Quantitative immunoenzymatic detection of viral encephalopathy and retinopathy virus (betanodavirus) in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy disease caused by betanodavirus, genus of the family Nodaviridae, affects marine, wild and farmed species including sea bass, one of the most important farmed species in Europe. This work describes a reliable and sensitive indirect ELISA assay to detect betanodavirus in biological samples using a polyclonal antiserum (pAb 283) against the 283/I09 virus strain, the most common red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) genotype in the Mediterranean area, and a capture-based ELISA using a monoclonal antibody (mAb 4C3) specific to a common epitope present on the capsid protein. Using adsorbed, purified VERv preparation, the detection limit of indirect ELISA was 2 μg mL(-1) (3 × 10(5) TCID50 per mL), whereas for capture-based ELISA, the sensitivity for the antigen in solution was 17 μg mL(-1) (35 × 10(5) TCID50 per mL). The capture-based ELISA was employed to detect VERv in brain homogenates of in vivo infected sea bass and resulted positive in 22 of 32 samples, some of these with a high viral load estimates (about 1.1 × 10(8)  TCID50 per mL). The ELISA system we propose may be helpful in investigations where coupling of viral content in fish tissues with the presence of circulating VERv-specific IgM is required, or for use in samples where PCR is difficult to perform.

A new "functional" pasta containing tartary buckwheat sprouts as an ingredient improves the oxidative status and normalizes some blood pressure parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Epidemiological studies have reported that some foods, particularly those rich in (poly)phenols, may reduce cardiovascular risk and metabolic disorders such as hypertension. Buckwheat sprouts have been suggested as a new raw material for the production of functional foods due to their high content of healthy compounds such as rutin and quercetin. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the biological hypotensive and antioxidant responses of pasta containing tartary buckwheat sprouts (TBSP) on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In this study, dry tartary buckwheat sprouts were milled to obtain a powder that was used in the production of pasta containing 30% dry buckwheat sprouts and 70% durum wheat semolina. Afterwards, we analyzed the in vitro TBSP features compared with the control (durum wheat flour pasta, DWFP), and the in vivo effects of TBSP on SHR and their normotensive counterpart, Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY rats). The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were higher in TBSP compared to DWFP. The results showed that SHR fed TBSP exhibited higher plasma levels of the endogenous vasodilators bradykinin (BK) and nitric oxide (NO), a lower level of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1), and an improved antioxidant capacity. These data suggest that TBSP may help reduce hypertension and oxidative stress in vivo.

T cell transcripts and T cell activities in the gills of the teleost fish sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

The gills of fish are a mucosal tissue that contains T cells involved in the recognition of non-self and pathogens, and in this work we describe some features of gill-associated T cells of European sea bass, a marine model species. A whole transcriptome was obtained by deep sequencing of RNA from unstimulated gills that has been analyzed for the presence of T cell-related transcripts. Of the putative expressed sequences identified in the transcriptome, around 30 were related to main functions related to T cells including Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg cell subpopulations, thus suggesting their possible presence in the branchial epithelium. The number of T cells in the gills of sea bass, measured with the specific T cell mAb DLT15 range from 10% to 20%, and IHC analysis shows their abundance and distribution in the epithelium. Leukocytes from gills are able to proliferate in the presence of lectins ConA and PHA, as measured by flow cytometry using CFSE fluorescence incorporation, and during proliferation the number of T cells counted by immunofluorescence increased. In lectin-proliferating cells the expression of T cell-related genes TRβ, TRγ, CD4, CD8α, CD45 and IL-10 increased dramatically. Our data represent a first analysis on T cell genes and on basic T cell activities of fish gills, and suggest the presence of functionally active subpopulations of T lymphocytes in this tissue.

Protective effect of ellagic acid (EA) on micronucleus formation induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in mammalian cells, in in vitro assays and in vivo

The beneficial effects of fruits and vegetables with respect to age-related diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis and several types of cancer are widely recognized and confirmed by several epidemiological studies. A possible approach for evaluating the protective potential of promising diet constituents is to evaluate their beneficial effect with respect to a set of biomarkers that are indicative of a potential risk for developing degenerative diseases. Among the numerous biomarkers of the effect of food-related carcinogens and for the assessment of the degree of risk for disease, chromosomal damage detection is very predictive. The aim of this study was to test antigenotoxic effect of ellagic acid (EA) both in in vitro and in vivo studies, in combination with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a methylating agent. EA, a naturally occurring and widely distributed plant phenol, has been intensively studied but with conflicting results, depending on the endpoints considered and the experimental material employed. In vitro and in vivo studies differ in their experimental schedule: in the in vitro study pre- and post-treatments and simultaneous treatments with EA were performed, while in the in vivo study only pre-treatment was carried out. The results of this study clearly demonstrate a protective action of EA with respect to MNNG-induced micronuclei and cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. The lack of effect in the post-treatment in in vitro experiments excludes a possible effect of EA on DNA-repair systems. On the other hand, consumption of EA can have a protective action against primary DNA damage induced by oxidative stress.