Identification of a peptide in enzymatic hydrolyzate of cheese that inhibits ovalbumin permeation in Caco-2 cells

Because the first step in the triggering of food allergy is the permeation of the allergen through the intestine, enhancement of the intestinal barrier function is thought to be effective for preventing food allergy. In this study, a peptide that inhibits ovalbumin (OVA) permeation in an in vitro Caco-2 cell model was isolated from enzymatic hydrolyzate of cheese (EHC). Amino acid sequence analysis identified the active peptide as GPIVLNPWDQ, a sequence identical to amino acids 102-111 of alphas2-casein. The decapeptide significantly inhibited OVA permeation at a concentration of 10(-6) M. In addition, it was found that a pentapeptide half, NPWDQ, is essential for the inhibitory activity because NPWDQ but not GPIVL had nearly the same inhibitory activity as GPIVLNPWDQ. The possibility exists that EHC and/or peptides possessing the NPWDQ sequence can be practically applied to the prevention of food allergy.     

Amyloid angiopathy with cerebral hemorrhage and senile plaque in aged dogs

Amyloid angiopathy with cerebral hemorrhage and senile plaques was found in the brain of aged dogs. In all 9 cases examined, 13 to 19 years old, 6 males and 3 females, amyloid deposits were observed mostly in the wall of cerebral arterioles and capillaries showed hyaline degeneration. The accumulation of amyloid fibrils measuring about 10 nm in diameter was seen in the cerebral vessel wall by electron microscopy. The cerebral hemorrhage was observed in 6 of 9 dogs and 2 of them showed massive hemorrhage. The hemorrhagic foci were sometimes closely contact with the vessels involved in amyloid angiopathy. In addition, senile plaques being classified into 2 types were found in the cerebral cortex of 3 dogs. The first type was characterized by the accumulation of degenerative neurites and often contained granular argyrophilic material. The second type had a well-defined amyloid core with neuritic halo. Amyloid deposits were also found in or around intestinal vessel walls of 3 dogs. The amyloid deposited in the cerebral vessels, senile plaques and intestinal vessels showed characteristic green birefringence under the polarized light even after potassium permanganate treatment.     

Mineralogy of gel-like substance in the pumice bed in Kanuma and Kitakami Districts

A characteristic gel-like substance has been noticed around weathered pumice grains in the pumice beds of Kanuma near Utsunomiya and of Kitakami, Iwate prefecture. This substance was first studied by SHIOIRI (6) in 1934, and reported as allophane according to its chemical composition, refractive index, and dye-adsorbing nature similar to the colloid of volcanic ash soils of the Onji-type. Recently, KUWANO and MATSUI (5) remarked that the colloidal film in the Kanuma and Imaichi pumice beds diffracted x-rays at about 8 and 33 Å, and they presumed that this substance might be an early transitional material from allophane to some crystalline clay minerals. KANNO (2) and KANNO et al. (3) examined this gel-like substance from Imaichi and Kitakami districts precisely by the x-ray diffraction, differential thermal, infrared spectroscopical, electron microscopical, and chemical methods, and they concluded that the substance was a mixture of poorly crystallized montmorillonite, allophane in various weathering stages, and free sesquioxide, although there was no positive evidence of montmorillonite. YOSHINAGA and AOMINE (7) noticed that the properties of imogolite designated by themselves bore a striking likeness to those of the gel-like substance reported by KANNO et al. (3), and they considered that both substances were essentially of the same kind irrespective of occurrence.     

Virtopsy in a red kangaroo with oral osteomyelitis

This report describes the use of computed tomography (CT) in a nondomestic species. Postmortem CT was performed on a red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and a diagnosis of oral osteomyelitis was made. CT examination revealed bony remodeling of the right mandible, an intraosseous lesion of the right temporal bone, muscle necrosis around the right mandible, and the absence of the right, first, upper molar tooth. Cardiac and intrahepatic gas and a distended intestine due to postmortem gas accumulation were also seen. All the lesions identified with CT were also identified by conventional necropsy, except the cardiac and intrahepatic gases. Virtopsy may be a useful procedure for the noninvasive identification of cause of death and as a guide for necropsy in animals.     

Spectral analysis of circadian rhythms in heart rate variability of dogs

OBJECTIVE: To determine characteristics of power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) during a 24-hour period in dogs and to evaluate the effects of vagal and sympathetic tone on HRV ANIMALS: 16 healthy adult Beagles. PROCEDURE: Power spectral analysis of HRV was conducted, using 24-hour ambulatory ECG recordings. Circadian rhythms were evaluated in terms of absolute units of low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) powers, their ratio (LF:HF), and their adjusted (normalized) units (LF[norm] and HF[norm]). Three or 4 dogs were used for simultaneous measurement of heart rate and respiratory waveform as well as to evaluate treatment (propranolol, atropine, or both) administered to cause blockade of the autonomic nervous system. RESULTS: Values for LF and HF powers, LF:HF, LF(norm), and HF(norm) had obvious rhythmicity in clinically normal dogs. The HF power of HRV in dogs was extremely high, compared with that of other species, and HF peaks corresponded to peaks obtained from respiratory waveforms. Blockade of the autonomic nervous system documented that HRV in dogs was mostly attributable to vagal activity. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We determined characteristics of power spectral analysis of HRV in dogs, including circadian rhythm of the autonomic nervous system. Power spectral analysis of HRV may provide a useful noninvasive technique for assessing the effect of drugs on activity of the autonomic nervous system in dogs.     

Residence pattern of the ayu <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plecoglossus altivelis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">altivelis</Emphasis> larvae and juveniles occurring in the surf zone of a sandy beach,Niigata Prefecture,northern Sea of Japan

This study examined the residence pattern of ayu larvae and juveniles occurring in the surf zone of an extensive sandy beach, in the north part of the Sea of Japan. In this region, ayu larvae mainly hatched in October and November, generally appeared in the surf zone in hatching order, and were continuously present until the following January. During a short period after mid- to late January when the water temperature fell below 10°C, ayu larvae and juveniles concurrently migrated from the surf zone regardless of their size and age, resulting in a longer term residence for earlier-hatched ayu. This was in contrast to studies in other waters, which found that early-hatched ayu have a short-term residence and late-hatched a long-term residence. Furthermore, faster growth that enables ayu to reach the maximum residence size (around 40 mm BL) in the surf zone during the period when the water temperature was still over 10°C might lead to earlier migration and a shorter residence term. This process might be applicable only to the early-hatched group (defined as individuals hatched in late September and October) and depends on the size of each individual, thus leading to a gradual migration of larger individuals as they attain maximum residence size.     

Leaching characteristics of homologues of benzalkonium chloride from wood treated with ammoniacal copper quaternary wood preservative

In Japan, ammoniacal copper quaternary wood preservatives type-1 (ACQ-1), which contains copper and benzalkonium chloride as its active ingredients, is among the most widely used wood preservatives in the pressure treatment of wood. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) in commercial ACQ-1 products mainly comprises C12 and C14 homologues. In the present study, the leaching characteristics of these BAC homologues were investigated using the heartwood and sapwood portions of Japanese cedar, Japanese larch, and Sakhalin fir treated with ACQ-1 and 1% monoethanolamine (MEA) solution containing equimolar amounts of homologues. Distilled water (DW) and artificial seawater (SW) were used as leaching media. Consequently, it was observed that the leaching rate of the C12 homologue tended to be higher than that of the C14 homologue in DW. The leaching of C12 homologues was accelerated by using SW, resulting in a significantly higher leaching rate than the C14 homologue using SW. It was thought that the difference in the hydrophobicities based on alkyl chain lengths resulted in these phenomena. However, when the heartwood portion of Japanese larch was treated with the homologues in MEA, the leaching rate of the C14 homologue was significantly higher than that of the C12 homologue.     

Effect of components of leaching medium on the leaching of benzalkonium chloride from treated wood

Different leaching media composed of watersoluble extracts from Sakhalin fi r, Japanese cedar, and Japanese larch heartwoods and of taxifolin were used to characterize leaching of the C12 and C14 homologues of benzalkonium chloride from treated wood. The leaching medium of Sakhalin fi r extract moderately accelerated the leaching rates of the two homologues. Japanese cedar extract accelerated the leaching of the C12 homologue at a similar rate and that of the C14 homologue at a higher rate. Japanese larch extract remarkably accelerated the leaching rates of both homologues, particularly that of the C14 homologue. Thus, the leaching rate of the C14 homologue was higher than that of the C12 homologue with the Japanese cedar and larch extracts. The media of taxifolin, a major phenolic extractive of Japanese larch, preferentially accelerated the leaching rate of the C14 homologue. The amounts of phenolic compounds in the different leaching media were in the following order: Japanese larch > Japanese cedar > Sakhalin fi r. These results indicate a relationship between the amount of phenolic compounds and the leaching rates of the two homologues.     

Histological Characterization of Defective Spermatogenesis in Mice Lacking the Basigin Gene

Basigin is a transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. In the light of the fact that knockout mice lacking the basigin gene (Bsg) are azoospermic, the phenotype in the male reproductive system was extensively examined in this study. Spermatogenesis in Bsg (-/-) mice was found to be disrupted, and arrested at the metaphase of the first meiotic division. A few germ cells differentiated into young spermatids, but they were exfoliated. The lumens of the male reproductive system were filled with round degenerated cells. Using the TUNEL method and electron microscopy, some of the degenerated cells in the testis and epididymal head were shown to be apoptotic. Crystalloids of fine tubules and unusual ectoplasmic specializations were also observed in the Sertoli cells of Bsg (-/-) mice. These specializations displayed unusual 'circular' structures. Furthermore, unusual ectoplasmic specializations covering the spermatocytes rather than the mature spermatids were found. These structures were formed as a result of the lack of mature spermatids in the Bsg (-/-) testis. Results from analyses of azoospermia in the Bsg (-/-) mice suggest that basigin, through the interactions between germ cells and Sertoli cells, is an essential factor in the growth and/or survival of spermatids.