Indikasi Kerusakan Dingin pada Mentimun Jepang (Cucumis Sativus L.) Berdasarkan Perubahan Ion Leakage dan PH

In this study, the chilling induced in Japanese cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) stored at chilled temperature and the changes in its quality during storage period were examined. Change in ion leakage and pH were used as indicator of chilling injury symptopms. The sample of cucumber were stored at 5ºC (chilling) and 25ºC (non chilling). Percentage of ion leakage for cucumber stored at 5ºC was higher than that at 25 ºC at storage time of 3, 6 and 9 days. The increase in the rate of ion leakage at 5ºC indicates the chilling induced of cell membrane. The increasing tendency of pH was observed for cucumber stored at 5ºC with the value at storage time of 9 days were higher than that at 25ºC. The increase in pH could be thought as the change in acid content which indicate the occurrence of chilling injury. Changes in ion leakage and pH indicate the change in membrane permeability which related to chilling injury

Indikasi kerusakan dingin pada mentimun Jepang (Cucumis sativus L.) berdasarkan perubahan ion leakage dan pH

AbstractIn this study, the chilling induced in Japanese cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) stored at chilled temperature and the changes in its quality during storage period were examined. Change in ion leakage and pH were used as indicator of chilling injury symptopms. The sample of cucumber were stored at 5ºC (chilling) and 25ºC (non chilling). Percentage of ion leakage for cucumber stored at 5ºC was higher than that at 25 ºC at storage time of 3, 6 and 9 days. The increase in the rate of ion leakage at 5ºC indicates the chilling induced of cell membrane. The increasing tendency of pH was observed for cucumber stored at 5ºC with the value at storage time of 9 days were higher than that at 25ºC. The increase in pH could be thought as the change in acid content which indicate the occurrence of chilling injury. Changes in ion leakage and pH indicate the change in membrane permeability which related to chilling injury. Keywords: chilling injury, ion leakage, pH, Japanese cucumber, low temperature storage Abstrak Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis terjadinya gejala chilling injury pada mentimun Jepang (Cucumis sativus L.) yang disimpan pada suhu rendah. Perubahan ion leakage dan pH digunakan sebagai indikator terjadinya chilling injury. Sampel mentimun disimpan pada suhu 5ºC (suhu rendah) dan  and 25ºC (suhu ruang). Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa persentase dari ion leakage untuk mentimun yang disimpan pada suhu 5ºC lebih tinggi dibanding pada suhu 25 ºC pada periode penyimpanan 3, 6 dan 9 hari. Kenaikan laju ion leakage pada mentimun yang disimpan pada suhu 5ºC menunjukkan adanya pengaruh suhu rendah terhadap membran sel. Kecenderungan kenaikan pH terlihat pada mentimun yang disimpan pada suhu  5ºC dengan nilai lebih besar pada hari penyimpanan ke 9 dibandingkan dengan mentimun yang disimpan pada suhu 25ºC. Kenaikan pada pH menunjukkan terjadinya perubahan kandungan asam yang mengindikasikan terjadinya gejala chilling injury. Perubahan ion leakage dan pH menunjukkan terjadinya perubahan permeabilitas membran yang berkorelasi terhadap gejala chilling injury. Kata kunci: chilling injury, ion leakage, pH, mentimun Jepang, penyimpanan suhu rendahDiterima: 11 Oktober 2011; Disetujui: 20 Februari 2012

Transcellular transport of West Nile virus-like particles across human endothelial cells depends on residues 156 and 159 of envelope protein

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>West Nile virus (WNV) causes viremia after invasion to the hosts by mosquito bite. Endothelial cells could play an important role in WNV spread from the blood stream into the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Here, we analyzed the capacity of virus-like particles (VLPs) of the highly virulent NY99 6-LP strain (6-LP VLPs) and the low virulence Eg101 strain (Eg VLPs) to cross cultured human endothelial cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>6-LP VLPs were transported from the apical to basolateral side of endothelial cells, whereas Eg VLPs were hardly transported. The localization of tight junction marker ZO-1 and the integrity of tight junctions were not impaired during the transport of 6-LP VLPs. The transport of 6-LP VLPs was inhibited by treatment with filipin, which prevents the formation of cholesterol-dependent membrane rafts, suggesting the involvement of raft-associated membrane transport. To determine the amino acid residues responsible for the transport of VLPs, we produced mutant VLPs, in which residues of E protein were exchanged between the 6-LP and Eg strains. Double amino acid substitution of the residues 156 and 159 greatly impaired the transport of VLPs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that a transcellular pathway is associated with 6-LP VLPs transport. We also showed that the combination of the residues 156 and 159 plays an important role in the transport of VLPs across endothelial cells.</p

Risk Factors for Infection in Patients with Remitted Rheumatic Diseases Treated with Glucocorticoids

It is well known that infection is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in rheumatic disease patients treated with high-dose glucocorticoids, especially in the early phase after achievement of disease remission. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for infection, with a focus on the dose of glucocorticoids administered, following the achievement of disease remission in rheumatic diseases patients. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of rheumatic disease patients who had been treated with glucocorticoids. The primary endpoint was the incidence rate of infection during a period from 1 to 2 months after the commencement of treatment. From April 2006 to March 2010, 19 of 92 patients suffered from infection during the observation period. Age≧65 yrs, presence of interstitial pneumonia, diagnosis of systemic vasculitis and serum creatinine level≧2.0mg/dl were found to be univariate predictors for infection. However, only the presence of interstitial pneumonia was an independent risk factor for infection (HR＝4.50, 95%CI＝1.65 to 14.44) by the Cox proportional hazard model. Even after achievement of clinical remission, careful observation is needed for patients with interstitial pneumonia, more so than for those receiving high-dose glucocorticoids

Higher-order modulations in the skyrmion-lattice phase of Cu2_2OSeO3_3

Using small angle neutron scattering, we have investigated higher-order peaks in the skyrmion-lattice phase of Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$, in which two different skyrmion lattices, SkX1 and SkX2, are known to form. For each skyrmion-lattice phase, we observed two sets of symmetrically inequivalent peaks at the higher-order-reflection positions with the indices $(110)$ and $(200)$. Under the condition where the SkX1 and SkX2 coexist, we confirmed the absence of the scattering at $\mathbf{Q}$ positions combining reflections from the two phases, indicating a significantly weak double-scattering component. Detailed analysis of the peak profile, as well as the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the peak intensity, also supports the intrinsic higher-order modulation rather than the parasitic double scattering. The two higher-order modulations show contrasting magnetic-field dependence; the former $(110)$ increases as the field is increased, whereas the latter $(200)$ decreases. This indicates that, in Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$, skyrmions are weakly distorted, and the distortion is field-dependent in a way that the dominant higher-order modulation switches from $(110)$ to $(200)$ under field. Monte Carlo simulations under sweeping external magnetic field qualitatively reproduce the observed magnetic-field dependence, and suggests that the higher-order modulations correspond to the superlattices of weak swirlings appearing in the middle of the original triangular-latticed skyrmions.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figure

Infrequent RAS mutation is not associated with specific histological phenotype in gliomas

BACKGROUND: Mutations in driver genes such as IDH and BRAF have been identified in gliomas. Meanwhile, dysregulations in the p53, RB1, and MAPK and/or PI3K pathways are involved in the molecular pathogenesis of glioblastoma. RAS family genes activate MAPK through activation of RAF and PI3K to promote cell proliferation. RAS mutations are a well-known driver of mutation in many types of cancers, but knowledge of their significance for glioma is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to reveal the frequency and the clinical phenotype of RAS mutant in gliomas. METHODS: This study analysed RAS mutations and their clinical significance in 242 gliomas that were stored as unfixed or cryopreserved specimens removed at Kyoto University and Osaka National Hospital between May 2006 and October 2017. The hot spots mutation of IDH1/2, H3F3A, HIST1H3B, and TERT promoter and exon 2 and exon 3 of KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS were analysed with Sanger sequencing method, and 1p/19q codeletion was analysed with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. DNA methylation array was performed in some RAS mutant tumours to improve accuracy of diagnosis. RESULTS: RAS mutations were identified in four gliomas with three KRAS mutations and one NRAS mutation in one anaplastic oligodendroglioma, two anaplastic astrocytomas (IDH wild-type in each), and one ganglioglioma. RAS-mutant gliomas were identified with various types of glioma histology. CONCLUSION: RAS mutation appears infrequent, and it is not associated with any specific histological phenotype of glioma

CCN6 as a profibrotic mediator that stimulates the proliferation of lung fibroblasts via the integrin 1/focal adhesion kinase pathway

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive and lethal disease of the lung that is characterized by the proliferation of fibroblasts and increased deposition of the extracellular matrix. The CCN6/WISP-3 is a member of the CCN family of matricellular proteins, which consists of six members that are involved in many vital biological functions. However, the regulation of lung fibroblasts mediated by CCN6 protein has not been fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that CCN6 induced the proliferation of lung fibroblasts by binding to integrin β1, leading to the phosphorylation of FAKY397. Furthermore, CCN6 showed a weak, but significant, ability to stimulate the expression of fibronectin. CCN6 was highly expressed in the lung tissues of mice treated with bleomycin. Our results suggest that CCN6 plays a role in the fibrogenesis of the lungs mainly by stimulating the growth of lung fibroblasts and is a potential target for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis

Testis-Specific Histone Variant H3t Gene Is Essential for Entry into Spermatogenesis

Jun Ueda, Akihito Harada, Takashi Urahama, Shinichi Machida, Kazumitsu Maehara, Masashi Hada, Yoshinori Makino, Jumpei Nogami, Naoki Horikoshi, Akihisa Osakabe, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Hiroki Tanaka, Hiroaki Tachiwana, Tatsuma Yao, Minami Yamada, Takashi Iwamoto, Ayako Isotani, Masahito Ikawa, Taro Tachibana, Yuki Okada, Hiroshi Kimura, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, Kazuo Yamagata, Testis-Specific Histone Variant H3t Gene Is Essential for Entry into Spermatogenesis, Cell Reports, Volume 18, Issue 3, 2017, Pages 593-600, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.12.065

Antifibrotic effects of CXCR4 antagonist in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice

Circulating fibrocytes had been reported to migrate into the injured lungs, and contribute to fibrogenesis via chemokine-chemokine receptor systems including CXCL12-CXCR4 axis. Here we hypothesized that blockade of CXCR4 might inhibit the migration of fibrocytes to the injured lungs and the subsequent pulmonary fibrosis. To explore the antifibrotic effects of blockade of CXCR4, we used a specific antagonist for CXCR4, AMD3100, in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model in mice. Administration of AMD3100 significantly improved the loss of body weight of mice treated with bleomycin, and inhibited the fibrotic lesion in subpleural areas of the lungs. The quantitative analysis demonstrated that treatment with AMD3100 reduced the collagen content and fibrotic score (Aschcroft score) in the lungs. Although AMD3100 did not affect cell classification in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid on day 7, the percentage of lymphocytes was reduced by AMD3100 on day 14. AMD3100 directly inhibited the migration of human fibrocytes in response to CXCL12 in vitro, and reduced the trafficking of fibrocytes into the lungs treated with bleocmycin in vivo. These results suggest that the blockade of CXCR4 might be useful strategy for therapy of patients with pulmonary fibrosis via inhibiting the migration of circulating fibrocytes