Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene in Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii strains inhabiting in cold and warm sea waters.

From the biota beneath the sea ice in Lake Saroma, which is adjacent to Sea of Okhotsk, a diatom culture of Saroma 16 was isolated. Strutted processes and a labiate process in Saroma 16 were characteristic of those in Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii. Similarity search analysis showed that the 826-bp rbcL-3P region sequence of this strain was 100% identical to multiple sequences registered as T. nordenskioeldii in a public database. The 4305-bp PCR-amplified mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene (COI)-5P region of Saroma 16 included a 1060-bp open reading frame (ORF), which was interrupted by 934-bp and 2311-bp introns that included frame-shifted ORFs encoding reverse-transcriptase (RTase)-like proteins. Previous reports showed that a strain of the same species, CNS00052, originating from the East China Sea included no introns in the COI, whereas North Atlantic Ocean strains of the same species, such as CCMP992, CCMP993, and CCMP997, included a 2.3-kb intron in the same position as Saroma 16.

Identification of Desiccation Stress-Inducible Antioxidative and Antiglycative Ultraviolet-Absorbing Oxylipins, Saclipin A and Saclipin B, in an Edible Cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum.

Aphanothece sacrum, a freshwater cyanobacterium, is an edible cyanobacterial strain. We identified two compounds belonging to the oxylipin family that possess UV-absorbing abilities and accumulate in the dried sample of A. sacrum. The compounds, named saclipin A and saclipin B, exhibited strong UV-absorption properties with the absorption maxima at 316 and 319 nm, respectively, and the molar extinction coefficients of 26,454 and 30,555 M-1 cm-1, respectively. The chemical structures of saclipins A and B have been elucidated, revealing that they have an all-E and a 12Z isomeric relationship within the triene structure. The saclipins could be isomerized by photoirradiation, with the cis-form saclipin B proving to be more stable in methanol, ethanol, or acetonitrile. Under drought stress conditions, the accumulation of saclipins A and B in A. sacrum was found to be increased 20- and 10-fold, respectively. Purified saclipins from A. sacrum showed biocompatibility and valuable bioactivities. Specifically, saclipins exhibited radical scavenging activity, maintaining their activity even 40 min after the reaction began. Additionally, they demonstrated inhibitory activity against glycation of elastin and collagen, which are constituents of dermal tissue. Notably, saclipins showed higher activity than the well-known glycation inhibitor aminoguanidine against collagen glycation.

Contrast-Induced Nephropathy and Oxygen Pretreatment in Patients With Impaired Renal Function.

INTRODUCTION: Contrast-induced nephropathy is a complication following coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention. Because contrast-induced nephropathy is a predictor of long-term mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, preventive strategies are required. We assessed the effects of periprocedural oxygenation on contrast-induced nephropathy among patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction. METHODS: A total of 200 consecutive patients with impaired renal function (estimated glomerular filtration < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2) undergoing elective cardiovascular angiography were randomly assigned to an oxygenation treatment (n = 100) or control group (n = 100). In oxygenation treatment, pure oxygen (2 L/min) was administered for 10 minutes before exposure to contrast medium. The primary endpoint was the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy, defined as a ≥ 25% increase in serum creatinine levels from baseline within 48 hours of exposure. RESULTS: In the oxygenation treatment group, partial pressure of arterial oxygen was higher (135 ± 25 mm Hg vs. 84 ± 10 mm Hg, P < 0.001); contrast-induced nephropathy incidence was lower (1% vs. 8%, odds ratio [OR] = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01-0.95, P = 0.02); and partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide and bicarbonate base lactate levels were similar compared with those in the control group. Upon univariate analysis, excess and absence of oxygenation treatment (OR = 9.18, CI = 1.13-74.86, P = 0.03) and anemia (OR = 4.30, CI = 1.04-17.78, P = 0.04) were shown to be associated with contrast-induced nephropathy incidence. CONCLUSION: Oxygenation, a simple, nonpharmacological strategy, may be beneficial when using contrast media in patients with impaired renal function from noninvasive angiography to emergency catheterization.

Impact of anticoagulant therapy with dual antiplatelet therapy on prognosis after treatment with drug-eluting coronary stents.

BACKGROUND: Although combination therapy for various cardiac conditions with dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and thienopyridine derivatives) and warfarin sodium has become increasingly popular, the safety and effectiveness of this aggressive treatment regimen remain unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively enrolled and analyzed 575 consecutive patients who had been implanted with drug-eluting coronary stents. The primary and secondary endpoints were major bleeding complications and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), respectively. At the time of discharge, 525 patients (91.3%) were prescribed with dual antiplatelet therapy, and 50 (8.7%) of them received dual antiplatelet plus anticoagulant therapy (triple therapy). The patients treated with triple therapy had a greater prevalence of comorbid conditions, including left ventricular systolic dysfunction and multi-vessel coronary disease compared to those on the dual antiplatelet regimen. During a median follow-up of 459 days, 14 (2.7%) patients receiving dual, and 9 (18.0%) receiving triple therapy reached the primary endpoint (p<0.001). These results show that warfarin use was associated with an increased risk of subsequent major bleeding. On the other hand, the incidence of MACE did not differ between the two groups (p=0.108 by the log-rank test). Multivariate analysis showed that renal impairment was an independent predictor of the risk of subsequent major bleeding in the triple therapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Triple therapy increased the hemorrhagic complications in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents, especially in patients with impaired renal function. Great caution should be taken with patients who necessitate the addition of anticoagulation therapy with warfarin to dual antiplatelet therapy.

[Long-term outcome and tolerability of carvedilol therapy in Japanese patients with chronic heart failure].

OBJECTIVES: Randomized controlled clinical studies in western countries have shown that the beta-blockers improve the survival of patients with chronic heart failure and are highly tolerable. The tolerability of beta-blocker therapy and the long-term prognosis for patients with chronic heart failure receiving beta-blockers remain unclear in Japan. In the present study, carvedilol was employed for the treatment of mild to severe chronic heart failure and the long-term prognosis of the patients was monitored to evaluate the tolerability and chronic efficacy of beta-blocker therapy in Japanese patients. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-seven patients with chronic heart failure [Classes II to IV according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification] were studied. Carvedilol was started at a dose of 1.25 to 5 mg/day and then increased to the final target dose of 20 mg/day, depending on its tolerability in each patient. The patients were monitored with respect to their NYHA classification, daily mean heart rate (evaluated by Holter electrocardiography), changes of the plasma brain natriuretic peptide level, and prognosis. They were followed up for a mean period of 4.4 +/- 1.8 years. RESULTS: Carvedilol was not tolerated by 21 of the 327 patients (6.4%), and was discontinued during the follow-up period in 38 patients (11.6%). The mean maintenance dose for the remaining 268 patients (82.0%), in whom treatment could be continued over the long term, was 14.1 +/- 7.5 mg. The NYHA classification and plasma brain natriuretic peptide level were significantly improved, and the daily mean heart rate was also significantly reduced in the 268 patients. Significant improvement was also observed in patients with severe heart failure (classes III or IV of the NYHA classification). The five-year survival rate of patients continuously treated with carvedilol was 83%, and their outcome was significantly better than that of those who could not tolerate the drug (49%; p < 0.001) or those who discontinued treatment prematurely (68%; p < 0.001). The treated group also had a significantly lower cardiac death rate than the intolerant group or discontinued group. CONCLUSIONS: Carvedilol was well tolerated by Japanese patients with chronic heart failure. Treatment with low-dose carvedilol may improve the symptoms and prognosis of patients with mild to severe chronic heart failure over the long term.

Silent pulmonary artery dissection in a patient with Eisenmenger syndrome due to ventricular septal defect: a case report.

A 62-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of fever in August 2002. She had been treated under a diagnosis of Eisenmenger syndrome with ventricular septal defect since 1988. On admission, echocardiography and color Doppler echocardiography revealed a markedly enlarged pulmonary artery with a mobile flap, and dissection of the pulmonary artery. The origin of the fever could not be identified, and the fever subsided spontaneously without specific treatment. She had no chest pain, but fever might have been a sign of dissection in this patient. Longstanding pulmonary hypertension may cause dissection, which may lead to sudden death or pulmonary hemorrhage often seen in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. Our patient was a rare survivor without serious bleeding complication.

[Complex myxoma detected by syncope: a case report].

A 23-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of syncope and intracardiac masses. Echocardiography revealed three masses in the right ventricle and one in the left ventricle. The largest mass, 4 by 5 cm, occupied the right ventricular outflow tract and prolapsed through the pulmonary valve orifice. Right ventricular systolic pressure was 65 mmHg. A soft mass, 4 by 5 cm, was found on the left subcostal abdominal wall and multiple pigmented spots on the face and trunk. Histological examination of the resected tumors, including the abdominal soft mass, were consistent with myxoma. The combination of multiple cardiac and abdominal wall myxomas and pigmented skin lesions in this young patient is considered to be a diagnostic feature of Carney complex.