Azide-dependent nitric oxide emission from the water fern Azolla pinnata

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in versatile functions in plant growth and development as a signaling molecule. To date, plants have been reported to produce NO following exposure to nitrite (N O ₂ ^? ) the amino acid L-arginine, hydroxylamine, or polyamines. Here we demonstrate azide-dependent NO production in plants. The water fern Azolla pinnata emitted NO into air upon exposure to sodium azide (NaN₃). The NO production was dependent on azide concentration and was strongly inhibited by potassium cyanide (KCN). Incubation of A. pinnata with the catalase inhibitor 3-aminotriazole (3-AT) abolished the azide-dependent NO production. Although nitrite-dependent NO production was inhibited by sodium azide, azide-dependent NO production was not affected by nitrite. These results indicate that A. pinnata enzymatically produces NO using azide as a substrate. We suggest that plants are also capable of producing NO from azide by the action of catalase as previously reported in animals.     

Two new species in the Echinoderes coulli group (Echinoderidae,Cyclorhagida, Kinorhyncha) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

Two new species belonging to the Echinoderes coulli group are described with their external morphologies and sequences of nuclear 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes, and mitochondrial COI gene. The first species, Echinoderes komatsui sp. n., is characterized by absence of acicular spines, and presence of lateroventral tubules on segments 5 and 8, laterodorsal tubules on segment 10, inverted triangle or wide oval shaped large sieve plates, lateral terminal accessory spines in female, and short tips of ventral pectinate fringe on segment 10. The second species, Echinoderes hwiizaa sp. n., is characterized by absence of acicular spines, and presence of lateroventral tubules on segments 5 and 7–9, midlateral tubules on segment 8, laterodorsal tubules on segment 10, large narrow oval shaped sieve plates on segment 9, and thick, short and blunt lateral terminal spines about 10–15% of trunk length. The diagnostic characters and key to species of E. coulli group are provided as well.     

Nitric oxide exerts protective effects against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice

Background

Increased expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and an increase in plasma nitrite plus nitrate (NOx) have been reported in patients with pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in its development. However, the roles of the entire NO and NOS system in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis still remain to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study is to clarify the roles of NO and the NOS system in pulmonary fibrosis by using the mice lacking all three NOS isoforms.

Methods

Wild-type, single NOS knockout and triple NOS knockout (n/i/eNOS^−/−) mice were administered bleomycin (BLM) intraperitoneally at a dose of 8.0 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days. Two weeks after the end of the procedure, the fibrotic and inflammatory changes of the lung were evaluated. In addition, we evaluated the effects of long-term treatment with isosorbide dinitrate, a NO donor, on the n/i/eNOS^−/− mice with BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Results

The histopathological findings, collagen content and the total cell number in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were the most severe/highest in the n/i/eNOS^−/− mice. Long-term treatment with the supplemental NO donor in n/i/eNOS^−/− mice significantly prevented the progression of the histopathological findings and the increase of the collagen content in the lungs.

Conclusions

These results provide the first direct evidence that a lack of all three NOS isoforms led to a deterioration of pulmonary fibrosis in a BLM-treated murine model. We speculate that the entire endogenous NO and NOS system plays an important protective role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.     

Uptake of Aortic 18F-FDG Is Correlated with Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Leptin in a General Population

Objective

This study investigated the relationship between aortic ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) uptake and clinical and laboratory findings related to atherosclerosis in a general population.

Methods

¹⁸F-FDG uptake in the ascending aorta was measured on the positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans of 211 Japanese adults. The maximum target-to-background ratio (TBR) was compared with clinical and laboratory atherosclerosis findings.

Results

By multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age and sex, TBR-ascending aorta (TBR-A) was significantly correlated with various clinical and laboratory parameters, such as body mass index, log visceral fat area, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), log fasting immunoreactive insulin, log homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, log total adiponectin and log-leptin, in all subjects. Furthermore, by multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C (β = 0.001, p = 0.03) and log-leptin (β = 0.336, p<0.01) in all subjects.

Conclusion

TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C and log-leptin independent from confounding factors. Our results suggest that aortic ¹⁸F-FDG uptake is a good marker of atherosclerosis, even in a general population.     

Absence of CD14 Delays Progression of Prion Diseases Accompanied by Increased Microglial Activation

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by accumulation of PrP^Sc, vacuolation of neurons and neuropil, astrocytosis, and microglial activation. Upregulation of gene expressions of innate immunity-related factors, including complement factors and CD14, is observed in the brains of mice infected with prions even in the early stage of infections. When CD14 knockout (CD14^−/−) mice were infected intracerebrally with the Chandler and Obihiro prion strains, the mice survived longer than wild-type (WT) mice, suggesting that CD14 influences the progression of the prion disease. Immunofluorescence staining that can distinguish normal prion protein from the disease-specific form of prion protein (PrP^Sc) revealed that deposition of PrP^Sc was delayed in CD14^−/− mice compared with WT mice by the middle stage of the infection. Immunohistochemical staining with Iba1, a marker for activated microglia, showed an increased microglial activation in prion-infected CD14^−/− mice compared to WT mice. Interestingly, accompanied by the increased microglial activation, anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) appeared to be expressed earlier in prion-infected CD14^−/− mice. In contrast, IL-1β expression appeared to be reduced in the CD14^−/− mice in the early stage of infection. Double immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that CD11b- and Iba1-positive microglia mainly produced the anti-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting anti-inflammatory status of microglia in the CD14^−/− mice in the early stage of infection. These results imply that CD14 plays a role in the disease progression by suppressing anti-inflammatory responses in the brain in the early stage of infection.     

A Recombinant Matrix Metalloproteinase Protein from Gnathostoma spinigerum for Serodiagnosis of Neurognathostomiasis

Neurognathostomiasis is a severe form of human gnathostomiasis which can lead to disease and death. Diagnosis of neurognathostomiasis is made presumptively by using clinical manifestations. Immunoblotting, which recognizes antigenic components of molecular mass 21 kDa and 24 kDa in larval extracts of Gnathostoma spinigerum (Gs 21/24), has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of neurognathostomiasis. However, only very small amounts of the Gs 21/24 antigens can be prepared from parasites harvested from natural or experimental animals. To overcome this problem, we recently produced a recombinant matrix metalloproteinase (rMMP) protein from G. spinigerum. In this study, we evaluated this rMMP alongside the Gs 21/24 antigens for serodiagnosis of human neurognathostomiasis. We studied sera from 40 patients from Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, with clinical criteria consistent with those of neurognathostomiasis, and sera from 30 healthy control adults from Thailand. All sera were tested for specific IgG antibodies against both G. spinigerum crude larval extract and rMMP protein using immunoblot analysis. The sensitivity and specificity for both antigenic preparations were all 100%. These results show that G. spinigerum rMMP protein can be used as an alternative diagnostic antigen, in place of larval extract, for serodiagnosis of neurognathostomiasis.     

Isolation of bisphenol A-tolerant/degrading <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas monteilii</Emphasis> strain N-502

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a highly biotoxic compound that kills many microorganisms at a low concentration (1,000 ppm). We isolated BPA-tolerant/degrading Pseudomonas monteilii strain N-502 from about 1,000 samples collected from a field, sewage, and pond water. The isolated strain had strong BPA tolerance and high BPA-degrading activity. This strain was able to grow in a minimum medium containing BPA as the sole carbon source. Strain N-502 is an aerobic, motile, gram-negative, nonspore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium and was identified as P. monteilii, based on 16 S rRNA gene analysis. Strain N-502 completely degraded BPA 500 ppm in a 10-day, in culture system and was able to degrade BPA 100 ppm in a 2-h resting cell system. This strain also showed potent ability to degrade BPA 500 and 1,000 ppm in the resting cell system. Moreover, the initial BPA degradation rate was accelerated with the addition of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and folic acid.     

Neuro-endocrine correlates of ovarian development and egg-laying behaviors in the primitively eusocial wasp (Polistes chinensis)

To explore the roles of biogenic amines in reproduction in workers in primitively eusocial societies, correlations between brain levels of biogenic amines and ovarian development or oviposition in workers of the paper wasp Polistes chinensis were investigated. Several workers in queenright colonies developed ovaries and were potential egg-layers. Maximum ovarian width was significantly correlated with brain levels of dopamine, serotonin and their metabolites (N-acetyldopamine and N-acetylserotonin). Individuals with developed ovaries proceeded with yolk formation had significantly higher levels of brain dopamine, serotonin and N-acetyldopamine compared with individuals with undeveloped ovaries. Brain dopamine levels were higher in egg-laying individuals than in other individuals with developed ovaries. Thus, the workers of the paper wasp showed quantitative differences in brain dopamine levels correlated with reproduction. These results suggest that the brain levels of biogenic amines in paper wasp workers correspond to their tasks, and that there is a mechanism for promoting reproduction by dopamine, as previously reported in the workers of eusocial bees.