Interactions involving host plants (cowpea, groundnut, cotton, sunflower, greengram, blackgram) an insect herbivore, black legume aphid Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and a predator, the zigzag beetle Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were investigated during 2014-2015. The preference of the aphid A. craccivora for host plants measured in terms of growth and multiplication was cowpea > groundnut > greengram > blackgram > sunflower > cotton (most preferred to least preferred). Cowpea was the most preferred host plant for growth and multiplication of A. craccivora. Aphid's oviposition period was longest, fecundity greatest; adult longevity longest (188.40 ± 28.87 h; 52.00 ± 10.92; 231.60 ± 40.41 h), and nymphal mortality was lowest (0%) when reared on cowpea followed by groundnut, greengram and blackgram. Aphids had highest nymphal mortality (100%), with very few or no live adults produced, when reared on sunflower and cotton, the least preferred host of A. craccivora in this study. At the third trophic level, both the larvae and the adults of the coccinellid, Cheilomenes sexmaculata, consumed more of the aphids reared on groundnut than of those reared on blackgram, greengram, cowpea, sunflower and cotton. The biochemical constituents (phenols) present in cotton and sunflower, which contributed to the aphid's nymphal mortality, also affected the feeding behaviour of the coccinellid., Snehasish Routray, Karnam V. Hari Prasad., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Ovipositing females from invasive (Krasnodar Territory of Russia) and native (Far East of Russia) populations of Harmonia axyridis were fed one of a set of diets ranging from 50 Myzus persicae aphids every day to 1 aphid every 10 days and all were also provided with a 10% sugar solution. The experiment was conducted at 20°C under short (12 h) and long (18 h) day conditions. Most of the females from the native population that consumed 50 or 10 aphids per day continued to oviposit under both long and short day conditions. Females that consumed 1 aphid per day or every 2 days practically stopped laying eggs but under long day conditions their ovaries were still active, whereas under short day conditions ca 50% of them were reproductively inactive (only germaria present) and had a well-developed fat body. Further reduction in diet resulted in an increase in the proportion of reproductively inactive females. However, about half of the females that terminated oogenesis under long day conditions had poorly developed fat bodies, which indicates that diapause was not induced. For the females from the invasive population, both photoperiodic and trophic effects were weak: under short day conditions, some females entered diapause when prey was abundant, whereas about 50% (independent of photoperiod) did not enter diapause when starved. This risk-spreading strategy, possibly, facilitates the adaptation of this invasive ladybird to unpredictable environmental conditions., Antonina A. Ovchinnikova, Andrey N. Ovchinnikov, Margarita Yu. Dolgovskaya, Sergey Ya. Reznik, Natalia A. Belyakova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Inflammation and other immune responses are involved in the variety of diseases and disorders. The acute response to endotoxemia includes activation of innate immune mechanisms as well as changes in autonomic nervous activity. The autonomic nervous system and the inflammatory response are intimately linked and sympathetic and vagal nerves are thought to have anti-inflammation functions. The basic functional circuit between vagus nerve a nd inflammatory response was identified and the neuroimmunomodulation loop was called cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Unique function of vagus nerve in the anti-inflammatory reflex arc was found in many experimental and pre-clinical studies. They br ought evidence on the cholinergic signaling interacting with systemic and local inflammation, particularly suppressing immune cells function. Pharmacological/electrical modulation of vagal activity suppressed TNF-α and other proinflammatory cytokines prod uction and had beneficial therapeutic effects. Many questions related to mapping, linking and targeting of vagal-immune interactions have been elucidated and brought understanding of its basic physiology and provided the initial support for development of Tracey's inflammatory reflex. This review summarizes and critically assesses the current knowledge defining cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway with main focus on studies employing an experimental approach and emphasizes the potential of modulation of va gally-mediated anti-inflammatory pathway in the treatment strategies., I. Zila, D. Mokra, J. Kopincova, M. Kolomaznik, M. Javorka, A. Calkovska., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Thermal requirements for flight in butterflies is determined by a combination of external factors, behaviour and physical constraints. Thorax temperature of 152 butterflies was monitored with an infra-red thermometer in controlled laboratory conditions. The temperature at take-off varied from 13.4°C, for a female Heteronympha merope to 46.3°C, for a female Junonia villida. Heteronympha merope, an understorey species, had the lowest recorded take-off temperatures, with females flying at a much lower thorax temperatures than males. Among the tested butterfly species, warming-up rate was positively correlated with take-off temperature and negatively with body mass. Wing loading is a major variable in determining the thorax flight temperature. Butterflies with the highest wing-loadings experienced the highest thorax temperatures at take-off. A notable exception to this rule is Trapezites symmomus, the only Hesperiidae of our data set, which had thorax flight temperatures of 31.5°C and 34.5°C, well within the range of the observed butterflies, despite a wing load ca. five times higher. The high thorax temperature recorded in J. villida is probably linked to its high flight speed. The results highlight the importance of physical constraints such as body size on the thermal requirements for flight across a range of butterfly species., Gabriel Nève, Casey Hall., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of transient and sustained hyperthyroidism on vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity (VIP-LI) levels were studied in the heart atria of developing and adult rats. Newborn rats were divided into 5 groups. Neo-T animals were treated with thyroxine (T4) during postnatal days 1-8 and sacrificed at the age of 60 days. Neo-S rats were treated with T4 during postnatal days 1-60 and sacrificed one day later. Adult-1 and Adult-2 animals received T4 during days 52-60 and were sacrificed 5-6 days and 1 day later, respectively. Control animals were injected with saline. VIP-LI concentrations were determined in extracts from the left and right atria separately. In Neo-S and Adult-2 rats, spontaneous heart rate, the weight of both atria and total T4 serum levels were significantly enhanced, while their body weight was decreased. The ratio atria weight to body weight was significantly increased in all groups except for Adult-1 animals. Hyperthyroidism led to a significant decrease in VIP-LI levels in both atria of Neo-S and Neo-T rats. Hyperthyroidism induced in adult rats also decreased VIP-LI levels in both atria. However, this change was only transient. In conclusion, our data have provided new evidence that hyperthyroidism induced during the early neonatal period interferes with the development of VIP-ergic innervation in rat atria. The period of the first few postnatal days seems to be essential for this effect, since VIP-LI concentrations in 60-day-old animals did not significantly differ between Neo-S and Neo-T atria., J. Kuncová, J. Slavíková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Visfatin is a multi-functional molecule that can act intracellularly and extracellularly as an adipokine, cytokine and enzyme. One of the main questions concerning visfatin is the mechanism of its secretion; whether, how and from which cells visfatin is released. The objective of this in vitro study was to observe the active secretion of visfatin from 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes, HepG2 hepatocytes, U-937, THP-1 and HL-60 monocytes and macrophages. The amount of visfatin in media and cell lysate was always related to the intracellular enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3- phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), to exclude the passive release of visfatin. Visfatin was not found in media of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In media of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 hepatocytes, the ratio of visfatin to the amount of GAPDH was identical to cell lysates. Hence, it is likely that these cells do not actively secrete visfatin in a significant manner. However, we found that significant producers of visfatin are differentiated macrophages and that the amount of secreted visfatin depends on used cell line and it is affected by the mode of differentiation. Results show that 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 hepatocytes released visfatin only passively during the cell death. U-937 macrophages secrete visfatin in the greatest level from all of the tested cell lines., P. Svoboda, E. Křížová, K. Čeňková, K. Vápenková, J. Zídková, V. Zídek, V. Škop., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In women with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and vitamin D deficiency we have found reference levels of relevant metabolichormonal parameters except for parathormone and total calcium. Three months supplementation with vitamin D (4300 IU/day, cholekalciferol) did not lead to significant changes of investigated hormonal parameters, while the levels of parathormone and calcium reached normal levels. However, a correlation analysis revealed marked changes in mutual relations. First, an inverse correlation of vitamin D with parathormone, insulin secretion (C peptide, insulin) and its efficiency (HOMA IR) disappeared. Relationships of vitamin D to hepatic insulin resistance (insulin/C peptide), to DHEA (both negative), and to DHEAS/DHEA ratio (positive) were newly found. Second, a positive correlation of CRP with insulin secretion remained, while its relation to insulin efficiency (HOMA IR, insulin/ C peptide) was newly observed. Analogical positive correlations appeared also among anti TPO and insulinemia, insulin/C peptide, HOMA IR, and anti Tg to C peptide. A relationship of the CRP with anti TPO became significant (+). Third, out of glucose metabolism parameters only insulin/C peptide and glycemia did not correlate with vitamin D during its deficiency, while after supplementation insulin/ C peptide alone correlated positively with both DHEAS and DHEA, and negatively with vitamin D., K. Vondra, R. Bílek, P. Matucha, M. Salátová, M. Vosátková, L. Stárka, R. Hampl., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Vitamin D had been for a long time investigated for its effects on bone metabolism. Recently has been observed that the incidence of some neurodevelopmental disorders (including autism) increases hand in hand with vitamin D deficiency. Indeed, vitamin D was reported to modulate the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors; moreover, its receptor was found in the central nervous system. Vitamin D deficiency was therefore assessed as a risk factor for autism, however the biological mechanism has not yet been revealed. In our review we focused on potential connections among vitamin D, steroids and autism. Potential mechanisms of vitamin D action are also discussed., L. Máčová, M. Bičíková, D. Ostatníková, M. Hill, L. Stárka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Herbivorous insects are often highly specialised, likely due to trade-offs in fitness on alternative host species. However, some pest insects are extremely adaptable and readily adopt novel hosts, sometimes causing rapid expansion of their host range as they spread from their original host and geographic origin. The genetic basis of this phenomenon is poorly understood, limiting our ability to predict or mitigate global insect pest outbreaks. We investigated the trajectory of early adaptation to novel hosts in a regionally-specialised global crop pest species (the cowpea seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus). After experimentally-enforced dietary specialisation for nearly 300 generations, we measured changes in fitness over the first 5 generations of adaptation to 6 novel hosts. Of these, C. maculatus reproduced successfully on all but one, with reduced fitness observed on three hosts in the first generation. Loss of fitness was followed by very rapid, decelerating increases in fitness over the first 1-5 generations, resulting in comparable levels of population fitness to that observed on the original host after 5 generations. Heritability of fitness on novel hosts was high. Adaptation occurred primarily via changes in behavioural and phenological traits, and never via changes in offspring survival to adulthood, despite high heritability for this trait. These results suggest that C. maculatus possesses ample additive genetic variation for very rapid host shifts, despite a prolonged period of enforced specialization, and also suggest that some previously-inferred environmental maternal effects on host use may in part actually represent (rapidly) evolved changes. We highlight the need to examine in more detail the genetic architecture facilitating retention of high additive genetic variation for host shifts in extremely adaptable global crop pests., Thomas N. Price, Aoife Leonard, Lesley T. Lancaster., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Many insects masquerade as parts of plants, such as bark or leaves, or mimic poisonous organisms in order to defend themselves against predators. However, recent studies indicate that plants may mimic insects and other arthropods to deter herbivores. Here, I report visually similar white structures of plants and arthropods in Japan and suggest they are part of a mimicry complex. Young shoots covered with white trichomes or waxy substances may mimic wax-producing insects, such as woolly aphids, coccids and caterpillars, potentially resulting in reduced herbivory. Since wax-producing insects would reduce plant quality and quantity, be distasteful and attract natural enemies, herbivorous insects and mammals may avoid such white shoots. Furthermore, fungus-infected insects, gregarious braconid cocoons, spider egg sacs and froth made by froghopper nymphs or blasticotomid sawfly larvae are also conspicuously white and impose risks for herbivorous insects. Thus, these white structures may be mimicry models for white shoots and are likely to be part of a defensive mimicry complex. Although this study focuses on defence against herbivores, there are simultaneous physiological roles for white colouration that will not be discussed in depth here., Kazuo Yamazaki., and Obsahuje bibliografii