Enhanced Hyperthermia Induced by MDMA in Parkin Knockout Mice

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is reportedly severely toxic to both dopamine (DA) and serotonin neurons. MDMA significantly reduces the number of DA neurons in the substantia nigra, but not in the nucleus accumbens, indicating that MDMA causes selective destruction of DA neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway, sparing the mesolimbic pathway. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of multifactorial origin. The pathological hallmark of PD is the degeneration of DA neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Mutations in the parkin gene are frequently observed in autosomal recessive parkinsonism in humans. Parkin is hypothesized to protect against neurotoxic insult, and we attempted to clarify the role of parkin in MDMA-induced hyperthermia, one of the causal factors of neuronal damage, using parkin knockout mice. Body temperature was measured rectally before and 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after intraperitoneal injection of MDMA (30 mg/kg) at an ambient temperature of 22 ± 2°C. Significantly enhanced hyper-thermia after MDMA injection was observed in heterozygous and homozygous parkin knockout mice compared with wildtype mice, suggesting that parkin plays a protective role in MDMA neurotoxicity

A importância do perfil socioeconômico de criadores de ovinos de corte na elaboração de políticas públicas.

Resumo: A agropecuária brasileira é caracterizada pela versatilidade e heterogeneidade. São diversos os modos de produção e diferentes os tipos de criadores. Quando se avalia aspectos relacionados a criadores, sobretudo aqueles considerados familiares, a maioria dos estudos os retrata a partir de características econômicas e produtivas, suprimindo aspectos sociais importantes que os identificam enquanto grupos marcados por sociabilidades distintas. Dessa forma, objetivou-se com esse trabalho demonstrar a importância do perfil socioeconômico dos criadores de ovinos de corte e sua importância na formulação de políticas públicas. Para isso, foram entrevistados 336 criadores do município de Tauá-CE. O município possui um dos maiores rebanhos de ovinos do país e concentra um tradicional mercado de carne ovina no qual a "manta de Tauá" se destaca como principal produto. Observou-se que a maioria dos entrevistados se constitui sob núcleos familiares pequenos, estáveis, chefiados por homens com baixo grau de instrução e detentores de propriedades rurais com boa infraestrutura para moradia, mas pouco produtivas. Foram apontados ainda aspectos relacionados à juventude rural e suas consequências na sucessão familiar. [The importance of socio-economic profile of meat sheep breeders in the development of public policy]. Abstract: Brazilian agriculture is characterized by versatility and variety. There are several modes of production and different types of farmers When evaluating aspects of the creators, especially those considered farm family , most studies portrays them from economic and production characteristics , suppressing important social aspects that identify them as distinct groups marked by sociability. Thus, the aim of this work was to demonstrate the importance of the socioeconomic profile of sheep cutting and its importance in the formulation of public policies. For this, we interviewed 336 farmers in the municipality of Taua - CE. The city has one of the largest herds of sheep in the country and focuses a traditional lamb market in which the "Manta de Taua" stands out as the main product. It was observed that the majority of respondents in households are small, stable, headed by men with low levels of education and rural property owners with good infrastructure for housing, but not very productive. The aspects related to rural youth and their consequences on succession familiar were appointed

Características raciais de ovinos da raça Morada Nova e seus impactos sobre o descarte involuntário de animais: resultados preliminares.

Resumo: Objetivou-se com esse trabalho, verificar a existência de associação entre os caracteres raciais de ovinos da raça Morada Nova e sua conseqüência no descarte involuntário dos animais. Utilizou se dados descritores de pigmentação do espelho nasal e dos cascos, cor da pelagem, criptorquidismo (unilateral ou bilateral) e presença de chifre. O banco continha informações de 181 animais, sendo 91 fêmeas e 90 machos. Apenas 45,3% dos animais apresentavam mais de 50% de cascos e espelho nasal pigmentados. Não foi observado nenhum animal de pelagem preta de casco e espelho nasal despigmentado. Observou-se que 22,22% dos machos apresentavam chifres (ou rudimento) e não apresentavam criptorquidismo, enquanto 16,67% dos machos não apresentam chifres, entretanto, eram criptorquídicos. Observou-se pelo teste qui-quadrado que a associação entre a pigmentação do espelho nasal e a pigmentação dos cascos foi significativa (P<0,05). Os resultados indicam a necessidade de uma reavaliação no padrão da raça Morada Nova, de forma a permitir que haja seleção para características de interesse econômico que não as raciais. Contudo, esses resultados são preliminares e estudos mais aprofundados com outros rebanhos são necessários para inferências mais conclusivas. Phenotypics Characteristics on Morada Nova Breed Sheep. Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the association between racial characters in Morada Nova hair sheep breedand its consequence in involuntary culling of animals. Data from pigmentation of the muzzle and the hoof, coat color, cryptorchid (unilateral or bilateral) and presence of horns. Data from 181 animals, 91 females and 90 males were used. Only 45.3% of animals showed more than 50% of hoofs and muzzle pigmented. All black coat animals had hoofs and muzzle pigmented. it was found that 22.22% of males had horns (or rudiments) and had no cryptorchid while 16.67% of the males had absence of horns and were cryptorchidism. Therefore, the association between the pigmentation of the muzzle and the pigmentation of the hoofs was significant (P <0.05). The results indicate the need for a reassessment in the pattern of Morada Nova breed to allow that the selection for traits of economic interest and not racial. However, these results are preliminary and more depth studies with other flocks are necessary for more conclusive inferences

Desempenho reprodutivo de ovelhas das raças Morada Nova e Somalis Brasileira criadas na região Nordeste do Brasil.

Resumo: A eficiência dos sistemas de produção animal está relacionada a adequados índices reprodutivos, os quais são influenciados por fatores genéticos, ambientais e nutricionais. Em razão disso, objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar o desempenho reprodutivo de ovelhas da raça Morada Nova e Somalis Brasileira criadas na região Nordeste do Brasil. A estação de monta teve duração de 45 dias, onde foram utilizadas 156 ovelhas não gestantes, sendo 76 ovelhas pertencentes à raça Morada Nova e 80 a raça Somalis Brasileira. Os animais foram manejados em uma mesma área de caatinga raleada, parte dela enriquecida com capim-Massai, além de receberem concentrado no terço final da gestação. Os dados foram submetidos aos testes de Shapiro-Wilk e Bartlett, a fim de verificar os pressupostos de normalidade e homogeneidade de variância, respectivamente. Uma vez atendidos estes pressupostos, aplicou-se o teste F, através da Análise de Variância (ANOVA) e em seguida o teste t de Student. A fertilidade não diferiu estatisticamente em função do genótipo das ovelhas, porém verificou- se influência do grupo genético (P<0,05) para a taxa de prolificidade. Ovelhas da raça Morada Nova apresentaram maior prolificidade que a Somalis Brasileira. Não houve diferença estatística do grupo genético das ovelhas para o peso ao parto, entretanto fêmeas da raça Morada Nova apresentaram menor escore ao parto (P<0,05). Os resultados demonstraram que a prolificidade é diferente entre as raças, o que exige um manejo nutricional no terço final de gestação diferenciado para as fêmeas de maior prolificidade para evitar que haja redução no escore de condição corporal em função do maior percentual de partos gemelares. Abstract: The efficiency of animal production systems is linked to adequate reproductive rates, which are influenced by genetic, environmental and nutritional traits. For this reason, the aim of this work was to evaluate the reproductive performance of Morada Nova and Somalis Brasileira ewes raised in northeast Brazil. The breeding season lasted 45 days, where were used 156 non-pregnant sheep, being 76 Morada Nova and 80 Somalis Brasileira. The animals were handled in an area of thinned Caatinga enriched partially with Massai grass. All animais were fed with 400g of concentrated in the final third of pregnancy. Data were tested for normality and homogeneity by Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett tests, respectively. After, we applied the F test, by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Student t test. The fertility did not differ statistically when compared both genotype of the sheep, but there was influence of genotype (P <0,05) for the rate of prolificacy. Morada Nova ewes showed higher prolificacy when compared to Somalis Brasileira ones. Both breeds showed similar weight at lambing, however females form Morada Nova genotype showed lower body condition score at lambing (P<0,05). The results showed different prolificacy between breeds, what requires an enhanced nutritional management during the final third of pregnancy to avoid losses in body condition score due multiple pregnancies

Neuronal hemoglobin affects dopaminergic cells' response to stress

Hemoglobin (Hb) is the major protein in erythrocytes and carries oxygen (O2) throughout the body. Recently, Hb has been found synthesized in atypical sites, including the brain. Hb is highly expressed in A9 dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra (SN), whose selective degeneration leads to Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we show that Hb confers DA cells' susceptibility to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) and rotenone, neurochemical cellular models of PD. The toxic property of Hb does not depend on O2 binding and is associated with insoluble aggregate formation in the nucleolus. Neurochemical stress induces epigenetic modifications, nucleolar alterations and autophagy inhibition that depend on Hb expression. When adeno-associated viruses carrying \u3b1- and \u3b2-chains of Hb are stereotaxically injected into mouse SN, Hb forms aggregates and causes motor learning impairment. These results position Hb as a potential player in DA cells' homeostasis and dysfunction in PD. Copyright The Author(s) 201

A high-density linkage map and sex-linked markers for the Amazon tambaqui Colossoma macropomum.

Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum, Cuvier, 1818) is the most economically important native freshwater fish species in Brazil. It can reach a total length of over 1 m and a weight of over 40 kg. The species displays a clear sex dimorphism in growth performance, with females reaching larger sizes at harvest. In aquaculture, the production of monosex populations in selective breeding programmes has been therefore identified as a key priority. In the present study, a genetic linkage map was generated by double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing from 248 individuals sampled from two F1 families. The map was constructed using 14,805 informative SNPs and spanned 27 linkage groups. From this, the tambaqui draft genome was improved, by ordering the scaffolds into chromosomes, and sex-linked markers were identified. A total of 235 markers on linkage group 26 showed a significant association with the phenotypic sex, supporting an XX/XY sex determination system in the species. The four most informative sex-linked markers were validated on another 206 sexed individuals, demonstrating an accuracy in predicting sex ranging from 90.0 to 96.7%

Mechanistic Studies of Ethylene Hydrophenylation Catalyzed by Bipyridyl Pt(II) Complexes

This article discusses mechanistic studies of ethylene hydrophenylation catalyzed by bipyridyl Pt(II) complexes