Absorption of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid in rats after oral administration

Absorption of orally administered chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid) and caffeic acid in rats was studied to obtain plasma pharmacokinetic profiles of their metabolites. Rats were administered 700 micromol/kg body weight of chlorogenic or caffeic acid, and blood was collected from the tail for 6 h after administration. Ingested caffeic acid was absorbed from the alimentary tract and was present in the rat blood circulation in the form of various metabolites. On the other hand, only traces of metabolites, supposedly caffeic and ferulic acids conjugates, were detected in rat plasma for 6 h after chlorogenic acid administration. Chlorogenic acid and small amounts of caffeic acid were found in the small intestine for 6 h after chlorogenic acid administration. These results suggest that chlorogenic acid is not well absorbed from the digestive tract, unlike caffeic acid, and subject to almost no structural changes to the easily absorbed forms.     

Evaluation of caudal vena cava size using computed tomography in dogs under general anesthesia

This study investigated the association between caudal vena cava (CVC) size and circulatory dynamics in dogs using computed tomography (CT) under general anesthesia. The subjects were 104 dogs who had undergone CT under general anesthesia in the past. The ratio of short diameter of the CVC to aortic diameter (CVC_S/Ao) and the ratio of long to short diameter of the CVC (CVC_L/CVC_S) in the thorax and abdomen, respectively, were calculated using factors such as mean blood pressure (MBP), shock index (SI), anemia, hypoproteinemia, presence of intra-abdominal mass, and cardiac disease. There was a significant but negligible negative correlation between CVC_S/Ao and MBP. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between CVC size and SI. The low MBP group had significantly higher CVC_S/Ao of the thorax than the normal MBP group. The group with intra-abdominal mass had significantly lower CVC_S/Ao of the abdomen than the group without intra-abdominal mass. The group with cardiac disease had significantly lower CVC_L/CVC_S of the thorax than the group without cardiac disease. In multiple regression analysis, low MBP, cardiac disease, intra-abdominal mass, and anemia were significant factors for CVC_S/Ao of the thorax, CVC_L/CVC_S of the thorax, CVC_S/Ao of the abdomen, and CVC_L/CVC_S of the abdomen, respectively. In conclusion, CVC size assessment using CT in dogs under general anesthesia is influenced by various factors.     

In vitro induction of oocyte maturation in the Japanese sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus by cubifrin and the developmental ability of the eggs

We describe the process of cubifrin-induced in vitro oocyte maturation in the Japanese sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, and we propose a procedure for practical hatchery application. Oocyte maturation occurred 40–50 min after stimulation of the ovaries by cubifrin. Concurrently, eggs were released from the ovarian tubules, initially by slow peristalsis, followed by active release after about 60 min. The first and second polar bodies were released from the eggs at 90–100 min and about 140 min, respectively. Cubifrin was more effective in inducing oocyte maturation at 1–100 nM than at 100 pM. Cubifrin at 1 pM–10 nM in rearing seawater had no effect on larval development. Delayed fertilization reduced the developmental ability of eggs. Broodstock could be maintained at 15–16 °C for up to about 50 days without affecting the developmental ability of eggs. Eggs matured in vitro and in vivo were similar in their developmental ability. In conclusion, the in vitro induction of oocyte maturation is effective in Japanese sea cucumber and represents a viable alternative to the induction of spawning by cubifrin injection.     

Erwinia isolates from the bacterial shoot blight of pear in Japan are closely related to Erwinia pyrifoliae based on phylogenetic analyses of gyrB and rpoD genes

The phylogenetic relationships among Erwinia amylovora biovar 4 (the pathogen of bacterial shoot blight of pear in Japan), other biovars of E. amylovora, and Erwinia pyrifoliae were investigated using the sequences of 16S rRNA, gyrB, and rpoD genes. The tested isolates formed two distinct monophyletic groups in the phylogenetic trees constructed based on the gyrB gene, rpoD gene, or a combination of the three genes: group 1 contained E. amylovora biovars 1, 2, and 3; group 2 contained E. amylovora bv. 4 and E. pyrifoliae. This phylogenetic analysis showed that E. amylovora bv. 4 was more closely related to E. pyrifoliae than to other biovars of E. amylovora. The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the accession numbers AB242876 to AB242925.     

Aborted lesions of a pig associated with Arcanobacterium abortisuis and the immunohistochemical features

A microorganism isolated from an aborted sow's placenta has been proposed as a novel species, Arcanobacterium abortisuis. The lesions in the placenta were suppurative and necrotic placentitis, whereas lesions of three fetuses were suppurative bronchopneumonia. Gram and Grocott-positive organisms in these lesions were immunolabeled with anti- Arcanobacterium abortisuis antibody. This is the first case report, which showed the association of Arcanobacterium abortisuis with the aborted lesions of a pig.     

Improved Mass Screening of Tolerance to Iron Toxicity in Rice by Lowering Temperature of Culture Solution

Breeding for tolerance to iron (Fe) toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is hindered by lack of a suitable screening technique. In the culture solution methods used to date, a major difficulty has been maintaining an excess level of iron concentration in order to reveal toxicity symptoms. Experimental results showed that this problem was solved by lowering the solution temperature to around 20°C, at which leaf discoloration in susceptible cultivars became more pronounced. At 20°C Fe uptake was increased from a threshhold content of 300 mg/kg of dry weight of shoot for toxic symptom to more than 1000mg/kg in susceptible and in tolerant cultivars. Concentrations of other related minerals in the plant tissue, i.e., potassium (K) and phosphorus (P), were not affected by the low solution temperature itself but by Fe content, which can be inferred on the basis of their response curves to the excess Fe treatment. Using the proposed screening method makes it possible to obtain reproducible results in screening a large number of plants or breeding lines.     

Interspecific hybridization of fig (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficus carica</Emphasis> L.) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficus erecta</Emphasis> Thunb., a source of Ceratocystis canker resistance

Ceratocystis canker, which is caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata Ellis et Halsted, is one of the most severe diseases of the common fig (Ficus carica L.). In contrast, the wild fig species F. erecta Thunb. is resistant to this fungus. We performed interspecific hybridization between the common fig (seed parent) and F. erecta (pollen parent) through artificial pollination. Even though hybrid seeds showed high germination rates, the seedling survival rates were low. All of the seedlings contained the expected simple sequence repeat (SSR) alleles from both common fig and F. erecta at each of the three loci tested, thus confirming the parent–offspring relationships of the interspecific hybrids. The leaf morphological characters of hybrid seedlings were intermediate between those of the parents. Cuttings of cultivars of common fig, F. erecta, and hybrid seedlings were inoculated with C. fimbriata by direct wounding of the shoot. All of the common fig cultivars tested withered and died within 10 weeks. Leaves and shoots of the hybrids and F. erecta were healthy 100 days after inoculation. Our results suggest that interspecific hybridization between the common fig and the wild species F. erecta is a breakthrough in the breeding of a new fig rootstock source with resistance to Ceratocystis canker.     

Photodynamic hyperthermal chemotherapy with indocyanine green: a novel cancer therapy for 16 cases of malignant soft tissue sarcoma

Sixteen cases of malignant soft tissue sarcoma (STS; 10 canines and six felines) were treated with a novel triple therapy that combined photodynamic therapy, hyperthermia using indocyanine green with a broadband light source, and local chemotherapy after surgical tumor resection. This triple therapy was called photodynamic hyperthermal chemotherapy (PHCT). In all cases, the surgical margin was insufficient. In one feline case, PHCT was performed without surgical resection. PHCT was performed over an interval of 1 to 2 weeks and was repeated three to 21 times. No severe side effects, including severe skin burns, necrosis, or skin suture rupture, were observed in any of the animals. No disease recurrence was observed in seven out of 10 (70.0%) dogs and three out of six (50.0%) cats over the follow-up periods ranging from 238 to 1901 days. These results suggest that PHCT decreases the risk of STS recurrence. PHCT should therefore be considered an adjuvant therapy for treating companion animals with STS in veterinary medicine.     

Identification of amino acids in humic acid

Davidson, Sowden and Atkinson^l) in 1951 reported on the amino acids in the three soil organic matter fractions, and Stevenson, Marks, Varner and Martin~) in 1952 reported on the identification of eight amino acids from clay-adsorbed organic colloids in Brookstom slity clay loam. Also, some investigations on these amino acids have been carried out in our laboratory.     

Chronic effect of transrectal split-focus ultrasonic ablation on canine prostatic tissue

The treatment time needed for high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation might be decreased substantially by using the split-focus approach, so we made a prototype 4.2-MHz split-focus therapeutic transducer combined with a small 6.5-MHz imaging ultrasonic probe for transrectally treatment of canine prostatic cancer and used it to experimentally evaluate the feasibility of using split-focus transrectal HIFU to ablate canine prostatic tissue without injuring surrounding tissues. The prostates of 5 dogs were transrectally treated with split-focus ablation at a peak intensity in the water of 1.7 kW/cm(2) for 4 s (4 shots) under the guidance of ultrasonic B-mode imaging. After ultrasonic exposure, the prostates became stiff because of thermal effect of HIFU. For the first 3-5 days after treatment, dogs were catheterized daily for urinary management and treated with oral antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infection. The dogs were able to urinate normally by a week after. Within two weeks a large centrally located cystic cavity had formed in the prostate by replacing the necrotic parenchyma around the prostatic urethra. Necropsy three months after treatment found the rectum and prostate capsule to be normal grossly and histologically. The 4 shots of split-focus HIFU destroyed the prostatic parenchyma and created a prostatic cavity 0.34-0.45 cm(3) in volume without injuring surrounding tissues. These results suggest that split-focus HIFU ablation could be used for noninvasive treatment of prostatic cancer in dogs.