Serum free thyroxine and thyroxine-binding globulin concentrations in early phase of subacute thyroiditis

Serum total thyroxine (T4), total triiodothyronine (T3), T4-binding globulin (TBG), free T4(FT4) and free T3(FT3) concentrations and the T3-uptake(T3-U) value were estimated in 11 patients with subacute thyroiditis, and compared with the same parameters in 11 patients with Graves' disease, whose serum T4 concentrations were similar to the former group. Seven patients with subacute thyroiditis, who were treated with dicrofenac sodium alone, were investigated as to the sequential changes in serum parameters during their clinical courses. The mean serum T3-U value and FT4, T3 and FT3 concentrations in patients with subacute thyroiditis were increased, but all were significantly lower than those in patients with Graves' disease (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.001, respectively). Three patients with subacute thyroiditis, who showed shorter duration of symptoms than 10 days, had serum TBG excess. Thus the mean (+/- SD) serum TBG concentration (26.5 +/- 8.4 micrograms/ml) was significantly higher than that (18.3 +/- 2.9 micrograms/ml) in patients with Graves' disease (p less than 0.02). The ratios of serum T3 to T4 and FT3 to FT4 in patients with subacute thyroiditis were also significantly lower than those in patients with Graves' disease (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.001, respectively). The serum FT4 in 7 patients treated with dicrofenac sodium alone decreased to the normal range after 3 to 8 weeks from the onset of the illness. In 3 patients with TBG excess and one patient (TBG; 29.0 micrograms/ml), serum TBG declined in consequence of the serum FT4 normalization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Relative importance of temporal and spatial heterogeneity in the zooplankton community of an artificial reservoir

Zooplankton samples were collected monthly at three stations in Ogochi Reservoir during 1980, and the temporal and horizontal variations in the density of dominant taxa were evaluated by a standard 2-way ANOVA with random effects. The analysis revealed that horizontal is greater than temporal variation in the warm water season (> 18 °C), whereas temporal variation is greater in the cold water season (< 18 °C). Horizontal heterogeneity of the zooplankton community found in the warm water season seems to be associated with differences in site-specific conditions.     

Effects of dolichol and dolichyl phosphate on in vitro differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors

The exogenous addition of dolichyl phosphate (Dol-P), an active form of dolichol (Dol) that carries oligosaccharide chains for protein-N-glycosylation, significantly enhanced colony formation of mouse bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors (CFU-e, BFU-e, and CFU-gm) was stimulated by erythropoietin (Epo) and colony-stimulating factor (CSF), but Dol enhanced colony formation of CFU-e only. The effects of Dol or Dol-P on these hematopoietic progenitors were fully dependent on stimulation by Epo or CSF. Other mevalonate-metabolites, such as cholesterol, coenzyme Q10, and isopentenyladenine, had no effect on hematopoietic progenitors. These studies suggest that exogenous Dol-P enhances the frequency of differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors stimulated by Epo or CSF, and there may be a diversity in cellular response of these progenitors to Dol.     

Tumor necrosis factor as an activator of human granulocytes. Potentiation of the metabolisms triggered by the Ca2+-mobilizing agonists

TNF stimulated superoxide (O2-) release directly in human granulocytes in a dose-dependent manner (1 to 1000 U/ml), although its potency was weak. TNF-induced O2- release was inhibited by cAMP agonists or ionomycin, and was not accompanied with an increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i) and membrane potential changes (depolarization). These findings indicate that neither Ca2+ mobilization nor membrane depolarization is required for TNF-receptor-mediated cell activation. The pretreatment of human granulocytes with TNF enhanced O2- release and membrane depolarization in parallel stimulated by the receptor-mediated Ca2+-mobilizing agonists (FMLP, Con A, and wheat germ agglutinin) or the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin, but not by PMA, a direct activator of protein kinase C. The optimal effect was obtained by pretreatment of cells with 100 U/ml TNF for 5 to 10 min at 37 degrees C, although the magnitude of enhancement varied according to the agonists used as subsequent stimuli. TNF did not affect an increase in [Ca2+]i stimulated by the Ca2+-mobilizing agonists, except Con A. Con A-induced increase in [Ca2+]i was enhanced by TNF in a dose-dependent manner. These diverse effects of TNF could be partly explained by the exclusive potentiation by TNF of the metabolic events triggered by an increase in [Ca2+]i.     

Effect of a Zooplankton Community on Seston Elimination in a Restored Pond in Japan

The rates of seston elimination by zooplankton and primary production were measured in Funada-ike Pond, typical of human-made impoundments in Japan, from April to September in order to evaluate various treatments of the pond aimed at improving water quality by reducing seston abundance. The treatments included draining the pond water, dredging the bottom mud, eliminating the wastewater inflow, and biomanipulation through removal of all fish. After the treatment, seston abundance was reduced from more than 10 to 0.4–2.5 mg C/liter, and large daphnid species, Daphnia similis and D. magna, occurred and predominated in the zooplankton community. Seston abundance remained at a relatively low level from June to August but increased markedly in late August, while the biomass of zooplankton became high from June to mid-August and then decreased. A decrease in seston abundance was found when the elimination rate exceeded the primary production rate. The results indicate that the development of daphnid populations was effective in keeping seston abundance at a low level. The relationship between the rate of primary production and the zoo-plankton biomass required to offset this rate, however, suggests that biomanipulation aimed at increasing zooplankton biomass alone is less effective in a pond with a high primary production. The success in improving water quality in this pond seems to depend not only on the increase in biomass of large daphnid species that resulted mainly from the removal of fish, but also on the decrease in nutrient load that was realized by the other treatments.     

The first report of the non-indigenous Chydorus brevilabris Frey, 1980 (Crustacea: Cladocera) in Asian freshwaters

Limnology - Chydorus sphaericus (O.F. Müller, 1776) (Crustacea: Cladocera) sensu stricto is distributed in Europe: C. sphaericus-like organisms in other regions represent a group of...