[A case of secondary sclerosing cholangitis following endoscopic submucosal dissection ulcer bleeding].

A 75-year-old male patient underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer. The ESD ulcer bleeding occurred 7 days post-ESD, and he underwent endoscopic clipping hemostasis. Afterward, the patient presented with acute cholecystitis and cholangitis, thereby developing sclerosing cholangitis. His hepatic failure worsened and he died 15 months post-ESD although we performed endoscopic dilations for bile duct stenosis and administered antibiotics. We considered the condition to be related to secondary sclerosing cholangitis in critically ill patients (SSC-CIP) caused by bile duct ischemia and cholangitis.

Peritoneal Dialysis Fluid-Induced Fragmentation of Golgi Apparatus as a Biocompatibility Marker.

In vitro biocompatibility assessments that consider physiologically appropriate conditions of cell exposure to peritoneal dialysis fluids (PDFs) are still awaited. In this study, we found that fragmentation of Golgi apparatus occurred in a pH-dependent manner within 30-min exposure to five distinct commercially available PDFs, which showed no marked difference in their effects on cell viability in the conventional MTT assay. Fluorescence microscopy analysis of labeling antibody against cis-Golgi protein GM130 indicated that the stacked cisternal structure was maintained in the perinuclear area of both M199 culture medium and a neutral-pH PDF groups. However, this specific structure became partially disassembled over time even in a neutral-pH PDF, and fragmentation was markedly enhanced in cells exposed to neutralized-pH PDFs in correspondence with their intracellular pH; moreover, in acidic PDFs, Golgi staining was diffuse and scattered in the entire cytoplasm and showed partial aggregation. The Golgi fragmentation markedly observed with the neutralized PDFs could be reversed by replacing either the media with a neutral-pH medium or a mixture of PDF and PD effluent (PDF) in a gradient manner mimicking clinical conditions. Furthermore, although weaker than pH effect, notable effects of other PDF-related factors were also observed after 30-min exposure to pH-adjusted PDFs. Lastly, the results of studies conducted using MAPK/SAPK inhibitors indicated that the mechanism underlying the Golgi fragmentation described here differs from that associated with the fragmentation that occurs at the G2/M checkpoint in the cell cycle. We conclude that Golgi fragmentation is suitable for rapid biocompatibility assessment of PDF not only because of its strong pH dependence but also because the fragmentation is recognizably affected by PDF constituents.

Chitin-deacetylase activity induces appressorium differentiation in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae differentiates a specialized infection structure called an appressorium to invade rice cells. In this report, we show that CBP1, which encodes a chitin-deacetylase, is involved in the induction phase of appressorium differentiation. We demonstrate that the enzymatic activity of Cbp1 is critical for appressorium formation. M. oryzae has six CDA homologues in addition to Cbp1, but none of these are indispensable for appressorium formation. We observed chitosan localization at the fungal cell wall using OGA488. This observation suggests that Cbp1-catalysed conversion of chitin into chitosan occurs at the cell wall of germ tubes during appressorium differentiation by M. oryzae. Taken together, our results provide evidence that the chitin deacetylase activity of Cbp1 is necessary for appressorium formation.

Detection of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in the blubber of marine mammals by gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS).

Benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs), such as UV-328 and UV-327, were identified in the blubbers of finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) collected from the Ariake Sea, western Japan, by gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS). The mean concentrations and standard deviations of UV-328 and UV-327 in five blubber samples were 38 ± 28 ng g(-1) (lipid wt) and 19 ± 19 ng g(-1), respectively. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of UV-327 between water and finless porpoises was estimated to be 33 300, which is approximately one order of magnitude higher than that found for small fish inhabiting the same regions. The BCF of UV-327 in finless porpoises was similar to that of persistent organochlorine pesticide, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH: 37 000) in marine mammals from the western North Pacific Ocean. These results suggest that BUVSs appear to be persistent and bioaccumulative in the aquatic food chain. Further investigations on temporal trends, and regional and global monitoring of BUVSs are needed to understand their environmental profiles and potential risks to wildlife and human.

Occurrence and concentrations of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in marine organisms and sediments from the Ariake Sea, Japan.

The benzotriazole UV stabilizers, which are used in a variety of plastic products, were analyzed in marine organisms and sediments collected from the Ariake Sea, Japan. The UV stabilizers, such as UV-320, UV-326, UV-327, and UV-328 were detected in all of the samples analyzed, suggesting the production and use of these compounds in Japan. High concentrations of UV stabilizers were found in clams, oysters, and gastropods collected from the tidal flat at concentrations on the order of several hundreds of ng/g on a lipid weight (wt.) basis. The higher trophic species, such as hammerhead sharks and coastal birds, accumulated UV stabilizers, with mean concentrations of 190 ng/g and 74 ng/g (lipid wt.), respectively. These results indicate that benzotriazole UV stabilizers are persistent and bioaccumulative in the marine food-chains. The benzotriazole UV stabilizers were also detected in coastal and river sediments around the Ariake Sea, at concentrations in the range of 7.9-720 ng/g (dry weight basis). Significant correlations were found between concentrations of UV stabilizers and organic carbon content in sediments, implying adsorption of these compounds to organic matter. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ubiquitous contamination and bioaccumulation of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in the marine environment.