Aquaporin and aquaglyceroporin in silkworms, differently expressed in the hindgut and midgut of Bombyx mori

Two cDNAs similar to aquaporins (AQPs) from other insect species were identified and characterized from the silkworm larva, Bombyx mori. The first cDNA (AQP-Bom1) cloned from the anterior silk gland encodes a 25 900 Da protein similar to insect AQPs isolated from several liquid-feeding insects. The second cDNA (AQP-Bom2) cloned from the posterior midgut encodes a 27 694 Da protein. Northern blot analysis has revealed that the AQP-Bom1 mRNA (2.3 kb) is expressed predominantly in the hindgut (colon and rectum), and moderately or minimally in the silk gland, midgut and Malpighian tubules, while the AQP-Bom2 mRNA (1.3 kb) is mainly expressed in the posterior midgut and Malpighian tubules. Functional analysis in Xenopus oocytes microinjected with the cRNA of these AQPs revealed that the AQP-Bom1 mRNA encodes a water-specific aquaporin, likely involved in the water retrieval function of the hindgut, while the AQP-Bom2 mRNA encodes an aquaglyceroporin, increasing glycerol and urea uptake.     

Visual attention in children with migraine: a controlled comparative study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual attention of children with migraine and compare it with a control group. Thirty migrainous children and 30 controls without headache were subjected to a visual attention assessment with Trail Making Tests (TMT) A/B, Letter Cancellation Test, and the Brazilian computerized test Visual Attention Test, third edition. The migraine group was evaluated after 2 days without headache. The migraine group had an inferior performance compared with the control group on TMT A ( P  = 0.03) and B ( P  = 0.001), and more errors on tasks 1 ( P  = 0.032) and 2 ( P  = 0.015) of the Visual Attention Test, presenting difficulty with selective and alternate attention. Attention is a neurological function that depends on structures such as the brainstem, cerebral cortex and the limbic system and on neurotransmitters such as dopamine and noradrenaline. The neurochemical aspects involved in the physiopathology of migraine and attention mechanisms probably predispose these children to visual attention deficits.     

Prognostic and predictive value of epidermal growth factor receptor in recurrent breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The prognostic and predictive value of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression was evaluated in patients with recurrent breast cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The immunohistochemical expression of EGFR was analyzed in 241 patients with recurrent breast cancer. RESULTS: EGFR expression was positive in 87 of 241 (36%) patients with recurrent breast cancer, whereas the EGFR expression inversely correlated with the estrogen receptor (ER) status. The patients with positive EGFR expression had a significantly worse postrelapse survival than those with a negative EGFR expression, whereas EGFR expression also had a postrelapse prognostic significance in patients with a positive ER status. A multivariate analysis indicated EGFR expression to be an independently significant factor for postrelapse survival, whereas a multivariate analysis in which the ER status was added to variables indicated that ER status but not EGFR expression to be an independently significant factor. There was a significant difference between positive and negative EGFR expression in the treatment response of 82 patients who received hormonal therapies and 374 patients who received chemotherapies, whereas a multivariate analysis indicated the responses to the first-line treatment and EGFR expression to be independently significant factors for postrelapse survival. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR expression had prognostic significance in recurrent breast cancer, whereas its prognostic value was not independent of the ER status. In addition, the EGFR expression was suggested to be related to the responses to hormonal therapy and chemotherapy, whereas the EGFR expression had an additional prognostic value that was independent of the treatment response.     

Retinol equivalence of carotenoids can be evaluated by hepatic vitamin A content

The present study demonstrates a new method to evaluate the bioavailability of carotenoids based on the calculation of the hepatic retinol contents. Weaning male rats of Wistar strain were divided into 5 groups. Each group respectively received retinol acetate (2000-10,000 IU per kg diet), alpha-carotene (2400-6000 micrograms per kg diet), beta-carotene (2400-6000 micrograms per kg diet), mixture of alpha- and beta-carotenes in the ratio of 1:2 (2400 and 4800 micrograms per kg dit), and palm-carotene oil (2400-6000 micrograms per kg diet). The derived retinol equivalences of each carotenoid calculated according to the hepatic retinol contents were almost constant regardless of the volume of respective intake (alpha-carotene: 1.25 micrograms per IU; beta-carotene: 0.59 microgram per IU; mixture of alpha- and beta-carotene in the ratio of 1:2: 0.96 microgram per IU; Palm-carotene oil: 1.23 micrograms per IU). The results suggest that the hepatic retinol contents can be used as a new measure to evaluate the vitamin A bioavailability of carotenoids.     

Simple and rapid determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine, and their methylenedioxy derivatives in urine by automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A simple and rapid method for the determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine, and their 3,4-methylenedioxy derivatives in urine samples was developed using automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). In-tube SPME is an extraction technique for organic compounds in aqueous samples in which analytes are extracted from the sample directly into an open tubular capillary by repeated draw/eject cycles of sample solution. LC-MS analyses of stimulants were initially performed by liquid injection onto an LC column to determine spectra. Five stimulants tested in this study gave very simple ESI mass spectra, and strong signals corresponding to [M+H]+ were observed for all stimulants. The stimulants were well separated with a Supelcosil LC-CN column using acetonitrile/50mM ammonium acetate (15:85) as a mobile phase. In order to optimize the extraction of stimulants, several in-tube SPME parameters were examined. The optimum extraction conditions were 15 draw/eject cycles of 35 microL of sample in 50mM Tris-HCI (pH 8.5) at a flow rate of 100 microL/min using an Omegawax 250 capillary column. The stimulants extracted by the capillary were easily desorbed by mobile phase flow, and carryover of stimulants was not observed. Using in-tube SPME-LC-ESI-MS with selected ion monitoring, the calibration curves of stimulants were linear in the range from 2 to 100 ng/mL with correlation coefficients above 0.9985 (n = 18) and detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.38-0.82 ng/mL. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of human urine samples without interference peaks. The recoveries of stimulants spiked into urine samples were above 81%.     

Bone changes of unknown etiology affecting phalanges of fingers in children

Eight cases of unusual osseous disease of the phalanges of the fingers (a phalanx in each finger) were reported. All cases occurred sporadically in winter at the age between 4 months and 9 years and showed male predominance. Main clinical feature was fusiform swelling and tenderness of the affected phalanx. The chief radiological feature was broadening and condensation of bone shadow at the diaphysis associated with small radiolucent spots there in and rarefaction at the metaphysis with marginal erosion. The prognosis of the disease was spontaneously regressive, both clinically and radiologically.     

Platelets as participants in hyperacute guinea pig-to-rat lung xenorejection

It is well known that xenotransplantation leads to immediate graft dysfunction. This study was designed to specifically examine the role of platelets in mediating lung hyperacute xenorejection (HXR) in a guinea pig-to-rat model. A total of 18 lungs were perfused with blood using an ex vivo apparatus. The animals were divided into the following four groups: a CE group comprising circuit only with rat blood; a SYN group comprising rat lungs and blood; a XE group comprising guinea pig lungs and rat blood; and an SH group comprising guinea pig lungs and rat blood with sarpogrelate hydrochloride, a suppresser of platelet aggregation. The platelet and serotonin in the blood were lower and the wet/dry weight ratio of the lung (W/D) in the XE group were higher than those in the SYN group after perfusion. The platelet count was higher, but the serotonin and W/D were lower in the SH group than in the XE group. These results suggest that platelets strongly affect HXR. Thus, the administration of drugs to suppress platelet aggregation would reduce xenotransplanted lung edema. This paper was presented at the 13th Biennial Asian Congress on Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, held in Sydney, Australia, October 12–15, 1997