Polymorphisms in the pertussis toxin promoter in Bordetella bronchiseptica veterinary isolates from Argentina

Five restriction patterns (including a novel one) could be defined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism on the pertussis toxin (PT) promoter region in local veterinary isolates, suggesting that PT gene analysis is a potential molecular marker for Bordetella bronchiseptica detection and typing.     

Chronic idiopathic hyperphosphatasia: normalization of bone turnover with cyclical intravenous pamidronate therapy

Chronic idiopathic hyperphosphatasia (CIH), or juvenile Paget disease, is a rare disorder characterized by increased bone turnover and progressive enlargement of bones. We report a girl, 6 1/2 years old, with a history of three fractures, short stature, delayed eruption of teeth, and poor hair growth. She had a waddling gait, bone deformities, kyphoscoliosis, hyperlordosis, genu valgum and curvature of her limbs. She also had progressive hearing loss but other cranial nerves were unaffected. Laboratory studies indicated high bone turnover: serum alkaline phosphatase: 4047 IU/l (normal value: 150-550), urinary hydroxyproline: 1205 mg/g creatinine (n.v.: 60-160), and urinary CrossLaps: 4360 microg/mmol creatinine (n.v.: 450-2100). Radiographs demonstrated generalized skeletal involvement with osteoectasia (expansion) of long bones, diffuse sclerosis, cotton wool appearance of the skull, absence of mastoid pneumatization, and crushed dorsal and lumbar vertebrae. Iliac crest biopsy was compatible with CIH. Cyclical intravenous pamidronate (1 mg/kg/day during 3 h, 3 consecutive days at 2- to 3-month intervals) was administered during 2 years with oral calcium 500 mg and vitamin D 1000 IU/day. Oral pamidronate was added after 11 months of i.v. therapy. Treatment-induced remarkable clinical and radiographic improvement with normalization of bone markers of osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity, including bone alkaline phosphatase, urinary hydroxyproline, and urinary CrossLaps.     

Nutrition in Warsaw nursing homes in the opinion of their residents

The aim of the study was to meet the opinions of NHs' residents about the meals quality and nutrition system, with special consideration of meal ambience in canteens (appearance, atmosphere, etc.). Besides, other information about residents was collected: their self-perceived health status, psychical condition, physical activity, appetite and nutritional habits. Most of the subjects were single women, mainly with medium/technical education level, living in NHs over 3 years. Most of the NHs' residents evaluated their health status as average or bad, independently of the age or gender. Every second person indicated that health, loneliness and the feeling of isolation in their homes were the main reasons for coming to NH. Every third person still felt the loneliness or depression after staying in NH. The physical and intellectual activity of elderly depended on self-perceived health status. Over half of the subjects assessed their appetite as good, and said that their body mass was stable during staying in NH. The statistically significant relationship was found between the self-evaluated weight change and both age and gender. Additionally, the relationship was observed between psychical condition of residents and their appetite as also between the psychical condition and weight change during living in NH. The majority of the subjects (85%) said that they liked the canteen appearance, and they did not want to change anything in it. More women than men thought that canteens were spacious, clean and furnished with good taste, and those differences were significant. Part of studied population (25%) had some reservations about the atmosphere in canteen during the meals, mostly because of too much noise. In the opinions of most of the residents (over 80%) the nutrition organisation in NHs was good. Over half of the subjects assessed the meals quality in NHs also as good. Only some comments were about insufficient quantities of fruits and vegetables and meal monotony.     

The effect of alcohol, tobacco, and aspirin consumption on seminal quality among healthy young men

In this study, the authors examined the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use on plasma testosterone and seminal parameters (in accordance with the World Health Organization's standards) in healthy Argentine medical students (n = 34). Some alterations in seminal parameters were detected in 19 (56%) subjects. Alcohol and tobacco use were correlated significantly, p = 0.005; subjects who used these substances exhibited a nonsignificant reduction in sperm concentration, motility, viability, and normal morphology. There was a significant decrease in sperm motility among students who used moderate amounts of aspirin (i.e., > or = 500 mg/wk). The authors concluded that alcohol, tobacco, and aspirin use could have had detrimental effects on seminal parameters and that men who wish to procreate should be warned of such effects. Doses, exposure time, and interactions with other variables deserve additional study.     

Pollutants emitted by a cement plant: health risks for the population living in the neighborhood

The aim of this study was to investigate the health risks due to combustor emissions in the manufacturing of Portland cement for the population living in the neighborhood of a cement kiln in Catalonia, Spain. Pollutants emitted to the atmosphere in the course of cement production were modeled. The ISC3-ST model was applied to estimate air dispersion of the contaminants emitted by the cement plant. Air concentrations of NO(2), SO(2), PM(10), metals, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), as well as the potential exposure in the vicinity of the facility, were assessed via models based on US EPA guidance documents. PCDD/F and metal concentrations were also modeled for soil and vegetation. Based on these concentrations, the levels of human exposure were calculated. Individual cancer and noncancer risks for the emissions of the cement kiln were assessed. Health effects due to NO(2), SO(2), and PM(10) emissions were also evaluated. Risk assessment was performed as a deterministic analysis. The main individual risk in the population was evaluated in a central-tendency and a high-end approach. The results show that the incremental individual risk due to emissions of the cement plant is very low not only with regard to health effects, but also in relation to toxicological and cancer risks produced by pollutants such as metals and PCDD/Fs emitted by the cement kiln.     

Cloning, pharmacological characterisation and distribution of the rat G-protein-coupled P2Y(13) receptor

The human P2Y(13) receptor is a new receptor characterized by coupling to Gi, responsiveness to adenine di-phospho-nucleotides and blockade by the P2Y antagonist AR-C69931MX. The mouse P2Y(13) ortholog has also been reported. Here we report, for the first time, the cloning of rat P2Y(13) receptor, its pharmacological analysis and tissue distribution. Rat P2Y(13) is 79% and 87% identical to human and mouse P2Y(13) receptors, respectively. Expression of rP2Y(13) receptor in 1321N1 cells induced the appearance of responses to the typical P2Y(13) receptor agonists ADP and 2MeSADP, as detected by stimulation of [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding. Agonist activities were higher in cells transfected with rP2Y(13) receptor in the presence of the Galpha(16) subunit; in all cases agonist effects were abolished by pertussis toxin pre-treatment. At variance from both human and mouse receptors, ADP was more potent than 2MeSADP. Other nucleotides and sugar-nucleotides were ineffective. Both in the absence and presence of Galpha(16), activation of rP2Y(13) receptor by ADP and 2MeSADP was completely inhibited by nM concentrations of AR-C69931MX. In contrast, no inhibition of rP2Y(13) receptor was induced by the selective P2Y(1) receptor antagonist MRS2179. rP2Y(13) receptor showed highest expression levels in spleen, followed by liver and brain (with particularly high levels in cortex and striatum as reported in man), suggesting important roles in the nervous and immune systems. Expression levels comparable to those of the other cloned P2Y receptors were found in primary rat astrocytes, indicating a possible role in reactive astrogliosis. Hence, rat P2Y(13) receptor displays several similarities but also interesting differences with its human and mouse orthologs, that will have to be taken into account when characterizing the pathophysiological roles of this receptor in the rat animal models.     

Red wine polyphenols induce EDHF-mediated relaxations in porcine coronary arteries through the redox-sensitive activation of the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway

Red wine polyphenolic compounds (RWPCs) are potent inducers of endothelium-dependent relaxations of coronary arteries, which involve both nitric oxide and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). The EDHF-mediated relaxation to RWPCs is critically dependent on the formation of reactive oxygen species by a flavin-dependent enzyme. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of redox-sensitive protein kinases including p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and PI3-kinase/Akt in RWPCs-induced EDHF-mediated relaxation. Porcine coronary artery rings were suspended in organ chambers for measurement of changes in isometric tension. Confluent cultures of porcine coronary artery endothelial cells were used to determine the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and Akt by Western blot analysis. All experiments were performed in the presence of indomethacin and Nomega-nitro-L-arginine. RWPCs caused pronounced endothelium-dependent relaxations, which were significantly reduced by wortmannin and LY294002, two inhibitors of PI3-kinase, and not affected by PD98059 (an inhibitor of ERK1/2 kinase kinase) and SB203580 (an inhibitor of p38 MAPK). In contrast, wortmannin did not affect relaxations to bradykinin or levcromakalim. RWPCs elicited within minutes a sustained and concentration-dependent phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and Akt in endothelial cells. The phosphorylation of Akt in response to RWPCs was abolished by wortmannin and LY294002, and by the membrane-permeant analogue of superoxide dismutase Mn(III)tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin. The present findings demonstrate that RWPCs cause EDHF-mediated relaxations of coronary arteries; these responses are critically dependent on the redox-sensitive activation of the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway in endothelial cells.     

CE-108, a new macrolide tetraene antibiotic

In the search for strains producing antifungal compounds, a new tetraene macrolide CE-108 (3) has been isolated from culture broth of Streptomyces diastaticus 108. In addition, the strain also produces the previously described tetraene rimocidin (1) and also the aromatic polyketide oxytetracycline. Both tetraene compounds, structurally related, are produced in a ratio between 25 to 35% (CE-108 compared to rimocidin), although it can be inverted toward CE-108 production by changing the composition of the fermentation medium. This paper deals with the characterization of the producer strain, fermentation, purification, structure determination and biological properties of the new macrolide tetraene CE-108.