The Role of Heat Acclimation in Thermotolerance of Chickpea Cultivars: Changes in Photochemical and Biochemical Responses.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of heat stress on the physiological and biochemical responses of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.; Diyar and Küsmen-99) cultivars that are both heat acclimated and non-acclimated. The seedlings were grown in soil for 15 days and then exposed to heat stress (35 °C, 5 days) after heat acclimation (30 °C, 2 days) or non-acclimation (25 °C, 2 days). Chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) measurements were analyzed using the JIP test. Heat acclimation had no significant effect on ChlF parameters. Seedlings exposed to higher temperatures by acclimation were more tolerant in terms of ChlF parameters and Diyar had a better photochemical activity of photosystem II (PSII). Heat stress resulted in a decrease in electron transport efficiency, quantum yield, photosynthetic performance, and driving force in both chickpea cultivars, while K-band, L-band, and quantum yield of dissipation increased, especially in the non-acclimated cultivars. Additionally, ion leakage (RLR), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and H2O2 synthesis increased in the cultivars, while water content (RWC), chlorophyll (a + b) content, and carotenoid content of the cultivars decreased. On the other hand, the cultivars attempted to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the content of anthocyanins and flavonoids and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and POD) under heat stress. Heat acclimation alleviated the negative effects of heat stress on each cultivar's water content, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, membrane damage, photosynthetic activity, and antioxidant defense systems. The results of this study showed that, by providing heat acclimation more effectively, Diyar was better able to cope with the biochemical and physiological alterations that could be resulted from heat stress.

Salt Pretreatment-Mediated Alleviation of Boron Toxicity in Safflower Cultivars: Growth, Boron Accumulation, Photochemical Activities, Antioxidant Defense Response.

The study aims to elucidate alleviant effects of boron (B) toxicity by salt pretreatment (SP) on growth response, phytoremediation capacity, photosynthesis, and defense mechanisms in two safflower cultivars (Carthamus tinctorius L.; Dinçer and Remzibey-05). Eighteen-day-old plants were divided into two groups: SP (75 mM NaCl for 5 days) and/or B treatment (C, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mM B for 10 days). Depending on the applied B toxicity, B concentrations in roots and leaves of both cultivars, necrotic areas of leaves, ion leakage (RLR), and H2O2 synthesis increased, while shoot and root length as well as biomass, water, chlorophyll a+b, and carotenoid content decreased. In addition, chlorophyll a fluorescence results revealed that every stage of the light reactions of photosynthesis was adversely affected under B toxicity, resulting in decreases in performance indexes (PIABS and PITOT). However, the cultivars tended to induce the synthesis of anthocyanins and flavonoids and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, APX, and GR) to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) under B toxicity. SP mitigated the negative effects of toxic B on biomass, water and pigment content, membrane integrity, photosynthetic activity, and defense systems. Considering all results, Remzibey-05 was able to better overcome the biochemical and physiological changes that may be caused by B toxicity by more effectively rendering B harmless, although it accumulated more B than Dinçer.

In situ chitin isolation from body parts of a centipede and lysozyme adsorption studies.

Isolation of structurally intact chitin samples for biotechnological applications has gained much recent attention. So far, three-dimensional chitin isolates have been obtained from only diplopods and sponges. In this study, three-dimensional chitin isolates were obtained from the body parts of centipede Scolopendra sp. (antennae, head, forcipule, collum, trunk, trunk legs and last pair of legs) without leading to structural failure. FT-IR spectra of chitin isolates confirmed that chitin samples are in α allomorph. TGA, XRD and SEM analyses and lysozyme adsorption studies revealed that each chitin isolate had different thermal stability, crystallinity and surface characteristics. Among the chitin isolates, Cu(II)-immobilized forcipule chitin showed the highest affinity for lysozyme (54.1mg/g), whereas chitin from last pair of legs exhibited the lowest affinity (3.7mg/g). This study demonstrated that structurally intact chitin isolates can be obtained from the body parts of centipede Scolopendra sp. (antennae, head, forcipule, collum, trunk, trunk legs and last pair of legs) by using a simple chemical procedure. Also, it gives a biotechnological perspective to the organisms in the group of Chilipoda.

Effect of Tunicamycin on Glycosaminoglycans and Laminins in Embryonic and Postnatal Thymic Tissues.

OBJECTIVE: To compare histological and molecular alterations in the embryonic and neonatal thymi following exposure to tunicamycin. STUDY DESIGN: Mouse embryos at gestational days 17 (n = 7) and 18 (n = 7) and newborn animals at post-natal days 1 (n = 5) and 3 (n = 5) were divided into two groups: control and tunicamycin-treated. Combined Alcian blue and Periodic acid-Schiff sequences immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting were performed to determine glycosaminoglycan (GAG) accumulation and laminin expression in control and tunicamycin-treated embryonic and postnatal thymi. The apoptotic effect of tunicamycin was evaluated by TUNEL assay. RESULTS: In the control group acidic GAGs first appeared in medullary cells at postnatal day 3, whereas treatment with tunicamycin promoted the accumulation of acidic GAGs in all treated groups as of embryonic day 17. However, tunicamycin slightly decreased the laminin expression, and the number of apoptotic cells was considerably increased after tunicamycin treatment. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that carboxylated and acidic GAGs are two presumptive candidates to establish the thymic microenvironment during the late fetal development and postnatal periods of mice and that tunicamycin would be implicated in this establishment by increasing the acidic GAG accumulation and by reducing the laminin expression and the thymic stromal cell population.

Assessment of micronuclei induction in peripheral blood and gill cells of some fish species from Aliaga Bay Turkey.

The aim of this paper was to assess the biological damages in fish caused by various mutagenic agents present in polluted waters of Aliaga Bay. For this purpose, micronuclei (MN) test was performed using peripheral erythrocytes and gill cells of different fish specimens caught from both polluted and relatively clean sites from Aliaga Bay (Turkey). Micronuclei tests is a system of mutagenicity testing used for determining changes in DNA fragments such as micronuclei in the cytoplasm of interphase cells caused by the pollution and chemicals in the environment. Thus, it was attempted to determine whether pollution affected the erythrocytes and gills of fish living in Aliaga Bay at the level of DNA by the means of micronuclei (MN) test. According to the results of present study, frequency of MN was found at high level in polluted site. In conclusion, this study indicates that the micronuclei test gives sensitive results in monitoring the pollution, especially the pollution of harbor, and thus it might be used as standard method in regularly monitoring pollution of coastal ecosystem.

The effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha therapy with etanercept on endothelial functions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha antagonism with etanercept (ENC) on endothelial functions in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 21 patients with RA were enrolled in this prospective study. Eleven of them (8 women, 3 men mean age 47.0+/-10.1 years) with high disease activity despite the conventional treatment were assigned to Group 1 and were given ENC treatment twice a week (25 mg SC injection) for 12 weeks. Ten patients with RA (8 women, 2 men mean age 55.0+/-6.4 years) under conventional methotrexate and prednisone therapy were assigned as Control group (Group 2). Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilator responses of the brachial artery were assessed by high-resolution ultrasound. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured at baseline and at the post treatment period. Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the data and correlation analysis was performed using Pearson correlation test. RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation improved from 5.2+/-0.8% to 7.9+/-1.3% (p=0.04) in ENC group, while no significant change was observed in the control group (from 6.6+/-1.1% to 7.0+/-1.8% p=0.67). No significant changes were found in endothelium-independent vasodilatation and baseline brachial artery diameters in both groups. A significant reduction in ESR and CRP were observed in patients receiving ENC (from 16.2+/-6.8 to 9.2+/-5.1 mm/h, p=0.003 and from 14.68+/-3.4 to 9.25+/-3.7 mg/L, p=0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: Treatment with ENC for 12 weeks significantly improved endothelial function in patients with active RA compared to those under conventional therapy. The findings of the present study support the hypothesis that the use of TNF-alpha blockers in patients with active RA may reduce the high incidence of cardiovascular complications.

Detecting micronuclei frequency in some aquatic organisms for monitoring pollution of Izmir Bay (Western Turkey).

Micronuclei tests is a system of mutagenicity testing used for determining the pollution and chemicals causing changes in DNA fragments such as micronuclei in the cytoplasm of interphase cells. Damage caused on the DNA by genotoxic pollutants is the first consequence occurring in the aquatic organisms. Thus, it was attempted to determine whether pollution affected the erythrocytes and gills of fish Gobius niger and haemolymph and gills of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis living in Izmir Bay at the level of DNA by the means of micronuclei (MN) test. Organisms used in the MN test were collected from seven locations (Alsancak, Alaybey Shipyard, Karsiyaka, Bostanli, Göztepe, Konak and Pasaport) which are known as the most polluted part of inner Bay of Izmir (Western Coast of Turkey). According to the results of the present study, frequency of MN was found at high level in Alaybey Shipyard and Pasaport where wastes from existing dockyard contributed to high level of pollution. In conclusion, this study indicates that the micronuclei test gives sensitive results in monitoring the pollution, especially the pollution of harbor, and thus it might be used as standard method in regular monitoring of pollution of coastal ecosystem.

An assessment of sediment quality at the streams flowing into Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea, Turkey.

Due to municipal, industrial and nonpoint source waste discharges to streams and rivers and tendency of many chemicals to become associated with sediments. Sediments are particularly problematic near densely populated and industrialised urban areas, such as the Izmir metropolitan area in west part of Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine the potential adverse effects of sediments from five streams flowing into inner part of Izmir Bay by using sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus embryotoxicity test and if there was any correlation between toxicity and chemical data. Toxicity tests indicated that with the exception of the smallest concentration of only one stream sediment samples (0.6 mg wet wt. mL(-1)) all sediment samples resulted in significant increases in the frequencies of developmental defects on P. lividus embryos. Analytical data showed that the sediments from five streams had chemical characteristics similar to sediments defined by other authors as polluted sediments. An important point to note was the excellent correlation between total organic carbon content of stream sediments and sea urchin P. lividus embryotoxicity data, but not with metal content.

[Serum level of insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in acute coronary syndromes and relationship with prognosis]. / Akut Koroner Sendromlarda Insülin Benzeri Büyüme Faktörü-I ve Insülin Benzeri Büyüme Faktörü Baglayici Protein-3 Düzeyleri ve Prognozla Iliskisi.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and their relationship with prognosis. METHODS: Thirty patients with ACS (22 male, 8 female) were included in our study. Patient's population included 20 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 10 with non-ST-elevation ACS. Death, re-infarction, revascularization and malignant arrhythmia were monitored during 3 months. Study group was compared with 20 healthy subjects (Controls). Blood samples were collected in the first 24 hours and at the end of third month. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels were determined by radioimmunoassay method. RESULTS: We found decreased level of IGF-I only in the STEMI group (105+/-84 ng/ml vs. 715+/-150 ng/ml, p<0.0001). There were no significant differences in IGFBP-3 levels between two groups. Serum IGF-I levels were significantly increased after 3rd month in the STEMI group (356+/-72 ng/ml vs. 105+/-84 ng/ml, p=0.025). There was no relationship between IGF-I, IGFBP-3 levels and cardiovascular events occurred during 90 days of follow-up. CONCLUSION: These data allows to suggest that significantly decreased level of IGF-I in STEMI group of ACSs can be used as a marker of myocardial necrosis. There was no relationship between IGF-I level and cardiovascular events occurred in 90 days, so this parameter can not be used as a negative prognostic factor.