Differential regulation of the luteinizing hormone genes in teleosts and tetrapods due to their distinct genomic environments--insights into gonadotropin beta subunit evolution

The pituitary gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), are essential for the control of vertebrate reproduction. Although the molecular structures of these two hormones are well conserved from teleosts to mammals, some studies report differences in their regulatory mechanisms of gene expression between teleosts and tetrapods. In the present study, we examined the molecular evolution of the gonadotropin gene loci in vertebrates and found that there is a syntenic conservation among the teleost fshb and tetrapod fshb and lhb loci. However, the teleost lhb locus has no syntenic homology to either tetrapod lhb or teleost fshb; this fact suggests that an extensive genome-wide rearrangement of the lhb locus, caused by an accelerated genome evolution speed after the third round of genome-wide duplication, occurred in the teleost lineage. We subsequently demonstrated by double labeling in situ hybridization using a teleost medaka that the fshb and lhb genes in teleosts are expressed in completely separate cellular populations in the pituitary, which is different in tetrapods. Furthermore, the expression analysis in ovariectomized and steroid-treated medaka revealed that, under breeding conditions, the expression of the medaka LHβ was down-regulated by ovariectomy and recovered by treatment with gonadal steroids; this result is also completely opposite in mammals, where the steroids have negative-feedback effects on LHβ expression. We suggest that these differences between teleosts and mammals in the cellular expression pattern and dynamic expressional changes of the lhb gene are the result of the drastic changes in the genomic environment of the lhb gene that occurred early in teleost evolution.     

Fistulography of a Patent Hemodialysis Access: When Not to Treat and Implications for Establishing a Nontreatment Rate

Purpose

To establish a rate of nonintervention in patients referred for hemodialysis access fistulography and to report clinical and fistulographic variables associated with nonintervention.

Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies against Bovine Luteinizing Hormone

Five mouse hybridoma cell lines producing monoclonal antibody against bovine luteinizing hormone (LH) have been established and the respective antibodies characterized by radioimmunoassay, immunofluorescence and immunoelectrophoresis. All antibodies belong to the IgG class and bind to staphylococcus protein A. Intraspecies cross-reactivity studies revealed no reaction with bovine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). However, all antibodies showed partial cross-reaction with bovine thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) suggesting a close conformational similarity between bovine LH and TSH. Studies on interspecies cross-reactivity (rat and human) showed that three of these five antibodies strongly react with rat LH but not at all with either rat FSH or rat TSH thus representing monospecific reagents for investigations concerning LH in this species. One of these three antibodies also strongly binds to human LH and to the same extent to human chorionic gonadotropin (CG) but not to human FSH or TSH. It was concluded that at least three different epitopes on the bovine LH molecule are recognized and that they are located on the β-chain of the hormone.     

震动伤犬血清CG、ALT含量测定

目的 观察震动伤犬血清甘胆酸(CG)和丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)含量变化特点,对震动伤的伤情分类、临床诊断和治疗方案的确定提供依据.方法 在地下模拟爆炸炸现场获取震动伤动物模型.方法是分别在距爆炸心地平面0m、100m、200m、300m处设四个点,选择当地家犬34只,采用自由位和右卧位布放在上述四上个点.对爆炸炸前、后动物血清中的CG和ALT含量进行配对分析.结果 检查发现,爆炸后10小时开始,血清CG和ALT含量即明显升高(1116.8±1181.2nmol/L和66.8±49.5U/L,P＜0.01.),至爆炸后17d血清CG尚未完全恢复(773.2± 408.1nmol/L,P＜0.01.).结论 实验动物受震动伤时,血清CG和ALT水平异常升高.提示在临床诊断、治疗震动伤伤员时,除常规检测血清ALT外,血清CG含量测定是反应肝脏损伤和修复程度的敏感指标.特别是在治疗后期,血清ALT已经恢复正常时,CG含量测定可为临床治疗效果的评价提供可靠依据.     

Vanillylmandelic acid protects against reperfusion injury in an experimental animal model of myocardial infarction

Vanillylmandelic acid, a catecholamine end-metabolite, has been shown to have several biological properties in previous studies, despite considered biologically inactive. We examined the potential effects of vanillylmandelic acid on the ischemic heart following myocardial infarction and reperfusion on a rat model. Thirty-four female Wistar rats were randomized into two groups, control and experimental. They were anesthetized and subjected to myocardial infarction through left anterior descending artery ligation. A previously studied dose of vanillylmandelic acid (10 mg/kg) was administered and the following parameters were studied during ischemia and reperfusion: a) mortality b) severity of ventricular tachyarrhythmias c) premature ventricular contractions and d) heart rate. Administration of vanillymandelic acid significantly reduced the severity of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and mortality rate during reperfusion, while it did not affect any other of the parameters studied. In conclusion, reperfusion injury was blunted through vanillylmandelic acid administration, which seems to be mediated by parasympathetic activation.     

Effects of low power red laser on induced-dental caries in rats

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low power red laser associated with acidulated phosphate fluoride on the development of induced-dental caries in rats. DESIGN: Dental caries were induced in molars of 40 rats divided into five groups: control group (CG), the teeth were not submitted to any treatment; laser group (LG), teeth were irradiated with a low power red laser (LPRL), power of 30 mW and dose of 5 J/cm(2); fluoride group (FG), teeth were treated with topical acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) 1.23% applied for 4 min; laser+fluoride group (LFG), teeth were irradiated with LPRL followed by APF; fluoride+laser group (FLG), teeth were treated with APF followed by LPRL. The animals were killed after 48 days, and the first and second molars were extracted to analyze the caries lesion area, microhardness, and calcium and phosphorus ratio. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences among FG, LFG, and FLG regarding to caries area and microhardness, although the caries area were smaller in LFG. Ca/P ratio did not show significant differences among all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although LPRL before APF application appeared to diminish the caries progression, LPRL did not present any additional benefit compared with acidulated phosphate fluoride on the prevention of induced-dental caries in rats.     

纸片血清标本肝功能体检实验研究及临床应用

目的：探索一种用纸片血清标本法为基层部队广大官兵进行肝功能体检的新途径。方法：采用信件邮寄纸片血清标本进行ＨＢｓＡｇ、ＡＬＴ及ＣＧ等肝功能测定实验研究及临床应用。结果：１００例ＨＢｓＡｇ对照测定结果完全相同,１００例ＣＧ及８０例ＡＬＴ对照测定结果无显著性差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）。１７２８名基层部队官兵中ＨＢｓＡｇ阳性者５５例（３．２％）,伴有肝功能受损者２０例（占ＨＢｓＡｇ阳性者３６．０％）;７７８名刚入伍新兵中ＨＢｓＡｇ阳性者３例（０．４％）。结论：本研究为基层部队广大官兵就地进行肝功能体检提供了一种简便、可靠的方法     

Diverse behavioral, monoaminergic and Fos protein responses to opioids in Warsaw high-alcohol preferring and Warsaw low-alcohol preferring rats

Predisposition to addictions is presumably related to a dysfunction of the brain reward system, which can be ‘compensated’ by the intake of different psychoactive drugs. Hence, animals showing propensity for developing dependence to a specific drug class may also be useful for modeling other addictions. We compared the effects of repeated (14 daily doses) morphine (10 mg/kg) or methadone (2 mg/kg) treatment followed by a 2-week withdrawal and a morphine challenge (5 mg/kg) on locomotor activity, brain Fos expression and selected brain regional levels of dopamine, serotonin and their metabolites in the 38th generations of selectively bred Warsaw low-alcohol-preferring (WLP) and Warsaw high-alcohol-preferring (WHP) rat lines. The rats were given the opioids during the active (i.e. dark) phase of their daily cycle. Drug-naïve WHP rats compared to their WLP counterparts showed higher locomotor activity in an open field test and higher propensity for lasting behavioral sensitization to morphine. Morphine did not significantly enhance, but suppressed Fos expression in certain brain regions of drug-naïve WLP and WHP rats. Fos expression revealed considerable differences in the responses of WLP and WHP rats to morphine challenge, particularly after methadone pretreatment. These differences were associated with differences in monoamine metabolite levels that were suggestive of elevated basal ganglia and lowered frontal cortical dopamine function, and of lowered somatosensory cortex serotonin function, in the morphine-challenged WHP rats (irrespective of the pretreatment type). Hence, the WLP/WHP line pair may be useful for the search of factors that underlie the propensity for developing opiate dependence.     

In silico identification of new candidate genes for hereditary congenital facial paresis

Hereditary congenital facial paresis (HCFP) consists of the paralysis or weakness of facial muscles caused by a maldevelopment of the facial branchiomotor (FBM) nucleus and its nerve. Linkage analyses have related this disorder to two loci, HCFP1 and HCFP2, placed respectively in human chromosomes 3q21.2-q22.1 and 10q21.3-q22.1, but the causative genes are still unknown. In this work we aimed to identify which genes from these loci are expressed in the developing hindbrain and particularly in the FBM nucleus. To this end, we retrieved from the ENSEMBL genomic database the list of these genes as well as their respective mouse orthologs. Subsequently we examined their respective expression patterns in the mouse embryo by using the GenePaint gene expression database. As a result of this screening, we found a new gene (Mgll) from the HCFP1 locus that has strong and specific expression in the developing FBM nucleus. In its turn, the HCFP2 locus appeared as a large gene-desert region, flanked by two genes, Reep3, with specific expression in the FBM nucleus, and Lrrtm3, broadly expressed in the brainstem, including the same nucleus. The concurrence of genomic position and neural expression pattern makes these genes new potential candidates for HCFP.