Insulin degludec overdose may lead to long-lasting hypoglycaemia through its markedly prolonged half-life.

BACKGROUND: Overdose of insulin often causes long-lasting severe hypoglycaemia. Insulin degludec has the longest duration of action among the available insulin products; thus, an overdose of insulin degludec can lead to long-lasting hypoglycaemia. In the present paper, we report the case of a woman with long-lasting hypoglycaemia attributable to insulin degludec overdose and markedly prolonged insulin degludec half-life. CASE REPORT: A 64-year-old woman with Type 2 diabetes receiving insulin therapy was taken to an emergency department because of disturbed consciousness 21 h after self-injection of 300 units of insulin degludec (4.34 units/kg). Her plasma glucose level was 2.3 mmol/l. She received repeated intravenous boluses of dextrose for 43 h with continuous intravenous dextrose infusion, but no improvement in long-lasting hypoglycaemia or consciousness was observed. Considering the possibility of adrenal insufficiency, intravenous dexamethasone was administered, and her plasma glucose levels subsequently remained above 5.5 mmol/l without intravenous dextrose boluses. She gradually regained consciousness. A total of 34 h after the overdose, her plasma immunoreactive insulin levels were markedly increased and then gradually declined over ~400 h. The insulin degludec half-life was 40.76 h. CONCLUSION: Although the reported half-life of insulin degludec in the body is ~25 h when administered in standard doses (0.4-0.8 units/kg), no study has investigated its half-life after overdose. In the present case, the half-life of insulin degludec was ~1.6 times longer than that observed with standard doses, probably leading to long-lasting hypoglycaemia. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of unexpected long-lasting severe hypoglycaemia resulting from insulin degludec overdose.

Expression of anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis peptidylarginine deiminase immunoglobulin G and peptidylarginine deiminase-4 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Autoimmunity against citrullinated proteins through peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) may be involved in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The present study evaluated the serum levels of antibodies to citrullinated proteins and to Porphyromonas gingivalis PAD (PPAD), and the endogenous expression of PAD-4, in individuals with and without RA, as well as before and after periodontal treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study participants consisted of 52 patients with RA (RA group) and 26 age-, gender- and smoking status-matched healthy controls (non-RA group). Of the 52 patients, 26 were randomly assigned to receive oral hygiene instruction and supragingival scaling (RA subgroup). After periodontal and rheumatologic assessments, the serum levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-PPAD IgG and PAD-4 were determined using ELISA. RESULTS: The serum levels of anti-CCP IgG and anti-PPAD IgG were significantly higher in the RA group than in the non-RA group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03). A significant, positive correlation was observed between the serum levels of anti-PPAD IgG and anti-CCP IgG (p = 0.04), but not between the serum levels of PAD-4 and anti-CCP IgG. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between anti-PPAD IgG responses and RA after adjustment for age, gender and smoking (p = 0.004). Supragingival scaling significantly improved the periodontal condition and disease activity of RA (p < 0.05), but failed to decrease the serum levels of anti-CCP IgG, anti-PPAD IgG and PAD-4 after 2 mo of treatment. CONCLUSION: These results might suggest an association between anti-PPAD IgG and anti-CCP IgG responses, implicating a role for PPAD in protein citrullination in patients with RA and periodontitis.

A complete chitinolytic system in the atherinopsid pike silverside Chirostoma estor: gene expression and activities.

The expression and digestive activity of pike silverside Chirostoma estor endogenous chitinases were analysed in samples from four life stages: whole eggs; larvae; juvenile intestine and hepatopancreas and adult intestine and hepatopancreas. A chitinase cDNA was cloned and partially sequenced (GenBank accession number: FJ785521). It was highly homologous to non-acidic chitinase sequences from other fish species, suggesting that it is a chitotriosidase. Quantitative PCR showed that this chitinase was expressed throughout the life span of C. estor, with maximum expression in the hepatopancreas of juveniles. Chitotriosidase and chitobiosidase activities were found at all life stages, along with a very high level of N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAGase). The chitotriosidase activity could be encoded by the cloned complementary (c)DNA, although additional chitinase genes may be present. The chitotriosidase activity appeared to be transcriptionally regulated only at the juvenile stage. The expression and activity of chitinases tended to increase from the early to juvenile stages, suggesting that these variables are stimulated by chitin-rich live food. Nevertheless, the feeding of juvenile and adult fish with both live food and a balanced commercial diet seemed to provoke significant reductions in pancreatic NAGase secretion and/or synthesis in the gut. Moreover, all chitinase activities were lower in adults, probably reflecting a higher intake and use of the balanced diet. The observation of chitotriosidase and chitobiosidase activities together with a very high NAGase activity suggest the presence of a complete and compensatory chitinolytic chitinase system that enables this stomachless short-gut fish species to use chitin as an energy substrate. These novel findings suggest that dietary inclusions of chitin-rich ingredients or by-products might reduce the farming costs of C. estor without impairing performance.

Bone augmentation using a highly porous PLGA/ß-TCP scaffold containing fibroblast growth factor-2.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Beta-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP), a bio-absorbable ceramic, facilitates bone conductivity. We constructed a highly porous three-dimensional scaffold, using ß-TCP, for bone tissue engineering and coated it with co-poly lactic acid/glycolic acid (PLGA) to improve the mechanical strength and biological performance. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of implantation of the PLGA/ß-TCP scaffold loaded with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) on bone augmentation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The ß-TCP scaffold was fabricated by the replica method using polyurethane foam, then coated with PLGA. The PLGA/ß-TCP scaffold was characterized by scanning electron miscroscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, compressive testing, cell culture and a subcutaneous implant test. Subsequently, a bone-forming test was performed using 52 rats. The ß-TCP scaffold, PLGA-coated scaffold, and ß-TCP and PLGA-coated scaffolds loaded with FGF-2, were implanted into rat cranial bone. Histological observations were made at 10 and 35 d postsurgery. RESULTS: SEM and TEM observations showed a thin PLGA layer on the ß-TCP particles after coating. High porosity (> 90%) of the scaffold was exhibited after PLGA coating, and the compressive strength of the PLGA/ß-TCP scaffold was six-fold greater than that of the noncoated scaffold. Good biocompatibility of the PLGA/ß-TCP scaffold was found in the culture and implant tests. Histological samples obtained following implantation of PLGA/ß-TCP scaffold loaded with FGF-2 showed significant bone augmentation. CONCLUSION: The PLGA coating improved the mechanical strength of ß-TCP scaffolds while maintaining high porosity and tissue compatibility. PLGA/ß-TCP scaffolds, in combination with FGF-2, are bioeffective for bone augmentation.

In vitro action of sho-seiryu-to on allergen-exposed mononuclear cells.

Although Sho-seiryu-to (SST), used as a traditional herbal (Kampo) medicine mainly in China and Korea, is shown to have immunomodulating potential, such as an anti-allergic one, its underlying mechanism has not been completely clarified. To partially address the issue, we explored its effects on allergen-exposed mononuclear cells. Male balb/c mice were intraperitoneally administered ovalbumin (OVA: 20 μg) plus alum or vehicle twice (Day 0 and Day 14). At Day 21, mice were sacrificed and splenocytes (mononuclear cells) were isolated and cultured in the presence or absence of OVA with or without SST. Thereafter, helper T-related cytokines in the culture supernatants were evaluated by means of ELISA. Protein level of interferon-γ was lower than 5.0 pg/mL in the supernatants from OVA– non-exposed or -exposed mononuclear cells in the presence or absence of OVA stimulation. On the other hand, SST induced the cytokine from both types of mononuclear cells in the presence (P < 0.05) or absence of OVA stimulation as compared to corresponding control. By contrast, interleukin (IL)-4 level tended to be decreased by SST in OVA-non-exposed mononuclear cells as did IL-13 in both non-exposed and exposed mononuclear cells as compared to vehicle. In conclusion, immunoregulating efficacy by SST on allergy-prone subjects may include, at least in part, restoring helper T balance mainly through hyperproduction of IFN-γ against mononuclear cells such as lymphocytes.

Comparative study on the pathogenesis of the generated 9a5b Newcastle disease virus mutant isolate between chickens and waterfowl.

Lentogenic Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs), circulating among waterfowl, have the potential to become highly pathogenic by replication in chickens. The pathological studies that compare NDV infections in chickens and waterfowl are rare. The virulent 9a5b mutant NDV isolate was generated by passaging the lentogenic Goose/Alaska/415/91 NDV isolate in chickens. The pathogenesis of the virulent 9a5b mutant isolate is unknown in both chickens and waterfowl. In this study, the virulent 9a5b mutant NDV isolate was inoculated intranasally in 32-day-old specific pathogen-free white Leghorn chickens and Japanese commercial ducks. Unlike ducks, which remained clinically normal throughout the study, chickens had depression, gasping, oral discharges, and greenish-white soft feces. Gross and histologic lesion patterns as well as viral replication supported the differing clinical outcome. Ducks had slight inflammation mainly in respiratory and digestive tracts, whereas slight nonpurulent encephalitis, necrotizing pancreatitis, tubulointerstitial nephritis, and mild inflammation in respiratory and digestive tracts were detected in chickens. In agreement, interferon-beta (IFN-ß)-immunopositive signals were more intense in lung tissue of ducks than that of chickens, and NDV replications were detected intensively in chicken tissues. These results suggest that the 9a5b mutant NDV isolate is more virulent in chickens, and slight histological lesions were induced in ducks even with virulent NDVs.

Effect of experimental jaw muscle pain on EMG activity and bite force distribution at different level of clenching.

Bite force at different levels of clenching and the corresponding electromyographic (EMG) activity in jaw-closing muscles were recorded in 16 healthy women before, during and after painful stimulation of the left masseter muscle. Experimental pain was induced by infusion of 5·8% hypertonic saline (HS), and 0·9% isotonic saline (IS) was infused as a control. EMG activity was recorded bilaterally from the masseter and temporalis muscles, and static bite force was assessed by pressure-sensitive films (Dental Pre-scale) at 5, 50 and 100% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) during each session. Visual feedback was applied by showing EMG activity to help the subject perform clenching at 5, 50 and 100% MVC, respectively. EMG activity at 100% MVC in left and right masseter decreased significantly during painful HS infusion (1·7-44·6%; P < 0·05). EMG activity at 5% and 50% MVC was decreased during HS infusion in the painful masseter muscle (4·8-18·6%; P < 0·05); however, EMG activity in the other muscles increased significantly (18·5-128·3%; P < 0·05). There was a significant increase in bite force in the molar regions at 50% MVC during HS infusion and in the post-infusion condition (P < 0·05). However, there were no significant differences in the distribution of forces at 100% MVC. In conclusion, experimental pain in the masseter muscle has an inhibitory effect on jaw muscle activity at maximal voluntary contraction, and compensatory mechanisms may influence the recruitment pattern at submaximal efforts.

Mutations in the gene encoding B, a novel transporter protein, reduce melanin content in medaka.

Pigmentation of the skin is of great social, clinical and cosmetic significance. Several genes that, when mutated, give rise to altered coat color in mice have been identified; their analysis has provided some insight into melanogenesis and human pigmentation diseases. Such analyses do not, however, fully inform on the pigmentation of lower vertebrates because mammals have only one kind of chromatophore, the melanocyte. In contrast, the medaka (a small, freshwater teleost) is a suitable model of the lower vertebrates because it has all kinds of chromatophores. The basic molecular genetics of fish are known and approximately 70 spontaneous pigmentation mutants have been isolated. One of these, an orange-red variant, is a homozygote of a well-known and common allele, b, and has been bred for hundreds of years by the Japanese. Here, we report the first successful positional cloning of a medaka gene (AIM1): one that encodes a transporter that mediates melanin synthesis. The protein is predicted to consist of 12 transmembrane domains and is 55% identical to a human EST of unknown function isolated from melanocytes and melanoma cells. We also isolated a highly homologous gene from the mouse, indicating a conserved function of vertebrate melanogenesis. Intriguingly, these proteins have sequence and structural similarities to plant sucrose transporters, suggesting a relevance of sucrose in melanin synthesis. Analysis of AIM1 orthologs should provide new insights into the regulation of melanogenesis in both teleosts and mammals.

Acceleration of diabetes development in CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3)-deficient NOD mice.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to understand the role of CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3), a T-helper 1(Th1) type chemokine receptor, in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. METHODS: We observed the incidence of diabetes in Cxcr3 homozygous knockout mice. We compared the expression pattern of various cytokines and chemokines and the frequency of FOXP3(+) cells in the pancreas and pancreatic lymph nodes from Cxcr3 ( -/- ) NOD mice and wild-type NOD mice. In addition, we observed the migration ability of CXCR3(+)CD4(+) cells to pancreatic islets upon adoptive transfer. Finally, we examined whether Cxcr3 (+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) actually suppressed the onset of diabetes in vivo. RESULTS: Cxcr3 ( -/- ) NOD mice developed spontaneous diabetes earlier than did wild-type NOD mice. In Cxcr3 ( -/- ) NOD mice, Tregs were more frequent in pancreatic lymph nodes and less frequent in pancreatic islets than in wild-type NOD mice. While transferred CXCR3(-)CD4(+) cells from wild-type NOD mice did not infiltrate pancreatic islets of NOD-severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, CXCR3(+)CD4(+) cells from the same mice migrated into the recipient islets and contained Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) upon adoptive transfer. Moreover, CD4(+)CD25(+) cells from wild-type NOD mice suppressed and delayed the onset of diabetes compared with those from Cxcr3 ( -/- ) NOD mice in a cyclophosphamide-induced diabetes model system. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The mechanism of accelerated diabetes onset in Cxcr3 ( -/- ) NOD mice was considered to be due to the lack of hybrid Tregs (CXCR3(+)FOXP3(+)CD4(+) cells), which could effectively migrate into and regulate Th1 inflammation in local lesions under Cxcr3 knockout conditions.

Immunohistochemical localization of aggresomal proteins in glial cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple system atrophy.

AIMS: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is pathologically characterized by the formation of α-synuclein-containing glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) in oligodendrocytes. However, the mechanisms of GCI formation are not fully understood. Cellular machinery for the formation of aggresomes has been linked to the biogenesis of the Lewy body, a characteristic α-synuclein-containing inclusion of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Here, we examined whether GCIs contain the components of aggresomes by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Sections from five patients with MSA were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies against aggresome-related proteins and analysed in comparison with sections from five patients with no neurological disease. We evaluated the presence or absence of aggresome-related proteins in GCIs by double immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. RESULTS: GCIs were clearly immunolabelled with antibodies against aggresome-related proteins, such as γ-tubulin, histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) and 20S proteasome subunits. Neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCIs) were also immunopositive for these aggresome-related proteins. Double immunofluorescence staining and quantitative analysis demonstrated that the majority of GCIs contained these proteins, as well as other aggresome-related proteins, such as Hsp70, Hsp90 and 62-kDa protein/sequestosome 1 (p62/SQSTM1). Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated immunoreactivities for γ-tubulin and HDAC6 along the fibrils comprising GCIs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that GCIs, and probably NCIs, share at least some characteristics with aggresomes in terms of their protein components. Therefore, GCIs and NCIs may be another manifestation of aggresome-related inclusion bodies observed in neurodegenerative diseases.

Insulinoma may mask the existence of Type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Insulinoma is a tumour of insulin-producing cells of the pancreas and is known to be one of the causes of hypoglycaemia. Usually, appropriate removal of the insulinoma results in normalization of blood glucose levels. However, we found novel cases of insulinoma, in which hyperglycaemia developed soon after resection of the insulinoma. CASE REPORT: We encountered two patients with repeated hypoglycaemia caused by insulinoma. Following removal of the insulinoma, unanticipated hyperglycaemia was observed in both patients. Thereafter, their blood tests revealed low levels of serum C-peptide and high titres of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody, indicating concomitant Type 1 diabetes. Indeed, histological examination of the resected specimen revealed that one patient showed insulitis in non-tumorous pancreatic tissue in which ß-cells had already disappeared. Moreover, inflammatory cells infiltrated the insulinoma, as if it were insulitis of Type 1 diabetes, suggesting the existence of anti-islet autoimmunity. CONCLUSION: These are first cases of insulinoma associated with underlying Type 1 diabetes. Physicians should be aware of the possibility that insulinoma may mask Type 1 diabetes, and measurement of anti-islet autoantibodies may be helpful to find underlying Type 1 diabetes, such as in these cases. It is pathologically interesting that the immune cell infiltration into insulinoma may be suggestive of anti-islet autoimmunity.

Measurement of dynamic bite force during mastication.

Efficient mastication of different types and size of food depends on fast integration of sensory information from mechanoreceptors and central control mechanisms of jaw movements and applied bite force. The neural basis underlying mastication has been studied for decades but little progress in understanding the dynamics of bite force has been made mainly due to technical limitations of bite force recorders. The aims of this study were to develop a new intraoral bite force recorder which would allow the study of natural mastication without an increase in the occlusal vertical dimension and subsequently to analyze the relation between electromyographic (EMG) activity of jaw-closing muscles, jaw movements and bite force during mastication of five different types of food. Customized force recorders based on strain gauge sensors were fitted to the upper and lower molar teeth on the preferred chewing side in fourteen healthy and dentate subjects (21-39 years), and recordings were carried out during voluntary mastication of five different kinds of food. Intraoral force recordings were successively obtained from all subjects. anova showed that impulse of bite force as well as integrated EMG was significantly influenced by food (P<0·05), while time-related parameters were significantly affected by chewing cycles (P<0·001). This study demonstrates that intraoral force recordings are feasible and can provide new information on the dynamics of human mastication with direct implications for oral rehabilitation. We also propose that the control of bite force during mastication is achieved by anticipatory adjustment and encoding of bolus characteristics.

Characteristics of implant-CAD/CAM abutment connections of two different internal connection systems.

Titanium or zirconium computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing abutments are now widely used for aesthetic implant treatments; however, information regarding microscopic structural differences that may influence the biological and mechanical outcomes of different implant systems is limited. Therefore, the characteristics of different connection systems were investigated. Optical microscopic observation and scanning electron microscopy showed different characteristics of two internal systems, namely the Astra Tech and the Replace Select system, and for different materials. The scanning electron microscopic observation showed for the Astra Tech that the implant-abutment interface seemed to be completely sealed for both titanium and zirconium abutments, both horizontally and sagittally; however, the first implant-abutment contact was below the fixture top, creating a microgap, and fixtures connected with titanium abutments showed significantly larger values (23·56µm±5·44 in width, and 168·78µm±30·39 in depth, P<0·001). For Replace Select, scanning electron microscopy in the sagittal direction showed that the sealing of titanium and zirconium abutments differed. The seal between the implant-titanium and implant-zirconium abutments seemed to be complete at the butt-joint interface; however, the displacement of the abutment in relation to the fixture in the lateral direction was evident for both abutments with no statistical differences (P>0·70), creating an inverted microgap. Thus, microscopy evaluation of two commonly used internal systems connected to titanium or zirconium abutments showed that the implant-abutment interface was perfectly sealed under no-loading conditions. However, an inverted microgap was seen in both systems, which may result in bacterial accumulation as well as alteration of stress distribution at the implant-abutment interface.

Ghrelin stimulates myogenic differentiation in a mouse muscle satellite cell line and in primary cultures of bovine myoblasts.

Ghrelin is an acylated hormone that influences food intake, energy metabolism and reproduction, among others. Ghrelin may also stimulate proliferating myoblast cell differentiation and multinucleated myotube fusion. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of human ghrelin (hGHRL) and human ghrelin fragment 1-18 (hGHRL1-18) on myoblast differentiation by means of mRNA expression and protein level. Two types of cells were tested, the cell line i28 obtained from mouse skeletal muscle and primary cultures of bovine myoblasts. Both ghrelin and its N-terminal fragment hGHRL1-18 were used at concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 nm. Treatments were applied to pre-confluent cultures and were maintained for 4 days. We determined that between 0.1 and 100 nm, hGHRL and hGRHL1-18 had similar effects on myogenic differentiation of i28 cells (p < 0.01). On the other hand, only the higher concentrations (10 and 100 nm) of hGHRL stimulated bovine myoblast differentiation. These results could be attributed to the presence, in both i28 cells and in bovine myoblasts, of the mRNA for GHS-R1a and CD36 receptors. The use of ghrelin in livestock production is still questionable because of the limited effects shown in this study, and additional research is needed in this field.

Differential association of HLA with three subtypes of type 1 diabetes: fulminant, slowly progressive and acute-onset.

AIM/HYPOTHESIS: We sought to clarify similarities and differences in the contribution of HLA to genetic susceptibility to three subtypes of type 1 diabetes: acute-onset, fulminant and slowly progressive. METHODS: We genotyped 545 Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes (338 acute-onset, 80 fulminant, 127 slowly progressive) and 396 control participants at HLA-DRB1, -DQB1, -A, -B and -C, and at 101 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an 8.5 Mb region of the extended HLA. RESULTS: DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401, DRB1*0802-DQB1*0302 and DRB1*0901-DQB1*0303 were associated with acute-onset type 1 diabetes, with the DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401/DRB1*0802-DQB1*0302 genotype achieving the highest odds ratio of 42.7. DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 and DRB1*1502-DQB1*0601 were negatively associated with acute-onset type 1 diabetes. A similar tendency was observed for slowly progressive type 1 diabetes. In contrast, only DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401 was associated with fulminant type 1 diabetes, with the DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401/DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401 genotype showing the highest odds ratio of 11.2. DRB1*0802-DQB1*0302, DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401/DRB1*0802-DQB1*0302 and DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 were not associated with fulminant type 1 diabetes. The association of class I alleles and a panel of SNPs in an extended HLA region with fulminant type 1 diabetes was also different from that seen for the acute-onset and slowly progressive forms. The presence of both one and two susceptible haplotypes conferred susceptibility to slowly progressive type 1 diabetes, whereas the presence of two susceptible haplotypes was required to confer susceptibility to acute-onset and fulminant type 1 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These data suggest that HLA associations with fulminant type 1 diabetes are qualitatively different from those with other subtypes of type 1 diabetes, whereas the HLA contribution to slowly progressive type 1 diabetes is qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively different from, that in acute-onset type 1 diabetes.

Enzyme structure with two catalytic sites for double-sieve selection of substrate.

High-fidelity transfers of genetic information in the central dogma can be achieved by a reaction called editing. The crystal structure of an enzyme with editing activity in translation is presented here at 2.5 angstroms resolution. The enzyme, isoleucyl-transfer RNA synthetase, activates not only the cognate substrate L-isoleucine but also the minimally distinct L-valine in the first, aminoacylation step. Then, in a second, "editing" step, the synthetase itself rapidly hydrolyzes only the valylated products. For this two-step substrate selection, a "double-sieve" mechanism has already been proposed. The present crystal structures of the synthetase in complexes with L-isoleucine and L-valine demonstrate that the first sieve is on the aminoacylation domain containing the Rossmann fold, whereas the second, editing sieve exists on a globular beta-barrel domain that protrudes from the aminoacylation domain.

Granulomatous pericarditis associated with systemic Mucormycosis in a finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides).

An adult male finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) kept in an aquarium in Japan displayed loss of appetite and reduced body weight over several months. Necropsy examination revealed the presence of lesions in the pericardium, lung, and mediastinal and pancreatico-duodenal lymph nodes. Microscopically, these comprised regions of necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with multinucleated giant cells and surrounding fibrosis. Fungal hyphae were identified within macrophages and the extracellular tissue. Immunohistochemical labelling determined that these organisms were of the order Mucorales. A diagnosis of granulomatous pericarditis associated with systemic mucormycosis was made.

Periventricular spread of primary central nervous system T-cell lymphoma in a cat.

A 9-year-old domestic shorthaired cat with clinical signs of neurological disease was determined to have primary T-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system (CNS) on necropsy examination. Microscopically, neoplastic lymphocytes were distributed in the CNS parenchyma bilaterally around the cerebral ventricles, third ventricle, mesencephalic aqueduct, fourth ventricle and central canal of the spinal cord. The neoplastic infiltration was associated with complete loss of ependymal cells and marked astrocytosis. A large, solitary neoplastic lesion was present in the parenchyma around the central canal of the spinal cord at the level of the 13th thoracic vertebra. Immunohistochemically, the majority of neoplastic cells expressed CD3 and many also labelled for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of periventricular spread of primary CNS T-cell lymphoma in animals.

Beta-carotene is incorporated or mobilized along with triglycerides in bovine adipose tissue in response to insulin or epinephrine.

Pasture fed cattle ingest substantial amounts of beta-carotene (beta-C). Not all of the carotenoid compound is transformed into vitamin A, but the surplus is deposited in adipose tissue (AT). The mechanisms of beta-C incorporation and mobilization are unknown. Two experiments were conducted using explants from bovine AT cultured in vitro. First, beta-C incorporation by explants from three animals was examined with different beta-C concentrations (0, 1, 5 and 20 microm) and different times of incubation (every 5 h up to 25 h). The data showed a significant increase of beta-C concentration in explants only for 20 microm beta-C. Secondly, effects of insulin and epinephrine on beta-C and triglyceride (TG) contents of explants were studied. Explants from six animals were incubated with either hormone and 0 or 20 microm beta-C for 20 h. Both TG and beta-C contents were affected positively by insulin and negatively by epinephrine. Interestingly, changes in ratios of beta-C/TG (hormone vs. control) were similar (1.7 x 10(-3) and 1.8 x 10(-3)), respectively, for insulin and epinephrine, indicating that beta-C level is directly related to TG content. We also report the presence of mRNA for beta-C 15, 15' oxygenase in bovine AT. The in vitro culture system using explants from bovine AT is a promising model to investigate factors that might affect the accumulation and metabolism of beta-C.

Clinical jaw-muscle symptoms in a group of probable sleep bruxers.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate, in a sample of probable sleep bruxers with and without temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain, the presence and relationships between clinical jaw-muscle symptoms, and test their associations with jaw-muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity during sleep. METHODS: Pain, unpleasantness, tiredness, tension, soreness, and stiffness were scored on a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS) in 50 probable sleep bruxers. The sample was subdivided into two groups, i.e., with and without TMD pain. Multiple-night, single-channel EMG recordings were performed. Descriptive data, correlations between the six symptoms, and correlations between symptoms and EMG measures, i.e. EMG events/recording, EMG events/hour, and night-to-night variability in EMG events, were calculated. RESULTS: In the total sample, 90% of the participants reported at least one symptom. Tiredness and tension were the most prevalent symptoms (both 78%), and pain the least (30%). In the TMD pain group, pain remained the least reported symptom (57%). Intensity of symptoms was low to moderate, with tension presenting the highest median in the total sample (NRS 4), the TMD pain group (NRS 5), and non-TMD group (NRS 3). Significant correlations between all symptoms were found in the total sample, but not in the two subgroups. No significant associations between EMG measures and muscle symptoms emerged. CONCLUSION: Jaw-muscle symptoms other than pain were highly prevalent in a sample of probable sleep bruxers. There were no associations between these symptoms and EMG measures of jaw-muscle activity during sleep. These findings challenge the concept of simple relationships between jaw-muscle activity during sleep and clinical muscle symptoms.