Ex vivo intraoperative angiography for rectus abdominis musculocutaneous free flaps

In this study, the vascular architecture of rectus abdominis free flaps nourished by deep inferior epigastric vessels was investigated using an ex vivo intraoperative angiogram. Oblique rectus abdominis free flaps were elevated and isolated from the donor site. In 11 patients, the vascular architecture of these flaps was analyzed before the flap was thinned. Radiographic study identified an average of 2.1 large deep inferior epigastric arterial perforators in each flap. In nine of the 11 flaps, the axial artery was visible. In four flaps, the axial artery originated from the perforator of the lateral branch of the deep inferior epigastric artery; in five others, it originated from the medial branch. In each flap, the angle of the axial perforator from its anterior rectus sheath in the vertical plane was measured; its mean was 50.6 degrees. All flaps survived, although three showed partial necrosis in the distal portions. In two of these three flaps, the axial artery was not visible in the angiograms, and the third revealed a one-sided distribution of axial flap arteries. Using ex vivo intraoperative angiography, the architecture of the individual flap, its axial perforator, and its connecting axial flap vessel could be investigated. This information can help the surgeon safely thin and separate the flap.     

Effects of amino acid alterations on the transglycosylation reaction of endoglucanase I from Trichoderma viride HK-75

Endoglucanase I (EGI) from Trichoderma viride HK-75 catalyzes not only hydrolysis but also transglycosylation reactions of cellooligosaccharides. In order to characterize the important amino acid residues in transglycosylation of EGI, three Tyr, one Leu, and two Glu residues of EGI were replaced by Trp or Asp. The seven resulting EGI, except for L200W, had reduced activities toward carboxymethyl-cellulose compared to that of wild type EGI. The results from the mutations in the catalytic residues of E196 and E201 indicate that the space just around the catalytic residues is not directly related to the transglycosylation reactions of EGI. Analyses of the enzymes with mutations in the substrate-binding residues showed that Y146, Y170, and L200 of EGI are closely involved in the mode of transglycosylation and that several amino acid residues within the active site are involved in the transglycosylation reaction of EGI.     

Measurement of cerebral oxygenation in neonates after vaginal delivery and cesarean section using full-spectrum near infrared spectroscopy

To investigate whether or not the mode of delivery produces differences in cerebral oxygenation, cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation was measured using full-spectrum near infrared spectroscopy in 26 healthy term newborn infants immediately after birth. Infants in group 1 (n=20) were delivered vaginally, and those in group 2 (n=6) by elective cesarean section. Arterial oxygen saturation in the right hand was also measured simultaneously using a pulse oximeter. Changes in arterial oxygen saturation showed no significant difference between the two groups. The mean+/-S.D. of cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation in group 1 increased rapidly after birth, from 29+/-17% at 2 min to 68+/-6% at 8.5 min, followed by an almost constant value (66+/-7% at 15 min). In comparison, cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation in group 2 also increased rapidly until 8.5 min, but after this time decreased significantly to 57+/-5% at 15 min after birth. This indicates that the mode of delivery has a marked influence on cerebral oxygenation immediately after birth.     

Penaeid (Penaeus japonicus) lymphoid cells replicate by cell division in vitro

Penaeid cell culture has gained much attention as a potential model to facilitate researches on the characterization of the virus and to develop more sophisticated and improved diagnostic procedures for use in the aquaculture industry. However, to date, cell division processes of cultured penaeid cells have not been found, which is suggested as one of the reasons that block the establishment of the continuous penaeid cell lines. We reported here the cell division processes of cultured lymphoid cells of Penaeus japonicus. The culture medium used was based on M199 and was modified by supplementing saline components. Cultures were incubated at 25 degrees C, and 5% CO2 was supplemented. In primary cultured lymphoid cells, dividing cells in different shapes were found. Cell division processes of 12 dividing lymphoid cells were tracked. After cell division, their daughter cells turned into fibroblast-like or epithelioid cells. These results proved that the culture conditions used were suitable for lymphoid cells of I japonicus to proliferate in vitro and that cultured lymphoid cells still had the ability to carry out cell division. These findings would give light to the establishment of continuous penaeid cell lines and would also provide us with the knowledge of cell division processes of the penaeid.     

Induction of intratumoral tumor necrosis factor by a synthetic lipid A analog, ONO-4007, with less tolerance in repeated administration and its implication in potent antitumor effects with low toxicity

To evaluate the anti-tumor characteristics of ONO-4007, a synthetic analog of lipid A, the authors examined its acute toxicity and anti-tumor activity in a mouse MM46 mammary tumor system in comparison with LA-15-PP, an E. coli-type synthetic lipid A and LPS. Systemic and local (tumor site) induction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by a single i.v. shot of ONO-4007 and LA-15-PP correlated with manifestation of their toxicity, showing that ONO-4007 is 100-fold less effective than LA-15-PP. However, a protocol of repeated administration (3 shots twice a week) exhibited about 10 times more therapeutic potency of ONO-4007 for cancer therapy than expected in the above experiments. In a dose inducing submaximal systemic and intratumoral TNF production, repeated injections (twice a week) of ONO-4007 (10 mg/kg), LA-15-PP (0.1 mg/kg) and LPS (0.1 mg/kg) commonly generated a tolerant state in the systemic response (serum and liver) to subsequent stimulation. The intratumoral response was retained with this repeated administration of ONO-4007, but was not with LA-15-PP or LPS. TIM (tumor-infiltrating macrophages) isolated from mice pre-injected with ONO-4007 and LA-15-PP were found to lose their response to both substances, but the response was rapidly recovered until 72 h after injection and virtually no difference was observed in their response to either drug. The in vitro treatment of naive TIM with ONO-4007 or LA-15-PP for 2 h depressed the response to both substances and the depression continued for 72 h even in culture with fresh medium. The relatively high efficacy of ONO-4007 in cancer therapy likely depends on the retraction of the tolerant state, especially at the tumor site where the response to ONO-4007 is recovered much more efficiently than that to lipid A. While constant recruitment of macrophages to tumor tissue might be involved in the difference of tolerance recovery between this region and others, selective response to ONO-4007 may not be explained simply by the sensitivity of recruited TIM. Pharmacokinetical experiments revealed that repeated injections of LA-15-PP enhanced its clearance from blood circulation, while the clearance of ONO-4007 was stable after repeated injections. Thus, pharmacokinetical properties of ONO-4007 may also possibly be implicated in this event.     

Regulation of glutamine metabolism during the development of Bombyx mori larvae

Waste ammonia is re-assimilated into amino acids via the amide group of glutamine and the amino group of glutamate (i.e. through glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase pathway) for silk synthesis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, in the last larval stadium. Glutamine concentration in hemolymph gradually decreased with the progress of the fifth instar and it remained at very low levels during the spinning stage, then followed by a sharp increase at the larval-pupal ecdysis. The changes in glutamine synthetase (GS) activity in silkworm tissues were relatively small through the larval development, while the changes in glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activity, especially in the posterior silk glands, were more drastic. In addition, activities of GOGAT in the tissues were much higher than those of the other enzymes involved in glutamine utilization, suggesting that glutamine pool was regulated mainly by the changes in GOGAT activity. Western blot analysis indicated that the changes in GOGAT protein level correlated with the changes in GOGAT activity. Topical application of a juvenile hormone analogue, methoprene, induced an accumulation of glutamine in the hemolymph of the fifth instar larvae. The levels of GOGAT protein and activity in the tissues of the methoprene treated larvae were much lower than those of the control larvae, whereas the methoprene treatment had no effect on the levels of GS activity. In conclusion, GOGAT expression promoted by reduction of juvenile hormone titer is quite important for enhanced utilization of nitrogen for synthesis of silk protein during the last larval instar.     

Novel proteinaceous toxins from the nematocyst venom of the Okinawan sea anemone Phyllodiscus semoni Kwietniewski

The Okinawan sea anemone Phyllodiscus semoni is known to cause cases of severe stinging. We isolated P. semoni toxins 60A and 60B (PsTX-60A and PsTX-60B; ca. 60 kDa) as the major toxins from the isolated nematocysts of this species for the first time. PsTX-60A and PsTX-60B showed lethal toxicity to the shrimp Palaemon paucidence when administered via intraperitoneal injection (LD(50) values: 800-900 and 800 microg/kg, respectively) and hemolytic activity toward a 0.8% suspension of sheep red blood cells (ED(50) values: 600 and 300 ng/ml, respectively). Furthermore, we sequenced the cDNA encoding PsTX-60A. The deduced amino acid sequence of PsTX-60A did not show any similarity to previously reported proteins. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of PsTX-60B showed homology with that of PsTX-60A. These toxins represent a novel class of cytolytic proteinaceous toxins.     

Establishment of conditionally immortalized rat retinal pericyte cell lines (TR-rPCT) and their application in a co-culture system using retinal capillary endothelial cell line (TR-iBRB2)

The purpose of this study was to establish and characterize a retinal pericyte cell line from retinal capillaries of transgenic rats harboring the temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 large T-antigen gene (tsA58 Tg rat), and to apply this to the co-culture with a retinal capillary endothelial cell line. The conditionally immortalized rat retinal pericyte cell lines (TR-rPCTs), which express a temperature-sensitive large T-antigen, were obtained from two tsA58 Tg rats. These cell lines had a multicellular nodule morphology and reacted positively with von Kossa staining, a marker of calcification. TR-rPCTs cells expressed mRNA of pericyte markers such as rat intercellular adhesion molecule-1, platelet-derived growth factor-receptor beta, angiopoietin-1, and osteopontin. Western blot analysis indicated that alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) was expressed in TR-rPCT3 and 4 cells. In contrast, alpha-SMA was induced by transforming growth factor-beta1 and its enhancement was reduced by basic fibroblast growth factor in TR-rPCT1 and 2 cells. When TR-rPCT1 cells were cultured with a rat retinal endothelial cell line (TR-iBRB2) in a contact co-culture system, the number of TR-iBRB2 cells were significantly reduced in comparison with that of a single culture of TR-iBRB2 cells, suggesting that physical contact between pericytes and retinal endothelial cells is important for the growth of retinal endothelial cells. In conclusion, conditionally immortalized retinal pericyte cell lines were established from tsA58 Tg rats. These cell lines exhibited the properties of retinal pericytes and can be applied in co-culture systems with a retinal capillary endothelial cell line.