Management of Natural History collections: criteria and parameters of evaluation

[ES] Las colecciones de historia natural son una herramienta básica para la investigación científica y el estudio de la distribución en el pasado de muchas especies, así como de la propia historia de la ciencia. Además del uso científico de estas colecciones, destacan otros como el histórico, el divulgativo-pedagógico y el estético. De ahí la importancia que tiene una gestión eficaz de las mismas, la cual implica diversos aspectos, que van desde la conservación y su mantenimiento, su inventario, ordenación y procesamiento informático hasta las múltiples tareas relacionadas con su uso en consultas, visitas, préstamos científicos y participación en actividades de carácter divulgativo. En este artículo se examinan los criterios para evaluar la gestión de las colecciones de historia natural y se definen una serie de parámetros, útiles para medir el estado de una colección y su evolución en el tiempo, tanto en su crecimiento como en su uso, principalmente. Se ejemplifica todo ello en el grupo de los poliquetos, del que el Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid (MNCN) cuenta con una estimable colección, y se comparan los resultados, según varios parámetros seleccionados, con los de otras colecciones de poliquetos de diversas instituciones de todo el mundo.[EN] Natural History collections are a basic and essential tool for scientific research, the study of the distribution in the past of many species of animals and plants and the History of Science. As well as the scientific aspect of these collections, stand outs other uses as the historic one, the educational and the aesthetic. All these are reasons that show the importance of an effective management of the Natural History collections as well as the several tasks related to it, as consults, visits, scientific loans and educational activities. In this article various criteria and useful parameters are provided for evaluating the curatorial state of a Natural History collection and its evolution, both in growth and use mainly. Finally, an example based on the Polychaeta, an estimable group in the Invertebrates Collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales of Madrid (MNCN), is provided. The results of several selected parameters are compared with other Polychaeta collections from several institutions around the world.Peer reviewe

Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) Model of Preeclampsia in Mice

<div><p>Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-induced hypertension with proteinuria that typically develops after 20 weeks of gestation. A reduction in uterine blood flow causes placental ischemia and placental release of anti-angiogenic factors such as sFlt-1 followed by PE. Although the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model is widely used in rats, investigating the role of genes on PE using genetically engineered animals has been problematic because it has been difficult to make a useful RUPP model in mice. To establish a RUPP model of PE in mice, we bilaterally ligated ovarian vessels distal to ovarian branches, uterine vessels, or both in ICR-strain mice at 14.5 days post coitum (dpc). Consequently, these mice had elevated BP, increased urinary albumin excretion, severe endotheliosis, and mesangial expansion. They also had an increased incidence of miscarriage and premature delivery. Embryonic weight at 18.5 dpc was significantly lower than that in sham mice. The closer to the ligation site the embryos were, the higher the resorption rate and the lower the embryonic weight. The phenotype was more severe in the order of ligation at the ovarian vessels < uterine vessels < both. Unlike the RUPP models described in the literature, this model did not constrict the abdominal aorta, which allowed BP to be measured with a tail cuff. This novel RUPP model in mice should be useful for investigating the pathogenesis of PE in genetically engineered mice and for evaluating new therapies for PE.</p></div

Hypoxia by RUPP increases placental sFlt-1 expression.

<p>mRNA expression of HIF-1α (<b>A</b>), sFlt-1 (<b>B</b>), VEGF (<b>D</b>), and PlGF (<b>F</b>) in placentae at 18.5 dpc. Plasma concentrations of sFlt-1 (<b>C</b>) and VEGF (<b>E</b>) at 18.5 dpc dams.</p

RUPP surgery causes miscarriages and embryonic growth restriction.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Continuing pregnancies with or without the ligation at 14.5 dpc; parentheses show number of pregnancies at 14.5 dpc. (<b>B</b>) Embryo survival from 14.5 dpc to 18.5 dpc. (<b>C</b>) Representative images of embryos. Bars, 1 cm. (<b>D</b>) Embryonic weight at 18.5 dpc; parentheses show number of embryos/number of dams. (<b>E</b>) Placental weight at 18.5 dpc. (<b>F</b>) Embryonic weight/placental weight ratios. (<b>G</b>) Relationship between resorption rate and embryonic position in the uterus. (<b>H</b>) Relationship between embryonic weight and position in the uterus. Embryonic position was numbered from the position of ligation.</p

Ligation of uterine vessels reduces arterial blood flow of uterine arcades.

<p>Doppler blood velocity waveforms were obtained from an artery of the uterine arcade before (<b>A</b>) or after (<b>B</b>) ligation of ovarian vessels. (<b>C</b>) Summary of arterial blood flow velocity of 4 uterine arcades (4 peaks each) before and after ligation of ovarian vessels. Doppler blood velocity waveforms were obtained from an artery of the uterine arcade before (<b>D</b>) or after (<b>E</b>) ligation of uterine vessels. (<b>F</b>) Summary of arterial blood flow velocity of 5 uterine arcades (4 peaks each) before and after ligation of uterine vessels. (<b>G</b>) Percentage of velocity change relative to velocity before ligation. n = 4 (ovarian vessels) and n = 5 (uterine vessels).</p

Involvement of RXRα in the suppressive effect of PA024 on <i>CYP11B2</i> mRNA expression and promoter activity.

<p>(A) and (B), effect of RXRα knockdown by its siRNA on the mRNA expression of <i>CYP11B2</i> and NURR1. H295R cells transiently transfected with siRNA (negative control or RXRα) for 48 h were incubated either in the presence (10 μmol/L) or absence (control) of PA024 for 24 h and co-treated with 100 nmol/L Ang II for the last 6 h. Results are expressed as percentages of each Ang II. Data represent mean ± S.E.M. (n = 4). **<i>P</i><0.01, *<i>P</i><0.05 vs. negative control siRNA at 10 μmol/L PA024. (C), effect of RXRα overexpression on the <i>CYP11B2</i> mRNA expression. H295R cell transiently transfected with RXRα-pcDNA1/Amp (mRXRα) or pcDNA3 (Mock) for 48 h were incubated either in the presence (10 μmol/L) or absence (control) of PA024 for 24 h and co-treated with 100 nmol/L Ang II for the last 6 h. Results are expressed as percentages of each Ang II. Data represent mean ± S.E.M. (n = 4). *<i>P</i><0.05 vs. pcDNA3 at 10 μmol/L PA024. (D), effect of RXRα overexpression on the <i>CYP11B2</i> promoter activity. H295R cell transiently transfected with -1521/+2-luc, pCMV-β-gal, and RXRα-pcDNA1/Amp (mRXRα) or pcDNA3 (Mock) for 48 h were incubated either in the presence (10 μmol/L) or absence (control) of PA024 for 24 h and co-treated with 100 nmol/L Ang II for the last 6 h. Results are expressed as percentages of each Ang II. Data represent mean ± S.E.M. (n = 4). ***<i>P</i><0.001 vs. pcDNA3 at 10 μmol/L PA024.</p

Effects of the combination of pioglitazone and PA024 on <i>CYP11B2</i> mRNA expression in H295R cells.

<p>Total RNAs extracted from the cells treated with combinations of pioglitazone (10 μmol/L, 24 h), PA024 (10 μmol/L, 24 h), and Ang II (100 nmol/L, 6 h) were examined for <i>CYP11B2</i> mRNA expression by quantitative real-time PCR. Data represent mean ± S.E.M. (n = 4), percent of control, normalized by β-actin mRNA levels. ***<i>P</i><0.001 vs. Ang II, ^†††<i>P</i><0.001, ^††<i>P</i><0.01 vs. 10 μmol/L pioglitazone + 10 μmol/L PA024</p

Logistic regression analysis of independent variables affecting the presence of silent brain infarction in primary aldosteronism patients.

<p>SBP = systolic blood pressure, U = urinary</p><p>PRA = plasma renin activity, SBI = silent brain infarction,</p><p>HDL-C = high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, PAC = plasma aldosterone concentration,</p><p>eGFR = estimated glomerular filtration rate,</p><p>OR: odds ratio, CI: confidence interval.</p><p>Logistic regression analysis of independent variables affecting the presence of silent brain infarction in primary aldosteronism patients.</p

Effects of PA024 on intracellular calcium ion concentration in H295R cells determined by Fluo4-AM.

<p>H295R cells were treated with or without PA024 (10 μmol/L, 24 h). After loading with Fluo4-AM, cells were treated with 100 nmol/L Ang II, and the fluorescence change was monitored. Data represent mean (the left panel, n = 6) or mean ± S.E.M. (the right panel, n = 6), fluorescence change from time 0, arbitrary units. *<i>P</i><0.05 versus Ang II.</p

Effects of PA024 on mRNA expression of other enzymes involved in steroid synthesis.

<p>(A)-(G), total RNAs extracted from the cells treated with PA024 (10 μmol/L, 24 h) and Ang II (100 nmol/L, 6 h) were examined for mRNA expression of <i>StAR</i>, <i>CYP11A1</i>, <i>HSD3β1</i>, <i>HSD3β2</i>, <i>CYP21A2</i>, <i>CYP17A1</i> and <i>CYP11B1</i> by quantitative real-time PCR. Data represent mean ± S.E.M. (n = 4), percent of control, normalized by β-actin mRNA levels. ***<i>P</i><0.001 vs. control, ^†<i>P</i><0.05 vs. Ang II.</p