Self-awareness of fast eating and its impact on diagnostic components of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Japanese males and females.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the association between subjects with self-awareness of fast eating and diagnostic components of metabolic syndrome in Japanese middle-aged male and female. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects consisted of 3208 males (average age 50.6 years) and 2055 females (average age 50.0 years). Associations between subjects with self-awareness of fast eating and multiple components of metabolic syndrome (waist circumference, body mass index [BMI], blood pressure, and related blood sample tests) were evaluated. RESULTS: Significantly more males (57.7%) acknowledged themselves as "fast eater" than females (46.5%). Self-reported fast eaters showed significantly elevated body weight, BMI, and waist circumference in both genders. However, only male self-reported fast eaters showed high levels of blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, uric acid, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Fast eating is associated with diagnostic components of metabolic syndrome. The effect of acknowledging themselves as fast eater presents a higher impact on males than on females in the middle-aged Japanese population. The present study indicates that finding subjects with self-awareness of fast eating may lead to the prevention of developing metabolic syndrome.

Cascade stomach is associated with upper gastrointestinal symptoms: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Cascade stomach (CS) is recognized by characteristic findings on barium studies. We prospectively investigated the relationship between CS and upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. METHODS: In subjects undergoing health screening, CS was diagnosed by barium studies. Consecutive persons (500 men and 127 women) with CS were identified and the same number of age-matched subjects without CS were selected as controls. Upper GI symptoms were classified as reflux symptoms, dyspepsia symptoms, or epigastralgia symptoms. Then, we prospectively analyzed barium studies to classify the gastric morphology and also assessed upper GI symptoms in consecutive 5008 men and 2736 women. KEY RESULTS: BMI was significantly higher in men with CS than in controls, and also in women with CS than in controls. Upper GI symptoms were significantly more frequent in the CS group than the controls among both men and women, especially reflux symptoms. In men, logistic regression analysis identified CS as an independent risk factor for upper GI symptoms (odds ratio = 1.771, P = 0.005) and for reflux symptoms (odds ratio = 2.07, P = 0.009). In women, CS was also significantly related to upper GI symptoms (odds ratio = 2.544, P = 0.020). The prevalence of CS was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) among symptomatic men than among those with no symptoms. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Gastric morphology is related to upper GI symptoms in both men and women. Cascade stomach should be reconsidered as a pathophysiological factor associated with upper GI symptoms.

Purification, characterization and developmental expression of pig liver PSP.

We have isolated a perchloric acid-soluble protein designated as PL-PSP from the post-mitochondria supernatant fraction of pig liver. It is soluble in 5% perchloric acid and purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and CM-Sephadex chromatography. The PL-PSP showed approximately 80-90% homology with PSP isolated from rat liver (RL-PSP) with its partial amino acid sequences. The protein has a molecular mass of approximately 14 kDa which was slightly higher than that of RL-PSP. It inhibited protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. The expression of PL-PSP was predominant in liver, kidney and duodenum, and was also expressed in stomach, lung and brain. PL-PSP expression in liver increased from the 1st day to the 1st month. Thus, our findings are the first report on the presence of a PSP in porcine tissues which may be involved in the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation.

Reference values and limited serological survey for the Iriomote cat in Japan.

Clinical investigations and hematological, serum biochemical, and serological surveys were carried out on 11 male and 6 female Iriomote cats (Felis iriomotensis) in Japan. Examined Iriomote cats were considered clinically healthy by the inspection for the general physical conditions. However, urinalysis suggested the inflammation of the urinary tract in all the cats. Antibody for feline panleukopenia virus was positive in one of the examined Iriomote cats, which suggested a previous infection.

Morphological changes of platelets following platelet aggregation induced by collagen in Japanese Black cattle with delta-storage pool deficiency.

Electron microscopic observation was performed on platelets activated by collagen stimulation in Japanese Black cattle with delta-storage pool deficiency (delta-SPD) to identify their morphological and functional abnormalities compared from normal bovine platelets. Platelets of normal Japanese Black cattle changed their shapes to spherical and were in the phase of release reactions 5 min after the collagen (90.9 microg/ml) stimulation, and most of platelets were aggregated. On the other hand, in GSPD cattle, most of a granules were still dispersed in activated platelets, although the spherical shape change of the platelets was observed. These results suggested that there are abnormalities in the release reactions in platelets of delta-SPD cattle.

Interspecies transmission of feline immunodeficiency virus from the domestic cat to the Tsushima cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura) in the wild.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was isolated from a wild-caught Tsushima cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura), an endangered Japanese nondomestic subspecies of leopard cat (F. bengalensis). Phylogenetic analysis of the env gene sequences indicated that the FIV from the Tsushima cat belonged to a cluster of subtype D FIVs from domestic cats. FIVs from both the Tsushima cat and the domestic cat showed similar levels of replication and cytopathicity in lymphoid cell lines derived from these two species. The results indicated the occurrence of interspecies transmission of FIV from the domestic cat to the Tsushima cat in the wild.

Changes of platelet cytoskeletal proteins following platelet aggregation induced by collagen and platelet membrane glycoprotein in Japanese black cattle with delta-storage pool deficiency.

Five Japanese Black cattle showing the tendency of persistent hemorrhage were diagnosed as delta-storage pool deficiency because of lack of dense bodies in platelets. There was no significant difference in the platelet count, fibrinogen concentration, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time between the cases and normal control cattle. However, the maximum platelet aggregation rate and the values of myosin in the cytoskeletons during platelet aggregation induced by collagen were significantly lower in the cases compared with those in normal control cattle. The quantities of platelet membrane glycoprotein were in the range of 94-160 kDa and were not different between the cases and control cattle. However, a decrease of thrombospondin in alpha-granules in platelet cytoplasm were suspected in two of the 5 cases.

Effects of fighting after grouping on plasma cortisol concentration and lymphocyte blastogenesis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by mitogens in piglets.

One litter (Group A) of three unacquainted groups of littermates (4 piglets/litter), 64.0 +/- 0.8 days old, was moved to the pen of another litter (Group B) and they were housed together for 19 days after grouping (phase 1). The pigs in Group B violently attacked all the pigs in Group A for 9 hr after grouping. The remaining group was not grouped and used as controls. The plasma cortisol concentrations 1 hr after grouping were significantly higher than those 1 hr before and 24 hr after grouping, and the suppression of lymphocyte blastogenesis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) induced by mitogens was observed on 3, 8 and 19 days after grouping. After phase 1 ended, the pigs in Group A were returned to their own pen for 7 days, and then they were regrouped with the pigs in Group B and reared together for a further 14 days. Neither agonistic behavior nor change of plasma cortisol after regrouping was seen. Though the lymphocyte blastogenesis of PBMC induced by the mitogens on day 0 after regrouping was significantly lower in the pigs of Groups A and B compared to those in control pigs, a significant difference in lymphocyte blastogenesis among three groups was not seen on 7 and 14 days after regrouping. These findings indicate that fighting after grouping unacquainted litters increases plasma cortisol, and suppresses lymphocyte blastogenesis for 26 days after grouping.

Preserved activation of thyrotropin receptor antibody to stimulate thyroid function despite long-term treatment in euthyroid patients with Graves' disease.

Clinical evaluation was conducted to ascertain whether thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) in the normal range may still be involved in the regulation of thyroid function after prolonged treatment for Graves' disease. All patients (n = 33) were treated with antithyroid drugs for an average of 10.6 years and were under euthyroid conditions in which normal blood levels of tri-iodothyronine (T3) were significantly correlated with blood thyrotropin (TSH) levels, but not with titers of TRAb. A significant correlation was observed between TRAb titer and thyroid-stimulating antibody (TSAb) activity. In contrast, this correlation was not found in normal subjects. After administration of T3 (75 microg daily for 8 days), the patients showed increased levels of T3 with concomitant suppression of TSH levels. Under these conditions, linear regression analysis showed significant correlations of TRAb titer and TSAb activity with 24-h thyroid radioiodine uptake (r = 0.641 and 0.621 respectively, P < 0.01), in contrast to declining blood thyroxine levels. Moreover, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) of the patients precipitated to a greater extent than IgG from normal subjects a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence near the terminus of the human TSH receptor. These findings indicated that TRAb at normal levels possessed significant unremitting activities on thyroid function despite long-term treatment in euthyroid patients with Graves' disease.

Renal clearance of endogenous creatinine, urea, sodium, and potassium in normal cats and cats with chronic renal failure.

The renal clearance test was carried out in 6 normal male cats and 12 male cats with chronic renal failure. The average concentrations of creatinine (Cr), urea, sodium (Na), and potassium (K) in the serum of the cats with chronic renal failure were 5.09, 136.7 (mg/100 ml), 143.9 and 3.71 (mEq/l) respectively, and the specific gravity of urine was 1.009. The renal clearances of Cr, urea, Na, and K (ml/min/kg of body weight) were 2.639 +/- 0.217, 1.034 +/- 0.110, 0.024 +/- 0.007 and 0.266 +/- 0.028, respectively in normal cats, and were 0.789 +/- 0.407, 0.358 +/- 0.211, 0.095 +/- 0.084 and 0.872 +/- 0.204 in cats with chronic renal failure. Clearance of Cr and urea was significantly lower in cats with chronic renal failure than in normal cats, while the values of Na and K were significantly higher in cats with chronic renal failure. The glomerular filtration of Cr and urea and the urinary excretion of these 4 substances were significantly higher in cats with chronic renal failure. The tubular reabsorption rates of Na and K were significantly lower in cats with chronic renal failure compared to those in normal cats, but there was no significant difference in urea and creatinine.

Helminth survey of wildcats in Japan.

Two Iriomote cats (Felis iriomotensis) and 2 Tsushima leopard cats (Felis bengalensis euptilura) killed probably by traffic accidents were submitted to the helminthological examination. In Iriomote cats, 8 species of parasites (Spirometra erinacei, Toxocara cati, Molineus springsmithi, Uncinaria maya, Capillaria aerophila, C. felis-cati, larvae of an unidentifiable lung worm and one species of Acanthocephala) were found. In Tsushima leopard cats, 10 species of parasites (Pharyngostomum cordatum, Spirometra erinacei, Toxocara cati, Molineus springsmithi, Arthrostoma hunanensis, Uncinaria felidis, Capillaria felis-cati, larvae of an unidentifiable lung worm, and two species of Acanthocephala) were detected.

Changes of serum amylase, its isozyme fractions and amylase-creatinine clearance ratio in dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis.

To investigate the diagnostic application of amylase to canine pancreatic diseases, serum amylase activities, its isozyme fractions and amylase-creatinine clearance ratio (ACCR) were analyzed in normal intact dogs and dogs experimentally induced acute pancreatitis. There was no statistic difference between normal male and female dogs. Amylase specific activities in pancreatic tissue extracts were more than 2,300 times higher than that in serum, and were also higher than those in other tissues; parotid and mandibular salivary glands, lung, heart, liver, spleen, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and kidney. Following the chloroform injection into the pancreatic tissue, WBC increased from 6 to 240 hr and serum glucose significantly increased at 72 and 96 hr, and no urine glucose was detected. BUN as well as serum and urine creatinine showed normal levels. ACCR increased until 96 hr without statistic significance. Serum amylase activities increased significantly after 3 hr and its isozyme was separated into 4 fractions (Amy1-Amy4) in contrast to 3 fractions (Amy2-Amy4) in intact dogs. Since this extra Amy1 seen from 1 hr increasing after 6 hr similarly to other 3 fractions, the evaluation of serum amylase and its isozyme fractions was indicated to be useful for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in dogs.

Left ventricular wall thickness in normal mongrel dogs.

To clarify the normal value of ventricular wall thickness we directly measured the ventricular wall thickness of 50 normal mongrel dogs of one year old. Because of a wide range in body weight from 6.0 to 16.0 kg of these 50 dogs, we selected 34 dogs weighing 8 to 12 kg to calculate the mean ventricular wall thickness as normal value of one year old. The results obtained were as follows; (1) The mean and standard deviation of the left ventricular wall thickness was 7.1 +/- 1.2 mm at anterior, 6.3 +/- 1.6 mm at posterior, 7.1 +/- 1.3 mm at lateral, 10.3 +/- 1.8 mm at the interventricular septum, and that of the right ventricular wall thickness was 3.4 +/- 1.0 mm. (2) Although any site of the ventricular wall thickness correlated significantly to heart weight, only the anterior left ventricular wall and interventricular septum barely correlated to body weight. (3) There was no significant correlation between arterial blood pressure and the ventricular wall thickness. Further study should be necessary to clarify influences of aging on the ventricular thickness and to determine the criteria of ventricular hypertrophy.

Helminths of the Tsushima leopard cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura).

Three Tsushima leopard cats (Felis bengalensis euptilura) in Japan were collected as road kills. Three species of trematodes (Pharyngostomum cordatum, Paragonimus sp. and Dicrocoeliidae gn. sp.), one species of cestode (Spirometra erinacei) and nine species of nematodes (Arthrostoma hunanensis, Uncinaria felidis, Uncinaria sp., Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Molineus springsmithi, Toxocara cati, Capillaria aerophila, Capillaria felis-cati, and Capillaria sp.) were found. Among these helminths, Arthrostoma hunanensis, Uncinaria spp., and Molineus springsmithi have not been reported previously in Japanese domestic cats.

Serum total amylase activity and its isoenzyme fractions in newborn pigs with relation to growth and iron dextran-treatment.

Serum amylase activity was analyzed chromogenically (blue starch method) and its isoenzyme was separated by cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis in newborn pigs comparing with those in adult pigs. Serum amylase activity in newborn pigs was about one half of adults' and increased with age. Serum amylase isoenzymes were separated into 4 fractions from the cathode. The isoenzymes were also classified in 5 types on the basis of the combination of these 4 fractions. Incidences of the fractions and the types were not significantly different between adults and newborns. After the iron dextran treatment, serum amylase activity as well as levels of erythrocytes, hemoglobin and packed cell volume increased. The rates of increase in hemoglobin and packed cell volume were more significant in the double treatment group than in the single treatment group, while serum amylase activity increased similarly in these 2 groups. The increase in serum amylase activity seemed to indicate that the development of amylase-producing organs was reinforced by the iron compound treatment. It is thought that serum amylase activity may be an indicator of healthy growth in newborn pigs.

Persistent hematomas in Japanese black cattle with impaired platelet aggregation function and large granule eosinophils.

In Japanese black cattle with large and long-existing hematomas, platelets was impaired in collagen aggregation function in vitro. There was no statistically significant difference from control animals in the tests of PT (prothrombin time) and PTT (partial thromboplastin time) for extrinsic and intrinsic blood coagulation system. Aside from impaired collagen aggregation function, platelets in the hematoma cattle showed the similar aggregation patterns as the normal cattle, when ADP, serotonin (5-HT), thrombin, arachidonic acid, epinephrine and ristocetin were used as agents for inducing aggregation. Decreased aggregation function as well as impaired collagen-induced release response in platelets suggested the hematoma cattle to be of storage pool disease (SPD). The impaired platelet was postulated to be a main cause of the large and long-existing hematomas. All of the hematoma cattle with impaired platelet functions had the eosinophils in peripheral blood of which granules were fewer and larger than normal ones. These large eosinophil granules were peroxidase positive and periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining negative as typical eosinophil granules.

Serological survey of the Iriomote cat (Felis iriomotensis) in Japan.

The Iriomote cat (Felis iriomotensis) was first discovered on Iriomote Island in the Yaeyama Islands of Japan in 1965. Ten male and 11 female adult cats were captured during the 6 yr period from 1983 to 1988. These were examined for evidence of viral and mycoplasmal infections. Neither Mycoplasma sp. nor Ureaplasma sp. were detected in swab samples of oropharyngeal and urogenital regions. A foamy virus was isolated from the oropharyngeal swab of a female cat examined in 1988. Feline leukemia virus was not detected in any of the cats. All cats were negative for serum antibodies to feline panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus, feline immunodeficiency virus and rotavirus. Eleven of 19 (58%), 14 of 17 (82%) and 6 of 17 cats (35%) had serum antibodies against feline calicivirus, coronavirus and feline syncytium forming virus, respectively.

Hypothyroidism enhances carbachol-induced hypothermia in the rat.

We studied cholinergic regulation of body temperature in hypothyroid rats. Thyroidectomy caused a progressive decrease in core temperature. Intraventricular injection of carbachol in a dose of 10 nmol did not change core temperature of the normal rat, whereas the same dose of carbachol significantly decreased the temperature of thyroidectomized rats. One hundred nmol carbachol decreased to a greater extent core temperature of the thyroidectomized rats than that of normal rats. Intraventricular injection of atropine significantly increased core temperature of thyroidectomized rats. The present data indicate that brain cholinergic mechanisms participate in controlling temperature in the hypothyroid status and thyroid hormones play a significant role in the brain cholinergic regulation of body temperature.