The evolution and diversity of intra-male sperm translocation in Odonata: a unique behaviour in animals

Behavioural diversity is a basic component of biodiversity, with implications in ecological interactions at the intra- and interspecific levels. The reproductive behaviour of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) is unique among insects and conditioned by the anatomical separation between the male’s reproductive organs and the intromittent organ. Prior to mating, males must translocate sperm from the genital pore in the ninth abdominal segment to the seminal vesicle located ventrally in the second abdominal segment. This behaviour, exclusive to odonates, is known as intra-male sperm translocation (ST). Here, we review the literature on ST and use phylogenetic comparative analyses to investigate the evolution of ST within the Odonata. Information on ST was compiled for 176 species, with the commonest variant being ST once per mating, after tandem formation (66%). Other variants found were ST involving precopulatory genital touching (10%), ST by the male alone before tandem (16%) or after copulation (5%), and repetition of ST during the same copulation (3%). The precopulatory genital touching might have evolved to detect female receptivity. ST before tandem formation might be favoured when mating opportunities are scarce and copulations are brief. ST after mating might be favoured if males need to be ready to copulate fast. Finally, repeated ST could have evolved through postcopulatory sexual selection in males with limited sperm removal ability, as a means to improve their sperm competition. The most plausible scenario for the evolution of ST is that the ancestors of the Odonata produced a spermatophore and attached it to the body, leading towards the evolution of the secondary genitalia in males. Our study emphasises the role of behavioural diversity to understand behavioural evolution.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. BES-2015-071965Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CGL2014-53140-

In vivo Bioimaging as a Novel Strategy to Detect Doxorubicin-Induced Damage to Gonadal Blood Vessels

INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy may induce deleterious effects in normal tissues, leading to organ damage. Direct vascular injury is the least characterized side effect. Our aim was to establish a real-time, in vivo molecular imaging platform for evaluating the potential vascular toxicity of doxorubicin in mice. METHODS: Mice gonads served as reference organs. Mouse ovarian or testicular blood volume and femoral arterial blood flow were measured in real-time during and after doxorubicin (8 mg/kg intravenously) or paclitaxel (1.2 mg/kg) administration. Ovarian blood volume was imaged by ultrasound biomicroscopy (Vevo2100) with microbubbles as a contrast agent whereas testicular blood volume and blood flow as well as femoral arterial blood flow was imaged by pulse wave Doppler ultrasound. Visualization of ovarian and femoral microvasculature was obtained by fluorescence optical imaging system, equipped with a confocal fiber microscope (Cell-viZio). RESULTS: Using microbubbles as a contrast agent revealed a 33% (P<0.01) decrease in ovarian blood volume already 3 minutes after doxorubicin injection. Doppler ultrasound depicted the same phenomenon in testicular blood volume and blood flow. The femoral arterial blood flow was impaired in the same fashion. Cell-viZio imaging depicted a pattern of vessels' injury at around the same time after doxorubicin injection: the wall of the blood vessels became irregular and the fluorescence signal displayed in the small vessels was gradually diminished. Paclitaxel had no vascular effect. CONCLUSION: We have established a platform of innovative high-resolution molecular imaging, suitable for in vivo imaging of vessels' characteristics, arterial blood flow and organs blood volume that enable prolonged real-time detection of chemotherapy-induced effects in the same individuals. The acute reduction in gonadal and femoral blood flow and the impairment of the blood vessels wall may represent an acute universal doxorubicin-related vascular toxicity, an initial event in organ injury

Distribution of the Iberian Calopteryx Damselflies and Its Relation with Bioclimatic Belts: Evolutionary and Biogeographic Implications

Using bioclimatic belts as habitat and distribution predictors, the present study examines the implications of the potential distributions of the three Iberian damselflies, Calopteryx Leach (Odonata: Calopterygidae), with the aim of investigating the possible consequences in specific interactions among the species from a sexual selection perspective and of discussing biogeographical patterns. To obtain the known distributions, the literature on this genus was reviewed, relating the resulting distributions to bioclimatic belts. Specific patterns related to bioclimatic belts were clearly observed in the Mediterranean region. The potential distribution maps and relative frequencies might involve latitudinal differences in relative abundances, C. virgo meridionalis Sélys being the most abundant species in the Eurosiberian region, C. xanthostoma (Charpentier) in the northern half of the Mediterranean region and C. haemorrhoidalis (Vander Linden) in the rest of this region. These differences might explain some previously described latitudinal differences in secondary sexual traits in the three species. Changes in relative abundances may modulate interactions among these species in terms of sexual selection and may produce sexual character displacement in this genus. C. virgo meridionalis distribution and ecological requirements explain its paleobiogeography as a species which took refuge in Iberia during the Würm glaciation. Finally, possible consequences in species distributions and interactions are discussed within a global climate change context

A tumor cord model for Doxorubicin delivery and dose optimization in solid tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Doxorubicin is a common anticancer agent used in the treatment of a number of neoplasms, with the lifetime dose limited due to the potential for cardiotoxocity. This has motivated efforts to develop optimal dosage regimes that maximize anti-tumor activity while minimizing cardiac toxicity, which is correlated with peak plasma concentration. Doxorubicin is characterized by poor penetration from tumoral vessels into the tumor mass, due to the highly irregular tumor vasculature. I model the delivery of a soluble drug from the vasculature to a solid tumor using a tumor cord model and examine the penetration of doxorubicin under different dosage regimes and tumor microenvironments.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A coupled ODE-PDE model is employed where drug is transported from the vasculature into a tumor cord domain according to the principle of solute transport. Within the tumor cord, extracellular drug diffuses and saturable pharmacokinetics govern uptake and efflux by cancer cells. Cancer cell death is also determined as a function of peak intracellular drug concentration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The model predicts that transport to the tumor cord from the vasculature is dominated by diffusive transport of free drug during the initial plasma drug distribution phase. I characterize the effect of all parameters describing the tumor microenvironment on drug delivery, and large intercapillary distance is predicted to be a major barrier to drug delivery. Comparing continuous drug infusion with bolus injection shows that the optimum infusion time depends upon the drug dose, with bolus injection best for low-dose therapy but short infusions better for high doses. Simulations of multiple treatments suggest that additional treatments have similar efficacy in terms of cell mortality, but drug penetration is limited. Moreover, fractionating a single large dose into several smaller doses slightly improves anti-tumor efficacy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Drug infusion time has a significant effect on the spatial profile of cell mortality within tumor cord systems. Therefore, extending infusion times (up to 2 hours) and fractionating large doses are two strategies that may preserve or increase anti-tumor activity and reduce cardiotoxicity by decreasing peak plasma concentration. However, even under optimal conditions, doxorubicin may have limited delivery into advanced solid tumors.</p

Chemotherapeutic Sensitization of Leptomycin B Resistant Lung Cancer Cells by Pretreatment with Doxorubicin

The development of novel targeted therapies has become an important research focus for lung cancer treatment. Our previous study has shown leptomycin B (LMB) significantly inhibited proliferation of lung cancer cells; however, p53 wild type lung cancer cells were resistant to LMB. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel therapeutic strategy to sensitize LMB-resistant lung cancer cells by combining LMB and doxorubicin (DOX). Among the different treatment regimens, pretreatment with DOX (pre-DOX) and subsequent treatment with LMB to A549 cells significantly decreased the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) as compared to that of LMB alone (4.4 nM vs. 10.6 nM, P<0.05). Analysis of cell cycle and apoptosis by flow cytometry further confirmed the cytotoxic data. To investigate molecular mechanisms for this drug combination effects, p53 pathways were analyzed by Western blot, and nuclear proteome was evaluated by two dimensional-difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry. In comparison with control groups, the levels of p53, phospho-p53 (ser15), and p21 proteins were significantly increased while phospho-p53 (Thr55) and survivin were significantly decreased after treatments of pre-DOX and LMB (P<0.05). The 2D-DIGE/MS analysis identified that sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/p62) had a significant increase in pre-DOX and LMB-treated cells (P<0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that drug-resistant lung cancer cells with p53 wild type could be sensitized to cell death by scheduled combination treatment of DOX and LMB through activating and restoring p53 as well as potentially other signaling pathway(s) involving sequestosome 1

Algunas paradojas en la enseñanza actual de la medicina interna en Argentina Some paradoxes in the current internal medicine teaching in Argentina

Este trabajo tiene como propósito reflexionar sobre algunas circunstancias que, en Argentina, contribuyen a la crisis de la educación médica y al descontento tanto de pacientes como de profesionales. El centro de atención es la medicina interna. Del análisis surgen algunas paradojas vinculadas con la actual formación de grado y posgrado. Si bien el primer nivel de atención de la salud, en el marco de la atención primaria, puede resolver el 80% de los problemas de salud de la población, la enseñanza de la medicina interna continúa realizándose sobre el paciente hospitalizado. Esto afecta a la forma en que se practica la medicina, pues se privilegia la tecnología en el diagnóstico y tratamiento sobre la prevención de las enfermedades y la promoción de la salud. Las causas de este panorama son varias, destacando el poco tiempo dedicado a la educación en el ámbito del consultorio con pacientes ambulatorios.<br>The aim of this paper is to think about some circumstances that, in Argentina, generate the current medical education crisis as well as dissatisfaction among patients and doctors. The center of attention is the internal medicine. From the analysis there arise some paradoxes linked with the degree and post degree training. Though the first level of health attention, in the frame of the primary care, can solve 80% of the health problems, the internal medicine education continues being realized on hospitalized patients. This has consequences on how medicine is practiced, since technology in the diagnosis and treatment is favored over the prevention of the diseases and the health promotion. There are several reasons for this panorama, being outlined among them the little time dedicated to the education in the area of the doctor's office with ambulatory patients

Algunas paradojas en la enseñanza actual de la medicina interna en Argentina

Este trabajo tiene como propósito reflexionar sobre algunas circunstancias que, en Argentina, contribuyen a la crisis de la educación médica y al descontento tanto de pacientes como de profesionales. El centro de atención es la medicina interna. Del análisis surgen algunas paradojas vinculadas con la actual formación de grado y posgrado. Si bien el primer nivel de atención de la salud, en el marco de la atención primaria, puede resolver el 80% de los problemas de salud de la población, la enseñanza de la medicina interna continúa realizándose sobre el paciente hospitalizado. Esto afecta a la forma en que se practica la medicina, pues se privilegia la tecnología en el diagnóstico y tratamiento sobre la prevención de las enfermedades y la promoción de la salud. Las causas de este panorama son varias, destacando el poco tiempo dedicado a la educación en el ámbito del consultorio con pacientes ambulatorios

Phylogeography and phenotypic wing shape variation in a damselfly across populations in Europe

Abstract Background Describing geographical variation in morphology of organisms in combination with data on genetic differentiation and biogeography can provide important information on how natural selection shapes such variation. Here we study genetic structure using ddRAD seq and wing shape variation using geometric morphometrics in 14 populations of the damselfly Lestes sponsa along its latitudinal range in Europe. Results The genetic analysis showed a significant, yet relatively weak population structure with high genetic heterozygosity and low inbreeding coefficients, indicating that neutral processes contributed very little to the observed wing shape differences. The genetic analysis also showed that some regions of the genome (about 10%) are putatively shaped by selection. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Spanish and French populations were the ancestral ones with northern Swedish and Finnish populations being the most derived ones. We found that wing shape differed significantly among populations and showed a significant quadratic (but weak) relationship with latitude. This latitudinal relationship was largely attributed to allometric effects of wing size, but non-allometric variation also explained a portion of this relationship. However, wing shape showed no phylogenetic signal suggesting that lineage-specific variation did not contribute to the variation along the latitudinal gradient. In contrast, wing size, which is correlated with body size in L. sponsa, had a strong negative correlation with latitude. Conclusion Our results suggest a relatively weak population structure among the sampled populations across Europe, but a clear differentiation between south and north populations. The observed geographic phenotypic variation in wing shape may have been affected by different local selection pressures or environmental effects