Hereditary cataract of the Nakano mouse: Involvement of a hypomorphic mutation in the coproporphyrinogen oxidase gene

The Nakano cataract (NCT) is a recessive disorder in the mouse linked to the nct locus on chromosome 16. In this study, we positionally cloned the critical gene in the nct locus. Herein, we report that cataracts in the BALB/c-nct/nct mouse are caused by a hypomorphic mutation in the coproporphyrin oxidase gene (Cpox), encoding the enzyme responsible for catalyzing oxidative decarboxylation of the heme precursor, coproporphyrinogen III, in the heme biosynthetic pathway. BALB/c-nct/nct mice are homozygous for a G to T nucleotide substitution in the Cpox gene, which results in a p.R380L amino acid substitution in the CPDX protein. The CPDX isoform with the p.R380L substitution retained only 15% of the activity of the wild type isoform. BALB/c-nct/nct mice had excessive accumulation of coproporphyrin HI in the lens. The NCT phenotype was normalized by the introduction of a wild type Cpox transgene. The mechanisms by which impairment of CPDX leads to lens opacity in the NCT are elusive. However, our data illuminate a hitherto unanticipated involvement of the heme biosynthesis pathway in lens physiology.ArticleEXPERIMENTAL EYE RESEARCH. 112:45-50 (2013)journal articl

工業地域河口に生息しているカキ(Crassostrea gigas)のトリクロロ酢酸による汚染

Biomonitoring using oysters was done to assess environmental pollution due to trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The data in 2001, in oysters from the Koe River and the Ariho River at the industrial sea areas, TCA was detected at 97 and 40 ng/g in the average, but trichloroethanol (TCE) was not detected. TCA concentrations in 2004 were at 175 and 59 ng/g, respectively. And, TCE was not detected. This data shows a TCA concentration increase of about 48-80% over a three year period. This result may be caused by the bioconcentration and/or biometabolism in oysters. If the bioconcentration has increased, the environmental biomonitoring of TCA using oysters should be one means to facilitate obtaining data on water pollution due to TCA

A study on stress corrosion cracking of fine grain steel

It is known that fine grain steel possesses high strength according to Hall-Petch relation and therefor many researchers are examining to use the fine grain steel on civil engineering and architecture fields as next generation\u27s high strength material. Then the evaluation of corrosion resistance property to fine grain steel is very important. In this study, Stress Corrosion Cracking test was done on specimens of the fine grain steel and conventional steel. Afterwards fracture surfaces were observed with SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and the residual stresses under the fracture surfaces were measured by X-ray stress measurement. The difference of stress corrosion resistance property between fine grain steel and conventional steel was clarified. Copyright © 2006 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers

湧水中の15種微量元素・金属濃度の降雨による変動

　The concentrations of fi fteen trace elements and minerals（ B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb and U） in samples of spring water that was usually used as drinking water by local residents were simultaneously analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry （ICP-MS）. Water samples were taken once a day for five consecutive days from July 27 to July 31, 2008. On July 27, there was light precipitation（１mm）.　The following results were observed: low level concentrations of thirteen elements and minerals, except for Fe and Ni, were detected, and Fe and Ni were undetectable. The levels were all below Japan’s drinking water-quality standards and environmental waterquality standards. The variations of each element’s and mineral’s concentrations in five days after the light precipitation were characterized. The concentrations of eleven elements and minerals, except for B, Sb, Pb and Al, had insignificant changes. B concentrations decreased on July 28, the day following the rainfall, and two days later its concentration read close to the basal level. Sb and Pb concentrations increased only on the day after the rainfall and ubsequently reached nearly the original level. Al concentrations gradually increased up to four days after the rainfall.　The phenomena explained above may show that the fi fteen trace elements and minerals in spring water samples are infl uenced mainly by the natural geologic environment and environmental contamination from sludge and/or solid waste landfi ll may not occur

Nonlinear Realization of Partially Broken N=2 AdS Supersymmetry in Two and Three Dimensions

We investigate the nonlinear realization of partially broken $N$=2 global supersymmetry in the D=2 and 3 anti de-Sitter (AdS) space. We particularly study Nambu-Goldstone degrees of freedom for the $N$=2 AdS supersymmetry partially broken down to $N$=1 AdS supersymmetry, where we observe a NG fermion of the broken supersymmetry and a NG boson of the internal symmetry which form a NG multiplet. Based on the nonlinear realization method, we construct a superspace formalism for 2 and 3 dimensional AdS space and evaluate the covariant derivatives and supervielbeins for the AdS superspace. Finally we obtain the nonlinear transformation laws and the lowest order of effective Lagrangians.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, references and a note adde

生理活性が期待される食物繊維多糖の化学修飾と構造計算

There are many kind of carbohydrate compound having strong bioactivity. Authors had been reported that natural polysaccharide and olligosaccharide would have novel biological activity by chemical modification. Structure analysis of chemically modified dietary fiber polygalactosamine having NH_2 group on 2nd position by use of molecular force field calculation wsa also reported. In this paper, we described that synthesis and structure analysis of sulfated polysaccharides, such as polygalactosamin and chitosan. Molecurar orbital and semi-empirical molecular orbital methods were used for 3-dimentional graphical mapping of electron density, electrostatic potential (the energy of interaction of a point positive charge with the nuclei of a molecule), and local ionaization potential (a measure of the ease with which electrons are detached from a region of space)

糖尿病モデルラットの組織中の微量金属含有量

1)ストレプトゾトシン糖尿病ラットの肝臓、腎臓、膵臓、精巣および大脳中の微量金属濃度は正常ラットの場合とは異なっていた。全臓器において亜鉛とマグネシウム濃度は増加したが、カルシウム濃度は減少した。2)糖尿病群の膵臓中のカルシウム濃度は有為に低く、インスリン分泌抑制との関連性が推察された。3)糖尿病群の大脳において、カルシウム濃度は有為に低かったが、他の金属については変化が認められなかった。In order to study the metabolism of trace metals in diabetics, the calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in the cerebrum, kidney, liver, pancreas and testes by streptozotocin-diabetic rats were analyzed. Normal rats were used as controls. Our data show that the concentrations of Cu, Mg and Zn in kidney and liver, of Fe, Mg and Zn in pancreas, and of Fe and Zn in testes of the diabetic rats were significantly higher than in the control rats. Nevertheless, the concentrations of Ca in cerebrum, Ca and Fe in kidney, and Ca in pancreas of the diabetic rats were significantly lower than in the controls. These results suggest that the hormonal imbalance of the insuline-dependent diabetic condition influences trace metal metabolism

アルミニウム製鍋における水,酢酸および沸騰処理溶液中の15種微量元素濃度―誘導結合プラズマ-質量分析計(ICP-MS)を用いた多元素定量分析―

The effect of elution of trace elements with water, acetic acid and boil treatments from aluminum cookware was investigated. Water samples in an aluminum cookware were subjected to three treatments and the concentrations of fifteen trace elements（ B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb and U） were simultaneously analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry（ ICP-MS）. The following results were observed: Fifteen elements were detected in most samples from each treatment. The concentrations of Al which was the main material of the aluminum cookware in each sample were remarkably high. Mn, Ni and Zn were materials contained in the aluminum base alloy. The concentrations of these minerals in each sample were high. Al, Mn, Ni and Zn in water samples of ２h-boiling with acetic acid treatment were highest, and the concentrations of four elements in the samples of 24h-settling with acetic acid at 20℃ treatment were higher than the case of 24h-settling with the water treatment, respectively. The safety level concentrations for enamel cookware are standardized at Pb（ 400μg/L） and Cd（ 70μ g/L）. In this study using aluminum cookware, Pb and Cd concentrations in all treatment samples were below the standard levels for enamel cookware

小児用栄養ドリンク剤に含まれる安息香酸の代謝

1)栄養ドリンク剤1本中の安息香酸含有量は17mgであり、これを小児が服用した場合、厚生労働省調査マーケットバスケット方式の年齢別安息香酸摂取量(mg/日/人)に対して、5～6歳では29.3倍、7～14歳では13.4倍であった。また、ADIに対する寄与率は5歳児では18%、10歳児では10%、15歳児では6%であった。2)小児が本栄養ドリンク剤を服用した時、尿中馬尿酸濃度(g/gクレアチニン)は30分後に最大となり、漸次減少して120分後には服用前と同程度になった。その排泄パターンは成人に安息香酸含有食品を節食させて検討を行った後藤らの報告とほぼ同様であった。しかし、本研究における服用30分後の尿中馬尿酸濃度0.80g/gクレアチニンは、彼らの提示した用量-反応関係に従う回帰直線式から算出された推計値0.02g/gクレアチニンと大きく異なり、安息香酸の代謝・排泄作用の活性は小児と成人とでは大きく異なることが推察された。In order to evaluate the safety of benzoic acid (BA) from foods or medicines in infants, the state of BA metabolism and excretion ingested from drinkable nutrients to urinary hippuric acid (HA) was studied. Five boys were administered one placebo drink each which contained 17mg BA. The urinary HA/creatinine concentration before drinking, 30 and 60 minutes after the administration were 0.26±0.13, 0.80±0.26 and 0.73±0.20g/g, respectively. The urinary concentration ratio after 90 minutes was rapidly decreased, and after 120 minutes, it exhibited a value close to the basal level. The HA excretion pattern found in this report and that reported for adults in Gotoh (2004) were similar. However, HA concentration 0.80g/g at 30 minutes after the administration showed a much larger difference than the estimated concentration (0.02g/g) required from linear regression formula (HAg/g=0.024×BAmg-0.388) with the dose-response relationship in Gotoh\u27s report. It was expected that not only the activities of metabolism and/or excretion, but also the safe intake levels of BA from foods or medicines might have been different between infants and adults