Potential role of the CD38/cADPR signaling pathway as an underlying mechanism of the effects of medetomidine on insulin and glucose homeostasis

ObjectiveTo investigate the CD38/cADPR signaling pathway as possible underlying mechanism of the effects of medetomidine on insulin and glucose homeostasis.AnimalsThirty–two C57BL/6 mice of both sexes.MethodsWild–type (WT) and CD38–knockout (CD38^?/?) mice received medetomidine (50 μg kg^?1) or a similar volume of 0.9% NaCl (control) by intraperitoneal (IP) injection (each group n = 8). The mice were euthanized 45 minutes later with sodium pentobarbital IP and blood was sampled via cardiac puncture. Insulin and glucose concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay and by the oxygen rate method, respectively. Data were analyzed with anova and Bonferroni post hoc (5% significance) and are shown as mean ± SD.ResultsPlasma insulin and glucose concentrations were similar between WT and CD38^?/? mice under control conditions. As compared to controls, medetomidine administration produced a statistically significant decrease in plasma insulin concentrations in the WT mice whereas the decrease in the CD38^?/? mice was not statistically significant. Correspondingly, medetomidine caused a significantly greater increase in plasma glucose concentrations in the WT than in the CD38^?/? mice.ConclusionThe CD38/cADPR signaling pathway may be one underlying mechanism of the glucose and insulin effects of the alpha–2 adrenergic receptor agonist medetomidine and likely other drugs of its’ class.     

Erratum to: Organochloride pesticides in California sea lions revisited

There has been an error in the publication of this paper [1]; the title should read: 'Organochlorine pollutants in California sea lions revisited'.     

The effects of feeding sericea lespedeza hay on growth rate of goats naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes

Goat production is increasing in the United States due to high ethnic demand, but infection with gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites is a major constraint to the industry. Increasing GIN resistance to chemical anthelmintics worldwide has led to the development of alternative control strategies, including use of forages containing condensed tannins (CT). An experiment was designed using infected and dewormed male kids (Kiko x Spanish, 6 mo old, 18.9 +/- 3.25 kg) fed diets containing 25% concentrate and either 75% sericea lespedeza [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum-Cours.) G. Don], a high CT forage (87 to 181 g of CT/kg), or 75% bermudagrass [BG; Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] hay (n = 10/treatment). The kids were weighed every 14 d, and fecal and blood samples were taken weekly for fecal egg counts and packed cell volume determination, respectively. Fecal cultures were processed every 14 d to determine CT effect on larval development. At slaughter, adult GIN were collected from the abomasum and small intestines for counting and speciation. Blood samples were also analyzed for plasma urea-N, and ruminal VFA and pH were determined. The infected SL-fed kids had consistently lower (P < 0.05) fecal egg counts than the infected BG goats throughout the trial and greater (P < 0.05) packed cell volume beginning by d 77. Average daily gain was greater (P < 0.001) in kids fed SL- than BG-based diets, regardless of infection status (104.3 +/- 5.0 and 75.5 +/- 4.8 g/d, respectively). Total VFA and acetate concentrations were greater (P < 0.001) in the BG- than in SL-fed goats, whereas propionate levels were unaffected by diet. Acetate:propionate ratio (P = 0.01) and plasma urea-N (P = 0.03) levels were greater in BG-fed goats, whereas rumen pH was greater (P < 0.001) in the SL-fed goats. Feeding SL hay can reduce GIN infection levels and increase performance of goats compared with BG hay.     

Antifeedant activity of Momordica dioica fruit pulp extracts on Spodoptera litura

The hexane extract and ethyl acetate soluble fraction of methanolic extract of the fruit pulp of Momordica dioica exhibited moderate and concentration dependent antifeedant activity against Spodoptera litura.     

Influence of paper mill effluent irrigation on the population dynamics of Rhizobium and Azotobacter in sugarcane rhizosphere

Application of paper mill effluent to sugarcane grown soils increased the populations of Rhizobium and Azotobacter for a particular time and further increase in the duration of irrigation did not significantly contribute to the increase in populations. Prolonged irrigation of the effluent affected the rhizosphere effect (R:S ratio) of these organisms. Populations of Rhizobium and Azotobacter were more in the rhizosphere of sugarcane and increased with the age of the crop in such soils.     

Effect of Pulp and Paper Mill Effluent Irrigation on Carbon-di-oxide Evolution in Soils

Pulp and paper mill waste water irrigation increased pH, EC, organic carbon and exchangeable sodium content of soils. The increase in organic matter content of soils accelerated microbial activity and hence accelerated substrate decomposition with the release of CO₂. There exhibited a peak followed by a steady-decline in the rate of CO₂ evolution in effluent irrigated soils. The irrigation of pulp and paper mill combined effluent to soils did not affect microbial activity.     

Effects of fructooligosaccharide-inulin on Salmonella-killing and inflammatory gene expression in chicken macrophages

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is one of the leading causes of food-borne salmonellosis, and macrophages play an essential role in eliminating this pathogen. Among the interventions to improve Salmonella clearance in chickens are the use of prebiotics and direct fed microbials (DFM) in animal feed as they have immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, we tested the influence of a prebiotic fructooligosaccharide (FOS)-inulin on the ability of the chicken macrophage HD11 cell line to phagocytose and kill SE, and express selected inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in an in vitro model. There were significantly fewer viable intracellular SE in HD11 cells treated with FOS-inulin than the untreated cells. However, SE phagocytosis, nitric oxide expression or production were not influenced by the prebiotic treatment. Among the inflammatory markers tested, IL-1β expression was significantly lower in HD11 cells treated with FOS-inulin. These results suggest that FOS-inulin has the ability to modulate the innate immune system as shown by the enhanced killing of SE and decreased inflammasome activation.     

The p40* adhesin pseudogene of Mycoplasma bovis

An analogue of the adhesin gene p40 of Mycoplasma agalactiae was found in Mycoplasma bovis. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the p40* gene in M. bovis revealed the presence of a large deletion involving a frameshift that causes premature truncation of the translated protein, indicating that p40* exists as a pseudogene in M. bovis.     

Migration of erythroblastic islands toward the sinusoid as erythroid maturation proceeds in rat bone marrow

It has been hitherto considered that mature erythroblasts migrate toward the sinusoid along the cytoplasmic processes of macrophages of erythroblastic islands in bone marrow. Our previous report, however, has demonstrated the morphological features of a mature erythroblastic island passing through the sinusoidal endothelium. In this study, the possibility of migration of erythroblastic islands toward the sinusoid was examined in rat bone marrow by light microscopical histoplanimetry. As a result, the more mature erythroblasts were not regularly arranged in the peripheral direction of the erythroblastic islands. Immature erythroblasts were populated more in the erythroblastic islands away from the sinusoid than in those islands neighboring the sinusoid, whereas mature erythroblasts were more in erythroblastic islands neighboring the sinusoid. These findings suggest that the formation of erythroblastic islands occurs in a region away from the sinusoid, and that erythroblastic islands migrate towards the sinusoids as erythroid maturation proceeds.