Isolation of new protein phosphatase inhibitors from two cyanobacteria species, Planktothrix spp.

Two new protein phosphatase inhibitors, oscillamide B (1) and C (2), were isolated from the cyanobacteria Planktothrix (Oscillatoria) agardhii and P. rubescens. The structures of the inhibitors were elucidated by analysis of HRFABMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and chemical degradation.

An unusual cause of incontinence: urethral coitus.

Megalourethra and incontinence due to urethral coitus are very rare phenomena in women. In this paper, we report two cases of urinary incontinence due to urethral coitus where there was no vaginal anomaly or dysfunction.

Isolation and identification of the cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin and deoxy-cylindrospermopsin from a Thailand strain of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Cyanobacteria).

A strain of Cylindrospermopsis (Cyanobacteria) isolated from a fishpond in Thailand was examined for its taxonomy based upon morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequence. It was also examined for production of the hepatotoxic cyanotoxin called cylindrospermopsin (CYN) and deoxycylindrospermopsin (deoxy-CYN). The strain (CY-Thai) was identified as C.

[D-Leu1]Microcystin-LR, from the cyanobacterium Microcystis RST 9501 and from a Microcystis bloom in the Patos Lagoon estuary, Brazil.

[D-Leu1]Microcystin-LR was identified as the most abundant microcystin from a laboratory strain of the cyanobacterium Microcystis sp. isolated from a hepatotoxic Microcystis bloom from brackish waters in the Patos Lagoon estuary, southern Brazil. Toxicity of [D-Leu1]microcystin-LR, according to bioassay and protein phosphatase inhibition assay, was similar to that of the commonly-occurring microcystin-LR, which was not detectable in the Patos Lagoon laboratory isolate.

The cyanobacterium Nodularia PCC 7804, of freshwater origin, produces [L-Har2]nodularin.

The cyanobacterium Nodularia PCC 7804, an axenic, non gas-vacuolate strain from a freshwater source, produces several metabolites with cyanobacterial hepatotoxin characteristics. The most abundant is a cyclic pentapeptide, [L-Homoarginine2]nodularin. [L-Har2]nodularin is of similar toxicity, in terms of bioassay in vivo, and the inhibition of protein phosphatase-1 in vitro to nodularin, which was present in lesser amounts in the cultures.

High-resolution computed tomography in cases with environmental exposure to asbestos in Turkey.

Background And Objectives: Although all parts of the lung can be affected as a consequence of asbestos exposure, most CT protocols tend to scan only the middle and lower parts of the thorax. The aim of this study was to investigate parenchymal and pleural lesions of persons exposed to environmental asbestos, using a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) protocol scanning the whole thorax.

Methods: We analyzed the chest radiographs and HRCT scans of 26 patients who presented bilaterally with multiple pleural plaques related to environmental asbestos exposure.

[A case of idiopathic intussusception of the stomach].

A 73-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of vomiting. A fist-sized tumor with tenderness was palpated on his epigastric region. Fluoroscopic examination of the stomach showed narrow body and dilated antrum with intussusception.

Two (Z)-dehydrobutyrine-containing microcystins from a hepatotoxic bloom of Oscillatoria agardhii from Soulseat Loch, Scotland.

Two (Z)-dehydrobutyrine(Dhb)-containing microcystins, [d-Asp3, (Z)-Dhb7]microcystin-HtyR (1) and [d-Asp3, (Z)-Dhb7]microcystin-LR (2), were isolated from a hepatotoxic bloom of the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii from a freshwater lake in Scotland. The geometrical structure of the Dhb units in the microcystins was determined as Z on the basis of NOE and ROESY experiments.

A photodetoxification mechanism of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin microcystin-LR by ultraviolet irradiation.

When microcystin-LR was exposed to UV, three major nontoxic compounds were formed. These compounds were identified as [4(E),6(Z)-Adda5]- and [4(Z),6(E)-Adda5]microcystin-LR, which are geometrical isomers of the Adda [3-amino-9-methoxy-2,6,8-trimethyl-10-phenyl-4(E),6(E)-decadienoic acid] moiety of microcystin-LR, and a novel compound, tricyclo-Adda [(2S,3S,1'R,3'S,4'S,5'R,6'R,7'R)-3-amino-5-(4',6'-dimethyl-3'-methoxy tricyclo[5.4.

Pulmonary microvascular injury following general anaesthesia with volatile anaesthetics--halothane and isoflurane: a comparative clinical and experimental study.

Pulmonary microvascular injury has become a recently studied phenomenon that may be responsible for most of the complications associated with the lungs. Thirty patients undergoing partial hemilaminectomy or discectomy due to hernia of nucleus pulposus underwent Tc-99m HMPAO lung clearance as well as Tc-99m pertechnetate lung scintigraphy pre-operatively, and following general anaesthesia with halothane and isoflurane (third, fourth and tenth post-operative days). The results were compared with conventional techniques and haemodynamic parameters during the peri-operative period.

Oscillapeptin G, a tyrosinase inhibitor from toxic Oscillatoria agardhii.

Oscillapeptin G, a tyrosinase inhibitor, was isolated from the freshwater toxic cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii. The structure was determined to be 1 by chemical degradation and 2D NMR analyses.

Synthesis of N-(1-nitropyren-6-yl and 8-yl)-2'-deoxyribonucleosides.

A new type of 1-nitropyrene--DNA adduct via addition--elimination reaction was synthesized. Treatment of fluorinated 1-nitropyrene with 3'- and 5'-O-protected 2'-deoxyribonucleoside in dimethyl sulfoxide at 140 degrees C afforded N-(1-nitropyren-6-yl or 8-yl)-2'-deoxyribonucleoside. These DNA adducts resulted from addition of the exocyclic amino group of deoxynucleosides to the fluorinated carbon of the fluoro-1-nitropyrene following elimination of fluoride anion.

Astasin, a novel cytotoxic carbohydrate-conjugated ergosterol from the colorless euglenoid, Astasia longa.

A novel cytotoxic carbohydrate-conjugated ergosterol (astasin) was found in cells of the colorless euglenoid, Astasia longa. Astasin accounted for about 2.4% of the total lipid of the cells.

Perineural pethidine: effects of different doses on nerve conduction.

Forty healthy young volunteers were divided randomly into four equal groups. 2 ml of solutions of pethidine (meperidine) in concentrations of 0.5%, 1% and 1.

Thioic O-acid ester in sulfolipid isolated from freshwater picoplankton cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp.

A thioic O-acid ester-containing sulfolipid (thionsulfolipid) was isolated from cells of picoplankton cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. The lipid accounted for about 0.2% of the lyophilized cells.

Intraoperative measurement of saphenous vein bypass graft flow with transesophageal echocardiography.

The value of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for detecting saphenous vein coronary graft (SVG) flow was investigated. Thirty-five consecutive patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were studied intraoperatively. SVG flow characteristics obtained by TEE were compared with those gathered by an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF).

Quail spleen is enlarged by microcystin RR as a blue-green algal hepatotoxin.

Toxic effects of microcystin RR as a blue-green algal hepatotoxin in laboratory quails were examined. In order to determine the microcystin RR LD50, purified microcystin RR was injected into the peritoneum of the quails. The value obtained was 256 micrograms/kg quail.

A novel disialoganglioside in rat spleen lymphocytes.

A novel ganglioside has been identified as the predominant disialoganglioside of the lymphocytes prepared from rat spleen. The ganglioside was isolated from rat spleen and characterized by compositional analysis, methylation analysis, sialidase hydrolysis, proton NMR spectroscopy, and negative ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The structure was determined as follows.

Tetrahydropyran ring-containing fatty acid-combined taurine (tetrathermoyltaurine) in the taurolipid fraction of Tetrahymena thermophila.

A tetrahydropyran ring-containing fatty acid-combined taurine (tetrathermoyltaurine) was found in the taurolipid fraction of Tetrahymena thermophila. Tetrathermoyltaurine accounted for about 0.6% of the total taurolipid of the cells.