fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus; we established its location by fixing landmarks, and determined the difference in its length and width between the right and left hemispheres as well as between species using the statistical tests of t-student and one-way ANOVA. We identify the gyri, sulci and fasciculi of the dorsolateral surface of the cerebral hemispheres of the three species. We found statistically significant differences in several fasciculi between species principally in the occipitofrontal fasciculus. The preparation of the brains through the modified Klingler technique allowed a successful identification of the fascicules of association of the dorsolateral face of the cerebral hemispheres and the empowerment of these animal models for future research work in this field.     

Analysis on the daily courses of water potential of nine woody species from Cerrado vegetation during wet season

IntroductionAS the concept of water pot6ntial (% was introduced by Saltyer (1967), there were some argumentson it among some physiologist. Some physiologistsopposed it beCause they believed Tvalue might notbe the beSt parameter for describing physiologicalprocesses. However, this concept has been accept6dand used by most plant physiologists for many years(Kramer 1988, Schulze et al. 1988, Passioura 1988,Boyer 1989).ACcording tO our experience (Prado et al. 1994,1995), we believed-t.hat th…     

Production physiology of three native shrubs intercropped in a young longleaf pine plantation

The objective of this study was to evaluate how competition would affect the physiology, and thus productivity of American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L.), wax myrtle [Morella cerifera (L.) Small] and inkberry [Ilex glabra (L.) A. Gray] when intercropped in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantation in the southeastern United States. The effect of competition was assessed via comparisons of mortality, biomass, light transmittance, gas exchange and soil moisture between intercropping and monoculture (treeless) treatments. Overall, shrubs in the intercropping treatment performed worse than those in the monoculture, with higher mortality, and reductions in biomass of 75.5, 50.6, and 68.7% for C. americana, M. cerifera and I. glabra, respectively. Root–shoot ratios for all species were significantly higher and soil moisture during dry periods was significantly lower in the intercropping treatment. Light transmittance below the pine canopy was high (57.7%) and I. glabra was the only species that exhibited reduced A _max when belowground resources were not limiting. These results suggest that the effect of shading is minimal and belowground competition is likely the most important determinant of productivity in this system.     

Influence of an indigenous European alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn) rhizobacterium (Bacillus pumilus) on the growth of alder and its rhizosphere microbial community structure in two soils

Europeanalder seedlings were inoculated with a suspension of the putative plant growthpromoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Bacillus pumilus (CECT5105), or left non-inoculated (controls) in two different soils, and grownundercontrolled conditions. Soil A showed a thick texture, slightly acidic with ahigh mineral nitrogen content, while soil B showed a thin texture, basic andwith a lower nitrogen content. At each sampling time, over an 8-week period,shoot and root systems of the plants were measured, nodules counted, and shootand root length and surface were determined. In addition, changes in themicrobial rhizosphere structure were evaluated by the phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA) profile extracted directly from the rhizosphere soil. The increasesdetected in shoot surface were significant only in soil A, while the rootsystemwas affected in both soils. In soil A, inoculation with B.pumilus caused a perturbation that subsequently disappeared, whilethe rhizosphere community structure was seriously altered in soil B. Allbiometric parameters were enhanced to a greater extent in soil A, in which theinoculum did not alter the existing rhizosphere communities and nutrientavailability was better.     

Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate isolated from a traditional anti-tuberculosis medicinal herb inhibits drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro

Many plants are used in Ayurveda for the treatment of tuberculosis. Our aim was to examine if these plants possess any specific molecule that inhibits Mycobacterium tuberculosis. One of them, Kaempferia galanga, yielded an anti-TB molecule, ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC). By resazurin microtitre assay (REMA), EPMC was shown to inhibit M. tuberculosis H37Ra, H37Rv, drug susceptible and multidrug resistant (MDR) clinical isolates (MIC 0.242-0.485 mM). No cross resistance was observed to any standard anti-TB drugs in the MDR strains. The compound did not inhibit any prototype bacteria tested. EPMC seems to be a potential anti-TB lead molecule.