Hyperthermic treatment of chromomycosis with disposable chemical pocket warmers

A case of chromomycosis in which hyperthermia proved effective is reported. The patient was a 56-year-old male bean curd maker who, without any previous history of minor trauma, developed on the extensor side of the left upper arm an eczematous lesion that underwent gradual radial expansion. The lesion showed a well-defined, 7×10 cm infiltrated erythematous plaque with the central area healed and, at the upper and lower borders, adherent scales and crusts on the surface. Histological examination revealed granulomatous changes in the dermis, as well as sclerotic cells within giant cells and microabscesses. On culturing,Fonsecaea pedrosoi was isolated. The patient was treated with disposable chemical pocket warmers, which were secured over the lesion with a rather tight elastic bandage, so that they kept the affected area warm for 24 hours a day. After a month of such hyperthermic treatment, the erythema and infiltration had decreased considerably, and microscopic examination and culture of the crusts both yielded negative results. Examination of biopsy specimens of the lesion after the third month showed that it had cicatrized. The treatment was stopped after 4 months, and no relapse occurred. We also summarize the published results of local hyperthermic treatment of chromomycosis in Japan.     

Agricultural Activities of a Meadow Eliminated Plant Litter from the Periphery of a Farmland in Inner Mongolia,China

The purpose of our investigation was to clarify the effects of agriculture on the process of loss of litter at the periphery of a farmland. This study revealed the generation process of an ecologically unusual phenomenon that is observed around cropland in semi-arid regions. We hypothesized that the vegetation around a farmland cannot supply plant litter to the ground surface because the ecological structure has been changed by agricultural activities. The study was conducted at Xilingol steppe, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Four study lines were established from the edge of an arable field to the surrounding meadow and parallel to the wind direction during the strong wind season. Key measurement for each line was set at the border between the farmland and steppe. Four study sites were set at intervals along each line. Plant litter, soil particle size distribution, plant species composition, plant volume, and species diversity were investigated. Despite using the same mowing method at the meadows of all study sites, the litter at the only periphery of the farmland completely disappeared. Soil particle size distribution in steppe, which was adjacent to the farmland, was similar to that of the farmland. Plant community structure at the periphery of the farmland was different from that of the far side from the farmland. This implies that soil scattered from the farmland affected the species composition of the steppe. Consequently, the change in plant community structure induced litter loss because of mowing. We concluded that plant litter was lost near the farmland because of the combined effects of farming and mowing. The results support our hypothesis that the vegetation around a farmland cannot supply plant litter because the ecological structure has been changed by agricultural activities.     

Precise identification of gene products in hearts after in vivo gene transfection, using Sendai virus-coated proteoliposomes.

Both efficient gene transfer and the exact identification of gene product are required for gene therapy. Gene transfection of green fluorescence protein (GFP) might be useful for the reporter. After in vivo cotransfection of GFP and beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) genes in Sendai virus-coated proteoliposomes to rat hearts, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of three methods: GFP detection, histochemical staining (HC) of beta-Gal activity, and immunostaining (IS) of the beta-Gal protein. Fluorescence microscopy and double staining of HC and IS revealed that both GFP and IS were equally sensitive and fourfold superior to HC at the peak of gene expression. However, different from skeletal muscle, the GFP of transfected cardiomyocytes showed two demerits: the fluorescence quenching due to the intense staining of beta-Gal activity, and nonspecific autofluorescence from myocardium. Thus, specific IS would be so far the most reliable to identify the gene product in heart.     

Modification of regression of virally xenogenized tumor cells by cyclophosphamide and busulfan

Summary Rat fibrosarcoma cells infected with Friend leukemia virus (FV-KMT-17) grow for a short time and then regress spontaneously in syngeneic hosts. This regression mechanism was examined by analyzing the immunomodulating action of the antitumor drugs busulfan (BU) and cyclophosphamide (CY). In preliminary experiments, the optimum dosages of BU and CY for the enhancement of DTH responses to SRBC were 10 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg respectively. Treatment of rats with BU (10 mg/kg) on day 5 induced the regression of KMT-17 cells, while in contrast, the same drug delayed the spontaneous regression of FV-KMT-17 cells. Pretreatment with CY (40 mg/kg) on day 5 did not affect the growth of KMT-17 or FV-KMT-17 cells. After the same treatment schedule, BU inhibited humoral antibody formation against SRBC and against virus-associated antigen (VAA), NK cell activity, and ADCC effector cell activity. On the other hand, CY did not affect the activities of NK cells or ADCC effector cells, although it significantly augmented the DTH responses to SRBC and the production of antibody to VAA but had no effect on production of antibodies to SRBC. These results suggest that NK cells and ADCC may play an important role in the initial stage of the spontaneous regression of FV-KMT-17 cells.Supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Japanese Ministry of Education Abbreviations used: BU, busulfan; CY, cyclophosphamide; PFC assay, plaque forming cell assay; VAA, virus-associated antigen; NK cell, natural killer cell; ADCC, antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity; MuLV, murine leukemia virus; DTH, delayed type hypersensitivity; SRBC, sheep red blood cells; C.I., cytotoxic index; CRBC, chicken red blood cells; IL-1, interleukin 1; IL-2, interleukin 2; IFN, interferon     

Selection of microorganisms which produce raw-starch degrading enzymes

Summary Microorganisms which produce strong raw-starch degrading enzymes were isolated from soil using a medium containing a unique carbon source, -amylase resistant starch (-RS), which is insoluble in water and hardly digested with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens -amylase. Among the isolates, three strains showing high activities were characterized. Two of them, K-27 (fungus) and K-28 (yeast), produced -amylase and glucoamylase, and the final product from starch was only glucose. The third strain, K-2, was a bacterium and produced -amylase, which produced glucose and malto-oligosaccharides from starch. The enzyme preparation of these strains degraded raw corn starch rapidly.     

Bromodeoxyuridine-immunohistochemistry on cellular differentiation and migration in the fundic gland of Xenopus laevis during development

Summary Cellular differentiation and migration in the fundic glands of adult and larval Xenopus laevis have been examined using bromodeoxyuridine-immunohistochemistry. In the adult fundic gland, cumulative labeling with bromodeoxyuridine revealed a proliferative cell zone between the surface mucous cells and mucous neck cells, in what is referred to as the neck portion of the gland. The labeling-index of mucous neck cells had rapidly increased by week-5. The labeling-index of oxynticopeptic cells showed a more delayed increase until week-7, coincident with the decrease in the labeling of mucous neck cells. In the immature fundic glands of larvae, the labeled proliferating cells were randomly distributed throughout the developing gastric mucosa. During metamorphosis, the labeling-index of immature epithelial cells was highest at stage 63. Following administration of bromodeoxyurdine at this, stage, there was no significant loss of labeled epithelial cells during the metamorphosing period. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the labeling-indices among the epithelial cells, such as surface mucous cells/generative cells, mucous neck cells, and oxynticopeptic cells, 7 days after administration. Cellular differentiation and migration pathways of epithelial cells in the fundic gland of adult X. laevis and its larvae are discussed.     

Changes in mouse brain monoamine oxidase activity in the first, second and fourth generations after manganese administration

The present study was conducted to explore whether or not manganese effect on brain monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4) is subject to hereditary genetic amplification. Mice of both sexes were given manganese through four generations, and the enzyme activity was measured in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hypothalamus and hippocampus of each of the generations except for the third, whose activity we were not in a position to measure. Intrinsic enzyme activity was highest in the cerebellum, and was followed by those in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus. The activity in the hippocampus was the lowest. Manganese administration greatly stimulated the activity in the cerebellum. However, as generation succeeded, the level of susceptibility to manganese gradually declined. Manganese concentration in pooled suborgan fractions proved to be, in every case, higher in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus and lower in the hypothalamus. No indication was found that the manganese effect is genetically inherited.     

Improved maintenance of adult rat alveolar type II cell differentiation in vitro: effect of hydrocortisone and cyclic AMP

We have examined the effect of hydrocortisone and cyclic AMP on the maintenance of lipid synthesis in primary cultures of adult rat alveolar type II cells. These hormones were tested in the presence of either 1% or 5% charcoal-stripped rat serum (CS-rat serum). The effect of substratum on responsiveness to these hormones was evaluated by comparing cells cultured for 4 days on tissue culture plastic, on floating type I collagen gels, on rat lung fibroblast feeder layers on floating collagen gels (floating feeder layers), and on Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor basement membrane gels. Type II cells cultured on floating feeder layers in medium containing 1% CS-rat serum and 10(-5) M hydrocortisone plus 0.5 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP exhibited significantly increased incorporation of [14C]acetate into total lipids (238% of control). The hormone combination also increased the relative percentage of acetate incorporated into phosphatidylglycerol (PG; 7.3% versus 1.9%) and saturated phosphatidylcholine (PC; 43.6% versus 37.6%). The percentage of acetate incorporated into neutral lipids was significantly decreased by the addition of hormones (28.6% versus 70.0%). The addition of hydrocortisone and cyclic AMP to medium containing 5% CS-rat serum resulted in an increase in the relative incorporation of acetate into saturated PC (51.2% versus 46.4%), but had no effect on the relative incorporation of acetate into PG or on the incorporation of acetate into total lipids. Type II cells cultured on EHS gels in medium containing 1% CS-rat serum plus hydrocortisone and cyclic AMP showed increased acetate incorporation into total lipids (204% of control) and a relative decrease in the percentage of acetate incorporated into neutral lipids (16.9% versus 47.0%). The hormone combination also increased the relative incorporation of acetate into PG (4.4% versus 2.5%) and saturated PC (49.9% versus 42.1%). Hydrocortisone and cyclic AMP added to medium containing 5% CS-rat serum concentration increased the relative incorporation of acetate into saturated PC by type II cells on EHS gels, but these additions had no effect on acetate incorporation into PG. No responses to these soluble factors were seen when type II cells were cultured on floating type I collagen gels without feeder layers or on tissue culture plastic. These data indicate that there are positive interactions between substratum, soluble factors and serum in the maintenance of differentiated function of adult rat alveolar type II cells in vitro.     

Nalidixic acid-resistant mutations of the gyrB gene of Escherichia coli

Summary DNA fragments of 3.4 kb containing the gyrB gene were cloned from Escherichia coli KL-16 and from spontaneous nalidixic acid-resistant mutants. The mutations (nal-24 and nal-31) had been determined to be in the gyrB gene by transduction analysis. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cloned DNA fragments revealed that nal-24 was a G to A transition at the first base of the 426th codon of the gyrB gene, resulting in an amino acid change from aspartic acid to asparagine, and nal-31 was an A to G transition at the first base of the 447th codon, resulting in an amino acid change from lysine to glutamic acid. This indicates that mutations in the gyrB gene are responsible for nalidixic acid resistance.