Revision of Eupyrochroa Blair, 1914 (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) based on morphological comparison and molecular phylogenetics.

Eupyrochroa Blair, 1914 is a small genus of fire-colored beetles (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) with two putative species recorded from limited historical distributions in China. The two species, E. insignita (Fairmaire, 1894) and E. limbaticollis (Pic, 1909), have been distinguished on the basis of color differences in the pronotum and scutellum, characters now known to exhibit significant variability. In the present study, adult morphology of the two species was compared, and partial fragments of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) from 36 samples representing 14 pyrochroid species were obtained by extraction and a GenBank search. Nucleotide composition, genetic distance, and phylogeny were analyzed. The results of morphological and molecular analyses indicate consistency, suggesting that the two species are indistinguishable by any significant measure. Therefore, Eupyrochroa limbaticollis (Pic, 1909) is proposed as a junior synonym of E. insignita (Fairmaire, 1894). The species is also redescribed and illustrated, including both adults and larvae.

Mitochondrial genomes of three Mylabris (Pseudabris) species (Coleoptera: Meloidae, Mylabrini) and their phylogenetic implications.

The complete mitogenomes of the subgenus Mylabris (Pseudabris) Fairmaire, 1894, endemic to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, are reported for the first time. Three species out of seven, M. hingstoni Blair, 1927, M. longiventris Blair, 1927, and M. przewalskyi (Dokhtouroff, 1887), were sequenced. The sequencing results of mitogenomes were annotated and analyzed. The gene arrangements were consistent with the putative ancestral insect mitogenomes as understood today, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and a noncoding internal control region (CR). The PCGs used the typical start ATN codon and TAA/TAG stop codons. The lengths of three mitogenomes were 15,692 bp, 15,685 bp, and 15,685 bp, with an A + T content of 71.29%, 71.67%, and 71.53%, respectively. The evolution rates of 13 PCGs were compared: The evolution rate of ATP8 was the highest, and that of COX1 was the lowest. Furthermore, the phylogenetic relationships among the genera and tribes of Meloidae were discussed.

A New Approach Using Manganese-Enhanced MRI to Diagnose Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in a Rabbit Model: Initial Experience.

PURPOSE: Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) has been applied to a wide range of biological and disease research. The purpose of the study was to use MEMRI to diagnose the acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). METHODS: The institutional experimental animal ethics committee approved this study. To optimize the dose of Mn(2+) infusion, a dose-dependent curve was obtained using Mn(2+)-enhanced T 1 map MRI by an intravenous infusion 2.5-20 nmol/g body weight (BW) of 50 nmol/L MnCl2. The eighteen animals were divided into control, sham-operated, and AMI groups. AMI models were performed by ligating the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). T 1 values were measured on T 1 maps in regions of the small intestinal wall and relaxation rate (ΔR 1) was calculated. RESULTS: A nonlinear relationship between infused MnCl2 solution dose and increase in small intestinal wall ΔR 1 was observed. Control animal exhibited significant Mn(2+) clearance over time at the dose of 15 nmol/g BW. In the AMI model, ΔR 1 values (0.95 ± 0.13) in the small intestinal wall were significantly lower than in control group (2.05 ± 0.19) after Mn(2+) infusion (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The data suggest that MEMRI shows potential as a diagnostic technique that is directly sensitive to the poor or absent perfusion in AMI.

Monitoring dynamic alterations in calcium homeostasis by T1-mapping manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) in the early stage of small intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Manganese-enhanced MRI studies have proven to be useful in monitoring physiological activities associated with calcium ions (Ca(2+)) due to the paramagnetic property of the manganese ion (Mn(2+)), which makes it an excellent probe of Ca(2+) . In this study, we developed a method in which a Mn(2+)-enhanced T1 -map MRI could enable the monitoring of Ca(2+) influx during the early stages of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The Mn(2+) infusion protocol was optimized by obtaining dose-dependent and time-course wash-out curves using a Mn(2+)-enhanced T1-map MRI of rabbit abdomens following an intravenous infusion of 50 mmol/l MnCl2 (5-10 nmol/g body weight (BW)). In the rabbit model of intestinal I/R injury, T1 values were derived from the T1 maps in the intestinal wall region and revealed a relationship between the dose of the infused MnCl2 and the intestinal wall relaxation time. Significant Mn(2+) clearance was also observed over time in control animals after the infusion of Mn(2+) at a dose of 10 nmol/g BW. This technique was also shown to be sensitive enough to monitor variations in calcium ion homeostasis in vivo after small intestinal I/R injury. The T1 values of the intestinal I/R group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that of the control group at 5, 10, and 15 min after Mn(2+) infusion. Our data suggest that MnCl2 has the potential to be an MRI contrast agent that can be effectively used to monitor changes in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis during the early stages of intestinal I/R injury.