Transmission of toxigenic infection with airway obstruction from cats to a human.

Background: Infections caused by a zoonotic pathogen, have been reported worldwide. This microorganism is known to produce the diphtheria toxin and cause diphtheria-like illness.

Case Presentation: A 63-year-old woman with a history of diabetes and hypertension developed cold and flu-like symptoms, which gradually progressed into respiratory distress.

Auto-antibody evaluation in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and worse survival of patients with Ro52/TRIM21auto-antibody.

Some patients with interstitial pneumonia (IP) have auto-antibodies, but do not fit the criteria for specific connective tissue diseases. Examination of auto-antibodies is recommended for diagnosis idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A prospective cohort study was performed in 285 patients with IP.

Genomic analysis of a Streptomyces tsukubaensis mutant with reduced FR900525 production isolated by selection for S-(2-aminoethyl) l-cysteine resistance.

FK506 (tacrolimus), a macrolide compound with immunosuppressant activity, has been shown to be of clinical importance and has been manufactured industrially since 1993 using mutants with high FK506 production ability. These mutants have been developed from the wild strain Streptomyces tsukubaensis No. 9993.

Stress buildup and drop in inland shallow crust caused by the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake events.

To examine the change in stress between before and after the Tohoku-oki Mw9.0 earthquake, we performed stress measurements after the earthquake in the Kamaishi mine in Iwate prefecture in northern Japan, located near the northern termination of the mainshock rupture, following previous measurements before the earthquake in the same mine. The results showed that the magnitudes of the three-dimensional principal stresses and the vertical stress drastically increased after the mainshock and, at 1 year after the earthquake, were more than double those before the earthquake.

Further enhancement of FR901469 productivity by co-overexpression of cpcA, a cross-pathway control gene, and frbF in fungal sp. No. 11243.

FR901469 is a secondary metabolite with antifungal activity, produced by fungal sp. No. 11243.

Reduction of FR900525 using an S-(2-aminoethyl) l-cysteine-resistant mutant.

FK506 (tacrolimus), a macrolide compound with immunosuppressant activity, has been proven to have clinical importance and has been manufactured industrially since 1993 by using mutants with high FK506-production ability; these mutants have been developed from the wild strain Streptomyces tsukubaensis No. 9993. FR900525 is one of the by-products of FK506 production.

Identification of a putative FR901469 biosynthesis gene cluster in fungal sp. No. 11243 and enhancement of the productivity by overexpressing the transcription factor gene frbF.

FR901469 is an antifungal antibiotic produced by fungal sp. No. 11243.

Structural Characteristics and Antioxidant Activities of Fucoidans from Five Brown Seaweeds.

Five kinds of fucoidans from the brown seaweeds , , (), , and , were isolated according to a previously reported procedure with slight modification. The scavenging activities of DPPH radical, superoxide radical, and hydroxyl radical, as well as the ORAC value were measured for the isolated fucoidans. Fucoidans from , , and showed higher antioxidant activity than that from and , except for the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity.

Soluble Human Intestinal Lactoferrin Receptor: Ca(2+)-Dependent Binding to Sepharose-Based Matrices.

A soluble form of human intestinal lactoferrin receptor (shLFR) is identical to human intelectin-1 (hITLN-1), a galactofuranose-binding protein that acts as a host defense against invading pathogenic microorganisms. We found that recombinant shLFR, expressed in mammalian cells (CHO DG44, COS-1, and RK13), binds tightly to Sepharose 4 Fast Flow (FF)-based matrices in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. This binding of shLFR to Sepharose 4 FF-based matrices was inhibited by excess D-galactose, but not by D-glucose, suggesting that shLFR recognizes repeating units of α-1,6-linked D-galactose in Sepharose 4 FF.

Genome Sequence of Fungal Species No.11243, Which Produces the Antifungal Antibiotic FR901469.

Fungal species No.11243 was originally isolated from a decayed leaf sample collected in Kyoto, Japan. It produces FR901469, a 1,3-beta-glucan synthase inhibitor.

Anaphylaxis due to caffeine.

We report a rare case of anaphylaxis due to caffeine intake. A 27-year-old woman suffered her first episode of anaphylaxis and a positive skin prick test suggested that the anaphylaxis was due to an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to caffeine. She was diagnosed with caffeine allergy and has not had an allergic reaction after avoiding foods and drinks containing caffeine.

Epidemiologic Investigation of Hornet and Paper Wasp Stings in Forest Workers and Electrical Facility Field Workers in Japan.

Background: Forestry and field workers who work outdoors are at high risk for Hymenoptera stings and may develop occupation-related allergies from being stung. However, clinical and immunological surveys of Hymenoptera stings in the occupational setting have rarely been reported. We surveyed the natural history of Hymenoptera stings in Japanese forestry workers (FWs) and electrical facility field workers (EFFWs), and we assessed the utility of measuring specific (s)IgE Ab to Hymenptera venom.

Epidemiologic investigation of hornet and paper wasp stings in forest workers and electrical facility field workers in Japan.

Background: Forestry and field workers who work outdoors are at high risk for Hymenoptera stings and may develop occupation-related allergies from being stung. However, clinical and immunological surveys of Hymenoptera stings in the occupational setting have rarely been reported. We surveyed the natural history of Hymenoptera stings in Japanese forestry workers (FWs) and electrical facility field workers (EFFWs), and we assessed the utility of measuring specific (s)IgE Ab to Hymenptera venom.

Evaluation and comparison of the antioxidative potency of various carbohydrates using different methods.

A detailed analysis of the antioxidative activity of 12 carbohydrates including chondroitin sulfate, fucoidan, agaro-oligosaccharide, 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose (DOI), Galbeta1-4DOI, D-glucuronic acid, chitobiose, D-mannosamine, D-galactosamine, D-glucosamine, heparin, and colominic acid was performed using four established methods: 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity assay, and the deoxyribose method. Ascorbic acid and/or catechin were used as positive standards. In the DPPH radical scavenging activity measurements, fucoidan, DOI, and Galbeta1-4DOI showed remarkable levels of activity, although at lower levels than ascorbic acid.

Secretory phospholipases A2 induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.

sPLA(2)s (secretory phospholipases A(2)) belong to a broad and structurally diverse family of enzymes that hydrolyse the sn -2 ester bond of glycerophospholipids. We previously showed that a secreted fungal 15 kDa protein, named p15, as well as its orthologue from Streptomyces coelicolor (named Scp15) induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells at nanomolar concentrations. We report here that both p15 and Scp15 are members of a newly identified group of fungal/bacterial sPLA(2)s.

Effect of neuronal PC12 cells on the functional properties of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells.

The effect of neuronal cells on the functional properties of intestinal epithelial cells was examined by using an in vitro coculture system. Two cell lines, Caco-2 and PC12, were respectively used as intestinal epithelial and enteric neuronal cell models. Coculture of differentiated Caco-2 cells with PC12 caused a significant decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) value of the Caco-2 monolayer.

Identification and characterization of Scp15, a protein from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) inducing neurites in PC12 cells.

We previously showed that a fungal protein, p15, induces neurite outgrowth and differentiation of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. We report here the identification and characterization of a protein similar to p15, found in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). This hypothetical protein, tentatively named Scp15, has significant similarity with p15, including conserved positions of four cysteine residues involved in the formation of essential disulfide bonds in p15.

Magnesium-deficient medium enhances NO production in alveolar macrophages isolated from rats.

Magnesium deficiency has been shown to increase nitric oxide (NO) levels in plasma and to aggravate endotoxin lethality. The present study was performed to examine the effects of magnesium (Mg(2+))-deficient culture medium, with and without endotoxin (LPS), on NO release and inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNA levels in alveolar macrophages isolated from rats. Decreasing the Mg(2+) concentration in the culture medium from 0.