Roles of Apoptosis and Autophagy on the Texture of Red Sea Bream Muscle

One of commercial brands in farmed-products of red sea bream (Pagrus major), named “Date-Madai”, is known to possess hard texture and transparency when served as “Sashimi”. The quality of “Sashimi” is usually evaluated by texture, appearance, and color of dark muscle. These characters easily change worse during post mortem storage. The aim of this study was to reveal relationship between proteolytic degradation and muscle quality of the red sea bream. Sensory analysis was carried out to evaluate the quality of “Sashimi” in terms of texture and appearance of flesh. Western blot analysis was conducted to evaluate protein expressions of red sea bream muscle. Significantly higher score in the sensory analysis for brightness was given to the “Date-Madai”. Similar tendency were also observed in color, texture and general acceptability. Intracellular effector of the apoptotic pathway includes contributin of caspase family. Lower level in caspase-3 protein was observed in the “Date-Madai” muscle. Autophagy is known to be inhibited by the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling. Phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase, which is in the downstream of the TOR, increased in the “Date-Madai” muscle. This study concluded that the apoptosis and autophagy could be associated with the quality of the red sea bream.The 1st International Symposium on Aquatic Product Processing 201

GH RESPONSES AND PATHOLOGY IN ACROMEGALY

Plasma growth hormone (GH) responses to various stimuli were examined in 21 patients with GH-producing pituitary adenomas, classified into three types by the immunohistochemistry of cytokeratin and the glycoprotein hormone α-subunit distribution. Seven type 1 adenomas were exclusively composed of cells in which the cytokeratin formed a dot-like pattern; they were chromophobic to hematoxylin and eosin (H & E), occasionally positive for GH, and almost completely negative for the α-subunit. Thirteen type 2 adenomas were composed of cells with cytokeratin that had a perinuclear distribution; they were eosinophilic to H & E, and diffusely positive for both GH and the α-subunit. One patient had a type 3 adenoma which had a mixed pattern of intracellular cytokeratin distribution and was chromophobic and eosinophilic to H & E. Clinically, type 1 is characterized by earlier onset, larger tumor size, and more frequent aggressive extension. Paradoxical GH responses to TRH and OGTT were seen in 1 of 6 patients (16.7%) of type 1 and 8 of 9 patients (88.9%) of type 2, and 0% of type 1 and 62.5% of type 2, respectively. Type 2 cases showed higher plasma GH response to GH-releasing hormone, and a tendency to greater suppression of plasma GH by bromocriptine compared with type 1. Octreotide acetate administration revealed that the nadir/basal ratio of plasma GH levels was 42.9±6.6% in type 1 and 13.5±5.8% in type 2. These results suggest that there is a pathophysiological difference between these two distinct types of GH-producing pituitary adenomas

Place of death trends among patients with dementia in Japan: a population-based observational study

Dementia is a major public health concern in ageing societies. Although the population of Japan is among the most aged worldwide, long-term trends in the place of death (PoD) among patients with dementia is unknown. In this Japanese nationwide observational study, we analysed trends in PoD using the data of patients with dementia who were aged >= 65 years and died during 1999-2016. Trends in the crude death rates and PoD frequencies were analysed using the Joinpoint regression model. Changes in these trends were assessed using the Joinpoint regression analysis in which significant change points, the annual percentage change (APC) and average APCs (AAPC) in hospitals, homes, or nursing homes were estimated. During 1999-2016, the number of deaths among patients with dementia increased from 3,235 to 23,757 (total: 182,000). A trend analysis revealed increased mortality rates, with an AAPC of 8.2% among men and 9.3% among women. Most patients with dementia died in the hospital, although the prevalence of hospital deaths decreased (AAPC: -1.0%). Moreover, the prevalence of nursing home deaths increased (AAPC: 5.6%), whereas the prevalence of home deaths decreased (AAPC: -5.8%). These findings support a reconsideration of the end-of-life care provided to patients with dementia

ヒドロコルチゾン投与は日本人心肺停止患者の生存率改善に関連する

There are few reports on hydrocortisone administration after cardiac arrest, and those that have been published included few subjects. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hydrocortisone administration on the outcomes of patients who experienced cardiac arrest. We investigated the survival discharge rates and the length of hospital stay from cardiac arrest to discharge, stratified by use of hydrocortisone, using a Japanese health-insurance claims dataset that covers approximately 2% of the Japanese population. The study included the data of 2233 subjects who experienced either in-hospital or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between January 2005 and May 2014. These patients were divided into two groups, based on the administration of hydrocortisone. We adjusted the baseline characteristics, medical treatment, and drug administration data of the two groups using propensity scores obtained via the inverse probability of treatment weighted method. The hydrocortisone group had a significantly higher survival discharge rate (13/61 [21.1%] vs. 240/2172 [11.0%], adjusted odds ratio: 4.2, 95% CI: 1.60–10.98, p = 0.004). In addition, the administration of hydrocortisone was independent predictor of survival to discharge (hazard ratio: 4.6, p < 0.001). The results demonstrate a correlation between hydrocortisone administration and the high rates of survival to discharge

チュウガクセイ ノ シャカイテキ シコウリョク ハンダンリョク ノ ハッタツ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ I : レキシテキ ブンヤ オ ジレイ トシタ チョウサ オ トオシテ

The objective of this study is to clarify developmental transformations in social perception through a developmental survey which focuses on social thinking abilities and judgment abilities in junior high school students. This survey and analysis, while assuming social thinking abilities and judgment abilities in the context of social sciences to be composed of the five elements of actual judgment abilities, inductive inference abilities, deductive reasoning abilities, social judgment abilities and critical thinking abilities, discussed the following two points. (1) Developmental tendencies in junior high school students’ social thinking abilities and judgment abilities; (2) the relationship of the several abilities which comprise social thinking abilities and judgment abilities. In the results of the analysis of data from junior high school students, it was observed that there was a tendency for deductive reasoning abilities, social judgment abilities and critical thinking abilities to rise in line with students’ progress through the school grades, with this extension being particularly marked between the second grade and third grade. The study found a sequential order in the degree of difficulty of the abilities, proceeding from inductive inference abilities and deductive reasoning abilities to social judgment and then from social judgment to critical thinking abilities, as well as mutual relationships between the different abilities

Purification and Properties of Catechol Oxidase from the Antarctic Krill

A catechol oxidase was isolated from the crude extract of the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, by a combination of ammonium sulfate treatment, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and gel filtration on Sepharose 6B. The specific activity was increased about 36-fold from the supernatant of crude extract. The enzyme preparation was found to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel disc-electrophoresis. Optimum pH of the enzyme activity for catechol was found to be 6.5. Molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be 314, 000. One molecule was found to be composed of four subunits, and two of them had molecular weight of 75, 000 and the others 83, 000. Isoelectric point of the enzyme was pH 4.50. The activity was inhibited by potassium cyanide and sodium azide. Diethyldithiocarbamate did not inhibit the enzyme. The enzyme oxidized only a limited number of o-diphenols such as catechol and trihydroxy phenols such as pyrogallol. Monophenols such as L-tyrosine, the derivatives of L-tyrosine and L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) were not oxidized by the krill enzyme. In this respect, the enzyme of the krill was considered to be not tyrosinase (EC 1.14. 18.1 )but catechol oxidase (EC 1. 10. 3. 1)

Application of Selected-Ion Monitoring Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry to the Analysis of Molecular Species of 1, 2-Diacylglycerophospholipids of Bonito White Muscle

The molecular species of 1, 2-diacylglycerophospholipids of bonito Euthynnus pelamis (Linna-eus) white muscle were determined by selected-ion monitoring gas chromatography/mass spectro-metry using electron impact ionization. The 1, 2-diacylglycerol tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether derivatives obtained from the glycerophospholipids were separated on a polar open-tubular column gas liquid chromatography based on the numbers of both total acyl carbons and double bonds. Peak assignment was carried out by locating the characteristic fragment ions, two types of [RCO+74]+ ions due to fatty acyl residues on sn-1 and sn-2 positions of 1, 2-diacylglycerol and [M-57]+ ions indicating the corresponding molecular weight. Consequently, the highly un-saturated 1, 2-diacylglycerophospholipids such as 20: 5n-3-20: 5n-3, 20: 5n-3-22: 6n-3 and 22: 6n-3-22: 6n-3 species were identified in the bonito white muscle