Asian multicenter trials on urinary type IV collagen in patients with diabetic nephropathy

To investigate the changes of renal type IV collagen turnover in diabetic nephropathy, urinary type IV collagen was measured by a highly sensitive one-step sandwich enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Urinary samples were obtained from 698 diabetic patients and 191 healthy adults. Among the patients, 264 had urinary albumin levels of less than 29 mg/g·creatine (Cr) (Stage I: normoalbuminuric stage), 169 had microalbuminuria from 30 to 299 mg/g·Cr (Stage II: microalbuminuric stage), 84 patients had macro-albuminuria of more than 300 mg/g·Cr and serum Cr of less than 1.1 mg/dl (Stage IIIA: macroalbuminuric stage without renal dysfunction), 97 had macroalbuminuria of more than 300 mg/g·Cr and serum Cr of more than 1.2 mg/dl (Stage IIIB: macroalbuminuric stage with renal dysfunction), and 84 had renal failure (Stage IV). The levels of urinary type IV collagen in Stages II, IIIA, IIIB, and IV were significantly higher than those in Stage I (P < 0.0001). The level of urinary type IV collagen in Stage I (5.00 ± 0.23 μg/g·Cr; mean ± SE) was also higher than that in normal adults (3.44 ± 0.11 μg/ g·Cr; mean ± SE). These levels increased gradually due to progression of the clinical stage of diabetic nephropathy. It appears that the levels of urinary type IV collagen can be a useful marker for detecting renal injuries in diabetes according to our Asian multicenter trials. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Mycoheterotrophic growth of Cephalanthera falcata (Orchidaceae) in tripartite symbioses with Thelephoraceae fungi and Quercus serrata (Fagaceae) in pot culture condition

Mixotrophy, obtaining carbon by mycoheterotrophy and photosynthesis, has been suggested in Cephalanthera species (Orchidaceae) by analyses on stable isotopes of carbon. In this study, we examined the growth of Cephalanthera falcata in pot cultured tripartite symbioses with Thelephoraceae fungi and Quercus serrata. Mycorrhizal fungi were isolated from roots of C. falcata in natural habitats. Two fungal isolates identified as Thelephoraceae were cultured and inoculated to fine roots of non-mycorrhizal seedlings of Q. serrata (Fagaceae). After the ectomycorrhizal formation, non-mycorrhizal seedlings of C. falcata were co-planted. The pots with tripartite symbioses were cultured in greenhouse for 30 months, and growth of C. falcata seedlings was examined. Fresh weight of C. falcata seedlings was significantly increased by the tripartite symbioses even in those with no shoot, thus providing further evidence for the mycoheterotrophic nature of this orchid. The achievement of seedling culture in tripartite symbioses would be valuable for conserving many forest orchids and for conducting experiments to understand their physiology and ecology