Status of Cynops pyrrhogaster in a habitat after immigration of Procambarus clarkii

Red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii have immigrated since 2009 into one habitat of the Japanese newt Cynops pyrrhogaster that we observed from 1999 to 2002 in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, so we studied the habitat again in December 2012. The observed number of individuals of C. pyrrhogaster in 2012 and their catch per unit effort as relative density tended to decline, and 93.9% of males and 72.7% of females showed injury. In another habitat that P. clarkii has invaded since 1993, C. pyrrhogaster showed low frequency of observation and many injured individuals from 1997 to 2002

カエルのツボカビ症の疫学的および病理学的研究

我々は, 2006年12月にアジア初のツボカビ症を発見した。これを受けて, カエルツボカビの日本在来種へのリスク評価のための研究を行った。その結果, 1) カエルツボカビ培養株の樹立に成功した。2) 野生下両生類の不審死, 大量死事例35事例72匹を検索し, 野生下では, まだ, ツボカビ症が発生してないことを確認した。3) 飼育下両生類で15箇所9種94匹にツボカビ症の流行を確認した。4) 在来種20種にカエルツボカビを感染させたところ, ヌマガエル, コガタハナサキガエル, ヤエヤマハラブチガエルがツボカビ症を発症し死亡した。以上のことから, 外来種両生類由来カエルツボカビは, 一部の在来種に悪影響を及ぼすことが明らかにされた。よって, 野外での拡散防止に努める必要がある。We confirmed the presence of chytrid fungus (Batrochochitrium dendrobatedis) for the first time in Japan in December, 2006. We underwent this and performed study for risk evaluation to Japanese native amphibians of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). As a result, 1) We succeeded in the establishment of Bd culture. 2) We have begun investigating the cause of mass deaths or unexplained death among wild native frogs. Of 35 episodes (72 individuals) examined so far, not one case of chytrid fungal infection has been identified. 3) Fifteen outbreaks have so far been identified involving 94 frogs in 9 species in captive and exotic amphibians. 4) Japanese native amphibians do show susceptibility to chytrid fungus. Three species (Fejervarya limnocharis, Rana (Eburana) utsunomiyaorum and Rana psaltis) of native frog are sensitive to the chytrid fungus, and die if infected experimentally with the C type. Based upon the foregoing, it was made clear that Bd which divided from exotic species amphibian gave bad influence to some native amphibian. Therefore, we have to try for nonproliferation in the outdoors of Bd

Confluent hepatic fibrosis in liver cirrhosis: Possible relation with middle hepatic venous drainage

Purpose: Our aim was to retrospectively analyze the location of confluent hepatic fibrosis in relation to the portal and hepatic venous anatomy using multidetector computed tomography (CT) and to clarify the influence of the hepatic venous drainage on confluent fibrosis. Materials and methods: The study population consisted of 879 patients diagnosed with cirrhosis: 539 men and 340 women (65.9 ± 10.6 years) and 633 with Child-Pugh class A, 161 with class B, and 85 with class C. The cause of cirrhosis was hepatitis C (n = 528) and hepatitis B (n = 122) virus infection, alcoholism (n = 114), and others (n = 115). The confluent fibrosis was diagnosed using CT images according to previous reports and statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). Results: Thirty-five confluent fibrosis lesions in 30 patients (3.4 %) were identified. The predictive factors were alcoholic cirrhosis [odds ratio (OR), 7.25; p < 0.0001], Child-Pugh class C (OR, 6.95; p < 0.0001), and Child-Pugh class B (OR, 2.91; p < 0.0023). Confluent fibrosis was most frequently seen in the middle hepatic venous drainage area (n = 21) or at the boundary between the medial and anterior segments (n = 17), and each distribution of the location of confluent fibrosis was significantly unequal (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Confluent fibrosis was most commonly located in the middle hepatic venous drainage area. © 2013 Japan Radiological Society

Novel transcript profiling of diffuse alveolar damage induced by hyperoxia exposure in mice: Normalization by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Under mechanical ventilation with high-inspired oxygen concentration, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) was found to take place in some patients. To clarify the molecular pathophysiology of this condition we investigated the time course of gene expression changes induced by hyperoxia exposure in mouse lung using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR). Our results normalized by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase showed that mRNA levels of cysteine rich protein 61 (CYR61) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) were significantly up-regulated, while those of surfactant-associated protein C (SFTPC), cytochrome P450, 2F2 (CYP2F2), Claudin 1, (CLDN1), membrane-associated zonula occludens protein-1 (ZO-1), lysozyme (LYZS), and P lysozyme structural (LZP-S) were significantly down-regulated. Increasing level of mRNAs, each encoding CYR61 and CTGF, suggests a serious risk of fibrosing alveolitis. Decrease in levels of mRNAs for SFTPC, CYP2F2, CLDN1, ZO-1, LYZS, and LZP-S suggests alveolar dysfunction and disruption of the immune system. Moreover we confirmed apoptotic conditions, such as significant up-regulations of mRNA levels in Myc and Galectin-3. Hyperoxic condition probably yielded reactive oxygen species (ROS), which resulted in a malignant cycle of ROS production by Myc overexpression

Document A case of polypoid and papillary cystitis mimicking an advanced bladder carcinoma with invasion of perivesical fat

A rare case of polypoid and papillary cystitis without a history of catheterization is reported. A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of pain during urination and gross hematuria. The cystscopic and imaging findings including ultrasound, CT, and MR image showed an irregular wall thickening and stranding in the perivesical fat, which indicated an advanced bladder carcinoma, but histopathological findings obtained by transurethral resection revealed polypoid and papillary cystitis. Such benign lesions need to be discussed in the differential diagnosis of patients with bladder tumor to avoid excessive resection