Passive transfer of experimental hypersensitivity pneumonitis with lymphoid cells in the rabbit

Although precipitating antibody is associated with human hypersensitivity pneumonitis, there is evidence that cell-mediated hypersensitivity may be involved in disease pathogenesis. In this study, interstitial, and peribronchial lesions were produced by respiratory challenge of rabbits passively sensitized with ovalbumin-sensitive lymph node cells. Ovalbumin sensitivity of donor rabbits and lymph node cells was demonstrated by skin testing, migration inhibition factor (MIF) production using alveolar wash cells as migrating cells, and lymphocyte stimulation. Passive cell transfer was accomplished by intraperitoneal injection with all lymph node cells obtained from one donor transferred to one recipient. Recipients were challenged by aerosol or intratracheal injection of antigen immediately or 24 hr after passive sensitization and were killed 48 hr after challenge. Lesions in rabbits passively sensitized by lymph node cells and challenged with antigen by intratracheal inoculation consisted of focal pneumonitis with intra-alveolar edema and infiltrates of mononuclear cells in alveoli and alveoli septa. Aerosol challenge of passively sensitized animals produced similar changes, but peribronchial tissue containing macrophages and germinal centers was prominent in this group. Antiovalbumin serum recipients challenged by intratracheal injection demonstrated only mild peribronchial mononuclear cell infiltrates, without pneumonitis. Control animals receiving lymph node cells only or challenge only demonstrated no changes in lung histology.     

Trace elements bioaccumulation in Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833) and related biomarkers of exposure

In the last years, the increase of anthropogenic activities has led to a progressive pollution of ecosystems. Oniscidean isopods are a group of terrestrial animals known as excellent bio‐indicators and bio‐accumulators, because of their capacity to accumulate contaminants and to implement appropriate strategies of detoxification. For this study, we collected Porcellionides pruinosus from two different sites in the Corinth region (Greece), a polluted site and a control site, to assess the heavy metal pollution status. We conducted an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) analysis for the detection of trace elements in animals' hepatopancreas and soil; we performed also immunohistochemistry for detection of metallothioneins 1 (MT1) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70s). The results suggest a great capacity of the species in trace elements bioaccumulation and the high degree of pollution of the area near Agioi Theodoroi where the metal pollution index (MPI) is threefolds higher than the control site, due to the presence of significantly higher concentration of arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, and lead found in hepatopancreas and soil. The environmental stress is confirmed by the expression of the relative biomarkers of exposure MT1 and HSP70. Our study, with a multimarker approach, consents getting a complete analysis of environmental quality and the effect of pollution on organisms and shows for the first time the heavy metals contamination status in certain Greece area. Furthermore, P. pruinosus proved to be an appropriate indicator of pollution in terrestrial ecosystems.     

Digestibility and Pasting Properties of Rice Starch Heat‐Moisture Treated at the Melting Temperature (Tm )

Non‐waxy and waxy rice starches adjusted to 20% moisture (wet based, w.b.) were heated in a differential scanning calorimeter to determine the optimum parameters for producing slowly digestible starch (SDS). Starches heated to the temperature of melting (T_m) and held for 60 min in the calorimeter showed a slow digestibility compared to unheated samples. Digestibility decreased by 25 and 10%, respectively, for non‐waxy and waxy rice starches relative to non‐treated starches. Heat‐moisture treatment of waxy corn, non‐waxy corn and wheat starches at the T_m determined for non‐waxy rice starch did not result in significant decreases in digestibility. For waxy rice starches heat‐treated in microwave or conventional ovens at the T_m , there were slight but significant increases in digestibility of the treated starches compared to non‐treated starches at all incubation times. Digestibility was higher for starches heated for 30 min than for 60 min. Non‐waxy rice starches did not show any significant changes in digestibility. Heat‐moisture treatment at the T_m and the holding time of sample at that temperature in a differential scanning calorimeter were found to be significant to the formation of slowly digestible heat‐moisture treated starch.     

The Acute Effect of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Asthmatics: Studies with a Dynamic Challenge Chamber

Abstract To determine the acute effects of environmental tobacco smoke on respiratory tract lung function, 130 asthmatics and 28 non-asthmatics were exposed up to 4 hours to side stream environmental tobacco smoke (SS-ETS) in a dynamic challenge chamber. The vast majority of the subjects exposed to SS-ETS reported upper respiratory and ocular irritant symptoms; the prevalence of these symptoms was not significantly associated with any particular study groups analyzed, or with the self-perception of tobacco smoke allergy by the study subject. All 28 SS-ETS-exposed non-asthmatics had no significant change in lung function, while 26/130 asthmatics demonstrated a significant drop in pulmonary function (FEV₁≥20% decline), generally within 90 to 240 minutes after start of exposure. Classical late phase bronchoconstriction was not observed up to 24 hours following the challenge. Six/26 reactors had a significant drop in lung function following a sham control challenge, indicating that 20/130 asthmatics had a specific bronchoconstrictive response to SS-ETS. Responses to diminishing levels of SS-ETS demonstrated that some asthmatics can react to levels as low as 0.0128 cigarette – min/m³ (comparable to ETS levels in the homes of many smokers).     

Experimental studies of sensitization to beryllium, zirconium, and aluminum compounds in the rabbit

In a study designed to assess the potential sensitizing and granulomagenic capacities of selected metallic salts, rabbits were inoculated intradermally with zirconium aluminum glycinate (ZAG), sodium zirconium lactate (NZL), aluminum chlorhydrate (ACH), BeSO 4, and ovalbumin (OVA) by single and multiple injections. Animals immunized with BeSO4 and with OVA developed delayed skin reactivity as well as antigen-specific alveolar macrophage migration inhibition. Neither single nor multiple injections of ZAG or ACH resulted in clear-cut positive skin reactivity, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) production, or lymphocyte stimulation. Rabbits inoculated with multiple injections of NZL (500 microng) showed some marginally positive macrophage migration inhibition and skin reactivity. Histologically, ZAG and ACH were found to induce well-organized foreign-body granulomas after intradermal injection in both normal and inoculated rabbits. NZL and BeSO4 also induced skin granulomas, but these were less organized and distinct. Cell viability and ultrastructural studies indicated that BeSO4 was highly toxic for isolated alveolar macrophages in vitro at concentrations above 10 microng/ml, but NZL and ZAG did not exert such an effect at these dose levels. BeSO4 also depressed lymphocyte stimulation in sensitized animals which demonstrated delayed skin reactivity and macrophage migration inhibition.     

Toxicity assessment of nano‐TiO2 in Apis mellifera L., 1758: histological and immunohistochemical assays

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) by short‐term toxicity tests in Apis mellifera, considered an excellent bioindicator organism mainly due to its sensitivity. Bees have been exposed to several concentrations of TiO₂NPs (1 × 10^?3, 1 × 10^?4, 1 × 10^?5, 1 × 10^?6 mg/10 ml) for 10 days. Morphostructural and histological assays were done on gut and honey sac. The research of exposure biomarkers like metallothioneins 1 (MT1) and Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) was performed to verify if a detoxification mechanism has been activated in the exposed animals. No histological alteration on the epithelium of the gut and honey sac were observed in exposed samples. A significant positivity for anti‐MT1 antibody was observed only in the honey sac cells. A weak positivity for HSP70 was observed in both structures analyzed. In several studies have shown the non‐toxicity of TiO₂NPs on other model organisms, in our study, titanium dioxide nanoparticles was proven to be highly toxic at the highest concentration tested (100% of lethality to 1 × 10^?3 mg/10 ml) and moderately toxic at lower concentrations. Honey bees proved to be excellent models for study of NPs toxicity and for monitoring environment.     

Manager personality, manager service quality orientation, and service climate: Test of a model.

This article conceptually and empirically explores the relationships among manager personality, manager service quality orientation, and climate for customer service. Data were collected from 1,486 employees and 145 managers in grocery store departments (N = 145) to test the authors' theoretical model. Largely consistent with hypotheses, results revealed that core self-evaluations were positively related to managers' service quality orientation, even after dimensions of the Big Five model of personality were controlled, and that service quality orientation fully mediated the relationship between personality and global service climate. Implications for personality and organizational climate research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Morphostructural and immunohistochemical study on the role of metallothionein in the detoxification of heavy metals in Apis mellifera L., 1758

Honey is a valuable food produced by bees from sugary substances that they gather in nature. The transformation the nectar into honey, by bees, is long and complex. Except for honey, where heavy metals are absent or are found only in traces, the bees and their products have always been considered excellent biomarkers of such contaminants. We have assumed that the absence of heavy metals in honey is due to the presence of a detoxification system in the digestive system of bees, which involves metallothioneins, proteins that have a role in the homeostatic control of essential and non‐essential metals. We have placed the beehives in three different zones: industrial, urban and rural. Investigations were carried out with ICP‐MS method for the detection of heavy metals in the guts of honey bees and honey. The metallothioneins have been identified by Immunohistochemical and Western‐blotting analisys. The investigations have shown the presence of heavy metals only in bees guts but not in honey, while the presence of metallothionein has been highlighted only in epithelium of the honey sac, demonstrating the existence of an efficient system of detoxification of heavy metals.