Antiviral activity of enterocin CRL35 against herpesviruses

Enterocin CRL35 is an antibacterial polypeptide of 3.5×10³ Da produced by Enterococcus faecium CRL35. A series of experiments are described that show the enterocin also had antiviral activity against thymidine-kinase positive (tk⁺) and deficient (tk⁻) strains of herpes simplex (HSV) type 1 and 2 in Vero and BHK-21 cells. This activity was observed at 100 μg/ml, 15-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentration. In both cell lines there was a 2 log inhibition of infectivity. The compound inhibited viral multiplication in a dose-dependent manner and had no virucidal effect. Enterocin CRL35 also inhibited the virion-associated host shutoff in infected Vero cells showing that intracellular viral multiplication was affected.     

Dynamic changes in cortical NADH fluorescence and direct current potential in rat focal ischemia: relationship between propagation of recurrent depolarization and growth of the ischemic core.

Forty rats were subjected to 3 hours of focal ischemia by occluding the left middle cerebral and left common carotid arteries. The propagation of recurrent depolarization around the ischemic core was analyzed using direct-current potential and NADH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) fluorescence images by irradiating the parietal-temporal cortex with ultraviolet light. Based on histological evaluation at direct-current recording sites, the total time of depolarization causing 50% neuronal injury was estimated to be 18.2 minutes. The sites showing recurrent depolarizations resulted in 23 +/- 29% neuronal injury due to the short depolarization time, whereas the sites showing recurrent depolarizations and eventually persistent depolarization resulted in infarction. The NADH fluorescence images showed that recurrent depolarizations propagated along the margin of the ischemic core. In 85.9% of the recurrent depolarizations, the fluorescence disappeared without leaving any traces and did not affect the area of the ischemic core. However, in 47.5% of the animals, 14.1% of recurrent depolarizations merged with the ischemic core and increased the area by 6 +/- 4 mm(2). These findings suggest that recurrent depolarization increases the severity of neuronal injury but does not cause infarction by itself if persistent depolarization does not follow, and that the area of persistent depolarization is enlarged with 14.1% of recurrent depolarizations.     

Diagnosis of complete Cul‐De‐Sac obliteration (CCDSO) by the MRI jelly method

Purpose

To evaluate the usefulness of MRI jelly method (jelly method).

Materials and Methods

Fifty‐five patients (32.7 ± 5 years old) with endometriosis, treated with laparoscopic surgery between January and June 2005 with preoperative MRI using the jelly method. In imaging by the jelly method, 50 mL of jelly used for ultrasound was injected into the vagina, and 150 mL of jelly diluted twice with tap water was injected into the rectum. MRI were inspected for the following seven findings: (Finding 1) Uterine position (anteflexion or retroflexion); (Finding 2) Thickness of the posterior uterine wall (adenomyosis uteri); (Finding 3) Ascites in the Douglas' pouch; (Finding 4) Elevated posterior uterine fornix; (Finding 5) Thickening of the “Haustra”; (Finding 6) Elevated anterior rectal wall; and (Finding 7) Douglas' pouch lesion visualized as a high‐intensity area on a T1‐weighted image. The latter four findings were enhanced with the jelly method. These seven findings were examined for their correlations with video findings of adhesion during surgery.

Results

CCDSO was present in 30 of 55 patients. These seven findings had accuracies of 69.1%, 70.9%, 72.7%, 74.5%, 56.4%, 83.6%, and 81.8% respectively. Findings 6 and 7 showed high accuracy.

Conclusion

These two findings could only be obtained using the jelly method, indicating the usefulness of this method for diagnosing CCDSO. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:365–370. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A case of ulcerative colitis with preexisting idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

A 53-year-old man was diagnosed as having idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Hematochezia appeared under steroid therapy for ITP after the diagnosis of ITP 18 months. Colonoscopic study demonstrated inflamed rectal mucosa but there was no evidence of infectious colitis. The colonoscopic and pathological findings were compatible with ulcerative colitis (UC). There have been a few reports of patients with UC complicated by ITP, but in all except one report, UC preceded ITP. This is the third case in which ITP preceded UC and the first case in which the proctitis type of UC was complicated by ITP in Japan.     

Hepatic calcification in proliferated bile ductules in a uremic patient

Hepatic calcification in uremia is rare and, to our knowledge, only two cases have been reported in the English literature. In both previous reports, calcification was found in the damaged hepatocytes in the centrilobular to midzonal area of the hepatic lobules. The patient, a 61-year-old man, was uremic due to diabetic nephropathy. He had suffered posttransfusion hepatitis just before his death. Antemortem radiographic examination of the abdomen failed to visualize the calcification in the liver. At autopsy, microscopic examination of the liver revealed bile ductular proliferation and calcification mainly in the ductular epithelial cells. We suggest that calcification could occur preferentially in abnormally proliferated ductules when the serum calcium and serum phosphorus products are elevated.     

Enlargement of rat submandibular salivary gland induced by single amputation of lower incisor teeth. Histological, histometric and ultrastructural studies

Histological, histometric and ultrastructural studies of rat submandibular salivary glands (SMG) following single amputation of lower incisor teeth were made. The SMG enlargement occurred after the tooth amputation, and its maximal increase of weight was reached 7 days later. The results of histological and histometric observations showed that the enlargement of SMG was due to both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the acinar cells, and hypertrophic acinar cells were ultrastructurally characterized by well-developed organelles such as rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus which filled the entire cytoplasm. Hydropically swollen nerve endings with disappearance of vesicles were frequently found. In later stages, degenerative or necrotic cells were scattered in the acini, and the size and the structure of the remaining acinar cells became gradually similar to those of non-treated glands. The morphological changes seen in the enlarged SMG induced by single amputation of the lower incisor teeth in rat were similar in many ways to those of sialadenosis induced experimentally by active sympathomimetic drugs.     

Carcinogenicity in mice of a mutagenic compound, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) from cooked foods

2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), whichis a mutagenic compound present in fried beef and beef extracts,was given orally to CDF₁ mice at a concentration of 0.06% inthe diet for 84 weeks. Liver tumors were induced in 43% of malesand 91% of females fed MeIQx. The incidences of liver tumorsin mice of both sexes were significantly higher in groups fedMeIQx than in control groups. The incidences of lung tumorsin females fed MeIQx and of lymphomas and leukemias in bothsexes fed MeIQx were also significantly higher than in the respectivecontrols.     

Antitumor activity of polysaccharide fractions from pine cone extract of Pinus parviflora Sieb. et Zucc

Hot water extract of pine cone (PCE) of Pinus parviflora Sieb. et Zucc. dose-dependently suppressed both solid and ascites tumor cells transplanted into various mice. Acidic polysaccharides of PCE significantly increased the survival time of mice bearing ascites tumor cells, and activity increased with acidity. One of the four polysaccharide fractions obtained by NaOH extraction showed the most potent antitumor activity. This fraction significantly suppressed the growth of solid tumor cells, with occasional tumor regression and necrosis, and with little or no cytocidal effect on cultured tumor cells. All acidic polysaccharides were able to activate mouse macrophage-like cell line J774.1. There did not appear to be any correlation between the antitumor activity of these polysaccharides and their content of arabinose (or fucose), mannose, galactose, glucose, or uronic acid.