Extracellular heat shock protein 70 levels in tumour-bearing dogs and cats treated with radiation therapy and hyperthermia

Hyperthermia is a form of a cancer treatment which is frequently applied in combination with radiotherapy (RT) to improve therapy responses and radiosensitivity. The mode of action of hyperthermia is multifactorial; the one hand by altering the amount of the blood circulation in the treated tissue, on the other hand by modulating molecular pathways involved in cell survival processes and immunogenic interactions. One of the most dominant proteins induced by hyperthermia is the major stress-inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). Hsp70 can be found in the blood either as a free-protein (free HSP70) derived from necrotic cells, or lipid-bound (liposomal Hsp70) when it is actively released in extracellular vesicles (EVs) by living cells. The aim of the study was to evaluate the levels of free and liposomal Hsp70 before and after treatment with RT alone or hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy (HTRT) in dogs and cats to evaluate therapy responses. Peripheral blood was collected from feline and canine patients before and at 2, 4, 6 and 24 h after treatment with RT or HTRT. Hsp70 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed to determine the free and liposomal Hsp70 concentrations in the serum. The levels were analysed after the first fraction of radiation to study immediate effects and after all applied fractions to study cumulative effects. The levels of free and liposomal Hsp70 levels in the circulation were not affected by the first singular treatment and cumulative effects of RT in cats however, after finalizing all treatment cycles with HTRT free and liposomal Hsp70 levels significantly increased. In dogs, HTRT, but not treatment with RT alone, significantly affected liposomal Hsp70 levels during the first fraction. Free Hsp70 levels were significantly increased after RT, but not HTRT, during the first fraction in dogs. In dogs, on the other hand, RT alone resulted in a significant increase in liposomal Hsp70, but HTRT did not significantly affect the liposomal Hsp70 when cumulative effects were analysed. Free Hsp70 was significantly induced in dogs after both, RT and HTRT when cumulative effects were analysed. RT and HTRT treatments differentially affect the levels of free and liposomal Hsp70 in dogs and cats. Both forms of Hsp70 could potentially be further investigated as potential liquid biopsy markers to study responses to RT and HTRT treatment in companion animals.     

Agricultural practice changes with cultivating genetically modified herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape

To facilitate weed suppression, oilseed rape or canola (Brassica napus) has been genetically modified (GM) over the last two decades to incorporate herbicide tolerance (HT). The introduction of oilseed rape in commercial agriculture raises concerns about potential adverse agronomic and environmental effects linked to both the genetic modification and altered agricultural practice. How will this new crop modify the existing cropping practice? What are the potential agro-environmental implications of its introduction? This paper analyses and schematises recorded and conceivable agricultural practice changes with GMHT oilseed rape introduction and its likely agro-environmental effects. It develops a conceptual systematics of influencing factors, subsequent practice changes and likely agro-environmental effects. The results can be used to design the mandatory monitoring of adverse GM crop effects.     

Important factors in nutrient availability: Root morphology and physiology

Nutrient availability in the soil is not only determined by chemical, physical, and micro-biological factors but can be actively influenced by the plant root system. Various components of root activity have been studied in our laboratory during the last 10 years. The major findings are summarized and discussed with special emphasis on root morphology, cation-anion imbalance and proton release, the mechanism of proton release and anion secretion. Large species differences in root morphology were found between red clover and rye-grass. Root morphology was also found to be controlled by environmental and physiological factors. Experimental results obtained with different plant species suggest that proton release by plant roots is not primarily a consequence of excess cation uptake to achieve charge balance in the plant, but rather that active proton extrusion by ATPase activity creates a charge imbalance and a pH gradient which drive nutrient uptake. The pH gradient across the plasmalemma of root cells was also found to be essential for the retention of organic anions by plant roots.     

The effect of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption behavior of phosphate

As repeatedly reported, soil flooding improves the availability of P to rice. This is in contrast with an increased P sorption in paddy soils. The effects of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption of P of two paddy soils of Zhejiang Province in Southeast‐China were studied in anaerobic incubation experiments (submerging with water in N₂ atmosphere). Soil flooding significantly increased oxalate‐extractable Fe (Fe_ox), mainly at the expense of dithionite‐soluble Fe (Fe_DCB), as well as oxalate‐extractable P (P_ox), but decreased the ratio of P_ox/Fe_ox. Flooding largely increased both, P adsorption and the maximum P adsorption capacity. The majority of newly sorbed P in the soils was P_ox, but also more newly retained P was found to be not extractable by oxalate. Flooding also changed the characteristics of P desorption in the soils. Due to a decrease of the saturation index of the P sorption capacity, P adsorbed by flooded soils was much less desorbable than that from non‐flooded soils. There are obviously significant differences in the nature of both, the Fe_ox and P_ox fractions under non‐flooded and flooded conditions. The degree of the changes in Fe_ox, P_ox, P adsorption and P desorption by flooding depended on the contents of amorphous and total Fe oxides in non‐flooded soils. Our results confirm that the adsorption and desorption behavior of P in paddy soils is largely controlled by the transformation of the Fe oxides. The reasons of the often‐reported improved P availability to rice induced by flooding, in spite of the unfavorable effect on P desorbability, are discussed.     

Nitrogen fertilizer–induced mineralization of soil organic C and N in six contrasting soils of Bangladesh

A 90‐day laboratory incubation study was carried out using six contrasting subtropical soils (calcareous, peat, saline, noncalcareous, terrace, and acid sulfate) from Bangladesh. A control treatment without nitrogen (N) application was compared with treatments where urea, ammonium sulfate (AS), and ammonium nitrate (AN) were applied at a rate of 100 mg N (kg soil)^–1. To study the effect of N fertilizers on soil carbon (C) turnover, the CO₂‐C flux was determined at nine sampling dates during the incubation, and the total loss of soil carbon (TC) was calculated. Nitrogen turnover was characterized by measuring net nitrogen mineralization (NNM) and net nitrification (NN). Simple and stepwise multiple regressions were calculated between CO₂‐C flux, TC, NNM, and NN on the one hand and selected soil properties (organic C, total N, C : N ratio, CEC, pH, clay and sand content) on the other hand. In general, CO₂‐C fluxes were clearly higher during the first 2 weeks of the incubation compared to the later phases. Soils with high pH and/or indigenous C displayed the highest CO₂‐C flux. However, soils having low C levels (i.e., calcareous and terrace soils) displayed a large relative TC loss (up to 22.3%) and the added N–induced TC loss from these soils reached a maximum of 10.6%. Loss of TC differed depending on the N treatments (urea > AS > AN >> control). Significantly higher NNM was found in the acidic soils (terrace and acid sulfate). On average, NNM after urea application was higher than for AS and AN (80.3 vs. 71.9 and 70.9 N (kg soil)^–1, respectively). However, specific interactions between N‐fertilizer form and soil type have to be taken into consideration. High pH soils displayed larger NN (75.9–98.1 mg N (kg soil)^–1) than low pH soils. Averaged over the six soils, NN after application of urea and AS (83.3 and 82.2 mg N (kg soil)^–1, respectively) was significantly higher than after application of AN (60.6 mg N (kg soil)^–1). Significant relationships were found between total CO₂ flux and certain soil properties (organic C, total N, CEC, clay and sand content). The most important soil property for NNM as well as NN was soil pH, showing a correlation coefficient of –0.33** and 0.45***, respectively. The results indicate that application of urea to acidic soils and AS to high‐pH soils could be an effective measure to improve the availability of added N for crop uptake.     

Active metabolism in larval and juvenile fish: ontogenetic changes,effect of water temperature and fasting

Oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion and fish swimming speed were measured in fish induced to swim by optomotor reaction in a circular metabolism chamber. The relationship between the swimming speed and fish metabolism described by exponential equations allowed the extrapolation to the standard metabolism, i.e. at zero swimming speed. The partitioning of the catabolised protein in the energy supply was estimated based on AQ (volume of ammonia/ volume of oxygen) values. Weight specific standard metabolism, as expressed by the ammonia excretion rate, decreased by one order of magnitude in coregonids as the fish grew from 20 to 780 mg body weight. The slope of the relationship between oxygen uptake and swimming speed decreased in coregonid ontogenesis. In salmon, after 12 days of fasting 28% of energy used was derived from protein, whilst coregonid juveniles utilized mostly lipid. Active swimming in fasted juveniles of coregonid, as well as in salmon, led to the accelerated utilization of protein as a source of energy, based on AQ coefficients. In juveniles acclimated to a range of water temperatures from 14 to 26°C, the changes in standard or active metabolic rate (expressed as oxygen uptake or ammonia excretion) were described by Q₁₀ coefficients. They were generally higher for the ammonia excretion rate than for the oxygen uptake rate and for active metabolism than for standard metabolism. Utilization of protein as energy for swimming differed significantly between the species, being in general one order of magnitude higher in coregonids than in salmon. The use of protein for swimming activity tended to decrease during coregonid ontogenesis.     

Ascorbic acid status as affected by dietary treatment in the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri Brandt): tissue concentration,mobilisation and L-gulonolactone oxidase activity

A study was conducted to evaluate tissue storage and mobilisation of L-ascorbic acid (AA) in the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) fed three different experimental diets. The three treatments consisted of a diet devoid of vitamin C (diet A0) and two diets supplemented with equivalent of 300 mg AA kg^–1 in the form of either silicone-coated ascorbic acid (diet SC) or of ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (diet AP). During the first phase (4 months) of the trial, six batches of 130 Siberian sturgeon (initial body weight: 25.5±0.5 g) each were fed one of the three diets in duplicate. During the second phase (3 months), fish from groups SC and AP were switched to diet A0 and those fed diet A0 during the first phase were switched to diet SC. Irrespective of the dietary treatment, growth rates were not significantly different from each other. At the end of phase I, in all tissues studied, total ascorbic acid (TAA) concentrations were higher in Siberian sturgeon fed diet AP than in the other two groups. During phase II, tissue ascorbate depletion was also higher in the AP group than in the other two groups. Transfer of the AA-free diet fed group onto a diet supplemented with 300 mg AA kg^–1 (diet SC) led to a slight increase in the TAA concentrations in all tissues. Blood plasma tyrosine concentrations were not significantly different between the three groups. Whole-body collagen levels were affected by dietary AA levels or forms at the end of phase I; the differences were not significant at the end of phase II. Muscle collagen levels were slightly affected. L-Gulonolactone oxidase activity was found in the kidney of Siberian sturgeon, but not in the liver. The ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate appears to be either better utilised by Siberian sturgeon, like in many other teleosts, or more stable than the silicone-coated AA during food processing and storage. Presence of L-gulonolactone oxidase activity in Siberian sturgeon kidney combined with the absence of gross scorbutic signs in AA-free diet fed groups expressing very good growth rates suggested no need of dietary AA byA. baeri.     

Das nach der Notverordnung vom 14. Juni 1932 geltende Recht des Zwangsvollstreckungsschutzes für landwirtschaftliche,forstwirtschaftliche und gärtnerische Grundstücke

European Journal of Forest Research -