Some sulfur-containing metabolites of tri-n-butyltin chloride in male rats.

In an attempt to elucidate metabolic destination of TBTO, sulfur-containing metabolites were investigated in the urine. Tri-n-butyltin chloride (TBTC), tri-n-butyltin oxide (TBTO), and their in vitro metabolites in rat liver microsomal enzyme systems, di-n-butyl(3-hydroxybutyl)tin chloride (T3OH), di-n-butyl(3-oxobutyl)tin chloride (T3CO), dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC), and monobutyltin trichloride (MBTC), were intraperitoneally administered to rats. In particular, administration of T3OH and T3CO gave higher amounts of mercapturic acid derivatives, such as N-acetyl-S-(3-oxobutyl)-L-cysteine (3CO-MA) and N-acetyl-S-(3-hydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine (3OH-MA), than TBTC or TBTO. On the other hand, DBTC and MBTC did not yield measurable amounts of 3CO-MA and/or 3OH-MA. The appearance of organotin metabolites in urine indicates that T3OH, T3CO, and hypothesized secondary metabolites, such as n-butyl(3-hydroxybutyl)(3-oxobutyl)tin chloride, n-butyl(3-hydroxybutyl)(4-hydroxybutyl)tin chloride, etc., are subject to the action of glutathione S-transferase to give mercapturic acid derivatives. These sulfur-containing metabolites (3CO-MA and 3OH-MA) were also found in control rat urine.     

Characteristic odor components of Citrus sphaerocarpa Tanaka (Kabosu) cold-pressed peel oil

The volatile components of Citrus sphaerocarpa Tanaka (Kabosu) cold-pressed peel oil were investigated by chemical and sensory analyses. Monoterpene hydrocarbons (more than 94.6%) were predominant in Kabosu peel oil, with limonene and myrcene accounting for the major proportions (70.5% and 20.2%, respectively). The Kabosu oxygenated fraction was characterized by quantitative abundance in aldehydes and a relatively wide variety of alcohols. The weight percentages of aldehydes, alcohols, and esters in Kabosu cold-pressed oil were 1.3%, 0.1%, and 0.1%, respectively. Aroma extract dilution analysis was employed for determination of the odors of Kabosu volatile components, flavor dilution factors, and relative flavor activities. Gas chromatography/olfactometry using Kabosu cold-pressed oil and its oxygenated fraction completed by a chiral analysis revealed that (R)-(+)-citronellal is a characteristic element of Kabosu peel oil odor. Careful sniff testing demonstrated that aqueous solutions of both 0.25% and 0.016% (R)-(+)-citronellal gave an odor similar to that of Kabosu.     

Immunohistochemical evaluation of canine ovarian tumors

Canine ovarian tumors (epithelial tumor, sex-cord stromal tumor, germ cell tumor) classifying into 9 histological types were examined immunohistochemically using placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), cytokeratin7 (CK7), desmin, S100, AE1/AE3, inhibin alpha, vimentin, and alfa feto-protein (AFP). The papillary and tubular types observed in epithelial tumors were immunoreactive for desmin and AE1/AE3. The papillary type was also immunoreactive for PLAP and CK7. The solid type, nest type, cord type, palisade type, cystic type and spindle type, which were observed in sex-cord stromal tumors, showed a positive immunoreaction for S100 but little or no positive immunoreaction for inhibin alpha with an exception of positive result in the palisade type. Most of the sex-cord stromal tumors were AE1/AE3-positive except for the palisade type. In the cobblestone type observed in germ cell tumors, only vimentin and AFP were positive. The present study elucidated the detailed histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of canine ovarian tumors.     

Growth response of cabbage plants to arsenic and antimony under water culture conditions

Recently some attention has been paid to arsenic and antimony because these elements are polluting our environment (1, 2). The responses of crops to arsenic have been studied mainly from the view point of reduced growth due to arsenic toxicity (3). However little information on plant-antimony relations is available, although the chemical properties of arsenic are analogous to those of antimony. Thus, the present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of widely graded-levels of arsenic an antimony in a culture solution on the growth of cabbage plants, which were selected as the experimental plant because their inner leaves are eaten by human beings.     

利用植物悬浮培养细胞进行蛋白质快速定位分析的方法

稳定遗传表达分析是一种植物中常用的整体解析基因的方式。有多种转化方式可供选择,也可根据所需要的获得的转基因植物材料选择受体材料。但是由于稳定遗传转化周期较长且大部分材料不适合于进行荧光观察,所以在一些基因的研究中逐渐被瞬时表达分析系统。虽然瞬时表达分析用时短,但是转化效率受到多方面的限制,转化材料无法保存。目前由于植物悬浮培养细胞材料均一,增殖迅速并且可以满足大批量研究需求逐渐成为植物研究中的热点材料。以此同时,在亚细胞定位方面,悬浮培养细胞还是良好的应用材料。采用农杆菌介导法进行植物悬浮培养细胞的转化中方法较为成熟,但是获得纯净的转基因细胞系的转化周期较长。在本研究中针对上述问题我们建立了一种转化时间短,转化效率高的植物悬浮培养细胞稳定遗传转化体系。同时将这个体系应用到基因的亚细胞定位当中进行蛋白质快速定位分析。     

Characterization of the odor-active volatiles in citrus Hyuganatsu (Citrus tamurana Hort. ex Tanaka)

The volatile components of Hyuganatsu (Citrus tamurana Hort. ex Tanaka) peel oil, isolated by cold-pressing, were investigated by chemical and sensory analyses. According to chemical analysis by GC and GC-MS, limonene (84.0%) was the most abundant compound, followed by gamma-terpinene (6.9%), myrcene (2.2%), alpha-pinene (1.2%), and linalool (1.0%). Monoterpene hydrocarbons were predominant in Hyuganatsu peel oil. The odor-active volatiles in Hyuganatsu flavor were studied by GC-olfactometry and omission tests. The characteristic flavor was present in the oxygenated fraction. Flavor dilution (FD) factors of the volatile flavor components of the Hyuganatsu cold-pressed oil were determined by aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA). Furthermore, relative flavor activity was investigated by means of FD factor and weight percent. Ten kinds of odor compounds having Hyuganatsu-like aroma were detected by AEDA: limonene, linalool, octanol, neral, neryl acetate, tridecanal, trans-carveol, cis-nerolidol, trans,trans-farnesyl acetate, and trans,trans-farnesol. Linalool and octanol were regarded as the most odor-active or key compounds of Hyuganatsu aroma. Diluted solutions of linalool and octanol of approximately 2 ppm gave a fresh and fruity aroma note similar to Hyuganatsu flavor.     

Comparison of the Virucidal Effects of Disinfectant Agents Against Equine Influenza A Virus

Disinfection is one of the most important biosecurity measures to minimize disease spread during outbreaks of equine influenza. Although many disinfectants are commercially available, information about their effects against equine influenza A virus (EIV) is limited. This report describes an evaluation of the effects of six disinfectants against EIV (∼10^4.7 egg infectious dose 50/200 μL) under different conditions (reaction time [10 and/or 30 minutes], temperature [4°C–25°C], and the absence and/or presence of uninfected allantoic fluid that served as our best choice of “organic matter” equivalent). Although the efficacy of didecyldimethylammonium chloride decreased with decreasing reaction temperature, the compound showed the highest efficacy of the three quaternary ammonium compounds tested in this study. The effects of sodium dichloroisocyanurate and nonoxynol iodine were not affected by reaction time or temperature, but they were affected by the presence of organic matter. Antec Virkon S containing potassium peroxymonosulfate and sodium chloride consistently inactivated EIV regardless of reaction time, temperature, and the presence of organic matter. These findings will help us to take rational biosecurity measures during outbreaks of equine influenza.     

Three-dimensional readout of flash x-ray images of living sperm in water by atomic-force microscopy

The imaging of living specimens in water by x-ray microscopy can be greatly enhanced with the use of an intense flash x-ray source and sophisticated technologies for reading x-ray images. A subnanosecond [corrected] x-ray pulse from a laser-produced plasma was used to record the x-ray image of living sea urchin sperm in an x-ray resist. The resist relief was visualized at high resolution by atomic-force microscopy. Internal structure of the sperm head was evident, and the carbon density in a flagellum was estimated from the relief height.