Oxidative degradation of bisphenol a by crude enzyme prepared from potato

When crude enzymes prepared from some vegetables and fruits were incubated with bisphenol A (2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, BPA) at 37 degrees C, BPA was oxidized by crude enzymes from potato, eggplant, and lettuce. The crude enzyme prepared from potato (Solanum tuberosum) had the strongest oxidative activity for BPA. Its optimal temperature and pH were 40-45 degrees C and 8.0, respectively. More than 95% of BPA was oxidized after the incubation with potato enzyme for 60 min. BPA gave two oxidation products besides insoluble compounds during the oxidation by potato enzyme. The oxidation products were identified to be 4[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methyl-ethyl]-benzene-1,2-diol and 4[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methyl-ethyl]-benzene-1,3-diol. Enzymatically oxidized BPA lost the estrogen-like activity to enhance the growth of human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells.     

Effectiveness of an elemental sulfur fertilizer in an oilseed‐cereal‐legume rotation on the Canadian prairies

Adequate sulfur (S) nutrition is critical for sustaining yields in crop rotation systems. Because of slow oxidation of elemental S (S°), research on S° fertilizers has emphasized improving the short‐term availability, while the long‐term effects of S° have been overlooked. The effectiveness of a dispersible granule S° fertilizer (SF: Sulfer95), consisting of S° particles smaller than any S° fertilizer reported in literature (< 44 μm in diameter), was compared to gypsum (CS: CaSO₄) and ammonium sulfate [AS: (NH₄)₂SO₄] in a three‐year experiment (1997—1999) on a moderately S deficient Black Chernozem soil (Typic Cryoboroll). The three S fertilizers were applied to canola (Brassica rapa L.) at 20, 40, and 80 kg S ha^‐1, supplemented with corresponding rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer in the first year. The control treatment (CT) received N only. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and peas (Pisum sativum L.) were grown in the second and third years to test the availability of residual S. Although the yield of canola in SF fertilized treatments was only slightly higher than in CT, available S provided by SF produced a higher physiological S efficiency (PSE). Superior yields with residual SF were obtained in the second and third years by barley and peas at the rate of 80 kg S ha^‐1 applied in the first year, indicating that slow oxidation of SF was beneficial to the crops subsequently grown. Over three years, the total crop S uptake was 21, 4.0, and 15% higher with SF than with CT, CS, and AS, respectively.     

Histological dermal changes caused by preparation and application procedures in percutaneous dose toxicity studies in dogs,rabbits and rats

We reevaluated histological slides of dorsal skin in control animals from past percutaneous dose toxicity studies using dogs, rabbits and rats to provide background data concerning histological changes related to preparation and application procedures and vehicles or embrocations of every variety. Acanthosis, dermal or perifollicular inflammatory cell infiltration in dogs; hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, dermal inflammatory cell infiltration or hemorrhage in rabbits; and acanthosis, dermal inflammatory cell infiltration, crust or foreign body granuloma in rats were present as procedure-related underlying histological changes in the control animals. Four mechanical acts, (1) rubbing with gauze to remove an administered substance for reapplication, (2) use of a taut bandage to avoid slipping from the application site, (3) peeling a patch off as a preparation procedure for reapplication, and (4) clipping or shaving, were considered to cause injury to the skin. The degree of influence of the various application procedures was found to be as follows: sham, lotion < cream < ointment and tape in dogs; untreated control, sham < lotion < tape and poultice in rabbits; and sham, sodium carboxymethylcellulose < olive oil and lotion < ointment and tape in rats. The degree of ointment influence on rabbits is equivocal.     

Administration of two oils rich in n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to rat pups of dams fed a diet high in fat and low in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) with 20 or 22 carbons are considered important to the development of infants and sometimes added to infant formulae. In this study, two characteristic sources of n-3 LCPUFA (fish oil and microalgal oil) were orally administrated to rat pups of mildly n-3 PUFA — deficient dams to compare the consequences of the administration. The milk from the dams fed a n-3 PUFA — restricted diet contained less n-3 LCPUFA than that of the dams fed a control diet. Pups were administered 1 mg/g weight of the test oil at the age of 5–7 days. At the age of 7 days, they were sacrificed before or after the administration and fatty acid compositions of the stomach and serum lipid were studied. The administration changed docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n−3) levels in the stomach contents and serum lipids with time. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n−3) levels increased immediately after the administration of fish oil. The administration of microalgal oil also affected the serum lipid EPA level, in spite of a lack of EPA. In this study, both oils effectively supplemented DHA. Fish oil returned the serum EPA level close to the control value while microalgae oil had little effect.     

Expression and localization of alpha-tubulin N-acetyltransferase 1 in the reproductive system of male mice

The structure of microtubules is essential for the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Acetylation of α-tubulin plays an important role in flagellar elongation and spermatozoa motility. Previous reports have suggested that alpha-tubulin N-acetyltransferase 1 (ATAT1) is the main acetyltransferase involved in the acetylation of α-tubulin. Although ATAT1 is reported to express in the testis, no information is available regarding its expression in elongated spermatids, epididymis, and mature spermatozoa. Hence, it remains unclear whether ATAT1 is involved in spermatozoa maturation and capacitation. Therefore, we evaluated the expression of ATAT1 in the mouse male reproductive system using immunostaining and western blotting. Our results showed that ATAT1 was expressed in spermatids during spermiogenesis in mouse testes, but its expression varied according to the seminiferous tubule stage. We observed ATAT1 in the cytoplasm of round spermatids, the flagella of elongated spermatids, and in the cytoplasm of step 16 spermatids, just before its release into the lumen. In addition, ATAT1 was expressed in epithelial cells of the epididymis. In spermatozoa of the cauda epididymis, ATAT1 expression was primarily observed in the midpiece of the spermatozoa. The localization of ATAT1 protein in the male germline was observed during spermiogenesis as well as during spermatozoa maturation. Our results suggest that ATAT1 may be involved in the formation of flagella and in the acetylation process, which has attracted attention in recent years regarding male infertility.     

Development of herbicides for paddy rice in Japan

The history of the development of herbicides for mechanized paddy rice production in Japan can be characterized by a combination of products with several ingredients, by large availability in formulation, and by application methods for labor saving in accordance with natural and social conditions of the country, for instance, around 40% of national land located in hilly and mountainous areas, small size paddy fields consolidated in approximately 0.3 ha on average and so on. As for combination products, one‐shot herbicides that can control both annual and perennial weeds, including grasses, sedges and broadleaved weeds, mainly with sulfonylureas have been a major means of rice production since the 1980s. One‐shot herbicides have been improved by using newly developed chemicals with excellent herbicidal efficacy, such as acetolactate synthase (ALS), 4‐hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (4‐HPPD), protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) and very‐long‐chain fatty acid elongase (VLCFAE) inhibitors, and by combining ingredients that are effective against sulfonylurea‐resistant (SU‐R) biotypes of lowland weeds. The latest type of one‐shot herbicides can control noxious species such as Eleocharis kuroguwai as well as other ordinal species. Regarding herbicide formulation, “1 kg granule,” “Jumbo,” “Flowable,” “Diffusion granule” and so on have been developed to save farmers the troubles of applying herbicides. As for application methods, “at‐transplanting application,” “at‐irrigation inlet application” and utilization of radio‐controlled helicopters or boats were put into practical use as labor‐saving technology. As a result, farmers were spared the severe hand‐weeding work under blazing heat during the summer season. Japan Association for Advancement of Phyto‐Regulators (JAPR) have promoted and contributed to the development of herbicides through collaboration with agrochemical companies and research organizations since it was founded in 1964. In this paper, I explain the development progress of herbicide using materials on the mode of action, the trend of one‐shot herbicides, the feature of a labor‐saving formulation and the working hours for weed management in rice production.     

Successful production of blastocysts following ultrarapid vitrification with step-wise equilibriation of germinal vesicle-stage mouse oocytes

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the viability and subsequent developmental ability of murine germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes ultrarapidly vitrified after step-wise exposure to cryoprotectants (CPAs). Oocytes were transferred to a vitrification solution composed of 15% ethylene glycol, 15% dimethyl sulfoxide and 0.5 M sucrose in a direct manner (non-preequilibrium) or in a step-wise manner (single-, two-, or ten-step preequilibrium). After ultrarapid vitrification and storage in liquid nitrogen, the oocytes were thawed, washed by diluting the CPAs in five steps, and then subjected to in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture. In the non-preequilibrium group, the rates of post-thawed oocytes surviving, maturing to metaphase-II, developing to blastocysts and to hatching/hatched blastocysts were 91.8, 87.1, 15.9 and 2.3%, respectively. In the single- and two-step groups, the corresponding rates were 97.0-98.2%, 92.2-95.0%, 22.0-29.4% and 8.8-15.6%, whereas in the ten-step group they were 98.2, 91.8, 38.6 and 22.8%, respectively. In the non-vitrified control group, the rates of oocytes maturing to metaphase-II, developing to blastocysts and to hatching/hatched blastocysts were 90.2, 75.2 and 51.5%, respectively. The present study shows that the ultrarapid vitrification of murine GV oocytes by a step-wise manner involving 10 steps preequilibrium may have an advantage in maintaining the viability and subsequent production of blastocysts.     

Vitelline cyst in the rat ileum

Congenital vitelline duct anomalies other than Meckel’s diverticulum are rare in animals. A cyst of approximately 8 mm in diameter was observed on the antimesenteric surface of the ileal serosa in a 10-week-old female Crl:CD(SD) rat. Microscopically, the cyst closely resembled the ileum, but it did not communicate with the ileal lumen. We diagnosed this case as a vitelline cyst derived from the vitelline duct based on the location where it developed and its histological behavior. In rats, only Meckel’s diverticulum has been reported with a congenital anomaly of the vitelline duct, and no other spontaneous anomalies including a vitelline cyst have been reported. This case may be the first report concerning a vitelline cyst in the rat ileum.