Downregulation of male-specific cytochrome P450 by profenofos

The health hazards of individual organophosphorus insecticides have been characterized by their acute toxicity, mainly by investigating their cholinesterase inhibition. However, the chronic effects of most of these toxicants on the drug-metabolizing enzymes have not been investigated. Profenofos (O-4-bromo-2-chlorophenyl O-ethyl S-propyl phosphorothioate) is an organophosphorus pesticide widely used in cotton cultivation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of profenofos on male-specific cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in adult Wistar rats. We orally administered 17.8 mg/kg body weight, twice weekly for 65 days. Profenofos downregulated levels of hepatic and testicular CYP2C11 and CYP3A2 mRNA and protein expression. Testicular aromatase (CYP19A) mRNA was decreased in the profenofos-treated rats compared to controls. Overall, the present study suggests that profenofos acts as an endocrine disruptor of male-specific CYP enzymes and affects testosterone concentration, which implicates its deleterious effects on animal or human males chronically exposed to organophosphorus pesticide.     

Some morphological, biochemical and immunological blood parameters in European bison with or without lesions in the digestive, respiratory, urinary and reproductive tracts

Ninety-seven bison (39 males and 58 females) were culled out during three successive winter seasons. No infection with BHV-1 and BHV-5 or other viruses was detected by PCR and SN methods. Advanced pathological lesions observed in males exhibiting symptoms of posthitis/balanoposthitis are probably due to secondary infection by microorganisms present in the prepuce (Corynebacterium spp., Bacillus spp., Fusobacterium necrophorum, Staphylococcus spp. (coagulase negative) and Staphylococcus hyicus). Histopathological examinations of sections from prepuce and lips of pudendum showed the presence of Onchocercinae nematode (Onchocerca sp.). A comparison of biochemical and morphological blood parameters in the bison with or without lesions in the digestive (presence of parasites), respiratory, urinary and reproductive tracts revealed that the most variable parameter during reproductive organ disorder is the leukocyte count, while disorders in the urinary and digestive tracts coincided with the age of animals. In cases of digestive disorder most changes were observed in the number of neutrophils and concentration of urea. The number of red blood cells, monocytes, the level of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and hematocrit negatively correlated with age. Negative correlation was also observed between the number of neutrophils, level of creatinine and lymphocyte proliferation index. However, positive correlation was seen between erythrocyte sedimentation rate (Spearman's correlation coefficient), level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and protein, and age of the bison. Positive correlation was also observed between the lymphocyte count and lymphocyte proliferation index. The attempt to determine the reference values for blood biochemical and morphological parameters showed similarities to those of cattle.     

Genetic structure of the oak wilt vector beetle Platypus quercivorus: inferences toward the process of damaged area expansion

Background  

The ambrosia beetle, Platypus quercivorus, is the vector of oak wilt, one of the most serious forest diseases in Japan. Population genetics approaches have made great progress toward studying the population dynamics of pests, especially for estimating dispersal. Knowledge of the genetic structuring of the beetle populations should reveal their population history. Using five highly polymorphic microsatellite loci, 605 individuals from 14 sampling sites were assessed to infer the ongoing gene flow among populations as well as the processes of expansion of damaged areas.     

Genesis and characteristics of brown forest soils derived from Serpentine in Kyushu,Japan

One of the main objects of the present study is to determine what genetic soil types have been formed from ultra-basic rocks such as serpentine under humid, subtropical conditions. Red-Yellow soils, which are important zonal soils in Kyushu, have not been formed from serpentine, but Brown Forest soils have been formed, as will be described in the part 2 of this paper. This fact for the most part has been governed by the mineralogical and chemical peculiarities of serpentine. Therefore the part 1 of this paper deals with the mineralogical and chemical characteristics of serpentine as a parent rock from which Brown Forest soils have developed.     

Heat Treatments of Milled Rice and Properties of the Flours

The effects of autoclave and oven treatments on the gelatinization of rice flour and on the rheological characteristics of its pastes were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rapid viscoanalysis (RVA), and rotational viscometry. Flours from autoclave‐treated rice (ATR) and oven‐treated rice (OTR) were prepared, respectively, by heating at 120°C for 60 min and 160°C for 60 min followed by drying (ATR sample), and grinding at 2.2–12.9% moisture content. The rice flour dispersions were adjusted between pH 6.3 and 2.8 using 0.2M citrate buffer. The retort processing of rice flour in water pastes were done at 120°C for 20 min either once or twice. The gelatinization peak temperature (PT and T_o) and the peak temperature corresponding to the amylose‐lipid complexes (T_p3) of ATR increased at pH 6.3 and 2.8 compared with OTR and UTR flour. This indicates that the internal structures of the starch granules in ATR became more stable to heat and acid, even though the damaged starch content of ATR was 23% compared with 16 and 7%, respectively, for untreated rice flour (UTR) and OTR. The OTR flour pastes showed a gel‐like behavior at pH 4.5 after retort processing in water at 120°C for 20 min; however, the ATR mixture behaved more like a liquid paste. Decreases in the reducing sugar content of OTR and ATR pastes suggested that enzymes in the heat‐treated rice were denatured, which retarded the hydrolysis of glucose chains and the rupture of starch granules during pasting.     

Spray application factors and plant growth regulator performance: I. Bioassays and biological response

Bioassays were adapted to investigate effects of droplet size and carrier volume on performance of daminozide, gibberellic acid (GA₃) and 2,4-D using Phaseolus vulgaris L. as a model system. Response to plant growth regulators was indexed by inhibition (daminozide), promotion of internode elongation (GA₃) or ethylene production (2,4-D). Elongation of first plus second internodes above primary leaves was evaluated 14 days after treatment of primary leaves, while ethylene production was determined from head-space samples of incubated leaves 24 h after treatment. Daminozide inhibition of internode elongation was related to decreased cell size and number in pith and epidermis (range 49–70% of the untreated control). GA₃ increased cell size and number in both tissues 2·3- to 4·8-fold. Responsiveness to daminozide and 2,4-D markedly decreased as seedling age increased from 8 to 12 days, but responsiveness to GA₃ increased. Decreasing droplet size (10–0·5 μl) and increasing carrier volume (10–200 μl per leaf) at constant dose of daminozide (100 μg per leaf) and 2,4-D (100 μg per leaf) significantly increased performance, but had little effect on performance of GA₃ (2 μg per leaf). Effects of application factors on performance were related to their effects on the interface area between droplets and leaf surface. Significant positive linear relationships were obtained between plant response and the logarithm of the droplet/leaf interface area for all growth regulators. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Serum progesterone concentrations using P-EIA kit in captive and free-ranging Hokkaido brown bears, Ursus arctos yesoensis.

Serum progesterone (P) concentrations using P-EIA kit (Ovucheck, Cambridge Life Science Co., Ltd.) were examined in 8 captive and 7 free-ranging female Hokkaido brown bears (Ursus arctos yesoensis). The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 8.9%, 12.6% and 16.6%, 22.7%, respectively, based on 2 serum samples. There was a significant correlation between EIA and radioimmunoassay results based on 64 serum samples (r = 0.725; p less than 0.01). Serum P concentrations were examined in 5 pregnant, 2 solitary non-pregnant bears and a lactating non-pregnant bear in captivity. Annual changes of P levels in pregnant bears were observed as a small elevation during the mating season (May-June), a re-elevation in September-October and a sharp elevation in November-December. The sharp elevation was suspected to reflect changes when implantation occurred. Annual changes of P levels in solitary non-pregnant bears were similar to those in pregnant bears. An annual change of P levels in a lactating non-pregnant bear maintained levels under 5 ng/ml. Two of 7 free-ranging bears exhibited P levels over 1 ng/ml and the birth of cubs was confirmed in the following year in 1 of the 2 bears. P concentrations of other free-ranging bears exhibited less than 1 ng/ml, and these bears were considered to be non-pregnant. It was concluded that P-EIA kit was available for measuring P concentrations in Hokkaido brown bears.     

First Report of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pepper mottle virus</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> in Japan

Pepper mottle virus, genus Potyvirus, was first identified in Japan based on particle morphology, host range, aphid transmission, and molecular classification using the nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene and 3-untranslated region.