Juvenile immune status affects the expression of a sexually selected trait in field crickets.

Parasite-mediated sexual selection theory presumes that variation in sexual traits reliably reflects variation in parasite resistance among available mates. One mechanism that may warrant signal honesty involves costs of immune system activation in the case of a parasitic infection. We investigated this hypothesis in male field crickets Gryllus campestris, whose attractiveness to females depends on characteristics of the sound-producing harp that are essentially fixed following adult eclosion. During the nymphal stage, males subjected to one of two feeding regimes were challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to investigate condition-dependent effects on harp development as compared to other adult traits. Nymphal nutritional status positively affected adult body size, condition, and harp size. However, nymphal immune status affected harp size only, with LPS-males having smaller harps than control-injected males. In addition, the harps of LPS-males showed a lesser degree of melanization, indicating an enhanced substrate use by the melanin-producing enzyme cascade of the immune system. Thus, past immune status is specifically mirrored in sexual traits, suggesting a key role for deployment costs of immunity in parasite-mediated sexual selection.

Performance evaluation of IVC systems.

An expert Working Group was set up in December 2000 to develop recommendations for users and industry on the evaluation of proper function and operation of individually ventilated cage (IVC) systems. The full report of their recommendations is in two parts--'Part 1: Test Instructions' and 'Part 2: Evaluation Criteria'--both of which have been published in full on the Laboratory Animals Ltd website. They can be found at http://www.lal.org.uk/IVC/index.html. Evaluation of and feedback on the recommendations to further refine their use and scientific basis is encouraged. This Summary Report provides a brief overview of the background to the development of the full report and the issues it addresses.

Gustatory responsiveness to polycose in four species of nonhuman primates.

The taste responsiveness of six squirrel monkeys, five pigtail macaques, four olive baboons, and four spider monkeys to polycose, a starch-derived polysaccharide, was assessed in two-bottle preference tests of brief duration (2 min). In experiment 1, the monkeys were given the choice between tap water and defined concentrations of polycose dissolved in tap water. In experiment 2, the animals were given the choice between polycose and sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, and maltose presented in equimolar concentrations of 100 and 200 mM, respectively. The animals were found to prefer concentrations of polycose as low as 10 mM (pigtail macaques), 30 mM (olive baboons and spider monkeys), and 60 mM (squirrel monkeys) over tap water. Relative taste preferences were stable across the concentrations tested and indicate an order of relative effectiveness (sucrose > polycose > or = maltose) in squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, and olive baboons that is similar to the order of relative sweetness in humans. Pigtail macaques, however, displayed an order of relative effectiveness (maltose > polycose > or = sucrose) that differs markedly from that found in the other primate species tested and is similar to relative taste preferences found in rodents such as rats. Both the high sensitivity of the pigtail macaques to polycose and their vivid predilection for this polysaccharide and its disaccharide constituent maltose suggest that Macaca nemestrina, unlike other primates, but like rodents, may have specialized taste receptors for starch.

Taste difference thresholds for sucrose in two species of nonhuman primates.

The purpose of this study was to determine taste difference thresholds for sucrose in frugivorous spider monkeys and omnivorous baboons. Using a two-bottle preference test of brief duration, we presented four Ateles geoffroyi and four Papio hamdryas anubis with six different reference concentrations (RCs) of 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mM sucrose and tested their ability to discriminate these from lower concentrations of this carbohydrate. The just noticeable differences (JNDs), expressed as Weber ratios (delta/I), were found to range from 0.075-0.25 in the spider monkeys, with a tendency for lower values with higher RCs. In contrast, the baboons showed the reverse trend, with the lowest Weber ratio of 0.10 at the two lowest RCs and higher values of up to 0.25 with the highest RC tested. Thus, the JNDs were found to be generally similar in both species and at least as low as in humans. The results support the assumption that both spider monkeys and baboons may use sweetness as a criterion for food selection. The different patterns of differential sensitivity for sucrose across the range of concentrations tested suggest a correlation between the ability to discriminate between different concentrations of sucrose and the dietary habits of the two species.

Endogenous B1 receptor mediated hypotension produced by contact system activation in the presence of endotoxemia.

Previous studies have shown that an intravenous infusion of dextran sulfate (DXS) causes arterial hypotension via release of bradykinin (BK) and stimulation of bradykinin B2 receptors in pigs. The bradykinin B1 receptor is not physiologically present but its expression can be induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This study was designed to assess the relative roles of bradykinin B2 and B1 receptors in the hypotensive response produced by DXS in LPS-treated pigs. In LPS-treated pigs a continuous infusion of DXS produced a progressive drop in blood pressure that peaked at approximately 30 min after onset of the infusion and returned to baseline after another 30 min. In animals receiving the selective B2 receptor antagonist Hoe-140 a significant attenuation of the peak fall in blood pressure to DXS was observed. In pigs treated with Hoe-140 and the selective B1 receptor antagonist CP-0298 (Lys(0)-Leu(8)-des-Arg(9)-bradykinin) DXS infusion had no effect on blood pressure. This is the first demonstration in vivo that following activation of the contact system both B2 and B1 receptors are involved in the resulting hypotensive response. This would be consistent with the production of BK (which stimulates B2 receptors) that is subsequently converted to the biologically active metabolite des-Arg(9)-BK in sufficient concentrations to activate B 1 receptors. The significance of these observations to pathophysiology remains to be determined.

The impact of splenectomy on antibody response in the porcine model.

Some controversy exists regarding the antibody response after splenectomy and spleen preserving operations. In a porcine model the specific IgG antibody response to tetanus toxoid and type 6B pneumococcal polysaccharide was studied in 10 animals with splenectomy, 11 animals with splenic resection, 10 animals with splenic autotransplantation and 10 sham operated control animals. The operative groups were divided in two subgroups, receiving either the immuno adjuvant MTP-PE or the vehicle alone. Specific antibodies were determined by ELISA. Immunization with tetanus toxoid led to slightly lower peak IgG levels in splenectomized animals, but this was statistically not significant as compared to controls. In addition, the distribution of responders (78%) was not influenced by type of operation. Type 6B-pneumococcal polysaccharide proved to be a weak immunogen (19% responders). Splenectomy or spleen preserving surgery had no impact on the proportion of responders and peak IgG antibody titers of responders to this antigen. Additional administration of MTP-PE did not significantly increase the proportion of responders and had no impact on peak IgG antibody levels to tetanus toxoid and type 6B pneumococcal polysaccharide. These results show in contrast to previous studies in man, that under controlled conditions in the porcine model serum antibody responses to T-cell dependent and T-cell independent antigens are only slightly decreased by splenectomy. In addition, no effects of spleen preserving operations on antibody response are observed, and there is no change after concomitant administration of a muramyl peptide.

Acrosin in the spermiohistogenesis of mammals.

Using the indirect immunofluorescence staining technique, the developmental pattern of acrosin during spermatogenesis of boar, ram, rabbit, mouse, rat, and Russian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) was studied. Specific antibodies against purified boar acrosin raised in rabbits cross-reacted with the acrosin of all species investigated thus suggesting that the antigenic determinants of the acrosin molecule cross-reacting with anti-boar acrosin antiserum have been highly conserved in mammalian evolution. During spermatogenesis acrosin was first demonstrable in haploid spermatids and increased in the course of the differentiation of the spermatids to spermatozoa. During the entire period of spermatid differentiation acrosin appeared in juxtaposition to the nucleus. In boar and ram the results obtained with the indirect immunofluorescence staining procedure were confirmed with the indirect immunoperoxidase staining method.