Afrotizea gen. nov. from tropical Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae).

Im Rahmen einer umfangreichen Revision afrotropischer Galerucinae, die im letzten Katalog als 'Monoleptites' (Wilcox 1973) zusammengefasst wurden, fanden sich viele Arten, die phylogenetisch nicht eng mit den bisher beschriebenen Gattungen Candezea Chapuis, 1879, Monolepta Chevrolat, 1837 oder Afrocrania Hincks, 1949 verwandt sind. Eine dieser Arten ist Candezea mashuana Jacoby, 1895 (= Candezea annulicornis Jacoby, 1906; syn. nov.), für die hier Afrotizea gen. nov. aufgestellt und beschrieben wird. Typusart ist Afrotizea mashuana (Jacoby, 1895), verfügbares Museumsmaterial wurde ausgewertet, die Art wird neu beschrieben und die bekannte Verbreitung in einer Karte dargestellt.StichwörterAfrica, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, taxonomy, new name, new genus.Nomenklatorische Handlungenmashuana (Jacoby, 1895) (Afrotizea), comb. n. hitherto Candezea mashuanaannulicornis Jacoby, 1906 (Candezea), syn. n. of Afrotizea mashuana (Jacoby, 1895)Afrotizea Stapel & Wagner, 2001 (Chrysomelidae), gen. n.Candezea mashuana Jacoby, 1895 (= Candezea annulicornis Jacoby, 1906; syn. nov.) is phylogenetically not closely related to Candezea Chapuis, 1879, Monolepta Chevrolat, 1837, or Afrocrania Hincks, 1949, and herein transferred to Afrotizea gen. nov. with is subsequently described and figured. Afrotizea mashuana (Jacoby, 1895) is type species by monotypy.KeywordsAfrica, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, taxonomy, new name, new genus.Nomenclatural Actsmashuana (Jacoby, 1895) (Afrotizea), comb. n. hitherto Candezea mashuanaannulicornis Jacoby, 1906 (Candezea), syn. n. of Afrotizea mashuana (Jacoby, 1895)Afrotizea Stapel & Wagner, 2001 (Chrysomelidae), gen. n

Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency: Smaller infarcts, but nogain in function

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgound</p> <p>It has been reported that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) deficiency reduces infarct size after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R). However, measurement of MI/R injury was limited and did not include cardiac <b>function</b>. In a chronic closed-chest model we assessed whether cardiac <b>function </b>is preserved in TLR4-deficient mice (C3H/HeJ) following MI/R, and whether myocardial and systemic cytokine expression differed compared to wild type (WT).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Infarct size (IS) in C3H/HeJ assessed by TTC staining after 60 min ischemia and 24h reperfusion was significantly smaller than in WT. Despite a smaller infarct size, echocardiography showed no functional difference between C3H/HeJ and WT. Left-ventricular developed pressure measured with a left-ventricular catheter was lower in C3H/HeJ (63.0 ± 4.2 mmHg vs. 77.9 ± 1.7 mmHg in WT, p < 0.05). Serum cytokine levels and myocardial IL-6 were higher in WT than in C3H/HeJ (p < 0.05). C3H/HeJ MI/R showed increased myocardial IL-1β and IL-6 expression compared to their respective shams (p < 0.05), indicating TLR4-independent cytokine activation due to MI/R.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results demonstrate that, although a mutant TLR4 signaling cascade reduces myocardial IS and serum cytokine levels, it <b>does not preserve myocardial function</b>. The change in inflammatory response, secondary to a non-functional TLR-4 receptor, may contribute to the observed dichotomy between infarct size and function in the TLR-4 mutant mouse.</p

A Molecular and Morphological Phylogenetic Analysis of Afrotropical Monolepta Species and Related Galerucinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The phylogenetic status of Afrotropical galerucines was investigated with molecular and morphological analyses. The taxon sample analysed comprised 15 species within Monolepta, three within Afrocandezea, two each within Afrocrania and Barombiella and one Pseudocrania species; all were originally placed in “Monoleptites”. Further galerucines outside the “Monoleptites” are Diacantha sp., Exosoma polita, Exosoma sp., Galerudolphia tenuicornis, and Parasbecesta ruwensorica. The chrysomeline Linaeidea nubila was included as outgroup. 35 morphological characters including 16 characters on genital morphology were analysed. A 540 bp mitochondrial DNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) fragment and the entire second internal transcribed spacer region ITS2 (519–709 bp) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA were sequenced from 22 and 24 taxa, respectively. Both molecular data sets were characterized by a high average A-T content of 86.4% (ND1) and 62.7% (ITS2). Trees of separate and combined data sets were reconstructed with Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) approaches. The congruent tree topologies of both morphological and molecular data sets strongly support the monophyly of Monolepta, Afrocrania and Afrocandezea with regard to recently revised Afrotropical representatives. Barombiella emerged as polyphyletic, on species showing close relationship to Galerudolphia tenuicornis, which is traditionally placed in the “Scelidites”. “Monoleptites” is most likely polyphyletic since its decisive character, the elongated metatarsus, obviously evolved more than once in the Galerucinae. Understanding of the phylogenetic position and delimitation of the taxa primarily based on morphological characters could be significantly improved by molecular data

Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency: smaller infarcts, but no gain in function.

BackgroundIt has been reported that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) deficiency reduces infarct size after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R). However, measurement of MI/R injury was limited and did not include cardiac function. In a chronic closed-chest model we assessed whether cardiac function is preserved in TLR4-deficient mice (C3H/HeJ) following MI/R, and whether myocardial and systemic cytokine expression differed compared to wild type (WT).ResultsInfarct size (IS) in C3H/HeJ assessed by TTC staining after 60 min ischemia and 24h reperfusion was significantly smaller than in WT. Despite a smaller infarct size, echocardiography showed no functional difference between C3H/HeJ and WT. Left-ventricular developed pressure measured with a left-ventricular catheter was lower in C3H/HeJ (63.0 +/- 4.2 mmHg vs. 77.9 +/- 1.7 mmHg in WT, p &lt; 0.05). Serum cytokine levels and myocardial IL-6 were higher in WT than in C3H/HeJ (p &lt; 0.05). C3H/HeJ MI/R showed increased myocardial IL-1beta and IL-6 expression compared to their respective shams (p &lt; 0.05), indicating TLR4-independent cytokine activation due to MI/R.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that, although a mutant TLR4 signaling cascade reduces myocardial IS and serum cytokine levels, it does not preserve myocardial function. The change in inflammatory response, secondary to a non-functional TLR-4 receptor, may contribute to the observed dichotomy between infarct size and function in the TLR-4 mutant mouse

Myocardial protein expression of TNF, IL-1β and IL-6 in WT and C3H/HeJ mice following MI/R and 2 hours of reperfusion or sham operation determined with ELISA

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency: Smaller infarcts, but nogain in function"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6793/7/5</p><p>BMC Physiology 2007;7():5-5.</p><p>Published online 25 Jun 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1933437.</p><p></p> TNF and IL-1β levels were increased, but not signficantly in WT mice compared with C3H/HeJ. IL-6 was significantly higher in WT mice (16.0 ± 3.2 pg/mg protein vs. 8.0 ± 1.1 pg/mg protein). *p < 0.05 vs C3H/HeJ MI/R, § p < 0.05 vs WT MI/R, # p < 0.05 vs C3H/HeJ MI/R

Representative example of a heart slice from a WT mouse (C3H/HeN) stained with TTC

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency: Smaller infarcts, but nogain in function"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6793/7/5</p><p>BMC Physiology 2007;7():5-5.</p><p>Published online 25 Jun 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1933437.</p><p></p> Infarct areas are not stained by TTC (white), AAR is stained red (TTC positive). Myocardium which is not perfused by LAD is stained blue by phthalo blue 10 % (pblue). Infarct involves almost all the AAR. Representative example of a TTC stained myocardial slice of a TLR4-deficient mice (C3H/HeJ). IS is clearly smaller in comparison to a matchable slice of a wild type mice, pblue = phthaloblue, AAR = area at risk, PM = papillary muscle

Area at risk as a percentage of left ventricle (AAR/LV) and myocardial infarct size as a percentage of area at risk (IS/AAR) in both experimental groups assessed by TTC staining

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency: Smaller infarcts, but nogain in function"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6793/7/5</p><p>BMC Physiology 2007;7():5-5.</p><p>Published online 25 Jun 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1933437.</p><p></p> There was no significant difference in area at risk of left ventricle indicating equal position of LAD occlusion. Infarct size is significantly smaller in C3H/HeJ mice (WT: n = 10, C3H/HeJ: n = 15; *p < 0.05)