'Bottom-up' effects in a tritrophic plant-aphid-parasitoid system: Why being the perfect host can have its disadvantages.

In this study the host plant genotype effect on cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.)(Hemiptera: Aphididae) preference and performance, the effect of aphid genotype on parasitoids performance, as well as the indirect effects of plant genotypes on aphid parasitoid performance, were tested using different population samples of the aphid and its primary endoparasitoid wasp, Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Experiments were run as fully-factorial randomized block design in a greenhouse. Accordingly, host plant cultivar had significant effects on the total number of aphids and aphid-load whilst the fitness of the aphid genotypes were also influenced by plant cultivar. The effect of parasitism on cabbage aphids was significantly different between plant cultivars. Overall, the results revealed that cabbage aphid is under different selective pressures arising from both higher (parasitoid) and lower (host plant cultivar) trophic levels. The host plant cultivar had a significant effect on both aphid fitness and parasitism rate on particular aphid genotypes. This indicates that host-plant-adapted aphid species can create much context-dependency in the nature and strength of 'fitness benefits parasitism', which may in turn alter the costs and benefits of host specialization.

Targeting the glucose-regulated protein-78 abrogates Pten-null driven AKT activation and endometrioid tumorigenesis.

Rates of the most common gynecologic cancer, endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC), continue to rise, mirroring the global epidemic of obesity, a well-known EAC risk factor. Thus, identifying novel molecular targets to prevent and/or mitigate EAC is imperative. The prevalent Type 1 EAC commonly harbors loss of the tumor suppressor, Pten, leading to AKT activation. The major endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone, GRP78, is a potent pro-survival protein to maintain ER homeostasis, and as a cell surface protein, is known to regulate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. To determine whether targeting GRP78 could suppress EAC development, we created a conditional knockout mouse model using progesterone receptor-Cre-recombinase to achieve Pten and Grp78 (cPten(f/f)Grp78(f/f)) deletion in the endometrial epithelium. Mice with a single Pten (cPten(f/f)) deletion developed well-differentiated EAC by 4 weeks. In contrast, no cPten(f/f)Grp78(f/f) mice developed EAC, even after more than 8 months of observation. Histologic examination of uteri from cPten(f/f)Grp78(f/f) mice also revealed no complex atypical hyperplasia, a well-established EAC precursor. These histologic observations among the cPten(f/f)Grp78(f/f) murine uteri also corresponded to abrogation of AKT activation within the endometrium. We further observed that GRP78 co-localized with activated AKT on the surface of EAC, thus providing an opportunity for therapeutic targeting. Consistent with previous findings that cell surface GRP78 is an upstream regulator of PI3K/AKT signaling, we show here that in vivo short-term systemic treatment with a highly specific monoclonal antibody against GRP78 suppressed AKT activation and increased apoptosis in the cPten(f/f) tumors. Collectively, these findings present GRP78-targeting therapy as an efficacious therapeutic option for EAC.

Effectiveness of green tea mouthwash in comparison to chlorhexidine mouthwash in patients with acute pericoronitis: a randomized clinical trial.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of green tea mouthwash in controlling the pain and trismus associated with acute pericoronitis in comparison to chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash. Ninety-seven patients with acute pericoronitis underwent debridement and received 5% green tea mouthwash (study group) or 0.12% CHX mouth rinse (control group). Pain (visual analogue scale; VAS), number of analgesics, maximum mouth opening (MMO), and number of patients with trismus were determined. There were no significant differences in demographic variables (P>0.05), or baseline VAS (P>0.006), MMO (P>0.017) or number of patients with trismus (P>0.017) between the two groups. The mean VAS score of the study group was statistically lower than that of the control group between post-treatment days 3 and 5 (P<0.006). A significantly lower number of analgesics were taken by the study group (P<0.05). Although the MMO of the study group was significantly lower on day 3 (P<0.017), no significant difference was observed on day 7 (P>0.017). Fewer of the patients rinsing with green tea had trismus on days 3 and 7, but the difference was non-significant (P>0.017). Hence, green tea mouth rinse could be an appropriate and effective choice for the control of pain and trismus in acute pericoronitis.