Establishment of a Cynomolgus Macaque Model of Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) Infection by Direct Inoculation of Adult T-Cell Leukemia Patient-Derived Cell Lines for HTLV-1 Infection.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). However, the precise mechanisms leading to HTLV-1 chronic infection and the onset of the diseases have remained unclear, and effective vaccines for inhibiting the infection and the progression of pathogenesis have therefore not been developed. The use of a nonhuman primate (NHP) model is thought to be important for revealing the mechanisms of the progressive status and for the development of prevention procedures. In this study, we developed a cynomolgus macaque (CM) model of HTLV-1 infection by direct intravenous inoculation of HTLV-1-producing cells derived from ATL patients. The cell line used for infection, ATL-040, was selected as the most infectious one in our cell line library. CMs inoculated intravenously with 1 × 108 ATL-040 cells per animal became persistently infected with HTLV-1, as shown by the HTLV-1 provirus load (PVL) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and HTLV-1-specific antibodies (2/2 animals). One CM inoculated intravenously with 1 × 107 ATL-040 cells did not have detectable PVLs despite the fact that anti-HTLV-1 antibodies were maintained for more than 2 years. Furthermore, immunological approaches, including CD8+ T cell depletion prior to infection (3/3 animals) and intrathecal inoculation (3/3 animals), led to increased proviral loads in the cynomolgus monkeys. The present method and the cynomolgus monkey model of HTLV-1 infection will be beneficial for immunological and virological studies on HTLV-1 aiming at the development of anti-HTLV-1 prophylactic vaccines and therapy drugs. IMPORTANCE HTLV-1 was discovered in the 1980s as the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. However, the precise mechanisms leading to HTLV-1 chronic infection and the onset of the diseases still remain unidentified. Thus, no effective vaccines to inhibit the infection and the progressive of pathogenesis have been developed. The use of appropriate animal models is essential for understanding HTLV-1 infection and pathogenesis. In order to establish a new nonhuman primate model for studies on HTLV-1 infection, cynomolgus monkeys were infected with HTLV-1 under a variety of experimental conditions. Our method, using a cell line generated from an ATL patient as a source of HTLV-1, was able to establish HTLV-1 infection in monkeys with a 100% success rate. This cynomolgus macaque model of HTLV-1 infection will contribute to the elucidation of HTLV-1 infection and its associated disease development.

Effects of pathological conditions on ocular pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial drugs.

A diffusion model of ocular pharmacokinetics was used to estimate the effects of pathological conditions on ocular pharmacokinetics. In vivo rabbit data after topical instillation of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin were compared with the simulated concentrations in the aqueous and vitreous humors. The barrier capacity of the surrounding membranes such as the retina/choroid/sclera (RCS) membrane and the cornea was characterized by dimensionless Sherwood number derived by the pseudo-steady state approach (PSSA). We assumed the barrier capacity decreased by inflammation; when the barrier capacity of the RCS membrane and the cornea was assumed to be one-tenth for the RCS membrane and a half for the cornea respectively, the in vivo data agreed with the simulated profile without contradiction. The drug concentration gradient simulated in the vitreous body near the RCS membrane was more significant in the inflamed eyes than in the normal eyes, suggesting that the elimination of the drugs from the RCS membrane was enhanced by inflammation. The present diffusion model can better describe the ocular pharmacokinetics in both normal and diseased conditions.

Annual changes in testicular size and serum and fecal testosterone concentrations in male bharals, Pseudois nayaur.

The serum and fecal testosterone (T) concentrations and testicular sizes of two male bharals (Pseudois nayaur) were determined for approximately one year. The profiles of the fecal T concentrations showed a similar tendency as the profiles of serum T concentrations, and there was a significant correlation between serum and fecal T concentrations (r=0.72). T concentrations rose drastically in October and decreased gradually until January. The maximum testicular size was observed between November and January. Semen collected between December and January was excellent in quality and comparable to domestic sheep and goats. The active periods of the testes were synchronized with the early breeding season of females.

Characterization of the reproductive cycle in female bharals (Pseudois nayaur) based on the changes in serum progesterone concentrations and parturition season.

The purpose of present study was to determine annual changes in serum progesterone (P(4)) concentrations and to clarify basic reproductive characteristics, such as breeding season, estrous cycle, and puberty in female bharals (Pseudois nayaur). Blood was collected from 9 female bharals once or twice weekly for approximately one year. Serum P(4) concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Serum P(4) concentrations showed remarkable and cyclic changes between November/December (winter) and May/June (late spring). The mean estrous cycle was 24.9 +/- 0.5 days. Chasing insistently to other females and discharge of mucus from the vulva were observed around the time when the serum P(4) concentrations began to increase. The chasing behavior and discharge of mucus were considered to be external indicators of estrus in female bharals. Serum P(4) concentrations of a pregnant female had non-cyclic changes, and the values remained high. In this study, all 37 deliveries were between April and September, and about 70% of these were concentrated in May and June. The conception month determined on the day of birth was between October and April for all animals, and the most common month was in December (54%). This month corresponded to an early stage of the period when the serum P(4) concentrations changed cyclically. These results indicate that many female bharals become pregnant at the beginning of the breeding seasons and, if they do not become pregnant, the estrous cycle, about 25 days in length, is repeated.

Fulfillment of the premenstrual dysphoric disorder criteria confirmed using a self-rating questionnaire among Japanese women with depressive disorders.

BACKGROUND: Some women with depressive disorders experience severe premenstrual symptoms. However, there have been few studies in which premenstrual symptoms in women suffering from depressive disorders were assessed. In this study, we aimed to investigate premenstrual symptoms in women with depressive disorders using the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) scale. METHODS: We administered questionnaires to 65 Japanese female outpatients who had been diagnosed with a major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder and to 303 healthy women as control subjects. The questionnaire consisted of items on demographics and the PMDD scale, which was modified from the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST) developed by Steiner et al. (Arch Womens Ment Health 2003, 6:203-209). RESULTS: Twenty-eight women (43.1%) with depressive disorder fulfilled certain items of the PMDD scale. These women are considered to have coexisting PMDD and a depressive disorder, or to have premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of a depressive disorder. On the other hand, 18 women (5.9%) in the control group were diagnosed as having PMDD. The depressive disorder group who fulfilled the PMDD criteria had more knowledge of the term premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and took more actions to attenuate premenstrual symptoms than the control group with PMDD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that the occurrence of severe premenstrual symptoms is much higher in women with depressive disorders than in healthy subjects. This is partially due to this group containing women with PME, but mainly due to it containing women with PMDD. The higher percentage of PMDD suggests similarity between PMDD and other depressive disorders. Furthermore, educating healthy Japanese women and women with depressive disorders about premenstrual symptoms and evidence-based treatment for them is necessary.

Protection of macaques with diverse MHC genotypes against a heterologous SIV by vaccination with a deglycosylated live-attenuated SIV.

HIV vaccine development has been hampered by issues such as undefined correlates of protection and extensive diversity of HIV. We addressed these issues using a previously established SIV-macaque model in which SIV mutants with deletions of multiple gp120 N-glycans function as potent live attenuated vaccines to induce near-sterile immunity against the parental pathogenic SIVmac239. In this study, we investigated the protective efficacy of these mutants against a highly pathogenic heterologous SIVsmE543-3 delivered intravenously to rhesus macaques with diverse MHC genotypes. All 11 vaccinated macaques contained the acute-phase infection with blood viral loads below the level of detection between 4 and 10 weeks postchallenge (pc), following a transient but marginal peak of viral replication at 2 weeks in only half of the challenged animals. In the chronic phase, seven vaccinees contained viral replication for over 80 weeks pc, while four did not. Neutralizing antibodies against challenge virus were not detected. Although overall levels of SIV specific T cell responses did not correlate with containment of acute and chronic viral replication, a critical role of cellular responses in the containment of viral replication was suggested. Emergence of viruses with altered fitness due to recombination between the vaccine and challenge viruses and increased gp120 glycosylation was linked to the failure to control SIV. These results demonstrate the induction of effective protective immune responses in a significant number of animals against heterologous virus by infection with deglycosylated attenuated SIV mutants in macaques with highly diverse MHC background. These findings suggest that broad HIV cross clade protection is possible, even in hosts with diverse genetic backgrounds. In summary, results of this study indicate that deglycosylated live-attenuated vaccines may provide a platform for the elucidation of correlates of protection needed for a successful HIV vaccine against diverse isolates.

Mucoadhesive properties of chitosan-coated ophthalmic lipid emulsion containing indomethacin in tear fluid.

To evaluate the residence of chitosan-coated emulsion (CE) containing indomethacin in tears, the drug retention of CE in tear fluid was compared with non-coated emulsion (NE) after instillation in rabbit eyes. CE had mean concentrations 3.6-fold and 3.8-fold higher than NE at 0.5 h and 0.75 h after instillation, respectively. Mean residence time and half-life of CE were lengthened to 1.5-fold and 1.8-fold those of NE, respectively. Volume of distribution of CE in tear fluid was also 1.6-fold greater than that of NE. These findings indicated that retention of the drug in tears was appreciably prolonged by chitosan-coated emulsion, and that CE had higher distribution on the ocular surface than NE. The drug levels in cornea, conjunctiva, and aqueous humor at 1 h after instillation were clearly higher than those of NE. In a generalized ocular pharmacokinetic model, the ratio of CE to NE for peak concentration values (C(max)) and the area under the concentration/time curve (AUC) nearly corresponded to aqueous humor levels in vivo. Additionally, tensile testing showed that the force of detachment between CE and mucin was significantly larger than that of emulsion containing hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMCE) with a viscosity similar to CE; the forces of detachment of CE and HPMCE measured using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were almost the same since these formulations have similar viscosity. Mucoadhesive strength of CE was confirmed by measurements of force of detachment between formulations and mucin. The residence time of the emulsion in tear fluid was prolonged by chitosan coating because of its mucoadhesive properties.

Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of a deep soft tissue leiomyoma under the rectus muscle.

Leiomyomas of the deep soft tissue are extremely rare. We report a case of a deep soft tissue leiomyoma that was difficult to differentiate from a uterine leiomyoma. A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed with a uterine leiomyoma, but surgical and pathological findings revealed a deep soft tissue leiomyoma and normal uterus.