Comprehensive genomic filtering algorithm to expose the cause of skewed X chromosome inactivation. The proof of concept in female haemophilia expression.

Background: Exploring the expression of X linked disorders like haemophilia A (HA) in females involves understanding the balance achieved through X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Skewed XCI (SXCI) may be involved in symptomatic HA carriers. We aimed to develop an approach for dissecting the specific cause of SXCI and verify its value in HA.

A partial habituation method to test for anterograde and retrograde amnestic treatment effects: Evidence that antagonism of the NMDA receptor can induce anterograde but not retrograde amnestic effects.

Background: A progressive decrease in spontaneous locomotion with repeated exposure to a novel environment has been assessed using both within and between-session measures. While both are well-established and reliable measurements, neither are useful alone as methods to concurrently assess treatment effects on acquisition and retention of habituation.

New Method: We report a behavioral method that measures habituation by combining the within and between measurements of locomotion.

Dynamic methylation pattern of H19DMR and KvDMR1 in bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the epigenetic reprogramming of ICR1 (KvDMR1) and ICR2 (H19DMR) and expression of genes controlled by them as well as those involved in methylation, demethylation, and pluripotency.

Methods: We collected germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase II (MII) oocytes, and preimplantation embryos at five stages [zygote, 4-8 cells, 8-16 cells, morula, and expanded blastocysts (ExB)]. DNA methylation was assessed by BiSeq, and the gene expression was evaluated using qPCR.

Prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex impairment by 5-HT2A receptor activation in the inferior colliculus is prevented by GABAA receptor blockade in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.

The relationship between serotonin dysfunction and schizophrenia commenced with the discovery of the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) that has high affinity for 5-HT receptors. Activation of these receptors produces perceptual and behavioural changes such as illusions, visual hallucinations and locomotor hyperactivity. Using prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle, which is impaired in schizophrenia,we aimed to investigate:i) the existence of a direct and potentially inhibitory neural pathway between the inferior colliculus (IC) and the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) involved in the mediation of PPI responses by a neural tract tracing procedure;ii) if the microinjection of the 5-HT receptors agonist DOI in IC would activate neurons in this structure and in the PPTg by a c-Fos protein immunohistochemistry study;iii) whether the deficits in PPI responses, observed after the administration of DOI in the IC, could be prevented by the concomitant microinjection of the GABA receptor antagonist bicuculline in the PPTg.

Two new dilactonized glycerol glycosides of the dual anticholinesterase active extract from Ocotea daphnifolia using bioguided fractionation and molecular docking studies.

The dual inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is considered as an important strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we applied the bioguided fractionations of Ocotea daphinifolia ethyl acetate active extract to furnish a fraction with high inhibitory activity for AChE and BuChE (82% and 92%, respectively). High-performance liquid chromatography semipreparative purification of this fraction provided two new natural products: 1-β-D-galactopyranosyl-glycerol-2,3-heptanedionate, (1) whose complete chemical structural elucidation was made with spectrometric analysis (MS, 1D, and 2D NMR) and its minor derivative 1-β-D-gulopyranosyl-glycerol-2,3-heptanedionate; (2) which could be characterized by 2D H- C heteronuclear single-quantum correlation spectra analysis.

Subcellular distribution and physiological responses of native and exotic grasses from the Pampa biome subjected to excess manganese.

Fungicides containing manganese (Mn) applied to control plant diseases increase the concentration of Mn in soils, which may potentiate Mn toxicity in acid soils. Some species of wild grasses, such as those from the Pampa biome located in South America, or even those introduced into this biome, may possess different mechanisms of tolerance to excess Mn. The present study aimed to evaluate the subcellular distribution and physiological and biochemical responses of exotic and native grasses from the Pampa biome, cultivated in Mn excess.

Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Three Species.

Species of unconventional food plants of the genus are widely consumed in rural populations living in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This study investigated the nutritional composition of , , and species. The centesimal composition was investigated according to the norms of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, the occurrence and concentration of carotenoids and vitamins through High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, and minerals with the aid of atomic emission spectrometry in inductively coupled plasma.

Context evoked morphine conditioned effects can be equivalent to morphine induced drug effects in terms of behavioral response and ERK activation in reward associated subcortical brain structures.

Conditioned drug cues can evoke brief drug-like responses. In this report we show that using brief test sessions, contextual cues can induce conditioned hyperlocomotion and ERK responses equivalent to morphine induced responses. To assess acute unconditioned effects, rats that received morphine (MOR-1) or vehicle (VEH-1) were immediately placed onto an arena for a 5-min locomotion recording session after which ERK was measured in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc).

A new method to study learning and memory using spontaneous locomotor activity in an open-field arena.

Background: Reduced locomotion with repeated exposure to a novel environment is often used as a measure of the basic adaptive learning process of habituation. While this is a well-established and reliable measure of habituation, it is not useful for the investigation of neurobiological changes before and after habituation because of the uncontrolled differential activity levels in a novel versus habituated environment. In this study we report a behavioral method that uses spontaneous locomotion to measure habituation, in which the total spontaneous locomotion in an initially novel environment does not change with repeated testing but, the ratio of central to peripheral activity does change and is indicative of habituation.

Morphine reward effects and morphine behavioral sensitization: The adventitious association of morphine activation of brain reward effects with ongoing spontaneous activity.

The development of sensitization is one of the hallmarks of addictive drugs such as morphine. We administered morphine (10 mg/kg; MOR) to induce locomotor sensitization and ERK activation in the VTA and NAc. In the first experiment, four groups of rats received five daily 30 min sessions in an open-field, and locomotion was measured.

The Role of Melanin in the Biology and Ecology of Nematophagous Fungi.

Melanin is a heteropolymer formed by the polymerization of phenolic and indolic compounds. It occurs in organisms across all biological kingdoms and has a range different of functions, thus indicating its important evolutionary role. The presence of melanin offers several protective advantages, including against ultraviolet radiation, traumatic damage, oxidative stress, extreme temperatures, and pressure.

Antifungal activity of Allamanda polyantha seed extract and its iridoids promote morphological alterations in Cryptococcus spp.

Cryptococcosis, caused by Cryptococcus spp., is an invasive fungal infection of the central nervous system, associated with high mortality, affecting mainly immunocompromised patients. Due to the development of resistance to the current therapy, there is an urgent need for less toxic and more effective antifungal agents.

Morphine administered post-trial induces potent morphine conditioned effects if the context is novel but not if the context is familiar.

Morphine administered shortly after exposure to a novel environment induces potent locomotor stimulant conditioning. Environmental novelty is important as pre-exposure (PE) to a stimulus can attenuate the capacity to acquire conditioned stimulus (CS). Here, the importance of environmental novelty for the efficacy of an open-field to become a CS for elicitation of a morphine conditioned response was assessed by comparing the effects of morphine administered post-trial following a 5 min exposure to a novel environment versus a PE environment.

Post-trial low dose apomorphine prevents the development of morphine sensitization.

The development of sensitization is one of the hallmarks of addictive drugs. Consistent with this relationship many studies have demonstrated that the highly addictive opioid agonist morphine induces sensitization effects. In this study, we administered morphine (10 mg/kg) (MOR) to induce sensitization.

Autophagic elimination of Trypanosoma cruzi in the presence of metals.

Trypanosoma cruzi is an obligate intracellular parasite transmitted to vertebrate hosts by blood-sucking insects. Molecules present in parasites and mammalian cells allow the recognition and parasite internalization. Metallic ions play an essential role in the establishment and maintenance of host-parasite interaction.

MicroRNA expression profiling provides novel insights into immune-related pathways involved in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers, and an increasing number of studies have found that microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in gastric cancer progression; however, the roles of specific miRNAs involved in the immune response to this disease remain unclear. We compared the miRNA expression in tissues from primary gastric cancer patients and healthy controls to find miRNAs dysregulated in gastric cancer and used bioinformatics tools to determine potential roles of these miRNAs in the immune system. We evaluated 25 primary gastric cancer tissues and five healthy gastric tissues.

Monitoring sexual steroids and cortisol at different stages of the ovarian cycle from two capuchin monkey species: use of non- or less invasive methods than blood sampling.

Endocrine monitoring of non-human primates (NHP) via faecal metabolites of steroid hormones appears as a useful non-invasive alternative to evaluate the reproductive status of free living NHP, as well as of those kept in captivity but of difficult handling. However, validation is needed with plasma values before its application in the field. The aim of the present study was to monitor the different phases of the menstrual cycle from the new world NHP and For this, hormonal and faecal plasma levels of E, P and cortisol were assessed during different days of the menstrual cycle, together with colpocitology.

Ivermectin Impairs the Development of Sexual and Asexual Stages of Plasmodium falciparum .

Ivermectin is the drug of choice for many parasitic infections, with more than one billion doses being distributed in onchocerciasis programs. The drug has been put into focus recently by the malaria community because of its potential to kill blood-sucking mosquitoes, thereby reducing malaria transmission. However, the activity of ivermectin against the malaria parasite itself has been only partly investigated.

Variation in DNA methylation in the KvDMR1 (ICR2) region in first-trimester human pregnancies.

Objective: To investigate the levels of DNA methylation in the KvDMR1 (KvLQT1 differentially methylated region 1) in embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: University medical center and clinical hospital.

Morphine administered post-trial can induce potent conditioned morphine effects.

Morphine has substantial pro-dopamine effects and in rodents, this is expressed in behavior as increased locomotor activation. Here we administered post-trial 3 dose levels of morphine (3.0, 5.

Medial prefrontal cortex ERK and conditioning: Evidence for the association of increased medial prefrontal cortex ERK with the presence/absence of apomorphine conditioned behavior using a unique post-trial conditioning/extinction protocol.

Increases in medial prefrontal cortex ERK have been linked to learning and memory processes. In the present study separate groups of rats initially underwent testing in an open-field paired with either 2.0 mg/kg apomorphine or vehicle injections.

Tuberculosis-associated anemia is linked to a distinct inflammatory profile that persists after initiation of antitubercular therapy.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is associated with chronic inflammation and anemia. How anemia impacts systemic inflammation in PTB patients undergoing antitubercular therapy (ATT) is not fully understood. In the present study, data on several blood biochemical parameters were retrospectively analyzed from 118 PTB patients during the first 60 days of ATT.