Anti-SELE monoclonal antibody, clone 648DU3.3.3

Detrital garnet suites have been demonstrated to be reliable indicators of the mineralogical and lithological characteristics of sediment source areas. This study applies garnet analysis to the Paleocene to Eocene Sele Formation deep-water sandstone units of the central North Sea. These stratigraphic units are economically important as they represent one of the main hydrocarbon reservoir intervals in this mature basin. The routing of turbidity currents into the Central Graben has been demonstrated to be related to axial fans (ultimately sourced from Lewisian and Moine basement rocks and Triassic sandstones to the NW) and lateral fans (ultimately sourced from the Dalradian basement rocks to the west). Garnet analysis suggests the majority of samples can be attributed to the axial fan system and that the lateral system contributed little to sandstone deposition east of the Gannet Fields. This contradicts previous seismic mapping work, which suggested that the lateral fan system dominated sedimentation as far east as the Merganser Field. This reinterpretation is potentially important for our understanding of sediment routing and its impact on the distribution of reservoir quality, particularly as this is believed to relate directly to proximity to the shelf.

Treponema denticola is a predominantly subgingival oral spirochete closely associated with periodontal disease and has been detected in atherosclerosis. This study was designed to evaluate causative links between periodontal disease induced by chronic oral T. denticola infection and atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic ApoE(-/-) mice. ApoE(-/-) mice (n = 24) were orally infected with T. denticola ATCC 35404 and were euthanized after 12 and 24 weeks. T. denticola genomic DNA was detected in oral plaque samples, indicating colonization of the oral cavity. Infection elicited significantly (P = 0.0172) higher IgG antibody levels and enhanced intrabony defects than sham infection. T. denticola-infected mice had higher levels of horizontal alveolar bone resorption than sham-infected mice and an associated significant increase in aortic plaque area (P <= 0.05). Increased atherosclerotic plaque correlated with reduced serum nitric oxide (NO) levels and increased serum-oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels compared to those of sham-infected mice. T. denticola infection altered the expression of genes known to be involved in atherosclerotic development, including the leukocyte/endothelial cell adhesion gene (Thbs4), the connective tissue growth factor gene (Ctgf), and the selectin-E gene (Sele). Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed T. denticola clusters in both gingival and aortic tissue of infected mice. This is the first study examining the potential causative role of chronic T. denticola periodontal infection and vascular atherosclerosis in vivo in hyperlipidemic ApoE(-/-) mice. T. denticola is closely associated with periodontal disease and the rapid progression of atheroma in ApoE(-/-) mice. These studies confirm a causal link for active oral T. denticola infection with both atheroma and periodontal disease.