Sulfur assimilation using gaseous carbonyl sulfide by the soil fungus Trichoderma harzianum.

Fungi have the capacity to assimilate a diverse range of both inorganic and organic sulfur compounds. It has been recognized that all sulfur sources taken up by fungi are in soluble forms. In this study, we present evidence that fungi can utilize gaseous carbonyl sulfide (COS) for the assimilation of a sulfur compound. We found that the filamentous fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain THIF08, which has constitutively high COS-degrading activity, was able to grow with COS as the sole sulfur source. Cultivation with 34S-labeled COS revealed that sulfur atom from COS was incorporated into intracellular metabolites such as glutathione and ergothioneine. COS degradation by strain THIF08, in which as much of the moisture derived from the agar medium as possible was removed, indicated that gaseous COS was taken up directly into the cell. Escherichia coli transformed with a COS hydrolase (COSase) gene, which is clade D of the ß-class carbonic anhydrase subfamily enzyme with high specificity for COS but low activity for CO2 hydration, showed that the COSase is involved in COS assimilation. Comparison of sulfur metabolites of strain THIF08 revealed a higher relative abundance of reduced sulfur compounds under the COS-supplemented condition than the sulfate-supplemented condition, suggesting that sulfur assimilation is more energetically efficient with COS than with sulfate because there is no redox change of sulfur. Phylogenetic analysis of the genes encoding COSase, which are distributed in a wide range of fungal taxa, suggests that the common ancestor of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota acquired COSase at about 790-670 Ma.IMPORTANCEThe biological assimilation of gaseous CO2 and N2 involves essential processes known as carbon fixation and nitrogen fixation, respectively. In this study, we found that the fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain THIF08 can grow with gaseous carbonyl sulfide (COS), the most abundant and ubiquitous gaseous sulfur compound, as a sulfur source. When the fungus grew in these conditions, COS was assimilated into sulfur metabolites, and the key enzyme of this assimilation process is COS hydrolase (COSase), which specifically degrades COS. Moreover, the pathway was more energy efficient than the typical sulfate assimilation pathway. COSase genes are widely distributed in Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota and also occur in some Chytridiomycota, indicating that COS assimilation is widespread in fungi. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes revealed that the acquisition of COSase in filamentous fungi was estimated to have occurred at about 790-670 Ma, around the time that filamentous fungi transitioned to a terrestrial environment.

T2 magnetic resonance imaging mapping and morphology of the median nerve before and after surgery in carpal tunnel syndrome.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mapping has been applied to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) for quantitative assessment of the median nerve. However, quantitative changes in the median nerve before and after surgery using T2 MRI mapping remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether pathological changes could be identified by pre- and postoperative T2 MRI mapping of the median nerve in CTS patients after open carpal tunnel release. METHODS: This was a prospective study that measured median nerve T2 and cross-sectional area (CSA) values at the distal carpal tunnel, hamate bone, proximal carpal tunnel, and forearm levels pre- and postoperatively. Associations between T2, CSA, and nerve conduction latency were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients with CTS (mean age, 64.5 ± 11.7 years) who underwent surgery were studied. The mean preoperative T2 values significantly decreased from 56.3 to 46.9 ms at the proximal carpal tunnel levels (p = .001), and from 52.4 to 48.7 ms at the hamate levels postoperatively (p = .04). Although there was a moderate association between preoperative T2 values at the distal carpal tunnel levels and distal motor latency values (r = -.46), other T2 values at all four carpal tunnel levels were not significantly associated with CSA or nerve conduction latency pre- or postoperatively. DISCUSSION: T2 MRI mapping of the carpal tunnel suggested a decrease in nerve edema after surgery. T2 MRI mapping provides quantitative information on the median nerve before and after surgery.

Medication-based profiling of older orthopedic patients: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Managing medication use in older orthopedic patients is imperative to extend their healthy life expectancy in an aging society. However, the actual situation regarding polypharmacy, the intake of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), and fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) among older orthopedic patients is not well characterized. This study aimed to investigate the medication-based profiles of older orthopedic patients to highlight the critical points of concern. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of consecutive patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent orthopedic surgery at two acute care hospitals between April 2020 and March 2021. The cutoff number of prescribed drugs for polypharmacy was set at 6. According to the specified guidelines, 19 categories of drugs were identified as PIMs, and 10 categories were classified as FRIDs. RESULTS: A total of 995 older patients with orthopedic surgery were assessed, of which 57.4% were diagnosed with polypharmacy, 66.0% were receiving PIMs, and 41.7% were receiving FRIDs. The prevalence of FRID intake did not significantly differ among patients with degenerative spinal disease (n = 316), degenerative disease of extremities (n = 331), and fractures (n = 272). Compared with patients with degenerative disease of the extremities, the multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) of polypharmacy and PIM intake were significantly higher in patients with degenerative spinal disease (1.26 [confidence intervals (CI): 1.11-1.44] and 1.12 [CI: 1.00-1.25]), respectively. Use of antiemetic drugs (adjusted PR, 13.36; 95% CI: 3.14-56.81) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (adjusted PR, 1.37; 95% CI: 1.05-1.78) was significantly higher in patients with degenerative spinal disease. Among patients with degenerative spinal disease, the prevalence of antiemetic drug intake was 8.7% in lumbar spinal patients and 0% in cervical spinal patients. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the orthopedic patients in this study were affected by polypharmacy, and approximately two-thirds were prescribed some form of PIMs. Patients with degenerative spinal disease showed a significantly higher prevalence of polypharmacy and PIM use compared with other orthopedic diseases. Particular attention should be paid to the high frequency of antiemetic drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs intake among patients with degenerative lumbar spine conditions.

Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Administration on the Intervertebral Disc in Low Back Pain Patients with Modic Type 1 Change: Report of Two Cases.

Background and Objectives: Modic type 1 is known to be associated with lower back pain (LBP), but at present, a treatment has not been fully established. Meanwhile, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used for tissue regeneration and repair in the clinical setting. There is no clinical PRP injection trial for the intervertebral disc of LBP patients with Modic type 1. Thus, this study aimed to verify PRP injection safety and efficacy in LBP patients with Modic type 1. As a preliminary experiment, two LBP cases with Modic type 1 are presented. Materials and Methods: PRP was administered intradiscally to two LBP patients with Modic type 1. PRP was obtained from the patients' anticoagulated blood. Primary endpoints were physical condition, laboratory data, and X-ray for safety evaluation. Secondary endpoints were pain scores using the visual analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) to evaluate PRP efficacy. The observation period was 24 weeks after the PRP injection. In addition, changes in Modic type 1 using MRI were evaluated. Results: This study assessed two LBP patients with Modic type 1. There were no adverse events in physical condition, laboratory data, or lumbar X-rays after injection. Follow-up MRI showed a decrease of high signal intensity on T2WI compared to before PRP administration. The pain scores tended to improve after the injection. Conclusions: PRP injection into the intervertebral disc of LBP patients with Modic type 1 might be safe and effective. This analysis will be continued as a prospective study to establish the efficacy.

Visualization of the morphological changes in the median nerve after carpal tunnel release using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the pre- and postoperative morphology of the median nerve using three-dimensional (3-D) MRI in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: We assessed 31 patients with CTS who underwent open carpal tunnel release and T2*-weighted MRI of the wrist preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. The median nerve morphology was evaluated on the basis of the cross-sectional areas (CSAs) and cross-sectional volumes (CSVs). The association between these MRI findings and nerve conduction studies was also evaluated. RESULTS: The mean preoperative CSA and CSV values at the proximal carpal tunnel level significantly decreased from 22.2 mm2 and 24.4 mm3 to 16.5 mm2 and 18.1 mm3, respectively, postoperatively. Median nerve swelling at the proximal carpal tunnel level was observed in 29 (94%) and 23 (74%) patients before and after surgery, respectively. The mean preoperative CSA and CSV values at the hamate level significantly increased from 9.9 to 12.3 mm2 and from 10.9 to 13.5 mm3 after surgery, respectively. Nerve narrowing at the hamate bone level was preoperatively observed in 28 (90%) patients and postoperatively in 21 (68%) patients. Preoperative CSA and CSV values at the proximal carpal tunnel were significantly associated with preoperative distal motor and sensory latency. CONCLUSIONS: Visual confirmation of the median nerve morphology using 3-D MRI is useful when considering postoperative recovery and explaining the nerve condition to the patients. KEY POINTS: • The 3-D morphology of the median nerve after carpal tunnel release can be delineated using 3-D MRI. • Preoperative swelling of the median nerve in the 2-D and 3-D planes reflects the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome. • Visual confirmation of the median nerve morphology is useful when considering median nerve recovery after carpal tunnel release and for explaining the condition of the nerve to patients.

Development of quantitative analytical method for volatile thiol compound with LC-ESI-MS as nonvolatile derivative by integrating a thiol-specific derivatization.

Generally, volatile thiols are hard to be measured with electrospray-ionization-type LC-MS due to the volatility. Therefore, we here evaluated the pretreatment of their S-bimanyl derivatization by monobromobimane to enable the detection as nonvolatile derivative. Consequently, we successfully developed the convenient and efficient method through the quantitative analysis of 2-furanmethanethiol (volatile thiol odorant of coffee aroma) in coffee bean.

Effects of Thiosulfate as a Sulfur Source on Plant Growth, Metabolites Accumulation and Gene Expression in Arabidopsis and Rice.

Plants are considered to absorb sulfur from their roots in the form of sulfate. In bacteria like Escherichia coli, thiosulfate is a preferred sulfur source. It is converted into cysteine (Cys). This transformation consumes less NADPH and ATP than sulfate assimilation into Cys. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, thiosulfate promoted growth more than sulfate. In the present study, the availability of thiosulfate, the metabolite transformations and gene expressions it induces were investigated in Arabidopsis and rice as model dicots and monocots, respectively. In Arabidopsis, the thiosulfate-amended plants had lower biomass than those receiving sulfate when sulfur concentrations in the hydroponic medium were above 300 µM. In contrast, rice biomass was similar for plants raised on thiosulfate and sulfate at 300 µM sulfur. Therefore, both plants can use thiosulfate but it is a better sulfur source for rice. In both plants, thiosulfate levels significantly increased in roots following thiosulfate application, indicating that the plants absorbed thiosulfate into their root cells. Thiosulfate is metabolized in plants by a different pathway from that used for sulfate metabolism. Thiosulfate increases plant sulfide and cysteine persulfide levels which means that plants are in a more reduced state with thiosulfate than with sulfate. The microarray analysis of Arabidopsis roots revealed that 13 genes encoding Cys-rich proteins were upregulated more with thiosulfate than with sulfate. These results together with those of the widely targeted metabolomics analysis were used to proposes a thiosulfate assimilation pathway in plants.

Current understanding of sulfur assimilation metabolism to biosynthesize L-cysteine and recent progress of its fermentative overproduction in microorganisms.

To all organisms, sulfur is an essential and important element. The assimilation of inorganic sulfur molecules such as sulfate and thiosulfate into organic sulfur compounds such as L-cysteine and L-methionine (essential amino acid for human) is largely contributed by microorganisms. Of these, special attention is given to thiosulfate (S2O32-) assimilation, because thiosulfate relative to often utilized sulfate (SO42-) as a sulfur source is proposed to be more advantageous in microbial growth and biotechnological applications like L-cysteine fermentative overproduction toward industrial manufacturing. In Escherichia coli as well as other many bacteria, the thiosulfate assimilation pathway is known to depend on O-acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase B. Recently, another yet-unidentified CysM-independent thiosulfate pathway was found in E. coli. This pathway is expected to consist of the initial part of the thiosulfate to sulfite (SO32-) conversion, and the latter part might be shared with the final part of the known sulfate assimilation pathway [sulfite → sulfide (S2-) → L-cysteine]. The catalysis of thiosulfate to sulfite is at least partly mediated by thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (GlpE). In this mini-review, we introduce updated comprehensive information about sulfur assimilation in microorganisms, including this topic. Also, we introduce recent advances of the application study about L-cysteine overproduction, including the GlpE overexpression.

Evaluation of the Translation Distance of the Glenohumeral Joint and the Function of the Rotator Cuff on Its Translation: A Cadaveric Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the distance and position of humeral head translation during glenohumeral motion and to investigate the function of the rotator cuff in glenohumeral translation. METHODS: Using 9 cadavers, glenohumeral translation during passive pendulum motion was tracked by an optical motion capture system. Tension was applied to 5 compartments of the rotator cuff muscles, and 7 different conditions of rotator cuff dysfunction were sequentially simulated. Three-dimensional glenohumeral structure was reconstructed from the computed tomography images of the specimens, and the distance and position of glenohumeral translation were compared among the conditions. RESULTS: The average radius of glenohumeral translation was 10.6 ± 4.3 mm when static loading was applied to all rotator cuff muscles. The radius increased significantly in the models without traction force on the supraspinatus and total subscapularis tendons (P = .030). The position of the translation center did not change in the mediolateral direction (P = .587) and in the anteroposterior direction (P = .138), but it moved significantly superiorly in the models without supraspinatus and infraspinatus loading (P = .011) and in those without supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor loading (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The distance and position of humeral head translation during glenohumeral motion changed with rotator cuff deficiency. The present study indicated that the subscapularis plays an important role in maintaining the central position of the humeral head, and that the infraspinatus acts as a major depressor of the humeral head during shoulder motion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this study suggest that extension of a tear into the subscapularis should be avoided to maintain the centering function of the glenohumeral joint in cases with rotator cuff tear.

Improved fermentative L-cysteine overproduction by enhancing a newly identified thiosulfate assimilation pathway in Escherichia coli.

Sulfate (SO42-) is an often-utilized and well-understood inorganic sulfur source in microorganism culture. Recently, another inorganic sulfur source, thiosulfate (S2O32-), was proposed to be more advantageous in microbial growth and biotechnological applications. Although its assimilation pathway is known to depend on O-acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase B (CysM in Escherichia coli), its metabolism has not been extensively investigated. Therefore, we aimed to explore another yet-unidentified CysM-independent thiosulfate assimilation pathway in E. coli. ΔcysM cells could accumulate essential L-cysteine from thiosulfate as the sole sulfur source and could grow, albeit slowly, demonstrating that a CysM-independent thiosulfate assimilation pathway is present in E. coli. This pathway is expected to consist of the initial part of the thiosulfate to sulfite (SO32-) conversion, and the latter part might be shared with the final part of the known sulfate assimilation pathway [sulfite → sulfide (S2-) â†’ L-cysteine]. This is because thiosulfate-grown ΔcysM cells could accumulate a level of sulfite and sulfide equivalent to that of wild-type cells. The catalysis of thiosulfate to sulfite is at least partly mediated by thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (GlpE), because its overexpression could enhance cellular thiosulfate sulfurtransferase activity in vitro and complement the slow-growth phenotype of thiosulfate-grown ΔcysM cells in vivo. GlpE is therefore concluded to function in the novel CysM-independent thiosulfate assimilation pathway by catalyzing thiosulfate to sulfite. We applied this insight to L-cysteine overproduction in E. coli and succeeded in enhancing it by GlpE overexpression in media containing glucose or glycerol as the main carbon source, by up to ~1.7-fold (1207 mg/l) or ~1.5-fold (1529 mg/l), respectively.

A case of glenohumeral joint impingement caused by a giant secondary synovial osteochondromatosis.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Synovial osteochondromatosis of the shoulder joint is predominantly primary, characterized by multiple osteochondral fragments, with reports of secondary synovial osteochondromatosis being rare. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient, a 48-year-old male, presented to our hospital with right shoulder pain persisting for several months. While there was no significant restriction in the range of motion, pain was noted during horizontal adduction and external rotation in the dependent position. Radiographs and CT scans revealed an osteochondral loose body in the glenohumeral joint and an osteophyte on the anterior margin of the glenoid cavity. A lidocaine test in the glenohumeral joint was positive, suggesting impingement by the loose body, leading to its surgical removal. Arthroscopically, the loose body was grasped and removed from the anterior aspect of the glenohumeral joint. The osteochondral fragment measured approximately 15 mm, with the total length including soft tissue being about 40 mm. Pathological findings indicated a layered arrangement of synovial cells, consistent with secondary synovial osteochondromatosis. Postoperatively, the shoulder pain improved rapidly, and follow-up was concluded six months after surgery. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: In this case, arthroscopy revealed a Hill-Sachs-like lesion and labral deficiency on the glenoid, suggesting past trauma. However, no bone defect matching the size of the loose body was observed. In secondary synovial osteochondromatosis, small osteochondral fragments can grow with nourishment from the synovium, suggesting the loose body in this case might have similarly enlarged post-trauma. CONCLUSION: The shoulder pain caused by a giant secondary synovial osteochondromatosis improved by removing the loose body arthroscopically.

Enhanced Biodegradation of Silk Fibroin Hydrogel for Preventing Postoperative Adhesion.

An absorbable adhesion barrier is a medical device that prevents postoperative adhesion and matches its biodegradation time with the regeneration period of its target tissues, which is important for antiadhesion effects. Physical hydrogels of Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) proteins are degradable in vivo. However, their biodegradation time is too long to exert antiadhesion effects. To shorten the biodegradation time of the SF hydrogels, we decreased the molecular weight (MW) of the SF proteins by alkaline treatment and prepared low-MW (LMW) SF hydrogels. The hydrogels contained less ß-sheet crystalline and more amorphous structures than conventional, high-MW (HMW) SF hydrogels. Because of the potential loosened SF molecular structures in the hydrogel networks, the LMW SF hydrogels showed enhanced biodegradation (i.e., shorter in vitro enzymatic biodegradation time and faster in vivo biodegradation rate) as well as a lower affinity for plasma proteins and fibroblasts, which are involved in postoperative adhesion formation. An antiadhesion test using a rat abdominal adhesion model demonstrated that the LMW SF hydrogel applied to the abraded cecum was almost completely degraded within two weeks postimplantation, with a significantly lower adhesion severity score than that in the untreated model rat group. Conversely, the HMW SF hydrogel remained between the cecum and abdominal wall, with the same adhesion severity as that of the untreated model rat group. Therefore, we concluded that the antiadhesion effects of SF hydrogels were induced by enhanced biodegradation. The results of this study indicate the potential of LMW SF hydrogels as absorbable adhesion barriers.

Polypharmacy of Older Surgical Patients With Extremity Fractures.

Introduction: Fractures are often caused by falls in older people. Among various causes of falls, polypharmacy is known to be a risk of falls. Furthermore, potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs), which interact with polypharmacy, include the drugs involved in falls. Here, we primarily aimed to investigate the prescribed drugs in older surgical patients with extremity fractures to determine the frequency of polypharmacy and identify PIMs. The second aim was to clarify the characterization of prescribed drugs of older patients with hip fracture. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the following clinical data of consecutive patients aged ≥65 years who underwent surgery for extremity fractures at our hospital between April 2019 and March 2021. A total of 19 categories were considered as PIMs. The Poisson regression models were used to examine the association between the number of prescribed drugs and hip fracture prevalence. Results: A total of 590 patients were reviewed. Our data showed that 55% of older patients with extremity fractures took ≥6 prescription drugs. The frequency of prescription of hypnotics, antithrombotic drugs, diuretics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was comparatively high among the 19 categories of PIMs. Multivariable analysis revealed that polypharmacy was significantly associated with hip fractures. Among PIMs, antithrombotic drugs and diuretics were significantly associated with the prevalence of hip fractures. Finally, we found a significant positive association between the prevalence of hip fracture and the number of drug categories of PIMs among older patients with extremity fractures. Conclusions: The present study clarified the characterization of the prescribed drugs in older surgical patients with extremity fractures. Special attention should be paid to hip fractures of older patients with polypharmacy or prescribed with many drugs categories of PIMs, particularly antithrombotic drugs and diuretics.

Temporal and fertilizer-dependent dynamics of soil bacterial communities in buckwheat fields under long-term management.

This study integrated bacterial community and soil chemicals to characterize the soil ecosystem in an open upland field managed by six controlled fertilizer programs using the minimum amount of pesticides. Amplicon sequencing the 16S rRNA gene revealed that inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and compost altered the diversity and structure of the soil bacterial community throughout buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench 'Hitachiakisoba') cultivation. The bacterial community comprised three clusters that contained bacteria that are prevalent in soils fertilized with nitrogen (cluster 1, 340 taxa), without nitrogen and compost (cluster 2, 234 taxa), and with compost-fertilized (cluster 3, 296 taxa). Cluster 2 contained more taxa in Actinobacteriota and less in Acidobacteriota, and cluster 3 contained more taxa in Gemmatimonadota compared with the other clusters. The most frequent taxa in cluster 1 were within the Chloroflexi phylum. The bacterial community structure correlated with soil chemical properties including pH, total organic carbon, SO42-, soluble Ca2+. A co-occurrence network of bacterial taxa and chemicals identified key bacterial groups comprising the center of a community network that determined topology and dynamics of the network. Temporal dynamics of the bacterial community structure indicated that Burkholderiales were associated with buckwheat ripening, indicating plant-bacteria interaction in the ecosystem.

Intradiscal administration of autologous platelet-rich plasma in patients with Modic type 1 associated low back pain: A prospective pilot study.

Background: Various treatments for chronic low back pain (LBP) have been reported; among them, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a regenerative medicine has attracted much attention. Although Modic type 1 change (MC1) is associated with LBP, no treatment has been established so far. In addition, no studies have administered PRP to intervertebral discs (IVDs) in patients with LBP, targeting MC1 only. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of PRP administration to the IVDs in patients with MC1 experiencing LBP. Methods: PRP was injected intradiscally to 10 patients with MC1 experiencing LBP. Patients were followed prospectively for up to 24 weeks after primary administration. Physical condition, laboratory data, and lumbar x-ray images were evaluated for safety assessment. Furthermore, to evaluate the effectiveness of PRP, patient-reported outcomes were considered. In addition, changes in MC1 were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: There were no adverse events in the laboratory data or lumbar X-ray images after administration. The mean visual analog scale, which was 70.0 ± 13.3 before the treatment, significantly decreased 1 week after PRP administration and was 39.0 ± 28.8 at the last observation. Oswestry disability index and Roland Morris disability questionnaire scores promptly improved after treatment, and both improved significantly 24 weeks after PRP administration. Follow-up MRI 24 weeks after treatment showed a significant decrease in the mean high-signal intensity of fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging from 10.1 to 7.90 mm2 compared with that before PRP administration. Conclusions: The safety and efficacy of PRP administration to the IVDs of patients with MC1 experiencing LBP were identified. Post-treatment MRI suggested improvement in inflammation, speculating that PRP suppressed inflammation and consequently relieved the patient's symptoms. Despite the small number of patients, this treatment is promising for patients with MC1 experiencing LBP. The study protocol has been reviewed and approved by the Certified Committee for Regenerative Medicine and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Japan Registry of Clinical Trials [jRCT] No. jRCTb042210159).

Fluoride-treated rare earth-free magnesium alloy ZK30: An inert and bioresorbable material for bone fracture treatment devices.

Bone fractures represent a common health problem, particularly in an increasingly aging population. Bioresorbable magnesium (Mg) alloy-based implants offer promising alternatives to traditional metallic implants for the treatment of bone fractures because they eliminate the need for implant removal after healing. The Mg-Y-rare-earth (RE)-Zr alloy WE43, designed for orthopedic implants, has received European Conformity mark approval. However, currently, WE43 is not clinically used in certain countries possibly because of concerns related to RE metals. In this study, we investigated the use of a RE-free alloy, namely, Mg-Zn-Zr alloy (ZK30), as an implant for bone fractures. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) treatment was performed to improve the corrosion resistance of ZK30. HF-treated ZK30 (HF-ZK30) exhibited lower corrosion rate and higher biocompatibility than those of WE43 in in vitro experiments. After implanting a rod of HF-ZK30 into the fractured femoral bones of mice, HF-ZK30 held the bones and healed the fracture without deformation. Treatment results of HF-ZK30 were comparable to those of WE43, indicating the potential of HF-ZK30 as a bioresorbable and safe implant for bone repair.

Ergothioneine Prevents Neuronal Cell Death Caused by the Neurotoxin 6-Hydroxydopamine.

Neuronal cell death is a key mechanism involved in the development and exacerbation of Parkinson's disease (PD). The excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a major cause leading to neuronal death; therefore, compounds that prevent oxidative stress-dependent neuronal death may be promising as a preventive method for PD. Ergothioneine is a natural amino acid with antioxidant properties, and its protective functions in the body are attracting attention. However, there has been no investigation into the protective functions of ergothioneine using in vivo and in vitro PD models. Thus, in this study, we analyzed the efficacy of ergothioneine against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-dependent neuronal cell death using immortalized hypothalamic neurons (GT1-7 cells). First, we found that ergothioneine prevents 6-OHDA-dependent neuronal cell death by suppressing ROS overproduction in GT1-7 cells. The cytoprotective effect of ergothioneine was partially abolished by verapamil, an inhibitor of OCTN1, which is involved in ergothioneine uptake. Furthermore, ergothioneine-rich Rice-koji (Ergo-koji) showed cytoprotective and antioxidant effects similar to those of ergothioneine. Taken together, these results suggest that ergothioneine or foods containing ergothioneine may be an effective method for preventing the development and progression of PD.

DNA methylation of bone morphogenetic protein 7 in leukocytes as a possible biomarker for hand osteoarthritis: A pilot study.

Hand osteoarthritis (HOA), characterized by an earlier onset age and reduced susceptibility to mechanical stress compared with knee and hip osteoarthritis, is considered a suitable disease for identifying predictive biomarkers of osteoarthritis. In particular, DNA methylation variants, expected to contribute to HOA susceptibility, hold potential as osteoarthritis biomarkers. In this study, leukocyte DNA methylation patterns were analyzed in blood samples from patients with HOA, aiming to identify disease-specific biomarkers for osteoarthritis. Using DNA methylation microarrays, we analyzed samples from three subjects with HOA and three age- and gender-matched healthy individuals. For validation, pyrosequencing analysis was conducted using samples from 16 to 9 subjects with and without HOA, respectively. From 735,026 probes in the DNA methylation array, the Top 100 CpG sites associated with HOA, based on low adjusted P-values, including those targeting bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), SBF2-AS1, PLOD2, ICOS, and CSF1R were identified. Validation analysis revealed significantly higher methylation levels in the BMP7-related site in the HOA group compared with the control group, even after adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index (p = 0.037). In contrast, no significant difference was observed in the other selected CpG sites between the HOA and control groups. This study highlights the significantly increased frequency of methylation at the specific BMP7 site in leukocytes of patients with HOA, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for HOA. Measurement of methylation levels at the CpG sites identified in this study offers a potential approach to prevent future osteoarthritis progression, providing valuable insights into disease management.

Reductive coupling of phthalimides with ketones and aldehydes by low-valent titanium: one-pot synthesis of alkylideneisoindolin-1-ones.

The reductive coupling of phthalimides with ketones and aldehydes by Zn-TiCl4 in THF gave two- and four-electron reduced products, 3-hydroxy-3-(1-hydroxyalkyl)isoindolin-1-ones and alkylideneisoindolin-1-ones, selectively by controlling the reaction conditions. Therefore, the one-pot synthesis of alkylideneisoindolin-1-ones from phthalimides was effected by this reaction. Although the alkylideneisoindolin-1-ones prepared from phthalimides and aldehydes were formed as mixtures of geometric isomers in most cases, the geometric ratios could be increased by reflux in cat. PPTS/toluene. After the isomerization, the E-isomers of N-methyl substituted alkylideneisoindolin-1-ones (X = Me, R(1) = R, R(2) = H) and the Z-isomers of N-unsubstituted alkylideneisoindolin-1-ones (X = H, R(1) = H, R(2) = R) were obtained preferentially.