Complete genome sequences of two iflaviruses from the brown planthopper,Nilaparvata lugens

The complete genome sequences of two new iflaviruses (genus Iflavirus, family Iflaviridae) were determined. These viral sequences were first identified in RNA-seq contig sequences of Nilaparvata lugens in two distinct colonies: Izumo and Kagoshima. The accuracy of the contig sequences of the two viruses was verified by restriction enzyme digestion of RT-PCR products from viruliferous insects. RT-PCR of RNA extracted from honeydews after viruliferous insect feeding detected the expected viral products, which suggested that viruses were excreted into the honeydews by the insects. Since we previously designated a similar iflavirus as “Nilaparvata lugens honeydew virus 1”, the two new viruses have been tentatively named “Nilaparvata lugens honeydew virus 2” and “Nilaparvata lugens honeydew virus 3”. The identity of the putative amino acid sequences of the capsid proteins of these viruses met the criterion for iflavirus species demarcation. Therefore, these two viruses are suggested to be members of distinct species in the genus Iflavirus.     

Late pulmonary response in guinea pigs after ascaris challenge

Respiratory resistance of guinea pigs immunized with Ascaris suum was measured over 6 hr after aerosol challenge of the allergen by use of the oscillation method. These animals showed a biphasic pulmonary response to the aerosol challenge with Ascaris suum. Histological analysis of these animals revealed a narrowing of bronchial lumen, peribronchial edema and neutrophil-rich mucous in bronchial lumen at the late pulmonary response.     

Comparative study of nizatidine and famotidine for maintenance therapy of erosive esophagitis

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic effect of combined administration of prokinetics and histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) in gastroesophageal reflux disease is reported to be superior to that of monotherapy with H2RA alone. In addition to its acid-suppressing effect, the H2RA nizatidine also has a prokinetic action by suppressing acetylcholine esterase. The present multicenter, randomized controlled study was performed to investigate whether nizatidine is superior to famotidine, which does not suppress acetylcholine esterase activity, in maintenance therapy for erosive esophagitis. In addition, the question as to whether the grade of erosive esophagitis affects the non-recurrence rate during the maintenance therapy with H2RA was also investigated. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with endoscopically healed erosive esophagitis after 8 weeks of initial treatment with proton pump inhibitors were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the nizatidine group were treated with 150 mg nizatidine twice a day (b.i.d.), while patients in the famotidine group were treated with 20 mg famotidine b.i.d. for 6 months. At the end of therapy, and at the time when patients complained of symptoms, endoscopic investigations were repeated to find out whether the esophagitis had recurred. RESULTS: Nizatidine produced a significantly higher non-recurrence rate than famotidine (P = 0.049 in intention-to-treat [ITT] analysis). This difference of remission rate between nizatidine and famotidine was observed mainly in grade B esophagitis (P = 0.016 in ITT analysis). CONCLUSION: Nizatidine is a more effective H2RA than famotidine in the maintenance therapy of patients with reflux esophagitis.     

Seven patients with stage I and II primary testicular lymphoma

Seven patients with stage I and II primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) have been treated since 1990 to the present at Kawasaki Medical School. All patients, whose median age was 56 yrs, had initially complained of swelling of the scrotal contents. The lesions were on the right in two patients, on the left in five, and no patient had bilateral lesions. The histological diagnosis was diffuse large B-cell type in all patients. Five patients were classified as Ann Arbor stage I, and two at stage II. After high-orchiectomy for resection of tumor, two patients received chemotherapy alone, with a combination of chemotherapy and irradiation of the contralateral testis in the remaining five. Complete remission was achieved in all seven patients, but relapse occurred later in one. As it is recognized that, even in localized stage or low risk group PTL patients, the relapse rate in the central nervous system (CNS) and contralateral testis is quite high, chemotherapy, prophylactic CNS treatment and radiation of the contralateral testis after tumor resection should be included in the management of PTL.     

Long-term outcome of patients treated by home mechanical ventilation]

To investigate the long-term survival of 95 patients treated by home mechanical ventilation, we prospectively analyzed the outcomes of their cases (treatments: 34, tracheostomy; 61, non-invasive methods) using the database of the local registration system in Aichi Prefecture. The annual actuarial probability of continuing home mechanical ventilation for the tracheostomized patients was 97.0% in the first year, 79.0% in the second year, 79.0% in the third year, and 69.2% in the fourth year, and those for the patients treated by non-invasive ventilation were 85.6%, 67.9%, 56.8%, and 46.4%, respectively. In comparison with patients with neuromuscular disease, patients with respiratory disease (both tracheostomized and non-tracheostomized) tended to show a lower continuation ratio, but the difference was not statistically significant. These data were comparable to those of previous reports, suggesting that home respiratory care in Aichi Prefecture satisfied the normal standards of quality.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">MLL/AF-1p</Emphasis> Fusion in Therapy-Related Early Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with t(1;11)(p32;q23) Translocation Developing in the Relapse Phase of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

We report the development of therapy-related early pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a patient administered a topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, a consolidation therapy agent for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Our case is of interest because of simultaneous relapse of the original leukemia and onset of therapy-related leukemia and relatively rare t(1;11)(p32;q23) translocation with confirmed MLL/AF-1p fusion. This case suggests that careful monitoring for MLL gene rearrangements is necessary after administration of topoisomerase II inhibitors.     

Two interacting coiled-coil proteins, WEB1 and PMI2, maintain the chloroplast photorelocation movement velocity in Arabidopsis

Chloroplasts move toward weak light (accumulation response) and away from strong light (avoidance response). The fast and accurate movement of chloroplasts in response to ambient light conditions is essential for efficient photosynthesis and photodamage prevention in chloroplasts. Here, we report that two Arabidopsis mutants, weak chloroplast movement under blue light 1 (web1) and web2, are defective in both the avoidance and the accumulation responses. Map-based cloning revealed that both genes encode coiled-coil proteins and that WEB2 is identical to the plastid movement impaired 2 (PMI2) gene. The velocities of chloroplast movement in web1 and pmi2 were approximately threefold lower than that in the wild type. Defects in the avoidance response of web1 and pmi2 were suppressed by mutation of the J-domain protein required for chloroplast accumulation response 1 (JAC1) gene, which is essential for the accumulation response; these results indicate that WEB1 and PMI2 play a role in suppressing JAC1 under strong light conditions. A yeast two-hybrid analysis and a nuclear recruitment assay identified a physical interaction between WEB1 and PMI2, and transient expression analysis of CFP-WEB1 and YFP-PMI2 revealed that they colocalized in the cytosol. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis confirmed the interaction of these proteins in the cytosol. Blue light-induced changes in short chloroplast actin filaments (cp-actin filaments) were impaired in both web1 and pmi2. Our findings suggest that a cytosolic WEB1-PMI2 complex maintains the velocity of chloroplast photorelocation movement via cp-actin filament regulation.     

Analysis of cell cycle-related proteins in gastric intramucosal differentiated-type cancers based on mucin phenotypes: a novel hypothesis of early gastric carcinogenesis based on mucin phenotype

Background  

Abnormalities of cell cycle regulators are common features in human cancers, and several of these factors are associated with the early development of gastric cancers. However, recent studies have shown that gastric cancer tumorigenesis was characterized by mucin expression. Thus, expression patterns of cell cycle-related proteins were investigated in the early phase of differentiated-type gastric cancers to ascertain any mechanistic relationships with mucin phenotypes.     

T-type calcium channel blockade as a therapeutic strategy against renal injury in rats with subtotal nephrectomy

T-type calcium channel blockers have been previously shown to protect glomeruli from hypertension by regulating renal arteriolar tone. To examine whether blockade of these channels has a role in protection against tubulointerstitial damage, we used a stereo-selective T-type calcium channel blocker R(-)-efonidipine and studied its effect on the progression of this type of renal injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats that had undergone subtotal nephrectomy. Treatment with racemic efonidipine for 7 weeks significantly reduced systolic blood pressure and proteinuria. The R(-)-enantiomer, however, had no effect on blood pressure but significantly reduced proteinuria compared to vehicle-treated rats. Both agents blunted the increase in tubulointerstitial fibrosis, renal expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin along with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-induced renal Rho-kinase activity seen in the control group. Subtotal nephrectomy enhanced renal T-type calcium channel alpha1G subunit expression mimicked in angiotensin II-stimulated mesangial cells or TGF-beta-stimulated proximal tubular cells. Our study shows that T-type calcium channel blockade has renal protective actions that depend not only on hemodynamic effects but also pertain to Rho-kinase activity, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transitions.     

Correlation of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and plasma fibrinogen with individual complications in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the correlation between acute-phase reactants, ie, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) or fibrinogen and diabetic complications. METHODS: In 73 patients with type 2 diabetes, we investigated associations between both markers and carotid artery intimal medial complex thickness (IMT), heart rate variability, or urinary albumin excretion (UAE). RESULTS: Log hsCRP and fibrinogen correlated significantly with each other (r = 0.3701, P = 0.0013). Fibrinogen correlated negatively with the coefficient of variation of RR intervals (CV(RR)) and positively with log UAE (r = -0.2433, P = 0.0381; r = 0.4815, P < 0.0001), while log hsCRP did not. Furthermore both log hsCRP and fibrinogen did not correlate with IMT. CONCLUSION: We concluded that despite their close correlation, fibrinogen compared with hsCRP might be closely associated with diabetic microangiopathy and that both markers might not correlate with IMT as a marker of macroangiopathy.