The Oral Tolerance as a Complex Network Phenomenon

Date of Acceptance: 23/05/2015 Funding: MSB acknowledges the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - UK grant EP/I032606/1. PJM and MD received regular scholarships from the Brazilian the following agency: Higher Education Personnel Training Coordination (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) CAPES http://www.fisica.uepg.br:7080/ppgfisica​/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Genome Size Evaluation in Tetraodontiform Fishes from the Neotropical Region

Abstract Smooth pufferfish of the family Tetraodontidae had become pure genomic models because of the remarkable compaction of their genome. This trait seems to be the result of DNA loss following its divergence from the sister family Diodontidae, which possess larger genomes. In this study, flow cytometry was used for estimate the genome size of four pufferfish species from the Neotropical region. Cytogenetic data and confocal microscopy were also used attempting to confirm relationships between DNA content and cytological parameters. The haploid genome size was 0.71±0.03 pg for Sphoeroides greeleyi, 0.34±0.01 pg for Sphoeroides spengleri, 0.82± 0.03 pg for Sphoeroides testudineus (all Tetraodontidae), and 1.00±0.03 pg for Chilomycterus spinosus (Diodontidae). These differences are not related with ploidy level, because 46 chromosomes are considered basal for both families. The value for S. spengleri represents the smallest vertebrate genome reported to date. Since erythrocyte cell and nuclear sizes are strongly correlated with genome size, the variation in this last is considered under both adaptive and evolutionary perspectives

The influence of allopurinol and post-conditioning on lung injuries induced by lower-limb ischemia and reperfusion in Wistar rats

<div><p>Abstract Purpose: To analyze the effects of allopurinol and of post-conditioning on lung injuries induced by lower-limb ischemia and reperfusion. Methods: Thirty rats were used. They were divided in 5 groups: (1) group A: abdominal aortic dissection only, (2) group B: ischemia and reperfusion, (3) group C: administered allopurinol (100mg/Kg) a few hours before procedure, (4) group D: post-conditioned and (5) group E: administered allopurinol and post-conditioned. With the exception of group A, all groups were submitted to infrarenal aortic ischemia for 2 hours, and reperfusion for 72 hours. After euthanasia, lungs were removed for histological analysis. They were graded under two scores: pulmonary injury (neutrophil infiltration, interstitial edema, vascular congestion, and destruction of lung architecture) and lymphocytic score (neutrophil infiltration, lymphoid aggregate and secondary follicle). Results: On the pulmonary injury score, the degree of injury was smaller than in groups D and E, when compared to group B, p<0.05. Group C did not obtain the same result (p>0,05). On the lymphocytic score, there was no statistic difference among groups, p>0.05. Conclusion: Both post-conditioning and the combination of allopurinol and post-conditioning were effective in remote lung protection induced by lower-limbs I/R. When used in isolation, allopurinol showed no protective effect.</p></div

Genome size evaluation in tetraodontiform fishes from the neotropical region

Smooth pufferfish of the family Tetraodontidae had become pure genomic models because of the remarkable compaction of their genome. This trait seems to be the result of DNA loss following its divergence from the sister family Diodontidae, which possess larger genomes. In this study, flow cytometry was used for estimate the genome size of four pufferfish species from the Neotropical region. Cytogenetic data and confocal microscopy were also used attempting to confirm relationships between DNA content and cytological parameters. The haploid genome size was 0.71±0.03 pg for Sphoeroides greeleyi, 0.34±0.01 pg for Sphoeroides spengleri, 0.82±0.03 pg for Sphoeroides testudineus (all Tetraodontidae), and 1.00±0.03 pg for Chilomycterus spinosus (Diodontidae). These differences are not related with ploidy level, because 46 chromosomes are considered basal for both families. The value for S. spengleri represents the smallest vertebrate genome reported to date. Since erythrocyte cell and nuclear sizes are strongly correlated with genome size, the variation in this last is considered under both adaptive and evolutionary perspectives

Evaluation of probiotic properties of Pediococcus acidilactici B14 in association with Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 for application in a soy based aerated symbiotic dessert

The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic properties of Pediococcus acidilactici B14 and to study its resistance in the gastrointestinal system when combined with Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 and used in a potentially symbiotic aerated soy based dessert. P. acidilactici B14 showed some important probiotic characteristics such as survival rate of 45.9% at pH 2.5; 72.4% in 0.3% bile salts and 95.8% after gastrointestinal transit at pH 4.0. Tolerance against the antibiotics cephalexin, neomycin, vancomycin, cefotaxime and penicillin G was also observed. The strain inhibited antagonism against the following cultures: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Bacillus cereus ATCC 33018, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P and Salmonella sp. The mixed culture of P. acidilactici B14 with L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 showed a survival rate of 92.4% after the passage through the gastrointestinal system at pH 4.0. Furthermore, in the presence of the food matrix, an average increase in cell viability, after being subjected to the gastrointestinal system of 9.9% at pH 2.0 and 6.1% at pH 4.0, was observed. This characterized the adequacy of the associated culture as probiotic in the development of a functional food such as soy based aerated symbiotic dessert