How to discriminate between vibration syndrome and local fatigue of motorcyclists

Motorcyclists who work in some offices sometimes complained of coldness, pain and numbness of upper limbs. We studied how to discriminate between vibration syndrome and local fatigue of the motorcyclists. Subjects are 42 motorcyclists of an office in Aichi prefecture. 25 of them held several letters in their left hand when they delivered the letters. They complained of coldness, pain and numbness in the left upper limbs more than in the right limbs (p less than 0.01). We think that it is the local fatigue rather than the disorder of vibration syndrome that causes such symptoms. So it is very important to recognize the existence of local fatigue in order to know how to discriminate between vibration syndrome and local fatigue of the motorcyclists.     

Studies on the Structure of Gluco-oligosaccharides Obtained from the Partial Acid Hydrolyzate of Sclerotia of Sclerotinia libertiana

The defatted sclerotia powder was partially hydrolyzed with dilute acid, and the material obtained was fractionated by carbon column chromatography, separated into two disaccharides, three trisaccharides and three tetrasaccharides, respectively. In these hydrolyzates α, α-trehalose, Iaminaribiose, and gentiobiose were identified.     

Density dependent growth of corneal endothelial cells cultured in vitro

Using the cornea of macaque monkey, we demonstrated the relationship between cell density and growth of endothelial cells in vitro. Corneal endothelial cells in a cell sheet grow most actively in regions with cell density of 1000 to 1800 cells/mm2, in explant cultures and cell sheets and in concentrated inocula dissociated cells. Cell morphology was well sustained in these cultures. Cells cultured at a higher cell density retained their potential to proliferate actively, showing clear contrast to cells cultured at a density lower than 200 cells/mm2. When dissociated cells were cultured at a low density and maintained for more than 4 weeks, they gradually lost their growth potential, altered into polymorphonuclear giant cells and eventually dedifferentiated. In addition, cells with no contact with each other did not express growth potential. Density dependent growth was confirmed by measuring the mitotic index against the cell density per square mm from the center to the peripheral regions in cultured explants. It is concluded that the growth pattern of corneal endothelial cells is closely related to cell density, and that growth of these cells might be regulated through intercellular communications.     

Nitrile hydratase of Pseudomonas chlororaphis B23. Purification and characterization

Nitrile hydratase of Pseudomonas chlororaphis B23 was completely stabilized by the addition of 22 mM n-butyric acid. The enzyme was purified from extracts of methacrylamide-induced cells of P. chlororaphis B23 in eight steps. At the last step, the enzyme was crystallized by adding ammonium sulfate. The crystallized enzyme appeared to be homogeneous from analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, analytical ultracentrifuge, and double diffusion in agarose. The enzyme has a molecular mass of about 100 kDa and consists of four subunits identical in molecular mass (approximately 25 kDa). The enzyme contained approximately 4 mol iron/mol enzyme. The concentrated solution of highly purified nitrile hydratase had a pronounced greyish green color and exhibited a broad absorption in visible range with a absorption maxima at 720 nm. A loss of enzyme activity occurred in parallel with the disappearance of the absorption in the visible range under a variety of conditions. The enzyme catalyzed stoichiometrically the hydration of nitrile to amide, and no formation of acid and ammonia were detected. The enzyme was active toward various aliphatic nitriles, particularly, nitriles with 3-6 carbon atoms, e.g. propionitrile, n-butyronitrile, acrylonitrile and cyclopropyl cyanide, served as the most suitable substrates.     

Immunohistochemical techniques for detection of dermatan sulfate proteoglycan in tissue sections

Dermatan sulfate proteoglycan chains were detected in tissue sections treated with chondroitin B-lyase (0.01 units/ml) in 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) for 1 hr, followed by staining with antibody 9A2 specific for unsaturated uronic acid coupled to N-acetylgalactosamine-4 sulfate. In contrast, after treatment with chondroitin B-lyase, no positive staining was observed with antibodies 3B3 and 1B5 which react to the unsaturated uronic acid coupled to N-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulfate and unsaturated uronic acid coupled to N-acetylgalactosamine, respectively. The distribution of dermatan sulfate thus revealed was confirmed by comparison with that found by monoclonal antibody 6B6 which reacts with small proteoglycans carrying dermatan sulfate side chains. The localization of positive staining in fibrous connective tissues was almost identical with these two procedures.     

Effect of adsorption of an inhibitory factor on raw starch hydrolysis by glucoamylase

An inhibitory factor (IF) produced byAspergillus niger strain 19, and which inhibits the action of glucoamylase on starch, has the ability to be tightly adsorbed on to various raw starches, though the amount differs from starch to starch. Based on the hydrolysis of the IF-starch complex by glucoamylase, the inhibitions per unit IF adsorbed are similar for some varieties of starch. The effectiveness ratio of IF (% hydrolysis inhibition per % IF adsorbed on raw starch) for corn, sweet potato, waxy rice and waxy corn starches are 1.1, 1.0, 0.85 and 0.96, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that both glucoamylase and IF are adsorbed on to a common binding site on raw starch. However, the effectiveness ratio of IF for cassava and wheat starches are 0.71 and 1.65, respectively, which differ significantly from other varieties of starch.

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Résumé Un inhibiteur (facieur IF) produit par la souche 19 d'Aspergillus niger et qui inhibe l'action de la glucoamylase sur l'amidon a la propriété d'être fortement adsorbé sur dives amidons, bien que la quantité varie d'amidon à amidon. Sur la base de l'hydrolyse du complexe amidon-IF par la glucoamylase, les inhibitions par unité d'IF adsorbé sont sembiables pour quelques variétés d'amidon. Le rapport d'efficience de IF (% d'inhibition de l'hydrolyse par % de IF adsorbé sur l'amidon cru), pour le maïs, la patate douce, et les amidons de riz cireux et de maîs cireux vaut respectivement 1.1, 1.0, 0.85 et 0.96. Ces résultats soutiennent l'hypothèse que tant la glucoamylase que le lacteur IF sont adsorbés sur un site commun de liaison de l'amidon cru. Toutefois, le rapport d'efficience du facteur IF pour les amidons de manioc et de froment valent respectivement 0.71 et 1.65, valeurs significativement différentes de celles pour les aufres variétés d'amidon.

     

Some characteristics of a raw starch digestion inhibitory factor fromAspergillus niger

Summary The effect of an inhibitory factor (IF) fromAspergillus niger 19 on raw starch digestion by pure glucoamylase I of blackAspergillus, pure glucoamylae ofRhizopus niveus, bacterial -amylase, fungal -amylase and various combination was investigated. The IF caused higher inhibition of raw starch hydrolysis by the combined action of glucoamylase and fungal -amylase than of hydrolysis by the individual enzymes. A protein moiety of IF might play an active part in this inhibition phenomenon. The IF was bound to starch granules, preventing hydrolysis by the enzymes, and caused decreased raw starch hydrolysis yields.     

Somatomedin-C in the kidney of streptozotocin diabetic rats

To evaluate the possible role of somatomedin-C, insulin-like growth factor I, in renal hypertrophy in early diabetes, kidney tissue SmC concentrations were measured in streptozotocin-induced (80 mg/kg ip) diabetic rats. Body weight, liver weight, plasma SmC concentration, and SmC concentration in the liver of diabetic rats were significantly lower than those of controls. Seven days after induction of diabetes, the kidney weight (898 +/- 95 mg) in diabetic rats was significantly greater than that in controls (755 +/- 69 mg), while SmC concentration in the kidney of diabetic rats (1.7 +/- 0.3 U/g kidney) was significantly lower than that of control rats (5.4 +/- 0.6 U/g kidney). These results suggest that renal SmC may not have an important role in renal hypertrophy in early stages of diabetes and that renal production of SmC may be impaired by insulin deficiency in rats.