Functional tooth units and nutritional status of older people in care homes in Indonesia

Gerodontology 2012; doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00673.x Functional tooth units and nutritional status of older people in care homes in Indonesia Objectives: To investigate the relationship between functional tooth units (FTUs) and nutritional status. Methods: One hundred females (mean age: 72.4 ± 8.2 years) at four private care homes in Jakarta, Indonesia were interviewed and clinically examined. The oral examination included the assessment of teeth, prosthetic status, and number of FTUs. The total number of FTUs was further divided by tooth composition: natural tooth against natural tooth (NN‐FTUs), natural tooth against denture (ND‐FTUs), and denture against denture (DD‐FTUs). Nutritional status was evaluated using the body mass index (BMI) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Results: The mean numbers of teeth present, NN‐FTUs, ND‐FTUs, DD‐FTUs, and total FTUs were 13.1 ± 10.4, 1.7 ± 3.0, 1.2 ± 3.3, 0.4 ± 1.2 and 3.3 ± 4.4, respectively. The mean BMI and MNA scores were 24.8 ± 5.0 and 22.6 ± 2.8, respectively. Subjects with a normal BMI had a significantly higher total number of FTUs (3.6 ± 4.6) compared with underweight subjects (0.1 ± 0.3). Subjects with a normal MNA had a significantly higher number of NN‐FTU (2.6 ± 3.7) compared to those who were at risk or in a state of under‐nutrition (1.2 ± 2.4). Conclusion: This study revealed significant relationships between the number of FTUs and nutritional status. Keeping the posterior occlusion should be emphasized in order to maintain good nutritional status in older subjects.     

Distinct expression patterns and roles of aldehyde dehydrogenases in normal oral mucosa keratinocytes: differential inhibitory effects of a pharmacological inhibitor and RNAi-mediated knockdown on cellular phenotype and epithelial morphology

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs), enzymes responsible for detoxification and retinoic acid biosynthesis, are considered a potent functional stem cell marker of normal and malignant cells in many tissues. To date, however, there are no available data on ALDH distributions and functions in oral mucosa. This study aims to clarify the levels and types of ALDH expression using immunohistochemistry with accompanying mRNA expression as well as an ALDEFLUOR assay, and to assess phenotypic and histological changes after manipulation of the ALDH activity of oral keratinocytes to increase the potency of a tissue-engineered oral mucosa by a specific ALDH inhibitor, diethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB), together with small interfering RNA of ALDH1A3 and ALDH3A1. Results showed the mRNA and cytoplasmic protein expression of ALDH1A3 and ALDH3A1 to be mostly localized in the upper suprabasal layer although no ALDH1A1 immunoreaction was detected throughout the epithelium. Oral keratinocytes with high ALDH activity exhibited a profile of differentiating cells. By pharmacological inhibition, the phenotypic analysis revealed the proliferating cell-population shifting to a more quiescent state compared with untreated cells. Furthermore, a well-structured epithelial layer showing a normal differentiation pattern and a decrease in Ki-67 immunopositive basal cells was developed by DEAB incubation, suggesting a slower turnover rate efficient to maintain undifferentiated cells. Histological findings of a regenerated oral epithelium by ALDH1A3 siRNA were similar to those when treated with DEAB while ALDH3A1 siRNA eradicated the epithelial regenerative capacity. These observations suggest the effects of phenotypic and morphological alterations by DEAB on oral keratinocytes are mainly consequent to the inhibition of ALDH1A3 activity.     

Isolation and Characterization of Globulin from Seeds of Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.

Seeds of grain amaranths contain a high amount (about 60% of total nitrogen) of albumin and globulin and a trace amount of prolamin. From salt-soluble extracts of A. hypochondriacus seeds, a globulin (440,000 in apparent molecular weight and ) was purified by Sepharose 6B gel and DEAE-cellulose column chromatographies. The protein comprised at least four kinds of subunits whose molecular weights were 36,000, 32,000, 20,000 and 18,000, respectively. The amino acid composition of the globulin was almost similar to those of soybean and oat globulins.     

Novel mutations of CDKN1C in Japanese patients with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an imprinting-related human disease that is characterized by macrosomia, macroglossia, abdominal wall defects, and variable minor features. BWS is caused by several genetic/epigenetic alterations, such as loss of methylation at KvDMR1, gain of methylation at H19-DMR, paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 11, CDKN1C mutations, and structural abnormalities of chromosome 11. CDKN1C is an imprinted gene with maternal preferential expression, encoding for a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor. Mutations in CDKN1C are found in 40 % of familial BWS cases with dominant maternal transmission and in ~5 % of sporadic cases. In this study, we searched for CDKN1C mutations in 37 BWS cases that had no evidence for other alterations. We found five mutations—four novel and one known—from a total of six patients. Four were maternally inherited and one was a de novo mutation. Two frame-shift mutations and one nonsense mutation abolished the QT domain, containing a PCNA-binding domain and a nuclear localization signal. Two missense mutations occurred in the CDK inhibitory domain, diminishing its inhibitory function. The above-mentioned mutations were predicted by in silico analysis to lead to loss of function; therefore, we strongly suspect that such anomalies are causative in the etiology of BWS.     

Genetic signatures of a range expansion in natura: when clones play leapfrog

The genetic consequences of range expansions have generally been investigated at wide geographical and temporal scales, long after the colonization event. A unique ecological system enabled us to both monitor the colonization dynamics and decipher the genetic footprints of expansion over a very short time period. Each year an epidemic of the poplar rust (Melampsora larici‐populina) expands clonally and linearly along the Durance River, in the Alps. The colonization dynamics observed in 2004 showed two phases with different genetic outcomes. Upstream, fast colonization maintained high genetic diversity. Downstream, the colonization wave progressively faltered, diversity eroded, and differentiation increased, as expected under recurrent founder events. In line with the high dispersal abilities of rust pathogens, we provide evidence for leapfrog dispersal of clones. Our results thus emphasize the importance of colonization dynamics in shaping spatial genetic structure in the face of high gene flow.     

Triphala,a formulation of traditional Ayurvedic medicine,shows protective effect against X-radiation in HeLa cells

Ayurveda is a holistic medical system of traditional medicine, and Triphala is one of the most popular formulations in Ayurveda. Triphala is composed of three kinds of herb, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica, and Emblica officinalis. Since Triphala is shown to exhibit a protective activity against ionizing radiation in mice, we investigated its activity in HeLa cells. We found that Triphala showed the protective effects against X-radiation and bleomycin, both of which generate DNA strand breaks, in HeLa cells. Further, Triphala efficiently eliminated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HeLa cells. Thus, the antioxidant activity of Triphala would likely play a role in its protective actions against X-radiation and bleomycin because both agents damage DNA through the generation of ROS. These observations suggested that the radioprotective activity of Triphala can be, at least partly, studied with the cells cultured in vitro. The simple bioassay system with human cultured cells would facilitate the understanding of the molecular basis for the beneficial effects of Triphala.     

The MRX Complex Ensures NHEJ Fidelity through Multiple Pathways Including Xrs2-FHA–Dependent Tel1 Activation

Because DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most cytotoxic DNA lesions and often cause genomic instability, precise repair of DSBs is vital for the maintenance of genomic stability. Xrs2/Nbs1 is a multi-functional regulatory subunit of the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2/Nbs1 (MRX/N) complex, and its function is critical for the primary step of DSB repair, whether by homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end joining. In human NBS1, mutations result truncation of the N-terminus region, which contains a forkhead-associated (FHA) domain, cause Nijmegen breakage syndrome. Here we show that the Xrs2 FHA domain of budding yeast is required both to suppress the imprecise repair of DSBs and to promote the robust activation of Tel1 in the DNA damage response pathway. The role of the Xrs2 FHA domain in Tel1 activation was independent of the Tel1-binding activity of the Xrs2 C terminus, which mediates Tel1 recruitment to DSB ends. Both the Xrs2 FHA domain and Tel1 were required for the timely removal of the Ku complex from DSB ends, which correlates with a reduced frequency of imprecise end-joining. Thus, the Xrs2 FHA domain and Tel1 kinase work in a coordinated manner to maintain DSB repair fidelity.     

First report that the wasp Gronotoma guamensis (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae) parasitizes the orchid‐feeding fly Japanagromyza tokunagai in Japan

Compared with mycorrhizal relationships, the relationships between mycoheterotrophic plants and insects have rarely been studied. Here we report a previously unknown tripartite interaction among an endangered mycoheterotrophic orchid, an orchid‐feeding fly, and a parasitoid wasp. The flowers and stems of Eulophia zollingeri were heavily attacked by Japanagromyza tokunagai (Sasakawa) (Diptera: Agromyzidae), and the parasitoid wasp Gronotoma guamensis (Yoshimoto) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) was reared from these J. tokunagai individuals. Considering the high infestation rate of J. tokunagai, G. guamensis could be important in suppressing the J. tokunagai population, and positively affect the reproductive success of E. zollingeri.     

Exposure and risk assessment of 1,3-butadiene in Japan

1,3-Butadiene is on the list of Substances Requiring Priority Action published by the Central Environmental Council of Japan in 1996. Emission of 1,3-butadiene has been controlled by a voluntary reduction program since 1997. Although the industrial emission of 1,3-butadiene in Japan has decreased in recent years, primarily due to a voluntary industrial emissions reduction program, the risks of exposure to it remain largely unknown. We assessed the risks and consequences of exposure to 1,3-butadiene on human health. A remarkable advantage of our risk assessment approach is the detailed assessment of exposure. Previously, we developed two different models that can be applied for the assessment of exposure: the first, the AIST-ADMER model estimates regional concentration distributions, whereas the second, the METI-LIS model estimates concentration distributions in the vicinity of factories. Both models were used for the assessment of exposure to 1,3-butadiene. Using exposure concentration and carcinogenic potency determined and reported by Environment Canada and Health Canada, we evaluated the excess lifetime cancer risk for persons exposed to 1,3-butadiene over the course of a lifetime. The results suggested that the majority of the population in Japan has an excess lifetime cancer risk of less than 10(-5), whereas a small number of people living close to industrial sources had a risk of greater than 10(-5). The results of the present assessment also showed that 1,3-butadiene in the general environment originates primarily from automobile emissions, such that a countermeasure of reducing emissions from cars is expected to be effective at reducing the total cancer risk among Japanese. On the other hand, individual risks among a population living in the vicinity of certain industrial sources were found to be significantly higher than those of the population living elsewhere, such that a reduction in emissions from a small number of specific industrial sources should be realized in order to reduce the high level of individual risk. Based on the results of our assessment, the Industrial Structure Council of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in Japan decided to announce that the voluntary reduction program had been successful, and that emissions reductions should no longer be targeted across all industries in general, but instead that such reductions should be carried out in a small number of selected factories that emit excessively large amounts of emissions.