糖尿病誘発性慢性腎疾患モデル動物―尿細管障害バイオマーカーによる検討―

Diabetes-induced chronic kidney disease（ DCKD） is a serious health problem. Therefore, modalities for preventing/improving DCKD are required. The aim of this study was to establish an animal model of DCKD. Four five-week-old male OLETF and LETO rats were used as experimental and control animals, respectively. After both rats were raised 17 months, collections of urine, blood and bilateral kidneys were performed. Urinary biomarkers for renal proximal tubule injury, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（ MCP-1） and kidney injury molecule-1（ KIM-1）, were measured by the Bio-Plex system. OLETF rats showed a significant increase in blood glucose, Hb A1c, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen（ BUN）, kidney/body weight ratio, glomerular area, 24 h-urine volume, urinary protein concentrations, MCP-1 and KIM-1 compared with LETO rats. There was a positive correlation not only between BUN and MCP-1 or KIM-1 but also between urinary protein concentrations and MCP-1 or KIM-1. These results indicate that the present OLETF rats have both glomerular and proximal tubular injury. Thus, the aged male OLETF rats with long-term diabetes may become a potent animal model for examining effects of exercise/dietary therapies on DCKD

Effects of Thrombophilia and Antithrombotic Therapy on Embryonic Chromosomal Aberration Rates in Patients with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

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Fetal brain development in chimpanzees versus humans.

世界で初めてチンパンジー胎児の脳成長が明らかに : ヒトの脳の巨大化はすでに胎児期からスタート. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2012-09-25.It is argued that the extraordinary brain enlargement observed in humans is due to not only the human-specific pattern of postnatal brain development, but also to that of prenatal brain development [1, 2]. However, the prenatal trajectory of brain development has not been explored in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), even though they are our closest living relatives. To address this lack of information, we tracked fetal development of the chimpanzee brain from approximately 14 to 34 weeks of gestation (just before birth) in utero using three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. The results were compared with those obtained for the human brain during approximately the same period. We found that the brain volume of chimpanzee fetuses was only half that of human fetuses at 16 weeks of gestation. Moreover, although the growth velocity of brain volume increased until approximately 22 weeks of gestation in both chimpanzees and humans, chimpanzee fetuses did not show the same accelerated increase in brain volume as human fetuses after that time. This suggests that maintenance of fast development of the human brain during intrauterine life has contributed to the remarkable brain enlargement observed in humans

Robust Mutants Isolated through Heavy-Ion Beam Irradiation and Endurance Screening in the Green Alga Haematococcus pluvialis

Heavy-ion beams have been widely utilized as a novel and effective mutagen for mutation breeding in diverse species, including algae, but a preferred mutant cannot be easily obtained without a suitable large-scale screening method. We devised a unique, convenient, and effective method for screening mutants of Haematococcus pluvialis to isolate a strain resistant to environmental stress with low white fluorescence, i.e., a robust strain. Haematococcus was irradiated with heavy-ion beams of carbon ions, argon ions, and iron ions at various doses, after which approximately 10,000 surviving colonies were inoculated into 96-well plates, cultured for approximately 2 weeks, and then left to dry in a refrigerator for 3–12 months without a lid. In these unattended 96-well plates, cells in approximately one-third of the wells died and became white, and the remaining wells were approximately evenly split between red and green. The robustness of wild-type and mutant strains isolated from red and green wells was compared under severe environmental-stress conditions (125 µmol photons m−2 s−1, continuous light period, 45 mM sodium acetate). In the wild-type strain, most cells died, and 93.9% of cells emitted white autofluorescence. In contrast, few G4 cells emitted white autofluorescence, indicating a survival rate of 91.8%. Strains with excellent carotenoid production, such as G7 and R1, showed greater robustness compared to wild-type strains

Use of a Three-Dimensional Microarray System for Detection of Levofloxacin Resistance and the mecA Gene in Staphylococcus aureus

We evaluated a novel three-dimensional microarray (PamChip microarray) system to detect the presence of levofloxacin-related resistance mutations and the mecA gene. The results were compared to those obtained for 27 Staphylococcus aureus isolates by conventional DNA sequencing or PCR methods. Hybridization and fluorescence detection were performed using an FD10 system designed for PamChip microarray under conditions optimized for each target/probe on the array. In dilution series analysis using multiplex PCR samples, the sensitivity of the microarray was about 10 times greater than that of conventional PCR methods. A high level of data reproducibility was also confirmed in those analyses. Various point mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions detected by our system corresponded perfectly to the results obtained by conventional DNA sequencing. The results of the mecA gene detection using our system also corresponded to the PCR method; that is, signal/band was detected in all isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and no signal/band was detected in any isolate of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. In conclusion, our novel three-dimensional microarray system provided rapid, specific, easy, and reproducible results for the simultaneous detection of levofloxacin resistance and the mecA gene in S. aureus

Successful Management of Complicated Uterine Displacement Caused by Unilateral Incarceration of the Bicornuate Uterus

Uterine incarceration is a serious complication of pregnancy, in which the gravid uterus becomes trapped in the posterior pelvis. When labor occurs, delivery does not progress, and the uterus may rupture. Therefore, preoperative diagnosis of uterine incarceration is important, and a caesarian section is indispensable except when the polarity of the uterus can be successfully restored. We report the case of a 35-year-old primipara with a complication of a bicornuate uterus who became pregnant after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. No abnormality was observed on regular checkups until the second trimester. At 28 weeks’ gestation, the uterine cervix revealed marked dislocation, and, at 31 weeks, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed uterine cervix elongation and left horn incarceration. At 37 weeks’ gestation, an elective cesarean section was performed. On laparotomy, the uterus was found to be markedly dislocated, and distended blood vessels were observed on the surface. Ultrasound examination was performed directly on the uterine wall to decide the incision site. After delivery of the baby, manual repositioning of the uterus revealed the unique concurrent clockwise rotation and retro-vertical deflection. Thus, we concluded that incarceration accompanied by a bicornuate uterus can cause complicated uterine displacement, and preoperative MRI and intraoperative ultrasound examination are useful for managing this condition