85 Elongation of trophoblastic vesicles between Days 15 and 18 in cattle

Once formed, bovine blastocysts differentiate while growing exponentially from 150-200μm (Days 7 or 8) to 200-250mm (Days 17 to 18; Sandra et al. 2017 Annu. Rev. Anim. Biosci. 5, 205-228). Thus, the length of the conceptus doubles every day between Days 9 and 16 (Berg et al. 2010 Theriogenology 73, 250-260); however, this was observed on whole conceptuses. The objective of the current study was to test whether this elongation rate is similar when the embryonic disc has been excised. Six heifers were used to produce Day-15 conceptuses, either fully developed in vivo or developed in vivo for a week after embryo transfer of Day 8in vitro-produced blastocysts. Day 15 conceptuses were recovered, measured, and cut into pieces to produce trophoblastic vesicles (TV; Heyman et al. 1984 J. Reprod. Fertil. 70, 533-540) of 4±0.07 or 4.4±0.65mm long (mean±standard error of the means) for in vivo- or in vitro-produced TV, respectively. All TV were transferred into oestrus-synchronized recipients (5 heifers and 1 cow). Each female received 8-9 TV so that a total of 24in vivo-derived and 26in vitro-produced TV were transferred in utero for a period of 3 days. The TV originating from different Day-15 conceptuses were mixed at the time of transfer, so that each recipient received the TV from different origins (conceptus and donor cow). Transcervical collection was used at Day 15 and 18 for conceptus and TV recovery (Richard et al. 2015 Theriogenology 83, 1101-1109). At Day 18, TV elongation size was analysed (mean±standard error of the means) by unpaired t-test using GraphPad Prism software (GraphPad Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). At Day 15, conceptuses from the in vivo and in vitro groups displayed different sizes and length variabilities (24-32v. 2-24mm, respectively). At Day 18, TV recovery rate was 79% for the in vivo- v. 62% for the in vitro-derived group and mean elongation rate (over 3 days) was ×5.4 (minimum=2.5, maximum=10) v. ×7.6 (minimum=0.7, maximum=20.5), respectively. There was no significant difference for TV size between groups at Day 18 (21.75±2.24 mm v. 33.38±11.63mm, respectively). Altogether, the variability in length at Day 15 was previously reported, the difference in TV recovery between in vivo and in vitro groups reached 17% and was similar to the loss of 11% that occurs in the first week after classical embryo transfer. In opposition to studies where in vitro-produced conceptuses were shorter than in vivo-developed ones, in vivo and in vitro groups of TV likely followed similar growth. Whether this reflects a normal growth awaits further studies.

Acquired von Willebrand’s Syndrome Associated with Hydatid Disease of the Spleen – Disappearance after Splenectomy

A new case of acquired von Willebrand’s syndrome (vWS) is described in a 31-year-old woman with a hydatid splenomegaly and with a history of repeated abortions at an advanced stage of pregnancy, a positive serology for syphilis and a mildly elevated titre of antinuclear antibodies, with no family history of bleeding.

There is an inhibitory effect on factor VIII: C (antihaemophilic factor) as well as on factor VIIIR: Ag (related antigen) and on factor VIIIR:RCo (ristocetin cofactor), and it is precipitated by rabbit anti-IgG antiserum. This inhibitory effect was demonstrated using the patient’s plasma heated to 56° C for one hour so as to dissociate circulating immunocomplexes.

All the abnormalities of haemostasis, as well as the positive serology for syphilis, disappeared after splenectomy, and the ANA titre reverted to normal.

The clinical and biological peculiarities of the case are discussed, and are interpreted in the light of the findings recorded in patients showing “lupus” anticoagulant.

Predictors of angiographically visible distal embolization in STEMI

BACKGROUND

Distal embolization during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) in the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with a poor prognosis. In this situation, thrombectomy is performed to prevent distal embolization and to restore myocardial reperfusion. The aim of our study was to determine angiographic predictors of angiographically visible distal embolization (AVDE) in patients with STEMI treated by p‑PCI with thrombectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This prospective study included all consecutive patients who underwent p‑PCI with thrombectomy for STEMI at our institution between October 2011 and December 2014 AVDE was defined as a distal filling defect with an abrupt cut-off in one of the peripheral coronary branches of the infarct-related artery, distal to the angioplasty site. Thrombectomy was considered positive when it removed thrombi, and successful when it improved coronary flow.

RESULTS

Among the 346 patients included, 59 (17%) developed AVDE during p‑PCI. In multivariate analysis, the infarct-related right coronary artery (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.36-4.52; p = 0.003) and a culprit lesion diameter of >3 mm (OR : 1.90, 95% CI: 1.01-3.56; p = 0.048) were identified as independent factors associated with AVDE during p‑PCI with thrombectomy for STEMI. The success of thrombectomy and the Syntax score were not associated with AVDE.

CONCLUSION

AVDE complicating p‑PCI with thrombectomy in STEMI is frequent (17%) and a successful thrombectomy does not rule out AVDE.

A pilot study of total and allergen-specific IgE serum levels during anestrous, estrous and pregnancy in healthy female dogs

BACKGROUND

Allergen-specific IgE serology is used for the determination of sensitization status in dogs with atopic dermatitis; the influence of the female reproductive cycle on the results of such methods has not been studied in dogs.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the total and allergen-specific IgE of healthy bitches during anestrous, estrous and pregnancy.

ANIMALS

Eight privately owned, healthy bitches.

METHODS

Total and allergen-specific IgE levels were determined in eight bitches at three different time-points of their reproductive cycle: anestrous, estrous and pregnancy.

RESULTS

Total IgE was significantly decreased (median: 74%) in female dogs during pregnancy when compared to anestrous. In 14 of 216 (6%), allergen-specific IgE test results were variably positive and negative at different stages of the reproductive cycle. This variation, however, was not related to changes in total serum IgE levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Total IgE serum levels are reduced during pregnancy in female dogs. However, results of one allergen-specific IgE test did not appear to be markedly altered by the reproductive cycle in healthy bitches.

Estimating the rapid haemodynamic effects of passive leg raising in critically ill patients using bioreactance

BACKGROUND

Rapid detection of changes in cardiac index (CI) in real time using minimally invasive monitors may be of clinical benefit. We tested whether the Starling-SV bioreactance device, which averages CI over a short 8 s period, could assess the effects of passive leg raising (PLR), a clinical test that is recommended to assess fluid responsiveness during septic shock.

METHODS

In 32 critically ill patients, we measured CI by transpulmonary thermodilution (PiCCO2, CI_td), pulse contour analysis (PiCCO2, CI_Pulse), and the Starling-SV device (CI_Starling) at baseline. CI_Pulse and CI_Starling were measured again at the end of a PLR test. In the 13 patients with a positive PLR test, CI_td, CI_Pulse, and CI_Starling were measured before and after a 500 ml saline infusion. The primary outcome was relative changes from baseline measurements in CI_td, CI_Pulse, and CI_Starling. Secondary outcomes compared absolute values measured by each method.

RESULTS

Relative changes in CI_Pulse and CI_td were significantly correlated (r=0.82; n=45; P<0.001), with an 89% concordance rate (n=45 paired measurements). Relative changes in CI_Starling and CI_td were also significantly correlated (r=0.59; n=45; P<0.001) with a 78% concordance rate. For absolute measures of CI (n=77 paired measurements), the bias between CI_Pulse and CI_td was 0.01 L min^-1 m^-2 (limits of agreement, -0.49 and 0.51 L min^-1 m^-2; 15% percentage error). Bias between CI_Starling and CI_td was 0.03 L min^-1 m^-2 (limits of agreement, -1.61 and 1.67 L min^-1 m^-2; 48% percentage error).

CONCLUSIONS

In critically ill patients, a non-invasive bioreactance device with a shorter averaging period assessed a passive leg raising test with reasonable accuracy.

Comparison of Topical 0.05% Levocabastine and 0.1% Lodoxamide in Patients with Allergic Conjunctivitis

Purpose

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of 0.05% levocabastine eyedrops (H1 receptor blocker given BID + vehicle BID) compared with 0.1% lodoxamide ophthalmic solution (mast-cell stabilizer instilled QID) in reducing ocular signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.

Methods

A randomized, double-masked, parallel-group study was conducted in seven centres in France, in which 93 patients suffering from seasonal or perennial allergic conjunctivitis were randomly allocated to either 0.05% levocabastine (n = 47) or 0.1% lodoxamide (n = 46) in both eyes for a 14-day period. Efficacy was evaluated by subjective (prickling, burning, photophobia, itching) and objective (redness, chemosis, eyelid edema, tearing) sign scores at visits on days 7 and 14, and from data noted daily by the patient in a self-evaluation form. Safety was assessed as tolerance upon instillation and adverse event reports.

Results

The ocular allergy symptom and sign scores were comparable in the two treatment groups at baseline. With time, statistically and clinically significant reductions (p < 0.001) from baseline were observed for the subjective and objective scores, with no difference between the treatment groups. After the first instillation, signs were alleviated more rapidly in levocabastine-treated patients than in the lodoxamide group (p < 0.001). Overall assessments by the patient and investigator were similar in both groups. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

Levocabastine ophthalmic suspension 0.05% (BID) appears to be as effective and safe as lodoxamide 0.1% (QID) in the management of allergic conjunctivitis.

DHA and ARA addition to infant formula: Current status and future research directions

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are present in breast milk and play important roles in early infant development. A supply of these fatty acids in infant formula (typically following breast milk as a model with ARA > DHA) is thought to be important since endogenous synthesis is insufficient to maintain tissue levels equivalent to breast-fed infants. Intervention studies assessing the impact of DHA- and ARA-supplemented formulas have resulted in numerous positive developmental outcomes (closer to breast-fed infants) including measures of specific cognition functions, visual acuity, and immune responses. A critical analysis of outcome assessment tools reveals the essentiality of selecting appropriate, focused techniques in order to provide accurate evaluation of DHA- and ARA-supplemented formulas. Future research directions should encompass in-depth assessment of specific cognitive outcomes, immune function, and disease incidence, as well as sources of experimental variability such as the status of fatty acid desaturase polymorphisms.

113 Specific Impacts of Mild Feed Restriction on Gene Expression of Endometrial Luminal, Glandular and Stromal Cells in Postpartum Dairy Cows

Although numerous studies have examined global mRNA expression in the whole endometrium, very few studies aimed at characterising the global mRNA profile at specific cellular types within this tissue. In this study, we hypothesised that metabolic status during the postpartum period can affect specifically gene expression of endometrial luminal, glandular epithelial and stromal cells. To achieve this, endometrial biopsies were performed in 22 postpartum cows receiving either a control diet (n = 12, aiming for 35 kg/d of energy-corrected milk, ECM) or a mild restricted diet (n = 10, aiming for 25 kg/d of ECM). The diet affected the metabolic status of the cows as documented in Ntallaris et al. (2017 Theriogenology 90, 276-283). Three endometrial biopsies were collected for each cow between 12 and 15 days post-oestrus (oestrus was synchronized with CIDR and all cows had progesterone concentrations >5 ng mL−1 at time of biopsy). Biopsies were frozen in Optimal Cutting Temperature compound and then 10-µm sections were obtained by using cryostat. Slides were fixed in ethanol and stained using cresol violet. Luminal and glandular epithelial cells as well as stromal cells were harvested by laser capture microdissection using the PixCell II LCM System. Following capture, mRNA was extracted from each cellular types using the Arcturus PicoPure RNA Isolation (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). A genome-wide transcriptomic profile of endometrial cells from biopsies was generated with RNAseq. Samples were sequenced in 50-length paired. The average number of reads across all samples was near 100 million. Reads were mapped on the UMD3.1 assembly of the Bos taurus genome using Tophat. Quantification of gene expression has been performed using HTSeq with annotations from Ensembl. The comparisons of interest have been performed using DESEqn 2 (R package) with the statistical method proposed by Love et al. (2014 Genome Biol. 15, 550). With an adjusted P-value of 0.05, 8, 571, and 2658 genes were found significantly differentially expressed between animals fed with low or control diets for glandular, stromal, and luminal cells respectively. These results provide novel insights into mechanisms regulating endometrium physiology in postpartum dairy cows. The number of differentially expressed genes according to diet was much higher in luminal epithelial and stromal cells than in glandular cells providing evidence that these cells express differential responses to the metabolic environment to which they are exposed. Therefore, transcriptomic analyses based only on full tissue, as possibly biased by differences in cell numbers of different types could be not fully relevant. We acknowledge the financial support of ‘Prolific’ (EU grant KBBE; 31176) and RMUTSV (Thailand)

The TGFβ pathway is a key player for the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition in the embryonic aorta

The embryonic aorta produces hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from a hemogenic endothelium localized in the aortic floor through an endothelial to hematopoietic transition. It has been long proposed that the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)/Transforming Growth Factor ß (TGFß) signaling pathway was implicated in aortic hematopoiesis but the very nature of the signal was unknown. Here, using thorough expression analysis of the BMP/TGFß signaling pathway members in the endothelial and hematopoietic compartments of the aorta at pre-hematopoietic and hematopoietic stages, we show that the TGFß pathway is preferentially balanced with a prominent role of Alk1/TgfßR2/Smad1 and 5 on both chicken and mouse species. Functional analysis using embryonic stem cells mutated for Acvrl1 revealed an enhanced propensity to produce hematopoietic cells. Collectively, we reveal that TGFß through the Alk1/TgfßR2 receptor axis is acting on endothelial cells to produce hematopoiesis.

Nitric Oxide Mediates Nitrite-Sensing and Acclimation and Triggers a Remodeling of Lipids

Nitric oxide (NO) is an intermediate of the nitrogen cycle, an industrial pollutant, and a marker of climate change. NO also acts as a gaseous transmitter in a variety of biological processes. The impact of environmental NO needs to be addressed. In diatoms, a dominant phylum in phytoplankton, NO was reported to mediate programmed cell death in response to diatom-derived polyunsaturated aldehydes. Here, using the Phaeodactylum Pt1 strain, 2E,4E-decadienal supplied in the micromolar concentration range led to a nonspecific cell toxicity. We reexamined NO biosynthesis and response in Phaeodactylum NO inhibits cell growth and triggers triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation. Feeding experiments indicate that NO is not produced from Arg but via conversion of nitrite by the nitrate reductase. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis shows that NO up-regulates the expression of the plastid nitrite reductase and genes involved in the subsequent incorporation of ammonium into amino acids, via both Gln synthesis and Orn-urea pathway. The phosphoenolpyruvate dehydrogenase complex is also up-regulated, leading to the production of acetyl-CoA, which can feed TAG accumulation upon exposure to NO. Transcriptional reprogramming leading to higher TAG content is balanced with a decrease of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) in the plastid via posttranslational inhibition of MGDG synthase enzymatic activity by NO. Intracellular and transient NO emission acts therefore at the basis of a nitrite-sensing and acclimating system, whereas a long exposure to NO can additionally induce a redirection of carbon to neutral lipids and a stress response.

Heterogeneous Photochemistry of Agrochemicals at the Leaf Surface: A Case Study of Plant Activator Acibenzolar-S-methyl

The photoreactivity of plant activator benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH), commonly named acibenzolar-S-methyl, was studied on the surfaces of glass, paraffinic wax films, and apple leaves. Experiments were carried out in a solar simulator using pure and formulated BTH (BION). Surface photoproducts were identified using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry, while volatile photoproducts were characterized using an online thermal desorption system coupled to a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system. Pure BTH degraded quickly on wax surfaces with a half-life of 5.0 ± 0.5 h, whereas photolysis of formulated BTH was 7 times slower (t_1/2 = 36 ± 14 h). On the other hand, formulated BTH was found to photolyze quickly on detached apple leaves with a half-life of 2.8 h ± 0.4 h. This drastic difference in photoreactivity was attributed to the nature and spreading of the BTH deposit, as influenced by the surfactant and surface characteristics. Abiotic stress of irradiated apple leaf was also shown to produce OH radicals which might contribute to the enhanced photodegradability. Eight surface photoproducts were identified, whereas GC-MS analyses revealed the formation of gaseous dimethyl disulfide and methanethiol. The yield of dimethyl disulfide ranged between 1.5% and 12%, and a significant fraction of dimethyl disulfide produced was found to be absorbed by the leaf. This is the first study to report on the formation of volatile chemicals and OH radicals during agrochemical photolysis on plant surfaces. The developed experimental approach can provide valuable insights into the heterogeneous photoreactivity of sprayed agrochemicals and could help improve dissipation models.

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant in patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndrome: a retrospective analysis on behalf of the Chronic Malignancy Working Party of the EBMT

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2016.266.

The dietary form of choline during lactation affects maternal immune function in rats

PURPOSE

The present study was designed to determine the effects of both choline form and availability on maternal immune function during lactation.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to one of the three diets 24-48 h before parturition and fed ad libitum until 21 days postnatal: 1 g/kg choline as free choline (C, n = 11), the current form, and amount of choline in commercial diets; 1 g/kg choline as phosphatidylcholine (PC1, n = 11); or 2.5 g/kg choline as PC (PC2.5, n = 8). Choline metabolites in offspring stomach contents were quantified. At 21 days, lymphocytes from mothers' mesenteric lymph nodes and spleens were isolated and phenotypes and ex vivo cytokine production after mitogen exposure were determined.

RESULTS

There was a higher proportion of choline and a lower proportion of lyso-PC in stomach contents (representing dam's milk) of C pups compared to PC1. In the mesenteric lymph nodes, feeding PC1 compared to C led to a higher IL-2 production after Concanavalin A (ConA) stimulation and a higher proportion of T cells (CD3+) and a lower proportion of B cells [immunoglobulin (Ig)κ, CD45RA+, and IgM+; P < 0.05]. Splenocytes from the PC1 group produced more IL-6 and TNF-α after lipopolysaccharides stimulation compared to C (P < 0.05). Splenocytes from the PC2.5 group produced more IL-2 and IL-6 after ConA stimulation compared to PC1 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Feeding choline as PC in the maternal diet improved the ability of immune cells to respond ex vivo to mitogens and increasing the amount of PC in the diet further improved T cell proliferation.