Relationship between animal-based on-farm indicators and meat inspection data in pigs.

Background: This study aimed to validate slaughterhouse indicators collected during meat inspection as an alternative to on-farm animal welfare indicators. For this purpose, the assessments of twelve on-farm and seven slaughterhouse indicators of 628 pigs from three different farms were combined into three indices, differentiated between on-farm and slaughterhouse: (1) limb health, (2) other organ health, and (3) respiratory health. At first, an assessment at animal-level using agreement parameters was carried out to ascertain whether the same welfare or health issues were identified on-farm and at slaughterhouse, taking the production period (farrowing, rearing and fattening period) and the last weeks before slaughtering into account.

Fast and slow interactions of n-alkanols with human 5-HT3A receptors: Implications for anesthetic mechanisms.

This is part of a continuing patch-clamp study exploring molecular actions of anesthetics and systematically varied related substances on 5-HT3A receptors as prototypes of ligand-gated ion channels. Specifically, n-alkanols, related to but simpler in structure than propofol, were studied to explore the complex actions of this leading intravenous anesthetic. Outside-out patches excised from HEK 293 cells heterologously expressing human 5-HT3A receptors were superfused with even-numbered n-alkanols (ethanol through n-tetradecanol) of different concentrations.

Which agonist properties are important for the activation of 5-HT3A receptors?

Purpose: Why do anesthetics not activate excitatory ligand-gated ion channels such as 5-HT3 receptors in contrast to inhibitory ligand-gated ion channels? This study examines the actions of structural closely-related 5-HT derivatives and 5-HT constituent parts on 5-HT3A receptors with the aim of finding simpler if not minimal agonists and thus determining requirements for successful agonist action.

Experimental Approach: Responses to 5-HT derivatives of human 5-HT3A receptors stably expressed in HEK 293 cells have been examined with the patch-clamp technique in the outside-out configuration combined with a fast solution exchange system.

Results: Phenol, pyrrole and alkyl amines, constituents of 5-HT, even at high concentrations, cannot activate 5-HT3A receptors but they can inhibit them.

Molecular actions of propofol on human 5-HT3A receptors: enhancement as well as inhibition by closely related phenol derivatives.

Background: 5-Hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptors are excitatory ligand-gated ion channels which are involved in postoperative nausea and vomiting. They are depressed by the anesthetic propofol, which, in contrast, enhances the activity of inhibitory ligand-gated ion channels such as gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors and glycine receptors. To investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for these contrasting actions, we examined the kinetics of the action of propofol and its lesser hydrophobic derivatives 2-isopropylphenol and phenol on human 5-HT3A receptors.

Nuclear localization of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in a lung cancer cell line.

Considerable evidence exists that lung cancer cell lines produce large amounts of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs). In addition, these cells are subject to an autocrine or paracrine growth control by insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). We now demonstrate by immunocytochemistry with IGFBP-3 antibodies that nuclei of a lung cancer cell line distinctly immunostain for IGFBP-3.