Urinary adiponectin as a biomarker for DKD

We previously developed two immune complex transfer enzyme immunoassays (ICT-EIA) to measure total adiponectin (T-AN) and high molecular weight adiponectin (H-AN) in urine and have verified their usefulness as biomarkers for diabetic kidney disease. In this study, we developed T-AN and H-AN assays using the sandwich EIA (Sand-EIA). The reactivities of Sand-EIAs were compared with ICT-EIAs by measuring size exclusion chromatography (SEC) fractions of urine and adiponectin standard. As a result, ICT-EIAs showed higher macromolecular specificity. We then analyzed the molecular profile of adiponectin in the urine of 5 patients with different eGFR stages by measuring SEC fractions of urine. The results showed that smaller adiponectin correlated relatively well with eGFR stage. Finally, because SEC is time-consuming, we investigated that the ratio of T-ANs by Sand-EIA and ICT-EIA could be a good indicator of the monomer adiponectin. The ratio was evaluated using 77 urine samples from patients with diabetes and showed a significant decrease at an earlier stage compared with other biomarkers. In conclusion, we demonstrated a new index to estimate monomer adiponectin in urine by using Sand-EIA and ICT-EIA, and urinary monomer adiponectin can be a good early indicator of deterioration of renal function in diabetic patients

High permissivity of the fish cell line SSN-1 for piscine nodaviruses.

Seventeen isolates of piscine nodavirus from larvae or juveniles of 13 marine fish species affected with viral nervous necrosis (VNN) were examined for their infectivity to a fish cell line SSN-1. Based on cytopathic effects (CPE) and virus antigen detection by fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) after incubation at 25°C, the infectivity of these virus isolates was divided into 4 groups. Group 1, including 9 virus isolates from 4 species of grouper, 2 species of sea bass, barramundi, rock porgy, and Japanese flounder showed CPE characterized by rounded, granular cells with heavy cytoplasmic vacuoles within 3 d post-incubation (p.i.), and the monolayer partially or completely disintegrated over 3 to 6 d p.i. Scattered FAT-positive cells appeared at 3 h p.i. and spread through the cell sheet with an increasing fluorescence signal over 24 h p.i. Group 2, consisting of 3 virus isolates from striped jack, induced CPE with thin or rounded, granular, refractile cells without conspicuous vacuole formation, and extensive FAT-positive reaction was observed in a time course similar to that of Group 1. Cells inoculated with Group 3 (1 isolate from tiger puffer) developed no distinct CPE but viral infection was evidenced by localized FAT-positive cells. There were no FAT-positive cells in Group 4, which included 4 isolates from Japanese flounder, Pacific cod and Atlantic halibut. However, when incubation was performed at 20°C, the SSN-1 cells inoculated with the Group 3 isolate showed CPE similar to that of Group 1 and extensive FAT-positive reaction. Evidence of virus proliferation at 20°C was also obtained in Group 4 isolates. The virus titers in the infected fish varied from 1011 to 1016 tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) g-1 of fish. There is a good correlation between these infectivities to the SSN-1 cells and the coat protein gene genotypes of the isolates. The present results indicate that SSN-1 cells are useful for propagating and differentiating genotypic variants of piscine nodavirus

カシコウ オウトウガタ ヒカリショクバイ ノ ゴウセイ ト カンキョウ ジョウカ プロセス ノ カイハツ

In this study, to improve the photocatalytic reactivity of TiO2 and to extend its light absorption into the visible light region, nitrogen (N) and fluorine (F) doped TiO2 and some Perovskite-type LaTiO2+xN1-x were synthesized. The photocatalytic activity of N,F-doped TiO2 under not only visible irradiation but also UV irradiation exceeded that of commercial anatase type TiO2 (ST-01 by Ishihara Sangyo, Ltd.). This high photocatalytic activity under LED irradiation is indispensable to development of photocatalytic environmental purification process. Some Perovskite-type LaTiO2+xN1-x with anion nonstoichiometry were prepared by heating an oxide precursor under ammonia atmosphere and successively annealed under diluted ammonia. Increasing O/N ratio enhances the optical bandgap of the oxynitrides. A series of perovskite-type LaTiO2N materials with compositions a slightly deviated from the stoichiometric metal composition was also prepared. Increasing Ti/La ratio results in deterioration of reflectivity