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The research compared antidiabetic activity of snake fruit Kombucha, black tea Kombucha and metformin in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Snake fruit Kombucha, black tea Kombucha and metformin were orally administered to the diabetic rats daily during a 28-day experiment. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and lipid profiles (total triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol) of the blood plasma were investigated. Pancreas immunohistochemical study and beta-cells quantification were also conducted. The products significantly (p < 0.05) reduced fasting plasma glucose levels (67-76%) and improved oxidative stress indices and lipid profiles. From immunohistochemical staining of pancreatic tissues, pancreatic beta-cells were also improved in the diabetic rats by the products. The snake fruit Kombucha compared with the metformin but better than the black tea Kombucha as a diabetes therapy agent.

International audience; Nosema ceranae is an intracellular microsporidian parasite that infects epithelial cells of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) midgut. Previous studies have shown that Nosema may alter cell renewal and apoptosis in honey bees. We found that the amount of apoptotic cells progressively declines from the anterior towards posterior regions of the midgut in Nosema-infected sensitive bees. There was no such pattern in the infected Nosema tolerant honeybees and controls. These data provide additional evidence that N. ceranae appears to alter apoptosis in its host cells for its own advantage.

The classification of muscle fibres is of particular interest for the study of the skeletal muscle properties in a wide range of scientific fields, especially animal phenotyping. It is therefore important to define a reliable method for classifying fibre types. The aim of this study was to establish a simplified method for the immunohistochemical classification of fibres in mouse. To carry it out, we first tested a combination of several anti myosin heavy chain (MyHC) antibodies in order to choose a minimum number of antibodies to implement a semi-automatic classification. Then, we compared the classification of fibres to the MyHC electrophoretic pattern on the same samples. Only two anti MyHC antibodies on serial sections with the fluorescent labeling of the Laminin were necessary to classify properly fibre types in Tibialis Anterior and Soleus mouse muscles in normal physiological conditions. This classification was virtually identical to the classification realized by the electrophoretic separation of MyHC. This immunohistochemical classification can be applied to the total area of Tibialis Anterior and Soleus mouse muscles. Thus, we provide here a useful, simple and time-efficient method for immunohistochemical classification of fibres, applicable for research in mouse

Plant-parasitic nematodes possess a large number of proteins that are secreted in planta, allowing them to be successful parasites of plants. The majority of these proteins are synthesized mainly in the nematode subventral and dorsal glands as well as in other organs. To improve the immunovisualization of these proteins, we adapted a methacrylate embedding method for the localization of proteins inside nematode tissues, and extracellularly when secreted in planta or within plant cells. An important advantage is that the method is applicable for all nematode stages: preparasitic as well as parasitic stages, including large mature females. Herein, the method has been successfully applied for the localization of four nematode secreted proteins, such as Mi-MAP-1, Mi-CBM2-bearing proteins, Mi-PEL3, and Mi-6D4. In addition, we could also localize 14-3-3 proteins, as well as two cytoskeletal proteins, by double-immunolabeling on preparasitic juveniles. Superior preservation of nematode and plant morphology, allowed more accurate protein localization as compared with other methods. Besides excellent epitope preservation, dissolution of methacrylate from tissue sections unmasks target proteins and thereby drastically increases antibody access.