Pregnancy profiles in the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Clinical biochemical and hematological variations during healthy gestation and a successful outcome.

The physiological demands of pregnancy inevitably result in changes of both biochemical and hematological parameters as the fetus develops. Alterations in blood parameters have been observed to shift according to both trimester and species, to support fetal physiological needs and maternal basal requirements. Establishing normal reference ranges for each stage in gestation is important to facilitate diagnosis of underlying health concerns and prevent over-diagnosing abnormalities. Despite bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) being one of the most highly studied cetaceans, the blood profile changes occurring as a result of pregnancy have not been previously described. A retrospective analysis was performed from blood samples obtained from 42 successful pregnancies from 20 bottlenose dolphins in a managed population over 30 years. Samples were compared to non-pregnant states and among trimesters of pregnancy. Blood profile fluctuations occurred throughout gestation, however significant alterations predominantly occurred between the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Hematological changes from the 2nd to the 3rd trimester included a decrease in lymphocytes, decrease in platelet count, and hemoconcentration with increased hematocrit and hemoglobin. Biochemical changes in the 3rd trimester included significant reductions in ALKP (alkaline phosphatase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) with significant increases observed in albumin, globulins, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides and CO2. It's important to note that despite significant shifts occurring between the 2nd and 3rd trimester, there was no significant change in platelets, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lymphocytes or CO2 between non-pregnant and 3rd trimester blood samples. The normal reference ranges for each trimester established herein, will enable future identification of abnormalities occurring during pregnancy and help improve our understanding of factors potentially influencing a failed or successful pregnancy outcome.

ESTABLISHING MARGINAL LYMPH NODE ULTRASONOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN HEALTHY BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS ( TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS).

Pulmonary disease has been well documented in wild and managed dolphin populations. The marginal lymph nodes of the dolphin thorax provide lymphatic drainage to the lungs and can indicate pulmonary disease. This study standardized a technique for rapid, efficient, and thorough ultrasonographic evaluation of the marginal lymph nodes in bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus). Thoracic ultrasonography was performed on 29 clinically healthy adult bottlenose dolphins. Reference intervals for lymph node dimensions and ultrasonographic characteristics of marginal lymph nodes were determined from four transducer orientations: longitudinal, transverse, oblique, and an orientation optimized to the ultrasonographer's eye. The relationship between lymph node dimensions and dolphin age, sex, length, weight, origin, and management setting (pool versus ocean enclosure) were also evaluated. The mean marginal lymph nodes measured 5.26 cm in length (SD = 1.10 cm, minimum = 3.04 cm, maximum = 7.61 cm, reference interval [10th to 90th percentiles per node dimension] 3.78-6.55 cm) and 3.72 cm in depth (SD = 0.59 cm, minimum = 2.64, maximum = 5.38 cm, reference interval 2.98-4.50 cm). Sex, dolphin length, weight, and management setting had no effect on lymph node dimensions. Dolphins >30 yr of age had longer node lengths than dolphins 5-10 yr old. Node dimensions did differ between dolphins from various origins. Most commonly, the lymph node was found to be hyperechoic relative to surrounding soft tissues (98%) and to have irregular caudal borders (84%), ill-defined deep borders (83%), flat superficial border (67%), triangular or rounded triangle shape (59%), irregular cranial border (55%), and moderate heterogeneity (34%). The data reported in this study serve as a baseline reference that may contribute to earlier detection of pleural and pulmonary disease of managed and wild cetacean populations.

Marine mammals harbor unique microbiotas shaped by and yet distinct from the sea.

Marine mammals play crucial ecological roles in the oceans, but little is known about their microbiotas. Here we study the bacterial communities in 337 samples from 5 body sites in 48 healthy dolphins and 18 healthy sea lions, as well as those of adjacent seawater and other hosts. The bacterial taxonomic compositions are distinct from those of other mammals, dietary fish and seawater, are highly diverse and vary according to body site and host species. Dolphins harbour 30 bacterial phyla, with 25 of them in the mouth, several abundant but poorly characterized Tenericutes species in gastric fluid and a surprisingly paucity of Bacteroidetes in distal gut. About 70% of near-full length bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA sequences from dolphins are unique. Host habitat, diet and phylogeny all contribute to variation in marine mammal distal gut microbiota composition. Our findings help elucidate the factors structuring marine mammal microbiotas and may enhance monitoring of marine mammal health.

Comparison of Dolphins' Body and Brain Measurements with Four Other Groups of Cetaceans Reveals Great Diversity.

We compared mature dolphins with 4 other groupings of mature cetaceans. With a large data set, we found great brain diversity among 5 different taxonomic groupings. The dolphins in our data set ranged in body mass from about 40 to 6,750 kg and in brain mass from 0.4 to 9.3 kg. Dolphin body length ranged from 1.3 to 7.6 m. In our combined data set from the 4 other groups of cetaceans, body mass ranged from about 20 to 120,000 kg and brain mass from about 0.2 to 9.2 kg, while body length varied from 1.21 to 26.8 m. Not all cetaceans have large brains relative to their body size. A few dolphins near human body size have human-sized brains. On the other hand, the absolute brain mass of some other cetaceans is only one-sixth as large. We found that brain volume relative to body mass decreases from Delphinidae to a group of Phocoenidae and Monodontidae, to a group of other odontocetes, to Balaenopteroidea, and finally to Balaenidae. We also found the same general trend when we compared brain volume relative to body length, except that the Delphinidae and Phocoenidae-Monodontidae groups do not differ significantly. The Balaenidae have the smallest relative brain mass and the lowest cerebral cortex surface area. Brain parts also vary. Relative to body mass and to body length, dolphins also have the largest cerebellums. Cortex surface area is isometric with brain size when we exclude the Balaenidae. Our data show that the brains of Balaenidae are less convoluted than those of the other cetaceans measured. Large vascular networks inside the cranial vault may help to maintain brain temperature, and these nonbrain tissues increase in volume with body mass and with body length ranging from 8 to 65% of the endocranial volume. Because endocranial vascular networks and other adnexa, such as the tentorium cerebelli, vary so much in different species, brain size measures from endocasts of some extinct cetaceans may be overestimates. Our regression of body length on endocranial adnexa might be used for better estimates of brain volume from endocasts or from endocranial volume of living species or extinct cetaceans.

Phenylarsine oxide as a redox modulator of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 channel function.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channels are capable of detecting and integrating noxious stimuli and play an important role in nociceptor activation and sensitization. It has been demonstrated that oxidizing agents are capable of positively modulating (sensitizing) the TRPV1 channel. The present study investigates the ability of the thiol-oxidizing agent phenylarsine oxide (PAO) to modulate TRPV1 currents under voltage-clamp conditions. We assessed the ability of PAO to modulate both proton- and capsaicin-activated currents mediated by recombinant human TRPV1 channels as well as native rat and human TRPV1 channels in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Experiments with other oxidizing and reducing agents having various membrane-permeating properties supported the intracellular oxidizing mechanism of PAO modulation. The PAO modulation of proton-activated currents was consistent across the cell types studied, with an increase in current across the proton concentrations studied. PAO modulation of the capsaicin-activated current in hTRPV1/Chinese hamster ovary cells consisted of potentiation of the current elicited with low capsaicin concentrations and inhibition of the current at higher concentrations. This same effect was seen with these recombinant cells in calcium imaging experiments and with native TRPV1 channels in rat DRG neurons. Contrary to this, currents in human DRG neurons were potentiated at all capsaicin concentrations tested after PAO treatment. These results could indicate important differences in the reduction-oxidation modulation of human TRPV1 channels in a native cellular environment.

Studies examining the relationship between the chemical structure of protoxin II and its activity on voltage gated sodium channels.

The aqueous solution structure of protoxin II (ProTx II) indicated that the toxin comprises a well-defined inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) backbone region and a flexible C-terminal tail region, similar to previously described NaSpTx III tarantula toxins. In the present study we sought to explore the structure-activity relationship of the two regions of the ProTx II molecule. As a first step, chimeric toxins of ProTx II and PaTx I were synthesized and their biological activities on Nav1.7 and Nav1.2 channels were investigated. Other tail region modifications to this chimera explored the effects of tail length and tertiary structure on sodium channel activity. In addition, the activity of various C-terminal modifications of the native ProTx II was assayed and resulted in the identification of protoxin II-NHCH3, a molecule with greater potency against Nav1.7 channels (IC50=42 pM) than the original ProTx II.

Ratiometric Measurements of Adiponectin by Mass Spectrometry in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) with Iron Overload Reveal an Association with Insulin Resistance and Glucagon.

High molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels are reduced in humans with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Similar to humans with insulin resistance, managed bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) diagnosed with hemochromatosis (iron overload) have higher levels of 2 h post-prandial plasma insulin than healthy controls. A parallel reaction monitoring assay for dolphin serum adiponectin was developed based on tryptic peptides identified by mass spectrometry. Using identified post-translational modifications, a differential measurement was constructed. Total and unmodified adiponectin levels were measured in sera from dolphins with (n = 4) and without (n = 5) iron overload. This measurement yielded total adiponectin levels as well as site specific percent unmodified adiponectin that may inversely correlate with HMW adiponectin. Differences in insulin levels between iron overload cases and controls were observed 2 h post-prandial, but not during the fasting state. Thus, post-prandial as well as fasting serum adiponectin levels were measured to determine whether adiponectin and insulin would follow similar patterns. There was no difference in total adiponectin or percent unmodified adiponectin from case or control fasting animals. There was no difference in post-prandial total adiponectin levels between case and control dolphins (mean ± SD) at 763 ± 298 and 727 ± 291 pmol/ml, respectively (p = 0.91); however, percent unmodified adiponectin was significantly higher in post-prandial cases compared to controls (30.0 ± 6.3 versus 17.0 ± 6.6%, respectively; p = 0.016). Interestingly, both total and percent unmodified adiponectin were correlated with glucagon levels in controls (r = 0.999, p < 0.001), but not in cases, which is possibly a reflection of insulin resistance. Although total adiponectin levels were not significantly different, the elevated percent unmodified adiponectin follows a trend similar to HMW adiponectin reported for humans with metabolic disorders.

Cysteine racemization during the Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis of the Nav1.7-selective peptide--protoxin II.

Protoxin II is biologically active peptide containing the inhibitory cystine knot motif. A synthetic version of the toxin was generated with standard Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis. If N-methylmorpholine was used as a base during synthesis of the linear protoxin II, it was found that a significant amount of racemization (approximately 50%) was observed during the process of cysteine residue coupling. This racemization could be suppressed by substituting N-methylmorpholine with 2,4,6-collidine. The crude linear toxin was then air oxidized and purified. Electrophysiological assessment of the synthesized protoxin II confirmed its previously described interactions with voltage-gated sodium channels. Eight other naturally occurring inhibitory knot peptides were also synthesized using this same methodology. The inhibitory potencies of these synthesized toxins on Nav1.7 and Nav1.2 channels are summarized.

Serum profiling by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a diagnostic tool for domoic acid toxicosis in California sea lions.

BACKGROUND: There are currently no reliable markers of acute domoic acid toxicosis (DAT) for California sea lions. We investigated whether patterns of serum peptides could diagnose acute DAT. Serum peptides were analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry from 107 sea lions (acute DAT n = 34; non-DAT n = 73). Artificial neural networks (ANN) were trained using MALDI-TOF data. Individual peaks and neural networks were qualified using an independent test set (n = 20). RESULTS: No single peak was a good classifier of acute DAT, and ANN models were the best predictors of acute DAT. Performance measures for a single median ANN were: sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 60%; positive predictive value, 71%; negative predictive value, 100%. When 101 ANNs were combined and allowed to vote for the outcome, the performance measures were: sensitivity, 30%; specificity, 100%; positive predictive value, 100%; negative predictive value, 59%. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MALDI-TOF peptide profiling and neural networks can perform either as a highly sensitive (100% negative predictive value) or a highly specific (100% positive predictive value) diagnostic tool for acute DAT. This also suggests that machine learning directed by populations of predictive models offer the ability to modulate the predictive effort into a specific type of error.

Modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels hyperpolarizes the voltage threshold for activation in spinal motoneurones.

Previous work has shown that motoneurone excitability is enhanced by a hyperpolarization of the membrane potential at which an action potential is initiated (V(th)) at the onset, and throughout brainstem-evoked fictive locomotion in the adult decerebrate cat and neonatal rat. Modeling work has suggested the modulation of Na(+) conductance as a putative mechanism underlying this state-dependent change in excitability. This study sought to determine whether modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels could induce V(th) hyperpolarization. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from antidromically identified lumbar spinal motoneurones in an isolated neonatal rat spinal cord preparation. Recordings were made with and without the bath application of veratridine, a plant alkaloid neurotoxin that acts as a sodium channel modulator. As seen in HEK 293 cells expressing Nav1.2 channels, veratridine-modified channels demonstrated a hyperpolarizing shift in their voltage-dependence of activation and a slowing of inactivation that resulted in an enhanced inward current in response to voltage ramp stimulations. In the native rat motoneurones, veratridine-modified sodium channels induced a hyperpolarization of V(th) in all 29 neonatal rat motoneurones examined (mean hyperpolarization: -6.6 ± 4.3 mV). V(th) hyperpolarization was not due to the effects on Ca(2+) and/or K(+) channels as blockade of these currents did not alter V(th). Veratridine also significantly increased the amplitude of persistent inward currents (PICs; mean increase: 72.5 ± 98.5 pA) evoked in response to slow depolarizing current ramps. However, the enhancement of the PIC amplitude had a slower time course than the hyperpolarization of V(th), and the PIC onset voltage could be either depolarized or hyperpolarized, suggesting that PIC facilitation did not mediate the V(th) hyperpolarization. We therefore suggest that central neuronal circuitry in mammals could affect V(th) in a mechanism similar to that of veratridine, by inducing a negative shift in the activation voltage of sodium channels. Furthermore, this shift appears to be independent of the enhancement of PICs.

Iron indices in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

Bottlenose dolphins can have iron overload (that is, hemochromatosis), and managed populations of dolphins may be more susceptible to this disease than are wild dolphins. Serum iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, and ferritin were measured in 181 samples from 141 dolphins in 2 managed collections and 2 free-ranging populations. Although no iron indices increased with age among free-ranging dolphins, ferritin increased with age in managed collections. Dolphins from managed collections had higher iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation values than did free-ranging dolphins. Dolphins with high serum iron (exceeding 300 µg/dL) were more likely to have elevated ferritin but not ceruloplasmin or haptoglobin, demonstrating that high serum levels of iron are due to a true increase in total body iron. A time-series study of 4 dolphins with hemochromatosis that were treated with phlebotomy demonstrated significant decreases in serum ferritin, iron, and TIBC between pre- and posttreatment samples; transferrin saturation initially fell but returned to prephlebotomy levels by 6 mo after treatment. Compared with those in managed collections, wild dolphins were 15 times more likely to have low serum iron (100 µg/dL or less), and this measure was associated with lower haptoglobin. In conclusion, bottlenose dolphins in managed collections are more likely to have greater iron stores than are free-ranging dolphins. Determining why this situation occurs among some dolphin populations and not others may improve the treatment of hemochromatosis in dolphins and provide clues to causes of nonhereditary hemochromatosis in humans.

Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of locomotor activity-related neurons in cfos-EGFP mice.

Although locomotion is known to be generated by networks of spinal neurons, knowledge of the properties of these neurons is limited. Using neonatal transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by the c-fos promoter, we visualized EGFP-positive neurons in spinal cord slices from animals that were subjected to a locomotor task or drug cocktail [N-methyl-D-aspartate, serotonin (5-HT), dopamine, and acetylcholine (ACh)]. The activity-dependent expression of EGFP was also induced in dorsal root ganglion neurons with electrical stimulation of the neurons. Following 60-90 min of swimming, whole cell patch-clamp recordings were made from EGFP+ neurons in laminae VII, VIII, and X from slices of segments T(12) to L(4). The EGFP+ neurons (n = 55) could be classified into three types based on their responses to depolarizing step currents: single spike, phasic firing, and tonic firing. Membrane properties observed in these neurons include hyperpolarization-activated inward currents (29/55), postinhibitory rebound (11/55), and persistent-inward currents (31/55). Bath application of 10-40 microM 5-HT and/or ACh increased neuronal excitability or output with hyperpolarization of voltage threshold and changes in membrane potential. 5-HT also increased input resistance, reduced the afterhyperpolarization (AHP), and induced membrane oscillations, whereas ACh reduced the input resistance and increased the AHP. In this study, we demonstrate a new way of identifying neurons active in locomotion. Our results suggest that the EGFP+ neurons are a heterogeneous population of interneurons. The actions of 5-HT and ACh on these neurons provide insights into the neuronal properties modulated by these transmitters for generation of locomotion.

Staircase currents in motoneurons: insight into the spatial arrangement of calcium channels in the dendritic tree.

In spinal motoneurons, activation of dendritically located depolarizing conductances can lead to amplification of synaptic inputs and the production of plateau potentials. Immunohistochemical and computational studies have implicated dendritic CaV1.3 channels in this amplification and suggest that CaV1.3 channels in spinal motoneurons may be organized in clusters in the dendritic tree. Our goal was to provide physiological evidence for the presence of multiple discrete clusters of voltage-gated calcium channels in spinal motoneurons and to explore the spatial arrangement of these clusters in the dendritic tree. We recorded voltage-gated calcium currents from spinal motoneurons in slices of mature mouse spinal cords. We demonstrate that single somatic voltage-clamp steps can elicit multiple inward currents with varying delays to onset, resulting in a current with a "staircase"-like appearance. Recordings from cultured dorsal root ganglion cells at different stages of neurite development provide evidence that these currents arise from the unclamped portions of the dendritic tree. Finally, both voltage- and current-clamp data were used to constrain computer models of a motoneuron. The resultant simulations impose two conditions on the spatial distribution of CaV channels in motoneuron dendrites: one of asymmetry relative to the soma and another of spatial separation between clusters of CaV channels. We propose that this compartmentalization would provide motoneurons with the ability to process multiple sources of input in parallel and integrate this processed information to produce appropriate trains of action potentials for the intended motor behavior.

Modulation of calcium currents in mouse ventral horn neurons by extracellular pH.

Neuronal activity has been shown to modulate the pH of the extracellular environment. Since neuronal circuits in the ventral horn of the spinal cord are highly active during patterned movements, and voltage-gated calcium channels play an important role in the production of spinal motoneuron output, the effects of changes in extracellular pH (pH(e)) on calcium currents in ventral horn neurons of the mouse spinal cord were examined. It is demonstrated that these channels are sensitive to modulation by pH(e). The amplitude of the current mediated by these channels increased as the pH(e) was elevated. The elevated pH(e) also led to a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of both activation and inactivation. The opposite effects were seen for a decrease in pH(e). It was also noted that a decrease in pH(e) was associated with a faster inactivation of the current. It is concluded that voltage-gated calcium currents in ventral horn neurons are modulated by changes in pH(e), and that this modulation may play a physiologically important role in determining motoneuronal excitability during behaviors such as locomotion.