Color development of proanthocyanidins in vanillin-hydrochloric acid reaction

The influence of proanthocyanidin (PA) structures contained in bark on color development in the vanillin-hydrochloric acid (V-HCl) method used widely as a quantitative method for measuring PA were examined. The maximal absorption wavelength was different in terms of the bark from which the PA was obtained. Phenyl nucleus (resorcinol, phloroglucinol) constituting the A-ring of PA reacts with vanillin to produce the color. The maximal absorption wavelengths of the solutions from synthesized procyanidin and profisetinidin were 500 and 540 nm, respectively, indicating that the color tone differs in the V-HCl method based on the hydroxylation patterns of the A-ring. The colored solution of (+)-catechin with vanillin was dialyzed, and the resulting product (C-VC) was analyzed by gel permeation chromatography and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance. It was found that C-VC was a polymer complex consisting of 9mol (+)-catechin moieties and 10mol vanillin moieties. It was presumed that the cationized vanillin molecules that do not combine with (+)-catechin play an important role on color development in the presence of C-VC.This study was presented at the 44th and 45th Annual Meetings of The Japan Wood Research Society, Nara and Tokyo, April 1994 and April 1995     

普通野生稻和亚洲栽培稻核基因组的RFLP分析

 本研究通过对来自亚洲10个国家的122份普通野生稻（O.rufipogon Griff.，简称普野，下同）和76份亚洲栽培稻（O.sativa L.）的核DNA RFLP分析，探讨了中国普野与南亚、东南亚普野，普野与栽培稻以及籼粳之间的遗传分化关系。结果表明，籼粳分化是栽培稻核DNA遗传分化的主流。在核DNA分化上，中国普野可分为原始普野型，偏籼型和偏粳型；南亚普野只有原始普野型和偏籼型，没有偏粳型；东南亚普野有原始普野型和偏籼型，还可能有偏粳型。中国普野因地理分布不同，其遗传分化表现出多态性，江西东乡和湖南茶陵以及部分云南元江普野既不与籼稻聚在一起，又不与粳稻聚在一起，而独聚一类，其形态上亦比较原始，属于原始祖先型。广东、广西普野则表现为偏籼或偏粳。根据中国、南亚、东南亚普野的遗传分化关系，再次论证了中国和南亚（以印度为中心）是栽培稻起源演化的两个原始中心，并提出了籼粳演化应该是多途径的。     

Giant cell hepatitis in two young cats

A very rare case of the liver lesion characterized by formation of multinucleated giant hepatocytes with inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in two young (1.5 years and 2 years old) cats bearing thymic malignant lymphoma. Histopathological features of this liver lesion were very similar to giant cell hepatitis (GCH) in human neonates and infants. Therefore, the lesion was diagnosed as feline GCH.     

A case of canine primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)

A 2-year and 6 month-old, female, Golden Retriever showed circling behavior and seizure. By magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, a mass was found on the surface of the left cerebral hemisphere, invading to the left temporal muscle. The skull bone between them was destroyed. The dog was euthanized and necropsied. Histologically, the mass contained a lot of undifferentiated anaplastic cells, forming Homer-Wright rosettes and pseudopalisading patterns. Thus, the case was diagnosed as primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET).     

GM2-gangliosidosis variant 0 (Sandhoff-like disease) in a family of Japanese domestic cats

A five-month-old, female Japanese domestic shorthair cat with proportionate dwarfism developed neurological disorders, including ataxia, decreased postural responses and generalised body and head tremors, at between two and five months of age. Leucocytosis due to lymphocytosis with abnormal cytoplasmic vacuolations was observed. The concentration of G(M2)-ganglioside in its cerebrospinal fluid was markedly higher than in normal cats, and the activities of beta-hexosaminidases A and B in its leucocytes were markedly reduced. On the basis of these biochemical data, the cat was diagnosed antemortem with G(M2)-gangliosidosis variant 0 (Sandhoff-like disease). The neurological signs became more severe and the cat died at 10 months of age. Histopathologically, neurons throughout the central nervous system were distended, and an ultrastructural study revealed membranous cytoplasmic bodies in these distended neurons. The compound which accumulated in the brain was identified as G(M2)-ganglioside, confirming G(M2)-gangliosidosis. A family study revealed that there were probable heterozygous carriers in which the activities of leucocyte beta-hexosaminidases A and B were less than half the normal value. The Sandhoff-like disease observed in this family of Japanese domestic cats is the first occurrence reported in Japan.     

Thymoma in a dog with a part of granular cell proliferation and concurrent lymphoma cells

A 12-year-old male Shiba dog showed anemia and the swelling of systemic lymph nodes. X-ray and post mortal examinations revealed a anterior mediastinal mass. Histologically, the tumor mass consisted of four different elements; cord-like proliferation of cuboidal epithelial cells, tubular or cystic structures lined with ciliated epithelial cells, proliferation of large round-shaped epithelial cells with PAS-slightly positive granular cytoplasm, and diffuse proliferation of neoplastic lymphocytes. Epithelial cells in cord-like or cystic structures were strongly positive for cytokeratin. Granular or foamy cells were negative for all markers examined and had myelin-like bodies in the cytoplasm by electron microscopy. The neoplastic lymphocytes in the tumor mass were considered being derived from concurrent multicentric lymphoma. Based on these findings, the present case was diagnosed as thymoma with a part of granular cell proliferation and concurrent lymphoma cells.     

Histopathological and immunohistochemical features of proliferative lesions in the pituitary pars distalis of rats

Pituitary proliferative lesions derived from the endocrine cells of the pars distalis are frequently encountered and adenomas/carcinomas are a common cause of death in standard 2-year carcinogenicity studies using various rat strains, especially Sprague-Dawley. This report describes the immunohistochemical characteristics of pituitary tumors derived from the pars distalis in rats. Prolactin (PRL)-containing tumors are the most common, with PRL/growth hormone (GH) dual positive tumor masses (PRL/GH co-positive tumor masses) being more prevalent than only PRL-positive tumor masses (PRL single-positive tumor masses). GH-containing tumors are relatively numerous and many of these are also PRL/GH co-positive tumor masses. TSH-containing tumors are common in females. PRL-containing tumors have been shown to increase the incidence of hyperlactation in males and mammary adenomas/adenocarcinomas in females, suggesting that these masses are functional tumors.     

Enhanced Urinary Bladder, Liver and Colon Carcinogenesis in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats in a Multiorgan Carcinogenesis Bioassay: Evidence for Mechanisms Involving Activation of PI3K Signaling and Impairment of p53 on Urinary Bladder Carcinogenesis

In the present study, modifying effects of diabetes on carcinogenesis induced in type 2 diabetes mellitus model Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were investigated using a multiorgan carcinogenesis bioassay. Our re sults demonstrated enhancement of urinary bladder, colon and liver carcinogenesis in ZDF rats treated with five types of carcinogens (DMBDD). Elevated insulin and leptin and decreased adiponectin levels in the serum may be responsible for the high susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus model rats to carcinogenesis in these organs. Possible mechanisms of increased susceptibility of diabetic rats to bladder carcinogenesis could be activation of the PI3K pathway and suppression of p53 in the urothelium in consequence of the above serum protein alterations.     

Encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus-induced myocarditis by different virus variants and mouse strains.

The mode of occurrence of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus-induced myocarditis in mice was pathologically and virologically investigated using 2 virus variants (highly diabetogenic EMC-D and non-diabetogenic EMC-B) and 2 mouse strains (diabetes-susceptible BALB/c and diabetes-resistant C57BL/6). Mice were inoculated with 10(5) PFU/head of the virus intraperitoneally and observed up to 7 days post inoculation (7DPI). As compared with EMC-B-infected BALB/c and EMC-D-infected C57BL/6 mice, EMC-D-infected BALB/c mice developed marked myocarditis and exhibited a heart virus titer of more than 100 times above that of the others after 4DPI. Electron microscopically, small aggregations of virus-like particles, with 20-25 nm in diameter, were found in the cytoplasm of degenerated cardiomyocytes showing mitochondrial and myofibrillar degeneration in EMC-D-infected BALB/c mice.