Hemolymph proteins and reproduction in Periplaneta americana: the nature of conjugated proteins and the effect of cardiac-allatectomy on protein metabolism

1. The nature and behavior of the conjugated proteins in the hemolymph of adult female Periplaneta americana (L.) have been studied in relation to the ovarian cycle, using disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and various staining procedures. It is shown that there may be not only a change in the relative concentration of the different protein fractions with oocyte growth, but also differences in their chemical composition. Fraction 3 and the female fraction 4, which represent the major proteins in the blood, appear to serve as carriers of lipids to the ovaries, besides most likely providing proteinaceous yolk precursors to the same. Fractionations made with ovarian homogenates seem to indicate that the lipids and sugars bound to such proteins may become freed at entry into the ovary. 2. Cardiac-allatectomy has been found to result in a pronounced accumulation of proteins in the blood, and also in changes in their chemical composition. In such animals there is a tendency with aging for the loss of lipid prosthetic groups and for several of the fractions including the major proteins to stain preferentially for carbohydrates. This effect could be reversed by the implantation of fresh cardiacum-allatum complexes taken from adult females. It is suggested that in cardiac-allatectomized females there is probably a bilateral arrest of lipid and protein metabolism, and that the vitellogenic proteins already synthesized. but not utilized by the ovary, become converted into glycoproteins. 3. Fractionation studies on fat body homogenates of females in different stages of ovarian activity appear to indicate that in Periplaneta americana none of the soluble lipo- or glycoproteins, including the female fraction, is as such synthesized or stored in the fat body

A prospective study to compare the efficacy of vilazodone and escitalopram tablets in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed major depressive disorder

Background: With the availability of large number of anti-depressant drugs, a thorough knowledge of comparative efficacy of the commonly used antidepressants is necessary to prescribe best drug molecule to the patient. This improves the compliance and therapeutic outcome. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of vilazodone and escitalopram in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed major depressive disorder in a prospective study.Methods: 200 patients attending the psychiatry out-patient department diagnosed with major depressive disorder were assessed and enrolled into vilazodone 40 mg and escitalopram 20 mg treatment groups. Hamilton depression rating scale score (HDRS) was used to assess the severity of depression disorder at regular intervals.Results: Maximum cases were in the 21-30 age group and minimum cases in above 60 years age group. Males contributed maximum to number of depression cases with respect to females in both the treatment groups. Both escitalopram and vilazodone therapy group showed onset of improvement   at the end of 1st week. The efficacy of both treatment arms in reducing HDRS is comparable till 2nd week of treatment, but at 6th month vilazodone was more efficacious than escitalopram therapy. Conclusions: Escitalopram tablet given once/twice daily is significantly effective in reducing HDRS score as early as 2nd week. At 6th month vilazodone tablet was more efficacious than escitalopram therapy. Vilazodone is safe with fewer adverse effects as compared to escitalopram.

Haemolymph constituents and osmolality as functions of moult stage, body weight, and feeding status in marron, Cherax cainii (Austin and Ryan, 2002) and yabbies, Cherax destructor (Clark, 1936)

The study investigates the change in osmolality and haemolymph constituents in marron Cherax cainii and yabbies Cherax destructor associated with moult stages, body weights and their feeding status. A total of 582 haemolymph samples from 5 moult stages (postmoult-AB, intermoult-C, and premoult stages – D0, D1, D2), two body weight classes (2–15 g and 61–75 g) and nutritional status were used for analysis of osmolality, protein, glucose, and ionic concentrations of potassium and chloride following the standard biochemical procedures. The haemolymph protein, glucose, potassium and chloride levels were highest at intermoult and early premoult stages, and lowest at postmoult in both crayfish species. Except protein, no significant differences were seen in analyzed parameters between various weight classes and two species. Haemolymph osmolality, protein and glucose were significantly higher in fed crayfish, whereas no variations in haemolymph potassium and chloride concentrations were observed between the fed and unfed crayfish. Maximum osmolality was recorded at 7–8 h after feeding in both crayfish species. The results showed that the biochemical changes in the haemolymph of marron and yabbies are related to moult stages, body weight and feeding and thus can be used as tools for determining suitable diets

Ocean acidification induces multi-generational decline in copepod naupliar production with possible conflict for reproductive resource allocation

Climate change, including ocean acidification (OA), presents fundamental challenges to marine biodiversity and sustained ecosystem health. We determined reproductive response (measured as naupliar production), cuticle composition and stage specific growth of the copepod Tisbe battagliai over three generations at four pH conditions (pH 7.67, 7.82, 7.95, and 8.06). Naupliar production increased significantly at pH 7.95 compared with pH 8.06 followed by a decline at pH 7.82. Naupliar production at pH 7.67 was higher than pH 7.82. We attribute the increase at pH 7.95 to an initial stress response which was succeeded by a hormesis-like response at pH 7.67. A multi-generational modelling approach predicted a gradual decline in naupliar production over the next 100 years (equivalent to approximately 2430 generations). There was a significant growth reduction (mean length integrated across developmental stage) relative to controls. There was a significant increase in the proportion of carbon relative to oxygen within the cuticle as seawater pH decreased. Changes in growth, cuticle composition and naupliar production strongly suggest that copepods subjected to OA-induced stress preferentially reallocate resources towards maintaining reproductive output at the expense of somatic growth and cuticle composition. These responses may drive shifts in life history strategies that favour smaller brood sizes, females and perhaps later maturing females, with the potential to profoundly destabilise marine trophodynamics