Evaluation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products as water-soluble molecular markers of sewage

We examined the utility of 13 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as molecular markers of sewage contamination in riverine, groundwater, and coastal environments. The PPCPs were crotamiton, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, fenoprofen, mefenamic acid, thymol, triclosan, propyphenazone, carbamazepine, diethyltoluamide, ethenzamide, and caffeine. Measurements in 37 Japanese rivers showed positive correlations of riverine flux of crotamiton (r2 = 0.85), carbamazepine (r2 = 0.84), ibuprofen (r2 = 0.73), and mefenamic acid (r2 = 0.67) with the population in the catchments. In three surveys in the Tamagawa estuary, crotamiton, carbamazepine, and mefenamic acid behaved conservatively across seasons within a salinity range of 0.4-29 per thousand, suggesting their utility as molecular markers in coastal environments. Removal of ketoprofen and naproxen in the estuary was ascribed to photodegradation. Ibuprofen and thymol were removed from estuarine waters in summer by microbial degradation. Triclosan was removed by a combination of microbial degradation, photodegradation, and adsorption. These results were consistent with those of river water incubated for 8 d at 25 degrees C in the dark in order to examine the effects of biodegradation and photodegradation. Crotamiton was detected in groundwater from the Tokyo metropolitan area (12 out of 14 samples), suggesting wastewater leakage from decrepit sewers. Carbamazepine, ketoprofen, and ibuprofen (5/14), caffeine (4/14), and diethyltoluamide (3/14) were also detected in the groundwater, whereas the other carboxylic and phenolic PPCPs were not detected and were thought to be removed during their passage through soil. All the data demonstrated the utility of crotamiton and carbamazepine as conservative markers in freshwater and coastal environments. We recommend combining these conservative markers with labile PPCPs to detect inputs of poorly treated sewage.

Extracellular ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation of the ascidian sperm receptor

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is essential for intracellular protein degradation, but an extracellular role of this system has not been known until now. We have previously reported that the proteasome is secreted into the surrounding seawater from sperm of the ascidian (Urochordata) Halocynthia roretzi on sperm activation, and that the sperm proteasome plays a key role in fertilization. Here, we show that a 70-kDa component (HrVC70) of the vitelline coat is the physiological substrate for the ubiquitin-proteasome system during fertilization of H. roretzi. A cDNA clone encoding the HrVC70 precursor (HrVC120) was isolated, and a homology search revealed that HrVC120 contains 13 epidermal growth factor-like repeats and a mammalian zona pellucida glycoprotein-homologous domain. HrVC70 functions as a sperm receptor. We demonstrate that HrVC70 is ubiquitinated both in vitro and in vivo. The immunocytochemical localization of multiubiquitin chains in the vitelline coat and the inhibitory effect of monoclonal antibodies against the multiubiquitin chains on fertilization strongly support the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in ascidian fertilization. Taken together, these results indicate that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is responsible for extracellular degradation of the sperm receptor HrVC70 and, consequently, for sperm penetration of the vitelline coat during fertilization.

Peroxynitrite formation in focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats occurs predominantly in the peri-infarct region

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) exhibits potent neurotoxicity and plays an important role in neuronal death, but no evidence shows that it is formed in the brain during ischemia or subsequent reperfusion. To detect the formation of ONOO-, we used a hydrolysis/HPLC procedure to measure the formation of 3-nitro-L-tyrosine (NO2-Tyr), which is considered to reflect attack of ONOO- on L-tyrosine residues of cellular components in the brain. Focal ischemia was produced by occluding the right common carotid and right middle cerebral arteries for 2 hours, and the ischemic area was reperfused by reopening the middle cerebral artery. After 2 hours of ischemia, the values of the ratio of NO2-Tyr to L-tyrosine were 0% +/- 0%, 0.42% +/- 0.13% and 0.29% +/- 0.10% in the noninfarct, periinfarct, and core-of-infarct regions, respectively. After 3 hours of reperfusion following 2 hours of ischemia, the ratio in the periinfarct region reached 0.89 +/- 0.22%, which was significantly higher than that in the core-of-infarct region (0.35 +/- 0.09%). The NO2-Tyr was not detected in 50 mg/kg of N-monomethyl-L-arginine-treated or sham-operated rats. Regional CBF in the periinfarct region decreased to 30.8 +/- 15.9 mL/100 g/min during occlusion, but recovered more rapidly than did that in the core-of-infarct region.

Pepper mild mottle virus as an indicator and a tracer of fecal pollution in water environments: comparative evaluation with wastewater-tracer pharmaceuticals in Hanoi, Vietnam

We analyzed pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in 36 samples taken from surface water, wastewater, groundwater, tap water and bottled water in Hanoi, Vietnam. We then compared the occurrence and fates of PMMoV with pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which are known wastewater tracers. PMMoV was detected in 94% of the surface water samples (ponds, water from irrigated farmlands and rivers) and in all the wastewater samples. The PMMoV concentration ranged from 5.5×10(6)-7.2×10(6)copies/L in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influents, 6.5×10(5)-8.5×10(5)copies/L in WWTP effluents and 1.0×10(4)-1.8×10(6)copies/L in surface water. Among the sixty PPCPs analyzed, caffeine and carbamazepine had high detection rates in surface water (100% and 88%, respectively). In surface water, the concentration ratio of PMMoV to caffeine remained unchanged than that in WWTP influents, suggesting that the persistence of PMMoV in surface water was comparable to that of caffeine. The persistence and the large concentration ratio of PMMoV in WWTP influents to the method detection limit would account for its ubiquitous detection in surface water. In comparison, human enteric viruses (HEV) were less frequently detected (18-59%) than PMMoV in surface water, probably because of their faster decay. Together with the reported high human feces-specificity, our results suggested that PMMoV is useful as a sensitive fecal indicator for evaluating the potential occurrence of pathogenic viruses in surface water. Moreover, PMMoV can be useful as a moderately conservative fecal tracer for specifically tracking fecal pollution of surface water. PMMoV was detected in 38% of the groundwater samples at low concentrations (up to 19copies/L). PMMoV was not detected in the tap water and bottled water samples. In groundwater, tap water and bottled water samples, the occurrence of PPCPs and HEV disagreed with that of PMMoV, suggesting that PMMoV is not suitable as an indicator or a tracer in those waters.

Analysis of the expression and localisation of a LAP protein, human scribble, in the normal and neoplastic epithelium of uterine cervix

Recently, a LAP protein, scribble, was identified in Drosophila epithelia as a basolateral protein that controls the apical-basolateral polarity. Loss of scribble causes disorganisation and overgrowth of the epithelia. Scribble has a human homologue, human scribble (hScrib), which is a substrate of ubiquitin-mediated degradation by human papillomavirus E6 and the E6AP ubiquitin-protein ligase. In the present study, we revealed that hScrib localised to the basolateral regions of the epithelial cell line MDCK and human uterine cervical epithelial tissues by immunofluorescence. Human scribble colocalised rather with the adherens junction protein E-cadherin, but not with the tight junction protein ZO-1. Histochemical analysis showed a dramatic decrease in the expression of hScrib with the progression of disease from normal uterine cervical tissues to invasive cervical cancers through the precursor lesions. In contrast, the expression of hScrib was retained in the throughout epithelial layer of the HPV-negative cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (H-SIL). Although quantitative RT–PCR revealed no significant downregulation of hScrib mRNA expression in the H-SIL, it revealed a clear downregulation in the invasive cancers. These results suggest the possibility that degradation by HPV E6 is one of the causal roles for the progressive decrease of hScrib expression during the disease progression from low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions to H-SIL, and a cooperative role of downregulation of hScrib mRNA expression and ubiquitin-mediated degradation of hScrib by E6 and E6AP led to the complete decrease of hScrib expression during the process of carcinogenesis from H-SIL to invasive cancer. These data underscore the importance of hScrib in the construction of tissue architecture and prevention of cancer development.

Washout studies of 11C in rabbit thigh muscle implanted by secondary beams of HIMAC

Heavy ion therapy has two definite advantages: good dose localization and higher biological effect. Range calculation of the heavy ions is an important factor in treatment planning. X-ray CT numbers are used to estimate the heavy ion range by looking up values in a conversion table which relates empirically photon attenuation in tissues to particle stopping power; this is one source of uncertainty in the treatment planning. Use of positron emitting radioactive beams along with a positron emission tomograph or a positron camera gives range information and may be used as a means of checking in heavy ion treatment planning. However, the metabolism of the implanted positron emitters in a living object is unpredictable because the chemical forms of these emitters are unknown and the metabolism is dependent on the organ species and may be influenced by many factors such as blood flow rate and fluid components present. In this paper, the washout rate of 11C activity implanted by injecting energetic 11C beams into thigh muscle of a rear leg of a rabbit is presented. The washout was found to consist of two components, the shorter one was about 4.2 +/- 1.1 min and the longer one ranged from 91 to 124 min. About one third of the implanted beta+ activity can be used for imaging and the rest was washed out of the target area.

Induction of heme oxygenase protein protects neurons in cortex and striatum, but not in hippocampus, against transient forebrain ischemia

To clarify whether heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein plays a protective role against cerebral ischemia, we investigated the effects of an HO inhibitor (tin mesoporphyrin IX [SnMP] three doses of 30 micromol/kg, intraperitoneally) and an HO inducer (hemin, three doses of 30 micromol/kg, intraperitoneally) on the pathologic outcome and on the immunohistochemical reaction for HO-1 after 20-minute transient forebrain ischemia followed by 3-day reperfusion in rats. Hemin significantly increased viable neurons in the cortex (compared to the SnMP-treated group, P < .05) and striatum (compared to the saline-treated group at P < .01 and SnMP-treated group at P < .05), and intense HO-1 immunoreactivity was observed in cortex and striatum, whereas the administration of SnMP tended to decrease viable neurons in the parietal cortex. In contrast, neither hemin nor SnMP affected the pathologic outcome in the CA1 and CA3 hippocampi, in which HO-1 immunoreactivity was weak. These results suggest that induction of HO-1 protein may contribute to cellular defense against ischemic damage in brain regions where potential ability to synthesize HO-1 is retained in ischemia.

A selective N-type calcium channel antagonist reduces extracellular glutamate release and infarct volume in focal cerebral ischemia

Although a number of studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of antagonists of postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors in cerebral ischemia, little is known about the treatment of cerebral infarction through presynaptic blocking of extracellular glutamate release. We evaluated the effects of a presynaptic selective N-type calcium channel antagonist (SNX-111, given intravenously by continuous infusion at 5 mg/kg/h from 20 min prior to occlusion until 2 h postocclusion) on blood flow, extracellular glutamate, and infarct volume in rats with permanent occlusions of the right middle cerebral and right common carotid arteries plus 1-h transient occlusion of the left common carotid artery. There was no significant difference in CBF in the occluded cortex during the experiment between the treated and vehicle groups. SNX-111 significantly reduced total amount of extracellular glutamate during the experiment and the peak value of the glutamate after occlusion from 44.2 +/- 15.8 microM (mean +/- SD) to 21.4 +/- 11.4 microM (p < 0.01). Infusion of SNX-111 also significantly reduced the cortical volume of infarction from 47.2 +/- 5.8 to 19.9 +/- 7.3% (p < 0.0001). These results suggest that SNX-111 has a protective effect against focal ischemia through the inhibition of glutamate release from presynaptic sites, although SNX-111 may also affect the release of other neurotransmitters.

The effects of a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist (CGS-19755) on cerebral blood flow and pH in focal ischemia

We report the effects of intravenous infusion of CGS-19755, a potent competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, on local cerebral pH (LCpH) and local CBF (LCBF) in rats with occluded left middle cerebral and common carotid arteries. LCpH and LCBF were determined simultaneously by a double-label autoradiographic technique 4 h after vascular occlusion in three groups: no treatment, carrier infused, and a group receiving CGS-19755 at 10 mg/kg bolus immediately after occlusion followed by infusion at 5 mg kg-1 h-1 for 4 h. Compared with rats receiving carrier, several cortical structures on the side of occlusions showed significantly higher CBF in rats receiving CGS-19755. This drug also corrected the pH in several left cortical structures to values significantly higher than in the rats receiving carrier. The correction in LCpH was not limited to those regions showing significant elevations in LCBF. In the nonoccluded hemisphere, CGS-19755 significantly increased the hemispheric mean blood flow from 122 +/- 17 to 221 +/- 64 ml 100 g-1 min-1 (mean +/- SD of all structures, p less than 0.01) without any changes in LCpH. Cortical but not basal ganglia infarct volume was significantly smaller in rats receiving CGS-19755 than in the carrier-treated group. These results suggest that, at least partially, the neuroprotective effect of CGS-19755 in ischemia may be related to changes in CBF and pH in addition to its antagonist effect on the NMDA receptor.

C1 CAGE detects transcription start sites and enhancer activity at single-cell resolution

Single-cell transcriptomic profiling is a powerful tool to explore cellular heterogeneity. However, most of these methods focus on the 3′-end of polyadenylated transcripts and provide only a partial view of the transcriptome. We introduce C1 CAGE, a method for the detection of transcript 5′-ends with an original sample multiplexing strategy in the C1^TM microfluidic system. We first quantifiy the performance of C1 CAGE and find it as accurate and sensitive as other methods in the C1 system. We then use it to profile promoter and enhancer activities in the cellular response to TGF-β of lung cancer cells and discover subpopulations of cells differing in their response. We also describe enhancer RNA dynamics revealing transcriptional bursts in subsets of cells with transcripts arising from either strand in a mutually exclusive manner, validated using single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Single-cell transcriptomic profiling allows the exploration of cellular heterogeneity but commonly focuses on the 3′-end of the transcript. Here the authors introduce C1 CAGE, which detects the 5′ transcript end in a multiplexed microfluidic system.

Nitrotyrosine generation via inducible nitric oxide synthase in vascular wall in focal ischemia-reperfusion

Nitrotyrosine produced by NO-mediated reaction is a possible marker for cytotoxicity in brain ischemia. In this study, we aimed to determine whether iNOS is responsible for the nitrotyrosine formation and which type of cell is predominantly nitrated. Fifty-eight wild-type and 28 iNOS knockout male mice were used. Under halothane anesthesia the left middle cerebral artery was occluded for 2 h and reperfused for 0.5 or 15 h. The ratio of nitrotyrosine to total tyrosine (%NO2-Tyr) was measured by means of a hydrolysis/HPLC. After 0.5-h reperfusion, %NO2-Tyr in the ischemic cortex of wild-type and knockout mice amounted to 0.037 +/- 0.040% (n = 8) and 0.064 +/- 0.035% (n = 6), respectively, being significantly higher than that in the sham operation group (n = 7) (P < 0.05). After 15-h reperfusion, nitrotyrosine was detected only in wild-type mice (0.039 +/- 0.025%, n = 7), not in knockout or sham-operated mice (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical reaction for nitrotyrosine was seen predominantly in the vascular wall in the peri-infarct region of the cerebral cortex in wild-type mice after 15-h reperfusion, but not in corresponding knockout mice. Our data suggest that iNOS is responsible for nitrotyrosine formation in the later phase of reperfusion, and that vascular endothelium is the major site of this reaction, at least in the case of 15-h reperfusion.

Spatial and temporal variation in nutrient parameters in stream water in a rural-urban catchment, Shikoku, Japan: effects of land cover and human impact

Seasonal and spatial variations in major ion chemistry and isotope composition in the rural-urban catchment of the Shigenobu River were monitored to determine the influences of agricultural and urban sewage systems on water quality. Temporal patterns of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and suspended sediment (SS) were examined at four sites in the rural-urban catchment. Urban land cover, incorporating the effects of increased population, domestic water use, and industrial wastewater, was positively associated with increases in water pollution and was included as an important explanatory variable for the variations in all water quality parameters. Significant trends were found in each parameter. BOD concentrations ranged widely, and were high in urban regions, due to the presence of a waste water treatment plant. TN and SS showed various trends, but did not vary widely, unlike TP. TP concentrations varied greatly, with high concentrations in cultivated areas, due to fertilizer use. Local water quality management or geology could further explain some of the variations in water quality. Non-point-source pollution exhibited strong positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating that incorporating spatial dimensions into water quality assessment enhances our understanding of spatial patterns of water quality. Data from the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and Environment Ministry (EM) were used to investigate trends in land management. Stepwise regression analysis was used to test the correlation between specific management practises and substance concentrations in surface water and sediment. MLIT and EM data for 1981-2003 showed an increase in TN, TP, and SS concentrations in surface water. High levels of fertilizer in dormant sprays and domestic water use were associated with high pesticide concentrations in water and sediment. This paper presents a novel method of studying the environmental impact of various agricultural management practises and recommends a management strategy that combines the use of reduced-risk pesticides with irrigation and non-irrigation periods in paddy fields.

Nitrotyrosine formation and its role in various pathological conditions

The formation of peroxynitrite and nitrotyrosine was examined in a variety of in vitro and in vivo animal models and its relation to cell or tissue damage was examined. polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-induced injury to cardiac myocytes endothelial cells, activated PMN produced peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite appears to be responsible for the injury but it was not a major mediator of endothelial cell injury. In the experiment of ischemia-reperfusion injury of the rat brain nitrotyrosine was formed in the peri-infarct and core-of infarct regions. The degradation curve of nitrotyrosine revealed that its t(1/2) was about 2.2 hours. In the radiation-induced lung injury of rats, nitrotyrosine was also formed but it was not the sole mechanism for the injury. Levels of nitrotyrosine correlated with the severity of myocardial dysfunction in the canine model of cytokine-induced cardiac injury. Inhibition of NO generation abolished the formation of peroxynitrite and nitrotyrosine in all experiments. In conclusion; although nitrotyrosine is formed in a variety of pathological conditions where the generation of NO is increased, its presence does not always correlate with the severity of injury.

Assessment of groundwater pollution in Tokyo using PPCPs as sewage markers

While the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in groundwater has typically been reported in bank filtration sites, irrigated fields, septic tanks, and sewage disposal practices, fewer studies have been conducted in highly urbanized areas, where infiltration of treated or untreated sewage is not supposed to be a source of groundwater recharge. Furthermore, little is known about the occurrence of various kinds of PPCPs in relation to microbial indicators in groundwater from different types of aquifers. Thus, we examined the city-wide occurrence of selected PPCPs (diethyltoluamide, crotamiton, ethenzamide, propyphenazone, carbamazepine, and caffeine) and E. coli in 50 groundwaters from unconfined aquifers (<30 m in depth) and confined aquifers (up to 500 m in depth) in Tokyo, where unintended groundwater contamination could take place due to decrepit sewer networks. PPCPs were detected in unconfined aquifers and springs (23/34 samples, 68%), and in confined aquifers (7/16 samples, 44%). Compared with published results for sewage influents, concentrations of PPCPs, excluding caffeine, were generally 1-2 orders of magnitude lower, while in some samples concentrations were quite comparable. The high occurrence rate of PPCPs, even in confined aquifers, indicated that such aquifers are not always protected from pollution by sewage near the land surface. Among the PPCPs analyzed, carbamazepine and crotamiton were most frequently detected, which would appear to be owing to their high persistence, combined with the high concentration of crotamiton in sewage. Crotamiton was detected in all four E. coli-positive groundwaters, and thus may potentially serve as a precautionary indicator of E. coli contamination. Using carbamazepine as a sewage marker, we estimated that 0.8%-1.7% of the dry-weather flow of sewage was leaking out into the unconfined aquifers.

Dynamics of nitrotyrosine formation and decay in rat brain during focal ischemia-reperfusion

The purpose of this study was to establish the dynamics of nitrotyrosine (NO2-Tyr) formation and decay during the rise of NO2-Tyr in rat brain subjected to 2-hour focal ischemia-reperfusion, and to evaluate the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the rise. The authors first determined the half life of NO2-Tyr in rat brain at 24 hours after the start of reperfusion by blocking NO2-Tyr formation with N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine and after the decay of NO2-Tyr by means of a hydrolysis/HPLC procedure. The values obtained were approximately 2 hours in both peri-infarct and core-of-infarct regions. Using the same hydrolysis/HPLC procedure, the ratio of nitrotyrosine to tyrosine from the 2-hour occlusion to as much as 72 hours after the start of reperfusion was measured in the presence and absence of aminoguanidine (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally twice a day). In the absence of aminoguanidine, the ratio of NO2-Tyr in the peri-infarct and core-of-infarct regions reached 0.95% +/- 0.34% and 0.52% +/- 0.34%, respectively, at 1 hour after the start of reperfusion. The elevated levels persisted until 48 hours, then declined. The peri-infarct region showed the highest percent NO2-Tyr level, followed by the core of infarct, then the caudoputamen. Aminoguanidine significantly reduced NO2-Tyr formation (up to 90% inhibition) during 24 to 48 hours. The authors conclude that inducible nitric oxide synthase is predominantly responsible for NO2-Tyr formation, at least in the late phase of reperfusion. These results have important implications for the therapeutic time window and choice of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors in patients with cerebral infarction.

Plasma insulin, metabolite concentrations, and carcass characteristics of Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, and Holstein steers

To characterize some of the physiological features of Japanese beef breeds, plasma concentrations of insulin and metabolites and carcass composition were measured in five Japanese Black, five Japanese Brown, and four Holstein steers (6.2 mo; 164 kg). The steers were raised under typical feeding conditions in Japan until they were slaughtered at 600 to 700 kg BW. Blood samples were collected at 8 mo of age (average BW, 194 kg) and at 300, 400, 500, and 600 kg BW. Plasma insulin concentrations increased with BW in all three breeds and were greater (P < .05) in Japanese Blacks than in the Japanese Browns or Holsteins at 400 and 600 kg BW. The Japanese Blacks exhibited lower (P < .05) plasma glucose levels at 300, 400, and 600 kg BW compared with Holsteins. Regardless of the breed, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations increased with BW. The two Japanese breeds had greater (P < .05) PUN levels than Holsteins at 300 and 600 kg BW. Total cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations tended to decrease above 300 kg BW in the Holsteins; however, the concentrations of both metabolites were elevated in the steers of Japanese breeds at 500 and 600 kg BW (P < .05). Breed did not affect the plasma concentrations of albumin, triglycerides, and NEFA. The Japanese breeds had higher (P < .01) dressing percentage, greater (P < .05) carcass fat proportion, and a lower proportion of carcass bone (P < .01) than the Holsteins. These results indicate that there are breed differences in plasma levels of insulin and certain metabolites and carcass composition among Japanese breeds and Holstein.

A novel alkaline endoglucanase from an alkaliphilic Bacillus isolate: enzymatic properties, and nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences

A highly alkaline endo-1,4-beta-glucanase (Egl) was purified to homogeneity from a culture broth of alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. strain KSM-N252. The optimal pH for activity was as high as 10, and the optimal temperature was 55 degrees C. The molecular mass and isoelectric point were around 50 kDa and pH 4.2, respectively. The enzyme hydrolyzed carboxymethyl cellulose in a random fashion. Unlike previously reported Egls, the enzyme was highly active on p-nitrophenyl cello-oligosaccharides and acid-swollen cellulose, and its activity was stimulated by cellobiose at high concentrations. The entire gene for the enzyme contained a 1,476-bp single open reading frame encoding 492 amino acids, including a 29-amino-acid signal peptide. The mature enzyme (463 amino acids: 51,174 Da) exhibited moderate homology to other family 5 alkaline Egls. In the C-terminal region, a carbohydrate-binding module that belongs to family XII was repeated. Furthermore, four and six repeats of Pro-Pro-Ser/Thr-Glu/Asp-Pro-(Glu) were found immediately before the first and second carbohydrate-binding modules, respectively.

Thiazolidinediones provide better renoprotection than insulin in an obese, hypertensive type II diabetic rat model

Hyperinsulinemia has been implicated in the development of diabetic nephropathy. In the present study we compared the renoprotective effects of the thiazolidinedione, pioglitazone (PGZ), to that of insulin in a hypertensive, obese, type II diabetic rat model. PGZ aggravated obesity and gave less glycemic control than insulin. However, renoprotection was markedly better with PZG compared to insulin as shown by lower proteinuria, improved renal function, and less histological evidence of diabetic glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions. PZG and insulin both reduced renal accumulation of pentosidine and oxidative stress to a similar extent. In contrast, PGZ but not insulin suppressed enhanced transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) expression. We further confirmed in cultured rat proximal tubular cells that insulin enhanced TGF-beta mRNA expression and protein production. Our results identify hyperinsulinemia and the attendant increase of TGF-beta expression as potential therapeutic targets in diabetes independent of glycemic control. This confirms prior clinical evidence that PZG provides renoprotection in obese, diabetic patients with nephropathy.

Immunohistochemical localization of glutathione peroxidase in infarcted human brain

This is the first report which demonstrates the presence of glutathione peroxidase in the autopsied brain of 5 patients without cerebral infarction and 21 patients with cerebral infarction by the indirect enzyme-labeled antibody technique with monoclonal antibody to human glutathione peroxidase. In 2 out of 5 patients without cerebral infarction, a weak reaction for glutathione peroxidase was demonstrated both in neurons and glia. In 6 patients who had died within 5 days after stroke, no staining was observed in infarcted brain tissue except in macrophages. In all 15 patients who had died more than 6 days after stroke, however, a reaction for glutathione peroxidase was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of glial cells in the marginal area around the infarction, and there was a patchy reaction in the cytoplasm of macrophages in the core lesion. These results suggest that glutathione peroxidase in glial cells of the marginal area around the infarction may play a protective role against lipid peroxidation after cerebral infarction, or alternatively, may be involved in the healing process after ischemia.

Groundwater pollution by perfluorinated surfactants in Tokyo

Perfluorinated surfactants (PFSs) in groundwater were analyzed to reveal their distribution and sources. Sixteen groundwater and spring samples were collected from the Tokyo metropolitan area, and nine PFSs, including perfluorooctane-sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A column test using artificial street runoff was also performed to study their behavior. PFSs were detected in all groundwater samples, some at concentrations comparable to those in wastewater and street runoff, suggesting widespread contamination of groundwater by PFSs. In particular, PFOS -was more abundant in groundwater than in rivers, wastewater, and street runoff. This was attributed to its production from the degradation of its precursors, as supported by the column test. The occurrence of short-chain perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) in groundwater was also consistent with the results of the column test, showing that limited amounts of short-chain PFCAs were removed by soil, as the efficiency of removal increased with the chain length. We evaluated the contributions of PFCAs from wastewater and surface runoff to groundwater by using two indicators, the long/(short + long) ratio and the even(even + odd) ratio. Both ratios showed good agreement in their calculated contributions in heavily contaminated groundwater where breakthroughs likely occurred. Wastewater and surface runoff contributed to 54-86% and 16-46% of PFCAs, respectively, in groundwater.

Investigating sources and pathways of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in aquifers in Tokyo using multiple tracers

We employed a multi-tracer approach to investigate sources and pathways of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in urban groundwater, based on 53 groundwater samples taken from confined aquifers and unconfined aquifers in Tokyo. While the median concentrations of groundwater PFAAs were several ng/L, the maximum concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, 990 ng/L), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA, 1800 ng/L) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA, 620 ng/L) in groundwater were several times higher than those of wastewater and street runoff reported in the literature. PFAAs were more frequently detected than sewage tracers (carbamazepine and crotamiton), presumably owing to the higher persistence of PFAAs, the multiple sources of PFAAs beyond sewage (e.g., surface runoff, point sources) and the formation of PFAAs from their precursors. Use of multiple methods of source apportionment including principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid ratio analysis highlighted sewage and point sources as the primary sources of PFAAs in the most severely polluted groundwater samples, with street runoff being a minor source (44.6% sewage, 45.7% point sources and 9.7% street runoff, by PCA-MLR). Tritium analysis indicated that, while young groundwater (recharged during or after the 1970s, when PFAAs were already in commercial use) in shallow aquifers (<50 m depth) was naturally highly vulnerable to PFAA pollution, PFAAs were also found in old groundwater (recharged before the 1950s, when PFAAs were not in use) in deep aquifers (50-500 m depth). This study demonstrated the utility of multiple uses of tracers (pharmaceuticals and personal care products; PPCPs, tritium) and source apportionment methods in investigating sources and pathways of PFAAs in multiple aquifer systems.

Rapid enhanced photocatalytic degradation of dyes using novel N-doped ZrO2

A novel N-doped ZrO2 (N-ZrO2) photocatalyst is synthesized through thermal decomposition of zirconium hydroxide-urea complex and is characterized using various techniques, including XRD, FTIR, TGA, SEM, TEM, UV-DRS, XPS, XANES, and BET. The N-ZrO2 possesses pure monoclinic structure with high crystallinity. By using the proposed facile route of synthesis, both interstitial and substitutional N doping with high dopant stability can be realized. The optical properties of the catalyst are significantly altered after N doping, giving an optical response in the visible and near infrared regions and an additional strong absorption peak in the UVA region. The N-ZrO2 showed a higher photocatalytic activity than pristine ZrO2 for the degradation of amaranth (AM) and methylene blue (MB) under visible or UV light irradiation, which could be attributed to the band gap narrowing, higher specific area, smaller crystalline size, and higher availability of surface hydroxyl groups. Due to its molecular structure and light absorption characteristics, MB is easier to degrade than AM. Overall removal efficiencies, including adsorption and photolysis, for AM and MB by N-ZrO2 at pH 7 with initial dye concentration of 10 mg/L, catalyst concentration of 1 g/L, and visible light irradiation of 144.7 W/m(2) are 67.2 and 96%, respectively. Using UVA light of only 3.5 W/m(2) under identical experimental conditions, complete removal of MB and AM is obtained. The photocatalytically treated solution of either AM or MB is nontoxic against Bacillus cereus, an agriculturally important soil microorganism.

Extracellular CIRP and TREM-1 axis promotes ICAM-1-Rho-mediated NETosis in sepsis

Extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP) is a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP). Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expressing neutrophils produce excessive amounts of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). We reveal that eCIRP generates ICAM-1⁺ neutrophils through triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) and the ICAM-1⁺ neutrophils involve Rho GTPase to promote NETosis. Treatment of BMDN with rmCIRP increased the frequency of ICAM-1⁺ BMDN, while rmCIRP-treated TREM-1^-/- BMDN or pretreatment of BMDN with TREM-1 inhibitor LP17 significantly decreased the frequency of ICAM-1⁺ neutrophils. The frequencies of ICAM-1⁺ neutrophils in blood and lungs were markedly decreased in rmCIRP-injected mice or septic mice treated with LP17. Coculture of ICAM-1^-/- neutrophils or wild-type (WT) neutrophils with WT macrophages in the presence of a peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) inhibitor reduced TNF-α and IL-6 compared to WT neutrophils treated with rmCIRP. Treatment of ICAM-1^-/- neutrophils with rmCIRP resulted in reduced quantities of NETs compared to WT rmCIRP-treated neutrophils. Treatment of BMDN with rmCIRP-induced Rho activation, while blockade of ICAM-1 significantly decreased Rho activation. Inhibition of Rho significantly decreased rmCIRP-induced NET formation in BMDN. TREM-1 plays a critical role in the eCIRP-mediated increase of ICAM-1 expression in neutrophils, leading to the increased NET formation via Rho activation to exaggerate inflammation.