CD44 expression in the bile duct epithelium is related to hepatic fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis rats induced by a choline-deficient,methionine-lowered, L-amino acid diet

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a lifestyle-related disease and an increasing threat worldwide. Hepatic fibrosis, which results from chronic hepatic diseases including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, is closely correlated with mortality among hepatic lesions, such as steatosis and inflammation. Thus, it is important to identify factors that can serve as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we examined the function of CD44 in the development of hepatic fibrosis in choline-deficient, methionine-lowered, L-amino-acid diet-fed rats, especially with respect to the proliferation of bile duct epithelium. Male Fischer 344 rats were fed a choline-deficient, methionine-lowered, L-amino-acid diet for 2, 4, 13, or 26 weeks. This diet decreased the body weight; increased the levels of serum parameters indicating liver injury, such as aspartate and alanine aminotransferase; upregulated inflammation- and fibrosis-related gene expression in the liver; and resulted in the development of hepatic lesions, including fatty changes in hepatocytes, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis. Hepatic hyaluronan was synthesized and deposited in the liver tissue. The expression of both CD44 mRNA and protein was significantly increased throughout the experimental period. CD44 protein was observed in some of the bile duct epithelium, around which hyaluronic acid was deposited, and these bile duct lesions were concordant with the area of hepatic fibrosis. Thus, CD44 expressed in the bile duct epithelium may be a target for controlling nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related hepatic fibrosis.     

Three cases of immune-mediated adnexal skin disease treated with cyclosporin

Cyclosporin is currently considered a new and interesting drug in veterinary dermatology for the treatment of immune-mediated skin diseases, and a safe and effective alternative to immunosuppressive therapy with glucocorticoids. The authors report a case of granulomatous folliculitis and furunculosis and of sebaceous adenitis in two cats and a case of alopecia areata in a dog, successfully controlled with cyclosporin.     

Forms of microelements in apple leaves under different conditions of iron and zinc nutrition

The research was carried out with the aim of studying the influence of various zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) concentrations in the nutritive medium on the accumulation of inorganic and organic forms of Fe, Zn, manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) in apple leaves (Malus cv. Prima) during the period of vegetation. This investigation revealed processes of Fe synergistic and antagonistic interactions with a number of elements on their flux into plants. Sufficiently low concentrations of inorganic Fe forms (3–24% of the total element content) present as ions (nonabsorbed and unbound in organic complexes by cell organelles) were found during the vegetative period of apple seedlings. The low content of inorganic Fe forms is an indication of the relatively low mobility of Fe compounds in plants. There was a tendency towards abnormal accumulation and transport of Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu with excess or deficiency of Zn or Fe in the nutrient medium.     

Magnetic spherules in sediments of the karstic Dobra River (Croatia)

Purpose

The paper describes an unusual finding of magnetic particles in stream sediments of the karstic Dobra River (Croatia). It aims to investigate the magnetic susceptibility properties of river sediments and to find links with their mineralogical and chemical composition. The goal of our research was to suggest the possible origin of magnetic particles in the river sediments within the Dinaric karst region, which to our knowledge was not exposed to metal manufacturing processes.

Materials and methods

A preliminary, exploratory sediment sampling programme was undertaken. Sediments were collected near the channel bank (from the top layer) at 16 representative stations distributed along the length of the Dobra River (110 km). Sediments were air-dried and passed through 2-mm and 63-μm sieves, and analysed for magnetic susceptibility (and Curie temperature), isothermal remanent magnetism (IRM), stereo-microscopy of separated magnetic grains, mineralogical analysis (using X-ray diffraction), and chemical analysis (using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry).

Results and discussion

Increased magnetic susceptibility and IRM values were observed mostly in the sediments of the Upper Dobra. Thermomagnetic curves show a distinctive Curie-point of magnetite at 580 °C. Additional transformation observed at 520–560 °C derives from titanomagnetite. There was no significant correlation between magnetic susceptibility and Fe. Magnetic particles from the Dobra River sediments contain pyroxene, plagioclase, hematite and quartz, in addition to magnetite. White spherules within magnetic grains are also present. The major constituent of five separated magnetic spherules is Fe; the minor constituents are Al, Ca, Mg and Si, and there are numerous trace elements (Ba, Cr, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Ti and V). The ratio Ni/ Fe versus Cr/Fe suggests that the magnetic spherules are impactites.

Conclusions

Magnetic spherules were discovered for the first time in stream sediments of the sinking karstic Dobra River, a region where anthropogenic sources for that contribution are absent. Preliminary results point to a possible impactite, formed either by a shock event caused by a meteorite impact or by volcanic processes. The presence of magnetic spherules in the fluvial sediments of the Upper Dobra River represents a new and exciting finding and deserves further field work and laboratory research.     

Effect of the number of tillages in fallow season and fertilizer type on greenhouse gas emission from a rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy field in Ehime,southwestern Japan

Agricultural fields, including rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy fields, constitute one of the major sources of atmospheric methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Organic matter application, such as straw and organic fertilizer, enhances CH₄ emission from paddy fields. In addition, rice straw management after harvest regulates CH₄ emissions in the growing season. The interaction of tillage times and organic fertilizer application on CH₄ and N₂O emissions is largely unknown. Therefore, we studied the effects of fallow-season tillage times and fertilizer types on CH₄ and N₂O emissions in paddy fields in Ehime, southwestern Japan. From November 2011 to October 2013, four treatments, two (autumn and spring) or one (spring) in the first year, or two (autumn and spring) or three (autumn, winter, and spring) in the second year times of tillage with chemical or organic fertilizer application, were established. Gas fluxes were measured by the closed-chamber method. Increasing the number of tillage times from one to two decreased succeeding CH₄ emission and the emission factor for CH₄ (EF_CH4) in the rice-growing season, suggesting that the substrate for CH₄ production was reduced by autumn and spring tillage in the fallow season. Higher EF_CH4 [1.8–2.0 kg carbon (C) ha^?1 d^?1] was observed when more straw was applied (6.9–7.2 Mg ha^?1) in the second year. Organic fertilizer application induced higher CH₄ emission just after the application as basal and supplemental fertilizers, especially at a lower straw application rate. This indicated that EF_CH4 in the organically managed fields should be determined individually. Organic fertilizer application with two tillage times induced N₂O efflux during the rice-growing season in the second year, but N₂O emissions were not affected by winter tillage. Although paddy fields can act as an N₂O sink because of reduced soil conditions when straw application was high, application of organic C and nitrogen as fertilizer can enhance N₂O production by the denitrification process during the growing season, especially in the ripening stage when soil anaerobic conditions became moderate. These results suggest that negative emission factors for N₂O (EF_N2O) can be applied, and EF_N2O of organic fertilizer should be considered during the estimation of N₂O emission in the paddy field.     

Chemical species of Al in a gypsum-treated Kitakami Andosol

To examine the possibility that the Al₁₃ polymer ([A10₄Al₁₂(OH)24(H₂0)₁₂]⁷⁺) could be formed in soils after gypsum application, an analytical method using a cation exchange resin and ²⁷Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was applied to gypsum-treated Kitakami Andosol (fine, mixed, mesic, Andic Dystrochrept). The NMR spectra of the cation exchange resins which retained artificially synthesized hydroxy-AI, showed two broad peaks at 0 and 63 ppm. These results indicated that monomer and/or dimer Al and Al¹³ polymers adsorbed on the cation exchange resin could be detected with ²⁷Al NMR. The amount of polymer Al increased by gypsum application in the Kitakami soil. The NMR spectrum of this resin showed only one peak at 0 ppm indicating that the polymer Al formed in the gypsum treated Kitakami soil was not the Al¹³ polymer.     

Lipid biomarkers and their environmental significance in mine soils from Eastern Europe

The present study describes signature lipid biomarkers in reclaimed mine soils (RMSs), an unreclaimed spoil and a natural soil (Vertisol) for a major coal mine basin in Eastern Europe. Alkanes, fatty acids and fatty alcohols, as well as coal biomarkers were abundant in the mine soils and the unreclaimed spoil. The alkanes distribution in the RMSs was bimodal with maxima at C₁₈ and C₂₉/C₃₁ and points at two origins for the alkanes, terrigenous plants, including soil borne and from the coal source. Fatty acid carbon preference indices (CPI_even/odd = 10.4 and 8.1 for the mine soils under pine and grass vegetation) reflect the increasing role of terrestrial vegetation in the formation of organic matter. The higher concentrations of the long-chain alkanes, fatty acids and alcohols are speculated as the reason for the severe and extreme water repellency observed with the Vertisol and the unreclaimed spoil. The presence of terrigenous steroid and triterpenoid markers in the RMSs is an indication of the ongoing soil formation processes. The analysis of lipid extracts allowed for the assessment of sensitive molecular indicators of biogenic terrigenous and coal origin and the degree of soil recovery following >20 years of spoils reclamation.     

Antioxidative activity of propolis extract in yeast cells

The antioxidative activities of propolis and its main phenolic compounds, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester, were investigated in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After 1 h of exposure of the yeast cells, their intracellular oxidation was measured using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein. Yeast cells exposed to 96% ethanolic extracts of propolis in DMSO (EEP) showed decreased intracellular oxidation, with no significant differences seen for the individual phenolic compounds. However, cellular uptake was seen only for a moderately polar fraction of EEP (E2) and caffeic acid phenethyl ester. The EEP antioxidative activity thus resulted from this E2 fraction of EEP. The influence of EEP was also investigated at the mitochondrial proteome level, by analyzing its profile after 1 h of exposure of the yeast cells to EEP and E2. Changes in the levels of antioxidative proteins and proteins involved in ATP synthesis were seen.