Repeated cannabinoid administration increases indices of noradrenergic activity in rats

The present study examined the impact of repeated administration of a synthetic cannabinoid agonist, WIN 55,212-2 on the coeruleo-cortical pathway, a circuit implicated in anxiety. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received repeated systemic injections of WIN 55,212-2 (3.0 mg/kg). A separate group of rats received repeated WIN 55,212-2 injections followed by a period of abstinence. Control animals received vehicle injections. Ninety minutes following the last injection on day 8, anxiety-related behavior was assessed using the elevated plus maze. The abstinent group was tested after another 8 days. Following behavioral testing, brain tissue was extracted from the locus coeruleus (LC) and probed for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression. In a separate group of animals, in vivo microdialysis was used to monitor extracellular norepinephrine efflux in the frontal cortex following repeated WIN 55,212-2 administration and following a period of abstinence. Repeated administration of WIN 55,212-2 evoked an anxiogenic-like response that was accompanied by an increase in TH protein expression in the LC. A similar neurochemical profile was observed using in vivo microdialysis where an augmented increase in cortical norepinephrine efflux was identified in response to a systemic injection of WIN 55,212-2 on day 8. Anxiety-like behavior, catecholamine synthesizing enzyme levels and NE efflux returned to control values after 8 days of abstinence. The present findings indicate that repeated administration of a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist induces transient anxiety-like behaviors that correlate with increases in catecholamine synthesizing enzyme expression in the LC and augmented norepinephrine efflux in response to a challenge injection of WIN 55,212-2.

Analysis of amino acids and biogenic amines in biological tissues as their o-phthalaldehyde/ethanethiol/fluorenylmethyl chloroformate derivatives by high-performance liquid chromatography. A deproteinization study

The extraction of ornithine, lysine, putrescine, cadaverine, 1,7-diaminoheptane, spermidine and spermine from biological tissues was optimized for HPLC quantitation as their o-phthalaldehyde/ethanethiol/fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (OPA/ET/FMOC) derivatives. In applying perchloric acid deproteinization two approaches have been followed: (i) deproteinization with subsequent neutralization by potassium hydroxide and lyophilization, and (ii) deproteinization without neutralization and lyophilization. Neutralization and lyophilization resulted in the loss of free biogenic amines. HPLC analysis of ornithine (Orn), lysine (Lys), putrescine (Put), cadaverine (Cad), 1,7-diaminoheptane (Dah), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) content of biological tissues as their OPA/ET/FMOC derivatives was performed in the supernatant of perchloric acid-deproteinized samples (model solutions and tissues) with an average reproducibility of < or =2.6% relative standard deviation (RSD), including recovery of sample treatment and chromatography.

Effects of electrokinetics and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide [CTAB] on the hydrocarbon removal and retention from contaminated soils

Hydrocarbon contaminated soil and groundwater is considered to be a leading cause for increased health risk and environmental contamination. Therefore, an efficient technique is needed to retard the movement or enhance the removal of the contaminant depending on the remediation objective. The goals of this study were to evaluate the impact of the addition of a cationic surfactant on the movement of hydrocarbons within a contaminated clay soil subjected to electrokinetic treatment. Water-flushing and surfactant-flushing experiments were conducted on one-dimensional soil columns. The model diesel fuel was composed of a mixture of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes [BTEX] and three selected polycyclic hydrocarbons [PAHs]. In the water-flushing experiments, the application of an electrokinetic treatment was found to enhance the removal of PAHs from the clay columns by about 20%. In contrast, the application of an electrokinetic treatment, when coupled with cationic surfactant-flushing, retarded the movement of BTEX and the three selected PAHs in the clay columns. Hydraulic columns with surfactant (CTAB) removed 17% more naphthalene and 11% more 2-methylnaphthalene compared to columns subjected to electrokinetic treatment with CTAB. The flux through the electrokinetic columns during water flushing as well as surfactant flushing was higher than the flux due to hydraulic gradient alone. As the solubility of hydrocarbons increased, they moved farther with electrokinetic treatment without CTAB. However, with CTAB the electrokinetic treatment tends to retard the movement. Use of a cationic surfactant coupled with electrokinetic treatment was found to retard the movement of contaminants.

Elevated μ-opioid receptor expression in the nucleus of the solitary tract accompanies attenuated withdrawal signs after chronic low dose naltrexone in opiate-dependent rats

We previously described a decrease in withdrawal behaviors in opiate-dependent rats that were chronically treated with very low doses of naltrexone in their drinking water. Attenuated expression of withdrawal behaviors correlated with decreased c-Fos expression and intracellular signal transduction elements [protein kinase A regulatory subunit II (PKA) and phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB)] in brainstem noradrenergic nuclei. In this study, to determine whether similar cellular changes occurred in forebrain nuclei associated with drug reward, expressions of PKA and pCREB were analyzed in the ventral tegmental area, frontal cortex, striatum, and amygdala of opiate-treated rats that received low doses of naltrexone in their drinking water. No significant difference in PKA or pCREB was detected in these regions following drug treatment. To examine further the cellular mechanisms in noradrenergic nuclei that could underlie attenuated withdrawal behaviors following low dose naltrexone administration, the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and locus coeruleus (LC) were examined for opioid receptor (OR) protein expression. Results showed a significant increase in muOR expression in the NTS of morphine-dependent rats that received low doses of naltrexone in their drinking water, and increases in muOR expression were also found to be dose dependent. Protein expression of muOR in the LC and deltaOR in either brain region remained unchanged. In conclusion, our previously reported decreases in c-Fos and PKA expression in the NTS following pretreatment with low doses of naltrexone may be partially explained by a greater inhibition of NTS neurons resulting from increased muOR expression in this region.

Microbial population structure changes in a suspended carrier biofilm reactor

The changes of microbial population structure in biofilm caused by variations of COD/NHNH4(+)-N ratio in influent were investigated in a suspended carrier biofilm reactor (SCBR). When COD/NHNH4(+)-N was 10, the highest COD removal reached was about 73.8 per cent, whereas the highest NH4(+)-N removal, about 55.9 per cent, was reached when COD/NH4(+)-N was 5. By using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observation, it was found that the thickness of the biofilm formed on the carrier was about 80 to 120 microm, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrifying bacteria existed mainly in the upper layer about 20 to 30 microm. The results of the quinone profile analysis showed that when the COD/NH4(+)-N increased, the microbial diversity (DQ) increased, while the proportions of AOB and nitrifying bacteria in the biofilm communities decreased.

First Report of Brown Stripe of Saltgrass Caused by Bipolaris heveae in Colorado

Inland saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta (L.) Greene) is indigenous to western North America and Australia and is a dioecious, rhizomatous, perennial, warm-season grass. It is commonly found in areas where salinity, alkalinity, and drought have eliminated many other types of vegetation (1). It has potential for revegetation of mine spoils or use along roadsides (2). During September 2004, multiple lenticular, brown lesions were observed on leaves of saltgrass accession no. 1023 at the Horticulture Field Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. Segments of symptomatic leaf tissue were surface sterilized in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite and placed on one-quarter-strength potato dextrose agar and incubated at 25°C in the dark. Dark green fungal colonies with aerial mycelium consistently grew on the medium. Slightly curved, ellipsoidal, pale-to-golden brown, smooth conidia 46 to 80 μm long and 13 to 17 μm wide (average 64.5 × 14.7 μm) with 6 to 9 septations formed after 7 days in cultures grown on V8 juice agar. The morphology and bipolar germination of conidia was consistent with the genus Bipolaris, however, conidia were often shorter than previously reported (3). The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of one isolate were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with universal fungal rDNA primers ITS1 and ITS4. PCR products were sequenced (555 bp) and exhibited 99% nucleotide identity to Bipolaris heveae isolates collected from zoysiagrass and bermudagrass in Japan (3) and rubber in Nigeria (4). To confirm pathogenicity, a suspension of 10⁴ conidia per ml of water containing 0.1% Tween 20 was sprayed on saltgrass leaves to runoff. Plants were covered with transparent plastic bags and incubated at 25°C in the dark. After 72 h, the bags were removed and plants were placed in the greenhouse. Brown stripe symptoms were observed on all plants after 7 days, and B. heveae was consistently isolated from symptomatic tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown stripe on inland saltgrass caused by B. heveae. References: (1) D. J. Hansen et al. Am. J. Bot. 63:635, 1976. (2) K. A. Pavlicek et al. J. Range Manag. 30:377, 1977. (3) T. Tsukiboshi et al. Mycoscience 46:17, 2005. (4) G. Zhang and M. L. Berbee. Mycologia 93:1048, 2001.

Population genetics of CAPN10 and GPR35: implications for the evolution of type 2 diabetes variants

A positional cloning study of type 2 diabetes in Mexican Americans identified a region, termed "NIDDM1," on chromosome 2q37 with significant linkage evidence. Haplotype combinations at the calpain-10 gene (CAPN10) within this region were shown to increase diabetes risk in several populations. On the basis of the thrifty genotype hypothesis, variants that increase susceptibility to type 2 diabetes under modern lifestyle conditions provided a survival advantage in past environments by increasing the efficiency of energy use and storage. Here, our goal is to make inferences about the evolutionary forces shaping variation in genes in the NIDDM1 region and to investigate the population genetics models that may underlie the thrifty genotype hypothesis. To this end, we surveyed sequence variation in CAPN10 and in an adjacent gene, G-protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35), in four population samples from different ethnic groups. These data revealed two distinct deviations from the standard neutral model in CAPN10, whereas GPR35 variation was largely consistent with neutrality. CAPN10 showed a significant deficit of variation in the haplotype class defined by the derived allele at SNP44, a polymorphism that is significantly associated with diabetes in meta-analysis studies. This suggests that this haplotype class was quickly driven to high frequency by positive natural selection. Interestingly, the derived allele at SNP44 is protective against diabetes. CAPN10 also showed a local excess of polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium decay in intron 13. Simulations show that this pattern may be explained by long-standing balancing selection that maintains multiple selected alleles. Alternatively, it is possible that the local mutation and recombination rates changed since the divergence of human and chimpanzee; this scenario does not require the action of natural selection on intron 13 variation.

Detection of infectious hepatitis A virus by integrated cell culture/strand-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction

AIMS

A novel integrated cell culture/strand-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was established for detection of infectious hepatitis A virus (HAV).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The specificity of tagged RT-PCR was assessed using HAV genomic positive-strand RNA extracted from HAV virions as reference. Water samples artificially contaminated with infectious or formalin-inactivated HAV were subjected to integrated cell culture (ICC)/RT-PCR and ICC/strand-specific RT-PCR assays respectively. The tagged RT-PCR had high specificity for HAV negative-strand RNA. By demonstrating the formation of negative-strand RNA replicative intermediate, ICC/strand-specific RT-PCR can distinguish between infectious and non-infectious HAV. The described method detected infectious HAV at inoculation level of 10(0) TCID50 per flask within 4 days.

CONCLUSIONS

The ICC/strand-specific RT-PCR is a novel, rapid, sensitive and reliable method for detection of infectious HAV.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Coupled with a suitable virus concentration and purification system, ICC/strand-specific RT-PCR will provide a novel and rapid method for detection of infectious HAV in clinical, environmental and food samples. This assay may be used as an alternative method to test the effective inactivation of inactivated virus vaccines. It may also be adapted to assess the efficacy of disinfection of HAV and enteric viruses in foods and water.

Hand-assisted transperitoneal laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy

OBJECTIVE

We introduced and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of the hand-assisted transperitoneal laparoscopic technique for living donor nephrectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In December 2001, we started using the technique of hand-assisted transperitoneal laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (HLDN) in 10 cases. The procedure utilizes a hand-assisted device to increase safety and control of the laparoscopic technique.

RESULTS

Only left nephrectomy was performed. The mean total operating and the warm ischemia times were 130 minutes and 3.0 minutes, respectively. Average lengths of renal artery and vein were 1.95 cm and 2.8 cm, respectively. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

HLDN is an easier procedure than the traditional laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy and can greatly mitigate the learning curve. HLDN has shortened warm ischemia time and operating time. It is also good for trocar placement, prevention of torsion of the kidney, control of potential bleeding at the final stage of vascular stapling, and kidney removal. Therefore, HLDN is a promising method for living donor nephrectomy.

Molecular mechanisms of immunity in corneal allotransplantation and xenotransplantation

Corneal allotransplantation is the most common and successful form of solid organ transplantation in humans. In uncomplicated cases, the two-year graft survival rate is over 90%. This extraordinary success can be attributed in part to various features of the normal cornea and anterior segment that together account for their ‘immune-privileged’ status. However, despite this success, a significant number of corneal grafts fail and immunological rejection remains by far the leading cause of graft failure. Studies on animal models of corneal transplantation have yielded a wealth of information on the molecular and cellular features of graft rejection, and have established that this process is mediated primarily by CD4+ T cells of the T helper 1 (Th1) phenotype. In addition, studies have elucidated that certain facets of allosensitisation differ between corneal and other solid organ transplants. On the basis of these findings, novel experimental strategies selectively targeting the afferent or efferent arms of corneal alloimmunity have provided promising results in preventing corneal allograft rejection in the laboratory. Finally, because of the global shortage of human donor corneas, there is currently renewed interest in the possibility of using corneas from other species for transplantation into human eyes (xenotransplantation). Preliminary studies on animal models of corneal xenotransplantation have documented both antibody-mediated and cell-mediated responses that might play important roles in the accelerated rejection observed in corneal xenotransplants. This review synthesises the principal concepts emerging from studies of the molecular mechanisms in corneal transplant immunology.

IAL-CHS (internal airlift loop--ceramic honeycomb supports) reactor used for biodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol and phenol

The internal airlift loop reactor with ceramic honeycomb supports (IAL-CHS) was applied for biodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and phenol. A strain of DCP-degrading bacteria isolated from activated sludge, Achromobacter sp., was rapidly immobilized onto the ceramic honeycomb supports. The immobilized cells effectively biodegraded 2,4-DCP alone and together with phenol in batch and continuous-flow experiments. For example, 2,4-DCP was biodegraded from an influent concentration of 50 mg/L to less than 1 mg/L with a 6-h hydraulic retention time (HRT) in continuous flow tests. The immobilized biomass grew and accumulated through 2,4-DCP biodegradation, and the rate of degradation increased accordingly.

Regulation of human immune gene expression as influenced by a commercial blended Echinacea product: preliminary studies

Consumption of Echinacea at the first sign of symptoms has been clinically shown to reduce both the severity and duration of cold and flu. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction optimized for precision and reproducibility was utilized to explore in vitro and in vivo changes in the expression of immunomodulatory genes in response to Echinacea. In vitro exposure of THP-1 cells to 250 microg/ml of Echinacea species extracts induced expression (up to 10-fold) of the interleukin-1alpha, interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, intracellular adhesion molecule, interleukin-8, and interleukin-10 genes. This preliminary result is consistent with a general immune response and activation of the nonspecific immune response cytokines. In vivo gene expression within peripheral leukocytes was evaluated in six healthy nonsmoking subjects (18-65 years of age). Blood samples were obtained at baseline and on Days 2, 3, 5, and 12 after consuming a commercial blended Echinacea product, three tablets three times daily (1518 mg/day) for two days plus one additional dose (506 mg) on day three. Serum chemistry and hematological values were not different from baseline, suggesting that liver or bone marrow responses were not involved in acute responses to Echinacea. The overall gene expression pattern at 48 hr to 12 days after taking Echinacea was consistent with an antiinflammatory response. The expression of interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, intracellular adhesion molecule, and interleukin-8 was modestly decreased up through Day 5, returning to baseline by day 12. The expression of interferon-alpha steadily rose through Day 12, consistent with an antiviral response. These preliminary data present a gene expression response pattern that is consistent with Echinacea's reported ability to reduce both the duration and intensity of cold and flu symptoms.

Study of severe hepatitis treated with a hybrid artificial liver support system

Artificial liver support system (ALSS) has been used to treat hepatic failure and has significantly decreased the mortality. TECA hybrid artificial liver support system (TECA-HALSS), which combines the hollow fiber bioreactor with a plasma exchange circuit, was used to assess the efficacy, safety and feasibility in treating severe hepatitis patients. The hybrid artificial liver support system (HALSS) consists of a bioreactor containing more than 5 x10(9) porcine hepatocytes and plasma exchange device. Fifteen patients with severe hepatitis were treated with this hybrid system. All patients experienced a reduction in symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal distention or ascites. After each treatment serum total bilirubin decreased markedly while prothrombin activity increased. There were ten patients whose progress of hepatocyte necrosis was stopped after HALSS treatment, and finally they recovered completely. One patient received liver transplantation after HALSS therapy and survived. No serious adverse events were noted in the fifteen patients.

Features of double chamber bed and case study

A double chamber bed (DCB) was developed in China in 1980 and has been utilised in more than 500 setups. This paper introduces the structure and operation features of DCB, and also the unique structure of DCB leads to its perfect operation features. It can be also considered as the best option in reconstruction projects which can replace other types of ion exchangers, such as fixed bed, double cell fluidized-bed, multi-bed. Four reconstruction project cases were introduced, which were selected from more than twenty plants designed by us. Through the case study, it is concluded that DCB can not only be used to treat different sources of water (river and well), but can also be used to treat water with the ratio of transient hardness to total cation to be less than 0.5 and the ratio of strong to weak anion to be more than 7.0. These findings enlarge the scope of application of DCB.

Fouling and cleaning of microfiltration membrane in municipal wastewater reclamation

This paper presents an investigation on fouling and cleaning of a tubular microfiltration membrane for municipal wastewater reclamation. A bi-level complex model, namely channel clogging and pore plugging, was introduced to elucidate the fouling mechanism. Based on 135 days of microfiltration of activated sludge, a preventive method for channel clogging was reasonably proposed and proven to be effective. Without channel clogging, the operation period was observed a five-fold increase on average, reaching 3-4 weeks. To remove pore plugging, a multi-step chemical cleaning was employed and further optimized in terms of temperature and alkaline concentration. Generally, the chemical cleaning could restore the membrane permeability to higher than 90%.

Biological treatment of printing ink wastewater

Printing ink wastewater is usually very difficult to treat biologically and its chemical oxygen demand (COD) far exceeds standards of discharge. The COD in wastewater is usually 3,000 to 8,000 mg/L after flocculation and sedimentation. Herein, a strain of bacterium was isolated from the sludge and identified as Bacillus sp. and utilized to treat printing ink wastewater. The application of bacteria to degrade printing ink in wastewater is discussed in this paper. The influence of N and P sources on COD removal, and COD removal in combination with glucose was also discussed. More than 85 per cent of the COD could be removed using the proposed biological process. A novel internal airlift loop bioreactor with bacteria immobilized onto ceramic honeycomb support was used for the wastewater treatment.