Decreased Immunoreactivity of Hepatitis E Virus Antigen Following Treatment with Sakhalin Spruce (Picea glehnii) Essential Oil.

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes a common infectious disease that infects pigs, wild boars, deer, and humans. In most cases, humans are infected by eating raw meat. Some essential oils have been reported to exhibit antiviral activities. In this study, in order to investigate the anti-HEV properties of essential oils, the immunoreactivities of HEV antigen proteins against the relevant antibodies were analyzed after the HEV antigens underwent treatment with various essential oils. The essential oils extracted from the tea tree, which was previously reported to exhibit antiviral activity, lavender, and lemon had strongly reduced activity. We found that treatment with the essential oil prepared from Sakhalin spruce was associated with the strongest reduction in immunoreactivity of HEV antigen protein(s) among the tested substances. The main volatile constituents of Sakhalin spruce essential oil were found to be bornyl acetate (32.30 %), α-pinene (16.66 %), camphene (11.14 %), camphor (5.52 %), ß-phellandrene (9.09 %), borneol (4.77 %), and limonene (4.57 %). The anti-HEV properties of the various components of the essential oils were examined: treatment with bornyl acetate, the main component of Sakhalin spruce oil, α-pinene, the main component of tea tree oil, and limonene, the main component of lemon oil, resulted in a strong reduction in HEV antigen immunoreactivity. These results indicate that each main component of the essential oils plays an important role in the reduction of the immunoreactivity of HEV antigen protein(s); they also suggest that Sakhalin spruce essential oil exhibits anti-HEV activity. In a formulation with the potential to eliminate the infectivity of HEV in foodborne infections, this essential oil can be applied as an inactivating agent for meat processing and cooking utensils, such as knives and chopping boards.

ω-3 Fatty Acids Ethyl Esters Suppress Cerebral Vasospasm and Improve Clinical Outcome Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Occurrence of cerebral vasospasm after onset of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a critical factor determining clinical prognosis. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, both ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3FA), can suppress cerebral vasospasm, and docosahexaenoic acid can relax vessel vasoconstriction and have neuroprotective effects. We investigated whether administration of ω-3FA prevented cerebral vasospasm occurrence and improved clinical outcomes after aneurysmal SAH. METHODS: From 2012 to 2015, 100 consecutive patients with aneurysmal SAH were divided into 2 periods. Between 2012 and 2013 (control period), 45 patients received standard management. Between 2014 and 2015 (ω-3FA period), 55 patients were prospectively treated with additional ω-3FA. Occurrence of cerebral vasospasm, occurrence of cerebral infarction caused by vasospasm, and modified Rankin Scale scores at 30 days and 90 days after onset of SAH for each period were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: The frequency of angiographic cerebral vasospasm in the ω-3FA period was significantly lower than in the control period (12 patients vs. 23 patients, P = 0.004). The frequency of new infarction caused by vasospasm in the ω-3FA period was also significantly lower than in the control period (5 patients vs. 14 patients, P = 0.011). There was a significant difference in modified Rankin Scale scores at 90 days after onset of SAH between the groups (P = 0.031). No adverse events were associated with ω-3FA administration. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of ω-3FA after aneurysmal SAH may reduce the frequency of cerebral vasospasm and may improve clinical outcomes.

Acute Subdural Hematoma in a Judo Player with Repeated Head Injuries.

BACKGROUND: Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is the most important cause of severe head injuries occurring during judo practice in Japan. Repeated head injuries have been reported as a cause of fatal ASDH, although the mechanism remains unknown. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 16-year-old boy visited an emergency department with vomiting 3 days after a strong blow to the occipital region during judo practice. Although computed tomography was performed at that time, a small interhemispheric ASDH was overlooked. The patient sustained another head injury 19 days after the first, which led to convulsions and disturbance of consciousness. The ASDH was increased in size on computed tomography. We performed a surgical evacuation, which revealed tearing of a bridging vein, after which the patient showed a good recovery. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to be aware of the possibility of a small ASDH in concussed judo players after an initial impact, which may lead to subsequent fatal ASDH after another impact incident.

Blood biochemical changes in mice after administration of a mixture of three anesthetic agents.

Currently, from the viewpoint of animal welfare, anesthesia or analgesia is required during experimental procedures in animals that are likely to cause pain. A part of these anesthetics have been reported to influence a blood biochemical level. It is important for us to understand the effect of the anesthetic on blood biochemistry when we choose the anesthetic agent to be used in experiments. In this study, we examined the blood biochemical changes in mice after administration of a new mixture of three anesthetic agents -medetomidine / midazolam / butorphanol (MMB). We subcutaneously administered two dose combinations of MMB (0.45 / 6 / 7.5 and 0.9 / 12 / 15 mg/kg) in mice, followed by administration of atipamezole, for reversal of anesthetic effects, after 1 hr. Thereafter, blood biochemistry was assessed at 1, 4 and 24 hr after MMB administration. We observed that MMB administration caused a transient increase in blood sugar, inorganic phosphorus, potassium and creatine kinase levels. These, however, returned to the reference range 24 hr after MMB administration. In conclusion, MMB changes the levels of some blood biochemical parameters, but not to an extent that would threaten health. However, when using laboratory animals, this effect of MMB may influence the experimental results, depending on the experimental content. Hence, the choice of anesthetic agents used in laboratory animals should be based on detailed knowledge of their pharmacological effects.

Bisphenol A glucuronide/sulfate diconjugate in perfused liver of rats.

In isolated hepatocytes, the environmental estrogen bisphenol A (BPA) is metabolized into a mono-glucuronide and a glucuronide/sulfate diconjugate. Little is known about the fate of the diconjugate in the liver. The present study focused on the metabolism and dispostion of BPA diconjugate in the liver using a perfusion method. In Sprague-Dawley rats, BPA (15,150 or 1,500 nmol) was applied into the liver. In male rats, the infused BPA was conjugated to both glucuronide and a diconjugate during passage through the liver. The diconjugate was observed at high-dose application of the substrate. In female rats, the chemical was conjugated almost exclusively to the glucuronide in all doses utilized in this study. In both the male and female rats, the resultant metabolites were preferentially excreted into the bile. These results suggest that BPA is conjugated primarily to mono-glucuronide in rat liver; and that in males, diconjugate production occurs under conditions of high-dose exposure to BPA.

Effect of dietary eugenol on xenobiotic metabolism and mediation of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and cytochrome P450 1A1 expression in rat liver.

Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XMEs) play an important role in the elimination and detoxification of xenobiotics and drugs. A variety of natural dietary agents are known to protect against cancer by inducing XME. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of XME induction, we examined the effect of dietary eugenol (4-allyl-1-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzene) on xenobiotic metabolism. In this study, rats were administered dietary eugenol for 4 weeks to investigate the various effects of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) expression. In rats administered dietary eugenol, expression levels of hepatic CYP1A 1 were reduced to 40% than of the controls, while expression of hepatic UGT1A6, UGT1A7 and UGT2B1 increased to 2-3 times than observed in the controls. Hepatic protein levels of UGT1A6 and 2B1 were also elevated in the eugenol-treated rats. These results suggest that the natural compound eugenol improves the xenobiotic-metabolizing systems that suppress and induce the expression of CYP1A1 and UGT, respectively.

Relationships between carapace sizes and plasma major and trace element status in captive hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between carapace parameters as indicators of age and plasma elements in 25 captive hawksbill sea turtles. Particle-induced X-ray emission allowed detection of 23 trace and major elements. There were significant but weak correlations between the virtual carapace surface area and plasma bromide (r = -0.552, P<0.01), phosphorus (r = 0.547, P<0.01), lead (r =-0.434, P<0.05) and strontium (r = 0.599, P<0.01), while there were no significant correlations with other elements. These results suggest that major and trace plasma elements in captive sea turtles show almost no variation with carapace parameters, suggesting that the increase in plasma elements seen in wild sea turtles might be the result of marine pollution.

Pseudohypoxic brain swelling after elective clipping of an unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm.

A case of pseudohypoxic brain swelling, a newly defined entity, is described. The patient experienced generalized seizures and did not awake initially after a seemingly uneventful elective craniotomy for clipping of an unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Neuroimaging findings demonstrated diffuse brain swelling, especially in the bilateral basal ganglia and thalami. The rarity of this postoperative complication is addressed and the pathogenesis discussed.

Synaptotagmin XI as a candidate gene for susceptibility to schizophrenia.

Synaptotagmin XI (Syt11) is a member of the synaptotagmin family, which is localized in cells either in synaptic vesicles or the cellular membrane, and is known to act as a calcium sensor. The Syt11 gene is located on chromosome locus 1q21-q22, which was previously reported as a major susceptibility locus of familial schizophrenia. Here, we present evidence for an association between the number of 33-bp repeats in the promoter region of the Syt11 gene and schizophrenia. We found that the transcriptional activity of the gene is affected by the number of 33-bp repeats, which include an Sp1 binding site, suggesting that the excessive expression of Syt11 can be associated with schizophrenia. Another (single nucleotide) polymorphism in the Syt11 5'UTR region, where the potent transcription factor YY1 can bind, also affects the transcriptional activity of Syt11.

High glucuronidation activity of environmental estrogens in the carp (Cyprinus carpino) intestine.

Many adverse effects on carp reproductive organs have been reported to be caused by exposure to environmental estrogens, such as nonylphenol and bisphenol A, which contaminate the aquatic environment. The glucuronidation activities of xenoestrogens (bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol) and phytoestrogens (coumestrol, genistein and biochanin A), but not nonylphenol and octylphenol, were observed in microsomes prepared from carp organs. The highest levels of glucuronidation of environmental estrogens, for which the optimum temperature was 25-30 degrees C, were observed in the intestinal microsomes of 2-year-old carp. These activities in carp intestine increased developmentally, and the maximum levels corresponded to 5-10 % of that in rat liver microsomes. However, the glucuronidation of phytoestrogen by carp intestinal microsomes corresponded to that of rat liver microsomes. Only bisphenol A-glucuronide was excreted from the everted intestine, indicating that bisphenol A is metabolized in the carp intestine mainly as glucuronide. These results suggest that glucuronidation by carp intestine plays an important role for the detoxification of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens, except for nonylphenol and octylphenol.