Volatile components of Artemisia capillaris

Terpenoid and acetylenic components not reported previously in Artemisia capillaris have been identified, including p-cymene, 5-phenyl-1, 3-diyne, dehydrofalcarinone and dehydrofalcarinol. The distribution of volatile components in different parts of the plant is described.     

Neurologically normal development of a patient with severe methionine adenosyltransferase I/III deficiency after continuing dietary methionine restriction

Background

There is not much information on established standard therapy for patients with severe methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) I/III deficiency.

Case presentation

We report a boy with MAT I/III deficiency, in whom plasma methionine and total homocysteine, and urinary homocystine were elevated. Molecular genetic studies showed him to have novel compound heterozygous mutations of the MAT1A gene: c.191T>A (p.M64K) and c.589delC (p.P197LfsX26). A low methionine milk diet was started at 31 days of age, and during continuing dietary methionine restriction plasma methionine levels have been maintained at less than 750 μmol/L. He is now 5 years old, and has had entirely normal physical growth and psychomotor development.

Conclusions

Although some severely MAT I/III deficient patients have developed neurologic abnormalities, we report here the case of a boy who has remained neurologically and otherwise normal for 5 years during methionine restriction, suggesting that perhaps such management, started in early infancy, may help prevent neurological complications.     

Isolation and Identification of Native Auxins in Marine Algae

Endosperm cell walls were isolated from rice grains and their chemical composition was analyzed. The cell walls were composed of cellulose microfibrils and matrix phase which consisted of hemicellulose and pectic substances. Hemicellulose mainly comprised arabinoxylan, accompanied by a small amount of glucose-containing polysaccharide. Pectic substances contained polygalacturonides, some of which had side chains containing neutral sugars such as galactose and arabinose. Amino acid analysis of these fractions suggested that hydroxyproline-containing glycoproteins were contained in these cell walls and firmly bound to cellulose microfibrils.     

Attenuation of bleomycin-induced pneumopathy in mice by monoclonal antibody to interleukin-12

We previously demonstrated essential roles of the Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) pathway in bleomycin-induced pneumopathy in mice. T lymphocytes and natural killer cells express FasL on activation and use it as a cytotoxic effector molecule. Because interleukin (IL)-12 is known to play a critical role in cell-mediated immunity, we investigated whether anti-IL-12 antibody treatment suppresses the development of this model. The anti-IL-12 antibody treatment decreased the number of apoptotic cells and the degree of inflammation and fibrosis in lung tissue. The results of RT-PCR showed that IL-12p40, IL-12 receptor (R) beta2, interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and FasL mRNAs were upregulated after bleomycin instillation. The upregulation of FasL, IL-12Rbeta2, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA expression in lung tissue was suppressed by anti-IL-12 antibody treatment. The results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the levels of IL-12p40, but not of IL-12p70, were increased in lung tissue after bleomycin instillation. Although the increase in IL-12Rbeta2 mRNA levels suggests that the T helper type 1 cell response may participate in lung injury, the increase in IL-12p40 supports T helper type 2 cell predominance in the fibrotic process of this model. The administration of anti-IL-12 antibody could be a novel therapy against lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis.     

TNFα increases hypothalamic PTP1B activity via the NFκB pathway in rat hypothalamic organotypic cultures

In obesity, levels of tumor necrosis-factor α (TNFα) are well known to be elevated in adipose tissues or serum, and a high-fat diet (HFD) reportedly increases TNFα expression in the hypothalamus. The expression levels of hypothalamic protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a negative regulator of leptin and insulin signaling, are also elevated by HFD, and several lines of evidence support a relationship between TNFα and PTP1B. It remains unclear however how TNFα acts locally in the hypothalamus to regulate hypothalamic PTP1B expression and activity. In this study, we examined whether TNFα can regulate PTP1B expression and activity using rat hypothalamic organotypic cultures. Incubation of cultures with TNFα resulted in increases in mRNA expression, protein levels and activity of PTP1B in a dose- and time-dependent manner, respectively compared with controls. TNFα-induced PTP1B protein levels were not influenced by co-incubation with the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin, indicating that the action of TNFα is independent of action potentials. TNFα also increased phosphorylation of p65, a subunit of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB), in a dose- and time-dependent manner. While incubation with inhibitors of NFκB did not affect basal levels of either p65 phosphorylation or PTP1B expression, it markedly suppressed both TNFα-induced p65 phosphorylation and PTP1B expression to almost basal levels. These data suggest that TNFα acts on the hypothalamus to increase hypothalamic PTP1B expression and activity via the NFκB pathway, and that TNFα-mediated induction of NFκB in the hypothalamus may cause leptin and insulin resistance in the hypothalamus by increasing hypothalamic PTP1B activity.     

Staphylotrichum boninense, a new hyphomycete (Chaetomiaceae) from soils in the Bonin Islands, Japan

Staphylotrichum boninense, a new hyphomycete classified in the Chaetomiaceae (Ascomycota), was isolated from soils in the Bonin Islands, Japan. It is characterized morphologically by the production of yellow-orange colonies and subglobose holoblastic conidia. Morphologically the species is similar to S. coccosporum, but it is significantly different from S. coccosporum in phylogeny and also differs with respect to its secondary metabolite profile.     

Kinetically controlled nucleophilic addition-reactions to methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-2,3-dideoxy-2-nitro-α-d-erythro-hex-2-enopyranoside

Axial attack mainly occurred in the reactions of methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-2,3-dideoxy-2-nitro-α-d-erythro-hex-2-enopyranoside with sodium borodeuteride, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen cyanide, and methanol, whereas equatorial attack predominated in the reaction with sodium methoxide and tert-butyl peroxide.     

IAA Transport and Georeaction in the Flower Stalk of a Poppy, Papaver Rhoeas L.

The straightening process in the georeaction of the flower stalk(peduncle) of a poppy, Papaver Rhoeas L., was studied in relationto IAA transport in the peduncle and the receptacle. After thepeduncle had been formed, it first nodded. Cutting the flowerbud off at the nodding stage (stage 3–4 if the developmentis divided into 12 stages) caused rapid straightening of thenodding peduncle but the curvature was maintained if IAA wasapplied to the cut end of the decapitated peduncle. Applicationof 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid to the upper part of the pedunclejust below the flower bud at various growth stages caused immediatestraightening of the nodding peduncle. The IAA content in thepeduncle was lower at the straightening stages than at the noddingstage. Transport of ¹⁴C-IAA through the receptacle was lessat the straightening stages than at the nodding stage, whilethat through the peduncle was the same at these stages. Theseresults led to the conclusion that the straightening processof the poppy peduncle, which is considered to be a negativegeotropic response, is controlled by a decrease in the basipitaltransport of IAA from the flower bud to the peduncle throughthe receptacle. (Received April 12, 1982; Accepted September 13, 1982)     

Induction of CDK inhibitor p21 gene as a new therapeutic strategy against pulmonary fibrosis

Alveolar epithelial cells are known to be present at the primary site of lung damage in pulmonary fibrosis. Apoptosis has been implicated as being involved in epithelial cell damage and pulmonary fibrosis. Because the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 induces G1 arrest and DNA repair and because it also prevents apoptosis in some cells, we hypothesized that p21 gene transfer may attenuate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, the pathogenesis of which likely involves epithelial cell apoptosis. Human p21 protein was expressed in mouse alveolar epithelial cells at 1-7 days in vitro and was detected predominantly in lung epithelial cells at 1-7 days in vivo after adenoviral transfer of the human p21 gene. Inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis had already begun at 7 days in this model. Adenoviral transfer of the human p21 gene at 7 days after intratracheal instillation of bleomycin led to a decrease in the number of apoptotic cells, lung inflammation, and fibrosis at 14 days. Therefore, the forced expression of p21 exerted both anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrotic effects, which would facilitate the ultimate goal of treatment for pulmonary fibrosis.