Cloning and expression of the cDNA encoding an alternative oxidase gene from Aspergillus niger WU-2223L

A cDNA fragment encoding the mitochondrial alternative oxidase, the enzyme responsible for cyanide-insensitive and salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM)-sensitive respiration, from the citric acid-producing fungus Aspergillus niger WU-2223L was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a host strain. Synthetic primers were designed from the conserved nucleotide sequences of the alternative oxidase genes from higher plants and a yeast. The 210-bp DNA fragment was amplified by PCR with these primers using chromosomal DNA of WU-2223L as a template, and was employed to screen a cDNA library of A. niger. One full-length cDNA clone of 1.2 kb was obtained, and was sequenced to reveal that the clone contained an open reading frame (ORF-AOX1) encoding a polypeptide of 351 amino acids. The predicted amino-acid sequence exhibited 50%, 55%, and 52% homology to the alternative oxidases of Hansenula anomala, Neurospora crassa and Sauromatum guttatum, respectively. In the 5′-terminus region of the ORF-AOX1, a mitochondrial targeting motif was found. The whole open reading frame of ORF-AOX1 was ligated to plasmid pKK223-3 to construct the expression vector pKAOX1. The E. coli transformant harboring pKAOX1 showed cyanide-insensitive and SHAM-sensitive respiration, and expression was increased approximately two-fold by the addition of IPTG. These results indicated that the ORF-AOX1 encodes an alternative oxidase of A. niger. Received: 10 August / 13 October 1998     

A randomized prospective study of oral versus intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis against postoperative infection after sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether oral levofloxacin was as effective as intravenous cefazolin sodium for preventing postoperative infections in patients undergoing sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible. METHODS: Forty-four patients were randomized to treatment with levofloxacin or cefazolin sodium. Levofloxacin (100 mg t.d.s.) was administered orally, and cefazolin sodium (1 g b.i.d.) by intravenous infusion. Both drugs were given until 5 days postoperatively. The concentrations of levofloxacin in the mandibular bone marrow and serum were measured. RESULTS: The mean levofloxacin concentration 4 h and 53.7 min after administration was 1.086 microg/ml in serum and 1.328 microg/ml in the mandibular bone marrow. The efficacy rate of levofloxacin was 95% and that of cefazolin sodium was 85.7%, with no significant difference between the two drugs (p = 0.322). CONCLUSION: Oral administration of levofloxacin is a simple, cost-effective and safe alternative to intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis after mandibular surgery.     

Evaluation of the association between locomotive syndrome and metabolic syndrome

Background

Locomotive syndrome (LS) includes disorders of the musculoskeletal system and is a high-risk condition that requires nursing care. We included an examination of locomotive function in specific health checkups to investigate the relationship between LS risk and the muscle strengths. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of LS and the relationship between LS and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Association between time to surgery and 90-day mortality after hip fracture: A retrospective cohort study of 1734 cases

Background

It remains unclear whether early surgical intervention can reduce mortality after surgery in hip fracture patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between time from injury to surgery and mortality rate within 90 days after hip fracture surgery.

Myocardial fibrosis in a patient with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy detected by delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

We report a case of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) presenting with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Whole-heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed normal coronary arteries and confirmed the diagnosis of apical HCM. First-pass gadolinium delayed-enhanced MRI showed local delayed enhancement in the endomyocardium in the hypertrophic lesion. The presence of perfusion defect and delayed enhancement may be a marker of a high-risk patient with apical HCM.     

Feasibility of antegrade radical prostatectomy for clinically locally advanced prostate cancer: a comparative study with clinically localized disease

Objectives: To investigate intraoperative and early postoperative complications of antegrade radical prostatectomy with intended wide resection (aRP) for clinically locally advanced prostate cancer (cLAD) and to compare with those of aRP for clinically localized prostate cancer (cLD). Methods: Between March 1994 and June 2007, 800 consecutive Japanese patients including 625 with cLD and 175 with cLAD underwent aRP and bilateral limited lymphadenectomy. Clinicopathological data including intraoperative and early postoperative complications (within 30 days after operation) were compared between cLD and cLAD groups. Results: No deaths occurred. Operative time and blood loss did not differ significantly between the groups. Intraoperative and early postoperative complications were observed in 11 (1.4%) and 123 (15.4%) of the entire cohort, respectively. Prevalent early postoperative complications were pelvic hematoma, wound infection, urinary retention and lymphocele or prolonged lymph drainage. There were no significant differences in the entire intraoperative and early postoperative complications between the groups. The majority of the early postoperative complications were minor. Conclusions: aRP for cLAD is technically feasible and a safe surgical procedure. If radical prostatectomy could be established as a standard treatment for cLAD in the future, aRP might be valuable as the first step of multimodal treatments.