Evolving technologies for growing, imaging and analyzing 3D root system architecture of crop plants.

A plant's ability to maintain or improve its yield under limiting conditions, such as nutrient deficiency or drought, can be strongly influenced by root system architecture (RSA), the three-dimensional distribution of the different root types in the soil. The ability to image, track and quantify these root system attributes in a dynamic fashion is a useful tool in assessing desirable genetic and physiological root traits. Recent advances in imaging technology and phenotyping software have resulted in substantive progress in describing and quantifying RSA.

GLO-Roots: an imaging platform enabling multidimensional characterization of soil-grown root systems.

Root systems develop different root types that individually sense cues from their local environment and integrate this information with systemic signals. This complex multi-dimensional amalgam of inputs enables continuous adjustment of root growth rates, direction, and metabolic activity that define a dynamic physical network. Current methods for analyzing root biology balance physiological relevance with imaging capability.

Prevalence of renal artery stenosis in type 2 diabetes.

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) was searched for in a Type 2 diabetes population (n =208) with severe hypertension (SHT) and/or renal deficiency (RD) and/or severe macroangiopathy (MA), using arteriography and/or duplex colour scan (with confirmation by arteriography or magnetic resonance angiography). Thirty-four (16.3 %) cases had significant RAS >=70% (83% unilateral, 17% bilateral; 11.

Effects of corticotrophin-releasing factor and vasopressin on plasma adrenocorticotrophin molecular forms, aldosterone and corticosterone in young and adult rats and rabbits.

Synthetic ovine corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) were injected alone or in combination (for each peptide 1 microgram/kg body weight) in 7-day-old and adult rats and rabbits. Fifteen minutes after the interscapulary injection, blood was collected for plasma adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), corticosterone and aldosterone evaluation by RIA. The different circulating forms of ACTH were isolated by Sephadex G50 column chromatography with 1% formic acid and measured by RIA using 1-24 ACTH as standard.

Distribution and metabolism patterns of plasma 7S- and beta-NGF in the adult male rat.

There is a great deal of controversy on the existence of NGF in body fluids and tissues. To date it remains unknown whether this peptide accumulates preferentially at significant levels in different organs. Thus we undertook the evaluation of kinetic parameters of the disappearance of blood of 125I-7S-NGF and 125I-beta-NGF after intravenous injection in male adult rats.

Pituitary and adrenal responses to ovine corticotropin releasing factor and vasopressin injected into young and adult guinea-pigs.

Comparison of effects of synthetic ovine corticotropin releasing factor (oCRF), Arginine-Vasopressin (AVP) and the combination of both peptides have been tried in adult and 7-days-old guinea-pigs. On plasmas collected 15 min after interscapulary injection, cortisol, aldosterone and ACTH were measured. The different circulating forms of ACTH were isolated by Sephadex G50 column chromatography, with 1% formic acid and measured by radioimmunoassay.

Plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropin-related peptides in lambs injected with ovine corticotropin releasing factor or vasopressin.

Synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (oCRF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) were intravenously injected each alone or in combination (each peptide: 1 microgram/kg body weight) in lambs on days 1, 3, 7 and 20 after birth. Plasma samples were collected just before and 10 and 30 min after injection. Plasma concentrations of cortisol and aldosterone were measured.

Plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropin-related peptides after corticotropin-releasing hormone and vasopressin injections in sheep.

Ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (1 micrograms/kg body weight) and arginine vasopressin (1 micrograms/kg) were injected iv in sheep, both separately and in combination. Plasma were sampled just before and 5, 15 and 30 min after the injection. Adrenocorticotropin-related peptides were isolated by Sephadex G-50 column chromatography and measured by RIA.

Effects of prenatal maternal stress on the pituitary adrenocortical reactivity in guinea-pig pups.

Seven days before term, pregnant guinea-pigs were subjected to a psychosomatic stress. Adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), cortisol and aldosterone concentrations increased in maternal and fetal plasma immediately after stress. In the offspring born from prenatally-stressed mothers that were resubjected to stress, the increases in plasma ACTH and cortisol level were lower than in the control offspring.

Plasma adrenocorticotrophin, cortisol and aldosterone responses to ovine corticotrophin-releasing factor and vasopressin in sheep.

Ovine corticotrophin-releasing factor (oCRF) (1 microgram/kg) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) (1 microgram/kg) were injected iv in sheep, both separately and in combination. Plasma levels of immunoreactive ACTH (IR-ACTH), cortisol, and aldosterone were measured for 3 h after the injections. Mean levels before injections were 8 +/- 4 pmol/l for ACTH, 7 +/- 3 nmol/l for cortisol, and 28 +/- 9 pmol/l for aldosterone.

Plasma ACTH, cortisol and aldosterone concentrations in chronically cannulated ovine fetuses and in lambs injected with ovine corticotropin releasing factor.

Synthetic oCRF was intravenously injected into 3 groups of 5 chronically cannulated ovine fetuses in utero on days 120, 130 and 137 of gestation (10 micrograms/fetus). The respective twin fetuses were used as controls. Ovine CRF was also intravenously injected into 4 groups of 6 lambs on days 1, 3, 7 and 20 after birth (5 micrograms/kg bw).

The regulation of glucocorticosteroid secretion during the perinatal period.

The regulation of adrenal activity during the perinatal period raises different experimental problems; studies are often limited and their conclusions vary with the species studied. During the perinatal period, the profile of the ratio of adrenal weight to body weight reaches a minimum earlier the more mature is the species; this minimum occurs before birth in sheep, at birth in guinea-pigs and 10 days after birth in mice. In mature species, fetal plasma cortisol is higher than that of the mother; it rises sharply near term.

The development of cortisol metabolism in the perinatal period in the guinea-pig.

Cortisol metabolism appears to be active soon after birth in guinea-pigs. Indeed, plasma cortisol half-life measured in three day-old animals resembles that of adult guinea-pigs (48 min). The metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of plasma cortisol as measured by continuous infusions of 3H-cortisol in fetal and newborn guinea-pigs remained very low, increasing slowly and regularly during the perinatal period without abrupt change at birth.

The conversion of cortisol into its principal metabolites, their tissular concentrations and transplacental transfer during 3H-cortisol infusion of mother and fetal guinea-pigs.

During continuous infusion of 3H-cortisol in the circulation of the guinea-pig mother or fetus, radioactive metabolites appear in both maternal and fetal blood. These cortisol-derived compounds were identified principally as cortisone, tetrahydrocortisol (THF) and tetrahydrocortisone (THE). There were unidentified others in low quantities.