Dialogue between Staphylococcus aureus SA15 and Lactococcus garvieae strains experiencing oxidative stress.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is an important foodborne pathogen. Lactococcus garvieae is a lactic acid bacterium found in dairy products; some of its strains are able to inhibit S. aureus growth by producing HO.

Physiological impacts of soil pollution and arsenic uptake in three plant species: Agrostis capillaris, Solanum nigrum and Vicia faba.

In order to revegetate an industrial soil polluted by trace metals and metalloids (As, Pb, Cu, Cd, Sb), the impact of pollution on three plant species, Solanum nigrum and Agrostis capillaris, both native species in an industrial site, and Vicia faba, a plant model species, is studied. Following the study of soil pollution from the industrial wasteland of Auzon, it appears that the As is the principal pollutant. Particular attention is given to this metalloid, both in its content and its speciation in the soil that the level of its accumulation in plants.

Effect of chronic REM sleep deprivation on pituitary, hypothalamus and hippocampus PGE2 and PGD2 biosynthesis in the mouse.

Given the often reported relationships between sleep-wake regulation and the cerebral prostaglandins (PGs), the effect of chronic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation on brain PGE2 and PGD2 biosynthesis in mouse was evaluated, since they are known to have opposite actions as respectively wake- and sleep-inducing substances. Mice were subjected to 5 and 10 days of REM sleep deprivation by the flower pot technique. After sacrifice, PGE2 and PGD2 were determined in the pituitary, hypothalamus and hippocampus.

In vivo and in vitro magnesium effects on aortic prostacyclin generation in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.

To investigate the blood pressure lowering effect of magnesium (Mg2+) in the hypertensive rat, we measured the prostacyclin release (PGI2, as immunoreactive 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) by isolated aortae from normotensive and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats fed a control or Mg(2+)-enriched diet. We also studied the in vitro effect of Mg2+ on aortic PGI2 release. The Mg(2+)-enriched diet significantly decreased by 10% blood pressure in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats but not in normotensive rats.