Ingested delphinidin-3-rutinoside is primarily excreted to urine as the intact form and to bile as the methylated form in rats

Many reports have described the bioavailability of anthocyanins; however, most of these reports investigated only the amount of anthocyanins excreted in urine. In the present study, we calculated the pharmacokinetic bioavailability of anthocyanins in rats by measuring the plasma concentration of delphinidin-3-rutinoside that had been administered orally or intravenously. Delphinidin-3-rutinoside was primarily absorbed in the blood and excreted into urine as unmetabolized forms with a T(max) of 26.3 min and a C(max) of 0.285 +/- 0.071 micromol/L. We detected small amounts of the metabolite 4'-O-methyl-delphinidin-3-rutinoside in the plasma, but we detected neither anthocyanidin (aglycone) nor glucuro- or sulfoconjugates. For the 8 h period after intake, delphinidin-3-rutinoside and 4'-O-methyl-delphinidin-3-rutinoside were excreted to urine at 795 +/- 375 and 12.3 +/- 2.91 nmol, respectively. Relative to intravenous injection, oral administration of delphinidin-3-rutinoside resulted in complete bioavailability (0.49 +/- 0.06%). Analysis of delphinidin-3-rutinoside plasma concentrations in bile cannulated rats revealed that, for the 8-h period after intake, the intact delphinidin-3-rutinoside excretion ratio in bile was 11% of the excretion ratio of 4'-O-methyl-delphinidin-3-rutinoside, 1.91 +/- 0.35 nmol versus 17.4 +/- 8.67 nmol, respectively. Setting the bile duct cannulation in a Bollman-type cage, however, significantly increased the bioavailability of orally administered delphinidin-3-rutinoside (18.14 +/- 6.24%). This effect appears to stem immobilization stress by reducing gastrointestinal motility. The cumulative excretion of delphinidin-3-rutinoside and 4'-O-methyl-delphinidin-3-rutinoside in urine and bile was 2.67 +/- 1.24% (w/w) of the dose ingested. Studies report that several metabolites are formed after oral ingestion of anthocyanins. Examples include glucuronyl from cyanidin-3-glucoside and both glucuronyl and sulfate conjugates from pelargonidin-3-glucoside. Our results indicate that delphinidin-3-rutinoside might be metabolized differently from cyanidin-3-glucoside and pelargonidin-3-glucoside.     

A comparative study of induction of estrus and ovulation by three different intravaginal devices in ewes during the non-breeding season

The aim of the present study was to compare three methods of estrus synchronization in ewes during the non-breeding season. Forty-two ewes were randomly grouped for three treatments with different intravaginal devices for 12 days: Group A) CIDR, Group B) Self-made P sponge, Group C) MAP (medroxyprogesterone acetate) cream sponge. Furthermore, all groups were divided into two treatments with (R) or without ram presence to examine the "ram effect". Blood was collected from all treated ewes, and progesterone (P(4)), estradiol 17-beta (E(2)) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were measured by enzyme-immunoassay. All ewes showed estrus behavior between Day 0 to 3 after device removal, and the mean onset times of their estrus were 23.0, 33.0 and 21.0 h for Groups AR, BR and CR, respectively. On Day 5 as examined by laparoscopy, the ovulation rates (and number of ovulated ewes) were 1.45 (11/11), 1.25 (12/14) and 1.21 (14/14) for Groups A, B and C, respectively. In Group C, the time to LH surge was significantly (P<0.05) later (32.4 h) than those in Groups A (27.0 h) and B (25.5 h). Ram presence did not affect the number of ovulated ewes, ovulation rate or time to LH surge. The ram introduction group had significantly (P<0.05) lower E(2) concentrations during the period from 0 h to 36 h than the groups without ram presence. These results suggest that the self-made P sponge or MAP cream sponge was effective as well as CIDR, and ram introduction was not necessary, for induction of estrus and ovulation during the non-breeding season.     

Development of taxon-specific sequences of common wheat for the detection of genetically modified wheat

Qualitative and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) systems aimed at the specific detection and quantification of common wheat DNA are described. Many countries have issued regulations to label foods that include genetically modified organisms (GMOs). PCR technology is widely recognized as a reliable and useful technique for the qualitative and quantitative detection of GMOs. Detection methods are needed to amplify a target GM gene, and the amplified results should be compared with those of the corresponding taxon-specific reference gene to obtain reliable results. This paper describes the development of a specific DNA sequence in the waxy-D1 gene for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and the design of a specific primer pair and TaqMan probe on the waxy-D1 gene for PCR analysis. The primers amplified a product (Wx012) of 102 bp. It is indicated that the Wx012 DNA sequence is specific to common wheat, showing homogeneity in qualitative PCR results and very similar quantification accuracy along 19 distantly related common wheat varieties. In Southern blot and real-time PCR analyses, this sequence showed either a single or a low number of copy genes. In addition, by qualitative and quantitative PCR using wx012 primers and a wx012-T probe, the limits of detection of the common wheat genome were found to be about 15 copies, and the reproducibility was reliable. In consequence, the PCR system using wx012 primers and wx012-T probe is considered to be suitable for use as a common wheat-specific taxon-specific reference gene in DNA analyses, including GMO tests.     

En block resection of a large hepatocellular carcinoma involving the caudal vena cava in a dog

A 13-year-old neutered female Shih Tzu was referred for investigation of a cranial abdominal mass. Investigations including conventional radiography, abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography confirmed the mass in the caudate lobe of the liver. As a collateral vein originating from the caudal vena cava (CVC) communicated with the azygos vein, the CVC was ligated and transected cranial to the right renal vein and cranial to the mass under temporary occlusion of the thoracic descending aorta and posthepatic CVC. The mass combined with the CVC was excised. The mass was confirmed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This report describes the first case with successful en bloc resection of a large HCC involving the CVC in a dog.     

A novel blast resistance locus in a rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) cultivar,Chumroo, of Bhutan

The rice cultivar ‘Chumroo’ is commonly cultivated in the mid- and high-altitude areas of Bhutan. This cultivar has shown durable blast resistance in that area, without evidence of breakdown, for over 20 years. Chumroo was inoculated with 22 blast isolates selected from the race differential standard set of Japan. The cultivar showed resistance to all the isolates. To identify the resistance gene(s), Chumroo was crossed with a susceptible rice cultivar, Koshihikari. The F₁ plants of the cross showed resistance. Segregation analyses of 300 F₃ family lines fitted the segregation ratio of 1:2:1 and indicated that a single dominant gene controls the resistance to a blast isolate Ao 92-06-2 (race 337.1). The Chumroo resistance locus (termed Pi46(t)) was mapped between two SSR markers, RM6748 and RM5473, on the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 4, using linkage analysis with SSR markers. The nearest marker, RM5473, was linked to the putative resistance locus at a map distance of 3.2 cM. At the chromosomal region, no true resistance genes were identified, whereas two field resistance genes were present. Therefore, we designated Pi46(t) as a novel blast resistance locus.     

Toluene Exposure Leads to a Change in Expression Patterns of β Defensins in the Mouse Tracheal Epithelium

Defensins are generally implicated in the quick resistance of epithelial surfaces to microbials; however, recent reports have indicated that defensins also have unknown purposes in relation to noninfectious diseases. In this study, the localization patterns of anti-microbial peptides, β defensins (BDs), in the tracheal epithelium of male C3H mice under exposure to toluene were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Mice were exposed one to ten times to toluene for 30 min by nose-only inhalation. Expression of BDs was revealed by immunohistochemistry in serial sections of trachea after the final exposure. Expression of BD-1 was usually observed at almost the same levels in all exposure groups, and expression of BD-2 was observed in the control group; however, the signals for BD-2 decreased gradually with frequency of exposure. In the group exposed ten times, expression of BD-2 decreased to far lower than that of the control group. No expression of BD-3 was detected in any groups. Interestingly, expression of BD-4 increased to the maximum in the group exposed four times and decreased to a level lower than that of the control in the group exposed ten times. The results of the present study indicated that toluene gas might change the expression pattern of BDs in the tracheal epithelial cells. The oscillation of expression of BD-4 was quite characteristic and might contribute to morphological damage in on the epithelial cells.     

Occurrence of a new race 2.9 of leaf mold of tomato in Japan

Leaf mold symptoms were found on tomato varieties carrying the Cf-9 resistance gene against Passalora fulva, the causal agent of leaf mold, in Japan in 2008. Disease symptoms and morphological characteristics of the isolates were similar to those of P. fulva. After inoculating a set of tomato differentials with the isolates, all isolates were identified as race 2.9 of P. fulva, previously unreported.     

Development of an air-injection press for preventing blowout of particleboard (III): effects of pressing temperature on board performance

An air-injection press, which has holes punched in the heating plates, injects high-pressure air through the holes of one plate into particleboards and discharges the air and vapor through the other plate during press heating. The press can manufacture particleboards from high-moisture particles by preventing blowouts of the boards. In this study, the effects of pressing temperature were investigated by pressing boards at 190, 210, and 230°C. The internal bond strength increased from 0.43 to 0.60?MPa by raising the temperature from 190 to 210°C, but did not increase further when the temperature was raised to 230°C. Raising the temperature from 190 to 210°C also helped improve the thickness swelling. No relationship was found between the modulus of rupture and pressing temperature.