Changes in the Amounts of the Molt-Inhibiting Hormone in Sinus Glands during the Molt Cycle of the American Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii

The purposes of this study are to determine the molt cycle of the American crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, and to quantify the amounts of the molt-inhibiting hormone (Prc-MIH) in the hemolymph and neurohemal sinus glands during the molt cycle of the American crayfish. The molt cycle was classified into six stages based on the changes in volumes of gastroliths in the stomach and ecdysteroid titers in the hemolymph. A sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay using specific antibodies raised against N-terminal and C-terminal segments of Prc-MIH was developed for the Prc-MIH assay. It is sensitive to as little as 0.5 fmol of Prc-MIH (3.3 x10(-12) M). In the hemolymph, no Prc-MIH could be detected at any of the molt stages tested. However, in the sinus gland, it was demonstrated that the amount of Prc-MIH changes in a molt-stage-specific manner during the molt cycle. It was particularly noteworthy that the initiation of a molting sequence (i.e., entering the early premolt stage) corresponded to the increase in Prc-MIH content in the sinus gland, because the finding is consistent with the hypothesis that crustaceans enter the premolt stage when the MIH secretion from the sinus gland is reduced or ceases.     

Survey of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei in frogs in Taiwan and its experimental infection in cats

Eighteen of 56 (32.1%) wild Rana limnocharis from central and south Taiwan were found to contain plerocercoids of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei. This is the first report of S. erinaceieuropaei infections in frogs in Taiwan, with the plerocercoids being recovered from the thigh and back muscles or under the skin. Other species of frogs examined, including nine wild R. latouchii, one wild Buergeria robustus and 110 cultured R. rugulosa were free of infection. The plerocercoids were orally inoculated into four cats; three of which were each given a single plerocercoid and one a dose of three plerocercoids. Daily faecal examination showed that two cats started shedding eggs of S. erinaceieuropaei on day 8 postinfection (PI) and the other two on day 10 PI. The highest eggs per gram and eggs per day for a single worm was found to be 428,000 and 14,416,000 respectively. Only the cat inoculated with three plerocercoids shed proglottids in its faeces during the 2 month observation period.     

Novel archaeal alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase from Thermococcus litoralis

A novel alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase was found in a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus litoralis. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme did not show a similarity to any alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferases reported so far. Homologues of the enzyme appear to be present in almost all hyperthermophilic archaea whose whole genomes have been sequenced.     

Recovery of walking speed and symmetrical movement of the pelvis and lower extremity joints after unilateral THA

In 17 patients with unilateral hip disease who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA), the gait was analyzed preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after unilateral THA using a Vicon system to assess the recovery of walking speed and symmetrical movement of the hip, knee, ankle, and pelvis. The walking speed of these patients reached that of normal Japanese persons by 12 months after surgery. Walking speed was correlated with the range of hip motion on the operated side at 1 month postoperatively, and was correlated with the hip joint extension moment of force on both sides from 3 to 6 months after surgery. Before THA, asymmetry was observed in the range of the hip motion, maximum hip flexion, maximum hip extension, maximum knee flexion, as well as in pelvic obliquity, pelvic tilt, and pelvic rotation. There were no differences of the stride length or step length between both sides throughout the observation period. The preoperative range of hip flexion on the operated side during a gait cycle (21.3+/-7.9 degrees ) was significantly smaller than on the non-operated side (46.7+/-7.1 degrees ), and the difference between sides was still significant at 12 months after surgery (35.1+/-6.2 degrees on the operated side and 43.6+/-5.7 degrees on the non-operated side). The majority (74%) of the difference in hip motion range during this period was due to the difference in maximum extension of the hip. The increase in the range of pelvic tilt and the range of motion of the opposite hip showed an inverse correlation with the range of motion of the operated hip, suggesting a compensatory preoperative role. However, this correlation became insignificant after 6 months postoperatively. Asymmetry of the range of hip motion persisted at 12 months after THA in patients with unilateral coxoarthropathy during free level walking, while the operation normalized the spatial asymmetry of other joints and the walking speed prior to the recovery of hip motion.     

Morphological changes in the rat carotid body 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the termination of chronically hypocapnic hypoxia

Morphological changes in the rat carotid bodies 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the termination of chronically hypocapnic hypoxia (10% O2 for 8 weeks) were examined by means of morphometry and immunohistochemistry. The rat carotid bodies after 8 weeks of hypoxic exposure were enlarged several fold with vascular expansion. The carotid bodies 1 and 2 weeks after the termination of 8 weeks of hypoxic exposure were diminished in size, although their diameter remained larger than the normoxic controls. The expanded vasculature in chronically hypoxic carotid bodies returned to the normoxic control state. In the carotid bodies 1 week after the termination of chronic hypoxia, the density of NPY fibers was remarkably increased and that of VIP fibers was dramatically decreased in comparison with the density in chronically hypoxic carotid bodies. In the carotid bodies 2 and 4 weeks after the termination of hypoxia, the density of SP and CGRP fibers was gradually increased. In the carotid bodies 8 weeks after the termination of hypoxia, the appearance of the carotid body returned to a nearly normoxic state, and the density of SP, CGRP, VIP, and NPY fibers also recovered to that of normoxic controls. These results suggest that the morphological changes in the recovering carotid bodies start at a relatively early period after the termination of chronic hypoxia, and a part of these processes may be under the control of peptidergic innervation.     

Sclerosing polycystic adenosis of the left parotid gland: report of a case with fine needle aspiration cytology

BACKGROUND: Sclerosing polycystic adenosis (SPCA) of major salivary glands is a rare recently described entity. We report a case of SPCA of the left parotid gland, including the cytologic and histopathologic findings. CASE: A 20-year-old man presented with a left parotid mass that had been growing slowly for 3 years. Fine needle aspiration cytology showed many syncytial cell clusters of variable size and some ductal structures with an inflammatory background. The cells forming syncytial clusters were large and polygonal, with abundant, eosinophilic, granular or lacelike cytoplasm. Apocrine differentiation with decapitation secretion was commonly seen. The ductal cells had a relatively high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, with granular cytoplasm. Grossly, the 5-cm lesion was a discrete, pale, cystic nodule embedded within the parotid gland parenchyma. Microscopically, the lesion was a nonencapsulated, circumscribed mass of sclerotic and hyalinized, collagenous tissue with lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. Sclerosing adenosis and cystic ducts with frequent apocrinelike cells were commonly seen. Some acinar cells contained eosinophilic, intracytoplasmic granules of various sizes. CONCLUSION: The presence of syncytial clusters with apocrine metaplasia and ductal structures in a lymphoplasmacytic background should suggest a diagnosis of SPCA of a major salivary gland.     

Proteomic analysis of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in pancreatic carcinoma cells using stable RNA interference to silence Smad4 expression

Smad4 is a tumor-suppressor gene that is lost or mutated in 50% of pancreatic carcinomas. Smad4 is also an intracellular transmitter of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signals. Although its tumor-suppressor function is presumed to reside in its capacity to mediate TGF-beta-induced growth inhibition, there seems to be a Smad4-independent TGF-beta signaling pathway. Here, we succeeded in establishing Smad4 knockdown (S4KD) pancreatic cancer cell lines using stable RNA interference. Smad4 protein expression and TGF-beta-Smad4 signaling were impaired in S4KD cells, and we compared the proteomic changes with TGF-beta stimulation using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry. We identified five proteins that were up-regulated and seven proteins that were down-regulated; 10 of them were novel targets for TGF-beta. These proteins function in processes such as cytoskeletal regulation, cell cycle, and oxidative stress. Introducing siRNA-mediated gene silencing into proteomics revealed a novel TGF-beta signal pathway that did not involve Smad4.     

Inactivation of the hMSH3 mismatch repair gene in bladder cancer

Deficiency in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is frequently involved in various cancers. The hMSH3 gene is one of the human MMR genes whose role in bladder cancer is not known. We hypothesized that down-regulation of the hMSH3 gene might be involved in bladder cancer. In this study we analyzed this gene with regard to frame-shift mutation, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), a 9bp repeat in exon 1, loss of heterozygosity (LOH), immunohistochemistry, and methylation status in 102 bladder cancer samples. Immunohistochemistry revealed that hMSH3 expression in bladder cancer was significant decreased compared to normal epithelium (p<0.0001). An inverse correlation with pathological grade was found. The frame-shift mutation in the (A) 8 tract was lacking in bladder cancer. There was no significantly difference between bladder cancer samples and healthy controls' with regard to SNP and the 9bp repeat. In bladder cancer, presence of the codon 222 polymorphism, LOH, and the 9bp repeats in exon 1 had a correlation with either pathological stage or pathological grade. Presence of the codon 1036 polymorphism had significant correlation with pathological stage and a trend to correlation with pathological grade. After 5-aza-dC treatment, MSH3 expression was significantly enhanced in TCC and UMUC bladder cancer cells when compared to untreated cells. This is the first report suggesting that genetic and epigenetic alterations in the human MSH3 gene might play a significant role in the progression of bladder tumors.