Functional expression and intracellular signaling of UTP-sensitive P2Y receptors in theca-interstitial cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Purinergic receptors are expressed in the ovary of different species; their physiological roles remain to be elucidated. UTP-sensitive P2Y receptor activity may regulate cell proliferation. The aim of the present work was to study the functional expression of these receptors in theca/interstitial cells (TIC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>TIC were isolated by centrifugation in a Percoll gradient. P2Y receptors and cellular markers in TIC were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Intracellular calcium mobilization induced by purinergic drugs was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy, phosphorylation of MAPK p44/p42 and of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) was determined by Western blot and proliferation was quantified by [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>RT-PCR showed expression of p2y2r and p2y6r transcripts, expression of the corresponding proteins was confirmed. UTP and UDP, agonists for P2Y2 and P2Y6 receptors, induced an intracellular calcium increase with a maximum of more than 400% and 200% of basal level, respectively. The response elicited by UTP had an EC50 of 3.5 +/- 1.01 μM, while that for UDP was 3.24 +/- 0.82 μM. To explore components of the pathway activated by these receptors, we evaluated the phosphorylation induced by UTP or UDP of MAPK p44 and p42. It was found that UTP increased MAPK phosphorylation by up to 550% with an EC50 of 3.34 +/- 0.92 and 1.41 +/- 0.67 μM, for p44 and p42, respectively; these increases were blocked by suramin. UDP also induced p44/p42 phosphorylation, but at high concentrations. Phosphorylation of p44/p42 was dependent on PKC and intracellular calcium. To explore possible roles of this pathway in cell physiology, cell proliferation and hCG-induced CREB-phosphorylation assays were performed; results showed that agonists increased cell proliferation and prevented CREB-phosphorylation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Here, it is shown that UTP-sensitive P2Y receptors are expressed in cultured TIC and that these receptors had the ability to activate mitogenic signaling pathways and to promote cell proliferation, as well as to prevent CREB-phosphorylation by hCG. Regulation of TIC proliferation and steroidogenesis is relevant in ovarian pathophysiology since theca hyperplasia is involved in polycystic ovarian syndrome. Purinergic receptors described might represent an important new set of molecular therapeutic targets.</p

Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments

Perceived discrimination (PD) is reliably and strongly associated with partisan identity (PID) among US immigrant minorities such as Latinos and Asian Americans. Yet whether PD causes PID remains unclear, since it is possible that partisanship influences perceptions of discrimination or that other factors drive the observed association. Here, we assess the causal influence of group-level PD on PID using five experiments with Latino and Asian American adults. These experiments varied in important ways: they took place inside and outside the lab, occurred prior to and during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, and tested different manifestations of PD and partisan attitudes (total n = 2,528). These efforts point to a simple but unexpected conclusion: our experiments and operationalizations do not support the claim that group-targeted PD directly causes PID. These results have important implications for understanding partisanship among immigrants and their co-ethnics and the political incorporation of Latinos and Asian Americans.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Programa de autocuidados dirigido a mujeres que se encuentran en la etapa del climaterio y postmenopausia

Introducción: el climaterio es la etapa de la vida de la mujer que delimita el paso de la vida reproductiva a la senectud y el cese de la fertilidad. Durante esta fase se van a producir gran cantidad de cambios tanto físicos y psicológicos como sociales, debidos a alteraciones en la producción hormonal. Objetivo principal: realizar una revisión bibliográfica que muestre los aspectos más relevantes acerca del climaterio y diseñar un programa de autocuidados dirigido a mujeres en esta etapa, con el fin de promover la prevención y educación sanitaria. Metodología: se ha realizado una revisión bibliográfica de las publicaciones acerca del climaterio incluidas en diferentes bases de datos durante los años 2008 y 2014. También se ha utilizado el libro de diagnósticos de enfermería NANDA para realizar una valoración integral para el programa de autocuidados. Conclusiones: el climaterio es una etapa con gran impacto en la vida de la mujer, debido a los grandes cambios que en esta se producen o inician. Este impacto hace necesaria la intervención por parte de enfermería con el fin de conseguir que la mujer adquiera conocimientos y estrategias que le permitan afrontar esta etapa con el mayor bienestar posible. El programa educativo ha sido diseñado con estos fines, incidiendo en la prevención y en la promoción sanitaria en el ámbito comunitario

Administration of Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) to goats and its potential to control gastro-intestinal parasites

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) substantially impact on goat health. Because of the widespread development of GIN, resistant to allopathic drugs, further research into alternative parasite control methods is required [1]. Silver fir, Abies alba MILL (SF), is traditionally used by Swiss farmers in order to control GIN infections of goats but also to improve animal welfare. A survey among goat farmers revealed that goat farmers use SF in winter during a period of approximately five months. The SF-ration per animal and day differ between approximately 8.2 g dry matter (DM) to 600 g DM [2]. As there is scientific evidence neither for an anthelmintic potential nor for the feed intake and milk performance of SF, we conducted a study with 30 goats. For a 20 days feeding experiment one group of 15 goats (A) was, additionally to their basic ration, daily fed with SF. The remaining 15 goats (group B) were fed with the basic ration only. Individual faecal egg counts (FEC) were conducted of all goats. Furthermore the effects of SF on the intake of the basic ration, milk yield and ingredients were tested. Total phenols (TP) and essential oils (EO) of 12 representative samples of the administered SF were determined by steam distillation and GS-MS-Analytic, respectively. SF contained 1,8 % TP. Limonene, bornyl acetate and beta caryophyllene were identified as the main EO. SF-feeding did not result in a reduction of GIN FEC (Fig 1). The intake of SF per animal and day was 261 +/- 0.22 g DM. Although SF reduced the basic forage intake significantly, SF increased the total DM intake significantly (A: 1948 +/- 93 g DM; B: 1797 +/- 93 g DM). SF feeding showed no effect on milk yield and milk components (Tab 1) [2]. Although farmers are convinced of the anthelmintic potential of SF, our short term study could not point to such an effect. It is possible that a prolonged period of SF administration is necessary in order for such effects to become apparent. [1] Jackson, N. F. und Coop, R. L. (2000). The development of anthelmintic resistance in sheep nematodes. Parasitology, 120(07):95 [2] Giebler-Schubert, Frauke (2013). Einsatz von Weißtanne zur Reduktion des Magen-Darm-Strongyliden-Befalls bei Ziegen: In-vivo-Versuche und Erfahrungswissen, Universität Hohenhei

Niveles de hemoglobina en varones fumadores

Debido a la importancia de la hemoglobina como indicador nutricional, así como su papel en la oxigenación de los tejidos, fue realizado este estudio con el objetivo de observar la existencia o no de alteraciones en los niveles de hemoglobina de individuos fumadores donantes de sangre, de tal manera que dichas alteraciones causadas por el cigarrillo sean consideradas, al evaluar el estado de salud de un individuo fumador, así como en el diagnóstico de las patologías asociadas. Fueron seleccionados 121 varones, aparentemente sanos, fumadores y no fumadores,entre 20 y 60 años de edad, donantes de cinco bancos de sangre de Asunción, Paraguay. Los niveles promedios de hemoglobina en fumadores fueron 150 ± 8 g/L y en los no fumadores 148 ± 9 g/L, no siendo la diferencia significativa (p&gt;0.05); sin embargo dentro del grupo de fumadores, la diferencia fue significativamente mayor en aquellos que fumaban de 11 a 20 cigarrillos /día (152 ± 9 g/L) que en aquellos que fumaban de 1 a 10 cigarrillos /día (148 ± 7 g/L) (p&lt;0.05). Por lo tanto,el nivel medio de hemoglobina se incrementa con el número de cigarrillos consumidos por día. El coeficiente de correlación hallado fue de 0,38 con un nivel de confianza del 95%. Debemos seguir investigando, en nuestra población, la influencia del cigarrillo sobre los parámetros hematológicos,y el efecto que producen dichas alteraciones en el estado de salud de los fumadores

Quantum dynamics in ultra-cold atomic physics

We review recent developments in the theory of quantum dynamics in ultra-cold atomic physics, including exact techniques, but focusing on methods based on phase-space mappings that are appli- cable when the complexity becomes exponentially large. These phase-space representations include the truncated Wigner, positive-P and general Gaussian operator representations which can treat both bosons and fermions. These phase-space methods include both traditional approaches using a phase-space of classical dimension, and more recent methods that use a non-classical phase-space of increased dimensionality. Examples used include quantum EPR entanglement of a four-mode BEC, time-reversal tests of dephasing in single-mode traps, BEC quantum collisions with up to 106 modes and 105 interacting particles, quantum interferometry in a multi-mode trap with nonlinear absorp- tion, and the theory of quantum entropy in phase-space. We also treat the approach of variational optimization of the sampling error, giving an elementary example of a nonlinear oscillator

Multiple Distant Origins for Green Sea Turtles Aggregating off Gorgona Island in the Colombian Eastern Pacific

Mitochondrial DNA analyses have been useful for resolving maternal lineages and migratory behavior to foraging grounds (FG) in sea turtles. However, little is known about source rookeries and haplotype composition of foraging green turtle aggregations in the southeastern Pacific. We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to identify the haplotype composition of 55 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, captured in foraging grounds of Gorgona National Park in the Colombian Pacific. Amplified fragments of the control region (457 bp) revealed the presence of seven haplotypes, with haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities of h = 0.300±0.080 and π = 0.009±0.005 respectively. The most common haplotype was CMP4 observed in 83% of individuals, followed by CMP22 (5%). The genetic composition of the Gorgona foraging population primarily comprised haplotypes that have been found at eastern Pacific rookeries including Mexico and the Galapagos, as well as haplotypes of unknown stock origin that likely originated from more distant western Pacific rookeries. Mixed stock analysis suggests that the Gorgona FG population is comprised mostly of animals from the Galapagos rookery (80%). Lagrangian drifter data showed that movement of turtles along the eastern Pacific coast and eastward from distant western and central Pacific sites was possible through passive drift. Our results highlight the importance of this protected area for conservation management of green turtles recruited from distant sites along the eastern Pacific Ocean