Hyaluromycin,a New Hyaluronidase Inhibitor of Polyketide Origin from Marine Streptomyces sp.

Hyaluromycin (1), a new member of the rubromycin family of antibiotics, was isolated from the culture extract of a marine-derived Streptomyces sp. as a HAase inhibitor on the basis of HAase activity screening. The structure of 1 was elucidated through the interpretation of NMR data for the compound and its 3″-O-methyl derivative in combination with an incorporation experiment with [1,2-¹³C₂]acetate. The compound’s absolute configuration was determined by the comparison of its circular dichroism (CD) spectrum with those of other rubromycins. Hyaluromycin (1) consists of a γ-rubromycin core structure possessing a 2-amino-3-hydroxycyclopent-2-enone (C₅N) unit as an amide substituent of the carboxyl function; both structural units have been reported only from actinomycetes. Hyaluromycin (1) displayed approximately 25-fold more potent hyaluronidase inhibitory activity against hyaluronidase than did glycyrrhizin, a known inhibitor of plant origin.     

Immunoadjuvant activity of crude lectin extracted from Momordica charantia seed

The aim of this study is to investigate the immunoadjuvant activity of the crude Momordica charantia lectin (crMCL) extracted from seed using beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) as the model antigen. BALB/c mice were injected intramuscularly with beta-gal alone or beta-gal + crMCL for up to four immunizations at two-week intervals. After administration of 2 doses, the IgG-specific titer to beta-gal was significantly higher in mice in the beta-gal + crMCL group than in that from the animals from the beta-gal alone group, while it was about the same in both groups after 1 dose. Our data suggest that crMCL may help raise antibodies under the prime and boost administration regimen and could be a potent vaccine adjuvant.     

Prognostic factors for dogs with surgically resected gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Few reports have investigated prognosis of canine gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) cases treated by surgical resection alone. In the present study, we investigated the overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors for dogs with GIST treated by surgical complete resection alone. Fifty-three dogs were included, and the median OS was 18 months. Multivariate analysis showed that primary tumors in small intestine (P=0.04) is significantly associated with shorter OS, and median OS of the cases with cecum lesion and those with small intestine lesion was 22 and 6 months, respectively. The present study suggested primary tumor site was a novel prognostic factor for dogs with GIST treated by surgical complete resection alone.     

Malachite-green-removing properties of a bacterial strain isolated from fish ponds in Thailand

Malachite green (MG) has been focused on as a biotreatment target and its biological properties have also been an issue in food fish aquaculture. An MG-removing bacterium was isolated from aquaculture fish pond sediment samples in Thailand. The isolate, strain T-5-2, is a Gram-negative, aerobic rod-shaped bacterium, and has been identified as a member of the Pseudomonas putida group. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR) analysis of a broth culture medium containing MG showed that the concentration of MG decreased markedly and that other molecules, including leucomalachite green (LMG), were generated. Moreover, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis showed that the MG concentration in the broth culture medium continuously decreased. This analysis also demonstrated that the concentration of LMG initially increased and then gradually decreased. Furthermore, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis showed 4-(dimethylamino)benzophenone (4DABP) as a degradation component of MG, which was confirmed by ¹H-NMR and LC–MS/MS analysis. These findings suggest that this bacterial strain can remove MG in broth culture and degrade it to certain metabolites, including LMG and 4DABP. This study is the first detailed evaluation by the combination of LC–MS/MS, GC–MS, and ¹H-NMR analyses of an MG-removing bacterium isolated from Thai aquaculture fish ponds.     

Isolation and characterization of an additional crustacean hyperglycemic hormone from the greasyback shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metapenaeus ensis</Emphasis>

Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) is released from the X-organ/sinus gland complex located in the eyestalks. In this study, the most abundant CHH in the sinus gland of the greasyback shrimp Metapenaeus ensis was purified by reversed-phase HPLC and identified by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Although two CHH molecules (Mee-CHH-A and Mee-CHH-B) have already been identified from M. ensis by cDNA cloning, this study revealed the presence of an additional CHH peptide based on differences in the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the CHH-A and CHH-B. Therefore, this novel CHH was designated as Mee-CHH-C. A cDNA encoding the Mee-CHH-C precursor was cloned by RT-PCR coupled with 5′- and 3′-RACE, and it was found that the mature Mee-CHH-C consisted of 72 amino acid residues containing 6 conserved cysteine residues and possessed an amidated C terminus. Mee-CHH-C had 62 and 68% identities with Mee-CHH-A and Mee-CHH-B, respectively, and was highly homologous to CHHs characterized from other penaeid shrimp species. The hyperglycemic activity of Mee-CHH-C was examined by an in vivo bioassay using the kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus. Injection of Mee-CHH-C increased hemolymph glucose levels significantly and dose-dependently. These results indicate that Mee-CHH-C is possibly one of the major molecules in M. ensis that regulate glucose levels in the hemolymph.     

Relationships between the first ovulation postpartum and polymorphism in genes relating to function of immunity, metabolism and reproduction in high-producing dairy cows

The decrease in fertility and conception rates of high-producing dairy cows is one of the major negative impacts for today's producers. The recovery of ovarian activity postpartum is affected by the status of immunity, metabolism and reproduction and plays a critical role in subsequent fertility after parturition in the cow. In the present study we investigated the relationships between polymorphisms in genes relating to the above functions and the first postpartum ovulation as a marker of the recovery of ovarian function in the cow. In immune function related-factors, the occurrence of first postpartum ovulation within 3 weeks in the C/C genotypes of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) exon (55.4%) and the A/G genotypes of TNFα promoter (55.4%) was significantly higher than that in T/T genotypes of TNFα exon (14.3%) and A/A genotypes of TNFα promoter (14.3%). Moreover, anovulatory cows with the T/T genotype of TNFα exon and the A/A genotype of TNFα promoter tended to have a prolonged days open compared with those of the other genotypes of TNFα polymorphisms. In metabolic function-related factors, ovulatory and anovulatory cows had a different distribution for alleles of the growth hormone receptor, but there were no significant differences in genotype and allele frequency of insulin-like growth factor-I polymorphism. No significant relationships were found between ovarian function after parturition and polymorphisms for reproduction-related genes. In conclusion, polymorphisms of TNFα gene both in exon and promoter regions have a strong association with the early first ovulation within 3 weeks after parturition in the high-producing dairy cow. Taken together, polymorphisms of TNFα gene could be strongly related to early first ovulation after parturition, thus being an effective tool of selection for improving reproductive performance in the high-producing dairy cow.     

Sex differences in metabolic rate and swimming performance in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha): the effect of male secondary sexual traits

Do secondary sexual traits, such as large dorsal hump and hooked snout, decrease the swimming efficiency of male pink salmon during freshwater migration? This is the first study to address the effects of secondary sexual traits in pink salmon on oxygen uptake and swimming capacity. We conducted a laboratory experiment using a swimming respirometer and a field study using electromyogram (EMG) telemetry in the Shibetsu River, Hokkaido, Japan. We compared the relationship between MO₂ (mg O₂·kg^?1·h^?1) and swimming velocity U (m·s^?1) in male and female fish, and also investigated the effects of morphological traits (secondary sexual characters) on the relationship between MO₂ (mg O₂·kg^?1·h^?1) and swimming velocity U (m·s^?1). Additionally, we compared energy costs and swimming behaviour during upstream migration between male and female pink salmon. The laboratory experiment revealed that MO₂ exponentially increased with increasing U; this increase was described by MO₂ = 167.9e^1.23U for males and 144.9e^1.14U for females. Linear mixed models found that hump height and the upper jaw length in males significantly and positively affected the relationship between MO₂ and U; no effect was found in females. The field study found that swimming velocity for both sexes estimated from EMG calibration was lower than optimal swimming velocity (U_opt) calculated from the laboratory experiment. We suggest that pink salmon in the Shibetsu River do not swim at the optimal swimming velocity because of the short migration distance involved (20 km).     

Low-dose recombinant canine interferon-γ for treatment of canine atopic dermatitis: An open randomized comparative trial of two doses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the minimum effective dose of recombinant canine interferon-γ (rCaIFN-γ) for the treatment of dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). Thirty-four dogs with AD from 17 animal hospitals in Japan were administered half or one-fifth of the approved rCaIFN-γ dose of 10 000 units/kg, three times a week for 4 weeks, followed by once weekly for an additional 4 weeks. Pruritus, excoriation, erythema and alopecia were evaluated and scored by the investigators on weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12. The efficacy rate (number of excellent cases + number of good cases/total number of cases) at week 8 in the 2000 units/kg group was 36.4% for pruritus, 36.4% for excoriation, 45.5% for erythema and 36.4% for alopecia. In contrast, in the 5000 units/kg group, the efficacy rate was 64.3% for pruritus, 57.1% for excoriation, 78.6% for erythema and 78.6% for alopecia. The efficacy rate of the 5000 units/kg group was high for all signs evaluated and comparable to that of the 10 000 units/kg group reported in a previous study. The results of this study showed that 2000 units/kg of rCaIFN-γ is less effective than 5000 units/kg to treat dogs with AD, and the efficacy of the 5000 units/kg dose is comparable to that of 10 000 units/kg at week 8.