The organization of the gene for the human cerebroside sulfate activator protein

The organization of 14 exons covering 97% of the cDNA sequence of human cerebroside sulfate activator protein precursor has been determined from two overlapping EMBL-4 human genomic clones extending over 17kb. All exons and exon/intron splice junctions and five introns were sequenced. Exon 8 consists of only 9 bp and is involved in alternative splicing which generates three different mRNAs of cerebroside sulfate activator precursor.     

An Imported Case of Cystic Echinococcosis in the Liver

A 25-year-old Uzbek male presented with right upper abdominal pain for 20 days. On radiologic studies, a huge cystic mass was noticed in the right liver which was suspected as parasitic. The patient received right hepatic segmentectomy (segment 7), and the surgically resected mass was confirmed as cystic echinococcosis (CE), measuring 10.5 cm in its diameter. The inner surface of the cyst was bile-stained. The patient was discharged on the 8th hospital day, and was rechecked 6 months after the surgical intervention without any evidence of recurrence. The present report describes findings of an imported case of CE which represented ultrasound images of the ''ball of wool''.     

Combination stem cell therapy using dental pulp stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells for critical hindlimb ischemia

Narrowing of arteries supplying blood to the limbs provokes critical hindlimb ischemia (CLI). Although CLI results in irreversible sequelae, such as amputation, few therapeutic options induce the formation of new functional blood vessels. Based on the proangiogenic potentials of stem cells, in this study, it was examined whether a combination of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) could result in enhanced therapeutic effects of stem cells for CLI compared with those of DPSCs or HUVECs alone. The DPSCs+ HUVECs combination therapy resulted in significantly higher blood flow and lower ischemia damage than DPSCs or HUVECs alone. The improved therapeutic effects in the DPSCs+ HUVECs group were accompanied by a significantly higher number of microvessels in the ischemic tissue than in the other groups. In vitro proliferation and tube formation assay showed that VEGF in the conditioned media of DPSCs induced proliferation and vessel-like tube formation of HUVECs. Altogether, our results demonstrated that the combination of DPSCs and HUVECs had significantly better therapeutic effects on CLI via VEGF-mediated crosstalk. This combinational strategy could be used to develop novel clinical protocols for CLI proangiogenic regenerative treatments.     

Oral toxicity of symbiotic bacteria Photorhabdus spp. against immature stages of insects

The oral toxicity of 5 Photorhabdus spp. strains collected in different regions of Korea was determined in the larvae of Plodia interpunctella, Galleria mellonella, Lucilia caesar, and Culex pipiens pallens. When diet or water containing culture media containing 1 of the 5 different strains was ingested by immature insects, the first instar larvae of both G. mellonella and L. caesar and young larvae of C. pipiens pallens died within 3–5 days after treatment. However, mortality of P. interpunctella neonate larvae was slightly slower and reached 94.4%–100% within 7 days after treatment. The mortality rate of a control group given a diet containing water, the medium without cultured bacteria, or Escherichia coli culture medium was not affected. The mortality rates were 100%, 45.3%, 2.8%, and 0% for Galleria, Lucilia, Plodia, and Culex, respectively, in another control group given a culture medium of Photorhabdus luminescens ssp. laumondii (TT01). In addition, culture media containing Photorhabdus strains significantly inhibited molting of third instar Plodia larvae by as much as 88% 7 days after treatment, whereas molting inhibition was reduced by 0%, 4%, and 20% following treatments with water, E. coli, or TT01 culture media, respectively. Our results suggest that the oral administration of Photorhabdus bacterial medium was highly effective for controlling various immature insects.     

Altered regulation of renal nitric oxide and atrial natriuretic peptide systems in angiotensin II-induced hypertension

The present study was aimed to determine whether there is an altered role of local nitric oxide (NO) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) systems in the kidney in association with the angiotensin (Ang) II-induced hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Ang II (100 ng·min?1·kg?1) was infused through entire time course. Thirteenth day after beginning the regimen, kidneys were taken. The protein expression of NO synthase (NOS) and nitrotyrosine was determined by semiquantitative immunoblotting. The mRNA expression of components of ANP system was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The activities of soluble and particulate guanylyl cyclases were determined by the amount of cGMP generated in responses to sodium nitroprusside and ANP, respectively. There developed hypertension and decreased creatinine clearance in the experimental group. The protein expression of eNOS, nNOS and nitrotyrosine was increased in the cortex, while that of iNOS remained unaltered. The urinary excretion of NO increased in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats. The catalytic activity of soluble guanylyl cyclase was blunted in the glomerulus in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats. The mRNA expression of ANP was increased in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats. Neither the expression of NPR-A nor that of NPR-C was changed. The protein expression of neutral endopeptidase was decreased and the activity of particulate guanylyl cyclase was blunted in the glomerulus and papilla in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats. In conclusion, the synthesis of NO and ANP was increased in the kidney of Ang II-induced hypertension, while stimulated cGMP response was blunted. These results suggest desensitization of guanylyl cyclase in the kidney of Ang II-induced hypertensive rats, which may contribute to the associated renal vasoconstriction and hypertension.     

GDSL lipase-like 1 regulates systemic resistance associated with ethylene signaling in Arabidopsis

Systemic resistance is induced by necrotizing pathogenic microbes and non-pathogenic rhizobacteria and confers protection against a broad range of pathogens. Here we show that Arabidopsis GDSL LIPASE-LIKE 1 (GLIP1) plays an important role in plant immunity, eliciting both local and systemic resistance in plants. GLIP1 functions independently of salicylic acid but requires ethylene signaling. Enhancement of GLIP1 expression in plants increases resistance to pathogens including Alternaria brassicicola , Erwinia carotovora and Pseudomonas syringae , and limits their growth at the infection site. Furthermore, local treatment with GLIP1 proteins is sufficient for the activation of systemic resistance, inducing both resistance gene expression and pathogen resistance in systemic leaves. The PDF1.2 -inducing activity accumulates in petiole exudates in a GLIP1-dependent manner and is fractionated in the size range of less than 10 kDa as determined by size exclusion chromatography. Our results demonstrate that GLIP1-elicited systemic resistance is dependent on ethylene signaling and provide evidence that GLIP1 may mediate the production of a systemic signaling molecule(s).