A red fluorophore comprising a borinate-containing xanthene analogue as a polyol sensor.

A xanthene derivative containing a borinate moiety emitted red fluorescence with a high quantum yield. The interaction between the borinate and a sugar molecule induced a fluorescence change based on the change in the HOMO-LUMO gap. The response was pH-resistant in a wide range. In addition, catechol quenched through photoinduced electron transfer. The red fluorescence and polyol binding ability of dyes will pave the way for new biological applications of chemical sensors.

The effect of dietary vitamin E level on selenium status in rats.

The effect of varying levels of dietary vitamin E on selenium status was determined using 40 Wistar rats with similar initial body weight. The rats were equally divided into four groups and fed the following dietary treatments (mg vitamin E/kg DM): 18 (control; C-diet), 0 (0E-diet), 9 (0.5E-diet) and 36 (2E-diet) for either 4-week (Phase 1) or 8-week (Phase 2) period. At the end of experiment, animals were slaughtered to measure vitamin E and selenium levels in the brain, liver, spleen, kidney, muscles and blood tissues. Dietary vitamin E levels did not affect feed and water intake and body weight. But whole-blood selenium concentration in rats fed 0E-diet was higher than in rats fed 2E-diet after 4 weeks. Selenium level in muscle, spleen and brain was also higher (p < 0.05) in rats fed the 0E-diet than in rats fed C-diet after 4 weeks of feeding. On the other hand, selenium level in the muscle was lower (p < 0.05) in rats fed 0.5E-diet than in those fed 0E-diet after 4 weeks of feeding, but not after 8 weeks of feeding. Increasing dietary vitamin E level directly influenced selenium content of the spleen and brain after 8 weeks of feeding 2E-diet. Moreover, the twofold increase in vitamin E intake resulted in a tendency to reduce whole-blood selenium level and total selenium in the liver and kidney after 4 and 8 weeks. The results showed that the increasing dietary vitamin E level resulted in a tendency to reduce Se contents in some vital organs of the body such as the liver and kidney, suggesting their close compensatory interrelationship. Therefore, dietary vitamin E level directly influenced selenium metabolism in the animal body.

Current issues and future directions in gymnastics research: biomechanics, motor control and coaching interface.

The sport of gymnastics is undergoing a global examination of its culture and the relationship between the gymnast, coach and environment is a central focus. The aim of this review is to explore biomechanics and motor control research in skill development and technique selection in artistic gymnastics with a focus on the underlying concepts and scientific principles that allow performance enhancement, skill development and injury risk reduction. The current review examines peer reviewed papers from 2000 onwards, with a focus on contemporary approaches in the field of gymnastics research, and highlights several key directions for future gymnastics research. Based on our review and the integration of the models of Newell (1986) and Irwin et al. (2005), we recommend that future gymnastics research should embrace at the very least a multidisciplinary approach and aim for an interdisciplinary paradigm.

Effect of supplementing Rhodes grass hay (Chloris gayana) with Berchemia discolor or Zizyphus mucronata on the performance of growing goats in Kenya.

Twenty growing Small East African goats were used to determine the effects of feeding sun-dried leaves of the browse forages Berchemia discolor and Zizyphus mucronata as supplements to low-quality basal diet, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay, on voluntary feed intake (VFI), digestibility and growth performance. The grass hay and maize bran were used as a control. The dried leaves were then included at the rates of 15% and 30% of the dry matter intake (DMI). Berchemia discolor had the highest crude protein (CP) content of 195.5 g/kg DM, while Z. mucronata had CP content of 169.5 g/kg DM. The grass hay had the lowest CP content of 50.9 g/kg DM. The browse forages had low fibre content [Neutral detergent fibre (NDF); 257.9-369.5 g/kg DM], while the grass hay had high fibre content (NDF; 713.1 g/kg DM). Goats in the groups supplemented with either of the browse forages had higher total DMI, nitrogen (N) intake and retention and live-weight gains than those in the control diet group. The digestibility of DM and organic matter (OM) was not affected by supplementation, but the CP digestibility increased with supplementation. The use of the browse forages as supplements for goats fed on poor-quality basal diets would enhance the performance of the animals.

Protease activity higher in postmortem water buffalo meat than Brahman beef.

We previously demonstrated that postmortem water buffalo meat had higher tenderness than Brahman beef. In order to explain this difference in tenderness, the objective of the current study was to investigate the protease activity in these two meats. Five female crossbred water buffalo (Philippine Carabao×Bulgarian Murrah) and five female crossbred cattle (Brahman×Philippine Native) were slaughtered at 30months of age, followed by immediate sampling of Longissimus thoracis muscle for measurement of protease activity. Results showed that buffalo meat had significantly higher protease activity compared to beef (P<0.05). Furthermore, calpain inhibitor 1, a specific inhibitor of calpains 1 and 2, was the most effective inhibitor of protease activity. There was no difference in calpastatin activity, and no major differences were observed in calpains 1, 2, and calpastatin expression by Western blotting. This study suggests that higher calpain activity in early postmortem buffalo meat was responsible for the increased tenderness of water buffalo meat compared to beef.

Difference in tenderness and pH decline between water buffalo meat and beef during postmortem aging.

The objective of this research was to determine the difference in tenderness and some characteristics of water buffalo meat and beef during postmortem aging. Five female crossbred water-buffalo (Philippine Carabao×Bulgarian Murrah) and five female crossbred cattle (Brahman×Philippine Native), were finished on the same diet for 6 months and slaughtered at 30 months of age. The muscle pH was measured at 40min, 3h, 7h, 24h, and 48h postmortem. Longissimus thoracis (LT) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles were excised at 2d postmortem, and shear force was measured at 2, 4, 7, and 14d postmortem. Glycogen and lactate concentrations were determined from 0, 2, and 4d LT samples, and myosin heavy chain type of buffalo and cattle LT was determined by ELISA methods. Myofibrillar protein degradation was also observed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of fast-type troponin T. Results showed that the buffalo meat had significantly lower shear force values compared to beef for LT and SM muscles, which was supported by a difference in troponin T degradation. Postmortem pH decline of buffalo meat was significantly slower than that of beef, which was confirmed by lactic acid concentrations, but was not explained by glycogen content. In addition, there was no significant difference in the ratio of slow to fast type muscle fibers in buffalo and cattle, indicating that myosin heavy chain type was not responsible for the difference in pH decline and tenderness between the buffalo meat and beef. This study demonstrated that the tenderness of water buffalo meat was superior to that of Brahman beef, which may have been due to the difference in pH decline and the subsequent effect on muscle protease activity.

Suppression of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced chromosome aberrations in rat bone marrow cells after treatment with Sudan III and related azo dyes.

Noninbred Long-Evans rats fed Sudan III at 24 hours before they were given an injection of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) displayed prominently suppressed DMBA-induced chromosome aberrations (CA) in their bone marrow cells. Rats fed Sudan III simultaneously with the DMBA injection showed no suppressed CA effect. The suppressive effect of Sudan III on DMBA-induced CA paralleled the dose rate of Sudan III when given in the range between 1 and 10 mg Sudan III/kg body weight; higher doses produced no additional suppression. The capacity of various Sudan III-related chemicals to prevent DMBA-induced CA paralleled their capacity to prevent DMBA-induced adrenal apoplexy and mammary cancer. Among the azo dyes investigated, Sudan III was most efficient in protecting against DMBA-induced CA. Polychlorinated biphenyl and phenobarbital, inducers of drug-metabolizing enzymes, also suppressed DMBA-induced CA.

Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in invasive breast cancer reflects low growth potential, negative lymph node involvement, and good prognosis.

To understand the role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in tumor progression in the host, we examined ICAM-1 expression in breast cancer by immunohistochemistry. This study included 274 female patients with invasive breast cancer, with a median follow-up of 98 months. The molecule was identified in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary tumors, and the relationship to clinicopathological factors and prognosis was analyzed. ICAM-1 expression occurred in 50.3% of patients. ICAM-1 expression had negative correlation to tumor size (P = 0.003), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001), tumor infiltration (P = 0.003), nuclear pleomorphism (P = 0.004), and nuclear grade (P = 0.042). Patients with ICAM-1-positive tumors had better relapse-free and overall survival than those with negative tumors (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0003, respectively). These results suggest that expression of ICAM-1 on cancer cells might have a role as a suppressor of tumor progression under the host immune surveillance system.

Establishment of lymph node metastatic model for human gastric cancer in nude mice and analysis of factors associated with metastasis.

The actual mechanisms responsible for lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer are still unclear. To investigate the mechanisms of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer, we established a lymph node metastatic model for human scirrhous gastric carcinoma. Lymph node metastasis had frequently developed after orthotopic implantation of OCUM-2M LN derived from a scirrhous gastric cancer cell line, OCUM-2M, which had low capacity for lymph node metastasis. We elucidated the different characteristics including binding ability, migratory capacity and immunoresponses induced by the cell surface molecules of these two cell lines. The binding ability to Matrigel and migratory capacity of OCUM-2M LN cells were significantly greater than those of OCUM-2M cells. On flow cytometric analysis, both OCUM-2M and OCUM-2M LN cells strongly expressed HLA-I (99.5 and 97.1%) and LFA-3 (76.6 and 99.2%) in level of expression between the two cell lines, but neither cell line expressed HLA-II (0.0 and 0.0%), B7-1 (0.0 and 0.0%) or B7-2 (0.4 and 0.3%). ICAM-1 expression in OCUM-2M LN cells was weaker (0.7%) than that in OCUM-2M cells (36.8%). Strong adhesiveness and cytotoxicity of mononuclear lymphocytes for OCUM-2M cells were observed in adhesion and cytotoxic assays, both of which were significantly decreased by the addition of anti-ICAM-1 antibodies. On the other hand, the adhesiveness and cytotoxicity of OCUM-2M LN cells were significantly less than those of OCUM-2M cells, and were not affected by the addition of anti-ICAM-1 antibodies. These findings suggest that decreased ICAM-1 expression in a new gastric cancer cell line with a high rate of lymph node metastasis may in turn decrease immune responses mediated through LFA-1-dependent effector cell adhesion, and that this escape from the immunosurveillance system may be one of the factors inducing lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, we established a gastric cancer cell line, OCUM-2M LN, with a high rate of lymph node metastasis. An in vivo lymph node-metastatic model with this cell line should be useful for analysing the mechanism and therapeutic approach of lymph node metastasis.

The "recall effect" in radiotherapy: is subeffective, reparable damage involved?

It has been proposed that lethal mutations among the progeny of a surviving cell could be the basis for the recall effect when chemotherapy is applied subsequent to the repair of normal-tissue injury resulting from a course of radiation therapy. Because radiotherapy is usually multifractionated, the possibility exists that repair of heritable injury of this type could occur between fractions as is the case for sublethal damage. To examine this possibility, the endpoint small-colony formation was used--an endpoint which integrates the effects of a number of radiation-induced aberrancies including lethal mutations--and low-dose-rate irradiation. It was found that, even after net surviving fractions comparable to those sought in radiotherapy were reached, little damage remained expressible as a deficiency in the size of the colony generated from a surviving cell. We conclude that the damage expressible as a lethal mutation is reparable and therefore the recall effect must be attributed to some other cellular mechanism.

Improvement of corneal barrier function by the P2Y(2) agonist INS365 in a rat dry eye model.

PURPOSE: Because purinoceptor P2Y(2) receptor agonists elicit increases in net Cl, fluid transport, and glycoprotein release onto the ocular surface, they are candidates for treatment of dry eye syndrome. Accordingly, the effects of such an agonist INS365 on these parameters were characterized in a rat dry eye model. METHODS: An SD rat dry eye model was used in which exorbital lacrimal gland extirpation decreased the Schirmer test score by at least 50%. After 8 weeks, when significant increases occurred in corneal epithelial permeability, INS365-containing eye drops were applied six times daily for the next 4 weeks at concentrations from 0.03% to 3.0%. Corneal barrier function was evaluated based on measurements with a modified anterior fluorometer of fluorescein penetrance at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after initial application. After INS365 application, the periodic acid-Schiff reagent (PAS)-stained area was evaluated in histologic sections of the tarsal and bulbar conjunctiva. RESULTS: Ten minutes after INS365 eye drop application at doses of either 3. 0% or 8.5%, a 1.5-fold transient increase in tear fluid secretion occurred in both the control and dry eye model animals. These transient increases nearly returned to baseline after 60 minutes. Furthermore, after 5 minutes, 1.0% INS365 was sufficient to cause a maximal transient decrease in the PAS-stained area of more than 30%, which thereafter recovered toward the initial level. Beginning at 2 weeks and continuing for an additional 2 weeks, maximal declines in dye penetrance of approximately 50% occurred with doses of INS365 as low as 1%. Such improvement in corneal epithelial resistance was accompanied by complete restoration of the PAS-stained area to the level seen in the control animal. CONCLUSIONS: In a rat dry eye model, the P2Y(2) agonist INS365 was found to improve surface health, based on increases in tear fluid secretion, corneal epithelial resistance, and release of glycoprotein-containing moieties from goblet cells. These effects suggest that INS365 is a potential therapeutic agent for use in the treatment of dry eye syndrome.

Regulation of human leukocyte antigen expression in human conjunctival epithelium.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is the key cytokine responsible for the upregulation of HLA-DR antigen in conjunctival epithelial cells of Sjogren syndrome (SS) patients. METHODS: Flow cytometry of conjunctival epithelial cells from SS and non-SS dry eye patients was performed for the quantification of HLA-DR surface expression. With a conjunctival epithelial cell line (ChWK), HLA-DR regulation by various cytokines was evaluated, and confocal immunocytochemical and western blot analyses were performed to evaluate the activation of nuclear factorkappa B (NF-kappaB) and signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 and 3 (STAT1 and STAT3, respectively). RESULTS: HLA-DR expression was upregulated in conjunctival epithelial cells of SS patients but not in non-SS dry eye patient or healthy control subject. IFN-gamma was the only cytokine that effectively upregulated HLA-DR expression in ChWK, which was synergistically enhanced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). IFN-gamma induced the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB, but did not activate STAT1 or STAT3 in ChWK. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of HLA-DR antigen in the conjunctival epithelium of SS patients may be regulated by IFN-gamma through the activation of NF-kappaB.

TGF-beta1 produced by gastric cancer cells affects mesothelial cell morphology in peritoneal dissemination.

In vitro morphologic change of mesothelial cells was observed following the addition of serum-free conditioned medium (SF-CM) from peritoneal dissemination cell line OCUM-2MD3. The same morphologic change of mesothelial cells was observed following the addition of 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1, but not following the addition of b-FGF, IGF-I, VEGF or PDGF-AA. In the in vivo study, mesothelial cells of mice treated with SF-CM from OCUM-2MD3 and TGF- beta1 were separated from one another, resulting in exposure of the submesothelial connective tissue. The molecular size of the mesothelial morphology changing activity was estimated by running the SF-CM from OCUM-2MD3 through a gel filtration column TSK-gel G2000SW. The mesothelial morphology changing activity was recognized at positions equivalent of Mr 6, 500-30,000. 25 kDa TGF-beta1 was detected in the active fraction from the TSK-gel G2000SW column and the SF-CM of OCUM-2MD3 by Western blotting using a monoclonal antibody against TGF-beta1. These findings suggest that TGF-beta1 produced by gastric cancer cells changes the morphology of mesothelial cells and may thus be closely associated with peritoneal dissemination.

Amebic liver abscess.

We report eight cases of amebic liver abscess. All patients were men, and four were homosexual. Five of the eight patients had syphilis, but the four homosexual patients who were tested for HIV infection were negative. Ultrasonography (US), with or without needle aspiration, is the best method for diagnosing amebic liver abscess, and the treatment of choice is US-guided needle aspiration of the abscess followed by metronidazole therapy. Complication by other sexually transmitted diseases is another important factor affecting the treatment of this disease.

Diseases associated with ocular surface abnormalities: the importance of reflex tearing.

AIM: To investigate the correlation between tear function tests and ocular surface integrity in patients with dry eye. METHODS: 297 dry eye patients (55 Sjögren's syndrome, two male and 53 female, average age 52.4 (SD 15.0) years, and 242 non-Sjögren's syndrome, 41 male and 201 female, average age 53.5 (14.1) years) were examined. The following tear function tests were performed: (1) cotton thread test, (2) Schirmer test with topical anaesthesia, (3) Schirmer test without anaesthesia, (4) Schirmer test with nasal stimulation, (5) tear clearance test, and (6) tear break up time (BUT). The ocular surface was evaluated by rose bengal and fluorescein staining. Correlation analysis was performed between each tear function index and vital staining scores. RESULTS: Among the six tear function tests, the Schirmer test with nasal stimulation correlated most with both of the vital stains (rho = 0.530 for rose bengal and 0.393 for fluorescein). The Schirmer test with or without anaesthesia correlated slightly with rose bengal staining, whereas tear clearance test and tear break up time slightly correlated with fluorescein staining. CONCLUSION: Vital staining of the ocular surface correlates most with reflex tearing measured by the Schirmer test with nasal stimulation.

Dry eye and Meige's syndrome.

AIMS: To determine the relation between dry eye and Meige's syndrome. METHODS: 325 patients with dry eye were divided into those responsive to topical and other forms of treatment (n = 276) and those who were not (n = 49). A neuropsychiatric examination was performed to check for Meige's syndrome in the latter group. RESULTS: Twenty eight (57%) of the treatment unresponsive patients were diagnosed with Meige's syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: There is a subgroup of patients with dry eye who do not respond to simple therapy. More than half of these patients have Meige's syndrome and need psychiatric, as well as ophthalmic, care.

Increased expression of alpha2beta1-integrin in the peritoneal dissemination of human gastric carcinoma.

The prognosis of advanced gastric cancer remains poor, given the frequent incidence of peritoneal metastasis. beta1-integrin is known to be associated with metastasis, though few reports have addressed the expression of beta1-integrin subunits in gastric cancer at primary and peritoneal lesions from the perspective of individual cases. We studied specimens from primary tumors from 50 patients and from metastatic peritoneal lesions from 27 patients with gastric carcinoma, including specimens from 22 metastatic lesions taken from the same patients whose primary tumors were sampled. Expression of beta1-integrin subunits, alpha2-alpha6beta1 integrins, was studied using an immunohistochemical method. alpha2beta1-integrin was significantly expressed on a larger proportion of tumor cells in peritoneal metastasis (70.4%) than in primary tumors (48%) (p<0.05), though alpha3beta1, alpha4beta1, alpha5beta1 and alpha6beta1-integrins did not demonstrate significant discrepancy. The expression of alpha2beta1-integrin in peritoneal lesions was significantly increased compared with its expression in the primary lesion in the same individual. In contrast, no relationship was found between the expression level of beta1 integrins and clinicopathological parameters. Peritoneal implantation of gastric carcinoma might be closely associated with alpha2beta1-integrin.

Soluble interleukin-2 receptors and serum autoantibodies in dry eye patients: correlation with lacrimal gland function.

PURPOSE: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by decreased lacrimal and salivary gland function causing dry eye and dry mouth. We examined several parameters as measures of lacrimal function and compared the serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and serum autoantibodies as measures of systemic autoimmune condition. METHODS: Serum levels of sIL-2R, antinuclear antibody (ANA), and rheumatoid factor (RF) in 128 patients (16 men, 112 women; average age, 54.3 +/- 12.5 years) were measured. The lacrimal function was evaluated clinically. RESULTS. There was no correlation between systemic condition and the cotton-thread test, Schirmer test with or without anesthesia, tear-clearance test, tear-function index, or the BUT. However, the Schirmer test with nasal stimulation and rose bengal and fluorescein staining was positively correlated with systemic parameters. CONCLUSION: We show the correlation of serum sIL-2R, ANA, and RF to lacrimal function, which is good evidence that systemic immune conditions directly affect local lacrimal gland function.

Lactoferrin protects against UV-B irradiation-induced corneal epithelial damage in rats.

PURPOSE: Lactoferrin supplementation suppresses ultraviolet light B (UV-B)-induced oxidation of cultures of human corneal epithelial cells. To investigate the protective effect of lactoferrin containing eyedrops against UV-B-induced corneal damage in vivo, we examined lactoferrin efficacy in a rat UV-B keratitis model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with >10 kJ/m2 after anesthetization, and then corneal epithelial defect was observed at 24 h postirradiation. The pre- or postapplication of vehicle or lactoferrin-containing eyedrops was performed, and then corneal epithelial damage was scored based on fluorescein staining. RESULTS: Posttreatment with lactoferrin did not inhibit the extent of corneal damage and did not affect wound healing. However, pretreatment by topical application of lactoferrin suppressed development of a corneal epithelial defect induced by UV-B irradiation in rats. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the presence of lactoferrin in human tear fluid may inhibit UV-induced corneal epithelial damage.

P2Y(2) receptor stimulation increases tear fluid secretion in rabbits.

PURPOSE: The purinergic P2Y(2) receptor agonists stimulate active Cl-transport across the excised rabbit conjunctival tissue in vitro. We determined whether UTP or ATP could increase the tear volume and change tear fluid composition in normal rabbits in vivo. METHODS: Fifty mL was applied to rabbit eyes of UTP, ATP at concentrations of 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 8.5% (1.8-154 mM) or saline. A modified Schirmer test with topical anesthesia was performed 5, 15, 30 and 60 min after the instillation. In studies lasting 30 days, 50 microL of 0.5% UTP was applied 6 times a day for 4 weeks. Tear samples were collected from the conjunctival sac with a glass microcapillary. The protein profile of the tear fluid was analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and total protein was measured with the Bradford assay. The Easy-Titer rabbit IgG assay kit was used for the determination of immunoglobulin G (IgG). RESULTS: UTP had dose-dependent stimulatory effects on tear secretion. It maximally increased tear secretion about 4-fold 15 min after its application. Similar effects were obtained with ATP. Repeated treatment with UTP reproducibly increased tear volume. Furthermore, UTP did not decrease total protein and IgG concentration in tear fluid and it had no effect on the protein profile. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that activation of P2Y(2) receptor increases tear fluid secretion accompanied with some proteins in normal rabbits. The purinergic agonists, UTP and ATP, have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of dry eye.