Intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia (α-Proteobacteria) are the most widespread endosymbionts of insects. Host infection is usually associated with alterations in reproduction, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, the induction of parthenogenesis and offspring sex ratio bias: all phenomena that may influence host speciation. In the present study, by using well-established molecular tools, we investigated the presence of Wolbachia in leaf beetles of the genus Crioceris and their host plants, which are various species of Asparagus. Multilocus sequence typing of bacterial genes showed that despite their occurrence in the same habitat and feeding on the same plant, two species of Crioceris, C. quinquepunctata and C. quatuordecimpunctata, are infected by two different strains of Wolbachia. C. asparagi, C. paracenthesis and C. duodecimpunctata, which are sympatric with the infected species, do not harbour the bacterium. Interestingly, DNA of Wolbachia was detected in host plant tissues that are exploited by the beetles, providing evidence for the horizontal transmission of the bacterium between beetles and their host plants. Moreover, Wolbachia was detected in species of Crioceris that are not closely related., Michał Kolasa, Matteo Montagna, Valeria Mereghetti, Daniel Kubisz, Miłosz A. Mazur, Łukasz Kajtoch., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In the present study, we investigated the effect of acrylamide (ACR) exposure during pregnancy on the ovary of female adult offspring of two subsequent generations. Sixty-day-old Wistar albino female rats were given different doses of ACR (2.5 and 10 mg/kg/day) from day 6 of pregnancy until giving birth. Females from the first generation (AF1) were fed ad libitum, and thereafter, a subgroup was euthanized at 8 weeks of age and ovary samples were obtained. The remaining females were maintained until they reached sexual maturity (50 days old) and then treated in the same way as the previous generation to obtain the second generation of females (AF2). The histopathological examination indicated a high frequency of corpora lutea along with an increased number of antral follicles that reached the selectable stage mainly at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day. Interestingly, ACR exposure significantly increased the mRNA levels of CYP19 gene and its corresponding CYP19 protein expression in AF1 females. The TUNEL assay showed a significantly high rate of apoptosis in stromal cells except for dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day. However, in AF2 females, ACR exposure significantly increased the number of degenerating follicles and cysts while the number of growing follicles was reduced. Moreover, in both ACR-treated groups, estradiolproducing enzyme CYP19A gene and its corresponding protein were significantly reduced, and an excessive apoptosis was produced. We concluded that the ovarian condition of AF1 females had considerable similarity to the typical early perimenopausal stage, whereas that of AF2 females was similar to the late perimenopausal stage in women.
Propofol has been shown to against intestinal reperfusion injury when treated either before or after ischemia, during which mast cell could be activated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of propofol in restoring the intestinal epithelial cells integrity disrupted by mast cell activation or the released tryptase after activation in vitro. We investigated the effect of: (1) tryptase on Caco-2 monolayers in the presence of PAR-2 inhibitor or propofol, (2) mast cell degranulation in a Caco-2/LAD-2 co-culture model in the presence of propofol, and (3) propofol on mast cell degranulation. Epithelial integrity was detected using transepithelial resistance (TER) and permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran (the apparent permeability coefficient, Papp). The expression of junctional proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1/TJP1) and occludin were determined using western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy. The intracellular levels of reactive oxidative species (ROS) and Ca2+ were measured using flow cytometry. Tryptase directly enhanced intestinal barrier permeability as demonstrated by significant reductions in TER, ZO-1, and occludin protein expression and concomitant increases in Papp. The intestinal barrier integrity was restored by PAR-2 inhibitor but not by propofol. Meanwhile, mast cell degranulation resulted in epithelial integrity disruption in the Caco-2/LAD-2 co-culture model, which was dramatically attenuated by propofol. Mast cell degranulation caused significant increases in intracellular ROS and Ca2+ levels, which were blocked by propofol and NAC. Propofol pretreatment can inhibit mast cell activation via ROS/Ca2+ and restore the intestinal barrier integrity induced by mast cell activation, instead of by tryptase.
Species of Blastocystis Alexieff, 1911 are anaerobic intestinal protists found in humans and many kinds of animals that mainly cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and other clinical symptoms. At present, data on the prevalence and subtype diversity of species of Blastocystis in domestic rabbits are very limited. The purpose of this study was to characterise the infection rate and gene subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. in domestic rabbits in Henan Province, Central China, and provide foundation for prevention and control of the disease caused by Blastocystis sp. in domestic rabbits. DNA was extracted from 286 fresh rabbit faecal samples collected from four areas of Henan Province, Central China. All DNA samples were screened using PCR and positive samples were sequenced to identify individual subtypes based on the small ribosomal subunit (SSU rRNA) gene. The overall infection rate of Blastocystis sp. in domestic rabbits in Henan Province was 15% (43/286). Three subtypes were identified, including ST1 (26/43, 60%), ST3 (5/43, 12%) and ST7 (12/43, 28%), all of which belonged to potentially zoonotic subtypes, ST1 was the dominant gene subtype. These results showed that infection with Blastocystis sp. was common in domestic rabbits in Henan Province, Central China, and was represented by zoonotic subtypes. Therefore, special attention should be paid to reduce the risk of transmission of Blastocystis sp. from domestic rabbits to humans.
The care of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) is often narrowed down to the treatment of biological symptoms of the disease, whilst other psychosocial factors supporting mental health are often neglected. One of these factors influencing disease progression, compliance, self-concept, and motivation for treatment is parenthood. The first step to turning attention to this issue is to be aware of the prevalence of children living with a parent with SMI and the prevalence of parenting among SMI patients. This review aims to assess the current state of knowledge regarding methodological approaches, the prevalence rates of parenthood, the number of children living with a parent with SMI, and the sociodemographic characteristics of these families. A total of 1,156 records were retrieved from EBSCO Discovery in December 2021, and fifteen published studies addressed the review questions. The studies took various approaches to measure prevalence - an epidemiological approach, a census approach, a design in which data from national registries were analysed, or cross-sectional studies in a clinical population. Nine studies investigated the prevalence of parenthood among patients with SMI, and six studies quantified the number of children living with a parent with mental illness. 1/3 of mental health service clients were parents, and 1 to 2 children out of 10 have a parent with mental illness.Parents with SMI face lower education, lower employment, lower income, higher rates of comorbid substance abuse, and higher rates of single parenthood. The aim of the review is not to give a definitive answer to the question of prevalence as much as to point out that there is not a marginal number of children living with a parent with a psychiatric disorder. and Péče o pacienty se závažným duševním onemocněním (SMI) se často zužuje na léčbu biologických příznaků nemoci, zatímco ostatní psychosociální faktory podporující duševní zdraví jsou často opomíjeny. Jedním z těchto faktorů ovlivňujících průběh léčby, komplianci, sebepojetí pacienta a motivaci k léčbě, je rodičovství. Prvním krokem k obrácení pozornosti k této problematice je uvědomění si míry prevalence dětí žijících s rodičem se SMI a míry prevalence rodičovství mezi pacienty se SMI. Cílem tohoto přehledu je zhodnotit metodologické přístupy využívané k měření prevalence, míru prevalence rodičovství, počet dětí žijících s rodičem se SMI a sociodemografické charakteristiky těchto rodin. V databázi EBSCO Discovery bylo v prosinci 2021 vyhledáno celkem 1 156 záznamů, výběrová kritéria splnilo patnáct publikovaných studií, které byly zařazeny do přehledu. Studie využívaly různé přístupy k měření prevalence - epidemiologický přístup, přístup založený na cenzu, design, v němž byla analyzována data z národních registrů, nebo průřezové studie v klinické populaci. Devět studií zkoumalo prevalenci rodičovství u pacientů s duševním onemocněním a šest studií kvantifikovalo počet dětí žijících s rodičem s duševním onemocněním. Rodiče tvořili 1/3 klientů psychiatrických zařízení a 1 až 2 děti z 10 mají rodiče s duševním onemocněním. Rodiče se SMI se potýkají s nižším vzděláním, nižší zaměstnaností, nižšími příjmy, vyšší mírou komorbidního užívání návykových látek a vyšší mírou samoživitelství. Cílem přehledu není dát definitivní odpověď na otázku prevalence, ale spíše poukázat na to, že dětí žijících s rodičem s psychiatrickou poruchou není zanedbatelné množství.
The principle of double effect plays an important role in deontological ethics which give an emphasis to intentions in the process of moral evaluation of human acts. According to this principle, it is morally permissible to actualize an action with two consequences, one of which is good and the second bad, if and only if some conditions are met: for example, the bad consequence is not a means for attaining the good consequence and the bad consequence is not brought about intentionally, but only foreseen as necessarily and inevitably connected with the actualization of the action itself and its good consequence. The aim of this article is to lay necessary theoretical foundations for a better understanding and employment of the principle of double effect by discussing Hart’s critique of it and Philippa Foot’s different approach to the moral dilemmas to the solution of which the principle of double effects seems to be well applicable. In the course of my argumentation I distinguish between two types of intentions – characterizing and final intentions – and show how this distinction solve some of the difficulties connected with the understanding and application of the principle of double effect. and Princip dvojího účinku hraje důležitou roli v deontologických etikách, které přikládají důležitost intencím v procesu morálního hodnocení lidského jednání. Podle tohoto principu je morálně přijatelné aktualizovat jednání se dvěma důsledky, z nichž první je dobrý a druhý špatný, pouze za předpokladu, že jsou splněny určité podmínky: špatný důsledek například nesmí být prostředkem k dosažení dobrého důsledku a špatný důsledek nesmí být způsobený úmyslně, je pouze předvídaný jako nutně a nevyhnutelně spojený s provedením jednání samotného a s jeho dobrým důsledkem. Cílem tohoto článku je vystavět nezbytné teoretické předpoklady potřebné k lepšímu pochopení a aplikaci principu dvojího účinku. Diskutuji kritiku tohoto principu britským teoretikem práva Hartem a odlišný přístup k řešení morálních dilemat, k jejichž řešení se princip dvojího účinku zdá vhodným, v díle Philippy Footové. V průběhu své argumentace rozlišuji mezi dvěma typy intencí – charakterizující intence a finální intence – a ukazuji, jak tento rozdíl pomáhá řešit některé obtíže spojení s chápáním a aplikací principu dvojího účinku.
Progesterone is a steroidal hormone that is produced from the corpus luteum of the ovaries and from the placenta. The main function of progesterone is to promote the secretory differentiation in the endometrium of the uterus and to maintain pregnancy by inhibiting uterine contractions throughout pregnancy. Progesterone performs its actions by activating the classical progesterone nuclear receptors that affect gene transcription and by the non-classical activation of cell surface membrane receptors that accounts for the rapid actions of progesterone. Besides the reproductive roles of progesterone, it exerts functions in many tissues and systems such as the nervous system, the bone, the vascular system, and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This review will summarize the recent literature that investigated the role of progesterone in GI tract motility. Most literature indicates that progesterone exerts an inhibitory role on gut smooth muscle cells in part by elevating nitric oxide synthesis, which induces relaxation in smooth muscle. Moreover, progesterone inhibits the signaling pathways that lead to contraction such as Rho kinase inhibition. These data serve as a quick resource for the future directions of progesterone research that could lead to better understanding and more effective treatment of gender-related GI tract motility disorders.