Utility of 5-aminolaevulinic acid fluorescence-guided endoscopic biopsy for malignant mesothelioma in a cat and dog

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is uncommon in cats and dogs and can be challenging to diagnose. Adequate tissue sampling is required for superior diagnostic accuracy. Protoporphyrin IX, a metabolite of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA), is a photosensitiser for photodynamic diagnosis (PDD). To the best of our knowledge, no study has reported the use of 5-ALA-PDD to detect MM in veterinary medicine. The present study describes the use of 5-ALA-PDD for MM diagnosis in a cat and dog, as well as the effectiveness of intracavitary chemotherapy. We evaluated the use of PDD with 5-ALA hydrochloride (5-ALA-PDD) in two cases of MM. A 12-year-old cat presented with a 1-month history of respiratory distress, and a 9-year-old dog presented with a 3-month history of mild abdominal distention. We endoscopically biopsied lesions in both the cases using 5-ALA-PDD. Histopathological examination revealed mesothelioma, and immunohistochemical staining was positive for calretinin. Both patients were treated with carboplatin. The cat died of respiratory failure. Although, the dog's condition improved 21 days after the first chemotherapeutic drug administration, the dog died on day 684 owing to cardiac-related issues. 5-ALA-PDD is thus, safe and feasible for the diagnosis of MM in veterinary medicine.     

General resistance against potato virus Y introduced into a commercial potato cultivar by genetic transformation with PVYN coat protein gene

Summary Transgenic cv. Folva potato plants expressing the coat protein gene of potato virus Y strain N (PVY^N) were produced usingAgrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Forty independent transformants were selected for resistance screening. Four clones showed complete resistance to mechanical inoculation with all the five PVY isolates tested: the PVY^N isolate from which the coat protein gene was derived, two PVY^O isolates, and two PVY^NTN isolates. Two of the fully resistant clones contained only one copy of the transgene, demonstrating that it is possible by genetic engineering to obtain highly virus resistant potato clones that can also be useful in future breeding programmes.     

Anti-hypertensive substances in fermented soybean,natto

Natto is a traditional Japenese fermented food made by fermenting boiled soy beans withBacillus natto. Its contents of inhibitors against the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE, EC3.4.15.1) were investigated. Relatively strong inhibitory activity (IC₅₀:0.4 mg/ml, 11.8 inhibition units/g natto) was detected in natto extracts and the inhibitory activity observed in the viscous fraction was more potent than in the bean extract. Two groups of inhibitors in the viscous material, high and low molecular weight inhibitors, were resolved by dialysis test. The inhibitor of high molecular weight was a protein with low IC₅₀ value (0.12 mg/ml). The two types of low molecular weight inhibitors were detected in ethanol extracts (IC₅₀: 0.53 mg/ml and 0.95 mg/ml) and they were found to be stable over a wide range of pH and temperature up to 100°C. They were different in the mode of ACE inhibition. One is competitive, and the other noncompetitive against the hydrolysis of Bz-Gly-His-Leu by ACE.     

Effects of oral glucosamine hydrochloride administration on plasma free amino acid concentrations in dogs

We examined the effects of oral glucosamine hydrochloride (GlcN), N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and d-glucose (Glc) administration on plasma total free amino acid (PFAA) concentrations in dogs. The PFAA concentrations increased in the control group and the GlcNAc group at one hour after feeding, and each amino acid concentration increased. On the other hand, in the GlcN group and the Glc group PFAA concentrations decreased at one hour after feeding. A significant decrease in amino acid concentration was observed for glutamate, glycine and alanine. Our results suggest the existence of differences in PFAA dynamics after oral administration of GlcN and GlcNAc in dogs.     

Phosphate fixation by bentonite

Introduction

The relative ability of soils, clay minerals, and hydrous oxides to fix phosphorus has been determined by a variety of methods. In order to study phosphate fixation, it is necessary to rigidly control such factors as concentration of phosphorus added, time of reaction, temperature, and pH.     

Nitrogenous constituents of bleeding sap from taro plants grown in nitrate nutrition under a potassium deficiency

The previous work (1) with bleeding sap from taro plants grown in solution culture at varying ammonium sulphate application under aerobic condition revealed that a potassium deficiency led to a contradictory relationship of the variation in amino-N content in bleeding sap to the exudation rhythm; in the earlier period of bleeding experiment a deficient K-application decreased the amino-N content but accelerated the exudation rate. In this connection, there are good reasons for believing that the passage of water and salts into the xylem ducts is largely controlled by the metabolic conditions in adjacent living cells, especially their rate of aerobic respiration (2). Therefore, the effects of potassium nutrition on the exudation phenomenon were reexamined with taro plants grown in solution culture under nitrate nutrition and correlated with information about the effect of aeration through culture medium during bleeding experiment on the rate of exudation and contents of nitrogenous constituents of bleeding sap. Arsenite- or DNP-treatment was also carried out in vivo with the roots in order to elucidate a possible relationship between the respiration in roots and the exudation process of xylem sap.     

The respiration in the roots of broad bean and barley under a moderate potassium deficiency

The previous work on the respiration in taro plants (1) suggests that superior activities of the glycolysis and the Krebs cycle in these plant tissues under a moderate K-deficiency may be reduced a) with advancing plant maturation, b) with extended K-deficiency, or c) with increasing damage in the metabolism itself, due to unfavourable treatments. Thus the question arises where a critical point of potassium deficiency resulting in a higher respiration rate compared with its normal status should be set up in each plant species, giving careful consideration to the physiological and environmental conditions of the plant concerned. This work was undertaken in an attempt to compare the effects of potassium nutrition on the respiration in the roots of broad bean and barley with those in a longer term culture of taro plants (1).     

Transporter-mediated ecdysteroid trafficking across cell membranes: A novel target for insect growth regulators

Ecdysteroids are a class of steroid hormones in arthropods that control molting and metamorphosis through interaction with intracellular nuclear receptors. In contrast to the extensive literature describing their biosynthetic pathways and signaling components, little has been known about how these hormones are traveling into and out of the cells through lipid bilayers of the cell membranes. Recently, a series of studies conducted in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster revealed that membrane transporters have critical functions in trafficking ecdysteroids across cell membranes, challenging the classical simple diffusion model of steroid hormone transport. Here we summarize recent advances in our understanding of membrane transporters involved in ecdysteroid signaling in Drosophila, with particular focus on Ecdysone Importer (EcI) that is involved in ecdysteroid uptake in peripheral tissues. We then discuss the potential advantage of EcI blockers as a novel pest management tool as compared to classical insect growth regulators.     

Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling grain size and shape in the D genome of synthetic hexaploid wheat lines

Synthetic hexaploid wheat is an effective genetic resource for transferring agronomically important genes from Aegilops tauschii to common wheat. Wide variation in grain size and shape, one of the main targets for wheat breeding, has been observed among Ae. tauschii accessions. To identify the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for grain size and shape variation in the wheat D genome under a hexaploid genetic background, six parameters related to grain size and shape were measured using SmartGrain digital image software and QTL analysis was conducted using four F₂ mapping populations of wheat synthetic hexaploids. In total, 18 QTLs for the six parameters were found on five of the seven D-genome chromosomes. The identified QTLs significantly contributed to the variation in grain size and shape among the synthetic wheat lines, implying that the D-genome QTLs might be at least partly functional in hexaploid wheat. Thus, synthetic wheat lines with diverse D genomes from Ae. tauschii are useful resources for the identification of agronomically important loci that function in hexaploid wheat.