Positional strategy of trunk muscles among aquatic,semi-aquatic and terrestrial species in Urodela

Clarification of the trunk structure in Urodela is important in understanding the locomotive evolution of basal tetrapods. The components of the muscular trunk wall among Urodela using different modes of locomotion were compared. Since the whole trunk may be used for swimming and the effect of limbs may be small in the more aquatic species, they showed smaller differences in the trunk muscles among anterior, middle and posterior sections of the trunk. By contrast, in the more terrestrial species, the dorsal and abdominal muscles are larger in the middle section than those in the anterior and posterior sections. High compressive stresses occur in the supporting limbs and their insertion at the trunk on the ventral side, and spread from the forelimbs along the back to the supporting hindlimbs on the dorsal side. Tensile stresses occur in the middle ventral part. The components of the trunk muscles among the three sections may reflect differences in stresses occurring in the trunk of the more terrestrial species. The findings also suggest that in the middle section, larger dorsal muscles for stiffening the back to maintain posture and larger abdominal muscles are responsible for balancing the body weight while it is supported by the limbs in the more terrestrial species.     

Effects of silvopastoral areas on milk production at dual-purpose cattle farms at the semi-humid old agricultural frontier in central Nicaragua

In extensive cattle production systems, the composition of grazing areas may significantly influence productivity. In dual-purpose cattle production systems in the lowland tropics, pasture lands with trees, so-called silvopastoral areas, are considered as being important, particularly to facilitate the management of crossbred European native cattle. The aim of the study was to quantify the effects of silvopastoral areas on production at dual-purpose cattle farms in the semi-humid lowlands of central Nicaragua. The relationships between seasonal milk production and herd data, and the proportions of land use types were examined for 74 farms by stepwise regression analysis.     

Regulation of muscular glutamate metabolism by high‐protein diet in broiler chicks

The major taste active component, glutamate (Glu), improves the taste of meat. In this study, we investigated the effect of a short‐term high‐protein (HCP) diet on the intramuscular free Glu content to improve the taste of meat. Furthermore, we elucidated how the muscle free Glu content was controlled by the HCP diet. Chicks (14 days old) were fed the control diet or HCP diet for 10 days. Plasma and muscle free amino acid concentrations, and activity and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of muscle enzymes related to Glu metabolism were determined. Muscle free Glu content was increased (P < 0.01) by 51%. Activity and mRNA expression of glutaminase (GA), which is one of the major Glu‐related enzymes, were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the HCP group because of feedback inhibition. The mRNA expression of lysine α‐ketoglutarate reductase (LKR), which is the enzyme involved in lysine (Lys) degradation and Glu production, was significantly increased (P < 0.001) in the HCP group. These results suggest that short‐term dietary HCP feeding is an effective treatment for improving the taste of meat. Furthermore, our results suggest that the free Glu content in muscle is regulated by GA and LKR.     

Interspecific differences in the post-settlement survival of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acropora</Emphasis> corals under a common garden experiment

Extremely low post-settlement survival is one of the largest barriers for artificial rehabilitation of Acropora corals. However, little data have been found for interspecific difference of the post-settlement survival probably because the observation of coral juvenile is difficult in the field. Here, we analyzed the survival of three dominant species of Acropora corals (A. digitifera, A. tenuis, A. yongei), with different colony morphologies and habitat preferences, for 2 years after settlement under the same environmental conditions. The post-settlement survival was significantly higher for A. tenuis than for A. digitifera 3 months after settlement. Two years later, the survival rate of A. tenuis was approximately 15 times higher than A. digitifera. In a separate analysis of three bottle-brush species (A. awi, A. echinata, A. subglabra) and A. tenuis, post-settlement survival was always higher for A. awi than for other two bottle-brush species, suggesting that the initial survival was different among morphologically sister species. Low survival was possibly associated with slow growth rates during the first 7 months. Thus, species selection is important for successful artificial coral rehabilitation, with A. tenuis being the most viable option. Alternatively, new techniques are required to improve post-settlement survival of slow growing coral species.     

Production of a desirable Brassica oleracea CMS line using an alloplasmic B. rapa CMS line carrying Diplotaxis erucoides cytoplasm as a bridge plant

In Brassica oleracea, production of F₁ hybrid seeds mainly makes use of the improved Ogura cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line. However, reliance on one particular line is a risk, and it would be advantageous to develop other CMS lines. In this study, we transferred Diplotaxis erucoides cytoplasm to B. oleracea cultivars using an alloplasmic B. rapaCMS line as a bridge plant to avoid incompatibility between donor and recipient plants. The new B. oleraceaCMS lines, which were derived by four generations of backcrossing, had small rudimentary anthers with no pollen grain and showed complete male sterility. There was no functional defect in other floral organs, and the ability to receive normal pollen did not appear to be impaired. Moreover, the B. oleraceaCMS lines carrying D. erucoides cytoplasm had larger leaf areas and a normal plastochron. As a consequence, the B. oleraceaCMS lines carrying D. erucoides cytoplasm have the potential to be valuable alternatives for use in commercial B. oleracea hybrid seed production.     

HIV-1 integrase and neuraminidase inhibitors from Alpinia zerumbet

AIDS and influenza are viral pandemics and remain one of the leading causes of human deaths worldwide. The increasing resistance of these diseases to synthetic drugs demands the search for novel compounds from plant-based sources. In this regard, the leaves and rhizomes of Alpinia zerumbet, a traditionally important economic plant in Okinawa, were investigated for activity against HIV-1 integrase (IN) and neuraminidase (NA). The aqueous extracts of leaves and rhizomes had IN inhibitory activity with IC(50) values of 30 and 188 μg/mL, whereas against NA they showed 50% inhibition at concentrations of 43 and 57 μg/mL, respectively. 5,6-Dehydrokawain (DK), dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK), and 8(17),12-labdadiene-15,16-dial (labdadiene) were isolated from the rhizomes and were tested for enzyme inhibitions. DK and DDK strongly inhibited IN with IC(50) of 4.4 and 3.6 μg/mL, respectively. Against NA, DK, DDK, and labdadiene exhibited mixed type of inhibition with respective IC(50) values of 25.5, 24.6, and 36.6 μM and K(i) values ranging from 0.3 to 2.8 μM. It was found that DDK is a slow and time-dependent reversible inhibitor of NA, probably with a methoxy group as its functionally active site. These results suggest that alpinia could be used as a source of bioactive compounds against IN and NA and that DK and DDK may have possibilities in the design of drugs against these viral diseases.     

Post-molt processes of cuticle formation and calcification in the Japanese mitten crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eriocheir japonicus</Emphasis>

This study examines the following in the Japanese mitten crab: (1) the structure of the exoskeleton with special reference to its calcification; (2) the progression of post-molt cuticle formation and calcification. In the crab, the structure and calcification state of the exoskeleton at the molt and during the inter-molt stage were similar to those of other crustaceans. During the inter-molt, the exoskeleton consisted of four cuticle layers; the outermost epicuticle, the exocuticle, the endocuticle and the innermost membrane layer. Intense calcification was observed in the exo- and endocuticle. At the molt, the synthesis of the epi- and exocuticle was already complete, and the addition of the endocuticle began after the molt. Calcification of the exocuticle initiated soon after the molt, but there was a delay between endocuticle matrix synthesis and calcification. Histology showed that the process of calcification was similar to that in other crustaceans. However, calcium concentrations within the exoskeleton continued to increase and never reached the levels of the inter-molt stage at the end of the experiment. This suggests that the Japanese mitten crab is relatively slow to calcify compared to other crustaceans.     

Paired box 7 inhibits differentiation in 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes

Myogenesis is precisely proceeded by myogenic regulatory factors. Myogenic stem cells are activated, proliferated and fused into a multinuclear myofiber. Pax7, paired box 7, one of the earliest markers during myogenesis. It has been reported that Pax7 regulates the muscle marker genes, Myf5 and MyoD toward differentiation. The possible roles of Pax7 in myogenic cells have been well researched. However, it has not yet been clarified if Pax7 itself is able to induce myogenic fate in nonmyogenic lineage cells. In this study, we performed experiments using stably expressed Pax7 in 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes to elucidate if Pax7 inhibits adipogenesis. We found that Pax7 represses adipogenic markers and prevents differentiation. These cells showed decreased expression of PDGFRα, PPARγ and Fabp4 and inhibited forming lipid droplets.     

Thirteen-week Intravenous Toxicity Study of a Novel Humanized Anti-Human Death Receptor 5 Monoclonal Antibody, CS-1008, in Cynomolgus Monkeys

CS-1008, a humanized monoclonal antibody that is agonistic to human death receptor 5, was intravenously administered to cynomolgus monkeys twice a week for 13 weeks at 3 different dose levels (5, 15 and 42 mg/kg) in order to evaluate its potential toxicity. A control group received phosphate buffered saline containing 0.01% polysorbate 80. Each of the 4 groups consisted of 3 male and 3 female cynomolgus monkeys. No animal in any group died during the dosing period. No toxic changes in clinical signs, food consumption, body weight, electrocardiography, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, blood chemistry, gross pathology, organ weights or histopathology were noted in any group during the dosing period. In the toxicokinetic analysis, the values for the maximum concentration of CS-1008 in plasma and the area under the curve generally increased with increasing dose. No clear differences in the toxicokinetic parameters or profiles were observed between the sexes. Development of anti-CS-1008 antibodies was not detected in any sample. The no-observed adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of CS-1008 in cynomolgus monkeys under the conditions of this study was concluded to be 42 mg/kg in both sexes, when administered intravenously twice a week for 13 weeks. This study supports the development of CS-1008 as a therapeutic biopharmaceutical.