bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decreased expression of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor signaling in rat models of neuropathic pain
Authors: Nagano Masatoshi , Sakai Atsushi , Takahashi Naoki , Umino Masahiro , Yoshioka Koichi , Suzuki Hidenori 
Published: November 2003

In an attempt to clarify whether glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a survival factor for subpopulations of primary afferent neurons, is involved in the states of neuropathic pain, we observed changes in the expressions of GDNF and its signal‐transducing receptor Ret after nerve injury in two rat models of neuropathic pain.
In the rats treated with sciatic nerve ligation (chronic constrictive injury (CCI) model) or spinal nerve ligation at L5 (SNL model), the thresholds of paw withdrawal in response to mechanical or heat stimuli began to decrease on the injured side within the first week after the operation and the decreases in the thresholds persisted for more than 2 weeks.
In CCI‐treated rats, the GDNF contents in L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) on the injured side were markedly decreased at day 7 after the operation and stayed at low levels at day 14. In SNL‐treated rats, comparable reductions of GDNF levels in L4 and L5 DRGs on the injured side were observed at 14 postoperative days.
Significant decreases of the percentages of DRG neurons expressing Ret were also observed at L4 DRGs in CCI‐treated rats at 7 and 14 postoperative days and in SNL‐treated rats at 14 days.
In CCI‐ or SNL‐treated rats, continuous intrathecal administration of GDNF (12 μg day−1) using an osmotic pump suppressed the increased sensitivities to nociceptive stimuli to control levels.
The present results suggested that the dysfunction of GDNF signaling in the nociceptive afferent system may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of neuropathic pain states.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 140, 1252–1260. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705550
Inhibition of human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by open channel blockers of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors
Authors: Maskell Peter D , Speder Pauline , Newberry Nigel R , Bermudez Isabel 
Published: November 2003

Human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and the effects of the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor open channel blockers memantine and cerestat on this receptor were examined using two‐electrode voltage‐clamp recordings and 125I‐α‐bungarotoxin (125I‐α‐bgtx) binding.
Memantine and cerestat produced complete inhibition of ACh‐induced inward currents with affinities similar to that reported for native NMDA receptors. Cerestat, IC50 1.7 (−1; +2) μM, was more potent than memantine, IC50 5 (−3;+8) μM, and the effects of both drugs were fully and rapidly reversible.
Inhibition of α7 receptor function was voltage‐independent, and it occurred at concentrations far lower than those needed to inhibit (never completely) binding of 125I‐α‐bgtx to α7 receptors, suggesting that the effects of memantine or cerestat are noncompetitive.
These results provide evidence that human α7 receptors are inhibited by memantine and cerestat and suggest that caution should be applied when using these compounds to study systems in which NMDA and nACh receptors co‐exist.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 140, 1313–1319. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705559
Expression and effects of cardiotrophin‐1 (CT‐1) in human airway smooth muscle cells
Authors: Zhou Danyi , Zheng Xueyan , Wang Lu , Stelmack Gerald , Halayko Andrew J , Dorscheid Delbert , Bai Tony R 
Published: November 2003

Cellular hypertrophy and/or a reduced rate of apoptosis could increase airway smooth muscle mass. As cardiotrophin‐1 (CT‐1) induces hypertrophy and inhibits apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, we tested for the expression and effects of CT‐1 in human bronchial smooth muscle cells (HBSMC).
CT‐1 was detected in abundance in normal adult human lung and was expressed in both fetal and adult HBSMC.
Following serum deprivation, CT‐1 was released by reintroduction of serum and by TGF‐β2/IL‐4 in fetal but not adult cells. TGF‐β2/IL‐4 triggered the release of CT‐1 in serum‐fed adult cells. Hypoxia and strain had no effect on the release of CT‐1.
CT‐1 reduced the apoptosis induced both by serum deprivation and by Fas antibody/TNF‐α treatment in adult cells, with greater efficacy than other members of the IL‐6 superfamily. The MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 (1–10 μM) reduced the effect of CT‐1. Fetal cells were more resistant to apoptosis.
CT‐1 (10 ng ml−1) induced a significant increase in cell size as judged by protein/DNA ratios and flow cytometry. No effects on smooth muscle α‐actin or vimentin proteins were noted, although CT‐1 qualitatively alters the cytostructural distribution of SM22, an actin filament‐associated protein, and increased SM22 protein abundance. No effect on proliferation or migration was evident.
These data suggest CT‐1 expression primarily in fetal and synthetic HBSMC phenotypes. By reducing the rates of apoptosis and inducing hypertrophy, CT‐1 may contribute to increased smooth muscle mass in airway disease.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 140, 1237–1244. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705562
Adenosine 3′, 5′ cyclic monophosphate attenuates the production of fibronectin in the glomeruli of anti‐glomerular basement membrane antibody‐associated nephritic rats
Authors: Nagamatsu Tadashi , Nishiyama Tsutomu , Goto Isamu , Nagao Toshiyuki , Suzuki Yoshio 
Published: November 2003

Excessive production of extracellular matrix is thought to be involved in the progression of glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis. In chronic glomerulonephritis, fibronectin has been shown to accumulate in the glomeruli, accompanied by cell proliferation.
Glomerulonephritis was induced in rats by the injection of anti‐glomerular basement membrane antibody. The rats showed proteinuria and histological alterations in the glomeruli. An increase in fibronectin levels in the culture medium of isolated nephritic glomeruli was confirmed, and was associated with the development of nephritis. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a marked accumulation of fibronectin in the glomeruli of nephritic rats.
Attenuated generation of cyclic AMP was also observed in the nephritic glomeruli treated with forskolin, prostaglandin E1 or adenosine.
Forskolin, prostaglandin E2 and 8‐bromo‐cyclic AMP markedly reduced the production of fibronectin by the nephritic glomeruli compared with controls in a dose‐dependent manner. 8‐Bromo‐cyclic AMP suppressed the production of fibronectin by cultured mesangial cells.
These findings suggest that the attenuated generation of cyclic AMP in response to ligands is connected to the augmented accumulation of fibronectin in nephritic glomeruli, and may facilitate the development of methods for treating glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 140, 1245–1251. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705564
Quantifying Phytophthora medicaginis in Susceptible and Resistant Alfalfa with a Real‐Time Fluorescent PCR Assay
Authors: Vandemark G. J. , Barker B. M. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractA real‐time fluorescent PCR assay using a set of specific primers and a fluorochrome‐labelled probe (TaqMan) was developed to quantify the amount of Phytophthora medicaginis DNA in alfalfa plants that were classified as either resistant or susceptible to the pathogen based on visual assessment of disease response. The assay clearly discriminated among three standard check alfalfa populations with different levels of resistance based on the analysis of DNA extracted from the roots of bulked plant samples. In two independent experiments, the Spearman rank correlation between pathogen DNA content and the number of susceptible plants in a bulked sample was greater than 0.89 and highly significant (P<0.0001). Significantly less pathogen DNA was detected in bulked samples of a highly resistant check population than in bulked samples from more susceptible check populations. Analysis of individual plants indicated that significantly less pathogen DNA was detected in resistant plants than in susceptible plants. Applications of the assay are considered for breeding programs and the study of microbial population dynamics in plants simultaneously infected with different pathogens.
Occurrence, Symptom Expression and Characterization of Phytoplasma Associated with Pear Decline Disease in Catalonia (Spain)
Authors: Garcia‐Chapa M. , Laviña A. , Sanchez I. , Medina V. , Batlle A. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractA total area of 1500 ha of commercial plots was surveyed to study the extent of pear decline disease and its relative importance in northeastern Spain. A preliminary evaluation indicated that around 7% of the plots had symptoms of the disease. At the same time, pear decline incidence was evaluated in 45 plots, by visual inspection of 500 trees in each plot. In September, the incidence of trees with symptoms ranged from 8 to 59% depending on the cultivar selected. The presence of pear decline (PD) phytoplasma in these plots was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of phytoplasma DNA with universal or group‐specific primers. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses also showed the presence of a unique phytoplasma strain.The symptom expression of PD disease in different cultivars was evaluated throughout the year. The relationship between the presence of symptoms and detection of PD by PCR in these cultivars was also studied. Results showed that the nested‐PCR, using specific primers to detect the DNA from PD phytoplasma, is the most accurate method to identify the total percentage of affected trees.
Evaluation of Pathogens as Potential Biocontrol Agents of Hydrilla
Authors: Shabana Y. M. , Cuda J. P. , Charudattan R. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractDuring a 1‐year survey for micro‐organisms associated with hydrilla, approximately 2200 microbes were recovered from hydrilla, surrounding water and sediment collected from 10 man‐made ponds and three natural lakes in Florida, USA. A representative selection of fungi (651), bacteria (330) and actinomycetes (38) from this collection was screened against hydrilla in bioassays. Severity of damage (DS) was determined on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 = healthy, 1 = 1–25% damage, 2 = 26–50% damage, 3 = 51–75% damage, and 4 = 76–100% damage (100% = complete kill). Of the 1019 isolates that were examined in this manner, none of the actinomycetes were pathogenic on hydrilla, however two strains of bacteria (0.6% of the bacteria tested), and 42 isolates of fungi (6.5% of the fungi tested) were effective at DS level 4 (DS4) on hydrilla 3 weeks postinoculation. Fungi and bacteria capable of killing hydrilla are considered to have potential as biocontrol agents or as sources of novel herbicidal metabolites. These includedAcremoniumsp.,Botrytissp.,Curvulariasp.,Cylindrocarponsp.,Fusarium culmorumandF. moniliforme. The biocontrol potential ofF. culmorumhas been established in several tests. For maximum bioherbicidal activity of this fungus against hydrilla, its inoculum should be applied at a rate of 5 × 105 conidia/ml at 20–25°C water temperature.
Incidence of Viruses Infecting Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) in Iran
Authors: Shahraeen N. , Farzadfar Sh. , Lesemann D.‐E. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractOilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) is an important crop in Iran. Of 581 oilseed rape samples tested by DAS‐ELISA and immunoelectron microscopy during a preliminary survey from 1999 to 2001, 14.45% were infected with Beet western yellows virus (BWYV, Luteovirus), 12.9% with Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV, Caulimovirus) and 9.3% with Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV, Potyvirus). Cucumber mosaic virus (4.6%) and Tomato spotted wilt virus (0.51%) also occurred, but to a lesser extent. The occurrence of BWYV, TuMV and CaMV in oilseed rape crops could have important consequences for rape seed production in Iran and infected plants could also serve as sources of virus for other susceptible vegetable crops.
Natural Spread of Plum Pox Virus in Ankara, Turkey
Authors: Eli̇büyük İ. Ö. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractPlum pox virus (PPV) has a limited distribution in Turkey, so is not a serious problem for stone fruit production. However, it is widespread in apricot, plum and peach trees in the Ankara region where its natural spread was studied between 1995 and 2002 in 10 home gardens planted with apricot, plum and peach trees. The presence of the virus was determined by visual observation of symptoms in leaves and fruits and by double antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DAS‐ELISA); strains were identified by double antibody sandwich indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DASI‐ELISA) and immunocapture reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (IC‐RT‐PCR) tests. Within 8 years, PPV incidence in the gardens near to, and 0.5 km from an infection source was 85.7–100 and 25–29.4%, respectively. This difference in incidence was attributed to the distance from the infection source. All PPV isolates were identified as PPV‐M. It was found that sharka disease was introduced to the healthy gardens by mealy plum aphids (Hyalopterus pruni), the only vector of PPV found in Ankara. This is the first report of PPV spread in Turkey.
Germinability of Cochliobolus sativus Conidia Exposed to Solar Radiation
Authors: Arabi M. I. E. , Jawhar M. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractUnder field conditions, conidia of Cochliobolus sativus, the causal agent of barley spot blotch, were exposed to direct solar radiation or placed in a ventilated enclosure in darkness for 0.5–12 h. In addition, conidia were either exposed or not exposed to UV light (254 nm) from 1 to 75 min in the laboratory. Conidia were placed after exposure on water agar in closed Petri dishes and allowed to germinate for 24 h. Germinability of conidia was reduced up to 99% after 12 h of exposure to solar irradiance (GS) (690–900 w/m2). Germinability of conidia that were not exposed to sunlight (GNS) did not decrease significantly during experiment time. Similar results were obtained when the variable (GNS−GS)/GNS was applied. Temperature accounted for limited variation in germinability, whereas solar radiation accounted for most of the variation. Germinability of conidia in the laboratory was reduced up to approximately 100% by doses of UV‐C of approximately 14.4 kJ/m2. Germinability of conidia in the field was reduced up to approximately 100% by doses of UV‐B of approximately 39.9 kJ/m2. The information obtained from this study will contribute to the development of a forecast system that incorporates the probability of incoming aerial spores.
Genetic Structure of a Plasmopara viticola Population in an Isolated Italian Mountain Vineyard
Authors: Gobbin D. , Pertot I. , Gessler C. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractIn this paper we investigated the genetic population structure of Plasmopara viticola, the causal organism of downy mildew on grapevines (Vitis spp.). We selected an isolated and newly established mountain vineyard, where the disease was observed for the first time. As soon as disease symptoms appeared, they were collected (three samplings) and they were genetically analysed by means of four microsatellite markers. Our study revealed that a human‐mediated allochthon oosporic import, rather than naturally immigrating secondary propagules, presumably provided the starting inoculum that initiated the very mild epidemic. Fifteen genotypes initiated the disease during three of the at least seven infection periods. Genotypes participating in the epidemic showed a very variable and strain‐specific aptitude in generating secondary lesions. Only two genotypes multiplied asexually and generated some tens of secondary lesions, probably because of the unfavourable climatic conditions of the mountain region. The mountain P. viticola population appeared with a poor gene pool, genetically separated and isolated‐by‐distance from the valley natural stocks as well as recently established by a founder effect event.
Studies of Rosellinia necatrix Perithecia Found in Nature on Avocado Roots
Authors: Pérez‐Jiménez R. M. , Zea‐Bonilla T. , López‐Herrera C. J. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractAscomata of Rosellinia necatrix were found on roots of a dead avocado tree, documenting the occurence of the sexual stage in a commercial field in southern Spain, and a description of the teleomorph was done. Additionally, the Dematophora state was obtained by inoculating avocado plants with germinating ascospores from these perithecia, connecting the anamorph and teleomorph phases of this species and confirming the infection capacity of the mycelium from these ascospores.
Comparisons of the resistance to Japanese theileriosis among Santa Gertrudis × Japanese Shorthorn F1, Japanese Shorthorn and their reciprocal crosses
Authors: HIGUCHI Mikito , HANADA Hirofumi , NAGAMINE Yoshitaka , AWATA Takashi 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTTo improve the resistance of Japanese Shorthorn (JS) calves to the hemoprotozoan parasite Theileria sergenti (Ts), Santa Gertrudis (SG) × JS F1 and its reciprocal backcross (F1 × JS and JS × F1) calves were produced. All the calves were born from February to April and kept on pasture with their dams from May to October. Blood samples were collected biweekly until 18 weeks of grazing and two indices of resistance to the parasite, percentage of parasitized erythrocytes (PE) and hematocrit value (Ht) were monitored. There was a weak negative correlation between daily gain (DG) on pasture and the average PE (P < 0.1), and was a significantly positive correlation between DG on pasture and the average Ht (P < 0.01) in the experimental period. Although maximum PE observed at six or eight weeks of grazing period was not significantly different among the four mating types, SG × JS F1 calves exhibited a significantly larger decrease in PE compared to purebred JS after the peak PE. F1 calves also showed maximum Ht through the grazing period. There were no apparent differences in the two indices among the two reciprocal backcrosses and purebred JS. These results indicated that Ts infection and subsequent decrease in Ht affected the DG of calves in the grassland. The present study also demonstrated that the introduction of the SG gene into JS was effective at the F1 level in regard to the resistance to theileriosis, and that in the backcrosses an improvement in resistance could not be expected.
Changes in concentrations of plasma metabolites and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 after feeding in Japanese Black and Japanese Shorthorn cattle
Authors: SUDA Yoshihito , SHINOHARA Hisashi , YOSHIOKA Ken‐ichi , NAKAGAWA Kazuki , CHIBA Takashi , YUSA Fumihiro , NIHEI Akira , NISHIDA Akira , YAMAGISHI Toshihiro 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTThe aim was to characterize the changes of plasma component concentrations after feeding in Japanese Black (B) and Japanese Shorthorn (S) cattle. Eight females, five B and three S, with a mean bodyweight (standard deviation) of 282.0 (20.3) kg  were  selected  and  supplied  with  only  water  for  28 h  after  feeding.  Blood  was  taken  from  the  jugular  vein  at 4‐h intervals for 32 h after feeding. Metabolite (cholesterol, CL; glucose, GLU; nonesterified fatty acid, NEFA; triacylglycerol, TG; total protein, TP) and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) concentrations in plasma were measured. In both breeds GLU tended to decrease linearly with a similar slope. Differences between the initial mean NEFA at 4 h after feeding (Start) and that at 24 h after the start (End) were significant in both breeds, but S increased significantly more than B at and after 8 h from the Start. The TG in S tended to change more than in B, and CL and IGF‐1 in both breeds changed continuously at similar levels. The TP in B tended to decrease more slowly and be lower than S. The change in NEFA, especially, suggests that nutritional status sensitively reflects genetic background.
Outbreaks of serogroup X meningococcal meningitis in Niger 1995–2000
Authors: Djibo S. , Nicolas P. , Alonso J.‐M. , Djibo A. , Couret D. , Riou J.‐Y. , Chippaux J.‐P. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryIn the African meningitis belt, the recurrent meningococcal meningitis epidemics are generally caused by serogroup A. In the past 20 years, other serogroups have been detected, such as X or W135, which have caused sporadic cases or clusters. We report here 134 meningitis cases caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X that occurred in Niamey between 1995 and 2000. They represented 3.91% of the meningococcal isolates from all CSF samples, whereas 94.4% were of serogroup A. Meningococcal meningitis cases were detected using the framework of the routine surveillance system for reportable diseases organized by the Ministry of Public Health of Niger. The strains were isolated and determined by the reference laboratory for meningitis in Niamey (CERMES) and further typed at the WHO collaborating center of the Pharo in Marseille and at the National Reference Center for the Meningococci at the Institut Pasteur. Reference laboratories in Marseille and Paris characterized 47 isolates having the antigenic formula (serogroup:serotype:sero‐subtype) X:NT:P1.5. Meningitis cases due to meningococcus serogroup X did not present any clinical or epidemiological differences to those due to serogroup A. The seasonal incidence was classical; 93.3% of the cases were recorded during the dry season. The mean age of patients was 9.2 years (±6 years). The sex ratio M/F was 1.3. Case fatality rate was 11.9% without any difference related to age or sex. The increasing incidence of the serogroup X was not related to the decrease of serogroup A, but seemed cyclic, and evolved independently of the recurrence of both serogroups A and C.
Malaria parasitaemia in relation to HIV status and vitamin A supplementation among pre‐school children
Authors: Villamor Eduardo , Fataki Maulidi R. , Mbise Roger L. , Fawzi Wafaie W. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryObjectives  To ascertain whether malaria parasitaemia in children is associated with HIV status. To examine the effect of vitamin A supplementation on malaria parasitaemia in children.Methods  We studied the cross‐sectional associations between HIV status and malaria parasitaemia among 546 children 6–60 months of age who participated in a double‐blind, randomized clinical trial of vitamin A supplementation. Prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for the presence of malaria parasites at baseline by HIV status in uni‐ and multivariate models that adjusted for sociodemographic and environmental variables. Among children with malaria, correlates of high parasite loads were identified. Next, we examined the effect of vitamin A supplementation on the risk of malaria parasitaemia and high parasite density at 4–8 months of the first dose in a subset of children.Results  The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was 11.4% among HIV‐infected children, compared with 27.6% among uninfected. After adjusting for season, anaemia, use of bednets, maternal education and indicators of socioeconomic status, we found some evidence for lower prevalence of parasitaemia among HIV positive compared with HIV‐negative children (prevalence ratio = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.29, 1.09; P = 0.09). Other important correlates of malaria parasitaemia at baseline included low level of maternal education, poor quality of water supply, and the presence of animals at home. Vitamin A supplementation did not have a significant effect on malaria parasitaemia at 4–8 months of follow‐up, overall or within levels of potential effect modifiers.Conclusion  HIV infection appears to be negatively correlated with malaria parasitaemia in this group of children. Investing in women's education is likely to decrease the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in children. Vitamin A supplementation does not seem to have an effect on malaria parasitaemia in this population; possible benefits against clinical episodes and severe malaria deserve further examination.