Changes in dermal structure and skin oxidative stress in overweight and obese Japanese males after weight loss: a longitudinal observation study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Previous studies have reported decreased dermal echogenicity and increased skin oxidative stress in overweight males. However, it is unknown whether these skin parameters of overweight and obese people are similar to those of individuals exhibiting a normal body weight following weight loss. The purpose of this study was to (1) compare the changes in the dermal structure parameters and levels of skin oxidative stress before and after weight loss in overweight and obese people in Japan and (2) to clarify how these aspects changed when body weight would be reduced to normal body weight. METHODS: Male volunteers with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 were recruited. The dermal structure was visualized and dermal echogenicity and thickness were measured using ultrasound scanners. The mRNA expression level of heme oxygenase-1 in the hair follicles was quantitatively analyzed as a marker of skin oxidative stress. RESULTS: When overweight individuals in their 20s to 30s reduced their weight to normal, decreased dermal thickness in the abdominal region was observed in 50% of the subjects; however, no increase in dermal echogenicity was observed. A decrease in dermal thickness and an increase in dermal echogenicity in the thighs was observed in 83.3% of the subjects. No decrease in the level of dermal oxidative stress was observed. CONCLUSION: The dermal structure in the thighs of overweight young individuals can be improved to the level of the structure in those of normal body weight individuals following weight loss.

Comparative studies on Philippine Paragonimus westermani and Japanese Paragonimus westermani

Paragonimus westermani in the Philippines has been reconfirmed to develop to sexual maturity in albino rats. The migration route of this species in albino rats have also been studied in detail and compared with that of Paragonimus westermani in Japan in ratsAs the result it was found that the course of migration of the larvae of Philippine P. westermani in rats was quite different from that of Japanese P. westermani in ratsIt has shown that it is possible to differentiate the species of Paragonimus westermani in the Philippines and Japan by means of immunoserological techniques such as compliment fixation test, double diffusion test and immunoelectrophoresis. The Philippine P. westermani from Japanese P. westermani not only morphology but also biological and immunological chararcteristics, therefore we reiterate the new name paragonimus philippinensis, (Ito, 1978) Philippine P. westermaniA new theory by Miyazaki (1977) concerning the taxonomy of Paragonimus westermani is also discussed. (Summary)

The relationship of ABH(O) blood group antigen expression in intraepithelial dysplastic lesions to clinicopathologic properties of associated transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Paraffin-embedded, giant-step sections of 13 bladders with transitional cell carcinomas were stained with monoclonal anti-A or anti-B antibodies to investigate whether intraepithelial dysplastic lesions are related to obvious tumors. Normal and/or hyperplastic lesions were retained in only eight bladders; severe dysplasia and/or carcinoma in situ were found in all bladders except two. AB-antigen expression was retained in intraepithelial lesions of bladders with invasive carcinoma. Most intraepithelial lesions were AB-antigen negative in bladders with frequently recurrent tumors. In bladders with initially multiple tumors, AB-antigen expression was negative in almost one half of the intraepithelial lesions. Therefore, it appears likely that most multiple or recurrent bladder carcinomas arise from dysplastic cells in intraepithelial lesions which have acquired malignant potential; initially invasive tumors quickly develop from a limited lesion acquiring a high malignant potential without changes of cell phenotype in most intraepithelial lesions.

Schistosoma japonicum and Paragonimus ohirai: antagonism between S. japonicum and P. ohirai in Oncomelania nosophora.

Antagonistic interactions between Schistosoma japonicum and Paragonimus ohirai were examined in the snail host, Oncomelania nosophora. When P. ohirai-infected snails were exposed to S. japonicum miracidia at intervals of 4 to 18 weeks post-first exposure, only a few snails (0-7%) were found to be superinfected with S. japonicum sporocysts. Sporocysts were fewer in number than those of single infected controls. Mature S. japonicum cercariae were not observed. Furthermore, when the snails were examined at intervals of 14 to 18 weeks post-second exposure, neither sporocysts nor cercariae of S. japonicum were found. On the other hand, when the snails were exposed to miracidia of S. japonicum and P. ohirai simultaneously, they were easily infected with both parasites. At 26 weeks after simultaneous exposure, however, the infection rate of S. japonicum was significantly lower than that of controls. In contrast, when S. japonicum-infected snails were exposed to P. ohirai miracidia, they were superinfected with P. ohirai, although the infection rate was somewhat lower than that of controls. These results indicate the existence of antagonism between S. japonicum and P. ohirai in O. nosophora. Furthermore, P. ohirai was dominant over S. japonicum in the antagonistic interactions in this snail host.

Application of the latex agglutination test for human paragonimiasis in South America.

The latex agglutination test (LAT) was compared with the complement fixation test (CFT), double diffusion test (DDT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of South American paragonimiasis. Sera from 17 Peruvian and Ecuadorian patients with paragonimiasis, from 15 Japanese patients with other helminthiases, and from 100 healthy students were analyzed. The tests were also compared using serum samples from patients treated with bithionol. There was remarkable agreement among the methods and it was concluded that the LAT could be a useful serodiagnostic technique for paragonimiasis, especially in field surveys.

In vitro cultivation of Paragonimus miyazakii and P. ohirai.

Excysted metacercariae of Paragonimus miyazakii and P. ohirai were cultured in various media at 37.5 C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere. Paragonimus miyazakii grew rapidly and showed a well-developed ovary, uterus, and testes at 172 days in NCTC 109 supplemented with 30% rabbit serum, 50% egg yolk-109, and rabbit red blood cells (RBC's). However, none of the worms formed yolk or eggs in these cultures. On the other hand, P. ohirai grew to the adult stage, in which vitellaria and imperfect ova were formed, in NCTC 109 supplemented with 30% dog serum, 10% yeast extract Earle's solution (YLE), and dog RBC's at 252 days. The maximum body length of these worms measured 7.0 mm (mean 5.5 mm) at 252 days. The dog RBC's were an essential ingredient of the culture medium for the development of P. ohirai. Additions of liver concentrate, chick embryo extract (CEE), and egg yolk-109 in the medium did not provide any additional benefits for the development of worms. Using this supplemented medium, adult worms of P. ohirai removed from rats were maintained in vitro to examine their ability to lay eggs. Egg laying occurred during the first 10-13 days for worms that survived more than 60 days. The number of eggs deposited in this medium was about 2 times that found when Hanks' BSS and NCTC 109 were used.

Paragonimus westermani: a comparative study on the migration route of the diploid and triploid types in the final hosts.

Recent studies on chromosomes have shown the presence of diploid and triploid types of Paragonimus westermani. To determine any possible biological differences between them, the migration route and development of the diploid type in the final hosts were compared with those of the triploid type. In the cat, the definitive host, larvae of the diploid type migrated to the abdominal wall, remained there for two weeks, and then migrated to the lung. In the rat, the abnormal host, some orally administered metacercariae of the diploid type made cysts in the lung and laid eggs, but the triploid type did not lay any eggs. Neither type of P. westermani migrated to the liver of the rat, in contrast to the previously reported fact that P. miyazakii and P. ohirai migrate to the liver and develop there. From these results, it seems likely that the two types of P. westermani are closely related.

Experimental chemotherapy of paragonimiasis. A review.

The ideal type of an anthelmintic drug should be effective against the parasite and not toxic to the host. In early studies of this disease in Japan, a large number of different drugs was tested, none of which was promising enough. In 1956, an in vitro screening method for effective drugs against Paragonimus westermani was established. It was also found (1961) that rats experimentally infected with P. ohirai can be successfully employed for chemotherapeutic studies of paragonimiasis in place of dogs and cats infected with P. westermani. Thus, bithionol has been found to have a strong therapeutic effect against pulmonary paragonimiasis and is now used not only for individual treatment but also for mass treatment in endemic areas. However, it proved difficult to administer bithionol over 20 days because of reduced patient compliance, especially in patients of population based chemotherapy. To ensure good patient compliance and easy administration in such campaigns for disease control, treatment must be simple and given over a minimum period of time. Praziquantel (2-cyclohexylcarbonyl-1,2,3,6,7,11b-hexahydro-4H-pyrazino[2,1-a]++ +isoquinolin- 4-one, EMBAY 8440, Biltricide) is a recently introduced drug that has the unique characteristic of being effective in the treatment of infections with all schistosome species pathogenic to man and many other human trematode and cestode infections, and it has to be given on 1 to 2 days only. In this paper, the effects of praziquantel against Paragonimus in vitro using metacercariae of P. ohirai and rats experimentally infected with P. ohirai are described.

[Efficacy of paromomycin sulfate against human cestodiasis and its pharmacological action on tapeworm in vitro].

Recently, it has been reported that paromomycin sulfate has marked anthelmintic efficacy against tapeworm infections in man. In the present study this drug was used in the treatment of 14 cases of diphyllobothriasis latum and 1 case of taeniasis saginata. Also, the actions of paromomycin sulfate on Diphyllobothrium ditremum and D. erinacei were examined pharmacologically using Magnus apparatus and biochemical methods. The results obtained were as follows. For the treatment, a total of 50 mg/kg of paromomycin sulfate divided into 2 doses was given orally at intervals of 30 minutes. Two hours after medication, 20 g of magnesium sulfate dissolved in 200--300 ml of water was given as purgative. One or 2 worms were found in the stools of 11 cases with D. latum and 1 case with T. saginata within 24 hours after medication, but scolex was found in only 2 of them. All cases were negative for the eggs or segments in stool examinations at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Except 1 case complained mild and transient vomiting no side effects were noticed. All cases showed no abnormality in blood examination, liver function test and urinalysis. Both of the proglottids of D. ditremum and D. erinacei showed muscle relaxation in Tyrode solution containing 10(-4) g/ml of paromomycin sulfate. In D. ditremum the recovery of muscle tonus was observed within 10--15 minutes after affection of this drug, while the persistence of muscle relaxation was seen in D. erinacei. The activity of phosphoglucose isomerase was slightly inhibited by 10(-3) M paromomycin sulfate while those of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were not inhibited. In phosphoenolpyruvate-succinate pathway, the activity of fumarate reductase was slightly inhibited 10(-3) M paromomycin sulfate while those of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and malate dehydrogenase were not inhibited.

Enzymes of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway in Toxoplasma gondii.

All six enzymes of the de novo biosynthetic pathway leading to the biosynthesis of UMP have been characterized in Toxoplasma gondii. The first three enzymes of the pathway, carbamyl phosphate synthetase-II (CPS-II), aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase) and dihydroorotase (DHOase) could be consistently separated by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Their molecular weights were estimated to be approximately 540 000, 140 000 and 70 000, respectively. The last two enzymes, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRTase) and orotidylate decarboxylase (ODCase), cosedimented at the same position, corresponding also to a molecular weight of approximately 70 000. The fourth enzyme, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHO-DHase), was associated with the particulate fraction. Apparent Km values for the respective enzymes were: CPS-II, MgATP2- (19.7 1.2 mM), L-glutamine (12.0 +/- 1.7 microM), ammonia (15.5 +/- 2.7 mM); ATCase, carbamyl phosphate (26.2 +/- 3.5 microM), L-aspartate (17.6 +/- 8.5 mM); DHOase (reverse direction) dihydroorotate (1.6 +/- 0.08 microM); ODCase, orotidine 5'-monophosphate (0.41 +/- 0.04 microM). MgUTP2- was found to act as an inhibitor of CPS-II, with an apparent Ki of 0.41 mM. However, 5-phospho-alpha-D-ribosyl-1-diphosphate, dimethyl sulphoxide and glycerol had no effect on the Km value for MgATP2-. The effect of some inhibitors, including pyrimidine and purine nucleotides and analogs and respiratory chain inhibitors, was also determined for the enzymes of the pathway.

Gas chromatographic method for the determination of urinary acetylpolyamines.

A gas chromatographic method was developed for the determination of monoacetylputrescine, monoacetylcadaverine, N1-acetylspermidine and N8-acetylspermidine in human urine. The amines were isolated from urine by silica gel column chromatography. 1,10-Diaminodecane was used as internal standard. The amines were reacted with ethyl chloroformate in aqueous medium to four ethyloxycarbonyl derivatives prior to application to gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector. Separation and determination of the derivatives were carried out on a Uniport HP column (1.0 m) impregnated with 0.5% SP-1000 under temperature-programmed conditions. The monoacetylpolyamines could be measured accurately at the nanomole level. The method was used for the determination of the monoacetylpolyamines in urine of healthy volunteers. The values obtained were in the range of the published data.

Control of schistosomiasis japonica in the Nagatoishi area of Kurume, Japan.

A pilot experiment using NaPCP as a molluscicide to control schistosomiasis japonica was initiated in 1950--51 in Nagatoishi-cho, Kurume, Japan, where 1,050 persons lived behind dikes built to prevent flooding from the Chikugo River. They farmed 60 ha of rice, and 72.9% of them were infected with schistosomiasis. At the end of 2 years, 99.5% of the snails (Oncomelania h. nosophora) were controlled and new cases dropped from 30--35 per year to 5 and 0 at the end of the 1st and 2nd year, respectively. Mollusciciding was continued by Japanese, and paddy irrigation ditches were lined with concrete by 1958. Land reclamation, involving conversion of cultivated land in the river bottom to a golf course, resulted in virtual elimination of infected snails from this area and, when found, snails were uninfected. Using immunologic tests (intradermal, complement fixation, and circumoval precipitation) plus multiple stool examinations in 1972 and 1978, it was possible to demonstrate a marked decrease in cases of schistosomiasis in children 15 years of age or younger. These results were significantly different (P less than 0.001) from those found in similar tests run in 1940 and 1966. By 1978 all children in the Nagatoishi area of Kurume, Japan, were negative for Schistosoma japonicum infection.