The distribution of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the brain of the lemur Microcebus murinus was determined by immunocytochemistry with the aid of a highly specific antiserum against synthetic porcine NPY. ...When compared with previous immunohistochemical data obtained in primates and other mammalian species, the localization of NPY-immunoreactive (IR) structures in the Microcebus murinus brain revealed particular features. (1) Numerous NPY-IR perikarya and a dense network of IR nerve terminals were found in the supraoptic and suprachiasmatic nuclei, respectively. The occurrence of NPY-IR perikarya in the supraoptic nucleus, also reported in the squirrel monkey, seems to be specific to primates. In the squirrel monkey, the suprachiasmatic nucleus exhibits only a moderate innervation, whereas in humans it appears totally devoid of NPY-IR fibers. (2) IR perikarya and axon processes were observed in many upper brainstem areas, in particular in the interpeduncular, raphe pontine, dorsal tegmental, parabrachial, and dorsal raphe nuclei, in the locus coeruleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the reticular formation; in this latter area, the occurrence of two categories of NPY-IR neurons was demonstrated on the basis of their morphology and localization, suggesting that they may play distinct roles. (3) NPY-IR nerve processes could be traced over a long distance. (4) For the first time, numerous NPY-IR terminals were observed close to the lumen of the various cerebral ventricles. The immunoreactive NPY-like peptide was characterized by combining high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and radioimmunoassay quantification. The dilution curves obtained with synthetic porcine NPY and serial dilutions of occipital cortex, paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamus, posterior hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, or preoptic area extracts were parallel. The highest amounts of NPY were measured in the hypothalamus and telencephalon. HPLC analysis resolved a single peak of NPY-like immunoreactivity that exhibited the same retention time as synthetic porcine NPY. The distribution of NPY in the lemurian brain is discussed with respect to phylogeny and putative functions.
Organ weights and digestive enzyme contents of the pancreas, stomach and duodenum were measured in 75 nursing piglets at 21 d of age. Piglets were given creep feed from 10 d of age. Creep feed intake ...was less than 1.5 g.d-1.piglet-1 up to d 18; on d 19 and 20 it averaged 15 g.d-1.piglet-1. On d 10, piglets went to the feeder more frequently than on the following days. Feeding bouts were longer on d 16, 17 and 18 just prior to the increase in creep feed consumption. Means and SE for the parameters studied at 21 d of age were 7.01 +/- .18 mg for pancreas weight; 61,499 +/- 4,091 units of amylase (UA) and 1,510 +/- 110 UA/mg DNA; 2,962 +/- 189 units of chymotrypsin (UC) and 68.94 +/- 3.92 UC/mg DNA; 8.76 +/- .35 g for fundic mucosa weight; 558,875 +/- 49,287 units of pepsin (UP) and 12,338 +/- 1,175 UP/mg DNA; 1.75 +/- .06 g for duodenum weight; 1.39 +/- .07 units of maltase (UM) and .14 +/- .006 UM/mg DNA. Day-0 weight was not correlated with 21-d gain. Feeding behaviors were correlated positively with 21-d gains. Feeding behaviors and behaviors were correlated positively to pancreas total and specific enzyme contents as well as to stomach and duodenum weights, RNA/DNA ratios of the pancreas and the stomach and protein/DNA of the pancreas but were correlated negatively with specific and total pepsin and maltase activities. Variation was large in enzyme activities (cv = 35 to 82%).
Reciprocal crosses were performed between Brassica napus (AACC, 2n = 38) cv. Brutor and Sinapis alba (SalSal, 2n = 24) cv. Carine. Using fertilized ovary culture, 2.2 and 1.9% of interspecific ...hybrids were produced when white mustard was the female and the male parent, respectively. On S. alba cytoplasm, three plants with a BC1-like structure (SalSalAC, 2n = 43) were obtained and ACSal (2n = 31) and AACCSal (2n = 50) hybrids on reciprocal crosses. At the same ploidy level, no differences in meiotic behavior were observed. The amphidiploids (AACCSalSal, 2n = 62), produced after colchicine treatment of ACSal hybrids, were compared with the somatic hybrids previously obtained from the same parental varieties. Only two somatic hybrids differed and one of them lost Idh-2 rapeseed isozymes, whereas all the plants presented an hybrid pattern for all the other molecular markers. The plants with 50 chromosomes (AACCSal) from sexual hybrids were similar whatever their origins. Their comparison with backcross progeny of somatic hybrids revealed that the latter one differed either by chromosome number, ranging from 42 to 54, or by the percentage of cells with less than 12 univalents and with multivalents. From our results, the efficiency of protoplast fusion compared with sexual crosses as a tool to introduce new traits in a crop is discussed
Summary
Cancer limits survival following heart transplantation. The study's objectives were to evaluate the incidence and risk factors for cancers after heart transplantation and to assess the ...association between i.v. thymoglobuline induction therapy rabbit antithymocyte immunoglobulin, (RATG) and neoplasia. From 1982 to 2002, prospective data were gathered for 207 heart transplant recipients. Except from 1982 to 1987, all patients received a 3‐day course of i.v. RATG following transplantation. Forty‐three malignant neoplasms (21%) were diagnosed. The most common were: skin (42%), lung (12%), prostate (9%), genitourinary (9%) and lymphoma (5%). Mean length of follow‐up after transplantation was 99 ± 57 months. Mean survival after diagnosis was 52 ± 44 months. Multivariate analysis showed no significant increase in the incidence of cancer with recipient age, sex, number of rejection episodes, the type of immunosuppression or the use of RATG. Patients receiving RATG developed their malignancies significantly earlier after transplantation (P =0.007) and succumbed faster after the diagnosis (P = 0.06). Cancer is a limiting event for long‐term survival after heart transplantation. No individual risk factors allow predicting its development. In the present cohort, RATG does not have carcinogenic effects following transplantation, but is associated with a more precocious development of malignancies.
A 48-h fast extends the estrous cycle of virgin rats and, when instituted on days 13 and 14 postpartum (pp), prolongs lactational infertility. We investigated the ability of 2-deoxy-
d-glucose (2DG) ...alone or combined with mercaptoacetate (MA) to mimic these effects of fasting. In Experiment 1, we monitored estrous cyclicity in virgin rats receiving 800, 1200, or 1600 mg/kg/day of 2DG during metestrus and diestrus. In Experiment 2, we assessed the effects of 2DG (1600 mg/kg/day) given on days 13 and 14 pp, on the duration of lactational infertility. In Experiment 3, the combined effects of 2DG (1600, 2000, or 2400 mg/kg/day) and MA (180 mg/kg/day) on the length of lactational diestrus were evaluated. 2DG was sufficient to extend the estrous cycle of virgin rats, but neither 2DG alone nor given with MA prolonged the length of lactational diestrus. Results suggest that lactating rats are less sensitive than virgin rats to the effects of metabolic fuel inhibition on fertility. These data are discussed in relation to the hormonal state of the dam as well as in relation to the effects of these drugs on lactational performance.
Several classes of cosmic objects, such as Young Stellar Objects, Active Galactic Nuclei, Micro-Quasars, Pulsars and probably Gamma Ray Bursts, display powerful winds and jets; for some of them the ...flow is even ultrarelativistic. For all these classes of objects, the magnetic field is supposed to play a major role in launching and collimating the flow, together with the angular momentum transfer. It probably plays an important role for the turbulent transport in accretion disks also. Regarding the high energy radiation of relativistic jets and the cosmic ray generation, the magnetic field is of course the acceleration agent and could produce the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays in some extragalactic objects. The main growth points of these topics are presented, mostly in the case of black hole environments; the case of Young Stellar Objects is more complicated because of the interaction of the stellar magnetosphere with the accretion disk, and the models for this interaction are not yet founded on a reliable theory.
Rove beetle assemblages from forest dominated by yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt. (Betulaceae)) at two sites in southeastern Quebec were characterized in terms of composition, diversity, ...and relative abundance. In total, 143 species were collected over two seasons (June–August of 1999 and 2000). In the pretreatment year (1999), 88 species were found in uncut stands. In the post-treatment year, 116 species were found in treated (by patch harvesting and ground scarification) and control plots combined. Sixty-one species were common to the two sites, 27 species captured in the 1999 season were not recaptured in the 2000 season, and 55 additional species were captured in 2000. There are 23 new distribution records for Quebec, and one species, Atheta (Dimetrota) pseudomodesta Klimaszewski, sp. nov., is described. New bionomics data on relative abundance, seasonality, and the utility of different trapping methods are presented. Assemblage composition is compared with that of a red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg. (Pinaceae)) forest in New Brunswick. Les groupements de staphylins de la forêt mixte dominée par le bouleau jaune (Betula alleghaniensis Britt. (Betulaceae)) ont été caractérisés en termes de composition, diversité et abondance relative dans deux sites du sud-est du Québec. Au total, 143 espèces ont été récoltées pendant deux saisons (juin–août 1999 et 2000). Au cours de l’année précédant le traitement (1999), 88 espèces ont été trouvées dans la forêt intacte. Au cours de l’année suivant le traitement, 116 espèces ont été récoltées à la fois dans les secteurs traités (par coupe en trouées et le scarifiage) et témoins. Soixante et une espèces sont communes dans les deux secteurs, 27 espèces récoltées en 1999 n’ont pas été récoltées en 2000 et 55 espèces additionnelles ont été récoltées en 2000. Il y a 23 nouvelles mentions pour le Québec et une espèce, Atheta (Dimetrota) pseudomodesta Klimaszewski, sp. nov., est décrite pour la première fois. De nouvelles données bionomiques sur l’abondance relative, la distribution saisonnière et l’impact de différentes méthodes de piégeage sur les captures sont présentées. La composition des espèces est comparée à celle d’une pessière rouge (Picea rubens Sarg. (Pinaceae)) du Nouveau-Brunswick.
In order to assess the role of sex steroids on the regulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY), levels of pre-proNPY mRNA were measured by in situ hybridization in the rat arcuate nucleus during the estrous ...cycle. Pre-proNPY mRNA levels were quite stable during diestrus I, diestrus II and the morning of the proestrus, and were 25-30% higher during the afternoon of the proestrus and during the day of the estrus. These data suggest that NPY synthesis is modulated by variations in the circulating levels of sex steroids. Also the excellent correlation between the variations in the levels of pre-proNPY mRNA and those of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) mRNA observed throughout the estrous cycle supports the hypothesis that NPY might be involved in the regulation of LHRH secretion.
In an attempt to identify the cells and organellel containing ACTH and beta-lipotropin in the rat brain, an immunocytochemical localization of these two peptides was performed at the electron ...microscopic level. Both ACTH and beta-lipotropin were localized in dense core vesicles of about 60-80 nm in diameter. Using serial sections, it has been possible to demonstrate that these peptides are contained not only in the same neuronal cell bodies, but also in the same dense core vesicles.
Perioperative induction of immunosuppressive treatment with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) and late introduction of cyclosporine was used in a group of 77 patients to prevent early renal ...dysfunction related to cyclosporine. Peak value in plasma creatinine during hospitalization for transplantation averaged 148 +/- 49 mmol/L in patients treated with RATG compared with 215 +/- 21 mmol/L in 39 patients initially treated without RATG induction (P = 0.01). Of patients treated with RATG, 65 +/- 6% remained free from acute rejection at six months versus 40 +/- 8% of untreated patients (P = 0.03). Rates of freedom from infection, from allograft coronary artery disease and from cancer are similar in both groups. Actuarial survival rates were identical in the two groups. The total number of lymphocytes, the percentage of T lymphocytes and of helper T cells were significantly lower when RATG was used. In conclusion, RATG prophylaxis given immediately after transplantation was well tolerated without complication and resulted in adequate immunosuppression to allow delayed introduction of maintenance treatment with cyclosporine.
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