Imbalance in Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism in Comamonas testosteroni R2 Is Caused by Negative Feedback and Rescued by L-arginine.

The collapse of Comamonas testosteroni R2 under chemostat conditions and the aerobic growth of strain R2 under batch conditions with phenol as the sole carbon source were investigated using physiological and transcriptomic techniques. Phenol-/catechol-degrading activities under chemostat conditions gradually decreased, suggesting that metabolites produced from strain R2 accumulated in the culture, which caused negative feedback. The competitive inhibition of phenol hydroxylase and catechol dioxygenase was observed in a crude extract of the supernatant collected from the collapsed culture. Transcriptomic analyses showed that genes related to nitrogen transport were up-regulated; the ammonium transporter amtB was up-regulated approximately 190-fold in the collapsed status, suggesting an increase in the concentration of ammonium in cells. The transcriptional levels of most of the genes related to gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA and urea cycles decreased by ~0.7-fold in the stable status, whereas the activities of glutamate synthase and glutamine synthetase increased by ~2-fold. These results suggest that ammonium was assimilated into glutamate and glutamine via 2-oxoglutarate under the limited supply of carbon skeletons, whereas the synthesis of other amino acids and nucleotides was repressed by 0.6-fold. Furthermore, negative feedback appeared to cause an imbalance between carbon and nitrogen metabolism, resulting in collapse. The effects of amino acids on negative feedback were investigated. L-arginine allowed strain R2 to grow normally, even under growth-inhibiting conditions, suggesting that the imbalance was corrected by the stimulation of the urea cycle, resulting in the rescue of strain R2.

Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo studies of Gd-DTPA-XDA-D1-Glc(OH) complex as a new potential MRI contrast agent.

A new type of dendritic molecules Gd-DTPA-XDA-D1-Glc(OH), which work as a functionalized ligand coordinating gadolinium(III) ion at the center of their frameworks with two glucose moieties on the molecular surfaces, were readily synthesized with high yield. The structures were established by IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR, and mass spectral studies. Its bio-distribution patterns were evaluated on rats.

[Slow delivery rate improves the outcome of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy].

PURPOSE: To determine the efficiency of slow delivery rate of shockwaves (SW) on stone fragmentation and treatment outcomes in patients with renal and ureteral calculi. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Using the Siemens Lithostar Multiline, we treated 843 patients (229 renal and 614 ureteral stones) at a fast delivery rate (120 SW/min, between October 2003 and August 2006), 448 patients (139 renal and 309 ureteral stones) at a slow delivery rate (90 SW/min, between September 2006 and August 2008). RESULTS: The stone free rates at 3 months after treatment of fast rate group and slow rate group were 60% and 53% (renal stones, P = 0.858), 82% and 91% (ureteral stones, P < 0.001), respectively. The average numbers of sessions required were 2.02 and 1.59 (renal stones, P = 0.018), 1.61 and 1.49 (ureter stones, P < 0.001), respectively. The mean total shots were 8,718 and 4,679 (renal stones, P < 0.001), 7,684 and 4,928 (ureteral stones, P < 0.001), respectively. The mean treatment times were 80 and 60 minutes (renal stones, P < 0.001), 72 and 62 minutes (ureteral stones, P < 0.001), respectively. The slow delivery group patients included more number of elders, stones located on lower renal calices and less frequency of pain at onset than the fast delivery group. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that slow delivery rate (90 SW/min) as well as age (younger), symptom (painful) at onset, stone location (middle and distal ureter) and size (small) was a independent (better) prognostic factors determining stone clearance after ESWL of upper urinary tract stones. CONCLUSION: Slow rate shock wave delivery not only improved efficacy at ESWL treatments of upper urinary stones, but also decreased number of sessions, shock waves and treatment time required.

[Significance of age on prognosis in patients treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of patient age on the stone-free rate (SFR) in patients with urinary stones treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). PATIENTS AND METHOD: 138 patients with renal calculi and 463 patients with ureteral calculi were treated using the Siemens Lithostar Multiline. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the effect of age and other possible predicting factors, i.e., gender, location, size, side, grade of hydronephrosis, symptom at onset and history of urolithiasis, on the SFR at 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The overall SFR was 77.2%. The SFRs of aged< = 39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 = < years were 87.4%, 84.4%, 75.0%, 71.1% and 66.3%, respectively. The elder patients complained less frequency of pain at onset and showed more frequency of hydronephrosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that patient age (younger) as well as stone location (middle and distal ureter), size (small), hydronephrosis (mild or less) and symptom (painful) at onset were a independent (better) prognostic factors determining stone clearance after ESWL of upper urinary tract stones. CONCLUSION: The SFR of elder patients showed lower than that of younger ones, however, the former less needed analgesia for ESWL session than the latter. ESWL is convenient, relatively useful for elder patients.

[Treatment of upper urinary tract calculi using Siemens Lithostar Multiline, and comparison with previous machine: Lithostar].

PURPOSE: We compared the efficacy, safety and conveniency of previous and present lithotriptors for the treatment of upper urinary tract calculi. PATIENTS AND METHOD: 691 patients with renal calculi and 2,294 patients with ureteral calculi were treated using a 2nd generation electromagnetic fluoroscopic guided lithotriptor, the Lithostar (L group), and 153 with renal calculi and 486 with ureteral calculi were treated using a 3rd generation lithotriptor, the Lithostar Multiline (M group). The success rates, defined as stone-free or residual fragments that were 4 mm or less on three months later, were calculated and compared. RESULTS: The percentage of outpatient were 85.3% (L) and 95.1% (M). The success rates of the L group for the overall and the ureteral calculi patients were indicated significantly better than the M group (89.6% vs 81.4%, 92.2% vs 82.7%, respectively). Mean number of treatment of the L group (1.62) for the ureteral calculi were significantly less than the M group (1.64). For the renal calculi, no significance of the success rates were observed (L : 81.0% vs M : 77.1%). Mean fluoroscopy time of the M group (2.8 min.) were significantly shorter than the L group (3.7 min). Less percentage of pentazocine required in the M group (34.7%) than in the L group (50.8%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the success rate of the Multiline does not exceed the previous machine, however, the Multiline achieved shorter fluoroscopy time and decreased rate of adapting analgesia. The Lithostar Multiline is useful, safe and convenient on an outpatient basis.

[Intermittent oral hormonal chemotherapy using estramustine phosphate and etoposide for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer].

Seventeen patients were given lower dose and intermittent oral administration of estramustine phosphate (6 mg/kg/day) and etoposide (30 mg/m2/day) for 7 days. Then administration was discontinued for 7 days. This administration cycle was repeated. Therapy was continued until evidence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Fifteen of the 17 patients were finally evaluated for PSA response. Overall, the pretreatment PSA levels were lowered at least 50% from baseline in 7 (47%) of the 15 patients. The median survival was 65 weeks. Five of the 17 patients complained of anorexia or nausea during the treatment, but none of them showed over grade 2 anorexia, none requiring transfusion or hospitalization. None of the patients showed edema, deep venous thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, anemia or myocardial infarction. Because of its rare and mild adverse effects, this intermittent administration of oral estramustine and oral etoposide may be a useful and secure regimen for hormone refractory prostate cancer.

Effects of vegetable containing gamma-aminobutyric acid on the cardiac autonomic nervous system in healthy young people.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vegetable tablets containing Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) intake on cardiovascular response and the autonomic nervous system in young adults. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 7 healthy subjects were assigned to take vegetable tablets (10 g/trial) or control tablets (10 g/trial). We measured heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance index, and the low- and high-frequency oscillatory components of heart rate variability (HRV). Two major spectral components were examined at low-frequency (LF: 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (HF: 0.15-0.4 Hz) bands to indicate HRV. There were significant interactions in HR (p<0.01) and in LF/HF of HRV (p<0.05). HR increased after intake of control tablets, but not after that of vegetable tablets. LF/HF increased rapidly after intake of control tablets and rose slightly after vegetable tablet intake. There was no significant difference between the vegetable and control tablet trials in stroke volume, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, systolic or diastolic blood pressure, HF, or LF. In conclusion, these results suggest the possibility that single administration of vegetable tablets containing GABA suppresses the sympathetic nervous activity leading to an elevation of blood pressure.