Membranous Glomerulonephropathy in a Hatano Low-avoidance Rat

Membranous glomerulonephropathy can be experimentally induced in rats, but spontaneous cases have been rarely reported. In this report, we present a typical case of spontaneous membranous glomerulonephropathy in a rat. A male Hatano low-avoidance (LAA) strain rat had a tumor mass on the right auricle, and was sacrificed at 41 weeks of age. Urinary screening by reagent strips revealed intense proteinuria. Histological tests revealed frequent presence of irregularly sized eosinophilic hyaline materials on the capillary wall and in the mesangium of renal glomeruli. Immunofluorescence revealed granular deposits of IgG, IgM, and C3 in the glomeruli. Subepithelial dense deposits were observed by electron microscopy accompanied by podocyte foot process effacement and occasional irregular thickening of the glomerular basement membrane. The rat also developed chronic lymphocytic pancreatitis, and the tumor mass on the right auricle was diagnosed as a fibrosarcoma. Screening tests for antibodies against major infectious agents and antinuclear antibody were negative. Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence analyses suggested the presence of an autoantibody against the pancreatic component. The glomerulopathy was considered an early stage of membranous glomerulonephropathy.     

Spontaneous Malignant T-cell Lymphoma in a Young Adult Crl:CD (SD) Rat

We investigated a case of spontaneous malignant T-cell lymphoma observed in a 19-week-old male Crl:CD (SD) rat. The rat showed paralysis beginning 1 week before euthanasia. Hematological examination revealed marked lymphocytosis without distinct atypia. Macroscopically, hepatosplenomegaly and partial atrophy of the thoracic spinal cord were observed. Microscopically, neoplastic cells infiltrated into the liver, splenic red pulp, bone marrow and epidural space of the thoracic spinal cord, while no neoplastic cells were observed in the thymus and lymph nodes. Moreover, the spinal cord showed focal degeneration due to compression by marked infiltration of neoplastic cells in the subdural space. The neoplastic cells were generally small-sized round cells that had a round nucleus with/without a single nucleolus and scanty cytoplasm. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were positive for CD3 and CD8 and negative for CD79α. Judging from these results, the present tumor in this young adult rat was diagnosed as malignant T-cell lymphoma.     

Impacts of newly liberalised policies on customary land rights of forest‐dwelling populations: A case study from East Kalimantan,Indonesia

Based on interviews and participant observation conducted in the province of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, from 2008 to 2012, this paper examines why the agrarian reforms have failed to secure the land rights of local farmers. Since the fall of the authoritarian government in 1998, Indonesia has seen limited, but growing government recognition of customary land rights of local farmers living in forest areas. I present a case study of two villages, in which the greater discretion on the part of the local community to negotiate with large‐scale oil palm estates has led to the abuse of power by local elites, as well as territorial tensions between local communities. The finding questions the optimistic view that state recognition of customary land rights of communities would automatically lead to the security of landownership of local farmers, and its underlying image of harmonious local communities in which members share coherent interests. The agrarian reform that has centred on communities' rights of control over land and natural resources is problematic. When local communities do not possess capabilities for resolving conflicts in an equitable and transparent manner, third‐party intervention is needed to assist communities to strengthen local land rights.     

Successful suppression of endogenous α-1,3-galactosyltransferase expression by RNA interference in pig embryos generated in vitro

RNA interference (RNAi) technology using small interfering RNAs (siRNA) has been widely used as a powerful tool to knock down gene expression in various organisms. In pig preimplantation embryos, no attempt to suppress the target gene expression with such technology has been made. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the RNAi technology is useful for suppression of endogenous target gene expression at an early stage of development in pigs. Alpha-1,3-Galactosyltransferase (α-GalT) is an enzyme that creates the Galα1-3Gal (α-Gal) epitope on the cell surface in some mammalian species, and removal of the epitope is considered to be a prerequisite for pig-to-human xenotransplantation. We decided to suppress the endogenous α-GalT mRNA expression in pig early embryos, since reduction of α-GalT synthesis is easily monitored by cytochemical staining with Bandeiraea simplicifolia isolectin-B(4), a lectin that specifically binds to the α-Gal epitope, and by RT-PCR analysis. Cytoplasmic microinjection of double-stranded RNA and pronuclear injection of an siRNA expression vector into the embryos generated in vitro resulted in a significant reduction in expression of the α-GalT gene and α-Gal epitope in blastocysts, at which stage the α-Gal epitope is abundantly expressed. Somatic cell nuclear transfer of embryonic fibroblasts stably transfected with an siRNA expression vector also led to a significant reduction in the level of α-GalT mRNA synthesis together with decreased amounts of the α-Gal epitope at the blastocyst stage. These results indicate that the RNAi technology is useful for efficient suppression of a target gene expression during embryogenesis in pigs and suggest the possibility of production of siRNA-expressing pigs for use in xenotransplantation.     

A comparative study of chronic kidney disease in dogs and cats: induction of cyclooxygenases

The present study investigated whether renal cyclooxygenase (COX) induction is associated with the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in dogs and cats. The collected kidneys were examined histopathologically and immunohistochemically. The immunoreactivities of COX-1 and COX-2 were evaluated quantitatively, and the correlations to the plasma creatinine concentrations, glomerular size, glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, and interstitial cell infiltration were evaluated statistically. Immunoreactivities for COX-1 were heterogeneously observed in the medullary distal tubules and collecting ducts; no correlations with the severity of renal damage were detected. Immunoreactivities for COX-2 were heterogeneously observed in the macula densa (MD) regions. In dogs, the percentage of COX-2-positive MD was significantly correlated with the glomerular size. In cats, glomeruli with COX-2-positive MD had significantly higher sclerosis scores than those with COX-2-negative MD. In conclusion, renal COX-2 is induced in canine and feline CKD, especially in relation to the glomerular changes.     

Influence of moisture content on estimating Young’s modulus of full-scale timber using stress wave velocity

The effect of moisture content on the stress wave propagation velocity was investigated in order to estimate the Young’s modulus of full-scale timbers in an air-drying state using the measurement of stress wave propagation velocity above the fiber saturation point. Using Japanese cedar lumber, the velocity and the density under high-moisture condition and air-drying states were measured respectively; after measuring the modulus of elasticity in an air-drying state, the moisture content of each condition was measured. By performing numerical analysis on these data, the relationship between the moisture content and the rate of change of velocity of full-scale timbers was derived. This relationship was used to estimate the Young’s modulus of the timber in the air-drying state from the velocity in high-moisture condition. First, the velocity and the Young’s modulus in an air-drying state were estimated accurately from its density, moisture content and velocity under high-moisture condition. In cases where the density could not be measured, using the database of mechanical properties with the Monte Carlo simulation method, the Young’s modulus of the full-scale timber in an air-drying state might be estimated within 20% accuracy from its moisture content and velocity under high-moisture condition.     

Lignan content of selected foods from Japan

Lignans constitute a group of phytochemicals widely distributed in the human diet. Once ingested, most dietary lignans are metabolized by the gut microflora to enterolactone and enterodiol, also known as enterolignans. Together with isoflavones and coumestrol, enterolignans have been traditionally classified as phytoestrogens, plant-derived compounds that exhibit estrogen-like activity. In addition to a higher intake of vegetables, many studies have suggested that the presence of phytoestrogens in the Japanese diet is one of the factors that might explain the reduced incidence of certain chronic diseases in Japanese populations compared with Western countries. Being a vegetable-based diet, exposure to dietary lignans should be high, but to assess this exposure, a lignan food database is required. Stable isotope-dilution gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to quantify six plant lignans in 86 food items commonly consumed in Japan. These data will complement the previous databases and most importantly expand the knowledge of occurrence of lignans in food to Eastern diets.     

Screening of wood-rotting fungi for kraft pulp bleaching by the Poly R decolorization test and biobleaching of hardwood kraft pulp byPhanerochaete crassa WD1694

From among 419 wood-rotting fungi 10 were selected by the Poly R decolorization test, and their ability to bleach hardwood kraft pulp was assayed. Of the 10 selected, 6 fungi (i.e.,Phanerochaete crassa WD1694 and F150;Pleurotus pulmonarius PSC-H, PSC-M, and PSC-T;and Pleurotus species A119) showed much higher bleaching ability thanPhanerochaete chrysosponum BKMF1767 orTrametes versicolor WD1670, both of which are well-known high ligninolytic fungi.P. crassa WD1694 had the highest bleaching ability among the selected strains, and it increased the pulp brightness from 28 to 54, with a corresponding decrease in kappa number from 16 to 6 after 10 days of cultivation and alkali extraction. MnP was a predominant ligninolytic enzyme ofP. crassa WD1694 during the biobleaching.This research was presented in part at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kumamoto, April 1996     

Extracellular peroxidase activity at the hyphal tips of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete crassa WD1694

The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete crassa WD1694 was cultivated and peroxidase activity staining was performed to determine the sites at which the extracellular peroxidase reaction actually occurs in vivo. Although the ligninolytic peroxidases were found in the culture filtrates, the culture medium did not show a color reaction. However, a particularly strong color reaction was observed on the hyphal tips. Visible spectra and absorbance of the staining were analyzed by microspectrophotometry, and the catalytic rates of the peroxidase reaction at the hyphal tips were calculated. The estimated catalytic rate of the peroxidase reaction at the hyphal tips peaked at 794 μM/min, expressed as the consumption rate of H₂O₂, on day 3 of the cultivation. Analysis of the extracellular enzyme eluted with 0.1% Tween 80 from the mycelium revealed that manganese peroxidase accounted for 89% of all the peroxidase activity measured. The results clearly showed the existence of the concentrated manganese peroxidase reaction around the hyphal tips of the organism.