Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and psychological intervention for workers with mild to moderate depression: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed whether a combined intervention of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and psychoeducation better improved mild to moderate depression in workers compared to psychoeducation alone. METHODS: This study was a double-blinded, parallel group, randomized controlled trial that compared the intervention group, receiving omega-3 fatty acids, with a control group, receiving a placebo supplement. Participants receiving omega-3 fatty acids took 15 × 300 mg capsules per day for 12 weeks. The total daily dose of omega-3 PUFAs was 500 mg docosahexaenoic acid and 1000 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The Beck Depression Inventory®-II (BDI-II) was used to assess the severity of depression after treatment. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, BDI-II scores were significantly lower in the placebo and omega-3 group, when compared to their respective baseline scores (Placebo: t = - 4.6, p < 0.01; Omega-3: t = - 7.3, p < 0.01). However, after 12 weeks of treatment, we found no significant difference between both groups with respect to changes in the BDI-II scores (0.7; 95% CI, - 0.7 to 2.1; p = 0.30). LIMITATIONS: This study did not measure blood omega-3 fatty acid concentration and presented a high-dropout rate. Moreover, our results may not be generalizable to other regions. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and psychoeducation and psychoeducation alone can contribute to an improvement in symptoms in people with mild to moderate depression. However, there is no difference between the interventions in ameliorating symptoms of depression.

Effect of attention bias modification on event-related potentials in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A preliminary brain function and psycho-behavioral study.

BACKGROUND: Attention bias modification normalizes electroencephalographic abnormalities in alpha and beta power percentages related to attention in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Yet, it is unknown whether ABM contributes to the normalization of event-related potentials (ERP) in these patients. We hypothesized that ERP related to attention deficit would be normalized after ABM implementation in individuals with IBS. METHODS: Thirteen patients with IBS and 10 control subjects completed a 2-month intervention that included five ABM sessions. Each session included 128 trials, resulting in a total of 640 trials during the study period. Event-related potentials were measured at the first and fifth sessions. As per the international 10-20 system for electroencephalographic electrode placement, right parietal P4 was evaluated to measure the attention component of facial expression processing. KEY RESULTS: A group comparison of P100 latency at P4 revealed that latencies were significantly different between groups in session 1 (IBS vs control, 108 ± 8 vs 97 ± 14; t = -2.51, P = .0203). This difference was absent in session 5 (94 ± 11 vs 93 ± 11, respectively; t = -0.397, P = .6954, r = .09), indicating an effect of ABM in the IBS group. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: Attention bias modification may have clinical utility for normalizing brain function and specifically attentional abnormalities in patients with IBS.

Effect of attention bias modification on brain function and anxiety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A preliminary electroencephalogram and psycho-behavioral study.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show a reciprocal relationship with anxiety. In this intervention-based study, we investigated the utility of attention bias modification (ABM) therapy in patients with IBS. We hypothesized that IBS-related electroencephalographic abnormalities would be normalized after ABM therapy. METHODS: Seventeen patients with IBS and 13 healthy subjects completed five ABM intervention sessions over a 2-month period. Each session included 128 ABM trials, resulting in a total of 640 trials across the intervention period. For each trial, subjects viewed a pair of facial expression images and were instructed to indicate the position of the neutral face as quickly and accurately as possible by pressing one of two buttons on a button box. Electroencephalography data (alpha and beta power percentages) were collected during the 1st and 5th sessions. KEY RESULTS: Generalized estimating equations of relative alpha power revealed a significant effect of period was identified at O2 (P=.036). Paired t tests revealed that ABM significantly increased relative alpha power at O2 in patients with IBS. Generalized estimating equation of relative beta power revealed a significant effect of the group × period interaction was identified at Pz (P=.035). Paired t tests revealed that ABM significantly decreased relative beta power at Pz in patients with IBS. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Attention bias modification may normalize brain function related to attention and anxiety in patients with IBS.

[Phase II study on peplomycin for esophageal cancer].

For the purpose of verifying the effectiveness of peplomycin, one of the derivatives of bleomycin, against carcinoma of the esophagus and the safety of it, the analysis of the data for total 113 cases collected from 25 institutions in Japan was made. The results are as follows. It was effective in 19 out of 74 evaluable cases of carcinoma of the esophagus (25.7%). In case of treatment with peplomycin alone, it was effective in 6 out of 39 cases (15.4%). In case of the combination treatment with peplomycin and some other therapy, it was effective in 13 out of 35 cases (37.1%). As for the side effects, the incidence of fever was the highest in both the cases of peplomycin alone and the combination treatment such as 39.6% and 37.0%, respectively. Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, respiratory symptoms and tiredness were found in relatively many cases. In the clinical laboratory tests, the vital capacity after the treatment tended to be lower than that before the treatment, but there was little change in the hematological tests, pulmonary function test and renal function test.

Identification of an alpha-tubulin mutant of fission yeast from gamma-tubulin-interacting protein screening: genetic evidence for alpha-/gamma-tubulin interaction.

gamma-Tubulin has been determined to be a central element of microtubule nucleation and, thus, indispensable for cellular organization of the microtubule. Utilizing the fact that human gamma-tubulin can function in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we have generated a unique mutant screening procedure which can specifically select mutants of genes encoding gamma-tubulin-interacting proteins. One of the isolated mutants, cs76, turned out to carry a mutation in the alpha 1-tubulin gene (nda2(+)). This result suggests a direct interaction between the alpha- and gamma-tubulins. We located the mutation site in the nda2 gene and characterized the mutant phenotype. Our results demonstrate the importance of the alpha-/gamma-tubulin interaction in microtubule nucleation and should complement previous knowledge.

Demonstration and characterization of the cell wall carbohydrate and protein antigens from Clostridium botulinum type E Saroma.

Two different cell wall antigens, carbohydrate (CHO) and protein (P), from Clostridium botulinum type E Saroma were extracted with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and Sephadex G-75 or G-100. The CHO antigen was composed of glucose, galactose, glucosamine, galactosamine, alanine and phosphorus with a molar ratio of 1.5:1.5:0.25:0.25:1:1. The P antigen was an acidic protein with a molecular weight of 60 kDa, in which the major amino acids were aspartate, glutamate and serine, while the minor ones were cysteine and methionine. Thin sections of the intact or SDS-extracted cells of the organism demonstrated that the cell wall was composed of a two-layered structure, an inner layer about 20 nm thick and an outer layer about 10 nm, and by the extraction with SDS, the outer layer disappeared from the cell surface, leaving the inner layer. Immunogel diffusion tests demonstrated that either CHO antigen or P antigen was common among the nonproteolytic strains of C. botulinum.

Purification and characterization of a wall protein antigen from Clostridium botulinum type A.

A wall surface protein, designated antigen S, was extracted from Clostridium botulinum type A strain 190L with 0.1% Brij 58-2 M LiCl and purified sequentially by acetone pecipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, hydroxyapatite chromatography, chromatofocusing, and gel filtration. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis of the purified antigen S preparation against homologous multispecific antiserum to whole cells revealed only a single precipitin line. Antigen S had an apparent molecular weight of about 195,000, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The antigen was composed predominantly of acidic amino acid residues, and the isoelectric point was estimated to be at pH 4.75. Tryptic digestion of antigen S destroyed antigenic activity and produced one major polypeptide fragment with a molecular weight of about 44,000. Indirect immunoferritin labeling showed that antigen S was located on the outer layer of the cell wall.

Purification and immunochemical properties of a wall protein antigen from Clostridium difficile ATCC 11011.

A wall-surface protein antigen, designated 32K antigen, was extracted from whole cells of Clostridium difficile strain ATCC 11011 with phosphate buffered saline and purified by ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and chromatofocusing. The 32K antigen preparation was determined to be highly homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid composition of the antigen was characteristic in the predominance of the acidic amino acids, the very low contents of methionine and histidine, and the lack of cysteine. A monomeric molecular weight of the 32K antigen was estimated to be 32,000 by SDS-PAGE and 30,200 by sedimentation equilibrium. The antigen exhibited two isoelectric forms (IP, 4.12 and 3.96). Neither carbohydrate nor phosphorus was detectable in the antigen. The antigen was relatively resistant to trypsin but sensitive to pepsin. Immunoblot analysis of the wall proteins isolated from other strains of C. difficile probed with monospecific antiserum against the antigen from ATCC 11011 showed that the antigenicity of 32K wall protein was common among some of the strains containing 32K wall proteins.

Solubilization and partial properties of receptor substance for bacteriophage alpha 2 induced from Clostridium botulinum type A 190L.

Bacteriophage alpha 2, one of the two inducible phages from Clostridium botulinum type A 190L, had a latent period of 55 min and an average burst size of 75 in C. botulinum type A Hall used as the host bacterium. The phage particles were adsorbed on the cell walls extracted with hot trichloroacetic acid (TCA-walls). The receptor substance for the phage was solubilized from the TCA-walls with Achromopeptidase and fractionated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150. The fraction having the highest level of receptor activity for the phage contained large amounts of muramic acid and glucosamine. Both authentic muramic acid and glucosamine significantly inactivated the phage, whereas glucose, galactose, L-and D-alanine, diaminopimeric acid, or D-glutamic acid did not exhibit similar activity. There results strongly suggest that the receptor site for phage alpha 2 is closely associated with glycan moieties of the cell wall peptidoglycan.

Purification and characterization of S layer proteins from Clostridium difficile GAI 0714.

The S layer of Clostridium difficile GAI0714 was shown to be composed of two proteins, of 32 kDa and 45 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. The two proteins were extracted with 8 M-urea (pH 8.3) from a cell wall preparation and purified by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography followed by HPLC gel filtration. When solubilized in 0.1 M-urea, both proteins appeared to exhibit dimeric forms, with respective molecular masses of about 61 kDa and 99 kDa, upon HPLC. Although the amino acid compositions of the two proteins differed from each other, both proteins had a high content of acidic amino acids, very low contents of histidine and methionine, and no cysteine. The 32 kDa protein exhibited multiple isoelectric forms (pI 3.7-3.9), whereas the 45 kDa protein had a single form (pI 3.3). Radioiodination and immunogold labelling revealed that both proteins were exposed evenly over the entire cell surface. Based on immunodiffusion analysis using monospecific antiserum raised to the individual proteins, there was no antigenic relationship between the two proteins. Furthermore, immunoblot analysis showed that the antigenicity of the 32 kDa protein appeared to be strain specific, whereas that of the 45 kDa protein appeared to be group specific.

Contact sensitivity induced in mice by methylene bisphenyl diisocyanate.

An experimental model of contact sensitivity has been developed in C57BL/6 mice using methylene bisphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), a raw material of polyurethane resins. Sensitization through a single epidermal application of 1% MDI solution in ethyl acetate to the backs of the mice resulted in marked ear swelling. The time course of the swelling was characteristic of delayed-type hypersensitivity and the increment of the ear thickness was compatible with that induced by toluene diisocyanate (TDI). Passive transfer of the MDI-induced contact sensitivity was successfully achieved using lymphocytes from the lymph nodes of MDI-sensitized syngeneic mice, and the effector cells were found to be T cells. Cross reaction between MDI and TDI has shown that MDI is not only a potent contact sensitizer but also can form a contact sensitizer group together with TDI.

Lethal level overexpression of gamma-tubulin in fission yeast causes mitotic arrest.

gamma-Tubulin is a member of the tubulin superfamily and plays essential roles in microtubule nucleation. While the level of other tubulins, alpha- and beta-tubulin, is strictly regulated in higher eukaryotes and overexpression of beta-tubulin is toxic in yeasts, gamma-tubulin can be overexpressed by fivefold in fission yeast without any obvious defect in growth. Extreme overexpression of gamma-tubulin in mammalian cells caused growth arrest; however, the exact level of gamma-tubulin and the critical level of gamma-tubulin necessary for growth defect were undetermined. We have constructed strains that over- or underexpress gamma-tubulin by placing the gamma-tubulin gene under the control of the inducible nmt1 promoter and its variants. Among these, the weakest promoter was able to produce enough gamma-tubulin to support normal growth when its expression was induced. A strain in which the gamma-tubulin gene was placed under the control of the strongest inducible promoter achieved 160-fold overexpression of gamma-tubulin and its growth was suppressed. Normal cytoplasmic microtubules were mostly lost in gamma-tubulin overexpressing cells and gamma-tubulin was accumulated around the periphery of nuclei. Many of the cells were arrested in mitosis. A small fraction of cells did proceed to undergo nuclear division; however, its process looked either significantly deterred or abnormal. Our results presented here suggest that excess gamma-tubulin disrupts the microtubule array and significantly deters the formation of the mitotic spindle, most likely because of random nucleation of microtubules from excess gamma-tubulin in the cytoplasm.

S layer protein of Clostridium tetani: purification and properties.

S layer protein of Clostridium tetani strain AO 174, a nontoxigenic derivative of strain Harvard A 47, was prepared from the cell walls by 4 M urea extraction and purified by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography followed by a combination of anion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase chromatography using an HPLC system. The molecular weight of the S layer protein was estimated to be 140 kilodaltons (kDa) by SDS-PAGE. The amino acid composition of the 140 kDa protein was very similar to those of S layer proteins from the other bacterial species: it was rich in acidic amino acid and lacked cysteine. Also, the protein was unique in its extremely low content of proline (0.02 to 0.03 mol%). Multiple isoelectric forms ranging from pH 4.0 to 4.5 were observed in the purified preparation. Immunodiffusion analysis showed that the 140 kDa protein was a common antigen to the three strains of C. tetani tested.