Bacteria are microorganisms that contain organelles, which have sizes in the nanoscale range. Certain stress conditions may induce morphological changes in bacteria as a strategy to survive. In the present work, the effects of two antimicrobials commonly found in plants were tested to determine the ultrastructure and morphology of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. Kinetics of survival of bacteria were monitored, and ultrastructure changes were observed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively). The results show a bacteriostatic effect on Salmonella at sodium ferulate concentrations between 0.3 and 0.6%, which also caused elongated forms of the bacteria, which were observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The Feret diameter and surface area of the bacteria were determined using image analysis, where it was shown that these dimensions increased four times on average compared with those of the control cells. These data support the idea of multicellular aggregates. In the case of Listeria monocytogenes, the elongation of the cells occurred after 24 hours of exposure to 0.6% sodium ferulate. The number of cytoplasmic inclusions and the size of vacuoles increased after the first hour of exposure to 0.8% sodium caffeate and corresponded to a bactericidal effect of this antimicrobial. The elongation of the cells that occurred in bacteriostatic concentrations reverted when the bacteria were incubated in media without me antimicrobials, and me kinetics of growth became normal, which suggests a strategy to survive under stress conditions generated by the presence of antibacterial compounds.

Las bacterias son microestructuras biológicas que contienen organelos en rangos nanométricos. Algunas condiciones de estrés pueden inducir cambios morfológicos en las bacterias como una estrategia de supervivencia. En el presente trabajo, el efecto de dos antimicrobianos comunmente encontrados en plantas fueron probados en la ultraestructura y en la morfología de Salmonella Typhimurium y Listeria monocytogenes. Las cinéticas de supervivencia de las bacterias fueron monitoreadas y los cambios en la ultraestructura fueron observados usando microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) y electrónica de transmision (TEM). Los resultados mostraron un efecto bacteriostático sobre Salmonella a concentraciones de 0.3 y 0.6% de ferulato de sodio que causaron cambios morfológicos en las bacterias y que fueron observados por SEM. El diámetro de Feret y el área de las células fueron determinados empleando análisis de imágenes. En el caso de Listeria monocytogenes la elongación celular ocurre después de 24 horas de exposición a 0.6% de ferulato de sodio. Las inclusiones citoplasmáticas y vacuolas incrementaron despues de 1 hora de incubación con 0.8% de cafeato de sodio. La elongación de las células causada en condiciones bacteriostáticas fue revertida cuando las bacterias fueron incubadas en medio sin los antimicrobianos y las cinéticas de crecimiento fueron normales, implicando un mecanismo de supervivencia bajo condiciones de estrés.

When rats are exposed to unknown environments where novelty and fear-inducing characteristics are present (conflictive environments), some specific behaviors are induced and exploration is apparently modulated by fear. In our laboratory, a new type of plus-maze was designed as a model of conflictive exploration. The maze is composed of four arms with different geometrical characteristics, differing from each other by the presence or absence of walls. The degree of asymmetry was as follows: NW, no wall arm; SW, a single high wall present; HL, a low and a high wall present, and HH, two high walls present. The four arms were arranged at 90o angles and the apparatus was called the elevated asymmetric plus-maze (APM). The purpose of the present study was to assess the behavioral profile of rats exposed for a single time to the APM with or without treatment with benzodiazepine. Increasing doses of diazepam were injected intraperitoneally in several groups of male, 90-day-old Holtzman rats. Distilled water was injected in control animals. Thirty minutes after treatment all rats were exposed singly to a 5-min test in the APM. Diazepam induced a biphasic modification of exploration in the NW and SW arms. The increase in the exploration score was evident at low doses of diazepam (0.25-1.0 mg/kg body weight) and the decrease in exploration was found with the higher doses of diazepam (2.0-3.0 mg/kg body weight). Non-exploratory behaviors (permanency) were not affected by benzodiazepine treatment. In the HL arm, exploration was not modified but permanency was increased in a dose-dependent manner. In the HH arm, exploration and permanency were not affected. Results are compatible with the idea that exploration-processing mechanisms in conflictive environments are modulated by fear-processing mechanisms of the brain.

The possible role of histamine receptors in the hippocampal formation on the exploratory motivation and emotionality of the rat was studied. An elevated asymmetric plus-maze composed of 4 different arms (no walls, single high wall, high and low walls and two high walls) arranged at 90o angles was used. The exploration score, considered to be an index of exploratory motivation, and the permanency score, considered to be an index of emotionality (anxiety), were determined. Histamine was administered locally into the ventral hippocampus at three different doses (9, 45 and 90 nmol). Another group of rats was also microinjected with 45 nmol of pyrilamine (a histamine H1 receptor antagonist) or ranitidine (a histamine H2 receptor antagonist) in addition to 9 nmol of histamine in order to identify the possible type of histamine receptor involved. Histamine administration significantly inhibited the exploration score and increased the permanency score at the doses of 9 and 45 nmol in two of four arms. These effects were completely blocked by the administration of either histamine receptor antagonist. The present results suggest that in the hippocampal formation histamine inhibits exploratory motivation and decreases emotionality by activating both types of histamine receptors. Also, the elevated asymmetric plus-maze appears to be a suitable technique to quantify exploration and possibly" anxiety"