Identification of trehalose dimycolate (cord factor) in Mycobacterium leprae

AbstractGlycolipids of Mycobacterium leprae obtained from armadillo tissue nodules infected with the bacteria were analyzed. Mass spectrometric analysis of the glycolipids indicated the presence of trehalose 6,6′-dimycolate (TDM) together with trehalose 6-monomycolate (TMM) and phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I). The analysis showed that M. leprae-derived TDM and TMM possessed both α- and keto-mycolates centering at C78 in the former and at C81 or 83 in the latter subclasses, respectively. For the first time, MALDI-TOF mass analyses showed the presence of TDM in M. leprae

女子学生の月経の経験からみた養護教諭が行う健康相談の必要性

This study aimed to investigate experiences and concerns related to symptoms of menstrual discomfort in female students, and obtain basic data for yogo teachers to provide health consultation. A questionnaire survey was conducted involving 334 female students from B College and Junior College located in A Prefecture. Although the students had already reached sexual maturity, 30% of them had an irregular menstrual cycle. Almost all subjects had experienced some kind of discomfort during the premenstrual and menstrual phases, and a majority of the them had experienced severer discomfort during menstruation. Although “taking medicines” was the most common self-care to relieve menstrual cramps, the number of subjects who “endure” menstrual pain was also high. Seventy-percent of the subjects had calculated the first day of their next expected menstrual cycle. Most of such subjects had experienced pain severe enough to affect their daily activities, and a half of them desired to learn about menstrual health.The results suggest the need for yogo teachers to provide education on menstruation according to the stages of development, and instruct students to seek health consultation from them

Protocol for a multicentre, prospective, cohort study to investigate patient satisfaction and quality of life after immediate breast reconstruction in Japan: the SAQLA study

Introduction The aim of breast reconstruction (BR) is to improve patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Therefore, measuring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) would clarify the value and impact of BR on a patient's life and thus would provide evidence-based information to help decision-making. The Satisfaction and Quality of Life After Immediate Breast Reconstruction study aimed to investigate satisfaction and HRQOL in Japanese patients with breast cancer who undergo immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). Methods and analysis This ongoing prospective, observational multicentre study will assess 406 patients who had unilateral breast cancer and underwent mastectomy and IBR, and were recruited from April 2018 to July 2019. All participants were recruited from seven hospitals: Okayama University Hospital, Iwate Medical University Hospital, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Showa University Hospital, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Osaka University Hospital and Yokohama City University Medical Center. The patients will be followed up for 36 months postoperatively. The primary endpoint of this study will be the time-dependent changes in BREAST-Q satisfaction with breast subscale scores for 12 months after reconstructive surgery, which will be collected via an electronic PRO system. Ethics and dissemination This study will be performed in accordance with the Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Subjects published by Japan's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the modified Act on the Protection of Personal Information and the Declaration of Helsinki. This study protocol was approved by the institutional ethics committee at the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, on 2 February 2018 (1801-039) and all other participating sites. The findings of this trial will be submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal

Prion protein protects mice from lethal infection with influenza A viruses

The cellular prion protein, designated PrPC, is a membrane glycoprotein expressed abundantly in brains and to a lesser extent in other tissues. Conformational conversion of PrPC into the amyloidogenic isoform is a key pathogenic event in prion diseases. However, the physiological functions of PrPC remain largely unknown, particularly in non-neuronal tissues. Here, we show that PrPC is expressed in lung epithelial cells, including alveolar type 1 and 2 cells and bronchiolar Clara cells. Compared with wild-type (WT) mice, PrPC-null mice (Prnp0/0) were highly susceptible to influenza A viruses (IAVs), with higher mortality. Infected Prnp0/0 lungs were severely injured, with higher inflammation and higher apoptosis of epithelial cells, and contained higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) than control WT lungs. Treatment with a ROS scavenger or an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase (XO), a major ROS-generating enzyme in IAV-infected lungs, rescued Prnp0/0 mice from the lethal infection with IAV. Moreover, Prnp0/0 mice transgenic for PrP with a deletion of the Cu-binding octapeptide repeat (OR) region, Tg(PrPΔOR)/Prnp0/0 mice, were also highly susceptible to IAV infection. These results indicate that PrPC has a protective role against lethal infection with IAVs through the Cu-binding OR region by reducing ROS in infected lungs. Cu content and the activity of anti-oxidant enzyme Cu/Zn-dependent superoxide dismutase, SOD1, were lower in Prnp0/0 and Tg (PrPΔOR)/Prnp0/0 lungs than in WT lungs. It is thus conceivable that PrPC functions to maintain Cu content and regulate SOD1 through the OR region in lungs, thereby reducing ROS in IAV-infected lungs and eventually protecting them from lethal infection with IAVs. Our current results highlight the role of PrPC in protection against IAV infection, and suggest that PrPC might be a novel target molecule for anti-influenza therapeutics

[その他] 地域包括ケアを担う医療従事者を対象とした 感染症対策研修会の有効性と課題

地域包括ケアを担う医療関係者が、地域で発生する感染症の実態と予防策を理解し、自施設での感染症対策に役立てることをねらいとして２日間の感染症対策研修会を企画・実施した。本稿ではその研修会の有効性と課題について検討する。訪問看護ステーション、診療所、高齢者施設の延べ70名の研修参加者に対し、研修終了後に質問紙調査を行った結果、58名から回答を得た。受講目的は「感染症対策の最新の知識や正しい知識の習得」が多く、職場における感染予防上の問題は「手指衛生、標準予防策の不徹底」や「針廃棄方法の危険性」等であった。感染症対策研修会について、役立ったと回答した者は96.6％で、感染症に対する知識の習得や針刺し予防対策、標準予防策の再認識の機会となっていた。“職場で活かせる”、“感染管理の情報が得られにくいので今回のような研修会を行ってほしい” 等の記述があったことから本研修会の有効性が示唆された。しかし、看護職者の中には、介護職者の感染予防行動や意識の低さに危機感を示した者もおり、今後対象者別の研修について検討する必要がある

OAZ-t/OAZ3 Is Essential for Rigid Connection of Sperm Tails to Heads in Mouse

Polyamines are known to play important roles in the proliferation and differentiation of many types of cells. Although considerable amounts of polyamines are synthesized and stored in the testes, their roles remain unknown. Ornithine decarboxylase antizymes (OAZs) control the intracellular concentration of polyamines in a feedback manner. OAZ1 and OAZ2 are expressed ubiquitously, whereas OAZ-t/OAZ3 is expressed specifically in germline cells during spermiogenesis. OAZ-t reportedly binds to ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and inactivates ODC activity. In a prior study, polyamines were capable of inducing a frameshift at the frameshift sequence of OAZ-t mRNA, resulting in the translation of OAZ-t. To investigate the physiological role of OAZ-t, we generated OAZ-t–disrupted mutant mice. Homozygous OAZ-t mutant males were infertile, although the polyamine concentrations of epididymides and testes were normal in these mice, and females were fertile. Sperm were successfully recovered from the epididymides of the mutant mice, but the heads and tails of the sperm cells were easily separated in culture medium during incubation. Results indicated that OAZ-t is essential for the formation of a rigid junction between the head and tail during spermatogenesis. The detached tails and heads were alive, and most of the headless tails showed straight forward movement. Although the tailless sperm failed to acrosome-react, the heads were capable of fertilizing eggs via intracytoplasmic sperm injection. OAZ-t likely plays a key role in haploid germ cell differentiation via the local concentration of polyamines