Natural occurrence of ochratoxin A in Tunisian cereals

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by several fungal species from Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. It is widespread in food and feed and its occurrence has been reported in cereals, cereal-derived products, dried fruits and spices. This mycotoxin was implicated in several human and animal pathologies such as the Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN) and the Tunisian Chronic Interstitial Nephropathy (CIN) of unknown cause. In Tunisia, a clear correlation has been established between the consumption of OTA contaminated food and the induction of specific pathologies. Thereby, OTA was detected in human blood and tissues. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence of OTA in widely consumed cereals commercialized in Tunisia. The analytical methods used in our study involved the extraction of OTA by acidified toluene, immunoaffinity (IAC) clean-up and HPLC quantification with fluorescence detection. Levels and percentages of OTA contamination in different types of cereals, 110 wheat, 103 barley, 113 sorghum and 96 rice samples, were evaluated with incidences of 38%, 40%, 38% and 28%, respectively. The average of contamination by OTA found were 55, 96, 44 and 117 μg/kg, respectively, for wheat, barley, rice and sorghum. Our results showed that contamination percentages and levels in the period from 2004 to 2005 were higher then usual norms (5.0 μg OTA/kg) established by the European commission in 2002. The present report is the first one ever carried out on the natural occurrence of OTA in cereals, largely consumed by the Tunisian population.     

Contribution to the optimisation of artificial ligament mechanical properties

In this work, artificial anterior cruciate ligaments were manufactured using braiding process. The mechanical behaviour of circular braids under tensile loads was studied. These braids were manufactured from different yarns and materials. A study of the effect of yarns characteristics and the machine parameters on the braid mechanical properties was done. Predictive models of the braid mechanical response based on the constituent yarn characteristics and the machine parameters have been developed. The last part of this study has been devoted to optimise the braid mechanical properties to be close to those of native ligament.     

BRET Analysis of GPCR Dimers in Neurons and Non-Neuronal Cells: Evidence for Inactive,Agonist, and Constitutive Conformations

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are dimeric proteins, but the functional consequences of the process are still debated. Active GPCR conformations are promoted either by agonists or constitutive activity. Inverse agonists decrease constitutive activity by promoting inactive conformations. The histamine H₃ receptor (H₃R) is the target of choice for the study of GPCRs because it displays high constitutive activity. Here, we study the dimerization of recombinant and brain H₃R and explore the effects of H₃R ligands of different intrinsic efficacy on dimerization. Co-immunoprecipitations and Western blots showed that H₃R dimers co-exist with monomers in transfected HEK 293 cells and in rodent brains. Bioluminescence energy transfer (BRET) analysis confirmed the existence of spontaneous H₃R dimers, not only in living HEK 293 cells but also in transfected cortical neurons. In both cells, agonists and constitutive activity of the H₃R decreased BRET signals, whereas inverse agonists and GTPγS, which promote inactive conformations, increased BRET signals. These findings show the existence of spontaneous H₃R dimers not only in heterologous systems but also in native tissues, which are able to adopt a number of allosteric conformations, from more inactive to more active states.