Rabbit Anti-Human PNOC (a.a. 130-146) Polyclonal antibody

Knowledge of the host-feeding pattern of blood-sucking insects helps to understand the epidemiology of a vector-born disease. A set of primers was used to selectively amplify segment of vertebrates' prepronociceptin gene from abdomens of engorged sand flies. Vertebrate DNA was successfully amplified in 65% of blood-fed phlebotomines assayed. Direct sequencing and comparison of resultant sequences with sequences in GenBank, using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, led to the specific identification of the host in 100% of the cases. In total, 249 blood-fed females belonging to five different sand flies species were captured thanks to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light traps and sticky papers in different areas of Tunisia between 2007 and 2009. Bloodmeal origin was determined for 146 blood-fed midges: Phlebotomus sergenti Parrot sampled fed only on Ovis aries and Equus caballus, while bloodmeal origin of P. perniciosus Newstead, P. longicuspis Nitzulescu, and P. papatasi (Scopoli) was diversified. We found that midges were fed mainly on Homos sapiens (n = 37; 22.69%), Bos taurus (n = 11; 6.74%), Mus musculus (n = 2; 1.22%), Capra hircus (n = 4; 2.45%), Camelus dromedarius (n = 3; 1.84%), Ovis aries (n = 98; 60.12%), Equus caballus (n = 3; 1.84%), Felis catus (n = 1; 0.6%), Oryctolagus cuniculus (n = 3; 1.84%), and Rattus norvegicus (n = 1; 0.6%). In this study, interestingly, we found for the first time that Mus musculus DNA was found in one female of S. minuta (Rondani) specie and question about its possible vectorial role is opened.

Background Gangliogliomas (GGs) primary to brainstem are rare, with the overwhelming majority of GGs occurring in supratentorial, especially temporal lobe, locations. A less favorable prognosis exists for brainstem GGs, despite their usually identical WHO grade I status. Few large clinical series, and limited biological information, exists on these tumors, especially gene expression. Procedure Seven pediatric brainstem GGs, all with classic histological features, seen at our institution since 2000 were identified. Frozen section material was available for gene expression microarray profiling from five of seven brainstem GGs and compared with that from three non-brainstem pediatric GGs. Results Significant upregulation of a number of genes was identified, most of which were involved in pathways of neural signaling, embryonic development, and pattern specification in pediatric brainstem GGs compared to non-brainstem. The single largest upregulated gene was a 256-fold increase in the expression of the neuropeptide prepronociceptin (PNOC); the protein product of this gene has been implicated in neuronal growth. Overexpression was validated by Western blot and by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Strong IHC expression of PNOC was seen in neoplastic neurons of 7/7 brainstem GGs, but was significantly weaker in non-brainstem GGs, and completely negative in normal pediatric autopsy brainstem controls. Conclusions PNOC IHC was often superior to IHC for NeuN, synaptophysin, or neurofilament for highlighting neoplastic neurons. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59: 11731179. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.