Phenolic contents and antimicrobial activity of squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) extracts against food-borne pathogens.

Squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), is an indigenous species of the south of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, sometimes cultivated for its use as a medicinal plant. This study compared phenolic contents in Ecballium elaterium organs and their antimicrobial activities against some foodborne pathogens. Our results indicated that the plant organs had different total polyphenol contents (ranging from 6.744 to 46.848 mg GAE g(-1) DW) the leaves and fruits contained about 6-fold higher phenol contents than the root. The same tendency was observed for flavonoid and tannin levels. An interesting antimicrobial activity was also observed against the food pathogens at concentrations ranging from 0.004 to 2.5 mg ml(-1). Ecballium elaterium extracts might therefore be a potential source of preservative candidates for use in food or pharmaceutical industries.

[Alpha interferon in children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid-leukaemia]. / Les resultats de l'interferon alpha dans le traitement de la leucemie myeloide chronique de l'enfant. A propos de 5 cas.

The present work focuses on the therapeutic efficacy and the toxicity of alpha interferon in patients younger than age 18 years. 5 patients younger than 18 years were treated and followed up between 1990 and 1999 at the department of haematology (Aziza Othmana Hospital) Hydroxyurea was given as initial treatment to all patients. After a median period of 8 months, these patients received alpha interferon (5 millions units/m2 once). Six months after the beginning of the alpha interferon a complete hematologic response was obtained in all patients. The median overall survival was of 66 months: 3 patients are still alive (2 patients in an advanced stage and one patient in chronic phase) and 2 patients died after transformation. The most common reported side effects of alpha interferon were asthenia, weight loss, fever, myalgia, chills and headaches--these toxic manifestations were mild and were noticed in all our patients. Myelosuppression was noted in two patients. Interferon is well tolerated in patients younger than age years 18 old, with CML. It may offer an alternative to bone marrow transplantation in children in the chronic phase of CML without histocompatible donor. The role of new agents such as STI 571 needs to be evaluated as well.

Localization and characterization of kal 1.a and kal 1.b in the brain of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The gene underlying the X-chromosome-linked Kallmann syndrome KAL-1 has been identified for several years, yet its role is still poorly understood. During previous research, the KAL.1 orthologs, kal 1.a and kal 1.b, were isolated in zebrafish. In the present study, in situ hybridization was used to localize and compare the expression of kal 1.a and kal 1.b in the adult zebrafish brain (Danio rerio). The kal 1.a and kal 1.b transcription products have a similar distribution, both being localized in the olfactory bulb, in the ventral and posterior zones of the telencephalic area, hypothalamus, thalamus nuclei, corpus cerebelli, and many other nuclei, such as the posterior tuberal, the periventricular gray zone of the optic tectum, the periglomerular nucleus, the entopeduncular nucleus, parvocellular preoptic nucleus, habenular nucleus suprachiasmatic nucleus, magnocellular preoptic nucleus, griseum centrale, periventricular nucleus of the posterior tuberculum and the lobus caudallis cerebelli. In addition, by double approach of in situ hybridization and immunolabeling, it was found that, in telencephalon, the two genes are expressed in neurons and oligodendrocytes but they are not astrocytes. Finally, by using a proliferation marker, BrdU, kal 1.a and kal 1.b transcripts were shown to be clearly detected in a region previously described as an area of adult neurogenesis, suggesting that they may be involved in the process. Overall, our data provide a consolidated map of expression of kal 1.a and kal 1.b and suggest a distinct function of these genes, especially neurogenesis, in an adult context.

Prokineticin 2 expression is associated with neural repair of injured adult zebrafish telencephalon.

Prokineticin 2 (PROK2) is a secreted protein that regulates diverse biological processes including olfactory bulb neurogenesis in adult mammals. However, its precise role in this process is as yet not fully understood. Because it is well known that adult teleost fish, including zebrafish, display an intense proliferative activity in several brain regions, we took advantage of this feature to analyze the distribution of PROK2 transcripts in the adult zebrafish brain and during injury-induced telencephalon (TC) regeneration. First, we characterized the zebrafish PROK2 gene and showed that its transcription takes place in almost all proliferating areas previously identified in adult zebrafish brain. Moreover, in TC, PROK2 transcription was mainly restricted to neurons. Next, using a novel model of TC injury in adult zebrafish, we observed that TC lesion induced a dramatic increase in cell proliferation within the injured hemisphere in regions located both adjacent and distal to injury sites. Moreover, our data strongly suggest that cell proliferation was followed by the migration of newly generated neurons toward injury sites. In addition, we observed a transient over-expression of PROK2 transcripts, which was detected in cells surrounding the lesion during the very first days post injury, and, a few days later, in broad cell rows extending from cortical regions of the TC toward injury sites. PROK2 over-expression was no longer detected when the regeneration process was close to completion, showing that ectopic PROK2 transcription paralleled neuronal regeneration. Taken together, our results suggest that in adult zebrafish brain, PROK2 may play a role in both constitutive and injury-induced neurogenesis.

FGFR1 and anosmin-1 underlying genetically distinct forms of Kallmann syndrome are co-expressed and interact in olfactory bulbs.

Kallmann syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous developmental disease characterised by a partial or complete lack of olfactory bulb development. Two genes underlying this disease have so far been identified: the KAL-1 gene, which encodes anosmin-1, an extracellular matrix protein that promotes axonal guidance and branch formation in vitro; and KAL-2, which encodes the known FGFR1. The implication of FGFR1 and anosmin-1 in the same developmental disease led us to test whether anosmin-1 and FGFR1 interact during the development of the olfactory system. In this paper, we showed that the two proteins co-localise in the olfactory bulb during development in rat. Using cross-immunoprecipitation assays of olfactory bulb extracts, we also demonstrated that anosmin-1 and FGFR1 are comprised within the same protein complex. Moreover, we show that anosmin-1 expression in CHO transfected cells increases FGFR1 accumulation, suggesting that anosmin-1 may act as a positive extracellular regulator of FGFR1 signalling. Taken together, our findings strongly suggest that anosmin-1 is an essential component of a FGFR1 pathway that plays a key role during olfactory bulb morphogenesis.