Effect of light irradiation on dynamics of vitamin A compounds in rotifers and Artemia

ABSTRACT:   The dynamics of vitamin A (VA) compounds in live food during enrichment were examined under different light conditions. Rotifers Brachionus plicatilis and Artemia nauplii ( Artemia ) were enriched with or without 10 mg VA palmitate (VAp) in 1 L of culture medium for 24 h under either bright (2000 lx), or dark (<1 lx) conditions. VAp, retinol (ROH), retinal (RAL) and retinoic acid (RA) contents were analyzed at 0 h (before enrichment) and at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h after the onset of enrichment. Retinoid content in rotifers enriched in darkness was always higher than that enriched under light. VAp content showed two peaks at 3 and 18 h in rotifers enriched in darkness, but it showed one peak at 3 h in rotifers enriched under light. ROH and RA contents increased over the 24-h period in rotifers enriched in darkness, whereas they decreased 12 h onward in rotifers enriched under light. In Artemia , VAp and ROH contents were always higher than when enriched under the bright condition, but their dynamics showed a similar pattern in Artemia enriched under dark and bright conditions.     

Clinical trial of a feline pheromone analogue for feline urine marking

Thirty-six cases of feline urine marking problem were collected through the cooperation of veterinary practitioners in the Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai areas in Japan, for an assessment of the clinical effect of treatment with a synthetic analogue of a feline cheek gland pheromone-like product. The mean frequency of urine marking was 14.2 times/week (median, 10; range, 1-77) at pre-treatment week (preW), and decreased significantly from the first week of treatment, dropping to 4.2 times/week (median, 2; range, 0-44) at the fourth week of treatment. This effect continued until the fourth week after cessation of treatment. These 36 cases were divided into 3 groups based on the effectiveness of treatment as demonstrated in the fourth week of treatment; 37% was categorized as the totally eliminated group (urine marking was not seen), 40% as the reduced group (the frequency of urine marking was equal to or less than 50% that of the preW), and 23% as the unchanged group (the frequency of urine marking was more than 50% that of the preW). Effectiveness of treatment in these groups was 38%, 24%, and 38% at the fourth week after the cessation of treatment, respectively. The decreasing rate of urine marking was compared between cats with and without intercat aggression, and it was revealed that the frequency of marking was sustained at high level in cats with intercat aggression. These results suggest that this pheromone treatment is as effective in Japan as has been reported in other countries for solving feline urine marking problems.     

Tbx5 and the retinotectum projection

Dorsal and ventral aspects of the eye are distinct from the early stages of development. The developing eye cup grows dorsally, and the choroidal fissure is formed on its ventral side. Retinal axons from the dorsal and ventral retina project to the ventral and dorsal tectum, respectively. Misexpression of the Tbx5 gene induced dorsalization of the ventral side of the eye and altered projections of retinal ganglion cell axons. Thus, Tbx5 is involved in eye morphogenesis and is a topographic determinant of the visual projections between retina and tectum.     

Role of adaptor TRIF in the MyD88-independent toll-like receptor signaling pathway

Stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) triggers activation of a common MyD88-dependent signaling pathway as well as a MyD88-independent pathway that is unique to TLR3 and TLR4 signaling pathways leading to interferon (IFN)-beta production. Here we disrupted the gene encoding a Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adaptor, TRIF. TRIF-deficient mice were defective in both TLR3- and TLR4-mediated expression of IFN-beta and activation of IRF-3. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokine production in response to the TLR4 ligand, but not to other TLR ligands, was severely impaired in TRIF-deficient macrophages. Mice deficient in both MyD88 and TRIF showed complete loss of nuclear factor kappa B activation in response to TLR4 stimulation. These findings demonstrate that TRIF is essential for TLR3- and TLR4-mediated signaling pathways facilitating mammalian antiviral host defense.     

Determination of Damaged Starch and Diastatic Activity in Wheat Flour Using a Flow-Injection Analysis Biosensor Method

The determination of damaged starch and diastatic activity in flour was studied using a flow-injection analysis (FIA) biosensor system. The system consisted of an oxygen electrode and an immobilized enzyme column containing purified glucoamylase and glucose oxidase immobilized on activated aminopropyl glass beads. The biosensor system has an optimum pH between 6.5 and 7.5 and an optimum temperature of 35°C for glucose measurement. The response of the FIA biosensor was linear up to 1.000 g/L of glucose with a lower detection limit of 0.025 g/L. Each assay took about 20 min, and the system showed good reproducibility (r = 0.998, n = 8). When applied to the measurement of damaged starch and diastatic activity in wheat flour, the results obtained agreed with those obtained using the conventional methods of measurement. This biosensor system is a rapid practical alternative for the measurement of damaged starch and diastatic activity in wheat flour.