Separation of Soybean Sterols by Florisil Chromatography and Characterization of Acylated Steryl Glucoside

Florisil column chromatography was demonstrated to be effective in differentiation between different forms of sterols. Sterols of ground soybeans are in four forms, free, ester, and free and acylated glucosides, as analyzed on acetone extracts. In soybean oil foots, steryl ester is present in negligibly small amount. The acylated steryl glucosides were isolated from oil foots in a crystalline state. A chemical structure, steryl 6-acyl d-glucoside, was assigned to the compound, and its probable identity with the glucosides reported by Lepage is discussed. The acylated glucoside preparation was shown to be heterogeneous in composition, carrying palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids as the main acyl moieties and campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol as steryl moieties. The presence of the three sterols is common to three other forms of sterols.     

Comparison of investment in nest construction by the foundresses of consubgenericPolistes wasps,P. (polistes) riparius andP. (P.) chinensis (hymenoptera, vespidae)

Some metric characters of nests built during the founding phase by foundresses were compared between two consubgenericPolistes wasps,P. (Polistes) riparius andP. (P.) chinensis, the former of which inhabit higher latitudes. Volumes and dry weights ofP. riparius nests were strikingly larger than those ofP. chinensis, even when standardized by the foundress weight (2.5 times for volume and 2 times for weight), showing that foundresses ofP. riparius invest much more in the nest construction than those ofP. chinensis. However, percent weights of oral secretion used for nests to total nest weights were smaller inP. riparius than inP. chinensis (52.1% vs. 60.4%). The differences in the investment by foundresses of the two species in the construction and maintenance of nests were discussed in relation to climatic and other environmental factors.     

Distribution of PNP 14 (β-synuclein) in neuroendocrine tissues: Localization in Sertoli cells

Phosphoneuroprotein (PNP 14) is abundant in the central nervous system and is localized at nerve endings but not in synaptic vesicles. In this study, we examined the presence of PNP 14 in various endocrine tissues of the rat. PNP 14 was not detected in the endocrine cells of the intestine, testes, or adrenal gland, but it was present in axon terminals in both the medulla of the adrenal gland and the anterior pituitary gland. When testes were stained with PNP 14–specific antibodies by an indirect immunofluorescence method, PNP 14 was found in Sertoli cells of the testes, associated with fibrillar structures. PNP 14 was also detected in cultured Sertoli cells with a fibrillar pattern in the cytoplasm and around the nuclei. The fibrillar structure did not resemble actin stress fibers, microtubules, or intermediate filaments. The amount of PNP 14 in the testis changed with development. It increased markedly during the first 4 weeks after birth and then decreased. During the first 4 weeks after birth, spermatogonia undergo two rounds of meiosis. It is possible, therefore, that PNP 14 might be a factor related to meiosis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 50:163–169, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are not associated with impaired postural sway in community-dwelling older women: a 6-year follow-up study

Objectives:A positive association between levels of blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), an index of vitamin D status, and physical balance has been reported from cross-sectional studies, but longitudinal studies are rare. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that low serum 25(OH)D levels are longitudinally associated with impaired postural sway over a 6-year follow-up period in older women.Methods:The present cohort consisted of 392 community-dwelling Japanese women aged ≥69 years. Baseline examinations included serum 25(OH)D and physical performance tests, including postural sway velocity. Standing postural sway was evaluated by measuring gravity-center sway velocity. Follow-up physical performance tests were conducted 6 years later.Results:Mean subject age and serum 25(OH)D levels were 73.3 years (SD 3.7) and 61.0 nmol/L (SD 16.9), respectively. No significant association was found between 25(OH)D levels and changes in postural sway velocity (adjusted P for trend=0.72). Women with 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L tended to have lower Δpostural sway velocity than those with 25(OH)D ≥30 nmol/L (mean, -0.59 vs 0.37 cm/s, respectively; adjusted P=0.13).Conclusions:Vitamin D levels are not longitudinally associated with impaired postural sway in older women. Further longitudinal studies are needed to corroborate the results of this study.     

Aluminum concentrations in human deciduous enamel and dentin related to dental caries

The aluminum (Al) concentrations in the enamel and dentin of 314 human deciduous teeth were determined in order to examine the relationship between Al and dental caries. The sample teeth were divided into three groups: the sound tooth group, carious tooth group and filled tooth group. The teeth of the carious tooth group were further classified into three groups depending on the stage of caries. The Al content was determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. In both the enamel and dentin, the Al concentrations were unaffected by sex, but did depend on tooth type. In enamel, the Al concentration was significantly higher in the sound tooth group (42.8 +/- 37.3 microg/g) than in the three carious groups (20.7 +/- 17.1-24.9 +/- 22.0 microg/g) and the filled tooth group (27.3 +/- 25.5 microg/g). As for dentin, the Al concentration was also significantly higher in the sound tooth group (36.2 +/- 35.1 microg/g) than in the three carious groups (15.1 +/- 13.3-24.5 +/- 23.4 microg/g) and the filled tooth group (17.2 +/- 20.6 microg/g). Even when analyzing incisors alone, the Al concentrations were significantly higher in the sound tooth group than in the other groups, for both enamel and dentin. Furthermore, the Al levels in carious enamel and dentin did not decrease with the advance of caries. These findings indicated that the deciduous teeth containing higher Al concentrations on average had less caries than the teeth with lower Al concentrations, and suggest that Al acts as a possible cariostatic agent by itself.     

Basement membrane-like substance in cytologic diagnosis in clear cell adenocarcinoma of the minor salivary gland of the palate. A case report

BACKGROUND: Clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the minor salivary gland accounts for < 1% of all tumors of the salivary gland. CASE: A 32-year-old woman with a history of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid 1 year earlier complained of pain on the left side of the neck. After a detailed examination, the patient underwent the resection of a tumor located at the palate. Imprint cytology of the tumor revealed cohesive tumor cells of uniform size containing an abundant clear cytoplasm and round nuclei with extra but fine granular chromatin and conspicuous nucleoli. A basement membrane-like substance (BMS) was stained in light green with Papanicolaou staining and was positive for laminin with immunohistochemical staining. Histopathologic analysis confirmed the trabecular or nest-like arrangement of the cells with the clear cytoplasm and BMS substance surrounded by tumor cells, which were positive for laminin and AE1 immunohistochemically. CONCLUSION: Although CCA of the palate is extremely rare, an accurate cytologic diagnosis can be made if the characteristic findings of CCA, including BMS, are imaged.     

An rne-1 pnp-7 Double Mutation Suppresses the Temperature-Sensitive Defect of lacZ Gene Expression in a divE Mutant

A divE mutant, which has a temperature-sensitive mutation in the tRNA₁^Ser gene, exhibits differential loss of the synthesis of certain proteins, such as β-galactosidase and succinate dehydrogenase, at nonpermissive temperatures. In Escherichia coli, the UCA codon is recognized only by tRNA₁^Ser. Several genes containing UCA codons are normally expressed after a temperature shift to 42°C in the divE mutant. Therefore, it is unlikely that the defect in protein synthesis at 42°C is simply caused by a defect in the decoding function of the mutant tRNA₁^Ser. In this study, we sought to determine the cause of the defect in lacZ gene expression in the divE mutant. It has also been shown that the defect in lacZ gene expression is accompanied by a decrease in the amount of lacZ mRNA. To examine whether inactivation of mRNA degradation pathways restores the defect in lacZ gene expression, we constructed divE mutants containing rne-1, rnb-500, and pnp-7 mutations in various combinations. We found that the defect was almost completely restored by introducing an rne-1 pnp-7 double mutation into the divE mutant. Northern hybridization analysis showed that the rne-1 mutation stabilized lacZ mRNA, whereas the pnp-7 mutation stabilized mutant tRNA₁^Ser, at 44°C. We present a mechanism that may explain these results.