A Case of Paraplegia Treated with Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage and Permissive Hypertension after Graft Replacement of the Ascending Aorta and the Total Aortic Arch for Acute Aortic Dissection Stanford Type A.

Paraplegia after an operation for acute aortic dissection Stanford type A (AADA) is fairly uncommon, and there is no consensus about optimal treatment. We present a case in which cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) and permissive hypertension were used for treatment of paraplegia. When the patient showed complete bilateral paraplegia after operation for AADA, we immediately began CSFD and maintained mean arterial blood pressure at over 90 mmHg. His neurological deficit gradually recovered, and he was eventually able to walk without support. The combination of CSFD and permissive hypertension could be a first-line emergent treatment for postoperative paraplegia after AADA surgery.

Role of the Transcription Factor BTB and CNC Homology 1 in a Rat Model of Acute Liver Injury Induced by Experimental Endotoxemia.

Hepatic oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several acute liver diseases, and free heme is thought to contribute to endotoxemia-induced acute liver injury. The heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) gene is upregulated and the δ-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS1) gene is downregulated in the rat liver following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) is a heme-responsive transcription factor that normally represses HO-1 expression. In this study, we evaluated the changes in HO-1, ALAS1, and Bach1 expression and nuclear Bach1 expression in rat livers following intravenous LPS administration (10 mg/kg body weight). LPS significantly upregulated HO-1 mRNA and downregulated ALAS1 mRNA in the rat livers, suggesting that hepatic free heme concentrations are increased after LPS treatment. Bach1 mRNA was strongly induced after LPS injection. In contrast, nuclear Bach1 was significantly but transiently decreased after LPS treatment. Rats were also administered hemin (50 mg/kg body weight) intravenously to elevate heme concentrations, which decreased nuclear Bach1 levels. Our results suggest that elevated hepatic free heme may be associated with a decline of nuclear Bach1, and induction of Bach1 mRNA may compensate for the decreased nuclear Bach1 after LPS treatment in the rat liver.

[Subdural Hematoma after Open Heart Surgery for Infective Endocarditis Presenting with Pre-operative Intracranial Hemorrhage Infarction;Report of a Case].

A 47-year-old woman with a history of radiation enteritis and implantation of a central venous port was admitted to our intensive care unit(ICU) suffering from high fever. She was diagnosed with active infective endocarditis due to catheter-related blood stream infection. Although echocardiography showed a large vegetation on the mitral valve, surgical therapy was postponed for 5 weeks because of intracranial hemorrhage infarction. On the 3rd day after mitral valve repair, she developed consciousness disturbance and computed tomography(CT) revealed acute subdural hematoma of the posterior cranial fossa. Fortunately, she fully recovered from the neurological complication without surgical intervention.

A suspected case of rocuronium-sugammadex complex-induced anaphylactic shock after cesarean section.

An anaphylactic reaction during a cesarean section occurs rarely, and rocuronium is thought to be one of the common agents causing perioperative anaphylaxis. Here we report an anaphylactic shock after cesarean section that is suggested to be induced by the rocuronium-sugammadex complex. A 36-year-old primigravida underwent an elective cesarean section under general anesthesia due to placenta previa. While the operation was completed uneventfully, she developed anaphylactic shock following sugammadex administration. She was successfully managed with rapid treatments. Serum tryptase level was significantly elevated. Although sugammadex was first suspected to be the causative agent, the result of intradermal skin tests with sugammadex were negative. Surprisingly, a subsequent intradermal test with undiluted rocuronium caused the patient to fall into a state of shock. Furthermore, a later skin-prick test with pre-mixed rocuronium-sugammadex complex also revealed a strong positive reaction, and a test with only rocuronium showed negative. We finally concluded that the rocuronium-sugammadex complex is the causative agent in this case. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report suggesting anaphylaxis caused by the rocuronium-sugammadex complex. This case highlights the importance of appropriate examinations to determinate the pathogenesis of anaphylaxis in order to establish risk reduction strategies.

Addition of methionine and low cultivation temperatures increase palmitoleic acid production by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Palmitoleic acid (POA) has recently gained attention for its health benefits and as a potential resource for industrial feedstock. This study focused on the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has a high POA content but low lipid content, for POA production. We created an oleaginous S. cerevisiae as a dga1 mutant overexpressing Dga1p lacking the N-terminal 29 amino acids (Dga1∆Np). This was performed to further increase POA content in the oleaginous S. cerevisiae through optimization of culture conditions and genetic modifications. We found that high concentrations of methionine (2.0 g/l) increased POA production in a concentration-dependent way, while other amino acids such as cysteine, glycine, and glutamine showed no effect. It was not clear if the effect of methionine was mediated through S-adenosylmethionine, mainly because its addition did not increase POA content as did the addition of methionine. We increased POA content up to 55% by incubation of the dga1 transformant in a medium containing 2 g/l methionine at lower than normal temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 °C. Cultivation at such temperatures increased dry cell weight, but did not affect the lipid content, thereby increasing total POA production. The effects of methionine and low temperatures (20-25 °C) on POA content were more apparent in the strains overexpressing Dga1∆Np than those harboring empty vectors, which was consistent with the observation that POA was enriched in triacylglycerol. Overexpression of Ole1p, the enzyme responsible for POA production, did not increase POA content of the dga1 mutant overexpressing Dga1∆Np, but increased that of the wild-type strain overexpressing Dga1∆Np. The results suggested that genomic Ole1p in the dga1 mutant was active enough to achieve the optimal POA production under these conditions. Finally, the POA production by the S. cerevisiae transformant was increased 2.5-fold, which demonstrates that oleaginous S. cerevisiae is a potential source of POA.

[Incidence and risk factors of postoperative emergency treatment in dialysis patients after elective noncardiac surgery: a five-year retrospective study].

BACKGROUND: Chronic hemodialysis patients undergoing surgery require intensive care. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of emergency treatment before the planned elective postoperative dialysis. METHODS: One hundred and ten dialysis patients undergoing elective noncardiac surgery were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Emergency treatment was performed in 31 (28.1%) of the 110 patients, including one patient with emergency dialysis, because of hyperkalemia (n = 27) or metabolic acidosis (n = 4). Receiving operating characteristic curve analysis showed a cutoff value for serum potassium concentration < 4.0 mEq x l(-1) estimated by maximizing the Youden index. We could not find other perioperative data as significant risk factors for emergency treatment. CONCLUSIONS: About 30 percent of dialysis patients aftet elective noncardiac surgery required emergency treatment. The highest risk was high serum potassium concentrations after induction of anesthesia Preoperative serum potassium concentrations should be kept below 4.0 mEq x l(-1) to avoid postoperative emergency treatment.

Overexpression of the active diacylglycerol acyltransferase variant transforms Saccharomyces cerevisiae into an oleaginous yeast.

Lipid production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was improved by overexpression of the yeast diacylglycerol acyltransferase Dga1p lacking the N-terminal 29 amino acids (Dga1∆Np), which was previously found to be an active form in the ∆snf2 mutant. Overexpression of Dga1∆Np in the ∆snf2 mutant, however, did not increase lipid content as expected, which prompted us to search for a more suitable strain in which to study the role of Dga1∆Np in lipid accumulation. We found that the overexpression of Dga1∆Np in the ∆dga1 mutant effectively increased the lipid content up to about 45 % in the medium containing 10 % glucose. The high lipid content of the transformant was dependent on glucose concentration, nitrogen limitation, and active leucine biosynthesis. To better understand the effect of dga1 disruption on the ability of Dga1∆Np to stimulate lipid accumulation, the ∆dga1-1 mutant, in which the 3'-terminal 36 bp of the dga1 open reading frame (ORF) remained, and the ∆dga1-2 mutant, in which the 3'-terminal 36 bp were also deleted, were prepared with URA3 disruption cassettes. Surprisingly, the overexpression of Dga1∆Np in the ∆dga1-1 mutant had a lower lipid content than the original ∆dga1 mutant, whereas overexpression in the ∆dga1-2 mutant led to a high lipid content of about 45 %. These results indicated that deletion of the 3' terminal region of the dga1 ORF, rather than abrogation of genomic Dga1p expression, was crucial for the effect of Dga1∆Np on lipid accumulation. To investigate whether dga1 disruption affected gene expression adjacent to DGA1, we found that the overexpression of Esa1p together with Dga1∆Np in the ∆dga1 mutant reverted the lipid content to the level of the wild-type strain overexpressing Dga1∆Np. In addition, RT-qPCR analysis revealed that ESA1 mRNA expression in the ∆dga1 mutant was decreased compared to the wild-type strain at the early stages of culture, suggesting that lowered Esa1p expression is involved in the effect of dga1 disruption on Dga1∆Np-dependent lipid accumulation. These results provide a new strategy to engineer S. cerevisiae for optimal lipid production.

Protective effect of tin chloride on rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury in rats.

The heme component of myoglobin plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of rhabdomyolysis-associated acute kidney injury (RM-AKI). Heme oxiganenase-1 (HO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme of heme catabolism, and its metabolites, iron, biliverdin, and carbon monoxide, have antioxidant properties. Tin chloride (SnCl2) is a kidney specific HO-1 inducer. In this study, we examined whether the induction of HO-1 in the kidney by SnCl2 pretreatment ameliorates RM-AKI in rats and if the effect is due to the degradation of excess renal free heme. We developed an RM-AKI rat (male Sprague-Dawley rats) model by injecting glycerol (Gly) in the hind limbs. RM-AKI rats were pretreated with saline or SnCl2 or additional SnMP (tin mesoporphyrin, a specific HO inhibitor) followed by Gly treatment. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Crea) were measured as indicators of renal function. Renal free heme level was assessed based on the levels of δ-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS1), a heme biosynthetic enzyme, and nuclear BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1), an inhibitory transcription factor of HO-1. Elevated free heme levels lead to decreases in ALAS1 and nuclear Bach1. After 24 h of Gly injection, serum BUN and Crea levels in saline-pretreated rats were significantly higher than those in untreated control rats. In contrast, SnCl2-pretreated rats showed no significant increase in the indices. However, additional treatment of SnMP abolished the beneficial effect of SnCl2. Renal ALAS1 mRNA levels and renal nuclear Bach1 protein levels in the saline pretreated rats were significantly lower than those in control rats 3 h after Gly injection. In contrast, the levels in SnCl2-pretreated rats were not altered. The findings indicate that SnCl2 pretreatment confers protection against RM-AKI by virtue of HO-1 induction in the renal system, at least in part through excess free heme degradation.

Efficient accumulation of oleic acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae caused by expression of rat elongase 2 gene (rELO2) and its contribution to tolerance to alcohols.

When the cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are exposed to high concentration of ethanol, the content of oleic acid (C18:1n-9) increased as the initial concentration of ethanol increased. Based on this observation, we attempted to confer ethanol tolerance to S. cerevisiae by manipulating fatty acid composition of the cells. Rather than altering OLE1 expression [the desaturase making both C16:1n-7 (palmitoleic acid) and C18:1n-9], we introduced elongase genes. Introduction of rat elongase 1 gene (rELO1) into S. cerevisiae gave cis-vaccenic acid (cis-C18:1n-7) by conversion from C16:1n-7, and the increase in this C18:1 fatty acid did not confer ethanol tolerance to the cells. On the other hand, the introduction of rat elongase 2 gene (rELO2), which elongates C16:0 to C18:0, drastically increased C18:1n-9 content, and the cells acquired ethanol tolerance, emphasizing the specific role of C18:1n-9. Furthermore, the transformant of rELO2 also conferred tolerance to n-butanol, n-propanol, and 2-propanol.

Comparative analysis of transcriptional responses to the cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide and trehalose, which confer tolerance to freeze-thaw stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have used microarray analysis to monitor the gene expression profile of Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4743 in the presence of the cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide (Me(2)SO) and trehalose. Analysis of these profiles suggests that both cryoprotectants increased the expression of genes involved in protein synthesis, ribosomal biogenesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, ergosterol biosynthesis, cell wall biosynthesis, and cellular accumulation of low molecular compounds such as glycerol, arginine and proline. Cryoprotectant treatment reduced the expression of genes involved in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids. In addition, Me(2)SO increased the expression of genes involved in protein refolding and trehalose increased the expression of genes involved in spore formation. This study supported that exposure to cryoprotectants prior to freezing not only reduce the freeze-thaw damage but also provide various process to the recovery from freeze-thaw damage.

[Case of caesarian section in a patient with a giant mediastinal tumor].

Administering anesthesia to a patient with a mediastinal tumor may lead to respiratory difficulty with relatively high morbidity and mortality. A 35-year-old pregnant woman with a large mediastinal tumor was scheduled for caesarian section. Chest roentgenography revealed a large mediastinal tumor. General anesthesia was selected to cope with possible worsening of dyspnea and coughing which could be more likely to occur during spinal anesthesia. Mechanical ventilation caused no trouble. When she started spontaneous breathing after the operation, dyspnea suddenly developed and SpO2 began to fall. Emergency bronchofiberscopy revealed almost total occlusion of the right main bronchus due to extrinsic compression.

Dynamic changes in Bach1 expression in the kidney of rhabdomyolysis-associated acute kidney injury.

Free heme, a pro-oxidant released from myoglobin, is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of rhabdomyolysis-associated acute kidney injury (RM-AKI), because renal overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, confers protection against RM-AKI. BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) is a heme-responsive transcription factor that represses HO-1. Here, we examined the changes with time in the gene expression of Bach1, HO-1, and δ-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS1, a heme biosynthetic enzyme) in the rat kidney using an RM-AKI model induced by the injection of 50% glycerol (10 mL/kg body weight) into bilateral limbs. We also examined the protein expression of Bach1 in the nucleus and cytosol, and HO-1 in the rat kidney. Glycerol treatment induced significant elevation of serum creatinine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase levels followed by the marked elevation of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, which caused serious damage to renal tubules. Following glycerol treatment, HO-1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly up-regulated, while ALAS1 mRNA expression was down-regulated, suggesting an increase in the free renal heme concentration. The Bach1 mRNA level was drastically increased 3 h after glycerol treatment, and the increased level was maintained for 12 h. Nuclear Bach1 protein levels were significantly decreased 3 h after treatment. Conversely, cytosolic Bach1 protein levels abruptly increased after 6 h. In conclusion, we demonstrate the dynamic changes in Bach1 expression in a rat model of RM-AKI. Our findings suggest that the increase in Bach1 mRNA and cytosolic Bach1 protein expression may reflect de novo Bach1 protein synthesis to compensate for the depletion of nuclear Bach1 protein caused by the induction of HO-1 by free heme.

Inhibition of lipid accumulation and lipid body formation in oleaginous yeast by effective components in spices, carvacrol, eugenol, thymol, and piperine.

We screened natural organic compounds, which affected the lipid accumulation and the lipid body formation in oleaginous yeast, Lipomyces starkeyi, generating large lipid bodies. We found that four natural components in spices, carvacrol, thymol, eugenol, and piperine, inhibited the lipid accumulation at concentrations of 20-50 mg/L with a slight growth inhibition. The inhibitory effects were quantitatively represented by the total lipid accumulation amount, the triacylglycerol accumulation amount, and the average lipid body size. At 50 mg/L, the effects of these compounds were not identical and exhibited 11-37% decrease in lipid amount and 15-21% decrease in lipid body size with 13-39% decrease in cell growth. The inhibitory effect of these compounds lead to 30-69% decrease in triacylglycerol accumulation without any additional accumulation of its intermediates, suggesting that they will suppress the total carbon inflow into the triacylglycerol biosynthesis.

Appearance of smaller lipid bodies and protein kinase activation in the lipid body fraction are induced by an increase in the nitrogen source in the Mortierella fungus.

We studied the regulation of lipid body biogenesis in the oleaginous fungus Mortierella ramanniana var. angulispora by investigating culture conditions to modulate lipid body size, which we found was affected by the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio) in the culture medium. Increasing the nitrogen source or decreasing the C/N ratio from 38 to 9 induced the appearance of lipid bodies with diameters less than 2-3 micro m, which are usually found at a C/N ratio of 38 in this fungus. To determine factors regulating lipid body size, we compared lipid body fractions from fungal cells cultured at different C/N ratios. We found some differences in polypeptide profiles between lipid body fractions from fungal cells cultured at different C/N ratios for 2 days when the lipid bodies were enlarged at a C/N ratio of 38. We then compared the phosphorylation of lipid body proteins, since protein phosphorylation plays a pivotal role in various aspects of signal transduction. In vitro phosphorylation in the lipid body fraction indicated that protein kinase activity toward endogenous and exogenous substrates such as histone IIIS, VIIS, and myelin basic protein increased in the lipid body fraction at a C/N ratio of 9. Further analysis by in-gel protein kinase assay indicated the presence of at least three activated protein kinases with molecular masses of 75, 72, and 42 kDa, which were also autophosphorylated. These results indicate the presence of nutrient-regulated protein kinases and increased phosphorylation in lipid bodies, which correlate with the appearance of smaller lipid bodies in this fungus. Further studies to characterize these protein kinases at the molecular level should provide new insights into the link between nutrient sensing and lipid storage.

YM-202204, a new antifungal antibiotic produced by marine fungus Phoma sp.

A new antifungal antibiotic, YM-202204 (1), was found in the culture broth of marine fungus Phoma sp. Q60596. The structure of 1 was determined by several spectroscopic experiments as a new lactone compound. This antibiotic exhibited potent antifungal activities against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus, and also inhibited glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI)-anchoring in yeast cells.

YM-266183 and YM-266184, novel thiopeptide antibiotics produced by Bacillus cereus isolated from a marine sponge. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, physico-chemical properties and biological properties.

Novel antibiotics, YM-266183 (1) and YM-266184 (2), were found in the culture broth of Bacillus cereus QN03323 which was isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria japonica. The structures of both antibiotics were determined by several spectroscopic experiments as new thiopeptide compounds. They exhibited potent antibacterial activities against staphylococci and enterococci including multiple drug resistant strains, whereas they were inactive against Gram-negative bacteria.

Increase in stearidonic acid by increasing the supply of histidine to oleaginous Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Increasing concentration of histidine significantly increased stearidonic acid production and cell growth in oleaginous Saccharomyces cerevisiae that has been genetically modified by Δsnf2 disruption, DGA1 and Δ6 desaturase gene overexpression, and LEU2 expression. High concentration of histidine in wild-type transformant and HIS3 expression in Δsnf2 transformant also increased stearidonic acid.

Induction of hepatic Bach1 mRNA expression by carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats.

Hepatic oxidative stress is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of several acute liver diseases. Diagnostic markers of hepatic oxidative stress may facilitate early detection and intervention. Bach1 is an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor that represses heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of heme, a potent pro-oxidant. We previously demonstrated that carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) causes oxidative hepatic injury in rats, exacerbated by free heme, suggesting that CCl4 may affect Bach1 gene expression. In the present study, we used northern blot analysis to measure Bach1, HO-1 and δ-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS1; a heme biosynthesis enzyme) mRNA expression levels during acute hepatic injury induced by CCl4 (at doses of 0.1, 1.0 and 2.0 ml/kg body weight). Oxidative injury was assessed by measuring serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) content. Treatment with CCl4 induced a significant dose-dependent increase in Bach1 mRNA 1-3 h after administration. Bach1 mRNA peaked at 6 h after CCl4 treatment (1 ml/kg), followed by a rapid decrease and gradual return to baseline by 12 h after treatment. The timecourse of transient Bach1 mRNA induction roughly mirrored that of HO-1 mRNA, while ALAS1 mRNA was inversely downregulated. Serum ALT levels and hepatic MDA concentration were significantly increased at 24 h after CCl4 treatment, while the hepatic GSH content was significantly reduced within 3 h of treatment. Serum ALT levels were positively correlated with Bach1 mRNA levels. These findings indicate that Bach1 mRNA is transiently induced in rat liver by CCl4, possibly as a regulatory mechanism to restore HO-1 to baseline following free heme catabolism. Our findings also suggest that Bach1 mRNA expression may be a novel indicator of the extent of oxidative hepatic injury caused by free heme.