Hepatitis C virus infection reduces the lifespan of chimpanzees used in biomedical research

チンパンジーの肝炎感染実験の影響 --寿命が短くなり肝臓や腎臓に障害. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Chimpanzees were used in hepatitis research for over three decades with the aim to identify and develop treatments for the virus, a leading cause of chronic liver disease in humans. We used a dataset of 120 chimpanzees housed at a single institution in Japan, 22 of whom became chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), to examine whether HCV infection results in a reduced lifespan as reported in humans. Survival analysis showed that HCV carriers experienced a higher mortality risk compared with non-carriers. Although no chimpanzee died from hepatic disease, carriers showed higher gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γGTP) levels compared with non-carriers suggesting that HCV infection negatively affected their liver condition. These results provide evidence that special attention is necessary to monitor the long-term condition of ex-biomedical primates

Endoscopic and clinical evaluation of treatment and prognosis of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome: a Japanese nationwide survey.

BackgroundFirst reported in 1955, Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS), a rare syndrome characterized by ectodermal abnormalities and inflammatory changes of the gastrointestinal tract mucosa, has been associated with a poor prognosis and life-threatening malignant complications. In a large population survey, we endeavored to characterize the course and treatment outcome of CCS through clinical and endoscopic assessment, and to explore its optimal treatment and surveillance strategy.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 210 patients with CCS was conducted via a questionnaire-based nationwide survey of 983 teaching hospitals located throughout Japan. We assessed clinical features, endoscopic findings, treatments used, and short- and long-term outcomes.ResultsThe average age at diagnosis was 63.5 years. In all cases, upper or lower gastrointestinal tract polyposis was confirmed, accompanied by characteristic ectodermal abnormalities. Of the treatments used, oral corticosteroids (30-49 mg/day) were the most effective treatment for active disease, with adjunctive nutritional support considered beneficial. With corticosteroid treatment, abdominal symptoms were relieved within a few months, whereas polyp regression often required more than 6 months. Maintenance of endoscopic remission with or without steroids for 3 years significantly lowered the development of CCS-related cancer, compared with relapsers or nonresponders, underscoring the importance of sustained endoscopic remission for cancer prevention.ConclusionsThe prognosis of CCS has greatly improved through the use of improved medical treatment. Although CCS continues to be relentlessly progressive, carrying a high cancer risk, a sufficient dose and duration of corticosteroid therapy accompanied by nutritional support and periodic endoscopic surveillance appears to improve its natural history

Asymmetric hydrogenation of the C-C double bond of 1- and 1,2-methylated maleimides with cultured suspension cells of Marchantia polymorpha

Suspension cultured cells of Marchantia polymorpha have a potentiality to hydrogenate the C-C double bonds of 2-methyl- and 2,3-dimethylmaleimide derivatives to give optically pure (2R)-2-methyl- and (2R,3R)-2,3-dimethylsuccinimide derivatives, respectively

Asymmetric hydrogenation of N-substituted maleimides by cultured plant cells

The cultured suspension cells of higher plants hydrogenated the C-C double bond of N-substituted maleimides to afford corresponding succinimides. Hydrogenation of N-phenyl-2-methylmaleimide by the cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum was highly-enantiospecific to give (R)-N-phenyl-2-methylsuccinimide (99 1.479619e-268.e.)

Exiguolide, a new macrolide from the marine sponge Geodia exigua

A new 20-membered macrolide designated exiguolide has been isolated from the marine sponge Geodia exigua, and its structure determined by interpretation of spectroscopic data. Exiguolide specifically inhibited fertilization of sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus) gametes but not embryogenesis of the fertilized egg

Biotransformation of sesquiterpenoids having α,β-unsaturated carbonyl groups with cultured plant cells of Marchantia polymorpha

The biotransformation of sesquiterpenoids having an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group, such as -santonin (1), lancerodiol p-hydroxybenzoate (2), 8,9-dehydronootkatone (3) and nootkatone (4), with cultured suspension cells of Marchantia polymorpha was investigated. It was found that the C-C double bond of 1 and 2 was hydrogenated to give 1,2-dihydro--santonin (5) and 3,4-dihydrolancerodiol p-hydroxybenzoate (6), respectively, while the allylic position of the C-C double bond of 3 and 4 was hydroxylated to give 13-hydroxy-8,9-dehydronootkatone (7) and 9-hydroxynootkatone (8), respectively

Effects of high magnetic field on Euglena gracilis

The effects of high magnetic field on Euglena gracilis Z were examined. When a horizontal magnetic field gradient (ca. 400 T2m-1) was applied, living E. gracilis moved to a higher field (positive magnetotaxis), whereas dead one gathered in a lower field. Magnetotaxis was not observed in a uniform magnetic field of 8 T. E. gracilis was oriented almost perpendicularly to the magnetic field regardless of life and death. Magnetotaxis of E. gracilis would be explained by taking into account inhomogeneous magnetic forces on and magnetic orientation of E. gracilis

Assessing chimpanzee personality and subjective well-being in Japan

We tested whether the cultural background of raters influenced ratings of chimpanzee personality. Our study involved comparing personality and subjective well-being ratings of 146 chimpanzees in Japan that were housed in zoos, research institutes, and a retirement sanctuary to ratings of chimpanzees in US and Australian zoos. Personality ratings were made on a translated and expanded version of a questionnaire used to rate chimpanzees in the US and Australia. Subjective well-being ratings were made on a translated version of a questionnaire used to rate chimpanzees in the US and Australia. The mean interrater reliabilities of the 43 original adjectives did not markedly differ between the present sample and the original sample of 100 zoo chimpanzees in the US. Interrater reliabilities of these samples were highly correlated, suggesting that their rank order was preserved. Comparison of the factor structures for the Japanese sample and for the original sample of chimpanzees in US zoos indicated that the overall structure was replicated and that the Dominance, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness domains clearly generalized. Consistent with earlier studies, older chimpanzees had higher Dominance and lower Extraversion and Openness scores. Correlations between the six domain scores and subjective well-being were comparable to those for chimpanzees housed in the US and Australia. These findings suggest that chimpanzee personality ratings are not affected by the culture of the raters. Am