Magnesium oxide induces immunity against Fusarium wilt by triggering the jasmonic acid signaling pathway in tomato.

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL), is a worldwide tomato disease. Although Fusarium wilt management remains unsuccessful, enhancing host FOL resistance using magnesium oxide to activate plant immunity may enable effective control. We demonstrated that MgO-pretreatment of roots induced FOL resistance in susceptible tomato plants. Resistance was not induced in tomato mutants deficient in the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, whereas the opposite trend was observed in mutants deficient in the salicylic acid and ethylene signaling pathways, suggesting that JA signaling activation is essential for MgO-induced FOL immunity. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of MgO-pretreated tomato plants, and challenge-inoculated with FOL, revealed that MYELOCYTOMATOSIS ONCOGENE HOMOLOG 2 (MYC2), the master regulator of JA signaling, as well as MYC2-targeted transcription factors that directly regulate the JA-induced transcription of late defense genes and their downstream wound-responsive genes were preferentially upregulated in both roots and stems. Moreover, in MgO-pretreated tomato plants challenge-inoculated with FOL, the late wound-responsive THREONINE DEAMINASE 2 (TD) gene was expressed earlier than its upstream genes, including MYC2, suggesting that a primed state for defense was established in MgO-pretreated plants. We conclude that MgO is a promising agent for the control of Fusarium wilt.

Cytomegalovirus polyradiculopathy in three Japanese patients with AIDS.

Polyradiculopathy (PRP) is a rare but serious neurologic complication of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We herein report three cases of CMV PRP in patients with AIDS. Although providing a prompt diagnosis and initiating anti-CMV therapy may achieve clinical improvements, administering single-drug treatment may result in virologic failure. Therefore, introducing antiretroviral therapy is a key step for improving the treatment outcomes of CMV PRP.

Evaluation of the Use of PenNeedle(®) 32G Taper in Children being Treated with Growth Hormone.

Pain resulting from needle injection is a serious problem for patients that self-administer medication at home. We studied impressions of needle use by comparing PenNeedle® 32G Taper (NovoFine® 32G Tip), developed to reduce the sense of fear and pain of injection, with a conventional needle, in children self-injecting GH. A total of 34 patients self-injected themselves with needles coupled with Norditropin® NordiFlex® pre-filled recombinant human GH, and impressions of use were evaluated by a series of questionnaires. Compared to the conventional needle, PenNeedle 32G Taper was slightly less painful at time of insertion according to patient responses, though the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.06). PenNeedle 32G Taper has the same inner diameter as the conventional needle, thus there was no difference in the pain felt at time of injection between these two needles. Large differences in pain perception between the two needles were not seen probably due to their similar shape and appearance and as the subjects of this study were young. Nevertheless, based on the results of post-study questionnaires, significantly more patients (68%, P=0.02) expressed a desire to use PenNeedle 32G Taper for daily injections of GH. PenNeedle 32G Taper thus appears to be a superior needle which reduces insertion-associated pain in children receiving recombinant GH and improves patient QOL.