Neuromedin S exerts an antidiuretic action in rats

We recently identified neuromedin S (NMS) as an endogenous ligand for the FM-4/TGR-1 receptor. Here, we examined the possible involvement of central NMS in regulation of urinary output and vasopressin (AVP) release in rats. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of NMS induced a dose-dependent increase in the plasma level of AVP, followed by a decrease of nocturnal urinary output. Expression of cFos after icv injection of NMS was observed in the supachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and supraoptic nucleus (SON). The cFos expressing cells in PVN and SON, but not SCN, were then double-stained using antibodies against the vasopressin. On the other hand, icv injection of neuromedin U, which also binds to the FM-4/TGR-1 receptor, required a concentration ten times higher than that of NMS in order to exert the same antidiuretic potency. These results suggest that central NMS may exert a physiological antidiuretic action via vasopressin release.     

Contribution of multi-antimicrobial resistance to the population of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli isolated from apparently healthy pigs in Japan

The aim of this study was to clarify the involvement of tetracycline usage in resistance rates against other antimicrobials. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out on 545 porcine Escherichia coli isolates throughout Japan. As the result of analyzing by regions, resistance rates against kanamycin, oxytetracycline and trimethoprim in the Kanto/Koshinetu district were higher than those in some other districts. High resistance rates against kanamycin or trimethoprim in oxytetracycline-resistant isolates were also observed in the Kanto/Koshinetu district. The prevalence of multi-antimicrobial resistance through co-selection of resistances against kanamycin or trimethoprim by tetracycline usage could be the cause of regional differences in these resistances in porcine E. coli. By a communicative surveillance, kanamycin- and trimethoprim-resistance rates were likely to be elevated with tetracycline usage. Thus, usage of specific antimicrobial(s) is a remarkable viewpoint to control antimicrobial resistant bacteria.     

Effects of Green Tea Gargling on the Prevention of Influenza Infection in High School Students: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background

The anti-influenza virus activity of green tea catechins has been demonstrated in experimental studies, but clinical evidence has been inconclusive. School-aged children play an important role in the infection and spread of influenza in the form of school-based outbreaks. Preventing influenza infection among students is essential for reducing the frequency of epidemics and pandemics. As a non-pharmaceutical intervention against infection, gargling is also commonly performed in Asian countries but has not yet been extensively studied.

Methods and Findings

A randomized, open label, 2-group parallel study of 757 high school students (15 to 17 years of age) was conducted for 90 days during the influenza epidemic season from December 1st, 2011 to February 28th, 2012, in 6 high schools in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The green tea gargling group gargled 3 times a day with bottled green tea, and the water gargling group did the same with tap water. The water group was restricted from gargling with green tea. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza using immunochromatographic assay for antigen detection. 757 participants were enrolled and 747 participants completed the study (384 in the green tea group and 363 in the water group). Multivariate logistic regression indicated no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza between the green tea group (19 participants; 4.9%) and the water group (25 participants; 6.9%) (adjusted OR, 0.69; 95%CI, 0.37 to 1.28; P = 0.24). The main limitation of the study is the adherence rate among high school students was lower than expected.

Conclusions

Among high school students, gargling with green tea three times a day was not significantly more efficacious than gargling with water for the prevention of influenza infection. In order to adequately assess the effectiveness of such gargling, additional large-scale randomized studies are needed.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01225770","term_id":"NCT01225770"}}NCT01225770     

Biochemical and Genetic Characterization of Mundticin KS, an Antilisterial Peptide Produced by Enterococcus mundtii NFRI 7393

Mundticin KS, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus mundtii NFRI 7393 isolated from grass silage in Thailand, is active against closely related lactic acid bacteria and the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. In this study, biochemical and genetic characterization of mundticin KS was done. Mundticin KS was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, sequential ion-exchange chromatography, and solid-phase extraction. The gene cluster (mun locus) for mundticin KS production was cloned, and DNA sequencing revealed that the mun locus consists of three genes, designated munA, munB, and munC. The munA gene encodes a 58-amino-acid mundticin KS precursor, munB encodes a protein of 674 amino acids involved in translocation and processing of the bacteriocin, and munC encodes a mundticin KS immunity protein of 98 amino acids. Amino acid and nucleotide sequencing revealed the complete, unambiguous primary structure of mundticin KS; mundticin KS comprises a 43-amino-acid peptide with an amino acid sequence similar to that of mundticin ATO6 produced by E. mundtii ATO6. Mundticin KS and mundticin ATO6 are distinguished by the inversion of the last two amino acids at their respective C termini. These two mundticins were expressed in Escherichia coli as recombinant peptides and found to be different in activity against certain Lactobacillus strains, such as Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus curvatus. Mundticin KS was successfully expressed by transformation with the recombinant plasmid containing the mun locus in heterogeneous hosts such as E. faecium, L. curvatus, and Lactococcus lactis. Based on our results, the mun locus is located on a 50-kb plasmid, pML1, of E. mundtii NFRI 7393.     

Investigation of the structural requirements of K-Ras(G12D) selective inhibitory peptide KRpep-2d using alanine scans and cysteine bridging

A structure-activity relationship study of a K-Ras(G12D) selective inhibitory cyclic peptide, KRpep-2d was performed. Alanine scanning of KRpep-2d focusing on the cyclic moiety showed that Leu⁷, Ile⁹, and Asp¹² are the key elements for K-Ras(G12D) selective inhibition of KRpep-2d. The cysteine bridging was also examined to identify the stable analog of KRpep-2d under reductive conditions. As a result, the KRpep-2d analog (12) including mono-methylene bridging showed potent K-Ras(G12D) selective inhibition in both the presence and the absence of dithiothreitol. This means that mono-methylene bridging is an effective strategy to obtain a reduction-resistance analog of parent disulfide cyclic peptides. Peptide 12 inhibited proliferation of K-Ras(G12D)-driven cancer cells significantly. These results gave valuable information for further optimization of KRpep-2d to provide novel anti-cancer drug candidates targeting the K-Ras(G12D) mutant.     

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF ANADARA SENILIS (LINNAEUS, 1758) IN A SENEGAL LAGOON

Two populations of Anadara senilis were sampled periodicallyin a lagoon of Senegal. Spatfall occurs in summer during therainy season. Population density decreases from about 50, 000.m^–2,two months after spatfall, down to 6, 750 one year later and750 after 28 months. The average growth, measured on the surfaceof the shell, following the umbo rim axis is 0.8 mm per month.The main reduction in growth rate occurs in winter and endsby the deposition of a growth ring. A second growth reductiontakes place during the rainy season and sometimes ends by aweak growth ring. The microgrowth increments are conspicuousand widest during spring equinox. They are not directly relatedto the tidal cycle, but it was impossible to determine if theyhave a tidal or a daily periodicity. (Received 11 February 1990; accepted 16 July 1993)     

Effects of moderate hypoxia on fetal electrocortical activity, eye movements, and breathing activity in sheep

Isocapnic hypoxaemia (delta PaO2 = -8.0 +/- 0.5 mmHg; delta CaO2 = -2.86 +/- 0.20 ml/dl) was produced in fetal sheep by having the ewe breathe for one hour a gas mixture (v/v) of 10.5% O2 and 1.5% CO2 in N2. Mean fetal heart rate, blood pressure, and incidence of low voltage electrocortical activity were not affected. However, the incidence of rapid-eye-movements and breathing activity was reduced by about 40%. Breathing movements during hypoxaemia had a mean inspiratory time, breath interval, and tracheal pressure amplitude which did not differ significantly from those during control experiments in which the ewe breathed air from the plastic bag. These observations suggest that hypoxia decreases the incidence of breathing movements but does not affect the amplitude or pattern of breathing activity and that it may reduce the incidence of eye movements and breathing activity through a common mechanism.     

High-throughput genotyping assays for identification of glycophorin B deletion variants in population studies

Glycophorins are the most abundant sialoglycoproteins on the surface of human erythrocyte membranes. Genetic variation in glycophorin region of human chromosome 4 (containing GYPA, GYPB, and GYPE genes) is of interest because the gene products serve as receptors for pathogens of major public health interest, including Plasmodium sp., Babesia sp., Influenza virus, Vibrio cholerae El Tor Hemolysin, and Escherichia coli. A large structural rearrangement and hybrid glycophorin variant, known as Dantu, which was identified in East African populations, has been linked with a 40% reduction in risk for severe malaria. Apart from Dantu, other large structural variants exist, with the most common being deletion of the whole GYPB gene and its surrounding region, resulting in multiple different deletion forms. In West Africa particularly, these deletions are estimated to account for between 5 and 15% of the variation in different populations, mostly attributed to the forms known as DEL1 and DEL2. Due to the lack of specific variant assays, little is known of the distribution of these variants. Here, we report a modification of a previous GYPB DEL1 assay and the development of a novel GYPB DEL2 assay as high-throughput PCR-RFLP assays, as well as the identification of the crossover/breakpoint for GYPB DEL2. Using 393 samples from three study sites in Ghana as well as samples from HapMap and 1000 G projects for validation, we show that our assays are sensitive and reliable for genotyping GYPB DEL1 and DEL2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such high-throughput genotyping assays by PCR-RFLP for identifying specific GYPB deletion types in populations. These assays will enable better identification of GYPB deletions for large genetic association studies and functional experiments to understand the role of this gene cluster region in susceptibility to malaria and other diseases.