scholarly journals Metabolism of oestrone and oestradiol-17beta to conjugated steroids by the accessory sex glands of the male pig

1999 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
JI Raeside ◽  
HL Christie ◽  
RL Renaud

Oestrogens are secreted in large amounts by boar testes and are known to have a synergistic effect with testosterone on the production of large volumes of seminal plasma. Thus, oestrogens play a role in regulating the large accessory sex glands in the boar. Since testosterone metabolites (e.g. 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone) account for much of its action in target tissues we have looked at the metabolism of oestrogens in the accessory sex glands of the male pig. Tissues from seminal vesicles and bulbourethral glands of 6-week-old castrate and intact males, and 12-week-old castrate animals, were incubated with (3)H-labelled oestrone and oestradiol-17beta. Aliquots of spent culture medium and of methanolic tissue extracts were taken to measure radioactivity, prior to separation of unconjugated and conjugated steroids on Waters C(18) Sep-Pak cartridges. About one-third of the radioactivity appeared as conjugates in the media from both glands with each oestrogen. Subsequently, sulphoconjugated steroids and glucuronidates were recovered in series from C(18) cartridges after solvolysis and enzyme hydrolysis respectively. Furthermore, about one-third of the conjugated fraction in each case remained unhydrolysed after these treatments. In conclusion, it is clear that a study of the actions of oestrogens on these glands must consider the dynamics of metabolism of the oestrogens presented to them by the testes and would include conjugation of steroids by the glands themselves.

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. J. Meiring ◽  
R. A. Oellermann

A system of oxidation ponds in series with a biological trickling filter is described. It was known that this arrangement was incapable of reducing effectively the levels of algae present in the pond liquid even though nitrification was effected because of autotrophic conditions prevailing in the trickling filters. This very low trophic level explained the lack of adsorptive capacity present. By shortcircuiting less than 10 percent of the effluent from a fully loaded primary facultative oxidation pond to the trickling filter, the autotrophuc nature or the film in the trickling filter was sufficiently shifted towards a heterotrophic state that had sufficient adsorptive capacity to retain the majority of the algae. It is concluded that the algae, although being absorbed, stay alive on the film and do not contribute significantly to the carbonaceous load on the trickling filter. Further more the algae, although secluded from all sunlight, actually partake in the purification process, producing an effluent which, unlike a normal humus tank effluent, is surprisingly sparkling clear. This significant observation appears to be in line with laboratory findings by others who, when they artificially immobilised certain species of algae and passed water over them, concluded that the algae retained the potential to remove certain compounds from the water. Conglomerates of biologically flocculated dark-green algae are scoured off the film (or sloughed off as part of the film) and, having been photosynthetically inactive for some days, tend not to float, but settle very rapidly. A very significantly aspect of this development is the great potential it has for practical application in developing countries. The algae sloughed off the media are easily thickened and available for ultimate recovery from the water phase without the addition of chemicals.


2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Parker ◽  
Sarah R. Wisotsky ◽  
Evan G. Johnson ◽  
Faraj M. Hijaz ◽  
Nabil Killiny ◽  
...  

Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, is associated with infection by the phloem-limited bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’. Infection with ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ is incurable; therefore, knowledge regarding ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ biology and pathogenesis is essential to develop a treatment. However, ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ cannot currently be successfully cultured, limiting its study. To gain insight into the conditions conducive for growth of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ in vitro, ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ inoculum obtained from seed of fruit from infected pomelo trees (Citrus maxima ‘Mato Buntan’) was added to different media, and cell viability was monitored for up to 2 months using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in conjunction with ethidium monoazide. Media tested included one-third King's B (K), K with 50% juice from the infected fruit, K with 50% commercially available grapefruit juice, and 100% commercially available grapefruit juice. Results show that juice-containing media dramatically prolong viability compared with K in experiments reproduced during 2 years using different juice sources. Furthermore, biofilm formed at the air–liquid interface of juice cultures contained ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ cells, though next-generation sequencing indicated that other bacterial genera were predominant. Chemical characterization of the media was conducted to discuss possible factors sustaining ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ viability in vitro, which will contribute to future development of a culture medium for ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’.


Author(s):  
Gabriela de Oliveira Fernandes ◽  
Marcella Pecora Milazzotto ◽  
Andrei Antonioni Guedes Fidelis ◽  
Taynan Stonoga Kawamoto ◽  
Ligiane de Oliveira Leme ◽  
...  

Abstract The present study aimed to identify biomarkers to assess the quality of in vitro produced (IVP) bovine embryos in the culture media. IVP embryos on Day (D) 5 of development were transferred to individual drops, where they were maintained for the last 48 h of culture. Thereafter, the medium was collected and the embryos were transferred to the recipients. After pregnancy diagnosis, the media were grouped into the pregnant and nonpregnant groups. The metabolic profiles of the media were analyzed via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and the concentrations of pyruvate, lactate, and glutamate were assessed using fluorimetry. The spectrometric profile revealed that the media from embryos from the pregnant group presented a higher signal intensity compared to that of the nonpregnant group; the ions 156.13 Da [M + H]+, 444.33 Da [M + H]+, and 305.97 Da [M + H]+ were identified as biomarkers. Spent culture medium from expanded blastocysts (Bx) that established pregnancy had a greater concentration of pyruvate (p = 0.0174) and lesser concentration of lactate (p = 0.042) than spent culture medium from Bx that did not establish pregnancy. Moreover, pyruvate in the culture media of Bx can predict pregnancy with 90.9% sensitivity and 75% specificity. In conclusion, we identified markers in the culture media that helped in assessing the most viable IVP embryos with a greater potential to establish pregnancy.


1989 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Dumasia ◽  
E. Houghton ◽  
M. Jackiw

ABSTRACT After homogenization of testicular tissue from stallions aged 1, 2 and 5 years, the unconjugated and conjugated steroids were isolated by a combined solvent–solid extraction procedure. The conjugates were further separated into glucuronides and sulphates by chromatography using Sephadex LH-20. After enzyme hydrolysis and solvolysis of the respective conjugate classes, the three extracts, unconjugated steroids, aglycones and solvolysed sulphates, were purified by chromatography using Kieselgel 60H columns. Five fractions were resolved from each extract; an aliquot of each fraction was derivatized to form the methoxime-trimethylsilyl ethers and the steroids were identified by combined gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results have shown that in stallion testes (1) steroidogenesis proceeds by both the 4-ene and the 5-ene pathways, (2) age-linked changes occur in both unconjugated and sulphoconjugated steroid fractions and (3) 19-hydroxy androgens and the 19-nor (C18) neutral steroids (19-norandrostenedione and 19-nortestosterone) are detected only in the unconjugated fraction whereas oestrone, the isomers of oestradiol and of 5(10)-oestrene-3,17-diol are the only steroids detected in the sulphoconjugate fraction. It is suggested that the unconjugated 19-oxygenated androgens present in stallion testes are converted to 19-nor neutral steroids by a reverse aldol reaction and a mechanism showing the putative intermediates in their formation is illustrated. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 120, 223–229


Author(s):  
Aristotelis Agianniotis ◽  
Alexander Rachev ◽  
Nikos Stergiopulos

We developed a structure-based model of the arterial wall to explain the effect of dissolution of smooth muscle cells (SMC) on the mechanical behavior of the artery and to obtain a better understanding of the interaction between the different wall components. Pressure-radius curves and dimensions of zero-stress configuration were measured in 5 control and 5 decellularized porcine common carotid arteries. We found that 13% of elastin is associated with the smooth muscle cells (SMC) whereas the rest 87% is associated with the extracellular matrix (ECM). Further, we found that the elastin related to SMC and the one related to the ECM have circumferential prestretches of 2.04 and 0.89, respectively. We conclude that the majority of elastic in the media is linked to ECM and is under compression at zero load, whereas a minor part is linked to VSM and is under tension (SMC related) at its zero load state. Upon chemical dissolution of the muscle cells elastin in series with SMC do not bear load allowing elastin connected to ECM to release its compressive prestress, leading to the expansion of the artery.


1918 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 609-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideyo Noguchi

1. Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ is unable to grow in the urine, either with or without the addition of suitable culture ingredients, the acidity of the urine being detrimental to the growth. It survives less than 24 hours, unless the urine is neutralized or slightly alkalized, when the period of survival is somewhat longer. If suitable nutrient ingredients are added to the neutralized or slightly alkalized urine, the organism is able to grow for about 10 days, after which multiplication ceases. 2. Feces from normal or jaundiced persons destroy Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ within 24 hours when a rich culture is added and the mixture allowed to stand at 26°C. The addition of blood serum and corpuscles does not prevent the destruction of the organism. Autoclaved specimens and filtrates of unheated feces do not constitute a suitable medium in which to keep the organism alive for any length of time, but the addition of blood corpuscles and serum in adequate quantities renders them fairly satisfactory as media. Under natural conditions Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ cast off in the feces cannot survive more than 24 hours. 3. Polluted water, sewage, and soil will not serve to keep Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ alive for more than 3 days at the most. When deprived by filtration or autoclaving of their bacteria they become indifferent diluents and may be used to make up a culture medium when mixed with serum and citrate plasma of a suitable animal. Sterilized soil with a neutral reaction, when added to a culture, has an unfavorable effect upon the growth of the organism. 4. Most of the aerobic bacteria found in feces, sewage, soil, and tap water inhibit the growth of Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ when inoculated into the same medium. Bacillus fæcalis alkaligenes and many strains of non-hemolytic streptococci caused the least interference, although growth was never so vigorous or lasting in the media in which they were present as in the control media. Certain pathogenic bacteria (Bacillus typhosus, Bacillus paratyphosus, Bacillus dysenteriæ, pneumococcus) are antagonistic to the growth of the spirochete. 5. Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ is highly sensitive to the destructive action of bile, bile salts, and sodium oleate, but resists the action of saponin. In this last respect it differs from many so called spirochetes. The destructive action of these agents is counteracted by blood serum. 6. The larvae and adults of the Culex mosquito, the larvæ of the house-fly and bluebottle fly, wood ticks (Dermacentor andersoni), and leeches failed to become carriers of the spirochetes when fed on infected guinea pigs or their organs; that is, they cannot play the part of an intermediary host of Leptospira icterohæmorrhagiæ.


Author(s):  
Kantharakorn Macharoen ◽  
Qiongyu Li ◽  
Veronica A. Márquez-Escobar ◽  
Jasmine M. Corbin ◽  
Carlito B. Lebrilla ◽  
...  

The production and N-glycosylation of recombinant human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a model highly glycosylated therapeutic protein, in a transgenic rice cell suspension culture treated with kifunensine, a strong α-mannosidase I inhibitor, was studied in a 5 L bioreactor. A media exchange was performed at day 7 of cultivation by removing spent sugar rich media (NB+S) and adding fresh sugar free (NB-S) media to induce the rice α-amylase 3D (RAmy3D) promoter to produce rice recombinant human BChE (rrBChE). Using a 1.25X concentrated sugar-free medium together with an 80% reduced working volume during the media exchange lead to a total active rrBChE production level of 79 ± 2 µg (g FW)-1 or 7.5 ± 0.4 mg L-1 in the presence of kifunensine, which is 1.5-times higher than our previous bioreactor runs using normal sugar free medium with no kifunensine treatment. Importantly, the amount of secreted active rrBChE in culture medium was enhanced in the presence of kifunensine, comprising 44% of the total active rrBChE at day 5 post-induction. Coomassie stained SDS-PAGE gel and Western blot analyses reveal different electrophoretic migration of purified rrBChE bands with and without kifunensine treatment, which is attributed to different N-glycoforms. N-Glycosylation analysis shows substantial increase of oligomannose glycans (Man5/6/7/8) in rrBChE treated with kifunensine compared to controls. However, mass transfer limitation of kifunensine is likely the major reason for incomplete inhibition of α-mannosidase I in this bioreactor study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Anton Z. Mindubaev ◽  
◽  
Elena K. Badeeva ◽  
Salima T. Minzanova ◽  
Lubov G. Mironova ◽  
...  

The biodegradation of white phosphorus is undoubtedly an amazing illustration of the adaptability of living organisms to adverse environmental factors. In addition, it is a potential basis for the creation of new, breakthrough methods for detoxifying substances of the first class danger. However, establishing the fact of biological destruction is only half the battle. It is essential to optimize the growth conditions of microbial cultures and P4 biodegradation for industrial cultivation. The presented study compared the growth of Aspergillus niger strain AM1 in culture media varying in composition but containing P4 as the sole source of phosphorus. Of the ten media, two in which Aspergillus grew the fastest were selected. These media were concluded to be optimal for growth. Comparing the compositions of the media and the growth rate of Aspergillus in them, we found a key component that is a favorable factor for the growth of AM1 and the biodegradation of white phosphorus. This component was sodium nitrate (NaNO3). It has also been shown that copper sulphate (CuSO4) has no effect on the growth of Aspergillus in media with white phosphorus, regardless of the composition of these media. This result is in harmony with our previous findings. Furthermore, in the present work, attempts to increase the concentration of white phosphorus in the culture medium to values above 1% are described for the first time. For this purpose, we added the following solvents to the culture media: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and diesel, in which white phosphorus dissolves relatively well. Apparently, the presence of these substances adversely affects the growth of Aspergill. Therefore, the problem of further increasing the concentration of P4 remains an unanswered.


2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Kiełkowska ◽  
Adela Adamus

<span>Phytosulfokines (PSK) are peptidyl growth factors with the potential of inducing cell proliferation. We examined the effect of supplementation of liquid culture medium with 0.1 µM phytosulfokine-α (PSK-α) on protoplast viability and division frequencies in seven accessions of <em>Brassica oleracea</em> var. <em>capitata</em> L., including cultivars and breeding lines. Protoplasts were isolated from leaves and hypocotyls of in vitro grown plants and immobilized in calcium-alginate layers. Cabbage protoplast-derived cells cultured in medium supplemented with 0.1 µM of PSK-α had higher viability and division frequencies compared to cells cultured in PSK-α-free control medium. The effect of PSK-α was more pronounced in low-responding accessions (‘Sława z Gołębiewa’, ‘Ramkila F1’, LM, and LM98); however, in two cultivars with very low response (‘Badger Shipper’ and ‘Oregon 123’), although the division frequencies in the media supplemented with PSK-α were increased over the control, the differences were not significant. Obtained callus colonies were subjected to regeneration. PSK-α supplemented into the liquid culture medium had an indirect effect on shoot regeneration by inducing sustained cell divisions leading to an increase in shoot regeneration in Sława z Gołębiewa and both breeding lines.</span>


2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1121-1127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Silva de Oliveira ◽  
Augusto César de Queiroz ◽  
Hilário Cuquetto Mantovani ◽  
Marcelo Rodrigues de Melo ◽  
Edenio Detmann ◽  
...  

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the levels of lactic and propionic acids on in vitro fermentation of ruminal microorganisms. In experiment 1, the levels, in a total of 12 were the following: addition of 0 (control 1), 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mM of lactic acid and 0 (control 2), 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mM of propionic acid, respectively, in incubation flasks, which contained ruminal inoculum, glucose and synthetic culture medium, with two repetitions for each combination. In experiment 2, the combinations, in a total of 4, were the following: presence of 12 and 24 mM of propionic acid and 0 mg of glucose, respectively; presence of 12 and 24 mM of propionic acid and 40 mg of glucose, respectively, to the incubation flasks which contained ruminal inoculum, with or without glucose and in synthetic culture medium with two repetitions each. There was no effect on the specific growth velocity of ruminal microorganisms in the presence of lactic acid or propionic acid. However, when there were greater concentrations of these acids in the media, there was a longer lag phase in the microorganism phase. Acid propionic at the concentration of 24 mM inhibited the production of acid acetic and butyric acid in a media with glucose. Despite of not being used as a source of energy by the ruminal microorganisms, propionic acid affects their metabolism. Lactic and propionic acids inhibit growth of some ruminal microorganisms at elevated concentrations.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document