Hypertonic saline releases the attached small intestinal cystic fibrosis mucus

Summary: Hypertonic saline inhalation has become a cornerstone in the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF), but its effect on CF mucus is still not understood. In CF, mucus stagnates in the airways, causing mucus plugging, and forming a substrate for bacterial invasion. Using horizontal Ussing-type chambers to allow easy access to the tissue, we have recently shown that the small intestinal mucus of CF mice is attached to the epithelium and not freely movable as opposed to normal mucus, thus pointing to a similarity between the CF mucus in the ileum and airways. In the same type of system, we investigated how hypertonic saline affects mucus thickness, attachment and penetrability to fluorescent beads the size of bacteria in ileal explants from the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutant (ΔF508) mouse, in order to characterize how this common therapy affects mucus properties. Hypertonic saline (1.75-5%) detached the mucus from the epithelium, but the mucus remained impenetrable to beads the size of bacteria. This approach might be used to test other mucolytic interventions in CF

Two strains of the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line have distinct glycosphingolipid compositions

The glycosphingolipids (GSLs) of two sublines of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, an epithelial cell line, were characterized by t.l.c., antibody overlay and mass spectrometry. The major characteristic which distinguishes the two MDCK cell strains is their trans-epithelial electrical resistance which is typically of the order of 3000 ohm.cm2 for strain I and 100 ohm.cm2 for strain II cells. Strain I and II cells were equally rich in glycolipids, the cellular GSL/phospholipid ratio being 0.04. However, while the phospholipid patterns were identical, the GSLs showed striking differences, and each cell strain expressed appreciable amounts of GSLs that were not found in the other strain. Both cell types possessed neutral GSLs with one, two or three carbohydrate moieties. The monoglycosylceramide accounted for 50% of the total GSLs in each strain. However, while in strain I cells over 90% of this monoglycosylceramide was monoglucosylceramide, in strain II cells over 90% consisted of monogalactosylceramide. In addition, MDCK strain II cells selectively expressed GSLs belonging to the globo series (26% of its neutral GSLs), including globoside and Forssman antigen, a globoside derivative. MDCK strain I cells, on the other hand, expressed another series of GSLs with 4-7 carbohydrate moieties characterized by the common sequence Hex-HexNAc-Hex-Hex-Cer. The presence of two fucosylated GSLs in these series was established. Both MDCK strain I and II cells contained negatively charged GSLs, the major component of which was the ganglioside GM3. MDCK strain II cells in addition expressed sulfatide, the sulfated derivative of galactosylceramide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

Two strains of the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line have distinct glycosphingolipid compositions

The glycosphingolipids (GSLs) of two sublines of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, an epithelial cell line, were characterized by t.l.c., antibody overlay and mass spectrometry. The major characteristic which distinguishes the two MDCK cell strains is their trans-epithelial electrical resistance which is typically of the order of 3000 ohm.cm2 for strain I and 100 ohm.cm2 for strain II cells. Strain I and II cells were equally rich in glycolipids, the cellular GSL/phospholipid ratio being 0.04. However, while the phospholipid patterns were identical, the GSLs showed striking differences, and each cell strain expressed appreciable amounts of GSLs that were not found in the other strain. Both cell types possessed neutral GSLs with one, two or three carbohydrate moieties. The monoglycosylceramide accounted for 50% of the total GSLs in each strain. However, while in strain I cells over 90% of this monoglycosylceramide was monoglucosylceramide, in strain II cells over 90% consisted of monogalactosylceramide. In addition, MDCK strain II cells selectively expressed GSLs belonging to the globo series (26% of its neutral GSLs), including globoside and Forssman antigen, a globoside derivative. MDCK strain I cells, on the other hand, expressed another series of GSLs with 4-7 carbohydrate moieties characterized by the common sequence Hex-HexNAc-Hex-Hex-Cer. The presence of two fucosylated GSLs in these series was established. Both MDCK strain I and II cells contained negatively charged GSLs, the major component of which was the ganglioside GM3. MDCK strain II cells in addition expressed sulfatide, the sulfated derivative of galactosylceramide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

A New Species Of Omphale Haliday 1833 (hymenoptera: Eulophidae) From Brazil, Parasitic On Gall-midges On Croton Floribundus Spreng (euphorbiaceae) [uma Nova Espécie De Omphale Haliday 1833 (hymenoptera: Eulophidae) Do Brasil, Parasitoide De Galhas Em Croton Floribundus Spreng (euphorbiaceae)]

A tritrophic relationship involving the plant Croton floribundus Spreng (Euphorbiaceae), an unidentified gall-midge belonging to either Clinodiplosis Kieffer 1895 or Alycaulus Rübsaamen 1916 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and a new species of parasitic wasp belonging to Omphale Haliday 1833 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is described. The gall and Omphale japii sp. nov., are described and illustrated. This is the third record of Omphale from Brazil and the new species is compared to other Omphale species from the Neotropical region.1333437Bouček, Z., Askew, R.R., (1968) Index of Palaearctic Eulophidae, 3, p. 254. , (excl, Tetrastichinae). Le Francois, Paris, Index of Entomophagous InsectsCorrea, M.P., (1984) Dicionário das plantas úteis do Brasil e das exóticas cultivadas, 1, pp. 503-504. , Imprensa Nacional, Rio de JaneiroDe Santis, L., (1979) Catálogo de los himenópteros calcidoideos de América al sur de los Estados Unidos, p. 488. , Publicacion Especial, La PlataDziurzynski, A., The inhabitants of the galls of Mikiola fagi Htg. Part I. Materials for the morphology and development of Mikiola fagi Htg. (Itoniidae), as well as of its endophagous primary parasite Secodes coactus Ratzb. (Chalcididae) (1961) Acta Zool. Cracov., 6, pp. 9-49Fernandes, L.B.R., Dias Filho, M.M., Fernandes, M.A., Penteado-Dias, A.M., Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) parasitoids of Lepidoptera caterpillars feeding on Croton floribundus Spreng (Euphorbiaceae) (2010) Rev. Bras. Entomol., 54 (2), pp. 263-269. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0085-56262010000200009Gibson, G.A.P., Morphology and terminology (1997) In Annotated Keys to the Genera of Nearctic Chalcidoidea, pp. 16-44. , (Hymenoptera) (Huber, J.T., Woolley J.B.). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 794pGraham, M.W.R.V., Keys to the British genera and species of Elachertinae, Eulophinae and Euderinae (Hym., Chalcidoidea) (1959) Trans. Soc. Brit. Entomol., 13, pp. 169-204Graham, M.W.R.V., Additions and corrections to the British list of Eulophidae (Hym., Chalcidoidea), with descriptions of some new species (1963) Trans. Soc. Brit. Entomol., 15, pp. 167-275Hanson, P.E., Gauld, I.D., Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical (2006) Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst., 77, pp. 1-994. , (eds.)Hansson, C., Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic species of Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (1996) Entomol. Scand. Suppl., 49, pp. 1-78Hansson, C., Mexican species of the genus Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a taxonomic study (1997) J. Hymenoptera Res., 6, pp. 107-151Hansson, C., Eulophidae of Costa Rica, 2 (2004) Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst., 75, pp. 1-537Lasalle, J., Schauff, M.E., Preliminary studies on Neotropical Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): Ashmead, Cameron, Howard and Walker species (1992) Contrib. Am. Entomol. Inst., 27, pp. 1-47Maia, V.C., Fernandes, G.W., Insect galls from Serra de São José (Tiradentes, MG, Brazil) (2004) Braz. J. Biol., 64 (3), pp. 423-445. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1519-69842004000300007Medina, J.M., Peixoto, J.L.B., Silva, A.A., Haraguchi, S.K., Falavigna, D.L.M., Zamuner, M.L.M., Sarragiotto, M.H., Vidotti, G.J., Evaluation of the molluscicidal and Schistosoma mansoni cercariae activity of Croton floribundus extracts and kaurenoic acid (2009) Rev. Bras. Farmacogn., 19 (1 B), pp. 207-211. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-695X2009000200005Noyes, J.S., Collecting and preserving chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) (1982) J. Nat. Hist., 16, pp. 315-334. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222938200770261Noyes, J.S., (2012) Universal Chalcidoid Database, , http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/chalcidoids/database/, (último acesso em 04/04/2012)Price, P.W., Bouton, C.E., Gross, P., McPheron, B.A., Thompson, J.N., Weis, A.E., Interactions among three trophic levels: Influence of plant on interactions between insect herbivores and natural enemies (1980) Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 11, pp. 41-65. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.11.110180.00035