Mammal fauna in the Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

2017年5月から翌年5月にかけて，東広島キャンパス内の哺乳類相の把握を目的とした調査を実施した。構内の8地点に自動撮影装置を設置し，並行してコウモリ類の音声調査および痕跡の記録を行った。その結果，4目12種の哺乳類の生息が確認され，いずれもキャンパスでの広範な分布が示された。その一方で，調査中にはイエネコが小動物を捕食する様子が複数回撮影され，これを含む4種の移入哺乳類による在来生物への影響が懸念された

Craniocervical junction abnormalities with atlantoaxial subluxation caused by ventral subluxation of C2 in a dog

Craniocervical junction abnormalities with atlantoaxial subluxation caused by ventral subluxation of C2 were diagnosed in a 6-month-old female Pomeranian with tetraplegia as a clinical sign. Lateral survey radiography of the neck with flexion revealed  atlantoaxial subluxation with ventral subluxation of C2. Computed tomography revealed absence of dens and atlanto-occipital overlapping. Magnetic resonance imaging showed compression of the spinal cord and indentation of caudal cerebellum. The diagnosis was Chiari-like malformation, atlantoaxial subluxation with ventral displacement of C2,  atlanto-occipital overlapping, and syringomyelia. The dog underwent foramen magnum decompression, dorsal laminectomy of C1, and ventral fixation of the atlantoaxial joint. Soon after the operation, voluntary movements of the legs were recovered. Finally, the dog could stand and walk without assistance. The dog had complicated malformations at the craniocervical junction but foramen magnum decompression and dorsal  laminectomy for Chiari-like malformation, and ventral fixation for atlantoaxial  subluxation resulted in an excellent clinical outcome.Keywords: Atlantoaxial subluxation, Atlanto-occipital overlapping, Chiari-like  malformation, Craniocervical junction abnormalities, Foramen magnum  decompression

Relationship between physical activity and cerebral white matter hyperintensity volumes in older adults with depressive symptoms and mild memory impairment: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionCerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are commonly found in the aging brain and have been implicated in the initiation and severity of many central nervous system diseases. Furthermore, an increased WMH volume indicates reduced brain health in older adults. This study investigated the association between WMH volume and physical activity in older adults with depressive symptoms (DS) and mild memory impairment (MMI). Factors associated with the WMH volume were also investigated.MethodsA total of 57 individuals aged over 65 years with DS and MMI were included in this study. The participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging to quantify WMH volumes. After WMH volume was accumulated, normalized to the total intracranial volume (TIV), the percentage of WMH volume was calculated. In addition, all participants wore a triaxial accelerometer for 2 weeks, and the average daily physical activity and number of steps were measured. The levels of blood biomarkers including cortisol, interleukin-6 (IL-6), brain-derived insulin-like growth factor-1, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were measured. Motor and cognitive functions were also assessed.ResultsFaster maximum walking speed and longer time spent engaged in moderate physical activity were associated with a smaller percent of WMH volume, whereas higher serum IL-6 levels were associated with a larger percent of WMH volume. The number of steps per day, time spent engaged in low levels of physical activity, cognitive function, and all other measured biomarkers were not significantly associated with percent of WMH volume.DiscussionHigher blood inflammatory cytokine levels, shorter duration of moderate physical activity, and lower maximum walking speed were associated with a higher percent of WMH volume. Our results provide useful information for maintaining brain health in older adults at a high risk of developing dementia and may contribute to the development of preventive medicine for brain health

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

広島県呉市の仁方湾で採集された絶滅危惧種タガメKirkaldyia deyrolli（半翅目：コオイムシ科）の記録，形態及び分子系統

タガメKirkaldyia deyrolli（Vuillefroy, 1864）は，日本国内において絶滅が危惧される水生半翅類であり，その記録情報は本種の生息状況の推定に重要である。また，近年の遺伝子解析により，本種に隠蔽種が含まれる可能性が示唆されており，分類学的再検討には形態とともに分子系統学的情報も重要である。 本誌では，2022 年7 月に広島県呉市仁方湾にて採集された1 個体について，その採集記録情報と標本のデポジトリーを公開し，いくつかの形態的特徴を示した。また，標本のミトコンドリアCO1 の部分塩基配列を決定し，分子系統解析を行った結果，標本は中国地方の他の地域に生息が確認された集団に属したことから，周辺の地域個体群に属する可能性がある。さらに，採集状況から，標本個体は近隣地域，または遠方より飛来した可能性があり，正確な生息地の推定はできなかったものの，今回の記録は呉市において近年途絶えていたタガメの記録を更新するものとなり，周辺地域の個体群の回復が期待される。The giant water bug Kirkaldyia deyrolli (Vuillefroy, 1864) is a large aquatic hemiptera endangered in Japan, and collection records are important for estimating the habitat status of this species. Recent genetic analysis suggests that this species may include cryptic species. Thus, the collection of morphological and phylogenetic information is important for reexamining the taxonomy of K. deyrolli. 　In this article, we published the collection record information and the specimen depository for one individual of the species collected in Nigata Bay, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture in July 2022. Some morphological characteristics are discussed. Additionally, we determined the partial sequences of mitochondrial CO1 in the specimen and conducted molecular phylogenetic analysis. As a result, we determined that the specimen shared characteristics with species populations that were confirmed to inhabit other areas of the Chugoku region by previous studies. Therefore, the individual may have belonged to a surrounding regional population and may have flown to the collection area from elsewhere, so it was not possible to accurately establish the original habitat of the specimen. However, this confirms the record of the giant water bug in Kure City, and until then, the record had been lost in recent years. It gives us hope that populations in the surrounding areas may recover in the future

A consideration on the landing site and settlement of Cybister tripunctatus lateralis (Fabricius, 1798) in Higashi-Hiroshima City

2019年，東広島市福富町久芳の水田裏の湿地にて，著者の一人が他種のゲンゴロウ類とともにコガタノゲンゴロウCybister tripunctatus lateralis （Fabricius, 1798）の雌1個体を採集した。これは東広島市での本種の公的な2回目の採集記録となる。本種は平地から低山地の水生植物が豊かな池沼や放棄水田などに生息する比較的大型の水生甲虫である。1950年頃まで各地で記録があり，東広島市においても，1919年11月9日に黒瀬町にて1個体の採集記録がある（亀山・杉森，2020）が，以降激減した。しかし，近年は西日本を中心に全国各地で確認例が増加しており，本報告以外にも東広島市内における捕獲例が相次いでいることから，全国と同様に同市での本種の分布拡大・個体数回復の傾向が示唆される。今後，東広島市の湿地帯における本種の継続的な確認が期待される。In 2019, one of the authors collected one female Cybister tripunctatus lateralis (Fabricius, 1798) along with other species of diving beetles in a wetland behind a paddy field in Fukutomi Town, Higashi-Hiroshima City. This is the second record of this species in this city. It is a relatively large aquatic beetle that inhabits ponds and has abandoned paddy fields rich in aquatic plants, from flatlands to low mountains. It was recorded in various places until around 1950, with one record of the species in Kurosechootada, Higashi-Hiroshima City on November 9, 1919 (Kameyama and Sugimori, 2020), but has decreased sharply since then. However, in recent years, sightings have increased all over the country, mainly in western Japan, and since there are a series of sightings in Higashi-Hiroshima other than this report, it is suggested that the population of this species is recovering and the distribution is expanding in Higashi-Hiroshima, similar to the other parts of the country. In the future, continuous sightings of this species in the wetlands of Higashi-Hiroshima City are expected

Host selection and potential predation in the host-parasite interaction between the isopod Tachaea chinensis and freshwater host species

Tachaea chinensis is an ectoparasite commonly found on diverse ecologically and commercially valuable freshwater shrimps and prawns. Previous studies on this parasite have focused on its distribution and taxonomical identification, while its host preference and/or the potential predation in this host-parasite interaction remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the host preference and potential predation of the isopod T. chinensis using manipulative choice and predation experiments under laboratory settings. The preference toward a broad range of host decapods in single-host treatments, indicates a low host specificity, which ultimately aids in the survival of this parasite in the natural environment. Tachaea chinensis responded well to the shrimp Palaemon paucidens when presented with uncommon host species in all three treatments. In host-parasite predation treatments, all the tested P. paucidens shrimp, the prawn Macrobrachium nipponense, and the crayfish Procambarus clarkii were able to consume the isopod–especially the invasive crayfish P. clarkii, which consumed a greater percentage in a considerably shorter time frame (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.01). This study demonstrated for the first time the ability of larger freshwater decapods to prey upon T. chinensis. Despite the large difference in the maximum attainable size of those freshwater species, a high predation pressure by the invasive crayfish on the isopod is anticipated, if they are present in the same environment

Diurnal Profiles of Locomotive and Household Activities Using an Accelerometer in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Survey

The present study investigates the diurnal profiles of locomotive and household activities in older adults with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) using an accelerometer. Furthermore, we examined the effect of chronic pain on their diurnal profiles in both activities. Seventy-one older adults with MSDs (73&ndash;89 years) were included in this cross-sectional survey, and 25 age-matched older adults (75&ndash;86 years) were selected as healthy older adults. The daily physical activities, including steps walked and locomotive and household activity intensities, were recorded using a triaxial accelerometer in terms of metabolic equivalent task-hours per week (MET-h/week). The diurnal profiles of steps and locomotive activities in older adults with MSDs were considerably lower than those of healthy older adults. In contrast, there was no significant decline in household activity. However, the locomotive and household activities were reduced by severe chronic pain. This survey demonstrated that the diurnal profiles of household activity in older people with MSDs as well as those in age-matched healthy older adults were maintained. Furthermore, severe chronic pain influenced both activities. Therefore, the maintenance of household activity throughout the day, as well as the management of chronic pain, may be important strategies for the promotion of physical activity in older people with MSDs

Effects of low-intensity exercise on spontaneously developed knee osteoarthritis in male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease associated with aging, which often leads to joint stiffness and disability. Exercise is one of the most important non-pharmacological treatments and is prescribed as an indispensable treatment for OA. However, whether physical exercise is beneficial for preventing the progression of OA symptoms with age is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of exercise on spontaneously developed knee OA using male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8). Methods To examine age-related changes in the knee joints of SAMP8, knee articular cartilage changes, synovitis, knee joint flexion and extension angles, swelling, walking ability, and quadriceps muscle atrophy were analyzed at 3, 5, 7, and 9 months. SAMP8 were required to run at a speed of 10 m/min for 15 min/day from 7 to 9 months of age. The knee joint pathologies and symptoms of exercising and non-exercising mice were compared by histological, immunohistochemical, and morphometrical analyses. Results The mice presented with various histological changes, including cartilage destruction, osteocyte formation, synovitis, declined joint angles, and swelling. Notably, medial and posterior cartilage destruction was more severe than that of the lateral and anterior cartilage. Knee joint angles were significantly correlated with the histological scores (modified Mankin and OARSI, osteophyte formation and synovial lining cell layer). Exercise did not attenuate cartilage degeneration in the medial and posterior tibial plateau, although the articular cartilage of the anterior and lateral tibial plateau and its histological scores was remained and significantly improved, respectively, by exercise. Exercise suppressed the age-related decline of collagen type II-positive areas in the remaining articular cartilage and improved the OA symptoms. Exercise reduced the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α positive macrophages in the synovium. Conclusion This study revealed that SAMP8 developed spontaneous knee OA with age, which resembled the disease symptoms in humans. Low-intensity exercise temporarily alleviated degeneration of the remaining cartilage, synovitis, and age-related decreases in knee flexion angle, stride length, and muscle atrophy in SAMP8. However, exercise during OA progression with age may cause mechanical stress that could be both beneficial and detrimental to joint health