A novel non-coding DNA family in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Many repetitive elements, for example, SINEs, LINEs, LTR-retrotransposons and other SSRs are dispersed throughout eukaryotic genomes. To understand the biological function of these repetitive elements is of great current research interest. In this study, we report on the identification of a novel non-coding DNA family, designated CE1 family, in the nematode C.

Postoperative host responses in elderly patients after gastrointestinal surgery.

Background/aims: The age-associated dysregulation of hemodynamic, metabolic and immune responses contributes to the high incidence of complications after major abdominal surgery.

Methodology: Ninety-five patients who underwent gastric resection (n=51) and colorectal resection (n=44) were divided according to age into Groups A (n=45, less than 70 years old), B (n=30, 70-79 years) and C (n=20, over 80 years). Flow cytometric analysis of CD4+ lymphocytes for interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 production determined the Th1/2 balance.

Prevalence of pannus formation after aortic valve replacement: clinical aspects and surgical management.

Pannus formation after aortic valve replacement is not common, but obstruction due to chronic pannus is one of the most serious complications of valve replacement. The causes of pannus formation are still unknown and effective preventive methods have not been fully elucidated. We reviewed our clinical experience of all patients who underwent reoperation for prosthetic aortic valve obstruction due to pannus formation between 1973 and 2004.

Expression of growth hormone family and growth hormone receptor during early development in the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica).

In a previous study, we identified cDNAs encoding the growth hormone receptor (eGHR1) and eGHR1 homologue (eGHR2) in Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica). In the present study, changes in the developmental expression of growth hormone (GH), eGHR1 and eGHR2 were investigated in the Japanese eel eggs and preleptocephali by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical methods in an attempt to examine the involvement of these proteins in larval growth. The GH transcripts and the production of GH protein were not detected in the newly hatched larvae and preleptocephali at day 3 post-hatch, however, these were detected at day 6 post-hatch, and also detected at higher levels at day 10 post-hatch.

VHA-8, the E subunit of V-ATPase, is essential for pH homeostasis and larval development in C. elegans.

Vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is an ATP-dependent proton pump, which transports protons across the membrane. It is a multi-protein complex which is composed of at least 13 subunits. The Caenorhabditis elegans vha-8 encodes the E subunit of V-ATPase which is expressed in the hypodermis, intestine and H-shaped excretory cells.

Thiourea-induced thyroid hormone depletion impairs testicular recrudescence in the air-breathing catfish, Clarias gariepinus.

We used thiourea-induced thyroid hormone depletion as a strategy to understand the influence of thyroid hormones on testicular recrudescence of the air-breathing catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Treatment with 0.03% thiourea via immersion for 21 days induced hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone depletion) as evidenced by significantly reduced serum T(3) levels.

Prevalence and avoidance of patient-prosthesis mismatch in aortic valve replacement in small adults.

Background: It is still controversial as to whether a small prosthesis should be inserted or a small aortic annulus should be enlarged to minimize patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM). This retrospective study reviewed our strategy for avoiding PPM.

Methods: Isolated or combined aortic valve replacement was performed in 181 patients, including 24 patients (13.

Molecular characterization of three forms of vitellogenin and their yolk protein products during oocyte growth and maturation in red seabream (Pagrus major), a marine teleost spawning pelagic eggs.

Full-length cDNAs encoding three forms of vitellogenin (Vg) were obtained from a liver cDNA library of estrogen-treated red seabream, Pagrus major. Two of the three Vg sequences had high homology with type-A and -B Vgs (VgA and VgB) of other teleosts. The third red seabream Vg was classified as a type-C or phosvitinless (Pvl) Vg due to its lack of a phosvitin (Pv) domain.

Midterm results of mitral valve repair with the Carpentier-Edwards rigid ring.

Objective: Prosthetic annuloplasty rings play an important role in mitral valve repair. This clinical study was undertaken to evaluate the midterm results obtained with the Carpentier-Edwards rigid ring.

Methods: Between October 1991 and March 2005, 112 patients (mean age 53.

Clostridium perfringens foodborne outbreak due to braised chop suey supplied by chafing dish.

On February 13, 2002, a public health center in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, was notified that many individuals living at the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force base had symptoms resembling those of food poisoning. Self-administered questionnaires requesting information regarding meal consumption and symptoms were distributed to all 281 members at the base. A case of the illness was defined as a member who had had watery or mucousy stool, or loose stool with abdominal cramps, more than twice a day after consuming dinner on February 12.

Preparative monohydroxyflavanone syntheses and a protocol for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of monohydroxyflavanones.

We describe a facile efficient, and preparative approach for monohydroxyflavanone syntheses. Using this protocol, a hydroxyl is regio-selectively introduced at one carbon of a flavanone A- or B-ring per synthesis. The seven possible isomers were each synthesized from the corresponding monomethoxymethoxylated 2'-hydroxychalcones in acidic solution.

The homeoproteins MAB-18 and CEH-14 insulate the dauer collagen gene col-43 from activation by the adjacent promoter of the Spermatheca gene sth-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Genome searches in this study indicate that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans genome has 2582 bidirectionally oriented genes that account for more than 25% of the total genes. We analyze the transcriptional repression system for one of these predicted bidirectional promoters, which controls the expression of the spermathecal gene sth-1 and collagen gene col-43. These two genes are separated by 1.

The first success of glass eel production in the world: basic biology on fish reproduction advances new applied technology in aquaculture.

The eel has long been esteemed as an important food fish in the world, especially in Japan, and has been used as an experimental fish for many fields of fish physiology. However, the decreases in eel resources have been a serious concern in recent years. The catches of glass eels as seedlings for aquaculture have shown a long-term decrease in both Europe and East Asia.

Immunocytochemical localization of gonadotropins during the development of XX and XY Nile tilapia.

Gonadal development and steroidogenesis in teleosts is regulated by two gonadotropic hormones; luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Earlier studies in tilapia have shown that FSH-beta and LH-beta appear by 14 days after hatching (dah), results from the current study corroborate with these previous reports in tilapia. Here we demonstrate the appearance of LH in pituitary between 14 and 20 dah.

Seabream GnRH: partial cDNA cloning, localization and stage-dependent expression in the ovary of snake head murrel, Channa striatus.

Vertebrate reproduction is under the neuroendocrine control of the hypothalamic decapeptide GnRH which synchronizes various reproductive events and influences other reproduction related aspects like spawning behavior and pheromonal action in fish. Multiple forms of GnRH peptides have been reported across diverse vertebrate and invertebrate classes. Here we report the partial seabream GnRH (sbGnRH) cDNA sequence cloned from the brain of Channa striatus (snake head murrel) a fresh water perciform with immense economic and medicinal value across Asiatic countries.

Tissue expression of four troponin I genes and their molecular interactions with two troponin C isoforms in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Gene duplication is a major genetic event that can produce multiple protein isoforms. Comparative sequence and functional analysis of related gene products can provide insights into protein family evolution. To characterize the Caenorhabditis elegans troponin I family, we analyzed gene structures, tissue expression patterns and RNAi phenotypes of four troponin I isoforms.

Oxidation and rearrangements of flavanones by mammalian cytochrome P450.

To clarify the metabolic pathways of flavanones in mammals, the metabolism of (+/-)-flavanone and (+/-)-4'-methoxyflavanone by rat liver microsomes and recombinant human P450s in which structural changes are readily identifiable were examined. The beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent formation of flavone plus (+/-)-2,3-trans-flavanonol and of 4'-methoxyflavone plus (+/-)-2,3-trans-4'-methoxyflavanonol, respectively, by rat liver microsomes was observed. The same metabolites were generated by recombinant human P450s in addition to the formation of isoflavone from (+/-)-flavanone.

A self-assembling protein template for constrained synthesis and patterning of nanoparticle arrays.

Self-assembling biomolecules that form highly ordered structures have attracted interest as potential alternatives to conventional lithographic processes for patterning materials. Here, we introduce a general technique for patterning nanoparticle arrays using two-dimensional crystals of genetically modified hollow protein structures called chaperonins. Constrained chemical synthesis of transition metal nanoparticles is initiated using templates functionalized with polyhistidine sequences.

A novel enzymatic reaction for converting DNA to CO-DNA.

We have found previously that DNA from both the chick cerebrum and cardiac muscle has a modified structure. We named this novel DNA, CO-DNA. CO-DNA is a form of DNA in which a carbonyl group is attached to C-1 of the 2-deoxyribose and to the nitrogenous base.

Synthesis of deuterium-labeled flavanones.

Deuterium incorporation at the C-3 position of flavanones was achieved by treatment of flavanones and 2'-hydroxychalcones with D3PO4 and AcOD. We propose that the deuteration reaction mechanism for 2'-hydroxychalcones substrates is as follows. In the first step, 2'-hydroxychalcones cyclize to the corresponding flavanones by an intramolecular Michael-type reaction.

Effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone on pituitary-ovarian axis of one-year old pre-pubertal red seabream.

To identify the pubertal development of the brain-pituitary-gonad (BPG) axis in female red seabream (Pagrus major), we investigated the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) on seabream (sb) GnRH mRNA levels in the brain, gonadotropin subunit mRNA levels in the pituitary, and serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and estradiol-17beta (E2) in pre-pubertal fish. Sexually immature 12-month-old fish were implanted with a cholesterol pellet containing GnRHa and maintained for 10-20 days. In the brain, GnRHa had no effect on sbGnRH mRNA levels.

DNA modification in chick heart and cerebrum.

Heart muscle cells and cerebral neurons are known to lose the ability to proliferate and are called terminally differentiated cells. They are generated in appropriate numbers during embryogenesis and retained throughout adult life without turnover. We are interested in such a long-lived DNA.

Effect of photoperiod manipulation on the daily rhythms of melatonin and reproductive hormones in caged European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

Reproduction in fish is cyclical and timed to guarantee the survival of the offspring. Seasonal variations in reproductive hormones of fish have been deeply investigated in fish over the last years. However, there are few studies regarding the daily changes in reproductive hormone profiles in teleosts.

Pathophysiological functions of CD30+ CD4+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis.

High levels of soluble CD30 (sCD30) were detected in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), indicating the involvement of CD30+ T cells in the pathogenesis. We investigated the induction of CD30 and its functions in CD4+T cells from patients with established RA (disease duration >_2 years). CD4+ T cells from both the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial tissue (ST) of RA patients expressed surface CD30 when stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody (Ab) and anti-CD28 Ab, but their CD30 induction was slower and weaker compared with PB CD4+ T cells of healthy controls (HC).