GM1 gangliosidosis in a Japanese domestic cat: a new variant identified in Hokkaido,Japan

A male Japanese domestic cat with retarded growth in Hokkaido, Japan, showed progressive motor dysfunction, such as ataxia starting at 3 months of age and tremors, visual disorder and seizure after 4 months of age. Finally, the cat died of neurological deterioration at 9 months of age. Approximately half of the peripheral blood lymphocytes had multiple abnormal vacuoles. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bisymmetrical hyperintensity in the white matter of the parietal and occipital lobes in the forebrain on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images, and mild encephalatrophy of the olfactory bulbs and temporal lobes. The activity of lysosomal acid β-galactosidase in leukocytes was negligible, resulting in the biochemical diagnosis of GM1 gangliosidosis. Histologically, swollen neurons characterized by accumulation of pale, slightly granular cytoplasmic materials were observed throughout the central nervous system. Dysmyelination or demyelination and gemistocytic astrocytosis were observed in the white matter. Ultrastructually, membranous cytoplasmic bodies were detected in the lysosomes of neurons. However, genetic analysis did not identify the c.1448G>C mutation, which is the single known mutation of feline GM1 gangliosidosis, suggesting that the cat was affected with a new variant of the feline disease.     

Spontaneous well-differentiated pancreatic islet cell carcinoma with vascular invasion in a male F344 rat

This case report describes a case of spontaneous pancreatic islet cell carcinoma with vascular invasion in a 110-week-old male F344 rat. Histologically, a pancreatic nodule consisting of tumor cells and many blood-rich vessels, and covered with a fibrous capsule showed local invasion in the capsule and adjacent acinar tissues, encircling a large duct-like structure (DS). The tumor was composed of well-differentiated tumor cells resembling normal pancreatic islet cells, which had small round nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Mitotic figures were rare. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the tumor cells were positive for insulin. Although endothelial cells were not detected, the DS wall showed cells positive for α-smooth muscle actin and elastic fibers, suggesting that the DS is the pancreatic artery. This is a rare case of islet cell carcinoma consisting of well-differentiated tumor cells with invasion of the pancreatic artery in a rat.     

Malignant pinealoma observed in the deep cerebral parenchyma of a male Wistar rat

This report describes a case of spontaneous malignant pinealoma in a 90-week-old male Wistar rat. The tumor mass occurred in the deep cerebral parenchyma and no intact pineal gland was observed in the area between the posterior-dorsal median line of the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The tumor was characterized by a large nodular proliferation occupying the central area of the brain, extending from the dorsal surface to the base of the brain, corresponding to the thalamus. The tumor cells had round to irregular oblong nuclei approximately 5–17 μm in diameter and showed faintly or moderately eosinophilic cytoplasm and indistinct cell boundaries. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for synaptophysin and partially positive for neuron-specific enolase (NSE). The tumor showed malignant features including cellular pleomorphism, high mitotic index, necrotic foci, and invasive and extensive growth and was, therefore, diagnosed as an extremely rare malignant pinealoma in the deep cerebral parenchyma.     

A possible critical dosing period of p-cumylphenol for development of cystic kidneys in rat neonates

In accordance with a previous report on cystic kidneys induced in rat neonates when dosed with p-cumylphenol (PCP) for 18 days from postnatal day (PND) 4, 3 rat neonates were dosed with PCP once a day for 14 days, either from PND 14, 21, 28, 35, or 42 as W2, W3, W4, W5, and W6 groups, respectively, to investigate whether dosing periods in different PNDs influenced the development of cystic renal tubules. The lesion was striking in the W2 group and at a lesser magnitude in the W3 group, whereas either kidney was unaffected when dosing was initiated beyond PND 28. These findings, together with the results from the previous study, suggested that PND 14-28 is a critical dosing period for PCP to develop cystic kidneys in rat neonates. The lining epithelium of the cystic tubules was immunohistochemically positive for AQP2. This finding and the anatomical location indicated that the cystic tubules were of collecting duct origin. Either obstruction, fluid accumulation, or reparative hyperplasia of the lining epithelium was unlikely to be involved in the formation of cystic tubules lined with a monolayer of cuboidal or columnar epithelium with a high nuclear density. Thus, the follow-up investigation on PCP suggested a critical dosing period of PND 14-28 in rat neonates for the development of cystic dilation of renal collecting ducts. This study further supports that additive hyperplasia of the lining epithelium is a fundamental basis of this unique lesion.     

The influence of barley malt protein modification on beer foam stability and their relationship to the barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I) as a possible foam-promoting protein

The foam stability of beer is one of the important key factors in evaluating the quality of beer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of malt modification (degradation of protein, starch, and so on) and the beer foam stability. This was achieved by examining foam-promoting proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). We found that the foam stability of beer samples brewed from the barley malts of cultivars B and C decreased as the level of malt modification increased; however, the foam stability of cultivar A did not change. To identify the property providing the increased foam stability of cultivar A, we analyzed beer proteins using 2DE. We analyzed three fractions that could contain beer foam-promoting proteins, namely, beer whole proteins, salt-precipitated proteins, and the proteins concentrated from beer foam. As a result, we found that in cultivar A, some protein spots did not change in any of these three protein fractions even when the level of malt modification increased, although the corresponding protein spots in cultivars B and C decreased. We analyzed these protein spots by peptide mass finger printing using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As a result, all of these spots were identified as barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I). These results suggest that BDAI-I is an important contributor to beer foam stability.     

基于NIR和GIS的甘蔗含糖量与种植条件关系研究

为监测较大区域内甘蔗产量及含糖量的时间、空间变化情况,了解地区、环境及土壤成分与甘蔗含糖量的关系,为甘蔗栽培提供指导,以日本琉球群岛南大东岛甘蔗栽培区为对象,用NIR方法测定甘蔗含糖量及其他成分含量,采用GIS技术建立地块位置、甘蔗产量、含糖量及P、K含量和土壤K含量数据库。在此基础上,建立3个栽培年度甘蔗含糖量、单产与甘蔗汁P、K含量的空间分布图,发现甘蔗含糖量与降水量及种植区水环境密切相关。对甘蔗含糖量及P、K含量和土壤K含量的相关分析表明,甘蔗含糖量与甘蔗汁P含量呈正相关,而与甘蔗汁和土壤K含量均呈负相关。     

Effect of temperature and cell density on ethanol fermentation by a thermotolerant aquatic yeast strain isolated from a hot spring environment

ABSTRACT: A thermotolerant, fermentative yeast strain named RND13 from a hot spring drainage was evaluated for its ethanol-producing ability at elevated temperatures at a high substrate concentration [15% (w/v) glucose] close to the level reflecting industrial practice. The RND13 was capable of utilizing glucose almost completely at 40°C with increasing inoculum size, producing ethanol up to 6.6% (w/v), which is comparable to levels (7.0–7.2%) at 30°C. The maximum rate of ethanol production by the RND13 was found to be 9.0 g/L per h at 40°C in an inoculum sized 5% (w/v). At 43°C, however, the RND13 could not utilize glucose to completion and showed a slight drop in the extent of produced ethanol [6.0% (w/v)]. Thus, the culture at 40°C with a 5% cell inoculum was considered to be the optimal condition for ethanol production at higher temperatures in terms of batch fermentation. In the phylogenetic analysis based on the small-subunit rDNA sequence, the strain was grouped together with both Candida glabrata and Kluyveromyces delphensis , which are relatively close to Saccharomyces cerevisiae .