Polymorphisms in the SOD2 and HLA-DRB1 genes are associated with nonfamilial idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in Japanese.

To reveal genetic risk factors of nonfamilial idiopathic cardiomyopathy (IDC) in Japanese, polymorphisms in the SOD2 and HLA-DRB1 genes were investigated in 86 patients and 380 healthy controls. There was a significant excess of homozygotes for the V allele [Val versus Ala (A allele), a polymorphism in the leader peptide of manganese superoxide dismutase at position 16] of the SOD2 gene in the patients compared with the controls (87.2% versus 74.7%, odds ratio = 2.30, p = 0.013, pc < 0.03), and a significant increase in the frequency of HLA-DRB1*1401 in the patients was confirmed (14.0% vs 4.5%, odds ratio = 3.46, p = 0.001, pc < 0.03). A two-locus analysis suggested that these two genetic markers (SOD2-VV genotype and DRB1*1401) may play a synergistic role in controlling the susceptibility to nonfamilial IDC. In addition, processing efficiency of Val-type SOD2 leader peptide in the presence of mitochondria was siginificantly lower than that of the Ala-type by 11 +/- 4%, suggesting that this lower processing efficiency was in part an underlying mechanism of the association between the SOD2-VV genotype and nonfamilial IDC.     

Evidence for the presence of major peripheral myelin glycoprotein P0 in mammalian spinal cord and a change of its glycosylation state during aging.

Glycoproteins, which react with Lens culinaris agglutinin, in the membrane preparation of various portions of brains and spinal cords, obtained from 9-week-old rats and 29-month-old rats, were comparatively analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In contrast to the samples from brain, which showed similar staining patterns in the two different age groups, the glycoprotein patterns of spinal cords showed marked differences by the age of donors. The most prominent evidence is that a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 30 kDa (gp30) was detected in the aged rats, but not in the young adult rats. Based on the amino acid sequence data around the glycosylation site, the gp30 was identified as P0, which is a member of immunoglobulin superfamily and a major structural component of mammalian peripheral nerve myelin. This is the first report indicating that P0, which has been considered as a peripheral nerve-specific glycoprotein, occurs also in the spinal cord of mammals. In addition, nonglycosylated P0 molecule could be detected in the spinal cord of young adult rats by anti-P0 polyclonal antibody. These results indicate that the glycosylation state of the P0 molecule in the spinal cord changes during aging.     

Effect of volumetric water content on thermal properties of dairy cattle feces mixed with sawdust

This paper describes the thermal properties (effective thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity) of an organic waste used to model the composting process in relation to volumetric water content at 20°C. The organic waste was a mixture of fresh dairy cattle feces and sawdust with a ratio of one-to-one on a dry weight basis. The thermal probe method was used to determine the effective thermal conductivity and diffusivity. The effective thermal conductivities were found to increase with volumetric water content, and ranged from 0.0500 to 0.202 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at volumetric water contents of 0% and 44.2%, respectively. The thermal diffusivity was not affected by the volumetric water content, and was found to have a mean value of 1.08 × 10⁻⁷ m² s⁻¹.     

Redescriptions ofGerres baconensis (Evermann & Seale, 1907),G. equulus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 andG. oyena (Forsskål, 1775), included in the “G. oyena complex”, with notes on other related species (Perciformes: Gerreidae)

The gerreid species,Gerres baconensis (Evermann &; Seale),G. equulus Temminck &; Schlegel andG. oyena (Forsskål), were re-assessed as valid following examination of their holotypes and other specimens, and included in the “G. oyena complex”.Gerres haconensis is currently known only from Bacon, Luzon Island, Philippines and the Ogasawara (=Bonin) Islands, Japan, andG. equulus only from southern Japan (except Ryukyu Islands) and southern Korea.Gerres oyena is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific (in Japan, only from the Ryukyu Islands).Gerres baconensis differs from bothG. equulus andG. oyena in having higher counts of both the pored lateral line scales (39–42 vs 35–41 in the latter two species) and the lower gill raker series (8 or 9 vs. usually 7). A U-shaped premaxillary groove, formed on the dorsum of the forehead by the long ascending processes of the premaxillae, is scaleless inG. equulus andG. oyena, whereas it is fully scaled just behind the level of the posterior nostrils inG. baconensis over ca. 160 mm in standard length (SL) (partially scaled in specimens of ca. 100 mm SL).Gerres equulus differs fromG. oyena in having the posterior margin of the maxilla not extending beyond a vertical through the anterior margin of the inner dermal eye opening, shorter second dorsal and anal fin spines (means 18.5% and 8.5% of SL, respectively vs. 21.2% and 10.3% of SL), lower body depth at first anal fin spine base (27.0% vs. 29.6% of SL) and dorsomedial U-shaped groove scaleles throughout life (vs. tiny squamation anteriorly in specimens over ca. 130 mm SL). OtherGerres species of uncertain status and/or related species are discussed.     

Increased cerebral extracellular adenosine and decreased PGE2 during ethanol-induced inhibition of FBM.

Adenosine and PGE2 are neuromodulators, both of which inhibit fetal breathing movements (FBM). Although circulating PGE2 has been implicated as a mediator of ethanol-induced inhibition of FBM in the late-gestation ovine fetus, a role for adenosine has not been examined. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of maternal ethanol infusion on ovine fetal cerebral extracellular fluid adenosine and PGE2 concentrations by using in utero microdialysis and to relate any changes to ethanol-induced inhibition of FBM. Dialysate samples were obtained from the fetal parietal cortex over 70 h after surgery to determine steady-state extracellular fluid adenosine and PGE2 concentrations. On each of postoperative days 3 and 4, after a 2-h baseline period, ewes received a 1-h infusion of ethanol (1 g/kg maternal body wt) or an equivalent volume of saline, and the fetus was monitored for a further 11 h with 30-min dialysate samples collected throughout. Immediately after surgery, dialysate PGE2 and adenosine concentrations were 3.7 +/- 0.7 and 296 +/- 127 nM, respectively. PGE2 did not change over the 70 h, whereas adenosine decreased to 59 +/- 14 nM (P < 0.05) at 4 h and then remained unchanged. Ethanol decreased dialysate PGE2 concentration for 2 h (3.3 +/- 0.3 to 1.9 +/- 0.4 nM; P < 0.05) and increased adenosine concentration for 6 h (87 +/- 13 to a maximum of 252 +/- 59 nM, P < 0.05). Ethanol decreased FBM incidence from 47 +/- 7 to 16 +/- 5% (P < 0.01) for 8 h. Saline infusion did not change dialysate adenosine or PGE2 concentrations or FBM incidence. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that fetal cerebral adenosine, and not PGE2, is the primary mediator of ethanol-induced inhibition of FBM at 123 days of gestation in sheep.     

Chimeric domain analysis of the compatibility between H(+), K(+)-ATPase and Na(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunits for the functional expression of gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase.

Gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase consists of alpha-subunit with 10 transmembrane domains and beta-subunit with a single transmembrane domain. We constructed cDNAs encoding chimeric beta-subunits between the gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase and Na(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunits and co-transfected them with the H(+),K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit cDNA in HEK-293 cells. A chimeric beta-subunit that consists of the cytoplasmic plus transmembrane domains of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit and the ectodomain of H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit assembled with the H(+),K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit and expressed the K(+)-ATPase activity. Therefore, the whole cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit were replaced by those of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit without losing the enzyme activity. However, most parts of the ectodomain of H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit were not replaced by the corresponding domains of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit. Interestingly, the extracellular segment between Cys(152) and Cys(178), which contains the second disulfide bond, was exchangeable between H(+),K(+)-ATPase and Na(+), K(+)-ATPase, preserving the K(+)-ATPase activity intact. Furthermore, the K(+)-ATPase activity was preserved when the N-terminal first 4 amino acids ((67)DPYT(70)) in the ectodomain of H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit were replaced by the corresponding amino acids ((63)SDFE(66)) of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit. The ATPase activity was abolished, however, when 4 amino acids ((76)QLKS(79)) in the ectodomain of H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit were replaced by the counterpart ((72)RVAP(75)) of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit, indicating that this region is the most N-terminal one that discriminates the H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta-subunit from that of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase.