Congenital myopathy in Japanese Black calves

Two Japanese Black bull calves from a dam showed muscular weakness and became recumbent after birth. At necropsy, skeletal muscles, including face, neck, body and proximal and distal forelimb and hindlimb were extremely pale in color and edematous. Histopathological examination of skeletal muscles revealed degenerative changes as follows: replacement of muscle with fat, variation in muscle fiber diameter, internal nuclei, central core-like structures, and vacuolar and hyaline degeneration of muscle fibers. Ultrastructurally, the lesions were characterized by focal myofibrillar disorganization with streaming or irregularity of Z bands. The present cases seem to be classified as congenital myopathy based on pathological alterations and age of onset.     

Foliar absorption of nutrients: I

Recently, studies on foliar application have made splendid development in the field of agronomy and in the fertilizer industry. This fact has some important meanings. First, the conception of fertilizer has gradually changed from the original meaning. "Non-root" parts of plants do take up nutrients from spray and other applications. This conception could definitely be proved by the use of radioactive isotopes as the tracer. Many investigations by use of radioactive isotopes, ¹⁴C ( 1 and 2 ) ³²P (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) ⁴²K (9 and 10) ⁴⁵Ca (10) etc. have since been conducted showing the foliar absorption of nutrients. The second important meaning is the improvement of applica tion methods of fertilizers. By the foliar application method, excellent effects which could not be carried out by the soil application method have been displayed. When fertilizers are applied to leaves of plants in critical times as a supplementary fertilizer, they can be absorbed quickly plentifully into plants. Foliar application of micronutrients, for instance, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Mn have been used succesfully to the deficiencies in plants. Among the macronutrients, phosphorus could perhaps offer more promise as a foliar applied fertilizer, because when phosphatic fertilizers are applied to soil, a large percentage of phosphorus usually becomes fixed in unavailable form to growing plants. On the other hand, especially in a high rainfall area, the application of soluble nitrogen fertilizer to the soil has resulted in low efficiency due to leaching loses (19). So, studies on foliar absorption of urea, phosphorus and micro-nutrients have especially been investigated by many workers. In other cases, there are possibilities that fertilizers can be applied to plants with germicides, insecticides, etc.     

Crystalline silica minerals in air-borne pyroclastic materials

Quartz is the most abundant, essential constituent of common volcanic rocks whereas tridymite and cristobalite occur in siliceous volcanic rocks. The mineralogy these minerals has been well established (DEER et at., 1963).     

Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Potentials of a Lectin from Aplysia kurodai (Sea Hare) Eggs

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in lectins from marine invertebrates. In this study, the biological activities of a lectin protein isolated from the eggs of Sea hare (Aplysia kurodai) were evaluated. The 40 kDa Aplysia kurodai egg lectin (or AKL-40) binds to D-galacturonic acid and D-galactose sugars similar to previously purified isotypes with various molecular weights (32/30 and 16 kDa). The N-terminal sequence of AKL-40 was similar to other sea hare egg lectins. The lectin was shown to be moderately toxic to brine shrimp nauplii, with an LC₅₀ value of 63.63 µg/mL. It agglutinated Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells and reduced their growth, up to 58.3% in vivo when injected into Swiss albino mice at a rate of 2 mg/kg/day. The morphology of these cells apparently changed due to AKL-40, while the expression of apoptosis-related genes (p53, Bax, and Bcl-XL) suggested a possible apoptotic pathway of cell death. AKL-40 also inhibited the growth of human erythroleukemia cells, probably via activating the MAPK/ERK pathway, but did not affect human B-lymphoma cells (Raji) or rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-1). In vitro, lectin suppressed the growth of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and U937 cells by 37.9% and 31.8%, respectively. Along with strong antifungal activity against Talaromyces verruculosus, AKL showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella sonnei, and Bacillus cereus whereas the growth of Escherichia coli was not affected by the lectin. This study explores the antiproliferative and antimicrobial potentials of AKL as well as its involvement in embryo defense of sea hare.     

Preliminary time‐course study of antiinflammatory macrophage infiltration in crush‐injured skeletal muscle

Muscle damage induces massive macrophage infiltration of the injury site, in which activated pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory phenotypes (currently classified as M1 and M2, respectively) have been documented as distinct functional populations predominant at different times after the conventional acute injury by intramuscular injection of snake venoms (cardiotoxin, notexin) or chemicals (bupivacaine hydrochloride, barium chloride). The present study employed a muscle‐crush injury model that may better reflect the physiologic damage and repair processes initiated by contusing a gastrocnemius muscle in the lower hind‐limb of adult mice with hemostat forceps, and examined the time‐course invasion of M1 and M2 macrophages during muscle regeneration by immunocytochemistry of CD197 and CD206 marker proteins. CD197‐positive M1 macrophages were observed exclusively at 1–4 days after crush followed by the alternative prevalence of CD206‐positive M2 at 7 days of myogenic differentiation, characterized by increasing levels of myogenin messenger RNA expression. Preliminary PCR analysis showed that M2 may produce hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in culture, providing additional benefit to understanding that M2 populations actively promote regenerative myogenesis (muscle fiber repair) and moto‐neuritogenesis (re‐attachment of motoneuron terminals onto damaged fibers) through their time‐specific infiltration and release of growth factor at the injury site early in muscle regeneration.     

Long-term changes in the chemical properties of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest soils under high precipitation in southwest Japan

There is insufficient direct evidence of long-term changes in the chemical properties of forest soils to provide information for forestry management plans for sustainable site productivity. To understand changes in the chemical properties of forest soils in a specific high-precipitation climate in Japan, we re-investigated, in 1997, soil pits within a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest in the Yanase region of Kochi Prefecture which had previously been surveyed in 1976. Comparison of the 1976 and 1997 results revealed significantly lower pH of surface and subsurface soils, and fewer exchangeable cations over time. In contrast, subsoil pH, concentrations of total carbon and nitrogen, and cation-exchange capacity (CEC) had not changed over the 21-year period. Estimation of proton and cation budgets in the forest ecosystem over 21 years, using data for the amounts in soil, biomass accumulation, and input through precipitation, revealed that biomass accumulation did not explain the cation depletion in soils. This suggests that cations were leached from the ecosystem. In contrast with previous reports, which showed Ca accumulation in Japanese cedar forest soils, our results indicated that high precipitation of more than 4,000 mm combined with acid deposition resulted in soil acidification and leaching of cations from soils, following the decrease in base saturation.     

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction caused by a congenital accessory mitral valve leaflet and treated by open-heart surgery in a young dog

A 3-month-old Shetland sheepdog presented with a loud ejection murmur and exercise intolerance. Echocardiography revealed an accessory mitral valve leaflet, characterised by a valve-like structure separate from the mitral valve seen in the subaortic region of the ventricular septum. The left ventricular outflow tract was partially obstructed with a pressure gradient of 12 mmHg. Accessory mitral valve leaflet resection and mitral valvuloplasty were performed during open-heart surgery. Histology performed on the membrane-like structures were indicative of fibrous connective tissues. Postoperative echocardiography confirmed removal of the valve-like structure with resolution of the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The pressure gradient was decreased to 4.6 mmHg. The dog was in good condition and no further treatment was required 5 months after surgery. Both cardiac troponin I and NT-proBNP were markedly decreased. In this dog, surgical resection combined with mitral valve plasty resolved the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and the clinical signs.     

Possible surface reactions on Mars: implications for viking biology results

The results of two of the three biology experiments carried out on the Viking Mars landers have been simulated. The mixture of organic compounds labeled with carbon-14 used on Mars released carbon dioxide containing carbon-14 when reacted with a simulated martian surface and atmosphere exposed to ultraviolet light (labeled release experiment). Oxygen was released when metal peroxides or superoxides were treated with water (gas exchange experiment). The simulations suggest that the results of these two Viking experiments can be explained on the basis of reactions of the martian surface and atmosphere.