Discrete localization of various fatty-acid-binding proteins in various cell populations of mouse retina

The analysis of myenteric neurons is becoming increasingly important for the assessment of enteric nervous system injury and degeneration occurring in motor disorders of the gut. Limited information is presently available on the quantitative estimation of myenteric neurons and glial cells in paraffin-embedded colonic sections; additional data would be useful for diagnostic purposes. In this morphometric study, we performed immunohistochemistry to count myenteric neurons and glial cells in paraffin sections of human colon. Serial cross sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded full-thickness normal human left colon (n = 10, age-range: 50–72 years) were examined. HuC/D and S100β antigens were found to be the best markers for the detection of neurons and glial cells, respectively. Significant correlations were noted between the numbers of neurons/glial cells and the respective myenteric ganglion areas. These findings suggest that HuC/D-S100β-immunostained paraffin cross sections of human colon can be regarded as valuable tools for the quantitative estimation of myenteric neurons and glial cells. Based on the present method, only a limited number of paraffin sections are needed for reliable quantitative assessments of myenteric ganglion cells, thus allowing fast and simple approaches in the settings of the histopathological diagnosis of colonic motility disorders and retrospective evaluations of pathological archival tissue specimens. R. De Giorgio is the recipient of grants from the Fondazione Del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna and from the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna, Italy. The authors declare no conflicting interests.     

Analysis of various indefinite self-associations

Two methods have been developed for the analysis of four types of indefinite self-associations. Unlike previous treatments by others, the procedures can be applied to nonideal cases. The two methods were first tested with simulated data. and it was found that one could indeed distinguish between the four types of indefinite self-associations. For a more realistic test, sedimentation equilibrium experiments were performed on solutions of β-lactoglobulin A at 16°C in 0.15 ionic strength acetate buffer, pH 4.65. The self-association of the β-lactoglobulin A was best described by either method as a sequential indefinite self-association having two equilibrium constants and one second virial coefficient.     

Constituents of various wood-rotting basidiomycetes

Phytochemical investigation of n-hexane and methanol extracts of fruiting bodies of the wood-rotting fungi Fomitopsis pinicola. Ganoderma lipsiense, Fomes fomentarius and Gloeophyllum odoratum led to the isolation and identification of several triterpene derivatives and some aromatic compounds derived from lignin. These are the new natural products, namely, pinicolic acid E (16alpha-hydroxy-3-oxolanosta-8,24-dien-21-oic acid) and pinicolol C (3-oxolanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-15alpha,21-diol) from the crust of F. pinicola, ganoderenic acid D [(E)-7beta-hydroxy-3,11,15,23-tetraoxolanosta-8,20(22)-di en-26-oic acid] and ganoderic acid N (7beta,20-dihydroxy-3,11,15,23-tetraoxolanost-8-en-26-oic acid) from G. lipsiense and ergosterol peroxide (5alpha,8alpha-epi-dioxyergost-6-en-3beta-ol) as well as ergost-7-en-3-one from F. fomentarius. From G. odoratum, dehydroeburicoic acid [24-methylene-3-oxolanosta-7,9(11)-dien-21-oic acid], the dimethylacetal of 4,4,14alpha-trimethyl-24-oxo-5alpha-chol-8-en-21-oic acid and some aromatic compounds, of which 1-(4'-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-ethandiol is a new natural product, were isolated. Furthermore, a complete set of 13C NMR data of the steryl esters 3beta-linoleyloxyergosta-7,24(28)-diene, 3beta-linoleyloxyergosta-7,24-diene and 3beta-linoleyloxyergost-7-ene, which could be identified as a mixture in all investigated fungi, could be recorded. It was proved by HPLC and TLC investigations, that the crust on top of the fruiting bodies of F. pinicola consists of lanostane derivatives.     

Comparison of various media and various methods for the growth and isolation of Pityrosporum pachydermatis

The pathogenic role of Pityrosporum pachydermatis in otitis externa of dogs and the related diagnostic problems are emphasized. We report results related to isolation, cultivation and identification of yeast. Agar nutritive glucosate with 1,5% of yeast extract has been showed as the best medium permitting identification in 24 hrs, associated with morfological test. Tween 80 integration (1%) to the medium permits to isolate lipolitic yeasts also.