The number of metabolic syndrome components is a good risk indicator for both early- and late-stage kidney damage

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Renal hyperfiltration (early-stage kidney damage) and hypofiltration (late-stage kidney damage) are common in populations at high risk of chronic kidney disease. This study investigated the associations of renal hyperfiltration and hypofiltration with the number of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study subjects included 205,382 people aged 40-74 years who underwent Specific Health Checkups in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The prevalence of renal hyperfiltration [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) above the age-/sex-specific 95th percentile] and hypofiltration (eGFR below the 5th percentile) was compared according to the number of MetS components. We found that the prevalence of both hyperfiltration and hypofiltration increased with increasing number of MetS components (odds ratios for hyperfiltration: 1.20, 1.40, 1.42, 1.41, and 1.77; odds ratios for hypofiltration: 1.07, 1.25, 1.57, 1.89, and 2.21 for one, two, three, four, and five components, respectively, compared with no MetS components). These associations were observed in both normal weight [body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m(2)] and overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) subjects. Renal hyperfiltration was associated with prehypertension and prediabetes, while hypofiltration was associated with dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, overt hypertension, and overt diabetes.

CONCLUSION

The number of MetS components is a good risk indicator of early- and late-stage kidney damage. Therefore, kidney function should be monitored in subjects with MetS components. MetS components should be treated as early as possible to prevent the development of kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases in people with hyperfiltration, regardless of their body weight.

Cucurbitane-type triterpenes from Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) seeds

Two new cucurbitane-type triterpenes, 24-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,25-dien-3beta-ol (1) and 25-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-3beta-ol (2), were isolated from a MeOH extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities with IC50 values of 33.4-52.4 microM against HL-60 (human leukemia), P388 (murine leukemia), and L1210 (murine leukemia) cells. Compound 1 showed melanogenesis inhibitory activity (melanin content 80.0 %) with low cytotoxicity (cell viability 97.6%) at a low concentration (10 microM).

Cucurbitane-type Triterpenes from Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seeds

Two new cucurbitane-type triterpenes, 24-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,25-dien-3β-ol (1) and 25-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-3β-ol (2), were isolated from a MeOH extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities with IC50 values of 33.4–52.4 μM against HL-60 (human leukemia), P388 (murine leukemia), and L1210 (murine leukemia) cells. Compound 1 showed melanogenesis inhibitory activity (melanin content 80.0 %) with low cytotoxicity (cell viability 97.6 %) at a low concentration (10 μM).

Fasudil inhibits ER stress-induced VCAM-1 expression by modulating unfolded protein response in endothelial cells

The process of atherosclerosis is affected by interactions among numerous biological pathways. Accumulating evidence shows that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis. Rho-kinase is an effector of small GTP-binding protein Rho, and has been implicated as an atherogenic factor. Previous studies demonstrated that fasudil, a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor, exerts a cardioprotective effect by downregulating ER stress signaling. However, the molecular link between ER stress and Rho-kinase in endothelial cells has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which fasudil regulates endothelial inflammation during ER stress. Tunicamycin, an established ER stress inducer, increased vascular cellular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 expression in endothelial cells. Intriguingly, fasudil inhibited VCAM-1 induction. From a mechanistic stand point, fasudil inhibited expression of activating transcription factor (ATF)4 and subsequent C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) induction by tunicamycin. Furthermore, fasudil attenuated tunicamycin-induced phophorylation of p38MAPK that is crucial for the atherogenic response during ER stress. These findings indicate that Rho-kinase regulates ER stress-mediated VCAM-1 induction by ATF4- and p38MAPK-dependent signaling pathways. Rho-kinase inhibition by fasudil would be an important therapeutic approach against atherosclerosis, in particular, under conditions of ER stress.

Involvement of plasmin-mediated extracellular activation of progalanin in angiogenesis

Progalanin is released from the small cell lung carcinoma line SBC-3A and converted to its active form by plasmin. To elucidate the role of progalanin activation in the extracellular compartment, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was studied in SBC-3A cells treated with progalanin siRNA, and angiogenesis was measured in tumor tissue originating from SBC-3A cell transplantation into mice. Progalanin siRNA caused downregulation of progalanin expression for approximately 8 days. MMP activity and angiogenesis were reduced in tumors induced by transplantation of progalanin siRNA-treated SBC-3A cells. In contrast, MMP-9 and MMP-2 activity and angiogenesis increased in tumors originating from progalanin siRNA-treated SBC-3A cells in the presence of galanin and progalanin. Furthermore, injection of tranexamic acid, a plasmin inhibitor, more markedly reduced MMP-9 and MMP-2 activity and angiogenesis in tumors originating from progalanin siRNA-treated SBC-3A cells and in tumor tissue originating from progalanin siRNA-treated SBC-3A cells in the presence of progalanin. The reduction of MMP-9 and MMP-2 activity with tranexamic acid was restored by galanin, but not by progalanin. Moreover, tranexamic acid reduced angiogenesis in control siRNA-treated SBC-3A cells. These results suggest that the activation of progalanin by plasmin in the extracellular compartment was involved in MMP-9 and MMP-2 activation and in angiogenesis in tumor tissue.

Mathematical analysis of the honeybee waggle dance

A honeybee informs her nestmates of the location of a flower by doing a waggle dance. The waggle dance encodes both the direction of and distance to the flower from the hive. To reveal how the waggle dance benefits the colony, we created a Markov model of bee foraging behavior and performed simulation experiments by incorporating the biological parameters that we obtained from our own observations of real bees as well as from the literature. When two feeders were each placed 400 m away from the hive in different directions, a virtual colony in which honeybees danced and correctly transferred information (a normal, real bee colony) made significantly greater numbers of successful visits to the feeders compared to a colony with inaccurate information transfer. Howerer, when five feeders were each located 400 m from the hive, the inaccurate information transfer colony performed better than the normal colony. These results suggest that dancing's ability to communicate accurate information depends on the number of feeders. Furthermore, because non-dancing colonies always made significantly fewer visits than those two colonies, we concluded that dancing behavior is beneficial for hives' ability to visit food sources.

Insulin and memory in Lymnaea

The pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, is capable of learning conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and consolidating this CTA into long-term memory (LTM). The DNA microarray experiments showed that some of molluscan insulin-related peptides (MIPs) were up-regulated in snails exhibiting CTA-LTM. On the other hand, the electrophysiological experiments showed that application of secretions from the MIPs-containing cells evoked long-term potentiation (LTP) at the synapses between the cerebral giant cell (a key interneuron for CTA) and the B1 motoneuron (a buccal motoneuron). We thus hypothesized that MIPs and MIP receptors play an important role at the synapses, probably underlying the CTA-LTM consolidation process. To examine this hypothesis, we applied the antibody, which recognizes the binding site of mammalian insulin receptors and is thought to cross-react MIP receptors, to the Lymnaea CNS. Our present data showed that an application of the antibody for insulin receptors to the isolated CNS blocked LTP, and that an injection of the antibody into the Lymnaea abdominal cavity inhibited LTM consolidation, but not CTA formation.

He/Ar-atom scattering from molecular monolayers: C60/Pt(111) and graphene/Pt(111)

Supersonic He and Ar atomic beam scattering from C(60) and graphene monolayers adsorbed on a Pt(111) surface are demonstrated in order to obtain detailed insight into a gas-molecule collision that has not been studied in detail so far. The effective masses and phonon spectral densities of the monolayers seen by different projectiles are discussed based on classical models such as the hard cube model and the recently developed smooth surface model. Large effective masses are deduced for both the monolayers, suggesting collective effects of surface atoms in the single collision event. The effective Debye temperature of graphene was found to be similar to that reported in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), indicating that the graphene is decoupled well from the Pt substrate. A much smaller Debye-Waller factor was found for the C(60) layer, probably reflecting the strong C(60)-Pt(111) interaction.

Intractable ulcer caused by Mycobacterium shinshuense: successful identification of mycobacterium strain by 16S ribosomal RNA 3'-end sequencing

An extremely rare case of intractable ulcer caused by Mycobacterium shinshuense is described. A 59-year-old Japanese woman developed an ulcerated subcutaneous induration on the upper arm. Ziehl-Neelsen staining revealed positive bacilli. Tissue culture isolated Mycobacterium species, but standard identification techniques (including molecular biological approaches such as DNA-DNA hybridization) could not distinguish the precise causative pathogen, although it was narrowed down to three possibilities: Mycobacterium marinum, Mycobacterium ulcerans and M. shinshuense. Finally, a novel 16S rRNA sequencing method enabled the diagnosis of M. shinshuense infection. The epidemiology of the cutaneous infection caused by this mycobacterium has yet to be elucidated, but a review of reported cases indicated that ulcers having some resemblance to those caused by M. ulcerans infection were found in nonendemic areas and that M. shinshuense could be considered as the cause. The approach introduced in this report could provide a powerful tool for the identification of this organism.

Speed of back-swimming of Lymnaea

The pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, can locomote on its back utilizing the surface tension of the water. We have called this form of movement 'back-swimming'. In order to perform this behavior, the snail must flip itself over on its back so that its foot is visible from above. Little is known about the mechanism of this back-swimming. As a first step for the elucidation of this mechanism, we measured the speed of back-swimming of Lymnaea at the different times of the day. They back-swam significantly faster in the morning than just before dark. These data are consistent with our earlier findings on circadian-timed activity pattern in Lymnaea. Lymnaea appear to secrete a thin membrane-like substance from their foot that may allow them to back-swim. To confirm the existence of this substance and to examine whether this substance is hydrophobic or hydrophilic, we applied a detergent onto the foot during back-swimming. A single drop of 1% Tween 20 drifted Lymnaea away that were still kept at the water surface. These results suggest that Lymnaea secrete a hydrophobic substance from their foot that floats to the water surface allowing Lymnaea to back-swim.

The dance of the honeybee: how do honeybees dance to transfer food information effectively?

A honeybee informs her nestmates of the location of a flower she has visited by a unique behavior called a "waggle dance." On a vertical comb, the direction of the waggle run relative to gravity indicates the direction to the food source relative to the sun in the field, and the duration of the waggle run indicates the distance to the food source. To determine the detailed biological features of the waggle dance, we observed worker honeybee behavior in the field. Video analysis showed that the bee does not dance in a single or random place in the hive but waggled several times in one place and then several times in another. It also showed that the information of the waggle dance contains a substantial margin of error. Angle and duration of waggle runs varied from run to run, with the range of +/-15 degrees and +/-15%, respectively, even in a series of waggle dances of a single individual. We also found that most dance followers that listen to the waggle dance left the dancer after one or two sessions of listening.

Olfactory discrimination of structurally similar alcohols by cockroaches

The capability of the cockroach Periplaneta americana to discriminate odors of structurally similar aliphatic alcohols was studied by using an operant conditioning paradigm. Cockroaches were trained to discriminate three odors: one odor associated with sucrose solution (reward) and two odors associated with NaCl solution (non-reward). After training, their odor preferences were tested by counting the number of visits to each odor source. We tested the capability of cockroaches to discriminate (1) three normal aliphatic alcohols with different numbers of carbon (1-pentanol, 1-hexanol and 1-octanol), (2) three C6 aliphatic alcohols (1-hexanol, 2-hexanol and trans-2-hexen-1-ol), (3) binary mixtures of two of these three alcohols and their components, and (4) 1-hexanol solution of three different concentrations (1, 10 and 100 micro g micro l(-1)). Cockroaches exhibited higher preferences for the odors associated with reward in these tests, and we therefore conclude that cockroaches can discriminate these odors. However, discrimination of 1-hexanol and trans-2-hexen-1-ol and their binary mixture was imperfect, in that some statistical tests suggested significant level of discrimination but other tests did not. In addition, the cockroaches learned to associate a 1-hexanol solution of the highest or lowest concentration with sucrose reward but failed to learn to associate 1-hexanol of an intermediate concentration with reward.

Comparative study of self-expandable metallic stent and bypass surgery for inoperable esophageal cancer

We evaluated the effect of two different therapies for 23 patients with inoperable esophageal cancer, of whom 13 patients underwent placement of a metallic stent and 10 received bypass surgery. We newly defined the improved level of food intake and the effective rate based on the grade of the patient's status in order to evaluate objectively. Although the effect of stent placement was significantly better than that of bypass surgery, there were no significant differences in the improved level of food intake and the effective rate between the two groups. Four out of 10 patients in the bypass group had suture insufficiency, resulting in no oral intake and a fatal outcome. In addition, the ratio of survival period of ability to ingest orally and in-hospital mortality was significantly favorable in the stent group compared with the bypass group. In conclusion, stent placement should be the first choice for inoperable malignant stenosis or esophageal fistula.

Circulating leptin: a marker of health in female students

We studied the relationship between serum leptin concentration and lifestyle factors in female nursing students. Serum leptin was estimated by radioimmunoassay and the correlation between these concentrations with serum lipids, physical fitness and Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile score was investigated. A total of 247 students took part in the study: mean age, 19.0 +/- 2.0 years; mean body mass index (BMI), 21.7 +/- 2.9 kg/m2; and mean serum leptin concentration, 10.8 +/- 11.5 ng/ml. Serum leptin was positively correlated with BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and serum triglyceride. Serum leptin level concentration inversely correlated with physical fitness score and lifestyle score. When the subjects were grouped according to BMI, the high-BMI group (BMI: > or = 24 kg/m2; n = 40) showed significantly lower fitness and lifestyle scores than the low-BMI group (BMI < or = 20 kg/m2; n = 70). Higher leptin, blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride were seen in high-BMI compared with low-BMI subjects. We suggest that leptin is a useful marker for monitoring good health and may be useful as a motivational aid towards achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Comparison of plastic prostheses and self-expandable metallic stents in the treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis

OBJECTIVE

We compared the efficacy of plastic prostheses and self-expandable metallic stents in the treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis and/or fistula.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Subjects were 31 patients with esophageal cancer, 4 with esophagotracheal fistula, and 1 with esophageal stenosis. A plastic prosthesis was inserted in 15 patients (group A) and a self-expandable metallic stent in 21 patients (group B). We evaluated food ingestion improvement, effectiveness, complications, mean survival, food ingestion duration, the percentage of food ingestion capability in total survival time, and inhospital mortality.

RESULTS

No differences were seen in food intake improvement or in the effectiveness between groups, whereas fatal complications were higher in Group A. No significant differences were seen in mean survival, food ingestion duration, percentage of food ingestion capability, or inhospital mortality between groups.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that a self-expandable metallic stent was safer than a plastic prosthesis because of fewer serious complications such as bleeding, and recommended the use of metallic stents in the treatment of malignant esophageal stenosis and/or fistula.

Quantitative analysis of hypertrophy in cardiac chambers in cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot

Although early total corrective repair for cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot is now safely performed at many institutions, long-term complications after surgical repair have been demonstrated. Therefore, the optimal procedure and timing for surgical treatment remain controxersial. In the present study, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the hypertrophy of all four chambers of 87 autopsied hearts of cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot and 71 normal control hearts utilizing the myocardial mass index, and evaluated the progression of lesions with advancing age. In cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot, hypertrophy of the right ventricle progresses immediately after birth, with that of the right atrium developing soon after. The left side of the heart is normal or slightly atrophied which could be corrected by sufficient palliative intervention or total corrective repair. The growth curves of both ventricles were parallel to those of normal hearts for the period studied. Pulmonary atresia, palliative operation, and total corrective repair have been shown to have some influence on the morphological characteristics of hearts of cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot.

Cloning of bullfrog thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) beta subunit cDNA: expression of TSHbeta mRNA during metamorphosis

A thyroid-stimulating hormone beta subunit (TSHbeta) cDNA encoding both signal peptide and mature TSHbeta molecule was cloned from a cDNA library constructed from total RNA of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) adenohypophysis. The bullfrog TSHbeta mRNA was estimated by Northern blot analysis to be approximately 1 kb. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 40-61% homologies with the sequences of TSH beta subunits of other vertebrates. Using the cDNA as a probe, we measured changes in mRNA expression in metamorphosing tadpoles of R. catesbeiana. The TSH beta subunit mRNA level increased progressively throughout prometamorphic stages, reaching its maximum at the end of prometamorphosis. The maximum level was maintained throughout early and mid climax, declining at late climax. These results, together with previously obtained data on plasma prolactin and pituitary prolactin mRNA levels, as well as thyroid hormone levels, are discussed in relation to metamorphic changes occurring in the bullfrog larvae.

Ampulla cardiomyopathy ('Takotusbo' cardiomyopathy)--reversible left ventricular dysfunction: with ST segment elevation

The clinicopathologic findings of reversible ampulla-like ventriculogram of the left ventricle were studied in 8 elderly women and one middle-aged man. Their coronary arteriograms were normal, even in the 7 patients who had ST elevation on electrocardiogram. Coronary spasm was positive in only 2 of the 7 patients who received provocation tests. Biopsy specimens revealed focal myocyte injury. Normal coronary arteriograms during ST elevation and the presence of pathologic myocardial lesions were not consistent with a concept of stunned myocardium. The presence of myocardial lesions suggested that focal and disseminated myocardial damage had occurred.

Life-style related factors and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy--a case-control study using pooled controls

A case-control study was conducted to investigate how basic habits of life including dietary habit, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and drinking, are involved in the development of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Collection of cases was entrusted to the clinical research group of DCM, and national pooled controls established by sex and age category by the epidemiological research group of intractable diseases were used to ensure representativeness of the controls. Fifty-eight cases of DCM which developed in and after January 1991 were collected, and 5,912 controls matched with the cases by residential area, sex, and age were selected. Analysis of the results of the study showed that items in the questionnaire suggestive of viral infection, such as "susceptibility to common cold" and "susceptibility to diarrhea", items concerning dietary habit, including "taking no breakfast", "ingestion of salty food", and "ingestion of fatty food", and such items as "cigarette smoking" and "lack of sleep" tended to be observed in the case group at significantly higher frequencies. Since viral infection has been suspected as a causative factor of DCM, further research of this area is thought to be of particular importance for determining the etiology of DCM.