Development of Myeloperoxidase Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-positive Necrotizing Crescentic Glomerulonephritis in an Elderly Patient with Immunological Kidney Disease

A 78-year-old man presented with hypercalcemia and renal disease with high serum IgG4 and positive myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA), exhibiting sarcoidosis-like chest findings. A renal biopsy revealed tubulointerstitial nephritis, membranous nephropathy (MN), and sub-capsular lymphoid aggregates without fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of IgG4-related disease or sarcoidosis. Steroid therapy ameliorated the serological and renal abnormalities. After 5 years, following gradual increases in the neutrophil count and upper respiratory infection (URI), necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (NCGN) developed with an increased serum MPO-ANCA level. These results suggest that in the presence of MPO-ANCA in immune senescence, the persistent neutrophil increase with URI may lead to the development of NCGN.

Rare bowel emphysema with superior mesenteric artery syndrome after surgery

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome, a rare cause of duodenal obstruction, occasionally requires surgery. Bowel emphysema might also require surgery and might be an ominous sign of a serious condition. We report the case of a 69-year-old Japanese man with left pneumothorax who was also diagnosed as having bowel emphysema and superior mesenteric artery syndrome simultaneously without serious infection after surgery for the pneumothorax. Following gastric decompression via a nasogastric tube, his general condition resolved quickly with no need for surgical intervention. Prompt and precise diagnosis by computed tomography and both adequate judgment and treatment can avoid surgery in such cases.

Displacement of the mitotic apparatuses by centrifugation reveals cortical actin organization during cytokinesis in cultured tobacco BY-2 cells

In plant cytokinesis, actin is thought to be crucial in cell plate guidance to the cortical division zone (CDZ), but its organization and function are not fully understood. To elucidate actin organization during cytokinesis, we employed an experimental system, in which the mitotic apparatus is displaced and separated from the CDZ by centrifugation and observed using a global-local live imaging microscope that enabled us to record behavior of actin filaments in the CDZ and the whole cell division process in parallel. In this system, returning movement of the cytokinetic apparatus in cultured-tobacco BY-2 cells occurs, and there is an advantage to observe actin organization clearly during the cytokinetic phase because more space was available between the CDZ and the distantly formed phragmoplast. Actin cables were clearly observed between the CDZ and the phragmoplast in BY-2 cells expressing GFP-fimbrin after centrifugation. Both the CDZ and the edge of the expanding phragmoplast had actin bulges. Using live-cell imaging including the global-local live imaging microscopy, we found actin filaments started to accumulate at the actin-depleted zone when cell plate expansion started even in the cell whose cell plate failed to reach the CDZ. These results suggest that specific accumulation of actin filaments at the CDZ and the appearance of actin cables between the CDZ and the phragmoplast during cell plate formation play important roles in the guidance of cell plate edges to the CDZ.

Evaluation of the effects of hydrophilic organic solvents on CYP3A-mediated drug-drug interaction in vitro

This study evaluated the effects of the commonly used hydrophilic organic solvents, acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylformamide, polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol, on CYP3A in pooled human liver microsomes, using testosterone and midazolam as substrates. Furthermore, we examined the modulation effect of organic solvents on CYP3A inhibition by ketoconazole. Testosterone 6b-hydroxylation activity was potently inhibited in the presence of DMSO and 1-propanol in a concentration-dependent manner. Midazolam 1'-hydroxylation activity, however, was weakly inhibited only by 1% of DMSO, the highest concentration used in this study. Moreover, the potency of ketoconazole to inhibit CYP3A activities was variable, depending on the organic solvent used as a dissolving solvent for ketoconazole. Our data indicate that each organic solvent had an effect on CYP3A4 activity, evaluated by both substrates with different magnitudes. Furthermore, it was shown that the effects of organic solvents on CYP3A activity are substrate-dependent. The present study also shows that methanol had little effect on either substrate.

Environmental radioactivity of water samples collected in Higashi-Hiroshima campus, Hiroshima University, Japan

The relation between concentration of elements and microbial activity in the water samples of Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University was investigated. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that microbial mat contains iron, aluminium, silicon and phosphorus. Model experiment revealed that the potassium was adsorbed by living microorganism in the microbial mats, while it was not adsorbed by dead microbial mat. Iron was adsorbed by both living and dead microbial mats. The present results explain the increase in the total β-radioactivity of water sample in summer and the decrease in winter.

Aphidicolin-induced nuclear elongation in tobacco BY-2 cells

Plant nuclei are known to differentiate into various shapes within a single plant. However, little is known about the mechanisms of nuclear morphogenesis. We found that nuclei of tobacco BY-2 cells were highly elongated on long-term treatment with 5 mg l⁻¹ aphidicolin, an inhibitor of DNA polymerase α. In aphidicolin-treated cells, the nuclear length was correlated with the cell length. During culture in the presence of aphidicolin, the nuclei were elongated in parallel with cell elongation. Nuclear elongation was inhibited by the inhibition of cell elongation with 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile, a cellulose synthesis inhibitor. However, cell elongation induced in the auxin-depleted medium in the absence of aphidicolin did not cause nuclear elongation, indicating that cell elongation alone is not sufficient for nuclear elongation. Treatment with either latrunculin B or propyzamide inhibited the aphidicolin-induced nuclear elongation, indicating that both actin filaments and microtubules (MTs) are required for nuclear elongation. Observations using BY-YTHCLR2 cells, in which actin filaments, MTs and nuclei were simultaneously visualized, revealed that the longitudinally arranged MT bundles associated with the nucleus play an important role in nuclear elongation, and that actin filaments affect the formation of these MT bundles. In aphidicolin-treated cells, the nuclear DNA contents of the elongated nuclei exceeded 4C, and the nuclear length was highly correlated with the nuclear DNA content. In cells treated with 50 mg l⁻¹ aphidicolin, cells were elongated and nucleus-associated longitudinal MT bundles were formed, but the nuclear DNA contents did not exceed 4C and the nuclei did not elongate. These results indicate that an increase in the nuclear DNA content above 4C is also required for nuclear elongation.

Time-sequential observation of spindle and phragmoplast orientation in BY-2 cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning

Precise division plane determination is essential for plant development. At metaphase, a dense actin microfilament meshwork appears on both sides of the cell center, forming a characteristic cortical actin microfilament twin peak pattern in BY-2 cells. We previously reported a strong correlation between altered cortical actin microfilament patterning and an oblique mitotic spindle orientation, implying that these actin microfilament twin peaks play a role in the regulation of mitotic spindle orientation. In the present study, time-sequential observation was used to reveal the progression from oblique phragmoplast to oblique cell plate orientation in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. In contrast to cells with normal actin microfilament twin peaks, oblique phragmoplast reorientation was rarely observed in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. These results support the important roles of cortical actin microfilament patterning in division plane orientation.

Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry for species identification of Acinetobacter strains isolated from blood cultures

The clinical relevance of Acinetobacter species, other than A. baumannii, as human pathogens has not been sufficiently assessed owing to the insufficiency of simple phenotypic clinical diagnostic laboratory tests. Infections caused by these organisms have different impacts on clinical outcome and require different treatment and management approaches. It is therefore important to correctly identify Acinetobacter species. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been introduced to identify a wide range of microorganisms in clinical laboratories, but only a few studies have examined its utility for identifying Acinetobacter species, particularly those of the non-Acinetobacter baumannii complex. We therefore evaluated MALDI-TOF MS for identification of Acinetobacter species by comparing it with sequence analysis of rpoB using 123 isolates of Acinetobacter species from blood. Of the isolates examined, we identified 106/123 (86.2%) to species, and 16/123 (13.0%) could only be identified as acinetobacters. The identity of one isolate could not be established. Of the 106 species identified, 89/106 (84.0%) were confirmed by rpoB sequence analysis, and 17/106 (16.0%) were discordant. These data indicate correct identification of 89/123 (72.4%) isolates. Surprisingly, all blood culture isolates were identified as 13 species of Acinetobacter, and the incidence of Acinetobacter pittii was unexpectedly high (42/123; 34.1%) and exceeded that of A. baumannii (22/123; 17.9%). Although the present identification rate using MALDI-TOF MS is not acceptable for species-level identification of Acinetobacter, further expansion of the database should remedy this situation.

Roles of cortical actin microfilament patterning in division plane orientation in plants

In land plant cells, division planes are precisely predicted by the microtubule preprophase band and cortical actin microfilament pattern called the actin-depleted zone or actin microfilament twin peaks. However, the function of cortical actin microfilament patterning is not clear. In this study, we report that treatment with the inhibitor 2,3,5-triiodobenzonic acid (TIBA) or jasplakinolide increased the amount of thick actin microfilaments in tobacco BY-2 cells at interphase. However, during the division of BY-2 cells, these inhibitors did not induce visible alteration of actin microfilament thickness but altered cortical actin microfilament patterning without significant disorganization of the microtubule preprophase band. TIBA treatment induced a single intensity peak of actin microfilament distribution around the cell center, whereas jasplakinolide caused the appearance of triple peaks relative to the distribution of actin microfilament around the cell center, in approximately one-third of the cells at metaphase. Dual observations of microtubules and actin microfilaments revealed that abnormal cortical actin microfilament patterning with single or triple peaks is correlated with oblique mitotic spindles in BY-2 cells. In addition, oblique cell plates were frequently observed in BY-2 cells and Arabidopsis thaliana root cells treated with TIBA or jasplakinolide. These results provide evidence for the critical roles of cortical actin microfilament patterning in spindle and cell plate orientation.

Blue LED light exposure develops intracellular reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent cellular injuries in cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells

The effects of blue light emitter diode (LED) light exposure on retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells) were examined to detect cellular damage or change and to clarify its mechanisms. The RPE cells were cultured and exposed by blue (470 nm) LED at 4.8 mW/cm(2). The cellular viability was determined by XTT assay and cellular injury was determined by the lactate dehydrogenase activity in medium. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was determined by confocal laser microscope image analysis using dihydrorhodamine 123 and lipid peroxidation was determined by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal protein-adducts immunofluorescent staining (HNE). At 24 h after 50 J/cm(2) exposures, cellular viability was significantly decreased to 74% and cellular injury was significantly increased to 365% of control. Immediately after the light exposure, ROS generation was significantly increased to 154%, 177%, and 395% of control and HNE intensity was increased to 211%, 359%, and 746% of control by 1, 10, and 50 J/cm(2), respectively. These results suggest, at least in part, that oxidative stress is an early step leading to cellular damage by blue LED exposure and cellular oxidative damage would be caused by the blue light exposure at even lower dose (1, 10 J/cm(2)).

TMBP200, a XMAP215 homologue of tobacco BY-2 cells, has an essential role in plant mitosis

TMBP200 from tobacco BY-2 cells is a member of the highly conserved family of microtubule-associated proteins that includes Xenopus XMAP215, human TOGp, and Arabidopsis MOR1/GEM1. XMAP215 homologues have an essential role in spindle assembly and function in animals and yeast, but their role in plant mitosis is not fully clarified. Here, we show by immunoblot analysis that TMBP200 levels in synchronously cultured BY-2 cells increased when the cells entered mitosis, thus indicating that TMBP200 plays an important role in mitosis in tobacco. To investigate the role of TMBP200 in mitosis, we employed inducible RNA interference to silence TMBP200 expression in BY-2 cells. The resulting depletion of TMBP200 caused severe defects in bipolar spindle formation and resulted in the appearance of multinucleated cells with variable-sized nuclei. This finding indicates that TMBP200 has an essential role in bipolar spindle formation and function.

Casein hydrolysate formula-induced liver dysfunction in a neonate with non-immunoglobulin E-mediated cow's milk allergy

A 10-day-old male neonate was admitted with bilious vomiting and gross hematochezia. Peripheral eosinophilia, delayed positive skin prick test to artificial milk, and elevated eosinophil cationic protein levels suggested cow's milk allergy. Fluid infusion with prohibition of oral intake improved the digestive symptoms. Breast-feeding was resumed on hospital day 3 and only casein hydrolysate formula was fed from day 7 onward. Nevertheless, eosinophilia and elevated transaminase levels developed on day 14. Liver dysfunction associated with casein hydrolysate formula was suspected and the infant was transferred to soy formula. Eosinophil counts decreased and transaminase levels were normalized on day 19. A cow's milk protein-specific lymphocyte proliferation test was positive for alpha-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, and bovine serum albumin, indicating sensitization of T cells to cow's milk proteins. These observations suggest that careful attention should be paid to liver dysfunction in non-immunoglobulin E-mediated cow's milk allergy, even when hypoallergenic formula is used.

Caffeine inhibits callose deposition in the cell plate and the depolymerization of microtubules in the central region of the phragmoplast

Treatment of tobacco BY-2 cells with 10 mM caffeine that was started after the cells had entered the mitotic phase did not completely inhibit the deposition of callose in the cell plate and allowed the centrifugal redistribution of phragmoplast microtubules. On the other hand, when treatment with caffeine was started before the cells entered the mitotic phase, the deposition of callose was completely inhibited and the redistribution of phragmoplast microtubules was also inhibited. As the inhibition of redistribution of phragmoplast microtubules seems to be caused by the inhibition of depolymerization of microtubules at the central region of the phragmoplast, these results strongly suggest that the deposition of callose in the cell plate is tightly linked with the depolymerization of phragmoplast microtubules. Callose deposition was observed in phragmoplasts isolated from caffeine-treated cells as well as in those isolated from non-caffeine-treated cells, and caffeine did not inhibit callose synthesis in isolated phragmoplast, indicating that caffeine neither inhibits the accumulation of callose synthase at the equatorial regions of the phragmoplast nor arrests callose synthase itself.