Adjuvant effect of Garlic extracts (Allium sativum L.) on the production of γ globulin in mice immunized with ovalbumin

The antigens used in vaccines are usually attenuated or inactivated microorganisms, toxoids or purified particles. The purified particles have a better biosecurity but their capacity to generate an immune response is low, therefore vaccines include adjuvants that seek to improve immunogenicity. Unfortunately, adjuvants have side effects so only aluminum saltsare currently used as adjuvants. So that this work evaluated an adjuvant of garlic extracts, a plant with immunomodulatory properties, in mice immunized with ovalbumin. To formulate the adjuvant, biotoxicity and cytotoxicity assays with a model of Artemia salina and haemolytic activity were considered respectively. A qualitative phytochemical analysis andquantification of phenolic compounds were carried out and in the immunization scheme 100 μg of antigen with adjuvant were administered at day 1, 50 and 100 μg of antigen on days 14 and 28 respectively. The sacrifice of the animals was done on day 30. Leukocytes and γ globulins were quantified at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. A lethal dose 50% of 1430 μg/mL was calculated for the Garlic extracts, a haemolytic activity of 2.66% and 7.53% was observed (p<0.05) for the concentrations of 10 and 100 μg/mL. And it was only possible to identify the presence of tannins in the aqueous extract of Garlic. With the results obtained, significant differences were observed in leukocyte counts and concentration of γglobulins at the end of the immunization scheme (p<0.05). Concluding that the results with the adjuvant of Garlic at 10 μg/mL concentration were comparable to those found with the adjuvant of aluminum salts

Production of He-4 and (4) in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV at the LHC

Results on the production of He-4 and (4) nuclei in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S = 2.76 TeV in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar <1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0-10% central events are found to be dN/dy4(He) = (0.8 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10(-6) and dN/dy4 = (1.1 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst)) x 10(-6), respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (T-chem = 156 MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of (4)/He-4 is 1.4 +/- 0.8 (stat) +/- 0.5 (syst). (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Genome-wide computational prediction and experimental validation of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) microRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, endogenous, short (21-24 nucleotides), non-coding RNA molecules that play significant roles in post-transcriptional gene silencing by directing target mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. Nonetheless, highly nutritious ´super grain´ quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an extreme abiotic stress tolerant Andean seed crop of many potential uses with an outstanding protein quality and a load of vitamins, minerals as well as flavonoids antioxidant. In this study applying genome-wide in silico approaches (referring recently published quinoa genome) and following a set of stringent filtering measures a total of 22 potentially conserved microRNAs belonging to 18 families were characterized from quinoa and eleven randomly selected putative microRNAs (cqu-miR160a, cqu-miR162a, cqu-miR164a, cqu-miR166b, cqu-miR167a, cqu-miR172a, cqu-miR319a, cqu-miR390a, cqu-miR393a, cqu-miR394a, cqu-miR398b) were validated successfully by RT-PCR. Using the psRNATarget tool a sum of 59 potential miRNA targets, mostly transcription factors, were identified that are involved in biosynthesis, metabolic processes, and signal transduction. Among the detected targets, 6 target transcripts (F-Box proteins, TCP, MYB, WD protein, NAC and CSD) were reported to have specific roles in both flavonoids biosynthesis and stress response signaling in some plants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of quinoa microRNAs and their targets.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Antimicrobial activity and toxicity of plants from northern Mexico

203-207The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial potential of methanolic plant extracts: Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch, Selaginella lepidophylla (Hook. and Grev.) Spring, Euphorbia antisyphilitica Zucc., and Jatropha dioica Sesse. Plant samples were collected from northern Mexico and the extracts were tested against reference bacteria (RS): Staphylococcus aureus (BAA44) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (9180) and clinical isolated bacteria (CB): Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial activity was performed with Steers Replicator, the LD50 was evaluated with Artemia salina bioassay, and a phytochemical screening was done with colorimetric tests. The extracts showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 500 µg/mL and LD50 of 1000 µg/mL. The phytochemical tests were positive for flavonoids, lactones, quinones, triterpenes and sterols . C. illinoensis, S. lepidophillla and J. dioica had high correlations (≥ 0.969) to inhibit the growth of S. aureus (RS and CB), K. pneumoniae (RS) and K. pneumoniae (CB) (p = 0.080, 0.076, 0.016 and 0.029, respectively). The results will contribute to the knowledge of plants used in Mexican traditional medicine

Unilateral rNurr1-V5 transgene expression in nigral dopaminergic neurons mitigates bilateral neuropathology and behavioral deficits in parkinsonian rats with α-synucleinopathy

[INLINE:1] Parkinsonism by unilateral, intranigral β-sitosterol β-D-glucoside administration in rats is distinguished in that the α-synuclein insult begins unilaterally but spreads bilaterally and increases in severity over time, thus replicating several clinical features of Parkinson's disease, a typical α-synucleinopathy. As Nurr1 represses α-synuclein, we evaluated whether unilateral transfected of rNurr1-V5 transgene via neurotensin-polyplex to the substantia nigra on day 30 after unilateral β-sitosterol β-D-glucoside lesion could affect bilateral neuropathology and sensorimotor deficits on day 30 post-transfection. This study found that rNurr1-V5 expression but not that of the green fluorescent protein (the negative control) reduced β-sitosterol β-D-glucoside-induced neuropathology. Accordingly, a bilateral increase in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells and arborization occurred in the substantia nigra and increased tyrosine hydroxylase-positive ramifications in the striatum. In addition, tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells displayed less senescence marker β-galactosidase and more neuron-cytoskeleton marker βIII-tubulin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. A significant decrease in activated microglia (positive to ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1) and neurotoxic astrocytes (positive to glial fibrillary acidic protein and complement component 3) and increased neurotrophic astrocytes (positive to glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100 calcium-binding protein A10) also occurred in the substantia nigra. These effects followed the bilateral reduction in α-synuclein aggregates in the nigrostriatal system, improving sensorimotor behavior. Our results show that unilateral rNurr1-V5 transgene expression in nigral dopaminergic neurons mitigates bilateral neurodegeneration (senescence and loss of neuron-cytoskeleton and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells), neuroinflammation (activated microglia, neurotoxic astrocytes), α-synuclein aggregation, and sensorimotor deficits. Increased neurotrophic astrocytes and brain-derived neurotrophic factor can mediate the rNurr1-V5 effect, supporting its potential clinical use in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

W and Z boson production in p-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 TeV

The W and Z boson production was measured via the muonic decay channel in proton-lead collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider with the ALICE detector. The measurement covers backward (−4.46 10 GeV/c are determined. The results are compared to theoretical calculations both with and without including the nuclear modification of the parton distribution functions. The W-boson production is also studied as a function of the collision centrality: the cross section of muons from W-boson decays is found to scale with the average number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions within uncertainties

Measurement of electrons from beauty-hadron decays in p-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02 TeV and Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76 \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=2.76 TeV

The production of beauty hadrons was measured via semi-leptonic decays at mid-rapidity with the ALICE detector at the LHC in the transverse momentum interval 1<p$_{T}$ < 8 GeV/c in minimum-bias p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV and in 1.3 < p$_{T}$ < 8 GeV/c in the 20% most central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV. The pp reference spectra at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV, needed for the calculation of the nuclear modification factors R$_{pPb}$ and R$_{PbPb}$, were obtained by a pQCD-driven scaling of the cross section of electrons from beauty-hadron decays measured at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV. In the p$_{T}$ interval 3 < p$_{T}$ < 8 GeV/c, a suppression of the yield of electrons from beauty-hadron decays is observed in Pb-Pb compared to pp collisions. Towards lower p$_{T}$, the R$_{PbPb}$ values increase with large systematic uncertainties. The R$_{pPb}$ is consistent with unity within systematic uncertainties and is well described by theoretical calculations that include cold nuclear matter effects in p-Pb collisions. The measured R$_{pPb}$ and these calculations indicate that cold nuclear matter effects are small at high transverse momentum also in Pb-Pb collisions. Therefore, the observed reduction of R$_{PbPb}$ below unity at high p$_{T}$ may be ascribed to an effect of the hot and dense medium formed in Pb-Pb collisions