Leptomeningeal mycosis fungoides

Central nervous system involvement with mycosis fungoides complicated the clinical course of a patient at a time when his skin was clinically free of disease following systemic chemotherapy. A leptomeningeal syndrome of blurred vision and papilledema, and confusion progressing to coma, was associated with elevated spinal fluid pressure and abnormal spinal fluid cells morphologically similar to those seen in the Sezary syndrome. The symptoms were dramatically reversed by intrathecal methotrexate, brain irradiation, and steroids. Mycosis fungoides recurred in the skin, in the spinal fluid, and in both eyes. Despite continued systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy, the patient died from mycosis fungoides. This is the second patient reported with meningeal mycosis fungoides.     

The specificity of split renal membranes in hereditary nephritis

This study was undertaken to assess the specificity of split renal basement membranes in hereditary nephritis (HN). Thirteen specimens from eight patients with HN were mixed in a random fashion with specimens from control patients with either idiopathic nephrotic syndrome or various forms of glomerulonephritis and with specimens from patients with benign recurrent hematuria (BRH). Each biopsy specimen was scored for splitting of glomerular basement membranes (GBMs). Control and BRH specimens contained focal splitting in the GBMs; the biopsy specimens from HN patients had widespread lesions. Evaluation of split GBMs is useful in differentiating patients with HN from those with BRH and other renal diseases that may be confused with HN.     

The effects of feeding fish oil on uterine secretion of PGF2alpha, milk composition, and metabolic status of periparturient Holstein cows

The objectives were to determine the effect of dietary fish oil (FO) on uterine secretion of PGF2alpha, milk production, milk composition, and metabolic status during the periparturient period. Holstein cows were assigned randomly to diets containing FO (n = 13) or olive oil (OO, n = 13). Cows were fed prepartum and postpartum diets that provided approximately 200 g/d from 21 d before the expected parturition until 21 d after parturition. The FO used contained 36% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, n-3) and 28% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3). Blood samples were obtained from 14 d before the due date until d 21 postpartum. A total of 6 FO and 8 OO cows without periparturient disorders were used in the statistical analyses of PGF2alpha-metabolite (PGFM) and metabolite concentrations. Length of prepartum feeding with OO or FO did not differ. Proportions of individual and total n-3 fatty acids were increased in caruncular tissue and milk of cows fed FO. The combined concentrations of EPA and DHA in caruncular tissue were correlated positively with the number of days supplemented with FO. Cows fed FO had reduced concentrations of plasma PGFM during the 60 h immediately after parturition compared with cows fed OO. Concentrations of prostaglandin H synthase-2 mRNA and protein in caruncular tissue were unaffected by diet. Production of milk and FCM were similar between cows fed the two oil diets. However, cows fed FO produced less milk fat. Feeding FO reduced plasma concentrations of glucose. Dietary fatty acids given during the periparturient period can reduce the uterine secretion of PGF2alpha in lactating dairy cows and alter the fatty acid profile of milk fat.     

Comparison of fatty acid content of milk from Jersey and Holstein cows consuming pasture or a total mixed ration.

Holstein (n = 19) and Jersey (n = 18) cows were used to study effects of two feeding systems on fatty acid composition of milk. Confinement cows were fed a total mixed ration with corn silage and alfalfa silage and pastured cows grazed a crabgrass (90%) and clover (10%) pasture and were allowed 5.5 kg of grain per head daily. Two milk samples were collected from each cow at morning and afternoon milkings 1 d each week for four consecutive weeks in June and July 1998. One set of milk samples was analyzed to determine fatty acid composition, and the second set was used for crude protein and total fat analyses. Data were analyzed by the general linear models procedure of SAS, using a split-plot model with breed, treatment, and breed x treatment as main effects and time of sampling and week as subplot effects along with appropriate interactions. Milk from pastured cows was higher than milk from confinement cows for the cis-9, trans-11 octadecadienoic acid isomer of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Also, milk from Holsteins was higher than milk from Jerseys for C16:1, C18:1, and CLA and lower than Jerseys for C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, and C14:0. Several treatment x week interactions existed, but main effects were still important; for example, proportions of CLA in milk of grazed cows were relatively constant across weeks (0.66, 0.64, 0.64, and 0.69% +/- 0.02%, respectively), but the CLA in milk of confinement cows increased in wk 4 (0.35, 0.31, 0.31, and 0.48% +/- 0.02% for wk 1 to 4, respectively). There are potentially important differences in fatty acid composition of milk from cows consuming a warm season pasture species compared with milk from cows consuming a total mixed ration, as well as differences between Holstein and Jersey breeds.     

Effect of grazing and fat supplementation on production and reproduction of Holstein cows

The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of feeding a soybean oil refining by-product (SORB), made up mainly of sodium salts of long-chain fatty acids, on reproductive performance and productivity of 36 early lactation Holstein cows managed in a free-stall barn or on annual rye-ryegrass pasture. In this 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, cows consumed 0 or 0.5 kg/d of SORB as part of a total mixed ration for barn cows or as part of a grain supplement fed to cows on intensively, rotationally stocked pasture. Blood was sampled 3 times weekly and plasma was measured for progesterone to assess ovarian activity. Estrus activity was recorded using the HeatWatch estrus detection system. Although average 14-wk milk production (37.2 kg/d) was not different among treatments, barn cows had more persistent lactations than did grazing cows. Cows housed in the barn lost less body weight and returned to initial body weight sooner and had lower mean concentrations of plasma nonesterified fatty acids (464 vs. 261 mEq/L) than those managed on pasture. The milk fat of cows on pasture contained greater proportions of conjugated linoleic acid and linolenic acid but a corresponding 0.22 percentage unit decrease in milk fat concentration (3.39 vs. 3.16%). Cows managed on pasture had greater peak concentrations of plasma progesterone during the first estrous cycle. Cows managed on pasture and fed SORB had the greatest accumulation of plasma progesterone over the 14 wk of the study (SORB × housing interaction). These cows experienced the most mounts during their first estrus (9.3) and pregnancy rate was also greatest for this treatment (62.5%). Feeding SORB did not affect production of milk, fat, or protein. Loss of body condition was less in cows fed SORB. Ruminal fluid concentration of propionate increased and ruminal pH decreased in cows fed SORB. A lower proportion of fatty acids less than 18 carbons in length was found in the milk fat of cows fed SORB, thus indicating lower de novo synthesis of fatty acids. Higher proportions of C18:2n-6 and conjugated C18:2 were found in the milk fat of cows fed SORB. Based on concentrations of plasma progesterone, cows fed SORB experienced their first ovulation earlier (26.7 vs. 42.4 d postpartum) than did cows not supplemented with SORB. Neither housing system nor SORB supplementation influenced detection of first estrus (50.5 d) or the mean length of each estrus period (447 min).     

Indian black rice: A brewing raw material with novel functionality

Indian black rice (Chakhao Poireiton) is a pigmented variety, rich in anthocyanins and other phytonutrients. With growing interest in the use of local raw materials in brewing, it was of interest to develop protocols for malting and brewing with Chakhao Poireiton to see whether the antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins could be delivered into finished beer. Protocols for brewing with 100% malted rice were developed and the performance of Indian black rice compared with that of an Italian white rice cultivar suited to brewing. The apparent fermentabilities of rice worts were 69.5% (black) and 67.3% (white), yielding beers of 3.28 and 3.19% ABV respectively. Black rice worts were deficient in free amino nitrogen (83.5 mg/L relative to 137 mg/L for white rice) and would need nitrogen supplementation to avoid issues with fermentation, e.g. elevated diacetyl. Black rice beer had an orange-red hue as a result of extraction of anthocyanin pigments (2.84 mg/L). The oxidative stability of 100% rice beers was measured using electron spin resonance spectroscopy and both samples were found to be unusually stable. Interestingly, when rice beers were blended with a control barley malt derived lager in varying proportions (10, 25, 50%), the oxidative stability was improved, relative to the control lager, particularly so in the case of black rice beer, which contained an antioxidant capacity over and above that of the white rice beer. Future studies are required to determine whether the noted oxidative stability of 100% rice malt beers results in a more flavour-stable beer. © 2019 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Substituted glycals as probes of glycosidase mechanisms

D-Glucal and a series of substituted derivatives have been tested as substrates, inhibitors and inactivators of the Agrobacterium faecalis beta-glucosidase in order to probe structure/function relationships in this enzyme. D-Glucal is shown to be a substrate (kcat = 2.3 min-1, Km = 0.85 mM) undergoing hydration with stereospecific protonation from the alpha-face to yield 2-deoxy-beta-D-glucose. 1-Methyl-D-glucal surprisingly serves as only a poor substrate (kcat = 0.056 min-1, Km = 57 mM), also undergoing protonation from the alpha-face. 2-Fluoro-D-glucal, however is completely inert, as a result of inductive destabilisation of the oxocarbenium ion-like transition state for protonation, and functions only as a relatively weak (Ki = 24 mM) inhibitor. Similar behaviour was seen with almond beta-glucosidase and yeast alpha-glucosidase and for the interaction of 2-fluoro-D-galactal with Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase. A series of of alpha, beta-unsaturated glucal derivatives was also synthesised and tested as potential substrates, inhibitors or inactivators of A. faecalis beta-glucosidase. Of these only 1-nitro-D-glucal functioned as a time dependent, irreversible inactivator (ki = 0.011 min-1, Ki = 5.5 mM), presumably acting as a Michael acceptor. Electrospray mass spectrometric analysis revealed multiple labeling of the enzyme by this inactivator, lessening its usefulness as an affinity label. Less reactive Michael acceptor glycals which might have been more specific (1-cyano-, 2-cyano-, 1-carboxylic acid, 1-carboxylic acid methyl ester) unfortunately did not function as inactivators or substrates, only as relatively weak reversible inhibitors (Ki = 3-96 mM).