Coordinated phosphate uptake by extracellular alkaline phosphatase and solute carrier transporters in marine diatoms.

Marine diatoms express genes encoding potential phosphate transporter and alkaline phosphatase (APase) under phosphate-limited (-P) condition. This indicates that diatoms use high-affinity phosphate uptake system with organic phosphate hydration. The function of molecules playing roles for Pi uptake was determined in this study. Pi uptake and APase activity of two marine diatoms, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana, were monitored during acclimation to -P condition. The transcript levels of Pi transporter were analyzed, and Pi transporters were localized with GFP tagging in diatom cells. KO mutants of plasma membrane solute carrier proteins (SLC34s) or APase were established, and their phenotype was evaluated. Some Na+ /Pi transporter candidates, SLC34s in P. tricornutum and T. pseudonana, increased transcript under -P condition. Whole-cell Pi transport was specifically stimulated by sodium ion but independent of potassium, lithium, or proton. Genome-editing KO of PtSLC34-5 and APase (Pt49678) in P. tricornutum was highly inhibitory for Pi uptake, and KO of TpSLC34-2 was also highly inhibitory for Pi uptake in T. pseudonana. SLC34s and APase were co-expressed under -P conditions in marine diatoms. SLC34s play a major role in the initial acclimation stage of diatom cells to -P condition and APase plays an increasing role in the prolonged Pi-starved condition.

Schnitzler's syndrome: A female elderly case presenting intractable non-pruritic febrile urticarial rush.

Schnitzler's syndrome is an acquired autoinflammatory disease characterized by chronic urticarial rash and monoclonal gammopathy (predominantly IgM type). A 75-year-old Japanese woman complained of high fever and non-pruritic urticarial rash appearing almost every day for 3 years. Her abnormal laboratory data included leukocytosis and neutrophilia with elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level. Hyperglobulinemia of IgA and IgM was also noted. Histological analysis revealed perivascular and interstitial neutrophilic infiltration without any signs of vasculitis. Immunofixation analysis confirmed IgM-kappa-type monoclonal gammopathy. Oral prednisolone initially improved her symptoms, but recurrence was observed upon its tapering. The addition of colchicine successfully controlled her symptoms and allowed a reduction in the dose of systemic steroid.

Clinical Condition and Management of 114 Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) Bites in a General Hospital in Japan.

Objective Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) snakebite is the most common type of snake injury in Japan and is also seen in China and Korea. Although the components of Mamushi venom have been investigated, epidemiological and clinical descriptions still remain limited in the English literature. The aim of this study was to review the clinical features and management of patients with injuries related to Mamushi snakebites. Methods We conducted a retrospective examination of 114 Mamushi snakebite cases encountered at a general hospital in Japan from January 2004 to November 2016. Data were collected from the medical records. Results We found that Mamushi snakebites commonly occurred during summer and the daytime, with elderly men typically being affected. The symptom grade at initial consultation was significantly worse in the walk-in group than in the ambulance admission group, probably due to treatment delay. The number of fangs that pierced the skin was not related to the severity of the symptoms. The group treated with a tourniquet more frequently exhibited exacerbation of symptoms than those that received other treatments (p<0.001). Conclusion The delay between patients being bitten and arriving at hospital as well as the number of fangs that pierced the skin did not affect the duration of hospitalization; however, proximal tourniquation should be avoided in such cases, as significant exacerbation of local symptoms was observed when this procedure was applied.

Preferential expression of OVOL1 in inner root sheath of hair, sebaceous gland, eccrine duct and their neoplasms in human skin.

OVOL1 is an important transcription factor for epidermal keratinization, which suppresses proliferation and switches on the differentiation of keratinocytes. A recent genome-wide association study has revealed that OVOL1 is one of the genes associated with susceptibility to atopic dermatitis. Although it is known to be expressed in murine skin and hair follicles, no investigations have focused on its localization in human skin. In the present study, we thus immunolocalized the expression of OVOL1 in normal and diseased human skin. In normal human skin, OVOL1 was preferentially expressed in the suprabasal layer of the epidermis, inner root sheath of hair, mature sebocytes and the ductal portion of the eccrine glands. Compared to this, no remarkable change in the expression of OVOL1 was observed among inflammatory skin diseases. The expression of OVOL1 was evident in eccrine poroma and hidradenoma. Moreover, it was overexpressed in Bowen's disease and sebaceous adenoma, in sharp contrast to its downregulation in their more malignant counterparts, squamous cell carcinoma and sebaceous carcinoma. OVOL1 may play an important role in human skin morphogenesis and tumorigenesis.