Assessment of tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 10 (TNFSF10) gene variants in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Aim of the work: To investigate the association between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) 1525 G > A (TNF supefamily member 10; TNFSF10, rs1131568) and 1595 C > T (TNFSF10 rs1131580) genetic variants and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility in Egyptian patients and their relationship with clinical and laboratory outcomes of the disease. Patients and methods: A total of 123 SLE patients and 110 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were tested for TRAIL 1525 G > A and 1595 C > T genotyping by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), followed by confirmation of random samples from each genotype by direct sequencing technique. Disease activity was determined using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Results: The patients were 107 females and 16 males with mean age 32.87 ± 9.6 years. The median value of SLEDAI of the patients was 18 (12–27). The two genetic variants of TRAIL, 1525 G > A and 1595 C > T, were in complete linkage disequilibrium. There was a significant increase in the frequencies of combined genotypes (GA + AA)/(CT + TT) and A/T alleles of TRAIL 1525/1595 variants among SLE cases when compared with the control group (OR = 1.7, 95 % CI = 1.0 – 2.98, p = 0.048; OR = 1.7, 95 % CI = 1.1 – 2.8, p = 0.02, respectively). Additionally, the A/T variants of TRAIL 1525/1595 were associated with higher risks of developing lupus nephritis (OR = 2.6, 95 % CI = 1.2 – 5.7, p = 0.015) and higher disease activity (OR = 3.8, 95 % CI = 1.3 – 10.9, p = 0.010). Conclusion: TRAIL 1525 G > A and 1595 C > T gene variants confer susceptibility to SLE, which is significantly related to the clinical phenotypes of SLE and associated with higher disease activity

Effect of herbaceous and woody legumes on the growth and nutrient concentration of two tropical grasses

Ilus. 1 tab. 4 ref. Sum. (En, Es). Basado en la tesis Mag. Sc. del primer autorSe realiz? un experimento factorial (2 x 2 x 5) en invernadero con dos especies de gram?neas [Panicum maximum Jacq. (Var. CIAT 16061) y Brachiaria humidicola Rendle (Var. CIAT 679)] en monocultivo o en asocio con Centrosema macrocarpum (Benth) y cinco niveles de adici?n de mantillo: control sin mantillo, 275 o 550 kg N ha-1 de Erythrina poeppigiana (Walp.) O.F. Cook o 153 o 306 kg N ha-1 de Acacia mangium Will. El mayor crecimiento de gram?neas y concentraci?n de nutrientes se obtuvo con el nivel m?s alto de E. poeppigiana cuando estuvo asociado con C. macrocarpum. El mantillo de A. mangium tambi?n tuvo un efecto significativo respecto al control. El efecto de C. macrocarpum fue siempre positivo sobre el crecimiento y concentraci?n de nutrientes de las gram?neas

Productivity and forage quality of a Brachiaria humidicola monoculture and in association with Acacia mangium on an acid soil in the humid tropics

3 fig. 6 ref. Sum. (En, Es). Basado en la tesis Mag. Sc. del primer autorSe evalu? el efecto del ?rbol maderable Acacia mangium sobre la productividad y calidad forrajera de pasturas de Brachiaria humidicola en un suelo ?cido con alta saturaci?n de Al. B. humidicola tuvo menor concentraci?n de prote?na cruda (32 vs 46 g kg-1) y solubilidad (52 vs 58 por ciento) en monocultivo que en el asocio. El rendimiento total de forraje del zacate en asocio fue 28 por ciento mayor que en monocultivo. En la ?poca seca, la biomasa muerta del pasto represent? el 60 por ciento de la biomasa total en monocultivo, pero solo el 30 por ciento del zacate en el asocio. La relaci?n hoja : tallo fue mayor en asocio. Se concluye que la integraci?n de A. mangium en sistemas silvopastoriles con B. humidicola mejora el rendimiento y el valor nutritivo de las pasturas

Service functions of agroforestry systems

This article presents a brief review of the main environmental service functions that are provided by agroforestry systems (AFS): 1) maintenance of soil fertility/reducing erosion via organic matter inputs to the soil, N fixation and nutrient recycling; 2) conservation of water (quantity and quality) via greater infiltration and reduced surface runoff that could contaminate water courses; 3) carbon capture, emphasizing the potential of silvopastoral systems; and 4) biodiversity conservation in fragmented landscapes. These service functions complement the products that AFS provide (commercial and home use; e.g., fuel wood, timber, fruits) but farmers are rarely rewarded for them. More research is needed on the possible tradeoffs between the different service functions when the tree component of agricultural systems is increased; e.g., maximizing carbon capture with high-density tree monocultures will have negative effects on biodiversity conservation. Methods for managing financial incentives, as rewards to farmers who provide these services by adopting/improving AFS, in order to leverage better land use, also have to be developed and tested in different socio economic frameworks. A major limitation to the promotion of AFS is the dearth of economic analyses that include valuation of these service functions

Producci?n y calidad forrajera de Brachiaria humidicola en monocultivo y en asocio con Acacia mangium en un suelo ?cido en el Tr?pico H?medo

This study was conducted at the IDIAP experimental station of Calabacito, Panama (mean annual rainfall of 2500 mm and temperature 27 ?C; soils are acid with high Al saturation), to determine the effect of the timber tree Acacia mangium on the productivity and quality of Brachiaria humidicola pastures. The treatments were: 1) B. humidicola monoculture; and 2) B. humidicola in mixture with A. mangium. The forage had significantly lower crude protein concentration (32 vs 46 g kg exponente -1) and solubility (52 vs 58 percent) in the monoculture vs the mixture, respectively. Mean total forage yields of the mixture was 28 percent higher than the monoculture. In the dry season, dead pasture biomass represented 60 percent of total dry matter measured in the grass monoculture whereas it was only 30 percent for the mixture. The leaf: stem ratio of B. humidicola was higher for the mixture. It is concluded that the integration of A. mangium in silvopastoral systems with B. humidicola contributed to increased pasture yield of higher nutritive value

Caracter?sticas y rasgos funcionales de los ?rboles y su efecto sobre la transferencia de lluvia y captura de nutrientes

Ponencia presentada en: VII Congresso Latinoamericano de Sistemas Agroflorestais para a Producao Pecu?ria Sustent?velEl estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de las caracter?sticas de las plantas y los rasgos funcionales de la copa de ?rboles: Albizia saman, Coccoloba caracasana, Coccoloba floribunda, Crescentia alata, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Guazuma ulmifolia y Tabebuia rosea sobre el porcentaje de lluvia transferida hacia el suelo y la captura de nutrientes NO2-, NO3, P total, K+, Mg2+ y Ca2+ a trav?s de la copa. Se evaluaron 27 ?rboles dispersos en potreros ubicados en 9 fincas ganaderas del departamento de Rivas ? Nicaragua, para un total de 324 pluvi?metros instalados, 12 pluvi?metros por cada ?rbol (8 bajo copa y 4 fuera de copa). En total se registraron 20 eventos lluviosos comprendidos entre los meses de mayo a septiembre del a?o 2011 y se analizaron 39 muestras de agua lluvia (28 muestras compuestas recolectadas bajo copa y 11 muestras control); encontr?ndose que existen diferencias significativas entre las especies para el porcentaje de lluvia transferida a trav?s de la copa arb?rea, siendo el ?rea foliar (AF) el rasgo funcional que mayor correlaci?n present? con dicha variable y la especie Enterolobium cyclocarpum la de mayor porcentaje de lluvia transferida (84%) al igual que una relaci?n positiva con los rasgos funcionales fuerza tensil de la hoja (FTH), longitud del peciolo (LP) y ?rea foliar (AF) para el caso de la diferencia media en el contenido de nutrientes (bajo copa menos fuera de copa), siendo la especie Coccoloba floribunda la especie que report? los mayores valores de nutrientes en mg/L

Modulation of Neuro-Inflammatory Signals in Microglia by Plasma Prekallikrein and Neuronal Cell Debris

Microglia, the resident phagocytes of the central nervous system and one of the key modulators of the innate immune system, have been shown to play a major role in brain insults. Upon activation in response to neuroinflammation, microglia promote the release of inflammatory mediators as well as promote phagocytosis. Plasma prekallikrein (PKall) has been recently implicated as a mediator of neuroinflammation; nevertheless, its role in mediating microglial activation has not been investigated yet. In the current study, we evaluate the mechanisms through which PKall contributes to microglial activation and release of inflammatory cytokines assessing PKall-related receptors and their dynamics. Murine N9-microglial cells were exposed to PKall (2.5 ng/ml), lipopolysaccharide (100 ng/ml), bradykinin (BK, 0.1 μM), and neuronal cell debris (16.5 μg protein/ml). Gene expression of bradykinin 2 receptor (B2KR), protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), along with cytokines and fibrotic mediators were studied. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted to correlate altered protein changes with microglial activation. To assess receptor dynamics, HOE-140 (1 μM) and GB-83 (2 μM) were used to antagonize the B2KR and PAR-2 receptors, respectively. Also, the role of autophagy in modulating microglial response was evaluated. Data from our work indicate that PKall, LPS, BK, and neuronal cell debris resulted in the activation of microglia and enhanced expression/secretion of inflammatory mediators. Elevated increase in inflammatory mediators was attenuated in the presence of HOE-140 and GB-83, implicating the engagement of these receptors in the activation process coupled with an increase in the expression of B2KR and PAR-2. Finally, the inhibition of autophagy significantly enhanced the release of the cytokine IL-6 which were validated via bioinformatics analysis demonstrating the role of PKall in systematic and brain inflammatory processes. Taken together, we demonstrated that PKall can modulate microglial activation via the engagement of PAR-2 and B2KR where PKall acts as a neuromodulator of inflammatory processes.This work was funded by grants from the Medical Practice Plan (MPP), Faculty of Medicine, AUBMC (FK, AH, AYJ) and from Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qatar University (AE)