Effects of feeding hay and calf starter as a mixture or as separate components to Holstein calves on intake, growth, and blood metabolite and hormone concentrations.

This study investigated how providing hay mixed with calf starter to dairy calves affected their solid feed intake, feed sorting, growth, and plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations. Forty Holstein heifer calves were fed a texturized calf starter (23.4% crude protein, 32.3% starch on a dry matter basis) and chopped Klein grass hay as separate components (CONT) or the same starter and hay mixed at a 90:10 ratio on an as-fed basis (MIX) ad libitum from the date transported to the research farm (4-7 d of life) to 90 d of life. Calves were provided milk replacer (28% crude protein, 15% fat) at up to 557 g/d before the study, 737 g/d from d 14 to 20, 1,105 g/d from d 21 to 41, 737 g/d from d 42 to 48, and 557 g/d from d 49 to 55 on a dry matter basis. calves were fully weaned on d 56. Feed sorting for the MIX calves was evaluated using the Penn State Particle Separator; the sorting index was calculated as the actual intake as a percentage of predicted intake, with values >100% indicating sorting for and values <100% indicating sorting against. Treatment did not affect solid feed intake, growth performance, or plasma metabolite or hormone concentration during the preweaning or weaning periods. However, calves in the MIX treatment had less neutral detergent fiber intake as a percentage of solid feed intake than CONT calves in the preweaning (23.3 vs. 37.0%) and weaning (23.5 vs. 25.8%) periods, although MIX calves sorted (107.2%) for long particles, which were primarily hay, during weaning. During the postweaning period, MIX calves had greater neutral detergent fiber intake as a percentage of solid feed intake compared with CONT calves (23.4 vs. 22.7%), although they sorted against long particles (84.4%), and decreased solid feed dry matter intake compared with CONT calves (3,292 vs. 3,536 g/d) and average daily gain (1.20 vs. 1.31 kg/d). Weaned calves in the MIX treatment also had lower plasma concentration of glucagon-like peptide 2 compared with CONT (0.46 vs. 0.77 ng/mg) but had higher plasma concentrations of ghrelin (0.05 vs. 0.03 ng/mg). These results suggest that feeding a mixture of texturized calf starter and chopped hay at the 90:10 ratio to postweaned calves may decrease solid feed intake and growth.

Short communication: Effects of feeding purple corn (Zea mays L.) silage on productivity and blood superoxide dismutase concentration in lactating cows.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding purple corn (Zea mays L.) silage on productivity and blood superoxide dismutase concentration in lactating cows. We hypothesized that feeding purple corn silage (AX-152; Nagano Animal Industry Experiment Station, Nagano, Japan, and Takii and Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan), which is high in anthocyanin content, would increase milk production and blood concentration of superoxide dismutase. We assigned 16 Holstein cows (8 primiparous and 8 multiparous) in mid lactation to 1 of 2 treatments in a randomized block design, with efforts to balance parity, body weight, and days in milk between treatments. Experimental diets contained either purple corn silage [PCS; 31.2% dry matter (DM), 8.4% crude protein, 40.2% neutral detergent fiber, and 26.6% starch] or conventional corn silage (CONT; 30.5% dry matter, 8.7% crude protein, 42.1% neutral detergent fiber, and 26.5% starch) at approximately 32% of diet DM. Both PCS and CONT were ensiled for 5 mo before the study. Treatment diets were fed as total mixed rations ad libitum for 12 wk from February 1 to April 25, 2016. Cows fed the PCS had increased milk yield (31.7 vs. 29.2 kg/d) and blood superoxide dismutase concentrations (9,333 vs. 8,467 U/mL) compared with those fed CONT. However, anthocyanin concentration in the PCS decreased over the 12-wk experiment: 70 mg/kg of DM for the first 4 wk, 20 mg/kg of DM for the second 4 wk, and undetectable for the last 4 wk. We did not detect anthocyanins in the CONT group at any time point. Feeding PCS may increase antioxidant capacity and milk production in dairy cows, but anthocyanin in PCS may be degraded during storage.

[Extended thymectomy and intraoperative-intrapleural perfusion hyperthermo-chemotherapy for stage IVa invasive thymoma with myasthenia gravis].

A 37-year-old woman diagnosed with ocular myasthenia gravis was referred to our department. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed anterior mediastinal tumor and right pleural dissemination. Extended thymectomy and right intraoperative-intrapleural perfusion hyperthermo-chemothrapy (IPHC) were performed. Pathological diagnosis was invasive thymoma type B2 and stage IVa based on Masaoka's classification. The post operative course was uneventful. The patient underwent 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin, cisplatin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide (ADOC), and is free from recurrence at 12 months postoperatively.

Secretion of human intracellular aspartic proteinase cathepsin E expressed in the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris and characterization of produced recombinant cathepsin E.

The human gastric cathepsin E (CTSE), a dimeric aspartic proteinase, was expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris by placing the CTSE cDNA under the control of the methanol inducible alcohol oxidase promoter. The human CTSE expressed in P. pastoris was secreted into the culture medium as an active enzyme directed by its native signal sequence despite its intracellular localization in mammalian cells. The time course analysis of the culture supernatant of the P. pastoris transformant expressing human CTSE revealed that the recombinant human CTSE was secreted as a 90 kDa molecule and then converted via an 84 kDa intermediate to an 82 kDa mature molecule. A large-scale culture of the transformant was performed in a high cell density fermentor and the recombinant human CTSE was highly purified from the culture supernatant. The purified recombinant cathepsin E had the molecular mass of 82 kDa with the amino-terminal sequence starting with Ile37 of the sequence deduced from its cDNA sequence, suggesting that the human cathepsin E was accumulated in the culture supernatant as mature dimeric enzyme. The result of endoglycosidase-H digestion followed by Western blot analysis of the purified recombinant cathepsin E suggested that the human cathepsin E expressed in P. pastoris received N-linked high-mannose type glycosylation. The enzymatic properties of the recombinant enzyme were comparable to those of natural human CTSE.

Configuration of the active Mg-ATP complex in protein kinase C reaction.

To probe the active site structure of protein kinase C stereochemical studies were carried out by using ATP beta S. The enzyme utilizes either one of the diastereomers (SP and RP) of ATP beta S almost equally well as a substrate. This result contrasts with that for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, suggesting that the topography of the nucleotide-binding site is significantly different between the two kinases.

Yeast expression of the cytokine receptor domain of the soluble interleukin-6 receptor.

The complex of the soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) and IL-6 (IL-6) is a potent agonist on cells expressing the signal transducing protein gp 130. In contrast, IL-6 alone only stimulates cells which express a membrane bound form of the IL-6R and gp 130. The natural occurring sIL-6R is generated by shedding of the membrane receptor and to a lesser extend by alternative splicing. We have inserted the coding sequence of the 323 amino acid residues of the human sIL-6R into an expression/secretion vector suitable for the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. We obtained, however, no detectable expression and secretion of the recombinant protein. When we used only the coding sequence of the cytokine receptor domain of the sIL-6R for the construction of an expression plasmid, this truncated version of the sIL-6R accumulated in the supernatant to 1-5 mg/l. The protein was purified by a single affinity chromatography step using a monoclonal antibody directed against the human IL-6R. Following the same approach, we expressed a truncated splice variant of the sIL-6R. Both, the secreted truncated sIL-6R and the splice variant showed full agonistic biological activity on human hepatoma cells. The described expression strategy will be useful for large scale production of biologically active sIL-6R and might be adapted for the expression of other members of the hematopoietic cytokine receptor family.

Expression of a 32 kilodalton Theileria sergenti piroplasm surface protein by recombinant baculoviruses.

Previous studies detected a single amino acid substitution (Ala196 to Gly196) between cDNA clones encoding a 32 kDa antigen (p32) of Theileria sergenti (Chitose stock) obtained from a persistently infected calf. In this study, 2 different recombinant baculoviruses (pAc/p32-Ala196 and pAc/p32-Gly196) were constructed for the expression of p32. Molecular masses of the polypeptides produced in Spodoptera frugiperda cells infected with the recombinant baculoviruses were the same as that of authentic p32. pAc/p32-Ala196 produced additional polypeptides, with molecular masses higher than 32 kDa, which resulted from differential N-glycosylation as revealed by endo N-glycosidase treatment. The results indicate that a single amino acid substitution may lead to a conformational change in p32 which affected post-translational modification of recombinant products.

Detection of group C adenovirus DNA in small-cell lung cancer with the nested polymerase chain reaction.

Group C adenovirus is latent in human tissues and can malignantly transform cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between this virus and lung cancer. We investigated latent adenoviral infection using the nested polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization in transbronchial biopsy specimens from patients with small-cell lung cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer. The polymerase chain reaction was performed on DNA extracts with two sets of primers directed at a 261-base-pair target sequence of the E1A region of the adenoviral genome. In situ hybridization was performed on histological sections using DNA representing the entire adenovirus type 5 genome. E1A target DNA was present in 11 (31%) of 35 cases of small-cell lung cancer but in none of the 40 cases of non-small-cell lung cancer (P < 0.01). Of the 11 cases found positive by PCR, 8 were positive for adenovirus DNA by in situ hybridization. Adenovirus was prominent in tumor cells in 5 of the 8 cases, and in normal epithelial cells in the 3 remaining cases. Adenovirus DNA was not detected by in situ hybridization in specimens in which E1A DNA was not detected by the polymerase chain reaction. Small-cell lung cancer has mutations or deletions in the p53 and retinoblastoma genes more frequently than are found in non-small-cell lung cancer. Therefore, we speculate that adenovirus infection might participate in the pathogenesis of SCLC by producing mutation in these genes, rather than by inhibiting the function of these proteins.

Expression of recombinant human thyrotropin receptor in myeloma cells.

Starting with a previously isolated cDNA for human thyrotropin receptor (TSHR), we established a transformed myeloma cell line, SP56, which expresses human TSHR on its cell surface. Binding analysis showed that SP56 bears 1.1 x 10(5) TSHR per cell with a Kd of 2.2 x 10(-10) M. Using the purified cellular membrane, we established a TSH binding inhibition immunoglobulin (TBII) assay for autoantibodies against TSHR. We compared it with the TBII assay utilizing porcine thyroid membranes expressing porcine TSHR, which has been widely used for TBII assay, by using 96 serum samples from patients with autoimmune thyroid disease and normal individuals. Our TBII assay was more sensitive than the one using porcine TSHR: of 38 sera of patients which were judged negative for autoantibodies to TSHR (TBII value below 10%) by the latter assay, 28 were positive (above 20%) in our assay. By using a perfusion culture system, we obtained as many as 3 x 10(10) SP56 cells, from which 3,450 mg protein of the membrane could be purified; this is sufficient for 15,000 assays. The results indicate that the membrane of the myeloma cell line SP56 is more suitable for use in the TBII assay than the porcine thyroid membrane, in terms of sensitivity to autoantibodies against TSHR in human sera.

Expression of recombinant human glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in myeloma cells and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for autoantibodies to GAD.

Detection of serum autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is a new method to differentiate insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We established a transformed mouse myeloma cell line, SPG14, which expresses recombinant human GAD65, a major isomer of 65 kDa, inside the cells. GAD65 was partially purified by affinity chromatography using the mouse anti-GAD antibody (Ab). We also established a sandwich ELISA for anti-GAD Ab of the IgG class using GAD65 for coating and the anti-human IgG for detection and examined 54 sera of the IDDM patients and 45 sera of normal individuals. When the mean +2 SD of the color development of the sera of normal individuals was used as a cut-off level, 59.2% of patients with IDDM were positive. This indicates that the ELISA was effective to differentiate IDDM and NIDDM. The result also indicates that the autoantibody to GAD does not dissociate from the recombinant GAD rapidly, even when unbound anti-GAD Ab was fully removed. By using a perfusion culture system, we obtained as many as 4.2 x 10(10) SPG14 cells, from which 5 mg of GAD65 could be obtained; this is sufficient for 5,000 assays. This system could be clinically useful for large-scale diagnosis of IDDM.

Genomic analysis of Theileria sergenti stocks in Japan with DNA probes.

Restriction fragment length polymorphisms of Theileria sergenti DNA from 18 different infections of cattle in 14 locations in Japan were analyzed by Southern blotting using T. sergenti genomic DNA fragments as probes. Probe pTs 2 hybridized with four fragments in BamHI digested piroplasm DNA, at 8.0, 7.3, 6.0 and 3.4 kb. Probe pTs 11-D1 hybridized with multiple fragments. With each probe, polymorphisms were observed among stocks from different locations. However, there was no correlation between the patterns of hybridization bands and the locations where parasites were collected. Analysis of the hybridization patterns of stocks obtained from individual cattle in the same grazing areas showed an almost identical pattern.

Changes in the hybridization patterns of populations of Theileria sergenti during infection.

Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) of Theileria sergenti DNA were analysed using probes of a genomic DNA fragment (pTs 2) and a cDNA corresponding to this genomic probe (C-Ts 2). Each of the probes detected RFLPs in DNA from different stocks of Theileria sergenti. Additionally, using these probes, alterations in hybridization patterns were observed in samples of the parasites harvested at different times after individual calves had been infected with Theileria sergenti. This result suggests that the Theileria sergenti stocks used were mixed parasite populations.

Expression of human cathepsin E in methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris.

The human gastric cathepsin E (CTSE) was expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris by placing the CTSE cDNA under the control of the methanol-inducible alcohol oxidase promoter. The human CTSE expressed in P. pastoris was efficiently secreted into the culture medium as an active enzyme directed by its native signal sequence, whereas CTSE has been shown to be retained in mammalian tissue cells. The recombinant human CTSE was secreted as a 90-kDa molecule and then converted via an 84-kDa intermediate to an 82-kDa molecule. The 90-kDa molecule and the 82-kDa molecule were considered to be the proenzyme and the mature enzyme as dimeric forms, respectively.

Purification and characterization of recombinant human cathepsin E.

The human cathepsin E was purified from the culture supernatant of Pichia pastoris strain transformed with a human cathepsin E expression plasmid. Purification was performed by a three-step procedure, TSKgel Phenyl-5PW, Toyopearl HW55S and TSKgel DEAE-5PW column chromatographies. The purified recombinant cathepsin E had the molecular mass of around 82-kDa with the amino-terminal sequence started with Ile37 of the predicted amino acid sequence, suggesting the human cathepsin E was accumulated in the culture suparnatant as the mature dimer enzyme. The result of endoglycosidase-H digestion followed by Western blot analysis of the purified recombinant cathepsin E suggested that the human cathepsin E expressed in Pichia pastoris received N-linked high-mannose type glycosylation.

Acute pneumonitis presumed to be silicone embolism.

A 39-year-old housewife who underwent intramammary injections of a proprietary silicone fluid mixture showed clinical and novel transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) findings. She presented with complaints of progressive dyspnea, dry cough, and pleuritic chest pain 2 days after the last silicone injections. The chest X-ray and CT scan showed diffuse interstitial infiltrates. TBLB demonstrated translucent, presumably silicone globules embolized within the pulmonary capillaries. The documentation of intramammary injections, the clinical and radiographic features of acute pneumonitis, and the histopathologic evidence by TBLB, may support the causal relationship between illicit injections and the silicone embolism. We discuss the pathogenesis and urge that this potentially toxic source of pulmonary embolism be removed.

Induction of anti-Theileria sergenti antibodies in calves with murine monoclonal anti-idiotype antibody.

Anti-idiotype (anti-Id) antibody that contains an internal image of Theileria sergenti (T. sergenti) merozoite surface antigen was intramuscularly inoculated to calves to induce anti-T. sergenti antibody. In immunized calves, anti-anti-Id antibodies were induced and these antibodies bound to merozoites of T. sergenti were confirmed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this experiment, one calf with the highest antibody titer against anti-Id antibody was intravenously challenged with T. sergenti-infected erythrocytes to show insufficient protective effects of the anti-anti-Id antibodies against the challenge.

Activation of bovine peripheral blood monocyte and its suppressive effect on parasitemia in Theileria sergenti infected calves.

Activation of bovine peripheral blood monocytes and its suppressive effect on parasite growth was examined in Theileria sergenti-infected calves by using a rosette assay that detects changes in Fc receptor expression and by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence response. Monocyte activation preceded the peak of parasitemia but was depressed parallelly with the growth of the parasites. When four calves were treated with prednisolone, three showed a good correlation between the suppression of monocyte activity and an increase of parasitemia.

Analyses of antigenic and genetic diversities of Theileria sergenti piroplasm surface proteins.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against Theileria sergenti Fukushima stock, an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite of cattle, were produced. The MoAbs reacted with 32 kDa or 23 kDa piroplasm surface protein (p32 or p23) in Western blot analysis. Using a panel of the MoAbs, antigenic analysis of the stocks and field isolates distributed in Japan was carried out. The results revealed antigenic diversity of T. sergenti isolates, but diversity did not appear to be correlated with the geographical region of the isolates. N-terminal amino acids sequences analysis revealed substitutions of a few amino acids between the p23 of two T. sergenti stocks. The sequences couldn't be found in amino acid sequence of the p32 deduced from cDNA, which indicated that the p23 is not a proteolytic product of the p32. Genetic diversity of T. sergenti isolates was also observed by Southern blot analysis using a cDNA of the p32 as a probe.

[A study of knowledge, attitude and health behavior toward tuberculosis among non-immigrant Korean people in Japan].

Knowledge, attitude and health behavior toward tuberculosis among Non-immigrant Korean people in Japan was researched by using questionnaire because of increasing the number of the tuberculosis patients among those group. The Korean member of protestant churches in Tokyo were subjects for the survey. Immigrant Korean people and their descendants were excluded. The questionnaire form was written in Korean language under the guidance of native Korean tuberculosis specialists. Proportion of Response was 53.1%, or 251 among 473 from 10th January to 30th June in 1992. The knowledge of tuberculosis among them was revealed to be higher than among ordinary native Korean people. It was different statistically by generation, namely, younger subjects aged less than 40 years old tended to answer that tuberculosis was a minor illness. The mass screening system in Japan was well known by the subjects, as shown by the fact that 72.4% of them answered that they knew about it. But only 56.6% of them replied that they actually took the mass screening. The source of its information was different statistically by sex, occupation, and generation. As for their health behavior, nearly two third (63.7%) of them visited the hospital or dispensary quickly when they fell sick. A small number of them answered that they could not visit a doctor because of their problems with the Japanese language. More than 80% of them possessed a National Health Insurance certificate. This proportion varied according to the period of stay in Japan. That is to say, The group which stayed in Japan less than one year was significantly the lowest because they were limited in their ability to enter National Health Insurance.

[An autopsy case of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage due to acute exacerbation].

There has hitherto been no report describing idiopathic interstitial pneumonia associated with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, but we herein report one such rare case. A 75-year-old man who had received a diagnosis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia had been followed in our hospital since 1995, and had been treated with cyclophosphamide since September 1999. He discontinued taking cyclophosphamide without informing us, and two months later he was admitted to our hospital with deterioration of dyspnea on September 13, 2000. Since chest radiography and CT findings demonstrated alveolar infiltrates in the right middle lung field, he was treated with antibiotic agents. Although no deterioration of symptoms occurred, on September 14 he began to suffer rapidly progressive dyspnea accompanied with production of bloody sputum, which eventually developed into full-blown hemoptysis in the evening of September 15. He died of respiratory failure early the next morning. The autopsy findings demonstrated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, diffuse alveolar damage, interstitial pneumonia, and pulmonary fibrosis.