Polyamine Distribution Profiles within the Phyla Nematoda, Platyhelminthes, Annelida and Cnidaria

Cellular polyamines of nematodes of the phylum Nematoda, planarians, cestodes and trematodes of the phylum Platyhelminthes, earthworms, leeches and sandworms of the phylum Annelida, and hydras of the phylum Cnidaria, were analyzed by HPLC and GC to obtain phylogenetic informations and parasitic peculiarities on polyamine profiles in lower invertevrates. Spermidine and spermine were ubiquitously distributed in four zoo-parasitic nematodes. A plant parasite, Pratylenchus and a fungivore, Bursaphelenchus and two entomopathogens, Steinernema as well as free-living bacteriovores, Caenorhabditis and Dorylaimus, contained spermidine and lacked spermine. Zoo-parasitic cestodes Hymenolepis and Diphyllobothrium, and zoo-parasitic trematodes Paragonimus, Fasciola and Schistosoma, belonging to the phylum Platyhelminthes, ubiquitously contained spermidine and spermine, suggesting their dependence on host animals for uptake of spermine. Putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine were the major polyamines in freshwater, marine and land planarians (the phylum Platyhelminthes), and free-living earthworms, leeches and sandworms (the phylum Annelida). Hydras belonging to the phylum Cnidaria contained putrescine and spermidine alone. Homospermidine was distributed in a zoo-parasitic helminth of the phylum Nematoda and two zoo-parasitic tapeworms of the phylum Platyhelminthes as well as planarians, earthworms and leeches. Norspermidine and/or norspermine were found in two land planarians, a leech and a sandworm. This is the first report on the occurrence of these novel polyamines within lower invertebrates

Effects of nicotianamine on iron in the small intestine

Iron is an essential metal for all living organisms that is absorbed in the intestinal cells as a heme-chelated or free form. It is unclear how important plant-derived chelators, such as nicotianamine (NA), an organic small molecule that is ubiquitous in crops, vegetables, and various other foods, contribute to iron bioavailability in mammals. We performed electrophysiological assays with Xenopus laevis oocytes and radioactive tracer experiments with Caco-2 cells. The findings revealed that the proton-coupled amino acid transporter SLC36A1 (PAT1) transports iron in the form of NA-Fe (II) complex in vitro. Decreased expression of hPAT1 by RNA interference in Caco-2 cells reduced the uptake of NA-59Fe (II) complex. The uptake of inorganic 59Fe (II) was relatively unaffected. These results imply that PAT1 transports iron as a NA-Fe (II) complex. The rate of 59Fe absorption in the spleen, liver, and kidney was higher when mice were orally administered NA-59Fe (II) compared with free 59Fe (II). The profile of site-specific PAT1 expression in the mouse intestine coincided with those of NA and iron contents, which were the highest in the proximal jejunum. Orally administered NA-59Fe (II) complex in mice was detected in the proximal jejunum by thin layer chromatography. In contrast, much less 59Fe (or NA) was detected in the duodenum, where the divalent metal transporter SLC11A2 (DMT1) absorbs free Fe (II). The collective results revealed the role of PAT1 in NA-Fe (II) absorption in the intestine and potential implication of NA in iron uptake in mammals

Mechanistic Insights into Indigo Reduction in Indigo Fermentation : A Voltammetric Study

Indigo is one of the oldest natural blue dyes. Microorganisms and their enzymatic activities are deeply involved in the traditional indigo staining procedure. To elucidate the mechanism of the microbial indigo reduction, we directly performed cyclic voltammetry on alkaline fermenting dye suspensions. A pair of characteristic redox peaks of leuco-indigo was observed in a supernatant fluid of the fermenting dye suspension. On the other hand, it was found that the indigo/leuco-indigo redox couple mediated two-way microbially catalyzed oxidation and reduction in a sediment-rich suspension of the fermenting suspension. Acetaldehyde was supposed to be the electron donor and acceptor of the catalytic reactions. In order to verify the bioelectrocatalytic reaction, we isolated indigo-reducing bacterium K2-3′ from the fermenting suspension, and the two-way bioelectrocatalysis was successfully restaged in a model system containing K2-3′ and methyl viologen (as a soluble mediator instead of indigo) as well as acetaldehyde at pH 10

Relationship between smoking habits of mothers and dental health behavior or the oral health condition of their children

小児の受動喫煙とう蝕罹患との関連性が報告されている。また、喫煙習慣を持つ母親は自身や子どもに対する歯科健康意識が低いと推察される。そこで本研究では、母親の喫煙習慣と歯科保健行動および子どもの口腔状態との関連性を分析し、乳歯う蝕罹患に関わる因子を明らかにすることを目的とした。 徳島県N市にて実施した1歳6か月児健康診査および3歳児健康診査を両方受診した母子を対象とした。調査対象児165名の母親を、非喫煙者（152名）と喫煙者（13名）の2群に分け、3歳児の歯科健診結果および母親からのアンケート調査結果を突合して分析した。 乳歯う蝕罹患率は喫煙者群では46.2％で、非喫煙者群の21.1％と比較して有意にう蝕罹患の割合が高かった（p＜0.05）。アンケート調査項目の母親の現在の定期歯科健診において、「受診なし」の者の割合が喫煙者群では76.9％、非喫煙者群では46.1％で、2群間に有意な差が認められた（p＜0.05）。妊婦中の歯科健診の項目において、喫煙者群の「受診なし」の者の割合は76.9％、非喫煙者群では43.7％で有意な差が認められた（p＜0.05）。また、喫煙者群では非喫煙者群に比べて、母親の年齢において若年層の割合が有意に高く、母親以外の家族の喫煙習慣ありの割合も高かった（各々p＜0.01，p＜0.05）。さらに、3歳児のう蝕経験の有無を目的変数として二項ロジスティック回帰分析を行った結果、「清掃状態」（オッズ比：2.92，p＜0.05）、「間食時間の決定」（オッズ比：3.99，p＜0.01）、「母親の喫煙習慣」（オッズ比：4.13，p＜0.05）において有意な関連が認められた。 以上の結果より、喫煙習慣を有する母親は、年齢が低い者の割合が高く、他の家族の喫煙率も高く、そして、妊娠期および現在も歯科健診受診の割合が低いことが示された。また、母親の喫煙習慣が3歳児の乳歯う蝕罹患に関連することが示唆された。Objective: It is known that secondhand smoke exposure is associated with dental caries in children, and it is also speculated that mothers with smoking habits may have little awareness of their dental health and their children. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between smoking habits of mothers and dental health behavior or the oral health condition of their children, and to clarify the factors involved in dental caries of deciduous teeth. Methods: The subjects enrolled in this study were mothers and their children who received health checkup for both 18-month-old children and 3-year-old children in N City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. One hundred sixty-five subjects (mothers) were divided into two groups, non-smoker group (n=152) and smoker group (n=13). The results of dental examinations for 3-year-old children and the questionnaire surveys from mothers were collated and analyzed. Results: Dental caries prevalence of deciduous teeth was 46.2% in children of the smoker group, which was significantly higher than that of 21.1% in children of the non-smoker group (p<0.05). Among the questionnaire survey items regarding the regular dental checkup of mothers, the percentage of “no visit“ in the smoker group was 76.9% and 46.1% in the non-smoker group, and it showed a significant difference (p<0.05). In the item of the dental examination for pregnant woman, the percentage of “did not receive” in the smoker group was 76.9% and 43.7% in the non-smoker group, and it showed a significant difference (p<0.05). There were significant differences between the presence and absence of smoking habits of mothers regarding the age of mother (p<0.01) and smoking habits of the other families (p<0.05). In addition, the binomial logistic regression analysis showed that oral hygiene condition (OR=2.92, p<0.05), regular between meal eating (OR=3.99, p<0.01) and smoking habits of mothers (OR=4.13, p<0.05) were significantly corelated with the presence of dental caries in 3-year-old children. Conclusions: These results suggest that the mothers in the smoking group was younger and higher rate that included smoker families, in addition to poor regular dental check-up during pregnancy and currently. It was also suggested that smoking habits of mothers were associated with dental caries in 3-year-old children

マウスiPS細胞由来の気管支肺胞幹細胞は末梢気道上皮再生を促進する

Background: Bronchioalveolar stem cells (BASCs) located at the bronchioalveolar-duct junction (BADJ) are stem cells residing in alveoli and terminal bronchioles that can self-renew and differentiate into alveolar type (AT)-1 cells, AT-2 cells, club cells, and ciliated cells. Following terminal-bronchiole injury, BASCs increase in number and promote repair. However, whether BASCs can be differentiated from mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) remains unreported, and the therapeutic potential of such cells is unclear. We therefore sought to differentiate BASCs from iPSCs and examine their potential for use in the treatment of epithelial injury in terminal bronchioles. Methods: BASCs were induced using a modified protocol for differentiating mouse iPSCs into AT-2 cells. Differentiated iPSCs were intratracheally transplanted into naphthalene-treated mice. The engraftment of BASCs into the BADJ and their subsequent ability to promote repair of injury to the airway epithelium were evaluated. Results: Flow cytometric analysis revealed that BASCs represented ~ 7% of the cells obtained. Additionally, ultrastructural analysis of these iPSC-derived BASCs via transmission electron microscopy showed that the cells containing secretory granules harboured microvilli, as well as small and immature lamellar body-like structures. When the differentiated iPSCs were intratracheally transplanted in naphthalene-induced airway epithelium injury, transplanted BASCs were found to be engrafted in the BADJ epithelium and alveolar spaces for 14 days after transplantation and to maintain the BASC phenotype. Notably, repair of the terminal-bronchiole epithelium was markedly promoted after transplantation of the differentiated iPSCs. Conclusions: Mouse iPSCs could be differentiated in vitro into cells that display a similar phenotype to BASCs. Given that the differentiated iPSCs promoted epithelial repair in the mouse model of naphthalene-induced airway epithelium injury, this method may serve as a basis for the development of treatments for terminal-bronchiole/alveolar-region disorders

1997年岡山県下に発生した集団食中毒患者から分離された腸管出血性大腸菌EHEC O157 : H7のパルスフィールドゲル電気泳動法による遺伝子解析

Thirteen enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 : H7 (EHEC) isolates derived from the patients of an outbreak in the R-hospital in Okayama Japan and one isolated from the ingredients of Japanese noodles in June 1997 were analyzed by molecular typing using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The PFGE patterns of the patients were almost the same as the patterns of the Japanese noodle ingredients. Therefore, the EHEC O157 : H7 derived from the food was considered to have caused the outbreak in the R-hospital. The molecular typing of isolates from the patients and the Japanese noodle ingredients was almost the same as that of isolates from outbreaks in Hiroshima and Fukuoka prefectures classified as type Ia in 1996 by PFGE analysis. These results indicate that EHEC O157 : H7 strains with a similar PFGE type Ia pattern have already spread throughout western Japan since last year.1997年6月に岡山県下のR-病院で腸管出血性大腸菌EHEC O157 : H7による集団食中毒が発生した｡その患者および食材である日本そばから分離されたEHEC O157 : H7の菌株をパルスフィールドゲル電気泳動法(PFGE)を使用して遺伝子解析を行った｡13名の患者から分離された菌株の遺伝子型は日本 そばから分離された菌株と一致した｡従って日本そばから分散されたEHEC O157 : H7が集団食中毒の原因であることが解った｡さらにこれらの菌株の遺伝子型は1996年に広島県および福岡県の西日本に集団食中毒が発生した菌株のタイプIa型と類似していた｡このことはこの遺伝子タイプの類似した菌株の感染が西日本で去年から広がっていることを示している

Videofluorographic Evaluation of Mastication and Swallowing of Japanese Udon Noodles and White Rice

A videofluorographic (VF) swallowing study was performed on 22 healthy volunteers to observe the complete mastication and swallowing phases for Japanese udon noodles and white rice. The hardness, stickiness, and cohesiveness of food samples were measured using a food texture analyzing system. VF images were acquired using a versatile fluoroscopic unit and barium sulfate was used as a contrast medium. Udon noodles had a harder and smoother food texture than white rice. Fewer chewing movements and more stage 2 transport were seen during the consumption of udon noodles than for white rice

Differentiation of Brain Metastases and Gliomas Based on Color Map of Phase Difference Enhanced Imaging

Background and objective: Phase difference enhanced imaging (PADRE), a new phase-related MRI technique, can enhance both paramagnetic and diamagnetic substances, and select which phases to be enhanced. Utilizing these characteristics, we developed color map of PADRE (Color PADRE), which enables simultaneous visualization of myelin-rich structures and veins. Our aim was to determine whether Color PADRE is sufficient to delineate the characteristics of non-gadolinium-enhancing T2-hyperintense regions related with metastatic tumors (MTs), diffuse astrocytomas (DAs) and glioblastomas (GBs), and whether it can contribute to the differentiation of MTs from GBs.Methods: Color PADRE images of 11 patients with MTs, nine with DAs and 17 with GBs were created by combining tissue-enhanced, vessel-enhanced and magnitude images of PADRE, and then retrospectively reviewed. First, predominant visibility of superficial white matter and deep medullary veins within non-gadolinium-enhancing T2-hyperintense regions were compared among the three groups. Then, the discriminatory power to differentiate MTs from GBs was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis.Results: The degree of visibility of superficial white matter was significantly better in MTs than in GBs (p = 0.017), better in GBs than in DAs (p = 0.014), and better in MTs than in DAs (p = 0.0021). On the contrary, the difference in the visibility of deep medullary veins was not significant (p = 0.065). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to discriminate MTs from GBs was 0.76 with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 64%.Conclusion: Visibility of superficial white matter on Color PADRE reflects inferred differences in the proportion of vasogenic edema and tumoral infiltration within non-gadolinium-enhancing T2-hyperintense regions of MTs, DAs and GBs. Evaluation of peritumoral areas on Color PADRE can help to distinguish MTs from GBs