We developed a new indirect method for the measurement of sinoatrial conduction time (SACT) and the sinus node return cycle (SRC) with a transvenous catheter technique. Two early premature stimuli, at intervals 50 msec longer than the effective refractory period (ERP), were given to the right atrium. These early stimuli were followed by eight constant stimuli. The interval of the constant stimuli was a little shorter than the basic cycle length (BCL). The return cycle A1Ar was measured and plotted on the abscissa; the next interval ArA3, was measured and plotted on the ordinate. This was called the "base point". A new stimulus, A2, was then added to the train of stimulations, first at a point simultaneous with Ar. It was then shifted toward the last constant stimulus at 10-20 msec intervals until A2 met the ERP. The relationship between A1A2 and A2A3 was obtained by the repetition of the procedures with various A1A2 intervals. It had two zones, compensatory and non-compensatory. We postulate that the atriosinus conduction time of the last of the eight stimuli was equal to that of A2 when the stimulus A2 first captured and reset the sinus nodal pacemaker cells, as indicated by the transition point of the two zones. Based on this supposition, SACT and SRC could be measured as the intervals from the base point to the transition point and from the transition point to the eighth stimulus, respectively.
Various intestinal conditions such as stricture, fistula, abscess, perforation, and hemorrhage are complications of Crohn's disease. Surgical intervention remains important, even in the era of biologic therapy. Limited surgical resection is essential to avoid short bowel syndrome after massive resection or multiple operations. Strictureplasty is effective for short, isolated stricture of the small intestine and provides good results equivalent to those of intestinal resection. Fecal diversion in the case of very complicated lesions not suitable for immediate resection can offer patients general and local improvement. Although bypass surgery is currently not performed because of the possibility of deterioration or carcinogenesis of the bypassed segment, bypass surgery is useful for avoiding stoma. Laparoscopic surgery is indicated for patients with nonperforating, localized ileocecal lesions, and for those presenting initially. The cumulative postoperative reoperation rate is about 50% to 60% at 10 years. The risk factors for early recurrence are smoking, perforating type, previous reoperation, and small intestinal disease. During postoperative follow-up and maintenance treatment, the importance of an algorithm comprising regular check-ups with ileocolonoscopy and the use of thioprines and biologics has been proposed.
Abstract Imperata cylindrica is known to produce a pair of triterpenes, isoarborinol and fernenol, that exhibit identical planar structures but possess opposite stereochemistry at six of the nine chiral centers. These differences arise from a boat or a chair cyclization of the B‐ring of the substrate. Herein, we report the characterization of three OSC genes from I. cylindrica . IcOSC1 and IcOSC5 were identified as isoarborinol and fernenol synthases, respectively, while IcOSC3 was characterized as a multifunctional enzyme that produces glutinol and friedelin as its major products. Mutational studies of isoarborinol and fernenol synthases revealed that the residues surrounding the DCTAE motif partially affected the conformation of the B‐ring during cyclization. Additionally, the IcOSC1‐W255H mutant produced the rare triterpene boehmerol. The introduced histidine residue presumably abstracted a proton from the intermediary carbocation at C18 during the 1,2‐rearrangement. Expression analysis indicated that all OSC genes were highly expressed in stems.
Activation of plant defences following recognition of pathogen attack involves complex reiterative signal networks with extensive signal amplification and cross‐talk. The results of two approaches that have been taken to analyse signalling in plant–microbe interactions are discussed here. Activation tagging with T‐DNA harbouring multiple 35S enhancer elements was employed as a gain‐of‐function approach to dissect signalling related to bacterial pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. From a screen of ∼5000 activation tagged lines, one line was identified as harbouring a T‐DNA leading to over‐expression of an apoplastic aspartic protease (CDR‐1), that resulted in resistance to normally virulent Pseudomonas syringae. The second approach was to screen for loss‐of‐function mutants in T‐DNA tagged populations. From a screen of 11 000 lines, one line, defective in induced resistance‐1 (dir‐1) lost resistance to normally avirulent P. syringae. Models for action of the products of the CDR‐1 and DIR‐1 genes suggest involvement of peptide and lipid signals in systemic disease resistance responses in A. thaliana.
Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Leguminosae, Fabaceae) is the most important medicinal plant used as a natural sweetener, in Chinese herbal medicines, and as a tobacco flavoring agent. Here, we report the generation of 56,857 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from two full-length cDNA libraries produced from rhizomes (stolons) of two strains of G. uralensis, together with differential expression data obtained by MegasortTM analysis. The MegasortTM analysis was performed using two plant organs, namely, thickened roots and a rhizome-like organ, which differed in their glycyrrhizin content. After clustering of the 5′-end of ESTs, 5,542 contigs and 4,932 singletons were generated. A total of 10,474 nonredundant sequences were annotated on the basis of the TAIR database, of which 7,905 (75.5%) sequences exhibited homology to the sequences of registered genes. The gene functions of these 7,905 sequences were classified into Biological Process and Molecular Function on the basis of Gene Ontology (GO).
Azathioprine (AZA) and mercaptopurine (6-MP) are established as effective therapeutic drugs for the induction and maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, AZA is often intolerable due to adverse effects. Evidence regarding the approach of switching from AZA to 6-MP in patients of Asian ethnicity is lacking. We assessed the tolerability and usefulness of 6-MP in Japanese UC patients who had shown intolerance to AZA.One-hundred and ten UC patients who had been treated with AZA and/or 6-MP from January 1985 to October 2008 were examined retrospectively.Among 110 patients, 107 were treated first with AZA; only three were treated first with 6-MP. Thirty-five (33%) of the 107 patients were intolerant of AZA, with adverse effects including myelosuppression (8/35, 23%), hepatotoxicity (8/35, 23%), and abdominal symptoms (6/35, 17%). Among 35 AZA-intolerant patients, 23 were switched to 6-MP treatment. The cumulative probability of colectomy was significantly higher in patients not treated with 6-MP than in patients treated with 6-MP (log-rank test, P =0.0002). Among the 26 patients (23 AZA-intolerant and three AZA-untreated) treated with 6-MP, 22 (85%) could tolerate the therapy. Adverse effects due to 6-MP were abdominal symptoms (2/4), myelosuppression (1/4), and rash (1/4). The median initial dose of 6-MP was 20 mg/day, and the median final dose was 30 mg/day. 6-MP was tolerated in 83% of AZA-intolerant patients, and it was effective for maintenance therapy of UC patients. 6-MP treatment should be considered in AZA-intolerant patients.
