Primary sinonasal malignant melanoma with systemic metastasis in a non-gray horse

A 27-y-old Anglo-Arabian gelding with bay coat color was presented with a swelling of the left maxillary region. Fenestration on the left maxilla revealed that the left maxillary sinus was filled with black-red tissue. A portion of the tissue was excised and diagnosed histologically as malignant melanoma. Genotyping of the STX17 gene for gray coat color revealed that the horse did not have the “gray” factor. The horse was euthanized ~3 mo after first presentation. During autopsy, a black-to-gray mass extended from the left nasal cavity to the surrounding paranasal sinus and invaded the hard palate, cribriform plate, and the cranial portion of the left olfactory bulb. Moreover, identical black nodules were present in lymph nodes from the mandible to the larynx, and in the spleen, liver, kidney, and adrenal glands. However, masses were not found in the skin, perineal region, or pelvic cavity. All of the black-to-gray nodules were malignant melanomas that were histologically identical to the initial biopsy; tumor emboli were also found in the kidney. Sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare disease in horses.     

H2 15O translocation in rice was enhanced by 10 μm 5-aminolevulinic acid as monitored by positron emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS)

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) acts to increase chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis, cold stress tolerance, and salt tolerance at low concentrations. We studied the effects of ALA on H₂ ¹⁵O translocation from the roots to the shoots of rice plants (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare) in real time by a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS). When the plant was treated with 10 μm ALA, the velocity of the H₂ ¹⁵O translocation from 2 to 12 min after absorption increased to 126, 137, 140% that of the control at 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 h after ALA treatment, respectively. However, ALA did not affect the H₂ ¹⁵O translocation within 0.5 h of treatment. When the plant was treated with 0.1 mM ABA at 4 h after 10 μm ALA treatment, the velocity of the H₂ ¹⁵O translocation decreased at 0.5 h after ABA treatment. Those observations suggested ALA might be absorbed and transported to the guard cells within 1.5 h and functioned to expand the stomatal aperture.     

Age and growth of yellowstriped butterfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labracoglossa argentiventris</Emphasis>, around Izu Oshima Island

ABSTRACT:   Age and growth of the yellowstriped butterfish, Labracoglossa argentiventris , around Izu Oshima Island were studied using a total of 1450 fish. Age was determined by counting the edge of the opaque zones as a ring mark on sectioned sagittal otoliths. Formation of the first ring was observed during spring or summer, corresponding to 1.5 years after hatching. Thereafter, one ring was formed each year in the same season as the previous year. The growth of the butterfish was rapid until 2 years of age. The maximum likelihood method was applied to the age and length data for estimating parameters in von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, and Logistic growth models. The selected model, based on the Akaike Information Criterion, was the von Bertalanffy growth model, which indicated differential asymptotic length and variance by sex.     

Serum level of apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage in dogs with histiocytic sarcoma and its association with the disease

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare neoplasm of macrophages or dendritic cells with a poor prognosis in dogs. As the apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) is characteristically expressed in canine macrophages, we hypothesised that AIM is involved in the development or progression of HS in dogs. In this study, AIM expression in the tumour region and serum AIM levels in dogs with HS was assessed. Additionally, the effects of AIM overexpression on HS cell viability were investigated using a HS cell line that was selected from five validated HS cell lines. Immunohistochemistry showed that AIM expression was observed in the cytoplasm of the HS cells. CD36, a candidate AIM receptor, was also observed on the cell membrane of HS cells. When the serum AIM level was detected in 36 dogs with HS and 10 healthy dogs via western blot analysis, the AIM levels in the HS dogs were significantly higher than those in the controls. AIM mRNA expression in the 5 HS cell lines varied but was higher than that in the other tumour-derived lines. Among the five HS cell lines, DH82 originally had lower AIM and the highest CD36 expression. When AIM was overexpressed in DH82, therein cell growth speed and invasion, apoptosis inhibition and phagocytic activity were strongly upregulated. These data suggest that elevated intra-tumour expression of AIM could induce the progression of HS cells in dogs. Moreover, elevated serum AIM levels in dogs with HS could serve as a biomarker of HS.     

Antioxidative activity of tree phenolic constituents 1: Radical-capturing reaction of flavon-3-ols with radical initiator

The present work was undertaken from the standpoint of radical-capturing ability with regard to the antioxidative ability of flavonoids, especially flavonols distributed widely in woody plants. In regard to the flavonols, six methyl derivatives were initially prepared from quercetin and its litinoside. Their radical-capturing constants were determined strictly by the stopped-flow spectroscopic method. It was proved that the radical-capturing ability of quercetin mainly involves the vicinal C₃. and C₄, hydroxyl groups and the C₃ hydroxyl group. To clarify the reaction mechanism begun at the C₃ hydroxyl group of quercetin, 5,7,3,4-tetramethylquercetin (TMQ), flavon-3-ol (F30) and so on were treated with 2,2-azo-bis-(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (AMVN). Six products (1–6) containing one depside and its two hydrolytic products, two valeronitrile adducts, and others were isolated from the reaction mixture of TMQ and their structures determined by instrumental analyses. Similarly, F30 gave four products, 7–10, which corresponded to the above products 1–3 and 5 (one depside, its two hydrolytic products, and one adduct), respectively. 3,5,7,3,4-Pentamethylquercetin (PMQ) and flavon-3-O-methylate (F3M) gave no products. The quantitative change of the products with reaction time was determined spectroscopically. An initial reaction pathway for the radical-capturing reaction of flavon-3-ols with AMVN was proposed based on the products and their amounts. The main route — formation of depside and its hydrolytic products via ketohydroperoxide (3) or ketohydroperoxy radical (4) - was similar to that of the oxidation reaction of quercetin with quercetinase and light.Part of this paper was presented at the 46th and 47th annual meetings of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kumamoto and Kouchi, April 1996 and 1997     

Degradation of a nonphenolic β-O-4 lignin model dimer by horseradish peroxidase with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole

Nonphenolic β-O-4 lignin substructure model dimer, 1,3-dihydroxy-2-(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propane (I) was degraded by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and 1-hydroxybenztriazole (HBT). 4-Ethoxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid (II), 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanone (III), 2,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-formyloxypropane (IV), 2,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propanone (V), 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,2,3-trihydroxypropane (VI), 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,2,3-trihydroxypropane-2,3-cyclic carbonate (VII), and 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,2,3-trihydroxypropane-1,2-cyclic carbonate (VIII) were identified as degradation products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These degradation products were qualitatively the same as those of substrate I in the laccase/HBT system, but the yield of the products was apparently different. The products catalyzed by the HRP/H₂O₂/HBT system contained large amounts of the aromatic ring cleavage products IV, VII, and VIII compared with those catalyzed by the laccase/HBT system, while the amount of Cα-Cβ cleavage product II is relatively low. These results suggest that the role of HBT is not in a simple one-electron transfer between the enzymes and substrates.     

Identification of QTLs for fruit quality traits in Japanese apples: QTLs for early ripening are tightly related to preharvest fruit drop

Many important apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruit quality traits are regulated by multiple genes, and more information about quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits is required for marker-assisted selection. In this study, we constructed genetic linkage maps of the Japanese apple cultivars ‘Orin’ and ‘Akane’ using F₁ seedlings derived from a cross between these cultivars. The ‘Orin’ map consisted of 251 loci covering 17 linkage groups (LGs; total length 1095.3 cM), and the ‘Akane’ map consisted of 291 loci covering 18 LGs (total length 1098.2 cM). We performed QTL analysis for 16 important traits, and found that four QTLs related to harvest time explained about 70% of genetic variation, and these will be useful for marker-assisted selection. The QTL for early harvest time in LG15 was located very close to the QTL for preharvest fruit drop. The QTL for skin color depth was located around the position of MYB1 in LG9, which suggested that alleles harbored by ‘Akane’ are regulating red color depth with different degrees of effect. We also analyzed soluble solids and sugar component contents, and found that a QTL for soluble solids content in LG16 could be explained by the amount of sorbitol and fructose.