Expression of RANTES and CCR1 in oral lichen planus and association with mast cell migration

Background: T lymphocytes and mast cells infiltrate the lamina propria in oral lichen planus (OLP). Chemokines and their receptors are involved in T cell and mast cell migration and accumulation during the inflammatory process. Methods: In the present study, we investigated the role of RANTES and its receptors in OLP using immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and an in vitro chemotaxis assay. Results: RANTES and CCR1 were expressed on T cells and mast cells in OLP, while OLP lesional T cell supernatants stimulated CCR1 mRNA expression in a human leukemia mast cell line (HMC-1). TNF-alpha stimulated CCR1, CCR4 and CCR5 mRNA expression in the same cell line. OLP lesional T cell supernatants stimulated HMC-1 migration, which was partly inhibited by anti-RANTES antibody. Conclusions: The present study shows, for the first time, the distribution of RANTES and CCR1 in OLR It is hypothesized that RANTES and CCR1 may play important roles in mast cell trafficking and related events in OLP.

Late Quaternary Milankovitch-scale climatic change and variability and its impact on monsoonal Australasia

Four pollen and charcoal records derived from marine cores around the northern perimeter of Australia are examined to provide a regional picture of patterns, causes and impacts of climate change over the last 100-300 ka. The availability of radiocarbon dates and oxygen isotope records for the cores provides primary chronological control. Spectral analysis of components of these records demonstrates an overall importance of Milankovitch frequencies with clear glacial-interglacial cyclicity dominated by variation in precipitation. In addition, a number of pollen taxa, as well as charcoal particles, exhibit a 30 ka frequency that is considered, from its relationship with biomass burning and with results of past modelling, to reflect changes in the intensity of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. Pollen components of all records show a decline, frequently stepwise, in more fire-sensitive vegetation and its replacement with more fire-tolerant vegetation. There is some evidence that this trend is linked to an onset or general increase in ENSO activity and perhaps also to variation in monsoon activity dating from about 300 ka BP that was caused by changes to oceanic circulation within the Indonesian region. The trend may have accelerated within the last 45 ka due to burning by indigenous people. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Familial partial epilepsy with variable foci: Clinical features and linkage to chromosome 22q12

Background: Familial partial epilepsy with variable foci (FPEVF) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by partial seizures originating from different brain regions in different family members in the absence of detectable structural abnormalities. A gene for FPEVF was mapped to chromosome 22q12 in two distantly related French-Canadian families. Methods: We describe the clinical features and performed a linkage analysis in a Spanish kindred and in a third French-Canadian family distantly related to the original pedigrees. Results: Onset of seizures was typically in middle childhood, and attacks were usually easy to control. Seizure semiology varied among family members but was constant for each individual. In some, a pattern of nocturnal frontal lobe seizures led to consideration of the diagnosis of autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE). The Spanish family was mapped to chromosome 22q (multipoint lod score, 3.4), and the new French-Canadian family had a multipoint lod score of 2.97 and shared the haplotype of the original French-Canadian families. Conclusions: Identification of the various forms of familial partial epilepsy is challenging, particularly in small families, in which insufficient individuals exist to identify a specific pattern. We provide clinical guidelines for this task, which will eventually be supplanted by specific molecular diagnosis. We confirmed linkage of FPEVF to chromosome 22q 12 and redefined the region to a 5.2-Mb segment of DNA.

Differential responses of antioxidant enzymes in pioneer and late-successional tropical tree species grown under sun and shade conditions

To investigate the ability of pioneer and late-successional species to adapt to a strong light environment in a reforestation area, we examined the activities of antioxidant enzymes in relation to photosystem chlorophyll a fluorescence and photosynthetic pigment concentration for eight tropical tree species grown under 100% (sun) and 10% (shade) sunlight irradiation. The pioneer (early-succession) species (PS) were Cecropia pachystachya, Croton urucurana, Croton floribundus and Schinus terebinthifolius. The non-pioneer (late succession) species (LS) were Hymenaea courbaril L var. stilbocarpa, Esenbeckia leiocarpa, Cariniana legalis and Tabebuia roseo-alba. We observed a greater decline in the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll a fluorescence (F(v)/F(m)) under full sunlight irradiation in the late-successional species than in the pioneer species. The LS species most sensitive to high irradiance were C. legalis and H. courbaril. In LS species, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll concentrations were higher in the shade-grown plants than in plants that developed under full sunlight, but in the PS species C. floribundus and C. pachystachya, we did not observe significant changes in chlorophyll content when grown in the two contrasting environments. The carotenoids/total chlorophyll ratio increased significantly when plants developed under high-sunlight irradiation, but this response was not observed in the PS species S. terebinthifolius and C. pachystachya. The improved performance of the pioneer species in high sunlight was accompanied by an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD. EC 1.15.1.1) activity, though no light-dependent increase in the activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX. EC 1.11.1.11) was observed. The activity of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) was reduced by high irradiation in both pioneer and late-successional species. Our results show that pioneer species perform better under high-sunlight irradiation than late-successional species, as indicated by increased SOD activity and a higher F IF,, ratio. C. legalis was the LS species most susceptible to photoinhibition under full sunlight conditions. These results suggest that pioneer plants have more potential tolerance to photo-oxidative damage than late-successional species associated with the higher SOD activity found in pioneer species. Reduced photoinhibition in pioneer species probably results from their higher photosynthetic capacities, as has been observed in a previous survey carried out by our group. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Becoming mother and father in late adoption: a case study

Adoption in Brazil has long been related to practices of not disclosing the child`s history and origins, which become a family secret. As a consequence, most couples who apply for adoption prefer newborns. Late adoption is still an uncommon practice and requires a `family project` which accepts a different family model, new meanings of motherhood and fatherhood, and different ways of building affectionate bonds. It is important to investigate how a man and a woman become parents under those circumstances. This study aimed to follow up the emergence of adoption, motherhood and fatherhood meanings, in the discursive practices involved in the construction of adoptive parenthood in the Brazilian setting. This paper presents important meanings regarding parenthood produced by a couple who adopted two sisters, aged 4 and 5 years. Analysis revealed that to better understand the late adoption process, the meanings that emerge in the discursive practices should be considered. Those meanings pervade and circumscribe the family relationships, influencing how the individuals constitute their roles in the family. It is through the analysis of this dialogical process of construction that it is possible to identify the challenges in late adoption and to unravel the process of constructing affectionate relationships.

Could the Leukocyte X Chromosome Inactivation Pattern Be Extrapolated to Hair Bulbs?

Background: The androgen receptor gene is located on the X chromosome with a polymorphic tract of CAG repeats that is inversely correlated to the receptor`s transactivation activity. A short CAG tract is associated with hyperandrogenic disorders. In women, one of the X chromosomes is inactivated and the X chromosome inactivation (XCI) pattern varies among tissues. Previous studies of hyperandrogenic disorders only evaluated XCI in leukocytes. Objective: To evaluate whether the XCI pattern in leukocytes could be extrapolated to those in hair bulbs. Material: A total of 58 healthy women were used for this study. DNA was extracted from leukocytes (n = 58 women) and pubic (n = 53 women) and scalp hair (n = 21 women). Methods: Hpa II digested and undigested DNA samples underwent fluorescence PCR GeneScan (R) analysis. Results: A significant and positive correlation of XCI was found between leukocytes and hair bulbs. However, individual comparisons showed that 13 and 19% of the women presented a different leukocyte XCI pattern in pubic hair and similar in leukocytes and hair bulbs of normal women indicating that leukocyte DNA is useful for XCI analysis. However, the XCI pattern could vary among tissues from the same subject, indicating that care should be taken when extrapolating individual leukocyte XCI patterns to other tissue. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel

Late-season non-selective herbicide application reduces Lolium rigidum seed numbers, seed viability, and seedling fitness

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of Lolium rigidum (annual ryegrass) seed developmental stage and application rate of glyphosate and SpraySeed (paraquat 135 g/L+ diquat 115 g/L) on the number, germinability, and fitness of seeds produced. Glyphosate (450 g/L) was most effective when applied at a rate of 0.5-1 L/ha during heading and anthesis, reducing the number of filled seeds produced compared with unsprayed plants. Application post-anthesis, when seeds were at the milk to soft dough stage, was less effective. SpraySeed was most effective when applied post-anthesis, during the milk and early dough stages of seed development at a rate of 0.5-1L/ha, resulting in the production of few viable seeds. Although some filled seeds were produced, most of the seeds were dead. Application during anthesis or once the seeds reached soft dough stage was less effective. For both herbicides, those seeds that were capable of germinating were smaller and had slower radicle and coleoptile growth, resulting in slower early seedling growth and reduced biomass production within the first month of growth. Additionally, glyphosate application reduced the proportion of seeds exhibiting dormancy. The anticipated reduction in seed competitive ability and altered emergence timing resulting from late-season herbicide application, even when application timing is not optimal, could be exploited to reduce the likelihood of successful L. rigidum establishment in the following season.

Effect of hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection on the development of anterior pituitary cells in late gestation ovine fetuses

The specific role of the hypothalamus in regulating the developmental profile of anterior pituitary (AP) cells remains largely unknown. The present study evaluated hypothalamic contributions to AP cell development, utilizing the technique of hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection (HPD). HPD of fetal sheep or sham surgery was performed at 110 days gestation (d) (n=6 each group; term ~ 147d). Fetuses were removed and pituitaries collected at 110d (no surgery; n=6) or 141d (sham and HPD groups). The impact of HPD on AP cell development was assessed by single-labeled immunofluorescence for five hormones to identify proportions of AP cells expressing each hormone. HPD was associated with a 70% increase (P

Subpopulations of corticotrophs in the sheep pituitary during late gestation: Effects of development and placental restriction

The prepartum surge in fetal plasma cortisol is essential for the normal timing of parturition in sheep and may result from an increase in the ratio of ACTH to proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the fetal circulation. In fetuses subjected to experimental induction of placental restriction, the prepartum surge in fetal cortisol is exaggerated, whereas pituitary POMC mRNA levels are decreased, and in vitro, unstimulated ACTH secretion is elevated in corticotrophs nonresponsive to CRH. We therefore investigated the changes in the relative proportions of cells expressing POMC, ACTH, and the CRH type 1 receptor (CRHR1) shortly before birth and during chronic placental insufficiency. Placental restriction (PR) was induced by removal of the majority of placental attachment sites in five ewes before mating. Pituitaries were collected from control and PR fetal sheep at 140 d (control, n = 4; PR, n = 4) and 144 d (control, n = 6; PR, n = 4). Pituitary sections were labeled with specific antisera raised against POMC, ACTH, and CRHR1. Three major subpopulations of corticotrophs were identified that expressed POMC + ACTH + CRHR1, ACTH + CRHR1, or POMC only. The proportion of pituitary corticotrophs expressing POMC + ACTH + CRHR1 decreased (P < 0.05) between 140 (control, 60 +/- 1%; PR, 66 +/- 4%) and 144 (control, 45 +/- 2%; PR, 56 +/- 6%) d. A significantly higher (P < 0.05) proportion of corticotrophs expressed POMC + ACTH + CRHR1 in the pituitary of the PR group compared with controls. This study is the first to demonstrate subpopulations of corticotrophs in the fetal sheep pituitary that differentially express POMC, ACTH, and CRHR1 and the separate effects of gestational age and placental restriction on these subpopulations of corticotrophs.