Description of two new actinosporean types from a brook of Fuji Mountain, Honshu, and from Chitose River, Hokkaido, Japan

Actinospore infection of oligochaetes living in the mud of 3 freshwater biotopes in Japan was studied. Using the cell-well plate method, a new aurantiactinomyxon type was found in 0.77 % of the examined Tubifex tubifex oligochaete specimens from a brook near Yamanashi Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station on Fuji Mountain. In 0.14 % of Lumbriculus variagetus collected from Chitose River, near Chitose Salmon Hatchery, a new siedleckiella type was found, while at the same time 8.1 % of the Lumbriculus spp. oligochaetes released triactinomyxons of Myxobolus arcticus. Of the examined Rhyacodrilus komarovi oligochaetes collected from the Mena River system, Hokkaido, 0.2, 0.6, 0.5 and 0.8% were infected with echinactinomyxon, neoactinomyxum and 2 types of triactinomyxon spores, respectively, and described in our previous paper. The oligochaetes released actinospores for several weeks. Actinospore infection showed high intensity in positive oligochaetes in the case of all the actinosporean types. Two of the actinospore types (aurantiactinomyxon and siedleckiella) presented here have not been previously described

Hepatic oxidative DNA damage is associated with increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C

Although the oxidative stress frequently occurs in patients with chronic hepatitis C, its role in future hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development is unknown. Hepatic 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was quantified using liver biopsy samples from 118 naïve patients who underwent liver biopsy from 1995 to 2001. The predictability of 8-OHdG for future HCC development and its relations to epidemiologic, biochemical and histological baseline characteristics were evaluated. During the follow-up period (mean was 6.7±3.3 years), HCC was identified in 36 patients (30.5%). Univariate analysis revealed that 16 variables, including 8-OHdG counts (65.2±20.2 vs 40.0±23.5 cells per 105 μm2, P<0.0001), were significantly different between patients with and without HCC. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that the hepatic 8-OHdG (P=0.0058) and fibrosis (P=0.0181) were independent predicting factors of HCC. Remarkably, 8-OHdG levels were positively correlated with body and hepatic iron storage markers (vs ferritin, P<0.0001 vs hepatic iron score, P<0.0001). This study showed that oxidative DNA damage is associated with increased risk for HCC and hepatic 8-OHdG levels are useful as markers to identify the extreme high-risk subgroup. The strong correlation between hepatic DNA damage and iron overload suggests that the iron content may be a strong mediator of oxidative stress and iron reduction may reduce HCC incidence in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Trychophrya intermedia on the gills of rainbow trout acclimating to low ambient pH

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First record of the at-sea swimming speed of a Pacific salmon during its oceanic migration

The swimming behavior of the chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta was studied for 53 d of its 67 d oceanic migration from the central Bering Sea to the Japanese coast. We provide the first data on swimming speeds by a homing salmon, recorded at 5 s intervals by a fish-borne time-speed, depth, and temperature logger. Swimming speed rarely exceeded 1.0 m s^[-1], and horizontal swimming speed was 36.4 ± 15.2 km d^[-1]. Cumulative horizontal swimming distance was approximately 2500 km, equivalent to 90% of the minimum distance between the release and recovery sites (2760 km). Swimming depth and speed peaked around dawn and dusk, and there was a smaller peak around midnight. The fish showed sequential up-and-down movement near the thermocline during daytime. Diurnal patterns of movement suggest that homing chum salmon spend a considerable time foraging, and the strategy is different between daytime and nighttime. Our findings indicate that over large distances of ocean, a homing salmon maintains a strong homeward orientation, but that passive transport by favorable water currents may help the migration