Effects of oral administration of furosemide and torsemide in healthy dogs

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diuretic effects, tolerability, and adverse effects of furosemide and torsemide after short- and long-term administration in healthy dogs. ANIMALS: 8 mixed-breed dogs. PROCEDURES: In a crossover study, furosemide (2 mg/kg), torsemide (0.2 mg/kg), or placebo (bifidobacterium [1 mg/kg]) was administered orally to each dog every 12 hours for 14 days. Blood and urine samples were collected before the study (baseline data) and at intervals on the 1st (short-term administration) and 14th day (long-term administration) of treatment for assessment of urine volume and specific gravity and selected clinicopathologic variables including BUN, creatinine, and aldosterone concentrations, and creatinine clearance. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline value, short-term administration of furosemide or torsemide immediately increased urine volume significantly; after long-term administration of either drug, urine specific gravity decreased significantly. Compared with the effect of placebo, the 24-hour urine volume was significantly increased after short-term administra-tion of furosemide or torsemide. In addition, it was significantly increased after long-term administration of torsemide, compared with that of short-term administration. Long-term administration of furosemide or torsemide increased the BUN and plasma creatinine con-centrations, compared with the baseline value. Compared with the baseline value, plasma aldosterone concentration was significantly increased after long-term administration of either drug and was significantly higher after torsemide treatment than after furosemide treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs, diuretic resistance developed after 14 days of furosemide, but not torsemide, administration; however, both loop diuretics were associated with increased BUN and plasma creatinine concentrations, compared with values before treatment.     

Relationship of glomerular filtration rate based on serum iodixanol clearance to IRIS staging in cats with chronic kidney disease

We examined the correlation between the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated from an equation based on the serum iodixanol clearance technique and International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. The equation included the injection dose, sampling time, serum concentration and estimated volume of distribution (Vd) of the isotonic, nonionic, contrast medium iodixanol as a test tracer. The percent changes in the median basal GFR values calculated from the equation in CKD cats resembled those of IRIS stages 1–3. These data validate the association between the GFR derived from the simplified equation and IRIS stages based on the serum creatinine concentration in cats with CKD. They describe the GFR ranges determined using single-sample iodixanol clearance for healthy cats and cats with various IRIS stages of CKD.     

Induction of detoxication enzymes in mice by naturally occurring allyl nitrile

Little is known about whether glucosinolate-derived nitriles have the ability to increase phase 2 detoxication enzymes and glutathione (GSH) in vivo. In this study, the ability of allyl nitrile, a hydrolysis product of the glucosinolate sinigrin, to increase tissue levels of the phase 2 detoxication enzymes glutathione S-transferase and quinone reductase and GSH in a variety of mouse tissues was examined. At the lowest dose level (11.8 mg/kg/day), allyl nitrile showed inductive ability in the stomach and lungs. At 23.6 mg/kg/day, the inductive effect was observed in the stomach, rectum, urinary bladder, and lungs, whereas at 47.2 mg/kg/day, it was recorded in the stomach, rectum, urinary bladder, kidneys, and lungs. These results show that allyl nitrile displays its maximum potency in the stomach and lungs, which is of interest in light of epidemiological studies demonstrating an inverse association between crucifer intake and the incidence of stomach and lung cancers.     

Differences in lamina joint anatomy cause cultivar differences in leaf inclination angle of rice

ABSTRACT

Leaf erectness is an important agronomic trait for improving canopy photosynthesis in rice. It is well known that leaf inclination angle (LIA) decreases after expansion during ripening. However, the high-yielding indica cultivar ‘Takanari’ retains a greater LIA during ripening than the high-quality japonica cultivar ‘Koshihikari’. To clarify the cause of the cultivar difference in LIA, we investigated anatomical characteristics of the lamina joint of a flag leaf. We found a close linear correlation between LIA at the centre and at the base of the leaf blade in both cultivars during ripening. The length of the lamina joint increased significantly more on the adaxial side of a leaf (the margin of the collar) than on the abaxial side (the abaxial side of the central part of the collar) in ‘Koshihikari’ after leaf expansion, but there was no clear difference in ‘Takanari’. We found a close linear correlation between the ratio of lamina joint length on the adaxial to abaxial sides and LIA in ‘Koshihikari’ and ‘Takanari’ during ripening. In ‘Koshihikari’, the average length of cells on the adaxial side increased significantly after leaf expansion, with no significant increase in that on the abaxial side and no significant change in cell number on either side. In ‘Takanari’, cell length and cell number showed no significant changes on either side of the lamina joint. We conclude that the cultivar difference in LIA during ripening is caused mainly by cell elongation on the adaxial side of the lamina joint.

List of Abbreviations: k: light extinction coefficient; LIA: leaf inclination angle; QTL: quantitative trait locus     

Glycoprotein hormone in the pituitary of hagfish and its evolutionary implications

The pituitary gland is present in all vertebrates, from agnathans (jawless vertebrates) to mammals, but not in invertebrates. Reproduction in gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) is controlled by two pituitary gonadotropins (GTHs), luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are part of the pituitary glycoprotein hormone (GPH) family. Hagfishes, which lack both jaws and vertebrae, are considered the most primitive vertebrate known, living or extinct. Accordingly, they are of particular importance in understanding the evolution of the pituitary GPHs and their functions related to vertebrate reproduction. Nevertheless, key elements of the reproductive endocrine system in hagfish have yet to be elucidated. Our current report has revealed the first identification of a functional GPH composed of two subunits that possess gonadotropic action at the pituitary of brown hagfish. It seems most likely that an ancestral GPH gave rise to only one GTH in hagfish pituitary and that multiplicity of GPHs arose later during the early evolution of gnathostomes. This paper briefly summarizes the latest findings on the hagfish GPH from an evolutionary point of view.     

The impact of climate change on cherry trees and other species in Japan

Studies from throughout the world have provided evidence that climate change is already affecting the ecology and persistence of species. Japan contributes valuable insights into understanding these changes through long-term records of the timing of cherry blossoms and other phenomena of ecological and cultural interest. The wide latitudinal spread of Japan also provides an opportunity to examine species over a broad range of environmental conditions. In this review, we examine phenological studies that have taken place in Japan and summarize their significance to climate change and conservation research. In Kyoto, records of the timing of celebrations of cherry blossom festivals going back to the 9th century reconstruct the past climate and demonstrate the local increase in temperature associated with global warming and urbanization. This record is probably the longest annual record of phenology from anyplace in the world and shows that cherries are currently flowering earlier than they have at any time during the previous 1200 years. Detailed mapping of cherry tree flowering times in and around Osaka and other cities in Japan show that urbanization causes plants to flower earlier within the city environs than in nearby parks and outlying suburban areas. Flowering records from a large cherry arboretum at Mt. Takao, on the outskirts of Tokyo, show that both among and within species, early flowering is associated with greater responsiveness to temperature variation. Lastly, records of phenology for a wide range of plants and animals recorded at over 100 weather stations throughout Japan show that species vary greatly in their phenological responses to climate change, and highlight ecological relationships that need to be investigated in the field. Together, these studies provide important insights into how species are responding to climate change in Japan. Further research, particularly targeted field observations and experiments, is needed to build on these findings and to improve our understanding of how climate change is altering biological communities and how it will continue to affect them in the future.     

鲱鱼卵对鼠血浆脂质、葡萄糖、胰岛素和脂联素水平及肝脏脂质含量的影响

先前报道从盐渍的鲱鱼卵产品（干鲱鱼卵）中提取的脂质含大量胆固醇,磷脂酰胆碱和n-3多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFAs）,如二十碳五烯酸（EPA,20：5n-3）和二十二碳六烯酸（DHA,22：6n-3）;该脂质可降低鼠血浆脂质和葡萄糖浓度。本试验旨在评价含大量蛋白的干鲱鱼卵对鼠脂质和葡萄糖代谢的影响。雄性Crij-CD-1（ICR）鼠分别采食3种含冻千鲱鱼卵的试验饲粮。12周。试验饲粮如下：无干鲱鱼卵（对照饲粮）、1％干鲱鱼卵（含1％干鲱鱼卵饲粮）和4％干鲱鱼卵（含4％干鲱鱼卵饲粮）。与对照饲粮组相比,1％和4％干鲱鱼卵饲粮组,血浆总胆固醇、磷脂和葡萄糖浓度趋向于降低。对照饲粮组和4％干鲱鱼卵饲粮组,血浆葡萄糖浓度有显著差异（P〈0．05）。4％干鲱鱼卵饲粮组血浆脂联素浓度显著高于对照饲粮组（P〈0．05）,但是血浆胰岛素浓度在三组间没有显著差异。与对照饲粮组相比,4％干鲱鱼卵饲粮组肝脏总胆固醇和磷脂浓度趋于降低。与对照饲粮组相比,1％和4％干鲱鱼卵饲粮组血浆和肝脏n-3,n-6值极显著升高（分别为P〈O．005,P〈0．0005）。结果显示摄食干鲱鱼卵影响鼠脂质和葡萄糖代谢。     

Oocyte maturation and active motility of spermatozoa are triggered by retinoic acid in pen shell <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atrina pectinata</Emphasis>

For recovery of the declining population of pen shells in the wild, the production of pen shell juveniles for transplantation or aquaculture is underway in Japan. For more stable juvenile production, artificial fertilization methods for pen shells are needed, but methods to induce oocyte maturation (meiosis resumption) used in other bivalves, which make oocytes fertilizable, were ineffective for pen shells. Here, we report evidence showing that retinoic acid (RA) has strong activity in inducing oocyte maturation and activating sperm motility in pen shells. Treatment of fully developed oocytes with 1.0 μM all-trans-RA (at-RA) induced germinal vesicle breakdown, a typical morphological sign of oocyte maturation, but 1.0 μM at-retinol and at-retinal, 2 mM ammonia, and 1.0 μM serotonin were ineffective. Treatment with at-RA for 30 min was sufficient for oocyte maturation and was more potent than its isomers, 9-cis- and 13-cis-RA. Parallel results were obtained for sperm motility activation. Oocyte responsiveness to at-RA increased during the final stage of ovary development. Artificial fertilization was successful only with the oocytes treated with at-RA, and fertilized eggs developed to D-shaped (veliger) larvae without apparent morphological abnormalities. These results indicate the possible application of RA for the artificial fertilization of pen shells.     

A hydro-environmental watershed model improved in canal-aquifer water exchange process

Long-term simulation using the distributed hydro-environmental watershed model is efficacious for assessing irrigation impacts on hydrological cycle in detail and for implementing watershed management successfully. In this article, the previously developed hydro-environmental watershed model (HEWM-1) is improved in the water exchange process caused by surface water-groundwater interaction via drainage canals and/or underdrains. The time-varying stream flow in canals is described by the complete one-dimensional shallow water equations in a newly introduced submodel, the open channel flow submodel. This submodel coordinates with the other submodels: the tank, soil moisture and groundwater flow submodels which are interlinked in a cascade manner. The improved model (HEWM-2) is applied to an agricultural watershed covering an area from an alluvial fan onto a nearly level alluvial plain, to be validated. The simulation by HEWM-2 is informative for identifying whether any drainage canal is gaining or losing water in relation to groundwater level. It could thus provide useful information for conserving a complex network of drainage canals which also functions as a passage for aquatic animals like fishes.