Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of a Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase from Scedosporium apiospermum.

A Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase has been characterized from Scedosporium apiospermum, a fungus which often colonizes the respiratory tract of patients with cystic fibrosis. Enzyme production was stimulated by iron starvation. Purification was achieved from mycelial extract from 7-day-old cultures on Amberlite XAD-16. The purified enzyme presented a relative molecular mass of 16.4 kDa under reducing conditions and was inhibited by potassium cyanide and diethyldithiocarbamate, which are two known inhibitors of Cu,Zn-SODs. Its optimum pH was 7.0 and the enzyme retained full activity after pretreatment at temperatures up to 50 degrees C. Moreover, a 450-bp fragment of the gene encoding the enzyme was amplified by PCR using degenerate primers designed from sequence alignment of four fungal Cu,Zn-SODs. Sequence data from this fragment allowed us to design primers which were used to amplify by walking-PCR the flanking regions of the known fragment. SaSODC gene (890 bp) corresponded to a 154 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 15.9 kDa. A database search for sequence homology revealed for the deduced amino acid sequence 72 and 83% identity rate with Cu,Zn-SODs from Aspergillus fumigatus and Neurospora crassa, respectively. To our knowledge, this enzyme is the first putative virulence factor of S. apiospermum to be characterized

Arterial vascularization of the thoracic lobes of the thymus in stillborns of the lineage C40

As origens e distribuições das artérias que vascularizaram os lobos torácicos do timo foram estudadas em fetos de 30 suínos da linhagem C40, sendo 12 machos e 18 fêmeas. Os exemplares tiveram o sistema arterial preenchido com solução aquosa a 50% de Neoprene Látex corado e, em seguida, foram submetidos à fixação em solução aquosa a 10% de formaldeído. Os lobos torácicos do timo foram vascularizados por ramos diretos das artérias torácica interna direita (63,33%) e esquerda (53,33%), subclávia esquerda (3,33%), vertebral esquerda (3,33%), cervical superficial direita (3,33%) e esquerda (3,33%), carótida comum esquerda (3,33%), coronária direita (3,33%) e pelos troncos braquiocefálico (33,33%) e costocervical (3,33%). Observaram-se ainda os ramos indiretos das artérias torácica interna direita (70%) e esquerda (76,67%), subclávia esquerda (23,33%), cervical superficial esquerda (3,33%) e do arco aórtico (6,67%).The origins and distributions of the arteries that vascularization the thoracic lobes of the thymus, right and left, were studied in 30 swine of the lineage C40, fetus, being 12 males and 18 females. The animals had the arterial system filled with aqueous colored solution in a 50% of Neoprene Latex, and than were fixed in 10% aqueous solution formaldehyde. The thoracic lobes of thymus were vascularization by direct branches of the right (53.33%) and left (63.33%) internal thoracic arteries, left subclavian (3.33%), left vertebral (3.33%), right (3.33%) and left (3.33%) superficial cervical, left common carotid (3.33%), right coronary (3.33%) and brachiocephalic trunk (33.33%) and costocervical trunk (3.33%). The right internal thoracic arteries (70%) and left internal thoracic (76.67%), left subclavian (23.33%), left superficial cervical (3.33%) of the aortic arch (6.67%) provided indirect branches for the correspondent thoracic lobes of the thymus in each side

Metabolic Alterations in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice: Effects of Prior Physical Exercise

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induces significant reduction of the body mass concomitant to sickness behavior and anorexia. We investigated whether regular physical exercise prevents metabolic alterations associated with loss of the body mass occurring during an EAE inflammatory peak. Female C57BL/6 mice were assigned to the unexercised and exercise-trained groups. In four weeks, EAE was induced in half of the animals in each group, and the exercise protocol was maintained onto 10 days post-induction (10 dpi) completing 6 weeks of regular exercise (forced swimming). At 14 dpi, the relative mass of metabolic tissues, serum levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose, glycogen contents in the muscle and liver, and muscle levels of cytokines were measured. A significantly decreased clinical score associated with attenuation of the body mass loss in exercised EAE animals, as compared to the non-exercised ones, were observed. The associated metabolic parameters were not modified by this approach, although negative correlations between some parameters and clinical score at 14 dpi were observed. Although the prior program of aerobic exercise is capable of decreasing clinical score and body mass loss, it is not sufficient to crucially modify metabolic outcomes associated with inflammation at the EAE peak.Експериментальний аутоімунний енцефаломієліт (ЕАЕ) викликає істотне зменшення маси тіла, зумовлене хворобливою поведінкою та анорексією. Ми досліджували, чи можуть регулярні фізичні вправи запобігати метаболічним змінам і втраті маси тіла в перебігу запального періоду ЕАЕ. Миші-самиці лінії C57BL/6 були поділені на «нетреновану» та «треновану» групи. Через чотири тижні у половини тварин кожної групи індукували ЕАЕ, і протокол тренувань підтримувався ще 10 днів після індукції цього захворювання. Як тренування використовували примусове плавання. На 14-й день після індукції ЕАЕ у відповідній групі всі миші піддавались евтаназії; вимірювали відносну масу метаболічнозалежних тканин, рівні тригліцеридів, холестеролу та глюкози в сироватці крові, вміст глікогену в м’язах та печінці та рівні цитокінів у м’язах. У «тренованих» тварин з ЕАЕ виявлялося вірогідне зменшення оцінки інтенсивності захворювання порівняно з відповідним значенням у «нетренованих» мишей; це було асоційоване з обмеженням втрати маси тіла. У використаному варіанті експерименту зміни метаболічних параметрів у «тренованих» і «нетренованих» тварин істотно не розрізнялись, але на 14-й день спостерігалися негативні кореляції між деякими параметрами та клінічними оцінками. Отже, програма попереднього аеробного тренування здатна забезпечувати зменшення як клінічної інтенсивності ЕАЕ, так і відносної втрати маси тіла. Проте цей захід не є достатнім, щоб кардинально модифікувати метаболічні наслідки, пов’язані із запаленням на максимумі ЕАЕ

Characterization of the Brazilian continental shelf adjacent to Rio Grande do Norte state, NE Brazil

This study focuses on the analysis of high-resolution seismic profiles, integrated with sedimentological, echosounder, SRTM and satellite image datasets, of the Brazilian continental shelf adjacent to the Rio Grande do Norte State, NE Brazil. Located in the northeast of Brazil, the State of Rio Grande do Norte is bounded by two main coastal and shelf systems: the eastern coastal-shelf, from the Sagi River to the Touros High, and the northern coastal-shelf, extending from Touros High to Tibau. This shelf represents a modern, highly dynamic mixed carbonate-siliciclastic system characterized by reduced width and shallow depths as compared with other parts of the Brazilian shelf. It has an average width of 40 km, the shelf-break lying at a depth of ~ 60 m. This shelf is subject to the full strength of the westerly South Equatorial current combined with high winds and moderate to high tides and waves. A sharply defined stratigraphic boundary, probably between the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, is clearly to be observed in the seismic record. Incised-valleys extending from the main river mouths (e.g.the Potengi, Açu, and Apodi) to the shelf break dominate the area investigated and may indicate periods of lower sea level.Este estudo está direcionado ao conhecimento da plataforma continental brasileira adjacente ao Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, NE do Brasil, através da analise de perfis sismicos de alta resolução integrados a dados sedimentológicos, batimétricos, SRTM e imagens de satélites. O Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, localizado no nordeste do Brasil, apresenta dois sistemas costeiros-plataformais: Setor Este, do Rio Sagi (divisa PB-RN) ao Alto de Touros e Setor Norte, do Alto de Touros a Tibau (divisa RN-CE). Esta plataforma representa um sistema plataformal moderno misto (carbonático-siliciclástico), altamente dinâmico. É caracterizado por sua reduzida largura e águas rasas, quando comparado com outras partes da plataforma brasileira. A plataforma apresenta largura média de 40 km e a sua quebra encontra-se a profundidades médias de 60 m. A plataforma é sujeita a ação da corrente sul equatorial, combinada a ventos fortes e variação de maré moderada a alta e/ou ondas. Um limite estratigráfico fortemente definido, provavelmente entre os depósitos Pleistocênicos e Holocênicos, pode ser bem observado e vales incisos, estendendo-se a partir dos principais rios (como por ex., Potengi, Açu e Apodi) dominam a área investigada