Plasma high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in dogs with various diseases: comparison with C-reactive protein

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nonhistone chromosomal protein, has recently been suggested as a late mediator of the inflammatory cascade. Blood HMGB1 levels are increased in a number of human diseases, and HMGB1 has been suggested to be a useful marker for disease severity and prognosis. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of HMGB1 in dogs. Plasma HMGB1 levels, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP), a typical canine inflammatory marker, were measured in dogs with various diseases, especially systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and dogs that had undergone surgery. HMGB1 gradually increased and attained a maximum level 72 hr after surgery, whereas CRP increased rapidly, peaking at 24 hr. Although both HMGB1 and CRP levels were significantly increased in dogs with various diseases compared with the control dogs, no correlation was found between the HMGB1 and CRP values. HMGB1 levels in the SIRS group were significantly elevated compared with those in the non-SIRS group. However, the increase in HMGB1 levels above the reference range was not indicative of SIRS. Instead, the presence of increased HMGB1 and CRP levels above the reference ranges significantly affects the poor outcome of SIRS. The present study indicates that HMGB1 is a novel canine inflammatory marker and is distinct from CRP. However, the additional clinical value of HMGB1 measurement remains unclear, and further studies are warranted.     

Influence of surface printing materials on the degradability of biodegradable plastic films in soil

Effect of surface printing on the biodegradability of plastic films was studied. Biodegradable films (polybutylene-succinate (PBS)) printed with four kinds of gravure inks were placed in soil for 1 year. The inks consisted of carbon black-pigment with four kinds of resins: poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), nitrocellulose-polyamide blended resin (NT), polyvinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer (V), and nitrocellulose (NC). Degradation of film specimens printed on one side and both sides as well as the control film without printing was monitored every 3 months by collecting sample specimens for the measurement of weight loss. No appreciable degradation was observed until 6 months after placement in soil for the control specimens and until 9 months for the printed specimens. And the degradation of the PCL- and NC-printed specimens with one-side printing and V-printed specimens with both-side printing was significantly slower than that of the control specimens without printing after 9-month placement at p < 0.05. Only after 12 months of placement, was the degradation significantly faster for the specimens printed on one side than for those printed on both sides except of the specimens printed with NC. There was no difference in biodegradability among PCL, NT, NC, and V resins. Specimens printed on both sides did not show any appreciable weight loss after 1 year in soil (percentage of maintenance of weight exceeding 98%). Microscopic observation indicated that the degradation mainly proceeded from the non-printed side to the printed side cross-sectionally.     

Nitrogen Uptake by Radish,Spinach and “Chingensai” from Composted Tea Leaves,Coffee Waste and Kitchen Garbage

A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of the application of composted tea leaves (TC), coffee waste (CC), and kitchen garbage (KC) on the nitrogen and nitrate accumulated in radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. ‘radicula pers’), Chingensai (Brassica campestris L. cv. ‘Choyo No. 2’), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. ‘Ban chu paruku’) as compared with the effect of inorganic ¹⁵N labeled fertilizer (IN) application. The compost was applied at the rate of 24 g kg^?1 soil, corresponding to about 250 to 300 kg N ha^?1; the A value method was used to estimate nitrogen uptake. Dry matter production was significantly higher in the IN and TC treatments than in the KC and CC treatments for all the species and tissue. Of the composts used, TC was most effective in increasing N uptake and N content in the vegetables. The composts derived N recovery as a percentage of total N uptake varied with plant species, 50.8%-62.9% in radish root, 35.3%-60.4% in radish leaf, 29.9%-48.2% in spinach leaf, and 31.3%-54.8% in Chingensai leaf. The N-use efficiencies of IN, TC, CC, and KC were 6.3%, 6.3%, 5.3%, and 6.6% in radish root; 13.6%, 9.7%, 8.4%, and 6.7% in radish leaf; 22.4%, 14.4%, 3.6%, and 5.8% in spinach leaf; and 61.2%, 39.5%, 25.5%, and 21.5% in Chingensai leaf, respectively. Nitrate accumulation in edible portions was highest in plants provided with IN as compared with those grown with composts, and nitrate content in radish root was markedly higher than that in the leaf. It is observed that the fate of compost derived N differed noticeably with vegetable species, plant part, and compost source.     

Heartwood extractives from the Amazonian trees <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dipteryx odorata,Hymenaea courbaril</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astronium lecointei</Emphasis> and their antioxidant activities

Heartwood extracts from Amazonian trees cumaru-ferro (Dipteryx odorata), jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril), and guarita (Astronium lecointei) exhibit antioxidant activities comparable with that of α-tocopherol, a well-known antioxidant. This article reports the characterization of the antioxidant compounds in the extracts of the three heartwoods. Silica gel column chromatography of the cumaru-ferro EtOAc extract yielded (−)-(3R)-7,2′,3′-trihydroxy-4′-methoxyisoflavan and (+)-(3R)-8,2′,3′-trihydroxy-7,4′-dimethoxyisoflavan. Silica gel column chromatography followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography of the jatoba EtOAc extract yielded (−)-fisetinidol and (+)-trans-taxifolin. Chemical structures were assigned using electron-ionization mass spectrometry, ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy including nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY), as well as optical rotation and circular dichroism. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry demonstrated that the isolated compounds were predominant in the EtOAc extracts. In the guarita EtOAc extract, catechin and gallic acid were identified by comparing their retention times and mass fragmentation patterns with those of authentic samples. Antioxidant activity determined by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay demonstrated that all these compounds had activities comparable with that of α-tocopherol. Part of this report was presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Hiroshima, August 2007     

Effect of atropine and pyridostigmine on growth hormone response to GH-releasing peptide-2 and GH-releasing hormone in swine

To investigate the effects of high and low somatostatinergic tone on GH-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) and GH-releasing hormone (GHRH)-induced growth hormone (GH) secretion in swine, we examined GHRP-2- and GHRH-induced GH secretion after pretreatment with atropine or pyridostigmine. Pretreatment of swine with atropine (80 µg/kg bodyweight (BW), intravenous (i.v.)) 15 min before i.v. administration of saline, GHRP-2 (30 µg/kg BW), GHRH (1 µg/kg BW) or a combination of GHRP-2 and GHRH, reduced plasma GH area under the curve ( P  < 0.05), completely blocked GH response to GHRH, and attenuated GH response to GHRP-2 and GHRH combined ( P  < 0.05), without affecting GH response to GHRP-2 only. A synergistic effect of GHRP-2 and GHRH was not observed. In contrast, pretreatment of swine with pyridostigmine (100 µg/kg BW, i.v.), under the same pretreatment conditions as above, increased plasma GH concentration ( P  < 0.01), augmented GH response to GHRP-2 ( P  < 0.05), and GHRP-2 and GHRH combined ( P  < 0.05), but did not affect GH response to GHRH. These results suggest that the cholinergic muscarinic agents atropine and pyridostigmine modulate the GH response to GHRP-2 and GHRH, and that GHRP-2 acts antagonistically on the inhibitory effect of somatostatin in swine.     

Significance of milk as a possible source of infection for human yersiniosis I. Incidence of Yersinia organisms in raw milk in Shimane Prefecture,Japan

Twelve strains of Yersinia enterocoliticaa and 4 strains of a Y. enterocolittica-like organism (Y. intermedia) were isolated from 374 pooled raw milk samples. Growth occurred in a cold enrichment system using phosphate buffer solution (7 strains), peptone solution (5 strains) and yeast extract—casein—cystine broth (5 strains) Serovar 13,7 was most frequently isolated (8 strains) followed by serovars 5,27 (2 strains), 6,31, 7,8, 14 and 22 (each one strain). Two strains were untypable, serologically. Seasonal variation was of little consequence, but the regional incidence was an important feature of the bacteriological findings. Autoagglutination tests gave negative results with all isolates. Although so-called “clinical strains” were not identified, the relationship of the strains of Yersinia to milk-borne infections in humans cannot be excluded.     

Effects of rumen‐protected methionine on milk production in early lactation dairy cattle fed with a diet containing 14.5% crude protein

We evaluated the influence on milk production of feeding early lactation cows a diet that included 14.5% crude protein (CP) and that did not meet methionine (Met) requirements or that met them by supplying rumen‐protected Met (RPMet). Thirty‐nine multiparous Holstein cows were allocated into two groups. For 15 weeks after calving, each group was fed one of the two total mixed rations, Control (n = 20) or Treatment (n = 19). The Treatment group received added RPMet at 0.034% (8 g/day) of the Control diet on dry matter basis. The adequacies of Met for the Control and Treatment groups were 96% and 106%, respectively, and for other amino acids, >110%. The CP level (14.5%) was 1 percentage point lower than that recommended by the Japanese Feeding Standard (2006). No between‐group differences were found in milk yield (40 kg/day), milk composition, plasma profile, rumen fermentation, nitrogen balance, or cow health. Met intake and the amount of rumen‐undegradable feed Met were higher in the Treatment group (p < 0.05). Microbial Met and total metabolizable Met did not differ between groups. Supplying RPMet in a 14.5% CP diet during early lactation did not dramatically affect milk production, because the amount of total metabolizable Met was unchanged.     

Pool‐based genome‐wide association study identified novel candidate regions on BTA9 and 14 for oleic acid percentage in Japanese Black cattle

Fatty acid composition is an important indicator of beef quality. The objective of this study was to search the potential candidate region for fatty acid composition. We performed pool‐based genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) for oleic acid percentage (C18:1) in a Japanese Black cattle population from the Hyogo prefecture. GWAS analysis revealed two novel candidate regions on BTA9 and BTA14. The most significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in each region were genotyped in a population (n = 899) to verify their effect on C18:1. Statistical analysis revealed that both SNPs were significantly associated with C18:1 (p = .0080 and .0003), validating the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) detected in GWAS. We subsequently selected VNN1 and LYPLA1 genes as candidate genes from each region on BTA9 and BTA14, respectively. We sequenced full‐length coding sequence (CDS) of these genes in eight individuals and identified a nonsynonymous SNP T66M on VNN1 gene as a putative candidate polymorphism. The polymorphism was also significantly associated with C18:1, but the p value (p = .0162) was higher than the most significant SNP on BTA9, suggesting that it would not be responsible for the QTL. Although further investigation will be needed to determine the responsible gene and polymorphism, our findings would contribute to development of selective markers for fatty acid composition in the Japanese Black cattle of Hyogo.