Influence of red pepper and capsaicin on body composition and lipogenesis in rats

Inclusion of red pepper or its active principle ‘capsaicin’ in the diet led to a lowering of total lipids, particularly triglycerides in the liver. The total body fat was lowered in animals fed red pepper or capsaicin but not in animals fed paprika powder which had negligible capsaicin content. Hyperlipogensis and hypertriglyceridemia caused by fructose feeding were significantly were decreased in capsaicin-fed animals. Activities of the key lipogenic enzymes were reduced as reflected by decreased lipogenesis.     

Angiotensinogen promoter and angiotensinogen II receptor type 1 gene polymorphisms and incidence of ischemic stroke and neurologic phenotype in Fabry disease

Abstract

Context: Stroke and/or white matter lesions (WMLs) are significant in Fabry disease. Polymorphisms of angiotensinogen (AGT), AGT Promoter and angiotensinogen II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) are correlated with WMLs.

Objectives: We compared AGT. AGT Promoter and AGTR1 genotypes to stroke incidence, Fabry-specific [Mainz Severity Score Index (MSSI)] severity score, and neurologic sub-score (n-MSSI).

Methods: Sixty-three Fabry patients and 49 matched controls plus historic controls were genotyped. Institutional Review Board approval was received.

Results. C and/or CC alleles of AGT Promoter and AGTR1 were significantly correlated with stroke and n-MSSI.

Discussion/conclusion: Findings are suggestive of role of AGT Promoter and AGTR1 genotypes in Fabry phenotypes.     

A variable selection index for the compensation of correlated genetic change

Summary A selection index for two traits has been constructed which allows partial restriction for one of the traits. The index is used in a situation where correlated response to selection in one sex is compenstated for by selection for other traits in the opposite sex. A numerical example is given.     

Numerical responses by populations of red fox and mountain hare during an outbreak of sarcoptic mange

Summary During a severe outbreak of sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei vulpes) starting among red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Sweden in the 1970s, we studied: 1) the establishment and spread of the disease in northernmost Sweden (by inquiries), and 2) the 1970–84 bag records for foxes and mountain hares (Lepus timidus) (an alternative prey to the fox's main prey, voles). Since the first case of sarcoptic mange in 1975 the disease spread rapidly, with >50% of the hunting organizations having reported the disease in 1981 and >75% in 1983. Also the disease became more abundant within the areas affected. In areas with a low mange infection rate (index) the number of foxes killed in the 1980s did not deviate markedly from the average level in the 1970s. However, there was a slight tendency towards a decline in areas with a medium index and numbers declined markedly where the index was high. Hare harvests initially were low (after a tularemia epidemic) in the 1970s. In that decade harvests increased dramatically and stabilized, increased gradually or changed little, respectively, where mange infection rates were low, medium or high in the early 1980s. In areas with a low mange index hare harvests remained cyclical and at the same level in the 1980s as in most of the 1970s. However, in areas with a medium index harvests increased and seemed to begin to lose their cyclicity, and where the index was high the low and relatively stable hare harvests increased annually. A predator-prey hypothesis, assuming predators to synchronize alternative prey declines to those of the cyclic main prey, predicts that a predator reduction would cause a gradual disappearance of the cyclicity and increasing numbers among alternative prey. Our hare data are partially consistent with this prediction.     

Interaction of Cibacron Blue F3G-A and Procion Red HE-3B with sheep liver 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

Cibacron Blue F3G-A, a probe used to monitor nucleotide binding domains in enzymes, inhibited sheep liver 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase competitively with respect to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and NADPH. TheK _i values obtained by kinetic methods and theK _d value for the binding of the dye to the enzyme estimated by protein fluorescence quenching were in the range 0.9–1.2 μM. Another triazine dye, Procion Red HE-3B interacted with the enzyme in an essentially similar manner to that observed with Cibacron Blue F3G-A. These results as well as the interaction of the dye with the enzyme monitored by difference spectroscopy and intrinsic protein fluorescence quenching methods indicated that the dye was probably interacting at the active site of the enzyme by binding at a hydrophobic region.     

Seasonal changes in the pigments, carbohydrates and growth of red spruce as affected by ozone

Two-year-old red spruce seedlings were exposed to various levels ot ozone, from 0.4 to 3 times ambient levels, in open-top chambers in Ithaca, NY, USA. Exposures, which varied with changes in day length, commenced on May 30, 1987 and continued until December 14, 1987. Seedling biomass, carbohydrate contents, pigment contents, and rate of electron transport were assessed twice monthly during the fumigation period. Orthogonal quadratic or cubic polynomials were used to model the response through time each variable measured. A one-way analysis of variance model was fitted to every regression coefficient in each polynomial model to test for ozone effects on seasonal physiological patterns. Ozone did not influence growth, foliar pigment content, foliar starch content, root carbohydrate content, or rate of electron transport. The seasonal change of needle raffinose content differed between exposed to low (0.4 ×, 1×) and high (2×, 3×) ozone levels. There was also a trend towards reduced total soluble sugar content foliage during late autumn in higher ozone treatments.     

Patch clamping corn protoplasts

Summary Cell wall regeneration around protoplasts from Black Mexican Sweet corn suspension cells has been observed using scanning electron microscopy. A coherent array of cellulose microfibrils can be seen around protoplasts two hours after they have been isolated. This array does not form in the presence of 15 mg/l Congo Red. The frequency and electrical resistance of seals made between patch clamp pipettes and the plasmalemma around corn protoplasts is not significantly affected by the presence or absence of these fibrils (p₀=0.75); it remains relatively low. Some single channel records from BMS corn protoplasts are shown.     

Ultrastructure of vegetative organization and cell division in the freshwater red algaCompsopogon

Summary Uniseriate filaments of the freshwater red algaCompsopogon coeruleus were examined by transmission electron microscopy for details of vegetative organization and cell division with the goal of providing useful taxonomic characters. Each cell's single, complex chloroplast contains a peripheral encircling thylakoid, and unlike the vast majority of red algae, the cis-regions of dictyosomes are not consistently juxtaposed with mitochondria. These subcellular features, which are present in all examined genera in theCompsopogonales, Erythropeltidales, andRhodochaetales, along with certain unique reproductive characteristics, unify these three orders. During mitosis in uncorticated axial cells, a small, ring-shaped nucleus associated organelle (NAO) is located at each division pole, an intranuclear spindle comes to a moderately acute focus at the flattened, fenestrated metaphase-anaphase division poles and perinuclear ER partially encloses dividing nuclei, including a well-developed interzonal midpiece. The cleavage furrow penetrates the large, central vacuolar region to separate daughter nuclei. These cell division features most closely resemble the pattern described for the orderCeramiales. Our observations of vegetative and dividing cells ofC. coeruleus supplement the growing volume of evidence in favour of uniting all red algae into a single class without subclass designations.Abbreviations ER endoplasmic reticulum - IZM interzonal midpiece - MT microtubule - MTOC microtubule organizing center - NAO nucleus associated organelle - NE nuclear envelope - PER perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum     

Effects of etretinate on the distribution of elements in rats

We studied in the rat the effects of the drug etretinate (Tigason), given at three doses 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg body wt for 1 mo, on the concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, S, P, Cu, and Zn in the plasma, brain, thymus, heart, liver, lung, kidney, testicle, muscle, and bone. The elements were simultaneously determined in tissues after nitric acid dissolution by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry using a JY 48 instrument. At the dose of 3 mg/kg, etretinate did not induce any statistically significant modifications of the element distribution. At the dose of 10 mg/kg, the main observed modifications were in plasma an increase of copper (+38%) and a decrease of zinc (-25%). At the highest dose of 30 mg/kg, some variations of the concentrations of elements in tissues were observed. But, on no account did retinoids induce an alteration of the mineral composition of bone, despite obvious macroscopic bone alterations.     

Mechanism of comutagenesis of sodium arsenite withn-methyl-n-nitrosourea

Arsenic compounds are known carcinogens. Although many carcinogens are also mutagens, we have previously shown that sodium arsenite is not mutagenic at either the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase orhprt locus in Chinese hamster V79 cells. It can, however, enhance UV-mutagenesis. We now confirm the nonmutagenicity of sodium arsenite in line G12, a pSV2gpt-transformed V79 (hprt ⁻) cell line, which is able to detect multilocus deletions in addition to point mutations and small deletions. The lack of arsenic mutagenicity has led to studies emphasizing its comutagenicity. Sodium arsenite at relatively nontoxic concentrations (5 μM for 24 h or 10 μM for 3 h) is comutagenic withN-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MMU) at thehprt locus in V79 cells. Using a nick translation assay, which measures DNA strand breaks by incorporating radioactive deoxyribonucleoside monophosphate at their 3′OH ends in permeabilized cells, we found that much more incorporation was seen in cells treated with MNU (4 mM, 15 min) followed by 3-h incubation with 10 μM sodium arsenite compared with cells exposed to the same MNU treatment followed by 3-h incubation without sodium arsenite. This result shows that in the presence of arsenite, strand breaks resulting from MNU or its repair accumulate over a 3-h period. We suggest that the repair of MNU-induced DNA lesions may be inhibited by arsenite either by affecting the incorporation of dNMPs into the MNU-damaged DNA template or by interfering with the ligation step.