Enteric glial hub cells coordinate intestinal motility.

Enteric glia are the predominant cell type in the enteric nervous system yet their identities and roles in gastrointestinal function are not well classified. Using our optimized single nucleus RNA-sequencing method, we identified distinct molecular classes of enteric glia and defined their morphological and spatial diversity. Our findings revealed a functionally specialized biosensor subtype of enteric glia that we call "hub cells." Deletion of the mechanosensory ion channel PIEZO2 from adult enteric glial hub cells, but not other subtypes of enteric glia, led to defects in intestinal motility and gastric emptying in mice. These results provide insight into the multifaceted functions of different enteric glial cell subtypes in gut health and emphasize that therapies targeting enteric glia could advance the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

Cytokine gene expression following RSV-A infection.

The present study determines the cytokine gene expression in chickens following RSV-A infection, using RT-qPCR. In susceptible chickens tumors progressed to  fulminating metastatic tumors while it regressed in  regressors  chickens and some resistant non-responder chickens did not respond to RSV-A infection and thus did not develop tumors at all. The in vivo expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, Th1 cytokines and Th2 cytokines was determined at the primary site of infection, as well as in different organs of progressor, regressor and non-responder chicks at different time intervals. Our results indicated a significant upregulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-8, in all the organs of progressor chicks, while they were significantly lower in regressor and non-responder chicks. The expression of the Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α was low in all of the organs of the progressor group, except that in  spleen. In contrast, regressor and non-responder groups showed high expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α. Further, there was an early upregulation of the expression of the Th2 cytokine, IL-10, TGF-ß and GM-CSF, in all of the organs of progressors as compared to uninfected control.

MHC-B haplotypes impact susceptibility and resistance to RSV-A infection.

We investigated the impact of haplotype of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-B on the outcome of infection of Synthetic Dam Line (SDL) broiler strain with Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV). Genomic analysis of MHC-B haplotypes, revealed a total of 12 known standard haplotypes that constituted to twenty-five different genotypes and one new haplotype of 217 bp size, designated BX. The inoculation of RSV-A in SDL chicks resulted in the development of tumors of progressive or regressive phenotypes with varying tumor profile index (TPI). Haplotypes B2, B21 and B22had low TPI scores (1 or 2) with less mortality and were resistant to RSV-A tumor. The haplotypes B13, B13.1., B15, B15.1. and B15.2. had significantly higher TPI scores (5 or 6), indicating a susceptibility to RSV-A. The genotype, Bx /Bx, had a mean TPI score of 3.67 ± 1.33, which was closer to the resistant haplotype. Sequence analysis of the new haplotype (BX) revealed 99.5% similarity with B2 haplotype. Metastases was observed in 44% of chicks and comprised of mixed fibrosarcoma and myxosarcoma.

Studies on persistence of temephos in sandy loam soil under field and laboratory conditions.

Persistence of temephos was studied in soils under field and laboratory conditions in sandy loam soil to evaluate the effect of moisture and formulations on persistence. The insecticide was applied as 50 EC and 1 % S.G. granules @1 kg a.i. ha-1 on surface of the soil' and residues were determined spectrophotometrically. The soil was fortified separately with dilute emulsion of EC and suspension of granular formulation at 5 ppm level and incubated at different moisture levels at 25:1:1 degrees C for 90 days. The residues of temephos from both the formulations persisted upto 55 days in soil when applied @1 kg a.i. ha(-1). In 40 days 92 and 91.43 per cent temephos was dissipated from soil treated with EC and granular formulations, respectively. There was no leaching or downward movement of the toxicant beyond 7.5 cm. The half-life of temephos under field condition for EC and granular formulations were 18.14 and 20.44 days, respectively. Statistically, there was no significant effect of two formulations of temephos on its persistence. But at three different moisture conditions viz. airdry, field capacity and sub-merged, the difference was significant at 5% level.