A common missense variant of monocarboxylate transporter 9 (MCT9/SLC16A9) gene is associated with renal overload gout, but not with all gout susceptibility

Gout is a common disease caused by hyperuricemia, which shows elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels. From a viewpoint of urate handling in humans, gout patients can be divided into those with renal overload (ROL) gout with intestinal urate underexcretion, and those with renal underexcretion (RUE) gout. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) revealed an association between SUA and a variant in human monocarboxylate transporter 9 (MCT9/SLC16A9) gene. Although the function of MCT9 remains unclear, urate is mostly excreted via intestine and kidney where MCT9 expression is observed. In this study, we investigated the relationship between a variant of MCT9 and gout in 545 patients and 1,115 healthy volunteers. A missense variant of MCT9 (K258T), rs2242206, significantly increased the risk of ROL gout (p = 0.012), with odds ratio (OR) of 1.28, although it revealed no significant association with all gout cases (p = 0.10), non-ROL gout cases (p = 0.83), and RUE gout cases (p = 0.34). In any case groups and the control group, minor allele frequencies of rs2242206 were >0.40. Therefore, rs2242206 is a common missense variant and is revealed to have an association with ROL gout, indicating that rs2242206 relates to decreased intestinal urate excretion rather than decreased renal urate excretion. Our study provides clues to better understand the pathophysiology of gout as well as the physiological roles of MCT9.     

Effects of physical training on bone mineral density and bone metabolism

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of long-term walking training and walking and jumping training on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism. Data from 28 healthy premenopausal women was assessed. The subjects were divided into the walking group (WG; 17 women mean+/-SE age 35+/-2 years), and the walking and jumping group (WJG; 11 women mean+/-SE age 39+/-1 years). BMD was measured in the lumbar spine and proximal femur using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). As markers of bone metabolism, this study was to measure bone formation markers, bone-alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP: measured by enzyme immunoassay/EIA) and osteocalcin (BGP: by radioimmunoassay/RI) as well as bone resorption markers, parathyroid hormone (PTH: measured by/RI) and type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTx: by EIA). Despite the significant decrease in body weight (p<0.05), no corresponding decrease in BMD was observed. Moreover, no significant difference in bone markers BGP, PTH, and NTx was observed. B-ALP was significantly increased (p<0.05) after one year, and the rate of this increase was greater in the WJG than in the WG. It is thus concluded that walking training for one year is beneficial for the promotion of bone formation, and that jumping stimulus maintain BMD effectively.     

Enhancement of secondary xylem cell proliferation by Arabidopsis cyclin D overexpression in tobacco plants

Secondary xylem is composed of daughter cells produced by the vascular cambium in the stem. Cell proliferation of the secondary xylem is the result of long-range cell division in the vascular cambium. Most xylem cells have a thickened secondary cell wall, representing a large amount of biomass storage. Therefore, regulation of cell division in the vascular cambium and differentiation into secondary xylem is important for biomass production. Cell division is regulated by cell cycle regulators. In this study, we confirm that cell cycle regulators influence cell division in the vascular cambium in tobacco. We produced transgenic tobacco that expresses Arabidopsis thaliana cyclin D2;1 (AtcycD2;1) and AtE2Fa-DPa under the control of the CaMV35S promoter. Each gene is a positive regulator of the cell cycle, and is known to influence the transition from G1 phase to S phase. AtcycD2;1-overexpressing tobacco had more secondary xylem cells when compared with control plants. In order to evaluate cell division activity in the vascular cambium, we prepared a Populus trichocarpa cycB1;1 (PtcycB1;1) promoter containing a destruction box motif for ubiquitination and a β-glucuronidase-encoding gene (PtcycB1;1pro:GUS). In transgenic tobacco containing PtcycB1;1pro:GUS, GUS staining was specifically observed in meristem tissues, such as the root apical meristem and vascular cambium. In addition, mitosis-monitoring plants containing AtcycD2;1 had stronger GUS staining in the cambium when compared with control plants. Our results indicated that overexpression of AtcycD enhances cell division in the vascular cambium and increases secondary xylem differentiation in tobacco. Key message We succeeded in inducing cell proliferation of cambium and enlargement of secondary xylem region by AtcycD overexpression. We also evaluated mitotic activity in cambium using cyclin-GUS fusion protein from poplar.     

Effect of running training on uncoupling protein mRNA expression in rat brown adipose tissue

The effect was investigated of endurance training on the expression of uncoupling protein (UCP) mRNA in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of rats. The exercised rats were trained on a rodent treadmill for 5 days per week and a total of 9 weeks. After the training programme, a marked decrease in BAT mass was found in terms of weight or weight per unit body weight; there was a corresponding decrease in DNA content and a downward trend in RNA and glycogen levels. The UCP mRNA was present at a markedly decreased level in BAT of trained animals. In consideration of the reduced levels of mRNAs for hormone-sensitive lipase and acylCoA synthetase, the brown adipose tissue investigated appeared to be in a relatively atrophied and thermogenically quiescent state.     

Heat shock preconditioning reduces the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal modified proteins in ischemia-reperfused liver of rats

Heat shock preconditioning (HSPC) is a promising strategy for providing ischemic tolerance. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of HSPC in preventing oxidative damage of cellular proteins and DNA during ischemia-reperfusion of the liver. Male Wistar rats were divided into a heat shock group (group HS) and control (group C). Forty-eight hours prior to ischemia, rats in group HS received HSPC at 42 degrees C for 15 min. All rats received hepatic warm ischemia for 30min and subsequent reperfusion. The formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) modified proteins in liver tissue, survival rate of the animals, and changes in biochemical and histological parameters were compared between groups. Heat shock protein 72 was produced only in group HS. The 7-day survival of rats was significantly better in group HS (10/10) than in group C (5/10) (p < 0.01). The serum release of alanine aminotransferase (n = 10, p < 0.01) and the concentration of adenosine triphosphate in liver tissue (n = 10, p < 0.01) 40min after reperfusion was significantly better in group HS than in group C. The formation of 8-OHdG in liver tissue measured by high-performance liquid chromatography was suppressed in group HS (p < 0.01). The production of HNE-modified proteins as determined by Western-blot analysis was also decreased in group HS. These results were also confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. As determined by levels of 8-OHdG and HNE-modified proteins produced during ischemia-reperfusion of the liver, HSPC reduced the oxidative injury of cellular proteins and DNA in the liver tissue.     

Phospholipid Composition of Gluconobacter cerinus

Phospholipids of Gluconobacter cerinus were investigated. The cells of this bacterium were found to have cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine together with three ornithine-containing lipids. Phosphatidylcholine was the most abundant of these phospholipids, and calculated at 31.0% of total phospholipids in the cells at the late logarithmic phase. The fatty acid of this lipid was composed of palmitate, stearate and vaccenate, and there were no remarkable differences in quality among fatty acids of these four phospholipids. The phosphatidylcholine was also found in other acetic acid bacteria.     

Occurrence of Free Ceramide in Acetobacter xylinum

Oryzacystatin, a proteinaceous cysteine proteinase inhibitor (cystatin) from rice seeds and probably the first well-defined cystatin superfamily member of plant origin, was immunologically investigated for its occurrence in rice seeds during maturation and germination. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-oryzacystatin Immunoglobulin G showed that all the investigated 23 cultivars of rice, Oryza sativa L. japónica, contained oryzacystatin at 1 ~ 4 mg % in their seeds. Particularly, oryzacystatin levels were high in precocious cultivars and low in sticky rice cultivars. The use of the ELISA method for the representative rice cultivar, Nipponbare, gave the result that in the seed maturation process, oryzacystatin was synthesized in precedence to total seed protein. In the germination process, oryzacystatin tended to decrease in accordance with degradation of total seed protein.     

Analysis of velocity- and power-load relationships of the free-weight back-squat and hexagonal bar deadlift exercises

The aim of this study was to analyse the load-velocity and load-power relationships in the free-weight back-squat (BSQ) and hexagonal bar deadlift (HBD) exercises. Twenty-five (n = 25) resistance-trained men (age = 23.7 ± 2.8 years) performed a progressive load test at maximal intended velocity to determine their BSQ and HBD one-repetition maximum (1RM). Mean propulsive velocity (MPV) during the concentric phase of the lift was recorded through a linear encoder. Load-velocity and load-power relationships were analysed by fitting linear regression and the second-order polynomial, respectively, to the data. Maximum strength (1RM), MPV (30–80% 1RM), and power output (30–90% 1RM) were higher for HBD compared to BSQ exercise (p < 0.05). A very strong relationship between MPV and relative intensity was found for both BSQ (R² = 0.963) and HBD (R² = 0.967) exercises. The load that maximizes power output (P_max) was 64.6 ± 2.9% (BSQ) and 59.6 ± 1.1% (HBD) 1RM. There was a range of loads at which power output was not different than P_max (BSQ: 40–80% 1RM; HBD: 50–70% 1RM). In conclusion, the load-velocity and load-power relationships might assist strength and conditioning coaches to monitor and prescribe exercise intensity in the BSQ and HBD exercises using the velocity-based training approach.