Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Severe Decrease (severe + decrease)
Selected AbstractsPresent status, and social and economic significance of inland fisheries in GermanyFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 4-5 2001H. Wedekind The Federal Republic of Germany is situated in the central part of Europe and covers an area of 358 000 km2. The climate is maritime in the north and continental in the south with precipitation varying between 600 and 2000 mm year,1. Lakes and farm ponds are common in the north-eastern part of the country and in the alpine and pre-alpine regions to the south. A great number of small natural and artificial water bodies exist all over the country. There are about 800 000 ha of inland waters. The population of 82 million people are concentrated around a number of large conurbations. Over the last 150 years, intense use of the water resources by industry led to pollution and a severe decrease in river and lake fisheries. Only 587 inland fishing enterprises still existed in the early 1990s. Catches from commercial fisheries are decreasing with a total of 3469 t being caught in 1998. The Lake Constance fishery, which landed about 840 t in 1998, is an exception to the general trend. Strong competition for the aquatic resource is affecting commercial fisheries, whilst recreational fisheries have gained increasing importance over the last decades. Recent studies provided basic information on anglers' habits, social structure and economic significance as well as their effects on the waters. Aquaculture mainly produces rainbow trout, Oncoryhnchus mykiss (Walbaum) 20 000 t and carps (12 000 t) e.g. Cyprinus carpio L. Despite pressures from industry and conservation movements, regional support for fisheries and their development has intensified, leading to improved water quality. There are even attempts to re-establish abandoned fisheries. Co-operation with conservationists provides an opportunity for the future survival and development of fisheries. The fisheries and aquaculture sectors changed drastically after the reunification of Germany. The collapse of the infrastructure in the eastern part of Germany led to a decline in production and to a special investigation on recent developments of this sector. [source] Blockade of IL-15 activity inhibits microglial activation through the NF,B, p38, and ERK1/2 pathways, reducing cytokine and chemokine releaseGLIA, Issue 3 2010Diego Gomez-Nicola Abstract Reactive glia formation is one of the hallmarks of damage to the CNS, but little information exists on the signals that direct its activation. Microglial cells are the main regulators of both innate and adaptative immune responses in the CNS. The proinflammatory cytokine IL-15 is involved in regulating the response of T and B cells, playing a key role in regulating nervous system inflammatory events. We have used a microglial culture model of inflammation induced by LPS and IFN, to evaluate the role of IL-15 in the proinflammatory response. Our results indicate that IL-15 is necessary for the reactive response, its deficiency (IL-15-/-) leading to the development of a defective proinflammatory response. Blockade of IL-15, both with blocking antibodies or with the ganglioside Neurostatin, inhibited the activation of the NF,B pathway, decreasing iNOS expression and NO production. Inhibiting IL-15 signaling also blocked the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways ERK1/2 and p38. The major consequence of these inhibitory effects, analyzed using cytokine antibody arrays, was a severe decrease in the production of chemokines, cytokines and growth factors, like CCL17, CCL19, IL-12, or TIMP-1, that are essential for the development of the phenotypic changes of glial activation. In conclusion, activation of the IL-15 system seems a necessarystep for the development of glial reactivity and the regulation of the physiology of glial cells. Modulating IL-15 activity opens the possibility of developing new strategies to control gliotic events upon inflammatory stimulation. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Breeding success in a Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis [undulata] macqueenii population on the eastern fringe of the Jungar Basin, People's Republic of ChinaIBIS, Issue 2 2002O. Combreau Nesting success and chick survival of a migratory population of Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis [undulata] macqueenii were studied during three consecutive years (1998,2000) in the Xinjiang province of north-west China. A total of 45 nests was monitored and 85 broods comprising 227 chicks were captured, of which 82 chicks were radio-tracked. Start of laying varied between 6 and 17 April between years but the laying mode fell consistently between 26 and 30 April. Mean clutch size was 4.0 (sd = 0.8) (range 2,6) for early clutches and 3.3 (sd = 1.1) for late clutches (range 2,5). The average nesting success was 0.588 (sd = 0.270) but great variations were observed between years ,0.882 in 1998, 0.530 in 1999 and 0.351 in 2000. This was related to increased predation in 1999 and 2000, which is reflected by increased predator density (chiefly Corsac Fox Vulpes corsac and Long-legged Buzzards Buteo rufinus). The overall hatchability, defined as the proportion of eggs hatched in successful nests was 0.839 sd = 0.238). The average brood size at hatching varied from 2.9 (sd = 0.8) to 3.3 (sd = 0.9) according to years, and no significant decrease in brood size was observed in the first 5 days post-hatching. In 1999 and 2000 the brood size diminished sharply (14% and 27%, respectively) in prefledging chicks. A further severe decrease (37%) was observed in fledglings in 2000, probably due to predation by raptors. For the 3 years of the study, a successful female Houbara would bring on average 2.3 (sd = 0.9) chicks to fledging and would have lost 30.2% (sd = 14.9%) of its brood to adversity during the rearing process. The proportion of females that lost their entire brood was 0.181 in 1998, 0.708 in 1999 and 0.453 in 2000. For the 3 years of the study, only 55.3% (sd = 26.3%) of the females hatching eggs brought chicks to fledging. The overall chick production was 0.827 per breeding female per year and the probability of an egg laid producing a fledgling of 8 weeks old was 0.190. [source] The suppressed expression and functional activity of hepatic P-glycoprotein in rats with protein,calorie malnutritionJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 7 2003Young-Mi Lee Abstract The effect of protein,calorie malnutrition (PCM) on the expression and functional activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the liver of rats was examined. Control protein diets and protein-restricted diets were fed to Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 weeks, and the expression of P-gp in the liver (Western blot), in vitro uptake of a representative substrate of P-gp, daunomycin, into canalicular liver plasma membrane (cLPM) vesicles, and in vivo canalicular excretion of daunomycin were compared between the control and PCM rats. The expression of P-gp in the cLPM vesicles was decreased (22%, p,<,0.05) by PCM. Consistent with this result, the in vitro uptake rate (Vmax) was decreased (35%, p,<,0.05) by PCM, with constant affinity (Km), for the carrier-mediated uptake of daunomycin into cLPM vesicles, resulting in a 33% (p,<,0.05) decrease in the intrinsic uptake clearance (CLint). The in vivo canalicular excretion clearance (CLexc) of daunomycin was also decreased by 79% (p,<,0.01) in PCM rats, but the degree was more severe than would be expected from the 22% decrease in the expression of P-gp and the 33% decrease in the uptake of daunomycin (CLint). The hepatic level of adenosine 5,-triphosphate, which was decreased by 60% (p,<,0.01) in PCM rats, might have contributed to this severe decrease in CLexc. In summary, the canalicular excretion of P-gp substrates, such as daunomycin, might be reduced in patients with PCM via a mechanism involving the suppression of the expression of P-gp. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 92:1323,1330, 2003 [source] Evodia rutaecarpa protects against circulation failure and organ dysfunction in endotoxaemic rats through modulating nitric oxide releaseJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 10 2002Wen Fei Chiou Using a rat model of septic shock we studied the effects of Evodia rutaecarpa, a Chinese herbal medicine with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, on haemodynamic parameters, biochemical markers of organ function and nitric oxide (NO) production. Anaesthetized rats challenged with a high dosage of endotoxin (Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide; LPS; 50 mg kg,1, i.v.) for 6 h showed a severe decrease in mean arterial pressure. This was accompanied by delayed bradycardia, vascular hyporeactivity to phenylephrine and increase in plasma levels of lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin and creatinine, as well as NOx (NO,2 plus NO,3). Pretreatment with ethanol extract of E. rutaecarpa (25,50 and 100 mg kg,1, i.v.), 1 h before LPS, dose-dependently prevented the circulation failure, vascular hyporeactivity to phenylephrine, prevented liver dysfunction and reduced the NOx over-production in plasma in endotoxaemic rats. A selective inducible NO-synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, aminoguanidine (15 mg kg,1, i.v.), also effectively ameliorated the above pathophysiological phenomenon associated with endotoxaemia so that the normal condition was approached. Endotoxaemia for 6 h resulted in a significant increase in iNOS activity in the liver homogenate, which was attenuated significantly by E. rutaecarpa pretreatment. In summary, E. rutaecarpa, at the dosages used, exerted these beneficial effects probably through inhibition of iNOS activity and subsequent modulation of the release of NO. These significant results may offer E. rutaecarpa as a candidate for the treatment of this model of endotoxaemia. [source] Theoretical Simulation of Oxygen Transport to Brain by Networks of Microvessels: Effects of Oxygen Supply and Demand on Tissue HypoxiaMICROCIRCULATION, Issue 4 2000T.W. SECOMB ABSTRACT Objective: Simulations of oxygen delivery by a three-dimensional network of microvessels in rat cerebral cortex were used to examine how the distribution of partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in tissue depends on blood flow and oxygen consumption rates. Methods: Network geometry was deduced from previously published scanning electron micrographs of corrosion casts. A nonlinear least-squares method, using images obtained at three different angles, was used to estimate vessel locations. The network consisted of 50 segments in a region 140 µm × 150 µm × 160 µm. A Green's function method was used to predict the PO2 distribution. Effects of varying perfusion and consumption were examined, relative to a control state with consumption 10 cm3O2/100 g per min and perfusion 160 cm3/100 g per min. Results: In the control state, minimum tissue PO2 was 7 mm Hg. A Krogh-type model with the same density of vessels, but with uniform spacing, predicted a minimum tissue PO2 of 23 mm Hg. For perfusion below 60% of control, tissue hypoxia (PO2 <1 mm Hg) was predicted. When perfusion was reduced by 75%, the resulting hypoxia could be eliminated by a 31% reduction in oxygen consumption rate. Conclusions: The simulations suggest that tissue hypoxia resulting from a severe decrease in brain perfusion, as can occur in stroke, may be avoided by a moderate decrease in oxygen consumption rate. [source] Azathioprine hepatotoxicity and the protective effect of liquorice and glycyrrhizic acidPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 8 2006Yue-Ting Wu Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the responses of human hepatocytes to azathioprine hepatotoxicity in comparison with the well-studied azathioprine hepatotoxicity in rat hepatocytes and the effects of protective agents to suppress azathioprine hepatotoxicity. Azathioprine presented its hepatotoxicity at clinically relevant concentrations (lower than 10 µm) in primary rat hepatocytes after 48 h of treatment as shown by a severe decrease in cell viability as well as intracellular GSH depletion. However, primary human hepatocytes exhibited only significant intracellular GSH depletion after treatment with azathioprine at these clinically relevant concentrations, while a reduction in cell viability by 29% was only evidenced after 48 h of treatment with azathioprine at the high concentration of 50 µm. In addition, a monolayer culture of primary rat hepatocytes was used as an in vitro model to examine the protective effects of antihepatotoxic drugs including glutathione (GSH), N-acetylcysteine (NAC, a GSH precursor), liquorice and glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a major bioactive component of liquorice, against hepatotoxicity of 1 µm azathioprine. It was found that both liquorice and GA showed substantial protection according to assays of cell viability and intracellular GSH, while neither GSH nor NAC had such a protective function. Similarly, GA protected human hepatocytes from intracellular GSH depletion on exposure to 1 µm azathioprine. These results implied that GA or liquorice could be considered as potent protection agents against azathioprine hepatotoxicity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Influence of Immunosuppression on Alloresponse, Inflammation and Contractile Function of Graft After Intestinal TransplantationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 7 2010J. Fujishiro In small bowel transplantation (SBTx), graft manipulation, ischemia/reperfusion injury and acute rejection initiate a severe cellular and molecular inflammatory response in the muscularis propria leading to impaired motility of the graft. This study examined and compared the effect of tacrolimus and sirolimus on inflammation in graft muscularis. After allogeneic orthotopic SBTx, recipient rats were treated with tacrolimus or sirolimus. Tacrolimus and sirolimus attenuated neutrophilic, macrophage and T-cell infiltration in graft muscularis, which was associated with reduced apoptotic cell death. Nonspecific inflammatory mediators (IL-6, MCP-1) and T-cell activation markers (IL-2, IFN-,) were highly upregulated in allogeneic control graft muscularis 24 h and 7 days after SBTx, and tacrolimus and sirolimus significantly suppressed upregulation of these mediators. In vitro organ bath method demonstrated a severe decrease in graft smooth muscle contractility in allogeneic control (22% of normal control). Correlating with attenuated upregulation of iNOS, tacrolimus and sirolimus treatment significantly improved contractility (64% and 72%, respectively). Although sirolimus reduced cellular and molecular inflammatory response more efficiently after 24 h, contrary tacrolimus prevented acute rejection more efficiently. In conclusion, tacrolimus and sirolimus attenuate cellular and molecular inflammatory response in graft muscularis and subsequent dysmotility of the graft after allogeneic SBTx. [source] Substituting fish meal with poultry by-product meal in diets for black Sea turbot Psetta maeoticaAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 5 2006M. YIGIT Abstract A 60 days feeding experiment was carried out with Black Sea turbot Psetta maeotica to determine the amount of poultry by-product meal (PBM) that could replace fish meal (FM) in formulated diets without reducing growth performance. Juvenile Black Sea turbot (initial average weight, 30 g) were fed five isoenergetic (gross energy, 20.5 ± 0.21 kJ g,1 diet) and isonitrogenous diets (protein content, 550 ±,0.35 g kg,1). The control diet used white FM as the sole protein source, the other four diets were prepared to replace FM protein at levels of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% with PBM. The fish readily accepted all experimental diets and no mortality were recorded during the trial. There were no significant differences in growth performance of turbot (P < 0.05) fed the diets with 25% and 50% replacement levels compared with fish offered the control diet (100% FM), however, final body weight and specific growth rate values in the 50% replacement diet were about 8% lower than those of the control. Total nitrogen excretion in fish fed 50% replacement diet were about 10% higher than the control group, even though these parameters were not found to be statistically different. At the levels of 750 and 1000 g kg,1 of the protein, PBM inclusion caused a severe decrease in growth performance, feed utilization, protein efficiency ratio and per cent nitrogen retention. The results in the present study indicate that up to 25% of FM protein can be replaced by PBM protein without causing reduction in growth performance, nutrient utilization and nitrogen retention. [source] Interim Analysis and Sample Size ReassessmentBIOMETRICS, Issue 4 2000Martin Posch Summary. This article deals with sample size reassessment for adaptive two-stage designs based on conditional power arguments utilizing the variability observed at the first stage. Fisher's product test for the p -values from the disjoint samples at the two stages is considered in detail for the comparison of the means of two normal populations. We show that stopping rules allowing for the early acceptance of the null hypothesis that are optimal with respect to the average sample size may lead to a severe decrease of the overall power if the sample size is a priori underestimated. This problem can be overcome by choosing designs with low probabilities of early acceptance or by midtrial adaptations of the early acceptance boundary using the variability observed in the first stage. This modified procedure is negligibly anticonservative and preserves the power. [source] Gadolinium-induced nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in a patient with an acute and transient kidney injuryBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2008R.E. Kalb Summary Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) describes a characteristic fibrosing disorder which typically presents with indurated plaques on the trunk and extremities of patients with advanced renal disease. We present a case of biopsy-confirmed NSF in a patient with severe acute kidney injury with no prior history of renal disease. A 64-year-old man with an acute and severe decrease in glomerular filtration rate underwent magnetic resonance imaging studies with gadolinium contrast (OmniscanÔ) and subsequently developed NSF. His renal disease had normalized at the time his skin disease developed. Skin biopsies revealed findings of NSF and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed insoluble gadolinium within lesional tissue. [source] | ||||||||||||||||