First isolation and characterization of genomic SSR markers for the giant red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827).

Fourteen microsatellite markers were isolated from the giant red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827) using the FIASCO protocol (fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats). Polymorphism was assessed in 30 individuals from two localities of the western Mediterranean basin (N = 20 from Sardinia and N = 10 from Sicily); nine loci showed polymorphism with 2 to 19 alleles per locus (average: 8.9). Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.36 to 0.91, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.50 to 0.97 and from 0.47 to 0.93, respectively. Two loci showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and evidence of linkage disequilibrium was found for only one locus pair. These loci are the first to be characterized in A. foliacea and could be effective tools for the investigation of genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic connectivity, useful information for the management of this important commercial resource.

Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Replacement Therapy in COVID-19 Versus Other Respiratory Viruses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a potentially fatal complication of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). Binding of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, to its viral receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), results in viral entry and may cause AKI. OBJECTIVES: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the frequencies of AKI and renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill COVID-19 patients and compared those frequencies with patients who were infected by respiratory viruses that bind or downregulate ACE2 (ACE2-associated viruses) and viruses that do not bind nor downregulate ACE2 (non-ACE2-associated viruses). DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: Observational studies on COVID-19 and other respiratory viral infections reporting AKI and RRT were included. The exclusion criteria were non-English articles, non-peer-reviewed articles, review articles, studies that included patients under the age of 18, studies including fewer than 10 patients, and studies not reporting AKI and RRT rates. PATIENTS: Adult COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and influenza patients. MEASUREMENTS: We extracted the following data from the included studies: author, year, study location, age, sex, race, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, shock, vasopressor use, mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ICU mortality, AKI, and RRT. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for articles reporting AKI or RRT. AKI was defined by authors of included studies. Critical illness was defined by ICU admission. We performed a random effects meta-analysis to calculate pooled estimates for the AKI and RRT rate within each virus group using a random intercept logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 23 655 hospitalized, critically ill COVID-19 patients, AKI frequencies were not significantly different between COVID-19 patients (51%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 44%-57%) and critically ill patients infected with ACE2-associated (56%, 95% CI: 37%-74%, P = .610) or non-ACE2-associated viruses (63%, 95% CI: 43%-79%, P = .255). Pooled RRT rates were also not significantly different between critically ill, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (20%, 95% CI: 16%-24%) and ACE2-associated viruses (18%, 95% CI: 8%-33%, P = .747). RRT rates for both COVID-19 and ACE2-associated viruses were significantly different (P < .001 for both) from non-ACE2-associated viruses (49%, 95% CI: 44%-54%). After adjusting for shock or vasopressor use, AKI and RRT rates were not significantly different between groups. LIMITATIONS: Limitations of this study include the heterogeneity of definitions of AKI that were used across different virus studies. We could not match severity of infection or do propensity matching across studies. Most of the included studies were conducted in retrospective fashion. Last, we did not include non-English publications. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that viral ACE2 association does not significantly alter the rates of AKI and RRT among critically ill patients admitted to the ICU. However, the rate of RRT is lower in patients with COVID-19 or ACE2-associated viruses when compared with patients infected with non-ACE2-binding viruses, which might partly be due to the lower frequencies of shock and use of vasopressors in these two virus groups. Prospective studies are necessary to demonstrate whether modulation of the ACE2 axis with Renin-Angiotensin System inhibitors impacts the rates of AKI and whether they are beneficial or harmful in COVID-19 patients.

MISE EN CONTEXTE: L'insuffisance rénale aiguë (IRA) est une complication potentiellement mortelle de la maladie à coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). Obligatoire du Coronavirus 2 du Syndrome Respiratoire Aigu Sévère (SARS-CoV-2), le virus responsable du COVID-19, à son récepteur, l'enzyme de conversion de l'angiotensine 2 (ACE2), entraîne une entrée virale et peut provoquer une IRA. OBJECTIFS DE L'ÉTUDE: Nous avons effectué une revue systématique et une méta-analyse des fréquences de l'IRA et de la thérapie de remplacement renal (RRT) chez les patients COVID-19 gravement malades et a comparé ces fréquences avec les patients qui ont été infectés par des voies respiratoires virus qui lient ou régulent négativement l'ACE2 (virus associés à l'ACE2) et les virus qui ne régulent pas négativement ni ne lient l'ACE2 (virus non associés à l'ACE2). CADRE ET TYPE D'ÉTUDE: Revue systématique et méta-analyse. Des études d'observation sur le COVID-19 et d'autres infections virales respiratoires signalant une AKI et une RRT ont été incluses. Les critères d'exclusion étaient des articles non anglophones, des articles non évalués par des pairs, des articles de revue, des études incluant des patients moins de 18 ans, les études incluant moins de 10 patients et les études ne rapportant pas les taux d'IRA et de RRT. PATIENTS: Adultes COVID-19, syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère (SRAS), syndrome respiratoire du Moyen-Orient (MERS) et malades de la grippe. MESURES: Nous avons extrait les données suivantes des études incluses : auteur, année, lieu de l'étude, âge, sexe, race, diabète sucré, hypertension, maladie rénale chronique, état de choc, utilisation de vasopresseurs, mortalité, admission en unité de soins intensifs (USI), Mortalité en soins intensifs, AKI et RRT. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Nous avons systématiquement recherché dans PubMed et EMBASE les articles rapportant AKI ou RRT. AKI a été défini par les auteurs des études incluses. La maladie grave a été définie par l'admission aux soins intensifs. Nous avons effectué une méta-analyse à effets aléatoires pour calculer estimations regroupées pour le taux d'IRA et de RRT au sein de chaque groupe de virus à l'aide d'un modèle de régression logistique d'interception aléatoire. RÉSULTATS: Sur 23 655 patients hospitalisés et gravement malades COVID-19, les fréquences AKI n'étaient pas significativement différentes entre patients COVID-19 (51 %, intervalle de confiance à 95 % [IC] : 44 %-57 %) et patients gravement malades infectés par l'ACE2 associé (56 %, IC à 95 % : 37 % à 74 %, P = 0,610) ou des virus non associés à l'ACE2 (63 %, IC à 95 % : 43 % à 79 %, P = 0,255). Tarifs RRT groupés n'étaient pas non plus significativement différents entre les patients hospitalisés gravement malades atteints de COVID-19 (20 %, IC à 95 % : 16 % à 24 %) et virus associés à l'ACE2 (18 %, IC à 95 % : 8 % à 33 %, P = 0,747). Taux de RRT pour les virus associés au COVID-19 et à l'ACE2 étaient significativement différents (P < 0,001 pour les deux) des virus non associés à l'ACE2 (49 %, IC à 95 % : 44 % à 54 %). Après ajustement pour le choc ou l'utilisation de vasopresseurs, les taux d'IRA et de RRT n'étaient pas significativement différents entre les groupes. LIMITES DE L'ÉTUDE: Les limites de cette étude incluent l'hétérogénéité des définitions de l'IRA qui ont été utilisées pour différents virus études. Nous n'avons pas pu faire correspondre la gravité de l'infection ou faire une correspondance de propension entre les études. La plupart des études incluses ont été menées de manière rétrospective. Enfin, nous n'avons pas inclus les publications non anglophones. CONCLUSIONS: Nos résultats suggèrent que l'association virale ACE2 ne modifie pas de manière significative les taux d'IRA et de RRT parmi les patients gravement malades admis aux soins intensifs. Cependant, le taux de RRT est plus faible chez les patients atteints de COVID-19 ou associés à l'ACE2 virus par rapport aux patients infectés par des virus ne se liant pas à l'ACE2, ce qui pourrait être dû en partie à la plus faible fréquences de choc et utilisation de vasopresseurs dans ces deux groupes de virus. Des études prospectives sont nécessaires pour démontrer si la modulation de l'axe ACE2 avec les inhibiteurs du système rénine-angiotensine a un impact sur les taux d'IRA et si ells sont bénéfiques ou nocifs chez les patients COVID-19.

A ZZ-ZW sex chromosome system in the finless eel Dalophis imberbis (Anguilliformes, Ophichtidae).

The karyotype of the finless eel Dalophis imberbis was investigated by conventional (C and replication banding, CMA(3) fluorescence) and molecular (FISH with 45S rDNA probe) techniques. The diploid chromosome number was 2n = 46 and the karyotype consisted of four pairs of meta-submetacentric and 18 pairs of subtelo-acrocentric autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes heteromorphic in females, composed by a large subtelocentric Z, and a medium sized acrocentric W chromosome; in males this pair was composed by two large subtelocentric ZZ chromosomes. Multiple NORs have been localized by FISH and have been found to be CMA(3) positive; one of the NORs was located on the W chromosome and it was found transcriptionally active by silver staining. The Z chromosome contained distinct intercalar C-positive heterochromatin and W was almost completely heterochromatic. Our report contributes to the knowledge to the cytotaxonomy of Anguilliformes where differentiated sex chromosomes are reported in about a quarter of the species: both male and female heterogamety as well as a multiple chromosome system have been reported. Moreover, this is the first anguilliform species in which multiple NORs have been reported.

First record of Chilomycterus reticulatus (Osteichthyes: Diodontidae) in the Mediterranean Sea.

The spotfin burrfish Chilomycterus reticulatus (405 mm standard length) is recorded for the first time on the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. The adult specimen was found dried on a beach near the south Sardinian Sea (S. Antioco's Island). Photographs and morphometrics of the specimen are given.

An extract of Apium graveolens var. dulce leaves: structure of the major constituent, apiin, and its anti-inflammatory properties.

Flavonoids, natural compounds widely distributed in the plant kingdom, are reported to affect the inflammatory process and to possess anti-inflammatory as well as immunomodulatory activity in-vitro and in-vivo. Since nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is one of the inflammatory mediators, the effects of the ethanol/water (1:1) extract of the leaves of Apium graveolens var. dulce (celery) on iNOS expression and NO production in the J774.A1 macrophage cell line stimulated for 24 h with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were evaluated. The extract of A. graveolens var. dulce contained apiin as the major constituent (1.12%, w/w, of the extract). The extract and apiin showed significant inhibitory activity on nitrite (NO) production in-vitro (IC50 0.073 and 0.08 mg mL(-1) for the extract and apiin, respectively) and iNOS expression (IC50 0.095 and 0.049 mg mL(-1) for the extract and apiin, respectively) in LPS-activated J774.A1 cells. The croton-oil ear test on mice showed that the extract exerted anti-inflammatory activity in-vivo (ID50 730 microg cm(-2)), with a potency seven-times lower than that of indometacin (ID50 93 microg cm(-2)), the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used as reference. Our results clearly indicated the inhibitory activity of the extract and apiin in-vitro on iNOS expression and nitrite production when added before LPS stimulation in the medium of J774.A1 cells. The anti-inflammatory properties of the extract demonstrated in-vivo might have been due to reduction of iNOS enzyme expression.

B chromosomes in Crustacea Decapoda.

Among crustacean Decapoda numerical chromosome variability is frequent, and it has been hypothesized that the presence of supernumerary chromosomes accounts for this variability. Thanks to the improvement of cytogenetic analysis by chromosomal banding techniques, supernumerary B chromosomes (Bs) have been demonstrated in Nephrops norvegicus, Homarus americanus,Palinurus elephas and P. mauritanicus, belonging to different crustacean families. In all four species Bs were variable in number, mainly heterochromatic and undigested by various endonucleases, and in meiosis they showed non-Mendelian segregation. Compared to the other chromosomes of the complement, the Bs are very small in almost all species, but some of them were very large in N. norvegicus.

Analyses of nuclear ldhA gene and mtDNA control region sequences of Atlantic northern bluefin tuna populations.

There has been considerable debate about whether the Atlantic northern bluefin tuna exist as a single panmictic unit. We have addressed this issue by examining both mitochondrial DNA control region nucleotide sequences and nuclear gene ldhA allele frequencies in replicate size or year class samples of northern bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean Sea and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Pairwise comparisons of multiple year class samples from the 2 regions provided no evidence for population subdivision. Similarly, analyses of molecular variance of both mitochondrial and ldhA data revealed no significant differences among or between samples from the 2 regions. These results demonstrate the importance of analyzing multiple year classes and large sample sizes to obtain accurate estimates when using allele frequencies to characterize a population. It is important to note that the absence of genetic evidence for population substructure does not unilaterally constitute evidence of a single panmictic population, as genetic differentiation can be prevented by large population sizes and by migration.

Replication banding in two Mediterranean moray eels: chromosomal characterization and comparison.

Early and late replication bandings have been obtained by in vitro BrdU incorporation in the Mediterranean Muraenidae species Muraena helena and Gymnothorax unicolor, and used to characterize their karyotypes. A comparative analysis of the banding patterns allowed to point out high karyotype similarity as well as chromosome rearrangements that occurred in karyotype evolution between these species.

Neuromyotonia, peripheral neuropathy and myasthenia gravis.

A patient with neuromyotonia, peripheral neuropathy and myasthenia gravis (MG) is described. Neurophysiological studies, at rest, showed continuous muscle discharges of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) in duplets and triplets. Motor (MNCV) and sensory (SNCV) nerve conduction studies revealed mild axonal and demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. Plasma exchange was followed by disappearance of clinical and electrophysiological signs of neuromyotonia and MG, as well as peripheral neuropathy.

Lobster haemocyanin. Influence of acclimatization on subunit composition and functional properties.

Haemocyanin from the lobster Palinurus elephas has been shown to change in its subunit composition according to the time of year. In contrast, in Palinurus mauritanicus, a lobster living at greater depth, no seasonal changes in subunit composition have been observed. The results obtained from a set of experiments performed on some Palinurus mauritanicus acclimatized in an aquarium have clearly indicated that modifications of haemocyanin subunit composition may be involved in the adaptation of arthropods to environmental change.

Major and 5S ribosomal sequences of the largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Perciformes, Centrarchidae) are localized in GC-rich regions of the genome.

Major and 5S ribosomal genes have been localized in the chromosomes of Micropterus salmoides. By C-banding, Ag-staining, CMA3-staining and 45S and 5S fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), we demonstrate that the 45S and 5S ribosomal genes are clustered in two different chromosome pairs and both are located in heterochromatic GC-rich regions. PCR amplification and sequencing of the 5S intergenic non-transcribed sequences have allowed us to identify variability essentially due to a trinucleotide tandem repeat (GCT).

Distribution and pharmacological properties of the GABAA/benzodiazepine/chloride ionophore receptor complex in the brain of the fish Anguilla anguilla.

In the present study, we characterized the distribution and the pharmacological properties of the different components of the GABAA receptor complex in the brain of the eel (Anguilla anguilla). Benzodiazepine recognition sites labeled "in vitro" with [3H]flunitrazepam ([3H]FNT) were present in highest concentration in the optic lobe and in lowest concentration in the medulla oblongata and spinal cord. A similar distribution was observed in the density of gamma-[3H]aminobutyric acid ([3H]GABA) binding sites. GABA increased the binding of [3H]FNT in a concentration-dependent manner, with a maximal enhancement of 45% above the control value, and, vice versa, diazepam stimulated the binding of [3H]GABA to eel brain membrane preparations. The density of benzodiazepine and GABA recognition sites and their reciprocal regulation were similar to those observed in the rat brain. In contrast, the binding of the specific ligand for the Cl- ionophore, t-[35S]butylbicyclophosphorothionate ([35S]TBPS), to eel brain membranes was lower than that found in the rat brain. In addition, [35S]TBPS binding in eel brain was less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of GABA and muscimol and much more sensitive to the stimulatory effect of bicuculline, when compared with [35S]TBPS binding in the rat brain. Moreover, the uptake of 36Cl- into eel brain membrane vesicles was only marginally stimulated by concentrations of GABA or muscimol that significantly enhanced the 36Cl- uptake into rat brain membrane vesicles. Finally, intravenous administration of the beta-carboline inverse agonist 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester (20 mg/kg) and of the chloride channel blocker pentylenetetrazole (80 mg/kg) produced convulsions in eels that were antagonized by diazepam at doses five to 20 times higher than those required to produce similar effects in rats. The results may indicate a different functional activity of the GABA-coupled chloride ionophore in the fish brain as compared with the mammalian brain.