Effect of neurotensin on pancreatic function in man

The effect of neurotensin on submaximally-stimulated hepatobiliary and pancreatic secretion was studied in 6 healthy subjects. An intravenous infusion of neurotensin 1.4 ± 0.3 pmol/kg/min, designed to reproduce plasma neurotensin immunoreactivity levels within the physiological range, produced a significant increase in pancreatic bicarbonate output. Plasma concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide rose by 83 ± 16 pmol/l and were associated with a small reduction in trypsin, but no significant change in bilirubin outputs.     

Occurrence of vitellogenin in drone honeybees (Apis mellifica)

Summary

The occurrence of vitellogenin in adult haploid drones of the honeybee, Apis mellifica, was determined by sensitive immunotechniques, i.e. two-dimensional Immunoelectrophoresis and SDS-PAGE immunoblotting using a monospecific anti-vitellogenin-serum. In drones vitellogenin is one of the minor fractions of the hemolymph proteins. Genetic and regulatory aspects of vitellogenin synthesis in male bees are discussed.     

Characterization and the broad cross‐species applicability of 20 anonymous nuclear loci isolated from the Taiwan Hwamei (Garrulax taewanus)

We isolated 20 anonymous nuclear loci (8556 bp in total) from the Taiwan Hwamei (Garrulax taewanus), an endemic songbird of Taiwan. A panel of nine to 15 individuals with unknown relationship was used to characterize polymorphism of these loci. We identified 46 single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNPs) in 15 polymorphic loci. Frequency of SNPs was one per every 186 bp in average. Nucleotide diversity, θ, ranged from 0.00054 to 0.00371 per locus. We also tested cross‐species applicability of these loci on 17 species from eight different passerine families. All 20 loci could be successfully amplified (ranged from one to 16 species, mean = 7.9 species).     

Comparison of parasitism by Cotesia glomerata with bacterial infection and wounding in Pieris brassicae: induction of new haemolymph polypeptides and changes in humoral immune response

In Pieris brassicae, parasitism by Cotesia glomerata and bacterial infection are differentiated with respect to haemolymph protein arrays, and production or suppression of antibacterial agents. Bacteriolytic activity in haemolymph from parasitized larvae was slightly, but significantly, higher 24h post-treatment than that of untreated and wounded controls. Micrococcus lysodeikticus- or lipopolysaccharide-(LPS) injected insects exhibited an 11-fold greater response than those parasitized. At 24h post-treatment, antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli was observed in haemolymph from all but untreated larvae. Injection of Grace's medium, M. lysodeikticus or LPS, caused a greater than threefold response than parasitization or wounding. The protein banding patterns of parasitized hosts did not correspond to those of the other treatments. Two parasitoid-induced proteins (38 and 128 kDa) were examined. Both were found in parasitized insects, not in those wounded, injected with Grace's medium, M. lysodeikticus or LPS. Neither protein was bacteriolytic or bacteriostatic in inhibition zone assays.     

Monoclonal antibody MS13 identifies a plasmatocyte membrane protein and inhibits encapsulation and spreading reactions of Manduca sexta hemocytes

Lepidopterans generally can successfully defend themselves against a variety of parasites or parasitoids. One mechanism they use is to encapsulate the invader in many layers of hemocytes. For encapsulation to occur, the hemocytes must attach to the foreign material, spread, and adhere to each other. The molecules that mediate these processes are not known. One method to identify proteins potentially necessary for adhesion, spreading, and, thus, encapsulation is to use monoclonal antibodies that interfere with these functions. In this paper, we report that a monoclonal antibody against Manduca sexta plasmatocytes effectively inhibited encapsulation of synthetic beads in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, it inhibited plasmatocyte spreading in vitro. Other anti-hemocyte antibodies did not have these effects. The plasmatocyte-specific monoclonal antibody, mAb MS13, recognized a protein of approximately 90,000 daltons as indicated by Western blot analysis of hemocyte lysate proteins. The epitope recognized by mAb MS13 was present on the exterior surface of plasmatocytes. Using indirect immunohistochemistry with hemocyte-specific antibodies, we also determined that during encapsulation plasmatocytes were the first cells bound to latex beads and later layers consisted of both plasmatocytes and granular cells. Arch.     

Seasonality of Rotifers and Temperature in Lough Neagh,N. Ireland

Long runs of seasonal rotifer population data allow analysis of seasonal occurrence using mathematical tools. The application of Fourier analysis to a 15 year dataset describes seasonality in simple mathematical terms. This facilitates comparison of population expression with potential population driving variables and provides a basic modelling tool. Results show that annual patterns of occurrence and density have linkages with annual maximum and minimum environmental temperature, although the exact relationships are not clear.     

Takayasu's arteritis is associated with HLA-B*52, but not with HLA-B*51, in Turkey

Introduction

HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 are two close human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele groups with minor amino acid differences. However, they are associated with two different vasculitides (HLA-B*51 in Behçet's disease and HLA-B*52 in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK)) and with major clinical and immunological differences. In this study, we aimed to screen a large cohort of TAK patients from Turkey for the presence of HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 as susceptibility and severity factors.

Methods

TAK patients (n = 330) followed at a total of 15 centers were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 37.8 years, and 86% were women. DNA samples from the patients and healthy controls (HC; n = 210) were isolated, and the presence of HLA-B*51 or HLA-B*52 was screened for by using PCR with sequence-specific primers.

Results

We found a significant association of HLA-B*52 with TAK (20.9% vs HC = 6.7%, P = 0.000, OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 2.02 to 6.77). The distribution of HLA-B*51 did not differ between TAK patients and HCs (22.7% vs 24.8%, OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.60 to 1.34). The presence of HLA-B*52 decreased in late-onset patients (> 40 years of age; 12.0%, P = 0.024, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.91). Patients with angiographic type I disease with limited aortic involvement also had a lower presence of HLA-B*52 compared to those with all other disease subtypes (13.1% vs 26%, P = 0.005, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.78).

Conclusions

In this study, the previously reported association of TAK with HLA-B*52 in other populations was confirmed in patients from Turkey. The functional relevance of HLA-B*52 in TAK pathogenesis needs to be explored further.     

Correlation of hemocyte counts with different developmental parameters during the last larval instar of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

We determined the changes in hemocyte titer and in the abundance of hemocyte types of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta during the fourth and fifth larval stadium and the beginning of the pupal stadium. As we analyzed the samples of individual insects at daily intervals, we were able to correlate phenotypical features, body weight, as well as total protein content and lysozyme activity in the hemolymph with the observations on hemocytes. In the course of the fifth larval stadium, the hemocyte titer decreased slightly and declined further after pupation. Using calculated values for total hemocyte numbers, females had about five times and males three times more hemocytes in the circulating population at the beginning of the wandering stage (in the middle of the fifth larval stadium) than immediately after the last larval--larval molt (from the fourth to the fifth larval stadium). This sexual difference was mainly due to an increase in the number of plasmatocytes, which was more prominent in females than in males. Granular cells were dominant in early fifth larval stadium while plasmatocytes were the most abundant cells in pupae. Oenocytoids and spherule cells disappeared during the wandering stage. Lysozyme activity in the hemolymph rose to a maximum during the wandering stage, with females having lysozyme values twice as high as those for males. These changes in lysozyme activity, however, did not correlate with the increase of total hemolymph protein titer which occurred already at the beginning of the wandering stage. We postulate that changes in hemocyte titers are under direct hormonal control, which has to be proven in future experiments.