Physiological and Ultrastructural Studies on the Origin of Activator Calcium in Body Wall Muscles of Spoon Worms

To examine the origin of activator Ca and its translocation during contraction in body wall muscles (BWM) of spoon worms, Urechis unicinctus , physiological and ultrastructural studies, including cytochemistry, were performed. The potassium (K-) contracture tension was significantly reduced by the removal of external Ca, and by the application of Mn, La and verapamil. On the other hand, caffeine induced a prolonged contraction. The removal of Ca and Mg from the external solution, and the rapid cooling caused an irregular or oscillatory contraction. These results suggested that, in BWM fibers, the activator Ca is supplied partially from both external solution and intracellular Ca-accumulating structures. Ultrastructural observations revealed that the muscle fibers contain a relatively large amount of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The fractional volume of the SR relative to the fiber volume was 2~5% in all fibers of three muscle layers. To demonstrate the Ca localization, the muscle fibers were fixed by pyroantimonate (PA) methods at resting and contracting states. In the resting fibers, the PA precipitates were exclusively localized in the SR and the inner surface of plasma membrane. On the other hand, in the contracting fibers, they were diffusely distributed in the central regions of myoplasm, and had disappeared from the SR and plasma membrane. X-ray microanalysis revealed that the PA precipitates contain Ca. With the results of physiological experiments, these results indicate that the activator Ca originates not only from the external solution, but also from the intracellular Ca-accumulating structures, the SR and the inner surface of plasma membrane.Full-Length Pape

Two genetic variants of CD38 in subjects with autism spectrum disorder and controls

金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系The neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains poorly understood. Given the role of CD38 in social recognition through oxytocin (OT) release, we hypothesized that CD38 may play a role in the etiology of ASD. Here, we first examined the immunohistochemical expression of CD38 in the hypothalamus of post-mortem brains of non-ASD subjects and found that CD38 was colocalized with OT in secretory neurons. In studies of the association between CD38 and autism, we analyzed 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mutations of CD38 by re-sequencing DNAs mainly from a case-control study in Japan, and Caucasian cases mainly recruited to the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE). The SNPs of CD38, rs6449197 (p 70; designated as high-functioning autism (HFA)) in the U.S. 104 AGRE family trios, but not with Japanese 188 HFA subjects. A mutation that caused tryptophan to replace arginine at amino acid residue 140 (R140W; (rs1800561, 4693C>T)) was found in 0.6-4.6% of the Japanese population and was associated with ASD in the smaller case-control study. The SNP was clustered in pedigrees in which the fathers and brothers of T-allele-carrier probands had ASD or ASD traits. In this cohort OT plasma levels were lower in subjects with the T allele than in those without. One proband with the T allele who was taking nasal OT spray showed relief of symptoms. The two variant CD38 poloymorphysms tested may be of interest with regard of the pathophysiology of ASD. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society

Fabrication of Polarization Grating on <i>N</i>-Benzylideneaniline Polymer Liquid Crystal and Control of Diffraction Beam

Photoresponsive photoalignable liquid crystalline polymers composed of phenyl benzoate terminated with N-benzylideneaniline were evaluated. These polymers are capable of axis-selective photoreaction, photoinduced orientation, and surface relief grating formation. Polarization holography using an He-Cd laser beam at a wavelength of 325 nm demonstrated the formation of a surface relief grating with a molecularly oriented structure based on periodic light-induced reorientation and molecular motion. Electrical switching of diffracted light using an electric field response of twisted-nematic cell containing a low-molecular-weight liquid crystal in combination was also demonstrated

Photoinduced Reorientation and Polarized Fluorescence of a Photoalignable Liquid Crystalline Polymer

Thermally stimulated photoinduced reorientation of liquid crystalline (LC) polymethacrylate composed of a phenyl benzoate mesogen connected with N-benzylideneaniline (NBA2) end moiety exhibits a significant molecular reorientation (D > 0.7) when the film is exposed to linearly polarized 313 nm light and subsequently annealed in the LC temperature range of the material. Hydrolysis of the NBA2 end moieties yields an oriented mesogen with phenylamine moieties without distorting the oriented structure. In situ condensation of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivatives and phenylamine moieties yields oriented N-salicylideneaniline side groups. The resultant film displays a polarized fluorescence with a polarization ratio up to 3.4

Photoinduced Reorientation and Polarized Fluorescence of a Photoalignable Liquid Crystalline Polymer

Thermally stimulated photoinduced reorientation of liquid crystalline (LC) polymethacrylate composed of a phenyl benzoate mesogen connected with N-benzylideneaniline (NBA2) end moiety exhibits a significant molecular reorientation (D &gt; 0.7) when the film is exposed to linearly polarized 313 nm light and subsequently annealed in the LC temperature range of the material. Hydrolysis of the NBA2 end moieties yields an oriented mesogen with phenylamine moieties without distorting the oriented structure. In situ condensation of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivatives and phenylamine moieties yields oriented N-salicylideneaniline side groups. The resultant film displays a polarized fluorescence with a polarization ratio up to 3.4

Water-soluble protein from walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation by attenuating TLR4–MyD88 expression in macrophages

Water-soluble protein (WSP) from fish meat is abundant in the waste effluent generated via the surimi manufacturing process. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of fish WSP using primary macrophages (MΦ) and animal ingestion. MΦ were treated with digested-WSP (d-WSP, 500 µg/mL) with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. For the ingestion study, male ICR mice (5 weeks old) were fed 4% WSP for 14 days following LPS administration (4 mg/kg body weight). d-WSP decreased the expression of Tlr4, an LPS receptor. Additionally, d-WSP significantly suppressed the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, phagocytic ability, and Myd88 and Il1b expressions of LPS-stimulated macrophages. Furthermore, the ingestion of 4% WSP attenuated not only LPS-induced IL-1β secretion in the blood but also Myd88 and Il1b expressions in the liver. Thus, fish WSP decreases the expressions of the genes involved in the TLR4–MyD88 pathway in MΦ and the liver, thereby suppressing inflammation