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Chloroplast starch granules (cpSGs) store energy harvested through photosynthesis in plants, and cpSG dynamics have important roles in plant energy metabolism and stress responses. To date, cpSGs have been visualized using several methods, such as iodine staining; however, no method can be used to specifically visualize cpSGs in living cells from various plant species. Here, we report a simple method to visualize cpSGs in living plant cells in various species by staining with fluorescein, a commonly used fluorescent dye. We show that fluorescein is taken up into chloroplasts and interacts with cpSGs similarly to iodine. Fluorescein also interacts with refined starch in vitro. Using a fluorescein derivative for ultrabright cpSG imaging, we produced high-quality 3D reconstructions of cpSGs and evaluated their accumulation in multiple plant species. As fluorescein is well known and readily purchasable, our fluorescein-based staining method should contribute to all research regarding starch. Fluorescein stains chloroplast starch granules in living plant cells and refined starch in vitro by entering the amylose and amylopectin vacancy in a similar way as iodine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the diagnostic performance and image quality of the low-tube voltage and low-contrast medium dose protocol for hepatic dynamic CT. This retrospective study was conducted between January and May 2018. All patients underwent hepatic dynamic CT using one of the two protocols: tube voltage, 80 kVp and contrast dose, 370 mgI/kg with hybrid iterative reconstruction or tube voltage, 120 kVp and contrast dose, 600 mgI/kg with filtered back projection. Two radiologists independently scored lesion conspicuity and image quality. Another radiologist measured the CT numbers of abdominal organs, muscles, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in each phase. Lesion detectability, HCC diagnostic ability, and image quality of the arterial phase were compared between the two protocols using the non-inferiority test. CT numbers and HCC-to-liver contrast were compared between the protocols using the Mann–Whitney U test. 424 patients (70.5 ± 10.1 years) were evaluated. The 80-kVp protocol showed non-inferiority in lesion detectability and diagnostic ability for HCC (sensitivity, 85.7–89.3%; specificity, 96.3–98.6%) compared with the 120-kVp protocol (sensitivity, 91.0–93.3%; specificity, 93.6–97.3%) (p < 0.001–0.038). The ratio of fair image quality in the 80-kVp protocol also showed non-inferiority compared with that in the 120-kVp protocol in assessments by both readers (p < 0.001). HCC-to-liver contrast showed no significant differences for all phases (p = 0.309–0.705) between the two protocols. The 80-kVp protocol with hybrid iterative reconstruction for hepatic dynamic CT can decrease iodine doses while maintaining diagnostic performance and image quality compared with the 120-kVp protocol. The 80- and 120-kVp protocols showed equivalent hepatic lesion detectability, diagnostic ability for HCC, image quality, and HCC-to-liver contrast. The 80-kVp protocol showed a 38.3% reduction in iodine dose compared with the 120-kVp protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the in vivo interleukin (IL)-12 production after oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110 strain in mice. The KW3110 interacted with CD11b positive cells and Peyer's patch, where IL-12 mRNA expression was produced. Also, 10 hours after administration of KW3110, blood IL-12 levels have increased transiently. It reveals that the oral administration of KW3110 induces IL-12 in vivo which contributes in understanding lactic acid bacteria (LAB) functions.

The article examines how heat-killed lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are recognized to induce interleukin-12 production using toll-like receptors (TLR)-deficient mice. According to the authors, no loss of recognition or cytokine induction was apparent in TLR2-, 4- or 9-deficient mice stimulated by strain KW3110 or any other immunomodulating LAB. They add that MyD88-deficient mice did not respond to LAB at all.