Effects of thyroid hormone on gonadotropin-induced steroid production in medaka,Oryzias latipes,ovarian follicles

Blood and ovarian samples were collected at intervals of 4h prior to spawning time from medaka (Oryzias latipes) that were maturationally synchronized with artificial photoperiod (14h light: 10h dark). Plasma estradiol-17β (E₂) levels increased rapidly from 16h before spawning and peaked at 8h before spawning. Follicle-enclosed oocytes (ovarian follicles) at different stages of development were isolated from the ovaries and used to study the in vitro effects of thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine; T₃) on pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (GTH)-induced E₂ production. GTH at a concentration of 100 IU/ml stimulated E₂ production by ovarian follicles collected between 32 and 16h before spawning. At 32h before spawning, T₃ (5 ng/ml) administered along with GTH (100 IU/ml) resulted in a 3.5 fold increase in E₂ production, compared with GTH administered alone. These results suggest that T₃ can act on ovarian follicles directly to modulate GTH-stimulated E₂ production in the medaka.     

Ecological studies of Yersinia enterocolitica I. Dissemination of Y. enterocolitica in pigs

Pigs were examined on five farms for carrier status of Yersinia enterocolitica. Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 4, serovar 3, phagovar VIII was isolated consistently from the feces of fattening pigs on one farm and sporadically from those of similar pigs on the other farms and of sows on all five farms, during a one-year period of weekly surveys. Seasonal variation was not a feature of fattening pigs on a highly contaminated farm. In other pigs, however, the organisms were not isolated during the summer months. On a highly contaminated farm, the organisms were excreted in the feces of 8 to 15-week-old pigs within 1–3 weeks of entering pens which were thought to be contaminated with the organisms. On a detailed observation of natural infection of Y. enterocolitica in eight pigs, the organism appeared in the pigs' feces within 2–7 weeks of them being moved to a pen which had been washed thoroughly after becoming contaminated, by a previous group of pigs, with feces containing 10⁵ viable organisms per g. Thus, Y. enterocolitica is apparently transmitted from infected feces or picked up from the floor of a contaminated pen, and the regular schedule of pig movement among the pens is an important factor in the spread of Y. enterocolitica within a piggery. Intestinal colonization continues for a long time and does not occur by re-infection. The organisms were not isolated from eight pigs at the time of slaughter, and their serum O-agglutinin titers were $\text{1}\text{40}$ or less. Thus, circulating antibody may not inhibit intestinal colonization by Y. enterocolitica.     

Therapeutic effects of Toxoplasma lysate antigen on 20-methylcholanthrene-induced BALB/c mouse tumors.

Therapeutic effects of Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) were studied in mice bearing the tumor in the second passage of 20-methylcholanthrene (MC)-induced tumor cells. Intramuscular administration of TLA 7 days after the tumor-cell inoculation caused apparent inhibition of the tumor growth on day 14. The second treatment facilitated the therapeutic effects. Intravenous transfer of spleen cells prepared from TLA-sensitized mice into tumor-bearing mice also represented the growth inhibitory effects. Prominent effects were seen when the transferred cells were prepared 5 days after sensitization of donor animals. The inhibitory effects were absent in the groups transferred only the adherent cells or the non-adherent cells prepared from sensitized mice. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed in the group to which both adherent and non-adherent spleen cells were transferred simultaneously from sensitized mice. In in vitro experiments, spleen cells obtained from sensitized mice showed cytolytic effect on P-815 or YAC-1 cells after the secondary stimulation in vitro with TLA. Large non-adherent cells containing densely packed granules were induced when cultured with the adherent cells obtained from sensitized mice. These results revealed that TLA can inhibit the growth of the chemically-induced transplantable tumors by activation of adherent and non-adherent spleen cells.     

Ecological studies of Yersinia enterocolitica. III. Cross-protection against fecal excretion between Y. enterocolotica serovars 3 and 5.27 in pigs

Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 4 serovar 3 and biovar 2 serovar 5.27 failed to establish in the intestines of pigs when challenged with the homologous or heterologous strains. After inoculation, the serum O-agglutinin titers were 1/10 or less and were not boosted by challenge with either serovar. Y. enterocolitica were not recovered in any specimens at the time of slaughter.     

The mechanism of bentazon selectivity

Absorption, translocation and metabolism of [¹⁴C]3-isopropyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-4-one-2,2-dioxide (bentazon) by several plant species were investigated to determine the mechanism of bentazon selectivity.Marked selective phytotoxicities were observed between resistant rice (Oryza sativa L.) and susceptible Cyperus serotinus Rottb. when treated with bentazon. Absorption and transolcation of bentazon did not differ greatly between highly resistant rice and susceptible C. serotinus. However, a marked difference in bentazon metabolism occurred between the two species. In rice about 80% of the absorbed bentazon was metabolized within 24 h, and after 7 days about 85% was converted to a major water-soluble metabolite and unchanged bentazon was only 5%. In C. serotinus 50–75% of the radioactivity was unchanged bentazon after 7 days.Large amounts of water-soluble metabolites were detected in root-treated resistant plants such as barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli Beauv.), soybean (Glycine max Merr.) and corn (Zea mays L.), but only small amounts were present in such susceptible plants as Sagittaria pygmaea Miq. and Eleocharis kuroguwai Ohwi. Therefore, the mechanism of bentazon selectivity appears to be a difference between resistant and susceptible species in their ability to metabolize and detoxify bentazon.The major metabolite in rice was identified as 6-(3-isopropyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-4-one-2,2-dioxide)-O-β-glucopyranoside, determined by GC-MS, NMR, IR and gas chromatography after hydrolysis with sulfuric acid or β-glucosidase.     

Race 3, a new race of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lactucae </Emphasis>determined by a differential system with commercial cultivars

 Pathogenic variation among 26 Japanese isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOL) was tested using 21 lettuce cultivars to select commercial lettuce cultivars as race differential indicators. Cultivar Costa Rica No. 4 was resistant to race 1 but susceptible to race 2, consistent with the conventional standard differential line VP1010. Cultivar Banchu Red Fire was susceptible to race 1 but resistant to race 2, which showed an opposite type of reaction as another differential line VP1013. Cultivar Patriot was susceptible to both races. The resistance reactions of the three cultivars under field conditions were identical with that observed in the seedlings. Thus cv. Costa Rica No. 4 and cv. Banchu Red Fire can be used as differential hosts to identify pathogenic races of FOL. This differential system showed that all FOL isolates obtained from diseased butterhead lettuce in Fukuoka, Japan were new races (i.e., pathogenic to three cultivars). We propose that the new race be designated race 3. Isolates of FOL, the pathogen of Fusarium wilt in lettuce, obtained from California showed the same reaction as that of race 1. Furthermore, the Japanese isolate SB1-1 (race 1) and California isolate HL-2 belonged to the same vegetative compatibility group. Our results suggest that both of the fungi are the same forma specialis. Received: March 25, 2002 / Accepted: August 26, 2002     

Identification of carbohydrates on Eimeria stiedai sporozoites and their role in the invasion of cultured cells in vitro

The carbohydrates present on Eimeria stiedai sporozoites and their functional role in the process of invasion of host cells were examined. Lectin-binding sites on the surface of sporozoites were detected by means of peroxidase-conjugated lectins. Sporozoites showed specific binding with UEA-I and PNA lectins, which bind L-fucose and D-galactose, respectively. Exposure of sporozoites to 100 microg/ml UEA-I significantly reduced their ability to invade primary rabbit liver biliary epithelial cells, but similar treatment with PNA had no such effect. Pre-incubation of these cells in Dulbecco's minimum essential medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% L-fucose suppressed the invasion activity of the sporozoites, but pre-incubation of the sporozoites in the same medium without L-fucose had no effect on cell penetration. D-galactose added to the medium had no effect on the invasion activity of sporozoites. These results indicate that L-fucose residues on E. stiedai sporozoites and L-fucose-binding sites on host cells both are associated with the recognition and/or invasion process.     

The hemolytic activity of bracken extracts in guinea pigs

This study was conducted to elucidate the hemolytic activity of a new toxic substance in bracken fern. A crude extract (CE) was prepared from the methanol extracts of bracken by the column chromatography. When the CE was injected subcutaneously in guinea pigs, the hemoglobinuria and hemolysis were observed within 6 hr, and 3 days later edema and hemorrhages in the urinary bladder were observed. The CE was then fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and three (HF, BF and CF) of the fractions showed the toxic activities in guinea pigs. The HF caused the hemolysis, whereas both the BF and the CF caused the hemorrhagic cystitis without any hemolytic activities. The HF was further fractionated by the HPLC, resulting of the 3 fractions (HF-I, II and III). The hemolysis was caused only with the HF-II, and HF-II as well as HF did not cause the hemorrhagic cystitis. HPLC analysis revealed that both BF and CF contains braxin B and braxin C, respectively, and both HF and HF-II do not contain braxin A, B or C. These facts suggest that bracken fern contains a new toxic substance (hemolysin) which induces the acute hemolysis in guinea pigs.