Effects of salinity on pre- and post-fertilization developmental events in the clam Anomalocardia flexuosa (Linnaeus, 1767).

The knowledge about the effect of salinity on the physiological mechanism of bivalve reproduction is fundamental to improve production strategies in hatcheries. The present work evaluated the influence of different salinity concentrations (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 g⋅L-1) on pre- and post-fertilization development processes in the clam, Anomalocardia flexuosa, oocytes obtained by stripping. Salinity directly interfered with the germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) rate and in the cellular stability of unfertilized oocytes. Salinity concentrations between 30 and 35 g⋅L-1 provided better percentages of stable GVBD within 120 min, and incubation of oocytes in the salinity range of 30-35 g⋅L-1 for a time interval of 80-120 min provided > 80% GVBD. In the post-fertilization analysis, salinity affected the rate of the extrusion of the first and second polar bodies (PB1 and PB2). The release of 50% of the PBs was faster at a salinity of 35 g⋅L-1, with an estimated time of 10 min for PB1 and 30 min for PB2. Thus, chromosome manipulation methodologies aiming triploids should be applied at 35 g⋅L-1 salinity, with application of post-fertilization shock before 10 min for PB1 retention or before 30 min for PB2 retention.

Evidence of Association between MTRR and TNF-α Gene Polymorphisms and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Anterior Open Bite.

Genetic polymorphisms could explain the inter-individual differences in the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children with anterior open bite (AOB). OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of AOB on OHRQoL in children and to evaluate whether MTR (rs1805087), MTRR (rs1801394), TGFß1 (rs1800469) and TNF-α (rs1799964, rs1799724 and rs1800629) genes are potential biomarkers for OHRQoL in children with AOB. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed with 173 children aged between 2-6 years. The Brazilian version of Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) was applied. Genetic polymorphisms were analyzed using real-time PCR. Mann-Whitney U-test and Chi-square were used. RESULTS: The overall mean ECOHIS scores were 5.49 (SD= 5.72) and 3.45 (SD = 4.49) (p < 0.01) in the AOB and control groups, respectively. Children with the CC genotype of TNF-α (rs1799724) had a significantly higher psychological QoL level. The MTRR AA genotype group showed a lower QoL level in the child subscale (p = 0.006), function (p = 0.017), and psychological (p = 0.006) domains. There was no significant difference between OHRQoL and the genetic polymorphisms in MTR and TGFß1. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic polymorphisms in TNF-α and MTRR are associated with the impact on the OHRQoL in children with AOB.