Context-effect bias in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.): exploring decoy influences in a value-based food choice task

Decision making is known to be liable to several context effects. In particular, adding a seemingly irrelevant alternative (decoy) to a set of options can modify preferences: typically, by increasing choices towards whatever option clearly dominates the decoy (attraction effect), but occasionally also decreasing its appeal and generating a shift in the opposite direction (repulsion effect). Both types of decoy effects violate rational choice theory axioms and suggest dynamic processes of preference-formation, in which the value of each alternative is not determined a priori, but it is instead constructed by comparing options during the decision process. These effects are well documented, both in humans and in other species: e.g., amoebas, ants, honeybees, frogs, birds, cats, dogs. However, evidence of decoy effects in non-human primates remains surprisingly mixed. This study investigates decoy effects in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.), manipulating time pressure across different conditions, to test whether such effects require time-consuming comparative processes among available alternatives. Whereas the time-dependent nature of decoy effects is a robust finding in the human literature, this is its first investigation in non-human animals. Our results show that capuchins exhibit an attraction effect with decoys targeting their preferred food, and that this effect disappears under time pressure; moreover, we observe preliminary evidence of a repulsion effect when decoys target instead the less-preferred food, possibly due to the larger distance between decoy and target in the attribute space. Taken together, these results provide valuable insight on the evolutionary roots of comparative decision making.

Loose glass tesserae and lost decorations: chronology and production of mosaics from Gerasa's Northwest Quarter

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of loose glass tesserae from the Northwest Quarter of Gerasa/Jerash has enhanced our understanding of the dynamics regulating the production and circulation of glass tesserae in second- to eighth-centuries ce Jordan and the diachronic development of mosaics at the site. The identification of Levantine and Egyptian compositions (Roman-Mn, Levantine I, HIMT, Foy 2.1) proves the continuous production of mosaics from the second to the seventh centuries. The Levantine I tesserae were made by the recycling and colouring of glass cullet. The gilded tesserae, in contrast, were all of an Egyptian base glass, likely illustrating the import of finished tesserae.

Sea Cucumber-Derived Peptides Alleviate Oxidative Stress in Neuroblastoma Cells and Improve Survival in C. elegans Exposed to Neurotoxic Paraquat

Oxidative stress results when the production of oxidants outweighs the capacity of the antioxidant defence mechanisms. This can lead to pathological conditions including cancer and neurodegeneration. Consequently, there is considerable interest in compounds with antioxidant activity, including those from natural sources. Here, we characterise the antioxidant activity of three novel peptides identified in protein hydrolysates from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. Under oxidative stress conditions, synthetic versions of the sea cucumber peptides significantly compensate for glutathione depletion, decrease mitochondrial superoxide levels, and alleviate mitophagy in human neuroblastoma cells. Moreover, orally supplied peptides improve survival of the Caenorhabditis elegans after treatment with paraquat, the latter of which leads to the production of excessive oxidative stress. Thus, the sea cucumber peptides exhibit antioxidant activity at both the cellular and organism levels and might prove attractive as nutritional supplements for healthy ageing.

Association of Increased Fibrin Turnover and Defective Fibrinolytic Capacity with Leg Atherosclerosis

Patients with peripheral arterial disease have a high risk of death from cardiovascular events. As defective fibrinolysis associated with leg atherosclerosis has been suggested as a predisposing factor, we sought a relation among decreased fibrinolysis, the presence of leg atherosclerosis and the incidence of thrombotic events in a case control study nested in the PLAT.

Fifty-eight patients with coronary and/or cerebral atherothrombotic disease, free of leg atherosclerosis at Doppler examination, were compared with 50 atherosclerotic patients with leg involvement. High D-dimer (153.0 vs 81.3 ng/ml, p <0.001) and tPA antigen before venous stasis (14.4 vs 11.8 ng/ml, p <0.03), and low tPA antigen (6.7 vs 15.6 ng/ml, p <0.01) and fibrinolytic activity released after venous stasis (fibrinolytic capacity: 113.2 vs 281.4 mm2, p <0.001) were found in patients with leg atherosclerosis. D-dimer and fibrinolytic capacity, in addition to age, were selected by stepwise discriminant analysis as characterizing patients with leg atherosclerosis. Moreover, higher D-dimer and tPA inhibitor characterized patients with leg atherosclerosis who subsequently experienced thrombotic events.

These findings constitute evidence of high fibrin turnover and impaired fibrinolytic potential in patients with leg atherosclerosis. Thus impaired fibrinolysis may contribute to the prothrombotic state in these patients.

Transcoronary Platelet Thromboxane A2 Formation without Platelet Trapping in Patients with Coronary Stenosis - Effect of Sulphinpyrazone Treatment

Platelet count, and plasma thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and circulating platelet aggregates (CPA) were determined in the coronary sinus (CS), aortic bulb (AO) and cubital vein (V) in 21 patients with stable angina and in 6 control subjects before and after atrial pacing (AP). TXB2 measurements were repeated before and after AP in 6 of the 21 angina patients after 15 days’ sulphinpyrazone treatment. Platelet count and CPA ratio were similar in angina patients and controls at all three sampling sites and were unchanged at AP peak. In the controls, basal TXB2 values in CS, AO and V were not significantly different and were unchanged at AP peak. In the angina patients compared with the controls, basal TXB2 values in the AO, CS and V were not significantly different whereas the CS/AO TBX2 ratio was significantly higher; at AP-induced ischaemia, CS TXB2 was significantly increased and the CS/AO TXB2 ratio was increased. A weak but significant direct correlation was found between CS/ AO TXB2 ratio and coronary score. Sulphinpyrazone treatment reduced CSTXB2 levels at rest and after AP, but not the ischaemic threshold at AP.

Comparative genomics of bdelloid rotifers: Insights from desiccating and nondesiccating species

Bdelloid rotifers are a class of microscopic invertebrates that have existed for millions of years apparently without sex or meiosis. They inhabit a variety of temporary and permanent freshwater habitats globally, and many species are remarkably tolerant of desiccation. Bdelloids offer an opportunity to better understand the evolution of sex and recombination, but previous work has emphasised desiccation as the cause of several unusual genomic features in this group. Here, we present high-quality whole-genome sequences of 3 bdelloid species: Rotaria macrura and R. magnacalcarata, which are both desiccation intolerant, and Adineta ricciae, which is desiccation tolerant. In combination with the published assembly of A. vaga, which is also desiccation tolerant, we apply a comparative genomics approach to evaluate the potential effects of desiccation tolerance and asexuality on genome evolution in bdelloids. We find that ancestral tetraploidy is conserved among all 4 bdelloid species, but homologous divergence in obligately aquatic Rotaria genomes is unexpectedly low. This finding is contrary to current models regarding the role of desiccation in shaping bdelloid genomes. In addition, we find that homologous regions in A. ricciae are largely collinear and do not form palindromic repeats as observed in the published A. vaga assembly. Consequently, several features interpreted as genomic evidence for long-term ameiotic evolution are not general to all bdelloid species, even within the same genus. Finally, we substantiate previous findings of high levels of horizontally transferred nonmetazoan genes in both desiccating and nondesiccating bdelloid species and show that this unusual feature is not shared by other animal phyla, even those with desiccation-tolerant representatives. These comparisons call into question the proposed role of desiccation in mediating horizontal genetic transfer.

Effects of Fluvastatin and Bezafibrate Combination on Plasma Fibrinogen, t-plasminogen Activator Inhibitor and C Reactive Protein Levels in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Mixed Hyperlipidaemia (FACT Study)

We studied the effects of fluvastatin and bezafibrate in monotherapy and in combination on plasma fibrinogen, t-plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and C reactive protein (CRP) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and mixed hyperlipidaemia

In this randomised, double blind, multicentre trial 333 patients with stable angina pectoris or previous myocardial infarction or coronary revascularisation and mixed hyperlipidaemia (LDL-cholesterol 135-250 mg/dl and triglycerides (TG) 180-400 mg/dl) were randomised to fluvastatin 40 mg, bezafibrate 400 mg, fluvastatin 20 mg + bezafibrate 400 mg or fluvastatin 40 mg + bezafibrate 400 mg treatments for 24 weeks.

Plasma fibrinogen significantly decreased after treatment with the combinations fluvastatin+bezafibrate (−14 and −16%) and with bezafibrate monotherapy (−9%). No significant reduction was observed after fluvastatin monotherapy (−4%). No significant changes were observed in PAI-1 and CRP plasma levels. Combination therapy significantly decreased both LDL-C and TG, and significantly increased HDL-C.

The combined effects on fibrinogen and plasma lipids achieved by fluvastatin and bezafibrate combination treatment might be more useful than the simple reduction of cholesterol in preventing ischaemic cardiovascular disease.

Horizontal gene transfer in bdelloid rotifers is ancient, ongoing and more frequent in species from desiccating habitats

Background

Although prevalent in prokaryotes, horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is rarer in multicellular eukaryotes. Bdelloid rotifers are microscopic animals that contain a higher proportion of horizontally transferred, non-metazoan genes in their genomes than typical of animals. It has been hypothesized that bdelloids incorporate foreign DNA when they repair their chromosomes following double-strand breaks caused by desiccation. HGT might thereby contribute to species divergence and adaptation, as in prokaryotes. If so, we expect that species should differ in their complement of foreign genes, rather than sharing the same set of foreign genes inherited from a common ancestor. Furthermore, there should be more foreign genes in species that desiccate more frequently. We tested these hypotheses by surveying HGT in four congeneric species of bdelloids from different habitats: two from permanent aquatic habitats and two from temporary aquatic habitats that desiccate regularly.

Results

Transcriptomes of all four species contain many genes with a closer match to non-metazoan genes than to metazoan genes. Whole genome sequencing of one species confirmed the presence of these foreign genes in the genome. Nearly half of foreign genes are shared between all four species and an outgroup from another family, but many hundreds are unique to particular species, which indicates that HGT is ongoing. Using a dated phylogeny, we estimate an average of 12.8 gains versus 2.0 losses of foreign genes per million years. Consistent with the desiccation hypothesis, the level of HGT is higher in the species that experience regular desiccation events than those that do not. However, HGT still contributed hundreds of foreign genes to the species from permanently aquatic habitats. Foreign genes were mainly enzymes with various annotated functions that include catabolism of complex polysaccharides and stress responses. We found evidence of differential loss of ancestral foreign genes previously associated with desiccation protection in the two non-desiccating species.

Conclusions

Nearly half of foreign genes were acquired before the divergence of bdelloid families over 60 Mya. Nonetheless, HGT is ongoing in bdelloids and has contributed to putative functional differences among species. Variation among our study species is consistent with the hypothesis that desiccating habitats promote HGT.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-015-0202-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Long Term Aggresome Accumulation Leads to DNA Damage, p53-dependent Cell Cycle Arrest, and Steric Interference in Mitosis

Juxtanuclear aggresomes form in cells when levels of aggregation-prone proteins exceed the capacity of the proteasome to degrade them. It is widely believed that aggresomes have a protective function, sequestering potentially damaging aggregates until these can be removed by autophagy. However, most in-cell studies have been carried out over a few days at most, and there is little information on the long term effects of aggresomes. To examine these long term effects, we created inducible, single-copy cell lines that expressed aggregation-prone polyglutamine proteins over several months. We present evidence that, as perinuclear aggresomes accumulate, they are associated with abnormal nuclear morphology and DNA double-strand breaks, resulting in cell cycle arrest via the phosphorylated p53 (Ser-15)-dependent pathway. Further analysis reveals that aggresomes can have a detrimental effect on mitosis by steric interference with chromosome alignment, centrosome positioning, and spindle formation. The incidence of apoptosis also increased in aggresome-containing cells. These severe defects developed gradually after juxtanuclear aggresome formation and were not associated with small cytoplasmic aggregates alone. Thus, our findings demonstrate that, in dividing cells, aggresomes are detrimental over the long term, rather than protective. This suggests a novel mechanism for polyglutamine-associated developmental and cell biological abnormalities, particularly those with early onset and non-neuronal pathologies.

Expression-level dependent perturbation of cell proteostasis and nuclear morphology by aggregation-prone polyglutamine proteins

We describe a gene expression system for use in mammalian cells that yields reproducible, inducible gene expression that can be modulated within the physiological range. A synthetic promoter library was generated from which representatives were selected that gave weak, intermediate-strength or strong promoter activity. Each promoter resulted in a tight expression range when used to drive single-copy reporter genes integrated at the same genome location in stable cell lines, in contrast to the broad range of expression typical of transiently transfected cells. To test this new expression system in neurodegenerative disease models, we used each promoter type to generate cell lines carrying single-copy genes encoding polyglutamine-containing proteins. Expression over a period of up to three months resulted in a proportion of cells developing juxtanuclear aggresomes whose rate of formation, penetrance, and morphology were expression-level dependent. At the highest expression levels, fibrillar aggregates deposit close to the nuclear envelope, indicating that cell proteostasis is overwhelmed by misfolded protein species. We also observed expression-level dependent, abnormal nuclear morphology in cells containing aggresomes, with up to ∼80% of cells affected. This system constitutes a valuable tool in gene regulation at different levels and allows the quantitative assessment of gene expression effects when developing disease models or investigating cell function through the introduction of gene constructs.

Expression of multiple horizontally acquired genes is a hallmark of both vertebrate and invertebrate genomes

Background

A fundamental concept in biology is that heritable material, DNA, is passed from parent to offspring, a process called vertical gene transfer. An alternative mechanism of gene acquisition is through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), which involves movement of genetic material between different species. HGT is well-known in single-celled organisms such as bacteria, but its existence in higher organisms, including animals, is less well established, and is controversial in humans.

Results

We have taken advantage of the recent availability of a sufficient number of high-quality genomes and associated transcriptomes to carry out a detailed examination of HGT in 26 animal species (10 primates, 12 flies and four nematodes) and a simplified analysis in a further 14 vertebrates. Genome-wide comparative and phylogenetic analyses show that HGT in animals typically gives rise to tens or hundreds of active ‘foreign’ genes, largely concerned with metabolism. Our analyses suggest that while fruit flies and nematodes have continued to acquire foreign genes throughout their evolution, humans and other primates have gained relatively few since their common ancestor. We also resolve the controversy surrounding previous evidence of HGT in humans and provide at least 33 new examples of horizontally acquired genes.

Conclusions

We argue that HGT has occurred, and continues to occur, on a previously unsuspected scale in metazoans and is likely to have contributed to biochemical diversification during animal evolution.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0607-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Trafficking of bdelloid rotifer late embryogenesis abundant proteins

The bdelloid rotifer Adineta ricciae is an asexual microinvertebrate that can survive desiccation by entering an ametabolic state known as anhydrobiosis. Two late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, ArLEA1A and ArLEA1B, have been hypothesized to contribute to desiccation tolerance in these organisms, since in vitro assays suggest that ArLEA1A and ArLEA1B stabilize desiccation-sensitive proteins and membranes, respectively. To examine their functions in vivo, it is important to analyse the cellular distribution of the bdelloid LEA proteins. Bioinformatics predicted their translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via an N-terminal ER translocation signal and persistence in the same compartment via a variant C-terminal retention signal sequence ATEL. We assessed the localization of LEA proteins in bdelloids and in a mammalian cell model. The function of the N-terminal sequence of ArLEA1A and ArLEA1B in mediating ER translocation was verified, but our data showed that, unlike classical ER-retention signals, ATEL allows progression from the ER to the Golgi and limited secretion of the proteins into the extracellular medium. These results suggest that the N-terminal ER translocation signal and C-terminal ATEL sequence act together to regulate the distribution of rotifer LEA proteins within intracellular vesicular compartments, as well as the extracellular space. We speculate that this mechanism allows a small number of LEA proteins to offer protection to a large number of desiccation-sensitive molecules and structures both inside and outside cells in the bdelloid rotifer.

Biochemical diversification through foreign gene expression in bdelloid rotifers

Bdelloid rotifers are microinvertebrates with unique characteristics: they have survived tens of millions of years without sexual reproduction; they withstand extreme desiccation by undergoing anhydrobiosis; and they tolerate very high levels of ionizing radiation. Recent evidence suggests that subtelomeric regions of the bdelloid genome contain sequences originating from other organisms by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), of which some are known to be transcribed. However, the extent to which foreign gene expression plays a role in bdelloid physiology is unknown. We address this in the first large scale analysis of the transcriptome of the bdelloid Adineta ricciae: cDNA libraries from hydrated and desiccated bdelloids were subjected to massively parallel sequencing and assembled transcripts compared against the UniProtKB database by blastx to identify their putative products. Of ~29,000 matched transcripts, ~10% were inferred from blastx matches to be horizontally acquired, mainly from eubacteria but also from fungi, protists, and algae. After allowing for possible sources of error, the rate of HGT is at least 8%-9%, a level significantly higher than other invertebrates. We verified their foreign nature by phylogenetic analysis and by demonstrating linkage of foreign genes with metazoan genes in the bdelloid genome. Approximately 80% of horizontally acquired genes expressed in bdelloids code for enzymes, and these represent 39% of enzymes in identified pathways. Many enzymes encoded by foreign genes enhance biochemistry in bdelloids compared to other metazoans, for example, by potentiating toxin degradation or generation of antioxidants and key metabolites. They also supplement, and occasionally potentially replace, existing metazoan functions. Bdelloid rotifers therefore express horizontally acquired genes on a scale unprecedented in animals, and foreign genes make a profound contribution to their metabolism. This represents a potential mechanism for ancient asexuals to adapt rapidly to changing environments and thereby persist over long evolutionary time periods in the absence of sex.

Multiple functionally divergent and conserved copies of alpha tubulin in bdelloid rotifers

BACKGROUND

Bdelloid rotifers are microscopic animals that have apparently survived without sex for millions of years and are able to survive desiccation at all life stages through a process called anhydrobiosis. Both of these characteristics are believed to have played a role in shaping several unusual features of bdelloid genomes discovered in recent years. Studies into the impact of asexuality and anhydrobiosis on bdelloid genomes have focused on understanding gene copy number. Here we investigate copy number and sequence divergence in alpha tubulin. Alpha tubulin is conserved and normally present in low copy numbers in animals, but multiplication of alpha tubulin copies has occurred in animals adapted to extreme environments, such as cold-adapted Antarctic fish. Using cloning and sequencing we compared alpha tubulin copy variation in four species of bdelloid rotifers and four species of monogonont rotifers, which are facultatively sexual and cannot survive desiccation as adults. Results were verified using transcriptome data from one bdelloid species, Adineta ricciae.

RESULTS

In common with the typical pattern for animals, monogonont rotifers contain either one or two copies of alpha tubulin, but bdelloid species contain between 11 and 13 different copies, distributed across five classes. Approximately half of the copies form a highly conserved group that vary by only 1.1% amino acid pairwise divergence with each other and with the monogonont copies. The other copies have divergent amino acid sequences that evolved significantly faster between classes than within them, relative to synonymous changes, and vary in predicted biochemical properties. Copies of each class were expressed under the laboratory conditions used to construct the transcriptome.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are consistent with recent evidence that bdelloids are degenerate tetraploids and that functional divergence of ancestral copies of genes has occurred, but show how further duplication events in the ancestor of bdelloids led to proliferation in both conserved and functionally divergent copies of this gene.

Foreign genes and novel hydrophilic protein genes participate in the desiccation response of the bdelloid rotifer Adineta ricciae

Bdelloid rotifers are aquatic micro-invertebrates with the ability to survive extreme desiccation, or anhydrobiosis, at any life stage. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms used by bdelloids during anhydrobiosis, we constructed a cDNA library enriched for genes that are upregulated in Adineta ricciae 24 h after onset of dehydration. Resulting expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were analysed and sequences grouped into categories according to their probable identity. Of 75 unique sequences, approximately half (36) were similar to known genes from other species. These included genes encoding an unusual group 3 late embryogenesis abundant protein, and a number of other stress-related and DNA repair proteins. Open reading frames from a further 39 novel sequences, without counterparts in the database, were screened for the characteristics of intrinsically disordered proteins, i.e. hydrophilicity and lack of stable secondary structure. Such proteins have been implicated in desiccation tolerance and at least five were found. The majority of the genes identified was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR to be capable of upregulation in response to evaporative water loss. Remarkably, further database and phylogenetic analysis highlighted four ESTs that are present in the A. ricciae genome but which represent genes probably arising from fungi or bacteria by horizontal gene transfer. Therefore, not only can bdelloid rotifers accumulate foreign genes and render them transcriptionally competent, but their expression pattern can be modified for participation in the desiccation stress response, and is presumably adaptive in this context.

Ratiometric pH-dot ANSors

A silica based analytical nanosphere sensor (ANSor) containing quantum dots (QDs) is reported, which can measure local pH in a ratiometric fashion. A silane modified reference QD was incorporated into a silica matrix by the Stöber method hydrolysis and polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane, giving highly fluorescent QD-embedded silica particles with high yield. A further QD was then bonded onto the silica particle surface and modified with Nile Blue to render it pH responsive. These two populations of QDs were excited simultaneously and gave out well-separated emission peaks which could be taken as a ratio to yield a ratiometric estimate of pH. The sensors are stable, robust and capable of measuring pH in the physiologically relevant range.

Functional divergence of former alleles in an ancient asexual invertebrate

Theory suggests it should be difficult for asexual organisms to adapt to a changing environment because genetic diversity can only arise from mutations accumulating within direct antecedents and not through sexual exchange. In an asexual microinvertebrate, the bdelloid rotifer, we have observed a mechanism by which such organisms could acquire the diversity needed for adaptation. Gene copies most likely representing former alleles have diverged in function so that the proteins they encode play complementary roles in survival of dry conditions. One protein prevents desiccation-sensitive enzymes from aggregating during drying, whereas its counterpart does not have this activity, but is able to associate with phospholipid bilayers and is potentially involved in maintenance of membrane integrity. The functional divergence of former alleles observed here suggests that adoption of asexual reproduction could itself be an evolutionary mechanism for the generation of diversity.

Independently evolving species in asexual bdelloid rotifers

Asexuals are an important test case for theories of why species exist. If asexual clades displayed the same pattern of discrete variation as sexual clades, this would challenge the traditional view that sex is necessary for diversification into species. However, critical evidence has been lacking: all putative examples have involved organisms with recent or ongoing histories of recombination and have relied on visual interpretation of patterns of genetic and phenotypic variation rather than on formal tests of alternative evolutionary scenarios. Here we show that a classic asexual clade, the bdelloid rotifers, has diversified into distinct evolutionary species. Intensive sampling of the genus Rotaria reveals the presence of well-separated genetic clusters indicative of independent evolution. Moreover, combined genetic and morphological analyses reveal divergent selection in feeding morphology, indicative of niche divergence. Some of the morphologically coherent groups experiencing divergent selection contain several genetic clusters, in common with findings of cryptic species in sexual organisms. Our results show that the main causes of speciation in sexual organisms, population isolation and divergent selection, have the same qualitative effects in an asexual clade. The study also demonstrates how combined molecular and morphological analyses can shed new light on the evolutionary nature of species.

Immunoregulatory cytokine polymorphisms in Italian patients affected by paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria and aplastic anaemia

We investigated regulatory variants of five cytokine genes [tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10] in 40 Italian patients affected by paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) and aplastic anaemia (AA). Genotypes associated with high production of TGF-beta and IFN-gamma were more frequent in patients than in controls. Genetic regulation of the immunological pathways involved in the pathogenesis of bone marrow failure is suggested.

Bdelloid Rotifers as Model System to Study Developmental Biology in Space

Bdelloid rotifers are suitable model systems for space experiments. Due to their developmental pattern they appear adequate to investigate the role of the cytoskeleton during oogenesis and during early developmental stages, and to reflect the effects of disturbances in the spatial arrangement of cytoskeletal components. The effect of weightlessness on the developmental pattern of a bdelloid rotifer will be studied in the International Space Station: in preparation for it we are performing ground-based experiments on the development of rotifer embryos under either increased or decreased gravity. The model studied is Macrotrachela quadricornifera, a species of rotifers belonging to the Bdelloidea class. Samples exposed to gravity disturbance were analyzed for morphology and fitness-related parameters. Rotifers were exposed over several days to altered gravity conditions and the morphology of eggs laid during this period were investigated using a confocal laser microscope. A subset of eggs was allowed to hatch to determine newborn developmental time and age at maturity. High (up to 20 g) gravity was obtained in a slow centrifuge suitable for animal cultivation over several days. To produce low (simulated 0.0001 g) gravity a Random Positioning Machine equipped with a 'rotifer bioreactor' was used. Under all conditions the rotifer retained normal life-history traits, and did not show permanent changes in embryo morphology, regardless to the stresses to which it was exposed. Only some modification of the shape of early embryos, experiencing 20 g, has been noted, but later developmental stages appeared unaffected, and normal juveniles hatched. Whether this result indicates any capacity to repair damage during embryogenesis of these Spiralia experiencing 20 g is an open question. The significance of the result as well as the use of instruments to simulate gravity perturbations are discussed.

Iron status and HFE genotype in erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency: study of Italian cases

We evaluated the iron status and searched for mutations C282Y and H63D in the hereditary hemochromatosis gene (HFE) in 34 pyruvate kinase (PK)-deficient patients from 29 unrelated families. Nine had received multiple transfusions. Thirteen of the 25 nontransfused patients displayed increased serum ferritin concentration, in the absence of conditions known to raise this parameter. HFE genotype was abnormal in 9 of 34 patients. The allele frequency was 1.8% for mutation 845G--> (C282Y) and 16.1% for mutation 187C-->G (H63D). Nontransfused subjects with abnormal genotype had serum ferritin and transferrin saturation values significantly higher than those with wild-type genotype. Of the 12 adult nontransfused patients with increased iron status parameters, 1 was C282Y homozygous, 1 compound heterozygous for C282Y and H63D, 3 H63D heterozygous, and 7 had a normal HFE genotype. Serum ferritin and transferrin saturation were not related to hemoglobin, reticulocytes, and bilirubin concentration. At multivariate analysis serum ferritin was independently associated with age and gender, but not with splenectomy and HFE genotypes. The retrospective evaluation of the iron status profile of 10 patients (3 with abnormal and 7 with wild-type HFE genotype) with at least 10 years follow-up showed that overt iron accumulation requiring iron chelation had occurred only in the 3 patients (2 of whom were splenectomized) with the mutated HFE gene.

Molecular characterization of the PK-LR gene in sixteen pyruvate kinase-deficient patients

We studied the PK-LR gene in 16 unrelated patients with congenital haemolytic anaemia associated with erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency. Fifteen different mutations were detected among the 28 mutated alleles identified: two deletions (del 1010G, del 1042--1044); one four nucleotide duplication (nt 1515--1518, GGTC); one splice site [IVS6(-2)t]; nine missense (991A, 1003A, 1151T, 1160G, 1181T, 1181A, 1456T, 1483A, 1529A); and two nonsense (721T, 1675T) mutations. Eight of them [del 1010G, del 1042--1044, dupl 1515--1518, IVS6(-2)t, 1003A, 1160G, 1181T, 1181A] were novel. The deletion 1042-1044 causes the loss of Lys 348. Deletion 1010G and duplication 1515-1518 determine a frameshift and the creation of a stop codon at nucleotides 1019 and 1554 respectively. Mutation IVS6(-2)t leads to an alteration of the 5' and 3' splice site consensus sequence; the cDNA analysis shows a 67-bp deletion in the first part of exon 11 (del 1437--1503). All the four new missense mutations involve highly conserved amino acids. The most frequent mutation in Italy would appear to be 1456T. Correlation was made between mutations, biochemical characteristics of the enzyme and clinical course of the disease.

Effects of fluvastatin and bezafibrate combination on plasma fibrinogen, t-plasminogen activator inhibitor and C reactive protein levels in coronary artery disease patients with mixed hyperlipidaemia (FACT study). Fluvastatin Alone and in Combination Treatment

AIM OF THE STUDY

We studied the effects of fluvastatin and bezafibrate in monotherapy and in combination on plasma fibrinogen, t-plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and C reactive protein (CRP) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and mixed hyperlipidaemia.

DESIGN

In this randomised, double blind, multicentre trial 333 patients with stable angina pectoris or previous myocardial infarction or coronary revascularisation and mixed hyperlipidaemia (LDL-cholesterol 135-250 mg/dl and triglycerides (TG) 180-400 mg/dl) were randomised to fluvastatin 40 mg, bezafibrate 400 mg, fluvastatin 20 mg + bezafibrate 400 mg or fluvastatin 40 mg + bezafibrate 400 mg treatments for 24 weeks.

RESULTS

Plasma fibrinogen significantly decreased after treatment with the combinations fluvastatin+bezafibrate (-14 and -16%) and with bezafibrate monotherapy (-9%). No significant reduction was observed after fluvastatin monotherapy (-4%). No significant changes were observed in PAI-1 and CRP plasma levels. Combination therapy significantly decreased both LDL-C and TG, and significantly increased HDL-C.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined effects on fibrinogen and plasma lipids achieved by fluvastatin and bezafibrate combination treatment might be more useful than the simple reduction of cholesterol in preventing ischaemic cardiovascular disease.

Long-term results in non randomized patients with acute myelogenous leukemia: a single institution experience

Sixty-three non randomized adults with acute myelogenous leukemia were treated with an idarubicin-based protocol. The patients achieving complete remission received autologous bone marrow transplantation or (if > 50 years or refusing autologous bone marrow transplantation) high-dose Ara-C, as late intensification. Fifty-two patients (82.5%) achieved complete remission, 45 after one induction course and 16 of them underwent autologous bone marrow transplantation a median of 11 months later. As of December 1997 (median follow-up 112 months, range 50-135 months), 16 patients were still in complete remission (10 after autologous bone marrow transplantation, 6 after high-dose Ara-C) and 29 had relapsed (median time to relapse 14 months, range 2-75 months). Four patients died in complete remission. The median disease-free survival was 25 months; the 50-months and 10-year disease-free survival were 41% and 35% respectively. No significant differences were observed between the autologous bone marrow transplantation and high-dose Ara-C treated patients whose complete remission had lasted more than 11 months. The median disease-free survival in the autografted patients had not been reached after 120 months (the 50-month and 10-year disease-free survival chances were both 67%). Age was the only predictive variable for leukemic relapse. These long-term results confirm the antileukemic efficacy of an idarubicin-containing protocol, which led to high complete remission rates and favorably influenced disease-free survival. Furthermore, the efficacy of late intensification treatment with either autologous bone marrow transplantation or high-dose Ara-C is underscored. The disease-free survival chances after autologous bone marrow transplantation are comparable with those published for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation; however, disease-free survival of the patients receiving a high-dose Ara-C intensification regimen is not significantly worse than that seen after autologous bone marrow transplantation.

[Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography: a new cardiologic diagnostic tool. Initial experience with 150 patients]

BACKGROUND

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography is a new diagnostic tool and its potential has been investigated mainly in international centers dealing with research in the field of cardiac pathologies. The clinical usefulness and the potential additional information over multiplane transesophageal echocardiography in daily clinical practice have not been exstensively studied.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to assess the feasibility and to define the potential role of three-dimensional technique in a clinical cardiology department.

POPULATION AND METHODS

One hundred-fifty patients (73 males, 77 females) aged 17-82 underwent a three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic study. Indications for the study were the following: 39 mitral (26%), 13 aortic (8%) and 4 tricuspidal (2%) valvulopathies, 23 valvular prostheses (15%), 6 aortic diseases (4%), 16 sources of embolism (10%), 16 congenital heart diseases (10%), 14 ischemic heart diseases (9.3%), 14 cardiomyopathies (9%), 5 other pathologies (3%). The 3 D examination quality was graded as insufficient, sufficient and good. The information obtained by "volume rendered" and "anyplane" three-dimensional echocardiography were compared with the traditional two-dimensional images to determine whether they provided additional information.

RESULTS

A total of 288 acquisitions were obtained in the 150 patients (1.9 acquisitions per patient). Examinations were graded of good quality in 99 patients (61%), sufficient in 36 (24%) and insufficient in 15 patients (10%). Additional informations were obtained in 33 patients (22%) by "volume rendered" echocardiography and by "anyplane echocardiography", including mitral regurgitation or repair for valvular prolapse (11 patients), aortic valve malformations and endocarditis (4 patients), congenital heart diseases (9 patients), right ventricular dysplasia (6 patients) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (1 patient), tricuspid regurgitation (2 patients). The additional information were obtained in patients in the group of good 3 D reconstructions quality in all but two cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnostic use of the transesophageal technique with 3 D facilities permitted to obtain an overall 22% of additional information. These results will stimulate further study to evaluate the advantages of the three-dimensional technique in specific clinical fields of application.

Relation between hemostatic variables and increase of common carotid intima-media thickness in patients with peripheral arterial disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Increases in common carotid intima-media thickness (CC-IMT), as measured by B-mode ultrasonography, have been widely used in both population studies and clinical trials in the search for risk factors for early atherosclerosis progression and have been found to correlate with age and with high concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leukocytes, and hemoglobin. We have now investigated the relation between several baseline hemostatic and conventional risk factors and CC-IMT changes over 16 months in 64 patients with peripheral arterial disease randomly selected from the prospective PLAT study series.

METHODS

Samples from 24 patients (37.5%) who showed increases in CC-IMT during the follow-up period were compared with those from 40 (62.5%) in whom CC-IMT remained unchanged.

RESULTS

Baseline conventional risk factors and coagulation variables were similar in the two groups except for higher plasma concentrations of von Willebrand factor (vWF) (178.3 +/- 53.6% versus 141.2 +/- 53.7%, P=.01) and factor VII (FVII) (133.9 +/- 36.4% versus 107.0 +/- 27.3%, P=.001) in the patients with increased CC-IMT. CC-IMT increase correlated positively with plasma levels of FVII (r=.31, P<.01) and vWF (r=.31, P<.01). Multiple stepwise regression analysis identified FVII as the only independent variable associated with an increase in CC-IMT (beta=.83, P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

High plasma concentration of FVII and vWF may be associated with the progression of early carotid atherosclerosis in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

A nuclear magnetic resonance method for the determination of the purity of commercial dequalinium chloride

4-amino-1-(10-4'-quinaldinylaminodecyl)quinaldinium chloride (3) has been identified through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies as one of the impurities of a commercial sample of dequalinium chloride (CAS 522-51-0). The NMR technique is proposed as a rapid method for the recognition and quantification of the impurities in dequalinium chloride samples.

Treatment of chronic disseminated Geotrichum capitatum infection with high cumulative dose of colloidal amphotericin B and itraconazole in a leukaemia patient

A case of disseminated granulomatous Geotrichum capitatum infection is reported. A young patient with blastic crisis of chronic myelogenous leukaemia developed septicaemia caused by G. capitatum in the post-chemotherapy aplastic phase. Subsequently, disseminated infection of the liver, spleen, pancreas and kidneys was observed. Treatment with high cumulative doses of a lipid formulation of amphotericin B (Amphocil, 20.2 g in 11 weeks) and maintenance with itraconazole resolved clinical manifestations of G. capitatum granulomatous disseminated disease and controlled reactivation of the infection during the two subsequent courses of cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Association of lipoprotein(a) with atherothrombotic events and fibrinolytic variables. A case-control study

Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether Lp(a) plasma levels were associated with subsequent ischemic events and with fibrinolytic variables in patients with established atherosclerotic disease enrolled in the prospective PLAT study. Lp(a) levels and fibrinolytic variables in 37 atherosclerotic patients who subsequently developed an atherothrombotic event during the first year of follow-up (cases) were compared with those in paired controls, matched for age, sex, diagnosis at enrollment and lipid pattern, who remained free from vascular events during the same time frame. Median and mean Lp(a) levels were similar in cases (6.05 mg/dl; 13.8 +/- 19.4 mg/dl) and controls (6.05 mg/dl; 17.1 +/- 21.6 mg/dl). In the whole group plasma Lp(a) levels correlated significantly with the increase of t-PA antigen (r = 0.368; p = 0.002) and fibrinolytic activity (r = 0.410; p = 0.001) induced by venous stasis but not with baseline fibrinolytic variables. These findings indicate that in patients with established atherosclerotic disease Lp(a) may interfere in vivo with the fibrinolytic process but is not predictive of subsequent ischemic events.

Association of increased fibrin turnover and defective fibrinolytic capacity with leg atherosclerosis. The PLAT Group

Patients with peripheral arterial disease have a high risk of death from cardiovascular events. As defective fibrinolysis associated with leg atherosclerosis has been suggested as a predisposing factor, we sought a relation among decreased fibrinolysis, the presence of leg atherosclerosis and the incidence of thrombotic events in a case-control study nested in the PLAT. Fifty-eight patients with coronary and/or cerebral atherothrombotic disease, free of leg atherosclerosis at Doppler examination, were compared with 50 atherosclerotic patients with leg involvement. High D-dimer (153.0 vs 81.3 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and tPA antigen before venous stasis (14.4 vs 11.8 ng/ml, p < 0.03), and low tPA antigen (6.7 vs 15.6 ng/ml, p < 0.01) and fibrinolytic activity released after venous stasis (fibrinolytic capacity: 113.2 vs 281.4 mm2, p < 0.001) were found in patients with leg atherosclerosis. D-dimer and fibrinolytic capacity, in addition to age, were selected by stepwise discriminant analysis as characterizing patients with leg atherosclerosis. Moreover, higher D-dimer and tPA inhibitor characterized patients with leg atherosclerosis who subsequently experienced thrombotic events. These findings constitute evidence of high fibrin turnover and impaired fibrinolytic potential in patients with leg atherosclerosis. Thus impaired fibrinolysis may contribute to the prothrombotic state in these patients.

Value of low-dose echodobutamine in the diagnosis of patency of the infarct related coronary artery

The resumption of contractility of asynergic segments in survivors after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may be detected in viable myocardial areas. We have correlated the detection of viable myocardium, assessed with low dose dobutamine testing, with coronary angiography and clinical outcome in 66 consecutive survivors of AMI using the echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. The test enabled the identification of two groups: group A, comprising 32 patients (pts) demonstrating wall motion recovery at dobutamine infusion and group B, comprising 34 pts without wall motion recovery. The mean basal asynergy score index was 5.8 +/- 4.2 in group A and 6.0 +/- 4.2 in group B (p = ns). With dobutamine testing the score decreased to 2.8 +/- 3.6 in group A (p < 0.001 with respect to basal value), while it did not change significantly in group B. Left ventricular end diastolic volume (ml) was similar in the two groups (114 +/- 35 vs 107 +/- 79, p = NS). The infarct related artery (IRA) patency rate was 87.5% in group A, vs 26.5% in group B (p < 0.001). After a mean follow-up of 11 +/- 5 months, group A pts had basal asynergy score improvement (2.6 +/- 3.1, p < 0.001) and mild left ventricular end diastolic volume (ml) reduction, (108 +/- 32, p = NS), while group B pts had left ventricle end diastolic volume enlargement (130 +/- 38, p < 0.05), without score asynergy modification. Moreover all pts who experienced heart failure at follow-up were in group B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Dermatan sulphate for the treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in acute leukemia: a randomised, heparin-controlled pilot study

Efficacy and safety of i.v. dermatan sulphate (DS) and heparin (H) in controlling laboratory alterations due to DIC were compared in 10 patients with acute leukaemia, in a prospective, randomised pilot study. The time courses of the coagulation and fibrinolysis markers for DIC were similar in the two treatment groups except for activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time, which were prolonged in the H but not in the DS group. Blood product support tended to be greater in the H than in the DS group. DS appears to be as effective as H in controlling thrombin production during leukaemic cytolysis and may represent a safer alternative to H in the management of DIC in acute leukaemia.

Increased fibrin turnover and high PAI-1 activity as predictors of ischemic events in atherosclerotic patients. A case-control study. The PLAT Group

A case-control comparison within the framework of the prospective, multidisciplinary PLAT Study was performed to assess whether altered baseline fibrinolytic variables were associated with an elevated risk of ischemic thrombotic events in patients with documented coronary, cerebral, and/or peripheral atherosclerotic disease. Fibrinogen, D-dimer, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, and fibrinolytic activity before and after venous stasis (delta = difference between the two values), t-PA inhibitor, and lipid levels in 60 atherosclerotic patients with a thrombotic event during the first year of follow-up were compared with those in 94 atherosclerotic patients without such events, who were matched for age, sex, and diagnosis at enrollment. Events were associated with a higher release of delta t-PA antigen (P = .047), higher D-dimer (P = .024), and higher t-PA inhibitor (P = .001) levels. delta Fibrinolytic activity was correlated inversely with t-PA inhibitor (P < .01) and triglycerides (P < .05). D-Dimer was also correlated with systolic blood pressure (P < .01). Atherosclerotic patients at higher risk of thrombotic ischemic events are characterized by increased fibrin turnover and impaired fibrinolytic activity due to high t-PA inhibitor levels. This hemostatic disequilibrium may participate with conventional risk factors such as elevated triglyceride levels and systolic blood pressure in the multifactorial mechanism of ischemic sequelae in patients with preexisting vascular atherothrombotic disease.

The PLAT Study: hemostatic function in relation to atherothrombotic ischemic events in vascular disease patients. Principal results. PLAT Study Group. Progetto Lombardo Atero-Trombosi (PLAT) Study Group

The Progetto Lombardo Atero-Trombosi (PLAT) Study was a prospective, multicenter, multidisciplinary study of the association among hemostatic variables, conventional risk factors, and atherothrombotic events in four groups of patients with preexisting vascular ischemic disease (335 myocardial infarction survivors, 123 patients with stable angina pectoris, 160 with transient ischemic attacks, and 335 with peripheral vascular disease). In the myocardial infarction group, univariate analysis showed that atherothrombotic events were associated with high fibrinogen (p = 0.001), factor VIII:C (p less than 0.001), and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) (p = 0.004) levels and with low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.043), factor VII (p = 0.019), and protein C (p = 0.044) levels; multivariate analysis produced associations with high fibrinogen and factor VIII:C levels and low protein C levels. By both univariate and multivariate analysis, events in the angina pectoris group were associated with high vWF:Ag (p = 0.026) and leukocyte (p = 0.033) levels and the presence of carotid arterial stenosis (p = 0.063); associations with high leukocyte (p = 0.037) and factor VIII:C (p = 0.186) levels, family history (p = 0.031), and diabetes (p = 0.061) were also found in the group with transient ischemic attacks. In those with peripheral vascular disease, events were associated with Fontaine stage greater than or equal to IIB (p = 0.024), high factor VIII:C levels (p = 0.073), and low protein C (p = 0.028), fibrinogen (p = 0.030), antithrombin III (p = 0.054), and factor VII (p = 0.057) levels by univariate analysis and with Fontaine stage and low fibrinogen levels by multivariate analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Efficacy of liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) in the eradication of Fusarium infection in a leukaemic patient

We recently succeeded in eradicating a Fusarium infection by treatment with liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB). The patient, a 22-year-old man with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), developed fever and diffuse cutaneous maculopapular necrotising nodules during post-chemotherapy neutropenia. Fusarium verticilloides was isolated from the skin, and hyphae were observed on direct microscopy. Despite increased WBC and amphotericin B (AmB) treatment (0.7 mg/kg/day for 11 days), he remained febrile and a chest X-ray revealed pulmonary lesions. Fusarium infection was confirmed by bronchial aspirate. AmB was increased to 1 mg/kg/day, and continued for 16 days (total dose 1630 mg). A slight improvement was observed at tomography, but nephrotoxicity developed. Treatment was changed to L-AmB (3 mg/kg/day). The patient received this drug for 20 days (total dose of 3850 mg) with complete regression of the pulmonary lesions. No adverse event occurred, and nephrotoxicity resolved. The patient was discharged from hospital cured of the Fusarium infection and in clinical and haematological remission. No relapse of fusariosis occurred, despite additional courses of intensive chemotherapy. Ambisome could represent an important advance in antifungal treatment since it allows aggressive treatment and eradication of mycoses refractory to conventional therapy while avoiding renal toxicity.

Cyclic hormonal replacement therapy after the menopause: transdermal versus oral treatment

In an open, randomized, comparative, between-patient trial, 45 postmenopausal women were treated for 4 months with cyclical transdermal oestradiol 0.05 mg per day or oral conjugated equine oestrogens 0.625 mg per day, in both cases, plus, medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg per day on the last 8 days of each cycle. Similar relief from postmenopausal symptoms was obtained with both treatments. Post-treatment histological evaluation of the endometrium did not reveal neoplastic or hyperplastic change in any patient. Early follicular-phase plasma oestradiol levels were observed only after transdermal oestradiol. There was a significant reduction in serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in both treatment groups, with no difference between treatments, whereas serum triglyceride levels were decreased only by transdermal oestradiol. Plasma calcium and phosphorus fell significantly and serum intact parathyroid hormone rose significantly, with no difference between the therapies. No significant changes were observed in clotting factors. Transdermal oestradiol appears to be an effective and safe hormonal replacement therapy, and this route of administration may be responsible for the more useful action of the drug on serum lipids and plasma oestradiol levels.