Medullary sponge kidney in a 10-year-old Shih Tzu dog

Medullary sponge kidney was diagnosed in a 10-year-old male Shih Tzu dog with a long history of hyposthenuria, but with no other findings indicating renal failure or hormonal aberration. At the dog's death from heart failure, an autopsy was performed. On gross morphology, bilateral kidneys were normal size and had many cysts ranging from the corticomedullary junction to renal papillae. Histopathologic findings showed that almost all of the cysts were lined by monolayered or multilayered and columnar or cuboidal epithelium with chilium similar to epididymis. Immunohistochemically, all of these cells were strongly positive for AE1/AE3 and negative for vimentin. Many of these cells were positive for cytokeratin 7 (CK7), and only a few cells were positive for desmin. The results of staining are the same as those for epithelium of the collecting duct of normal canine kidney. This is the first report of this pathologic entity in the canine kidney.     

Hematological, osmotic, and scanning electron microscopic study of erythrocytes of dogs given beta-acetylphenylhydrazine

Hematologic examinations, osmotic fragility tests, and scanning electron microscopy of erythrocytes were done on blood of dogs given 5 mg/kg of beta-acetylphenylhydrazine for 5 weeks. Reticulocytes, Heinz bodies, and serum total bilirubin values increased in the 1st week. Reticulocyte numbers peaked in the 2nd week, and reticulocytosis persisted through the 5th week. Erythrocyte, packed cell volume, and hemoglobin values decreased markedly and became lowest in the 2nd week. Mean corpuscular volume increased in the 1st week and remained increased for the duration of treatment. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility was increased after 1 week of treatment. Echinocytes were increased with a peak level of 47.6% at week 1 of treatment. Increased numbers of acanthocytes and schizocytes also were detected.     

Isolation and tyrosinase inhibitory effects of polyphenols from the leaves of persimmon, Diospyros kaki

The main polyphenols were isolated from the leaves of six selected persimmon cultivars. Seven compounds were obtained by reverse-phase HPLC, and their structures were elucidated by multiple NMR measurements. These compounds are hyperoside, isoquercitrin, trifolin, astragalin, chrysontemin, quercetin-3-O-(2'-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside) (QOG), and kaempferol-3-O-(2'-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside) (KOG). Their inhibitory activity was tested against tyrosinase for the oxidation of L-DOPA, and only chrysontemin showed inhibitory activity. To investigate the differences of their inhibitory effects, the tyrosinase inhibitory activities of their aglycons, cyanidin, quercetin, and kaempferol, were also tested. As a result, it was confirmed that the most influential moiety for tyrosinase inhibition was the 3',4'-dihydroxy groups of the catechol moiety. Moreover, the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of chrysontemin, which was identified in persimmon leaves for the first time, is supported by a simulated model of chrysontemin docking into mushroom tyrosinase.     

Traffic jams reduce hydrolytic efficiency of cellulase on cellulose surface

A deeper mechanistic understanding of the saccharification of cellulosic biomass could enhance the efficiency of biofuels development. We report here the real-time visualization of crystalline cellulose degradation by individual cellulase enzymes through use of an advanced version of high-speed atomic force microscopy. Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase I (TrCel7A) molecules were observed to slide unidirectionally along the crystalline cellulose surface but at one point exhibited collective halting analogous to a traffic jam. Changing the crystalline polymorphic form of cellulose by means of an ammonia treatment increased the apparent number of accessible lanes on the crystalline surface and consequently the number of moving cellulase molecules. Treatment of this bulky crystalline cellulose simultaneously or separately with T. reesei cellobiohydrolase II (TrCel6A) resulted in a remarkable increase in the proportion of mobile enzyme molecules on the surface. Cellulose was completely degraded by the synergistic action between the two enzymes.     

Yield and chemical composition of red clover and ladino clover as affected by phosphorus and calcium

In Japan red clover and ladino clover are a popular forage. These clovers are adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions, and respond well to fertilization. They are often grown on relatively infertile soils with the aid of complete fertilizers.¹     

Effect of mineral nutrition on metabolic change induced in crop plant roots (V)

In the previous work concerning the effect of potassium nutrition on glycolysis in sweet potato roots (1), monoiodoacetic acid (MIA) and sodium fluoride (NaF) inhibited more strongly respiration in younger roots and root tip parts, and yet a potassium deficiency enhanced its inhibition. The inhibition of MIA, which inhibits triose phosphate dehydrogenase (2), may indicate the importance of the EMP pathway and the Krebs cycle (3,4). The inhibition of NaF, which in higher concentrations inhibits enolase (2), may suggest the importance of the metabolism following phosphoglycerate → phosphoenolpyruvate or the Krebs cycle (3,4). It is of interest, therefore, to elucidate the role of the Krebs cycle in respiration in sweet potato roots, and what significance potassium nutrition has in the Krebs cycle operation. This paper deals with experiments bearing on respiration in roots of sweet potato plants grown at varying degrees of potassium application, especially in the presence of various inhibitors and / or substrates.     

Glycolic acid oxidase activity in crop plant leaves

Many workers have revealed the possible role of glycolic acid oxidase in the photosynthesis and the respiration of plant leaves (1, 5) and in the organic acid metabolism of rice plant roots (6). There is also abundant evidence that α-hydroxysulfonates, the bisulfite addition compounds of aldehydes and ketones, are the specific and competitive inhibitors of the enzyme (7, 8). The pevious works (9, 10) showed that a deficient application of potassium increased the content of amino-N and reducing sugars and concomitantly the respiratory activity in sweet potato roots. Such a derangement in the metabolic status of plant roots would be expected to be intimately connected with any changes in the photosynthesis and the respiration of the leaves. This paper, as a preliminary, describes some results from investigations into the glycolic acid oxidase activity in leaves of rice plant- and barley seedlings, sweet potato plants, and taro plants which were grown in solution culture at varying potassium application : the effects of light and plant age on enzyme activity, the activation of the enzyme by FMN addition, the stability of the enzyme during a prolonged incubation of sap from leaves, and the inhibitory effects of specific inhibitors on the enzyme in vitro and in vivo.     

Exploring the potential for top-dressing bread wheat with ammonium chloride to minimize grain yield losses under drought

The frequency and severity of drought is predicted to rise in many parts of the world. Considering that drought is the main constraint on rain-fed wheat crop production, both agronomic and genetic measures have been taken to minimize yield losses under drought. Beyond its role as a micronutrient, chloride also acts as an osmoticum, implicated in the regulation of stomatal aperture. This study explores the potential for chloride fertilization of Australian bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to minimize grain yield losses caused by drought stress. For this, two drought-tolerant commercial genotypes (Mace and Gladius) and a well-studied drought-tolerant genotype used in wheat breeding (RAC875) were treated with ammonium chloride, potassium chloride, or ammonium bicarbonate, the latter two treatments served as controls for chloride and ammonium, respectively. Plants were grown under either a watered or water-restricted (drought) regime. The genotype RAC875 was found to accumulate leaf chloride at a significantly higher level than the other genotypes under optimal growth conditions. Under drought conditions, top-dressing RAC875 plants with ammonium chloride resulted in up to a 2.5-fold increase in grain number and this effect was not seen when plants were top-dressed with either of the control fertilizers. The ammonium chloride treatment also minimized losses of grain yield in RAC875 plants grown under drought. Treatment effects were accompanied by an increase in stomatal conductance. These results collectively suggest that the compound fertilizer ammonium chloride can improve drought tolerance of wheat.