Two male steroid-dependent asthmatics treated with etidronate

男性のステロイド依存性気管支喘息患者にエチドロネートを4年間の長期間にわたり投与した経験を得たので報告する｡症例は,男性のステロイド依存性気管支喘息で,エチドロネート200mg/日･14日間投与を4ケ月おきに4年間にわたり反復投与し,活性型ビタミンD製剤 (VD)投与と併用した2例と,活性型VD製剤を単独授与した2例｡椎体圧迫骨折数,境骨耗骨密度,海綿骨骨密度,皮質骨骨密度について,椎体X線像,PQCT(Stratec XCT960)を用いて4ケ月毎に測定し,48ケ月後の効果を検討した｡エチドロネートを投与した症例1では,総骨密度と海綿骨はやや増加を認め皮質骨密度は減少していた｡エチドロネートを授与した症例2では,総骨密度,海綿骨,皮質骨密度はいずれも減少を認めたが,VD単独投与した2例よりもやや減少が抑制されていたようであった｡VD単独投与した2例ではいずれの項目も減少を認めた｡これらの症例からは,エチドロネートは男性のステロイドによる骨傷害にも有効と考えられたが,現在投与継続途中であり,今後さらに検討を続ける必要がある｡We report an experience about administration of etidronate to male steroid-dependent asthmatics for a long time. For 4 years, two men with steroid-dependent asthma were treated with etidronate (200 mg / day, for 14 days) every 4 months and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) together, and two patients were treated with VD alone. Vertebral fractures were evaluated by the lateral spinal X-ray films, and radial total bone mineral density (BMD) , trabecular BMD and the cortical BMD were measured by pQCT (Stratec XCT960) every four months. Trabecular and total BMD increased but cortical BMD decreased in the case 1 who was treated with both etidronate and VD. In the case 2 with etidronate and VD treatments, total and trabecular BMD decreased, but reduction of these indices seemed to be more suppressed than that in two patients with VD alone. According to these experiences, etidronate may be effective against the steroid-induced bone injury in men. Since periods treatment are not en-ough long to evaluate therapeutic effect of etid-ronate, we will have to continue the examination of these cases further more from now on

生殖器官の生産量からみたシイ林の有性生殖(林学部門)

松尾大社(京都市嵐山)の境内のシイ成熟林において, リタートラップ法で1986年∿1989年の生殖器官の生産量(林分当たり)を測り, また花粉生産量は開花前の雄花序当たり花粉量を基に推定した。これらの諸量を検討し, 有性生殖についてえた主な結果は次の通りである。花粉生産量は重量(218∿359kg (ha)^ (yr)^)では最大クラス, 粒数(64.2∿103×(10)^(ha)^ (yr)^)では突出して多く, しかも年次変動が小さかった。この莫大な花粉数は, しかし, 胚珠数に見合ったものであった(花粉/胚珠の数比, 4.1∿8.3×(10)^5)。花粉粒は小形であるから(1.94∿4.30×(10)^mg), 同化産物の花粉への流れは節約されている。開花年ごとの乾物量は1609∿1803kg (ha)^で, 雄性と雌性の部分量は逆比例の関係にあった。年度ごとの乾物生産量は1237∿2204kg (ha)^ (yr)^の範囲で, これは種子の並作∿凶作の年の値である。この生産量の多少と各部分の割合との間には, 一定の傾向はなかった。これは種子成熟に2カ年を要することに関係がある。また, 当年生と1年生の部分の生産量は等しくなる年が多かった。結実率は低いが(5.5%∿10.6%), ほかの種と大略等しい。年々の種子数は結実率と並行して推移し, 総雌花数も種子生産に関係があるようだ。種子対投資の重量比は種子の並作年に3倍, 凶作年6倍で, これはほかの重力散布種子の種の値と一致した。In a mature stand of Shii chinkapin (Castanopsis cuspidata SCHOTTKY) at Matsuotaisya shrine, Arashiyama, Kyoto, annual production rates of reproductive organs were studied using 20 litter traps (each 50cm×50cm in mouth area) in 1986-1989,and those of pollen were estimated by multiplying the number of fallen male catkins per ha per year by the mean amount of pollen per catkin before anthesis. The main results were as follows. The pollen production rate of 218-359kg d. w. (ha)^ (yr)^ was one of the highest among other species, and that of 64.2-103×(10)^(ha)^ (yr)^ was by far the largest number; moreover, these showed small year-to-year fluctuations. Such a huge number of pollen grains, however, was balanced by the number of ovules in a stand (numerical ratio of pollen grains to ovules : 4.1-8.3×(10)^5). The light pollen grains (1.94-4.30×(10)^mg d. w.) save the assimilation products invested in pollen formation. Dry matter of reproductive organs by the year of anthesis was within the range 1609-1803kg d. w. (ha)^, and those of male and female parts were inversely proportional to each other. Annual production rates were within the range 1237-2204kg d. w. (ha)^ (yr)^, equivalent to values in years of average to poor seed crop. There was no relationship between the annual production rates (by weight) of male and female parts, because fruit maturation requires two growing seasons. In three years among four, the 0-and 1-yr-old parts showed equal dry weight allocation. Seedmaturing ratios or numerical ratios of mature nuts to total female flowers were small (5.5%-10.6%), being approximately equal to those of other species. The year-to-year trend in nut production (by number) parallelled those of seed-maturing ratio and the number of female flowers. Mean nut weight vs. assimilation products necessary for producing a single nut, calculated by dividing the drymatter production rate of overall parts by the number of nuts, was 1 : 3 in a year with an average seed crop, and 1 : 6 in a year with a poor crop. This seed production effort was similar to those of five other barachorous species

Analysis on Blast Fungus-Responsive Characters of a Flavonoid Phytoalexin Sakuranetin; Accumulation in Infected Rice Leaves, Antifungal Activity and Detoxification by Fungus

To understand the role of the rice flavonoid phytoalexin (PA) sakuranetin for blast resistance, the fungus-responsive characteristics were studied. Young rice leaves in a resistant line exhibited hypersensitive reaction (HR) within 3 days post inoculation (dpi) of a spore suspension, and an increase in sakuranetin was detected at 3 dpi, increasing to 4-fold at 4 dpi. In the susceptible line, increased sakuranetin was detected at 4 dpi, but not at 3 dpi, by which a large fungus mass has accumulated without HR. Induced expression of a PA biosynthesis gene OsNOMT for naringenin 7-O-methyltransferase was found before accumulation of sakuranetin in both cultivars. The antifungal activity of sakuranetin was considerably higher than that of the major rice diterpenoid PA momilactone A in vitro and in vivo under similar experimental conditions. The decrease and detoxification of sakuranetin were detected in both solid and liquid mycelium cultures, and they took place slower than those of momilactone A. Estimated local concentration of sakuranetin at HR lesions was thought to be effective for fungus restriction, while that at enlarged lesions in susceptible rice was insufficient. These results indicate possible involvement of sakuranetin in blast resistance and its specific relation to blast fungus

A vacuolar sorting receptor-independent sorting mechanism for storage vacuoles in soybean seeds

The seed storage proteins of soybean (Glycine max) are composed mainly of glycinin (11S globulin) and β-conglycinin (7S globulin). The subunits of glycinin (A1aB1b, A1bB2, A2B1a, A3B4, and A5A4B3) are synthesized as a single polypeptide precursor. These precursors are assembled into trimers with a random combination of subunits in the endoplasmic reticulum, and are sorted to the protein storage vacuoles. Proteins destined for transport to protein storage vacuoles possess a vacuolar sorting determinant, and in this regard, the A1aB1b subunit contains a C-terminal peptide that is sufficient for its sorting to protein storage vacuoles. The A3B4 subunit, however, lacks a corresponding C-terminal sorting determinant. In this study, we found that, unlike the A1aB1b subunit, the A3B4 subunit does not bind to previously reported vacuolar sorting receptors. Despite this difference, we observed that the A3B4 subunit is sorted to protein storage vacuoles in a transgenic soybean line expressing the A3B4 subunit of glycinin. These results indicate that a protein storage vacuolar sorting mechanism that functions independently of the known vacuolar sorting receptors in seeds might be present in soybean seeds

Efficient production of transgenic soybean (Glycine max [L] Merrill) plants mediated via whisker-supersonic (WSS) method

The present study was designed to evaluate the transformation efficiency and proof the capability of whisker supersonic (WSS) method as an alternative option for soybean (Glycine max [L] Merrill) transformation. We compared soybean transformation efficiency obtained by WSS-mediated with that of particle bombardment transformation by carrying out molecular analysis of the T 0 plants in two independent experiments. For this, we used for both transformation techniques the same genotype, the same plasmid and the same selection method. To assess the efficiency of soybean genetic transformation, we evaluated the efficiency of multi gene transformation by the selection with hygromycin and the expression of green fluorescent protein [sGFP (S65T)] resulted from both techniques. Regenerable embryogenic cells were induced from immature cotyledons of soybean c.v Jack on MSD40 media within 3 weeks then proliferated on FN lite liquid media and engineered with pUHG gene construct through both WSS and particle bombardment-mediated transformation. The pUHG was constructed with pUC 19 and contain the hpt gene conferring resistance to hygromycin as a selective marker and sGFP(S65T) as a reporter gene. Fluorescence microscopy screening after the selection of hygromycin, identified the clearly expression of sGFP(S65T) in the transformed soybean embryos. Stable integration of the transgenes was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis. The average transformation efficiency achieved with WSS was higher than that obtained by particle bombardment and hence it may represent an alternative method for soybean transformation

Salvage surgery and microsurgical reconstruction for recurrence of skull base osteosarcoma after carbon ion radiotherapy

Carbon ion radiotherapy has recently emerged as an alternative choice of treatment for malignant tumors of the head and neck. However, it is still in the infant stages and its influence on subsequent salvage surgery remains unclear. Here we report the case of a 43-year-old woman who underwent salvage surgery for left frontal bone osteosarcoma recurrence following carbon ion radiotherapy. Tumor resection was performed with a wide margin including the tissue considered to have been damaged by carbon ion radiotherapy. The dural defect was reconstructed using a fascia lata graft and pedicled galeal pericranial flap. The soft tissue defect was reconstructed using an anterolateral thigh flap anastomosed to the ipsilateral neck interposed by the radial forearm flap. As the patient developed no postoperative wound complications, she was able to initiate adjuvant chemotherapy early. Carbon ion radiotherapy is useful for its focused distribution and strong biological effects. Although the affected field may be limited, its high potency may severely damage adjacent normal tissue and lead to serious postoperative complications. Despite these concerns, satisfactory results were achieved in this case