Determination of glutathione peroxidase activity and its contribution to hydrogen peroxide removal in erythrocytes.

A new method for the determination of glutathione peroxidase activity in erythrocytes was developed. The present method was applied to the measurement of hydrogen peroxide removal rates by glutathione peroxidase in erythrocytes at 70 microM hydrogen peroxide under simulated in vivo conditions. The removal rates by glutathione peroxidase in mouse erythrocytes were twenty-times faster than those in human ones and were 5.2 mumol/sec/g of Hb. The removal rates in acatalasemic mouse erythrocytes indicate that glutathione peroxidase is the main means of hydrogen peroxide removal in acatalasemic mouse erythrocytes. Based on these results, we concluded that glutathione peroxidase in mouse erythrocytes had sufficient ability to remove hydrogen peroxide at even relatively high concentrations. This may be one of the reasons why acatalasemic mice suffer no health problems while Japanese acatalasemic patients suffer from Takahara disease when infected with hydrogen peroxide-generating bacteria.</p

Examining the relationships between teacher self-efficacy, professional learning community, and experiential learning in Japan

This study investigated the relationships between professional learning communities (PLCs), teacher self-efficacy, and experiential learning. A conceptual model that connects PLC components, including shared vision, interactive reflection, and collegiality, to teacher self-efficacy was proposed, as mediated by experiential learning. The data comprised 3,604 teachers from 204 primary schools and 787 teachers from 90 lower secondary schools in Japan. First, a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the same constructs of PLC, teacher self-efficacy, and experiential learning were measured at different school levels. Second, multigroup structural equation modelling revealed that some PLC components were related to teacher self-efficacy at different school levels. Moreover, experiential learning mediated the relationship between some PLC components and teacher self-efficacy at different school levels. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed based on the results of the study.peerReviewe

Identification of Pyridinium with Three Indole Moieties as an Antimicrobial Agent

A novel pyridinium with three indole moieties, tricepyridinium, was obtained from the culture of an <i>Escherichia coli</i> clone incorporating metagenomic libraries from the marine sponge <i>Discodermia calyx</i>. For the important structural elements of tricepyridinium to be investigated for antibacterial activity, tricepyridinium and its analogues were chemically synthesized. Tricepyridinium had antimicrobial activity, but not against <i>E. coli</i>, and cytotoxicity against P388 cells. Additional bioassays with its synthetic analogues revealed that the intriguing combination of the indole moieties, most likely derived from three tryptamines, as well as the pyridinium moiety were chiefly responsible for its potent biological activities

On the Two Cases of What are Thought to be "Porzellangallenblase"

The application of x-rays in the diagnosis of gall-bladder diseases is an old, well-known method, but since this is used mainly in taking a simple photograph, it is difficult to obtain a good roentgenological picture. Recently with the successive advent of excellent opaque substances such as Biligrafin, Telepaque and Priodax the diagnosis of gall bladder diseases has become quite easy, but two cases on which we report here are, on the contrary, the cases whose diagnosis has been made more difficult on account of the appearance of these excellent contrast media. This "Porzellangallenblase" is an extremely rare disease and it was first reported by H. D. Flörchen (1929) in the "Zentralblatt d. Chirurgie". It presents a piture identical with the one taken at the time when opaque substance is administered. As for the symptoms, the patient mainly complains of something similar to gall-stone; and in our cases, one was suspected of kidney stone and the other was of gall-bladder disease. Both of these were discovered at the x-ray examinations of the stomach, and each in their roentgenograph presented the stone in their bile duct. In addition their roentgenograph of the gall-bladder gave the picture identical with the one taken when opaque substance had been given. We present this case report as these are very rare cases among Japanese people in the light of available literatures

Experimental Studies on the Nature of Radiation Disturbances Part 1. Influence of X-ray Irradiation on the Histochemical Changes in Blood Cells

There are many studies on radiation disturbances but as for the causative factor of the disturbances it is vaguely considered to be the disorders of the hematopoietic organs and still it is uncertain whether such disturbances are due to the primary or the secondary factor, However, in our experiments we have come across the evidence indicating that such disorders can be induced even by an indirect causative factor. Following upon this point, we have studied the problem from histochemical standpoint of blood cells and have clarified that various substances what may be called toxic granules are produced during X-ray irradiation. Therefore, with the purpose to find an aid in the diagnosis of radiation disturbances as well as a clue in the elucidation of the causative factor we performed the present experiment by pursuing the relationship between the radition disturbance and the dosage of X-rays