Preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines suppresses nasal symptoms and expression of histamine H₁ receptor mRNA in the nasal mucosa of patients with pollinosis

Administration of antihistamines 2-4 weeks before the pollen season showed a greater inhibitory effect on nasal allergy symptoms in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. However, the mechanism of slow-onset effects of preseasonal treatment with antihistamines remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines on nasal symptoms and the expression of histamine H₁ receptor (H1R) mRNA of the nasal mucosa in patients with cedar pollen pollinosis. During the peak pollen period, the expression of H1R mRNA in the nasal mucosa and the scores of sneezing and watery rhinorrhea in patients receiving preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines were significantly suppressed in comparison with those in the patients without treatment. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the nasal symptoms and the expression of H1R mRNA in both patients with or without preseasonal prophylactic treatment. These findings suggest that preseasonal prophylactic treatment with antihistamines is more effective than on-seasonal administration to patients with pollinosis in reducing nasal symptoms during the peak pollen period by suppressing H1R gene expression in the nasal mucosa.

Molecular-Dynamics Simulations of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Growth

We have performed molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film growth using realistic many-body semiclassical potentials developed to describe Si-H interactions. In our MD model, it was assumed that SiH3, SiH2 and the H radicals are main precursors for the thin-film growth. In MD simulations of a-Si:H thin-film growth by many significant precursor SiH3 radicals, we have evaluated average radical migration distances, defect ratios, hydrogen contents, and film growth rates as a function of different incident radical energies to know the effect of the radical energization on the properties. As a result of the comparison between the numerical and experimental results, it was observed that the agreement is fairly good, and that an increase of radical migration distance due to the radical energization is effective on a- Si:H thin-film growth with a low defect.

Grain Boundary Structure and Sliding of Alumina Bicrystals

Alumina bicrystals were fabricated by a hot joining technique at 1500°C in air to obtain ten kinds of [0001] symmetric tilt grain boundaries which included small angle, CSL and high angle grain boundaries. Their grain boundary structures were investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), and the respective grain boundary energies were systematically measured by a thermal grooving technique. It was found that grain boundary energy strongly depended on the grain boundary characters, e.g., there were large energy cusps at low Σ CSL grain boundaries. But, main part of grain boundary energy is likely to be due to the strain energy around the grain boundary, and the contribution of atomic configuration is not so large. Small angle grain boundaries were consisted of an array of partial dislocation with Burgers vector of 1/3[1100] to form the stacking faults between the dislocations. The behavior of grain boundary sliding was also investigated for typical grain boundaries by high-temperature creep test at 1400°C. As the result, the occurrence of grain boundary sliding was found to depend on the grain boundary atomic structure.

Difference in coronary artery intima and media calcification in autopsied patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), coronary artery calcification occurs at two distinct sites in the vessel wall: the intima and the media. Arterial media calcification (AMC), a nonocclusive condition, affects hemodynamics differently compared to arterial intima calcification (AIC), which occurs in atherosclerotic plaques. Arterial calcification is considered a cell-regulated process resembling intramembranous bone formation. The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to clarify the morphological differences between AIC and AMC and to evaluate the role of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and macrophages in AIC and AMC formation.

METHODS

We histologically analyzed 14 tissue specimens from 14 autopsies of patients with CKD Stage 5D who underwent hemodialysis and 5 specimens from 5 patients with CKD Stage 2 - 3 (90 ml/min/1.73 m2 > estimated GFR >= 30 ml/min/1.73 m2). We performed immunohistochemical staining of osteopontin (OPN) as a marker for bone matrix protein, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) for VSMCs, Cbfa1/Runx2 as a marker for osteoblastic differentiation of VSMCs, and CD68 for macrophages.

RESULTS

In the CKD 2/3 group, we also found AIC and AMC. OPN and CD68 expression in the CKD 2/3 group was similar to that in the CKD 5D group. Although we did not find Cbfa1/Runx2 positive cell expression in the CKD 2/3 group, we did find it in the CKD 5D group. We found CD68-positive cells predominantly in AIC and absent in AMC in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the influence of Cbfa1/Runx2 pathway in coronary artery calcification depends on the CKD Stage. Expression of CD68-positive cells depends on the location of the coronary artery calcification.

Identification of the blast resistance gene Pit in rice cultivars using functional markers

DNA markers that allow for identification of resistance genes in rice germplasm have a great advantage in resistance breeding because they can assess the existence of the genes without laborious inoculation tests. Functional markers (FMs), which are designed from functional polymorphisms within the sequence of genes, are unaffected by nonfunctional allelic variation and make it possible to identify an individual gene. We previously showed that the resistance function of the rice blast resistance gene Pit in a resistant cultivar, K59, was mainly acquired by up-regulated promoter activity through the insertion of a long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon upstream of Pit. Here, we developed PCR-based DNA markers derived from the LTR-retrotransposon sequence and used these markers to screen worldwide accessions of rice germplasm. We identified 5 cultivars with the LTR-retrotransposon insertion out of 68 rice accessions. The sequence and expression pattern of Pit in the five cultivars were the same as those in K59 and all showed Pit-mediated blast resistance. The results suggest that the functional Pit identified using the markers was derived from a common progenitor. Additionally, comparison of the Pit coding sequences between K59 and susceptible cultivars revealed that one nucleotide polymorphism, which caused an amino acid substitution, offered another target for a FM. These results indicate that our DNA markers should enhance prediction of Pit function and be applicable to a range of rice varieties/landraces cultivated in various regions worldwide and belonging to the temperate japonica, tropical japonica, and indica groups.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on synovial cells attenuated interleukin-6-induced inhibition of osteoclastogenesis induced by receptor activator for nuclear factor κB ligand

In a co-culture of osteoclast precursor cells and synovial cells, interleukin-6 (IL-6) induces osteoclast formation. In contrast, in a monoculture of osteoclast precursor cells, IL-6 directly suppresses receptor activator for nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL)-induced differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts. In the present study, we explored why the effect of IL-6 differed between the monoculture and the co-culture systems. In the monoculture, mouse osteoclast precursor cell line, RAW 264·7 (RAW) cells were cultured with soluble RANKL (sRANKL) for 24 h or 3 days. sRANKL increased both expression of osteoclastogenesis marker, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b (TRAP5b) and nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), whereas the co-addition of IL-6 decreased them both in a dose-dependent manner. In the co-culture, RAW cells and human synovial cell line, SW982 cells were cultured with IL-6+soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) for 3 days. TRAP5b and NFATc1 expression reduced by IL-6 was increased by the addition of SW982 cells in a manner dependent upon the number of added cells. IL-6+sIL-6R treatment significantly induced RANKL production in SW982 cells, and anti-RANKL antibody inhibited IL-6+sIL-6R-induced osteoclastogenesis. SW982 cells expressed high levels of ICAM-1 originally, and ICAM-1 expression was increased significantly by IL-6+sIL-6R. Anti-ICAM-1 antibody suppressed IL-6-induced osteoclastogenesis. Finally, in the monoculture system, addition of sICAM-1 dose-dependently restored the expression of TRAP5b reduced by IL-6. Similar results were obtained when the formation of TRAP-positive multi-nuclear cells were examined using mouse bone marrow cells. In conclusion, IL-6 gave different results in the co-culture and monoculture systems because in the co-culture, ICAM-1 from the synovial cells restored osteoclastogenesis suppressed by IL-6.

Down-scattered neutron imaging detector for areal density measurement of inertial confinement fusion

A custom developed (6)Li glass scintillator (APLF80+3Pr) for down-scattered neutron diagnostics in inertial confinement fusion experiments is presented. (6)Li provides an enhanced sensitivity for down-scattered neutrons in DD fusion and its experimentally observed 5-6 ns response time fulfills the requirement for down-scattered neutron detectors. A time-of-flight detector operating in the current mode using the APLF80+3Pr was designed and its feasibility observing down-scattered neutrons was demonstrated. Furthermore, a prototype design for a down-scattered neutron imaging detector was also demonstrated. This material promises viability as a future down-scattered neutron detector for the National Ignition Facility.

Discrete element analysis in musculoskeletal biomechanics

This paper is written to honor Professor Y. C. Fung, the applied mechanician who has made seminal contributions in biomechanics. His work has generated great spin-off utility in the field of musculoskeletal biomechanics. Following the concept of the Rigid Body-Spring Model theory by T. Kawai (1978) for non-linear analysis of beam, plate, and shell structures and the soil-gravel mixture foundation, we have derived a generalized Discrete Element Analysis (DEA) method to determine human articular joint contact pressure, constraining ligament tension and bone-implant interface stresses. The basic formulation of DEA to solve linear problems is reviewed. The derivation of non-linear springs for the cartilage in normal diarthrodial joint contact problem was briefly summarized. Numerical implementation of the DEA method for both linear and non-linear springs is presented. This method was able to generate comparable results to the classic contact stress problem (the Hertzian solution) and the use of Finite Element Modeling (FEM) technique on selected models. Selected applications in human knee and hip joints are demonstrated. In addition, the femoral joint prosthesis stem/bone interface stresses in a non-cemented fixation were analyzed using a 2D plane-strain approach. The DEA method has the advantages of ease in creating the model and reducing computational time for joints of irregular geometry. However, for the analysis of joint tissue stresses, the FEA technique remains the method of choice.

Gastric tumor from metastasis of breast cancer

Metastatic tumours of the stomach have been reported to result from various types of cancer. Among them, gastric metastasis from breast cancer has been recognised in 0.3-18% patients (1-4). Here, a rare case of metastatic gastric tumour derived from breast carcinoma is reported. Gastric endoscopy confirmed a large, friable mass (approximately 5 cm in diameter) in the upper part of the gastric body. The mass within the stomach was difficult to distinguish from primary gastric cancer, although biopsies of this lesion revealed the characteristics of adenocarcinoma. In addition, immunohistochemistry showed the positive expression of mammaglobin. Taken together, the evidence pointed to metastasis of breast cancer to the stomach. The patient was treated with hormonal therapy (letrozole), and the size of the metastasis in the stomach was markedly reduced. Therefore, a gastric metastasis from breast cancer was diagnosed successfully using immunohistochemistry and unnecessary surgery was avoided. In conclusion, although gastric metastatic tumours derived from breast carcinoma are rare, their accurate pre-operative diagnosis and appropriate systemic treatment is essential.

Efficacy of S-1 in patients with capecitabine-resistant breast cancer-Japan Breast Cancer Research Network (JBCRN) 04-1 trial

BACKGROUND

S-1 is an orally administered fluorinated pyrimidine with high activity in metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) and in chemotherapy-pretreated metastatic breast carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty patients with MBC who did not respond to capecitabine-based chemo-therapy and then received S-1 were identified from our data base of records between 2006 and 2008. The clinico-pathological data and outcomes of these patients were then reviewed.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 27.8%. The median survival was 19.2 months, and the median time to disease progression was 6.2 months. The most common treatment-related adverse events (all grades) were hand-foot syndrome (15%), nausea (15%), vomiting (7.5%), disorder of taste (7.5%), and diarrhea (5%). However, the majority were mild to moderate in intensity, and only one patient experienced grade 3 (according to the National Cancer Institute of Canada Common Toxicity criteria) adverse events. Myelosuppression and alopecia were rare, and there were no reported treatment-related deaths.

CONCLUSION

The results of the current study demonstrate that S-1 is an effective and well-tolerated treatment in patients with capecitabine-resistant MBC. In addition, it is a convenient, orally administered drug, which makes it an attractive agent for use in outpatient treatment.

Association of radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis with health-related quality of life in a population-based cohort study in Japan: the ROAD study

OBJECTIVE

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major public health issue causing chronic pain and disability. However, there is little information on the impact of this disease on quality of life (QOL) in Japanese men and women. The objective of the present study was to clarify the impact of radiographic and symptomatic knee OA on QOL in Japan.

METHODS

This study examined the association of radiographic and symptomatic knee OA with QOL parameters such as the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-8 (SF-8), EuroQOL (EQ-5D) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Radiographic knee OA was defined according to Kellgren/Lawrence (KL) grades, and symptomatic knee OA was defined as KL=3 or 4 with knee pain. We also examined the independent association of symptomatic knee OA and grip strength with QOL.

RESULTS

From the 3040 participants in the Research on Osteoarthritis Against Disability (ROAD) study, the present study analyzed 2126 subjects older than 40 years who completed the questionnaires (767 men and 1359 women; mean age, 68.9+/-10.9 years). Subjects with KL=3 or 4 had significantly lower physical QOL as measured by the physical component summary (PCS) score of the SF-8 and pain domains of the WOMAC, whereas mental QOL, as measured by the mental component summary (MCS) score of the SF-8, was higher in subjects with KL=3 or 4 than KL=0 or 1. Symptomatic knee OA was significantly more likely than radiographic knee OA without pain to be associated with physical QOL loss as measured by the PCS score and physical domains of the WOMAC. Symptomatic knee OA and grip strength were independently associated with physical QOL.

CONCLUSION

This cross-sectional study revealed that subjects with symptomatic knee OA had significantly lower physical QOL than subjects without it.

Intra-arterial therapy with cisplatin suspension in lipiodol and 5-fluorouracil for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumour thrombosis

BACKGROUND

Portal vein tumour thrombosis is a negative prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

AIM

To assess the efficacy of cisplatin in lipiodol emulsion combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for patients with HCC and portal vein tumour thrombosis.

METHODS

The study subjects were 51 patients with the above-specified criteria who received injection of cisplatin suspension in lipiodol emulsion followed by intra-arterial infusion of 5-FU. The primary objective was to determine tumour response to the treatment, while the secondary objectives were safety and tolerability. Independent factors for survival were also assessed.

RESULTS

Ten patients had complete response and 34 patients had partial response (response rate, 86.3%). The median survival for all 51 patients was 33 months, while that for 10 complete response patients and 21 patients who showed disappearance of HCC following additional therapies was 39 months. The single factor that significantly influenced survival was therapeutic effect. Treatment was well tolerated and severe toxicity was infrequent, with only grade 3 toxicity (thrombocytopenia) in one patient.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy using cisplatin-lipiodol emulsion and 5-FU without serious adverse effects in patients with unresectable HCC and portal vein tumour thrombosis.

Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is induced by IFN-{gamma} in human mesangial cells in culture: possible involvement of RIG-I in the inflammation in lupus nephritis

Interferon-gamma is a potent Th1-type cytokine and a key molecule in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases including lupus nephritis. Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I is a putative RNA helicase that plays an important role in immune and inflammatory reactions. We previously demonstrated the increased expression of the retinoic acid-inducible gene-I protein in the kidney tissue of patients with lupus nephritis, and the presence of a significant amount of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I mRNA in the urinary sediment of patients with this inflammatory renal disease. In the present study, interferon-gamma was found to induce the expression of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I in human mesangial cells in culture. Knockdown of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I inhibited the interferon-gamma-induced upregulation of interferon regulatory factor 7, a transcriptional factor involved in immune and inflammatory reactions. These findings suggest that retinoic acid-inducible gene-I produced by mesangial cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis.

The mandible advancement may alter the coordination between breathing and the non-nutritive swallowing reflex

The coordination between nasal breathing and non-nutritive swallowing serves as a protective reflex against potentially asphyxiating material, i.e. saliva and secretions, entering the respiratory tract. Although this protective reflex is influenced by positional changes in the head and body, the effect of mandible position on this reflex is not fully understood. We examined the effect of mandible advancement associated with mouth opening on the coordination between nasal breathing and non-nutritive swallowing induced by continuous infusion of distilled water into the pharyngeal cavity. The combination of mandible advancement and mouth opening increased the duration of swallowing apnoea and submental electromyographic burst duration. When the mandible was advanced with the mouth open, the duration of swallowing apnoea increased significantly compared with the centric position (0.79 +/- 0.23 vs. 0.64 +/- 0.12 s, P < 0.05, n = 12), and the duration of submental electromyographic activity increased significantly (2.11 +/- 0.63 vs. 1.46 +/- 0.25 s, P < 0.05, n = 12). Mandible advancement with mouth opening altered the respiratory phase resetting during swallowing and the timing of swallow in relation to respiratory cycle phase. We conclude that mandible re-positioning may strongly influence the coordination between nasal breathing and non-nutritive swallowing by altering respiratory parameters and by inhibiting movement of the tongue-jaw complex.

Influence of anti-HBc seropositivity on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-infected patients after adjusting for confounding factors

It is controversial whether past hepatitis B virus infection constitutes an additional risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The incidence of HCC between 1994 and 2004 was analysed among 1262 patients who were only positive for HCV. The cumulative incidence of HCC was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the difference between two groups was assessed by the log-rank test. The effect of anti-HBc positivity on the risk of HCC was assessed with multivariate Cox proportional analysis. Anti-HBc was positive in 522 (41.4%) patients. The proportion of male patients (56.7 vs 46.8%, P < 0.001) and mean age (60.8 vs 56.9 years, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the anti-HBc positive group. HCC developed in 339 patients (mean follow-up 7.0 years), with cumulative incidence rates at 3, 5 and 10 years of 12.7, 24.5 and 41.9% in the anti-HBc positive group and 10.6, 17.7 and 33.4% in the negative group, respectively (P = 0.005). However, anti-HBc seropositivity did not reach statistical significance in multivariate analysis including age and gender (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.85-1.31; P = 0.63). Anti-HBc positivity and HCC incidence were confounded by male gender and older age.

Low bone mineral density at femoral neck is a predictor of increased mortality in elderly Japanese women

This study aimed to determine whether low bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck independently predicts all-cause mortality in elderly Japanese women. A prospective cohort study of 271 women aged 67-89 years was conducted. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine independent associations between BMD and total mortality. During a 12-year follow-up period, the mortality risk (as measured by hazard ratio [HR]) was significantly increased in the three categories of baseline BMD (diagnostic criteria of osteoporosis, tertile of BMD, and quartile of BMD). After adjusting for major potential confounding variables for mortality, significantly increased mortality risks were found in subjects with osteoporosis (HR = 2.17, p = 0.032), in subjects in the lowest tertile (HR = 2.57, p = 0.007), and in subjects in the lowest quartile (HR = 3.13, p = 0.014], respectively. Our findings suggest that preventive strategies should be considered to increase and maintain high BMD at the femoral neck in the elderly women not only to prevent hip fractures but also probably to reduce mortality risk.

INTRODUCTION

Several longitudinal studies with Caucasian subjects have suggested that osteoporosis is associated with increased mortality. This study aimed to determine whether low bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck independently predicts all-cause mortality in elderly Japanese community-dwelling women.

METHOD

A prospective cohort study of 271 women aged 67-89 years was conducted. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine independent associations between BMD at both the femoral neck and the trochanter and total mortality.

RESULTS

During a 12-year follow-up period, 81 of 271 women (29.9%) died. An independent and significant relationship was found between baseline BMD at the femoral neck and mortality risk. The mortality risk (as measured by HR) was increased by 2.80-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55-5.06; p < 0.01) in the subjects with osteoporosis or by 2.94-fold (95% CI 1.64-5.26; p < 0.001) in subjects in the lowest tertile or by 3.61-fold (95% CI 1.77-7.41; p < 0.001) in subjects in the lowest quartile of BMD, respectively. After adjusting for major potential confounding factors for mortality such as age, body mass index, blood pressure, blood variables, medical history, alcohol drinking, and smoking status, those in the subjects with osteoporosis (HR = 2.17 [95% CI 1.07-4.41], p = 0.032), in the lowest tertile (HR = 2.57 [95% CI 1.29-5.15], p = 0.007), or in the lowest quartile (HR = 3.13 [95% CI 1.26-7.73], p = 0.014] had a significantly increased risk of mortality. BMD measurement at the trochanter showed similar but weaker results.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that preventive strategies should be considered to increase and maintain high BMD at the femoral neck in elderly subjects not only to prevent osteoporosis and its associated fractures but also probably to reduce mortality risk.

Apaf-1-independent programmed cell death in mouse development

Many cells die during mammalian development and are engulfed by macrophages. In DNase II(-/-) embryos, the TUNEL-positive DNA of apoptotic cells is left undigested in macrophages, providing a system for studying programmed cell death during mouse development. Here, we showed that an Apaf-1-null mutation in the DNase II(-/-) embryos greatly reduced the number of macrophages carrying DNA at E11.5. However, at later stages of the embryogenesis, a significant number of macrophages carrying undigested DNA were present in Apaf-1(-/-) embryos, indicating that cells died and were engulfed in an Apaf-1-independent manner. In most tissues of the Apaf-1(-/-) embryos, no processed caspase-3 was detected, and the DNA of dead cells accumulated in the macrophages appeared intact. Many nonapoptotic dead cells were found in the tail of the Apaf-1(-/-) embryos, suggesting that the Apaf-1-independent programmed cell death occurred, and these dead cells were engulfed by macrophages. In contrast, active caspase-3 was detected in E14.5 thymus of Apaf-1(-/-) embryos. Treatment of fetal thymocytes with staurosporine, but not etoposide, induced processing of procaspases 3 and 9, indicating that the E14.5 thymocytes have the ability to undergo caspase-dependent apoptosis in an Apaf-1-independent manner. Thus, programmed cell death in mouse development, which normally proceeds in an efficient Apaf-1-depenent mechanism, appears to be backed up by Apaf-1-independent death systems.

RNAi-mediated down-regulation of alpha-actinin-4 decreases invasion potential in oral squamous cell carcinoma

alpha-actinin-4, originally identified as an actin-binding protein associated with cell motility, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells, appears to be overexpressed in various human epithelial carcinomas, including colorectal, breast, esophageal, ovarian, and non-small cell lung carcinomas. The authors evaluated whether alpha-actinin-4 might be appropriate as a molecular target for cancer gene therapy. In 64 primary oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) and 10 normal oral mucosal specimens, and in seven human OSCC cell lines, alpha-actinin-4 expression was evaluated immunologically and correlations with clinicopathologic factors were examined. Overexpression of alpha-actinin-4 was detected in 38 of 64 oral squamous cell carcinomas (70%); significantly more frequently than in normal oral mucosa. The expression of alpha-actinin-4 was significantly associated with invasion potential defined by the Matrigel invasion assay. Cancer cell lines with higher alpha-actinin-4 expression had greater invasive potential. An RNAi-mediated decrease in alpha-actinin-4 expression reduced the invasion potential. These results indicated that the overexpression of alpha-actinin-4 was associated with an aggressive phenotype of OSCC. The study indicated that alpha-actinin-4 could be a potential molecular target for gene therapy by RNAi targeting for OSCC.

Plk1 regulates liver tumor cell death by phosphorylation of TAp63

We previously found that Plk1 inhibited the p53/p73 activity through its direct phosphorylation. In this study, we investigated the functional role of Plk1 in modulating the p53 family member TAp63, resulting in the control of apoptotic cell death in liver tumor cells. Immunoprecipitation and in vitro pull-down assay showed that p63 binds to the kinase domain of Plk1 through its DNA-binding region. in vitro kinase assay indicated that p63 is phosphorylated by Plk1 at Ser-52 of the transactivating (TA) domain. Plk1 decreased the protein stability of TAp63 by its phosphorylation and suppressed TAp63-induced cell death. Furthermore, Plk1 knockdown in p53-mutated liver tumor cells transactivated p53 family downstream effectors, PUMA, p21(Cip1/WAF1) and 14-3-3sigma, and induced apoptotic cell death. Double knockdown of Plk1/p63 attenuated Plk1 knockdown-induced apoptotic cell death and transactivation. Intriguingly, both Plk1 and p63 are highly expressed in the side population (SP) fraction of liver tumor cells compared to non-SP fraction cells, suggesting the significance of Plk1/TAp63 in the control of cell death in tumor-initiating SP fraction cells. Thus, Plk1 controls TAp63 by its phosphorylation and regulates apoptotic cell death in liver tumor cells. Plk1/TAp63 may be a suitable candidate as a molecular target of liver tumor treatments.

Phase diagram and spin dynamics in volborthite with a distorted kagome lattice

We report a (51)V-NMR study on a high-quality powder sample of volborthite Cu3V2O7(OH)2 . 2H2O, a spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a distorted kagome lattice formed by isosceles triangles. In the magnetic fields below 4.5 T, a sharp peak in the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T(1) accompanied with line broadening revealed a magnetic transition near 1 K. The low temperature phase shows anomalies such as a Lorentzian line shape, a 1/T(1) proportional, variantT behavior indicating dense low-energy excitations, and a large spin-echo decay rate 1/T(2) pointing to unusually slow fluctuations. Another magnetic phase appears above 4.5 T with less anomalous spectral shape and dynamics.

Visceral fat accumulation is an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after curative treatment in patients with suspected NASH

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Visceral fat accumulation reportedly increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic liver disease. However, it has not been fully elucidated whether visceral fat accumulation increases the risk of HCC recurrence after curative treatment in patients with suspected non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Therefore this was investigated in the current study.

METHODS

62 patients with naive HCC with suspected NASH were enrolled. All were curatively treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation between 1999 and 2006. The visceral fat area (VFA) was determined in each patient from CT images, taken at the time of HCC diagnosis. Patients were divided into two groups based on VFA: the high VFA group (>130 cm(2) in males, >90 cm(2) in females, n = 27) and the others (n = 35). The effects of VFA on HCC recurrence were analysed together with other factors including patients' background, tumour-related factors and liver function-related factors.

RESULTS

The cumulative recurrence rates differed significantly between the two groups; 15.9, 56.5 and 75.1% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively, in the high VFA group, and 9.7, 31.1 and 43.1%, respectively, in the controls (p = 0.018). Multivariate analysis indicated visceral fat accumulation (risk ratio 1.08, per 10 cm(2), p = 0.046) and older age (risk ratio 1.06 per 1 year, p = 0.04) as independent risk factors of HCC recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Visceral fat accumulation is an independent risk factor of HCC recurrence after curative treatment in patients with suspected NASH.

Down-regulation of MDR1 by epigenetic alteration in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells

e16556

Background: Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies in women. Despite recent studies of many oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes concerning about its progression, the details of ovarian cancer biology still remains to be unclear. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) encoded by the MDR1 gene is a membrane protein that can export many kinds of antineoplastic agents from cells, and overexpression of P-gp has been reported to be implicated in treatment failure in cancer. DNA methylation, a major epigenetic process, can affect every step in carcinogenesis as well as genetic alterations. The contribution of such epigenetic alteration to the expression of MDR1 remains largely unexplored in human ovarian cancer. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the DNA methylation status of the MDR1 gene by methylation-specific PCR. Then, the expression of MDR-1 mRNA and protein in primary epithelial ovarian cancer specimens were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry using anti-mouse P-gp F4 monoclonal antibody, respectively. The correlation between these results and clinicopathological features was examined. Results: MDR1 was hypermethylated in 12 of 12 (100%) ovarian cancer cell lines, and 5 of 13 (38%) primary ovarian cancers by methylation-specific PCR analysis. MDR1 mRNA expression was subsequently found to be lost in ovarian cancer cell lines with methylation by both real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Thus, MDR1expression was associated with the DNA methylation status of the MDR1 gene. Conclusions: In conclusion, MDR1 was frequently hypermethylated in human ovarian cancers. Our results suggest that epigenetic regulation might play a role in the expression of MDR1 and clinical treatment outcomes in human ovarian cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

TS-1 in patients with capecitabine-resistant breast cancer

1103

Background: TS-1 is a novel oral anticancer drug, composed of tegafur, gimestat and otastat potassium in a molar ratio of 1:0.4:1, based on the biochemical modulation of 5-Fuorouracil. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TS-1 in patients with capecitabine-resistant metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Methods: Forty patients with MBC who failed capecitabine-based chemotherapy, received TS-1 (100 mg/m2) at four centers. Resistance to capecitabine was defined as either progression of disease during treatment, failure to achieve regression of disease after at least four courses, or rapid recurrence after completion of therapy. Results: From January 2006 to May 2008, 40 pts were enrolled. Baseline characteristics of the pts were: median age 50 years (range 34–78), median ECOG PS 0 (range 0–2), and adequate bone marrow, renal, and hepatic functions. Median number of metastatic sites was 2 (range 1–5). The pts were evaluable for response and toxicity. Ten pts (25 %) achieved a partial response, 12 patients (30 %) patients had stable disease, and 18 (45 %) progressive disease. The median time to disease progression was 26.6 weeks. The most treatment-related adverse events were grade 1/2 in intensity. 7 pts experienced serious TS-1- related gastrointestinal disorder requiring dose modifications in 3 pts and treatment discontinuation in 4 pt. Further, interestingly, 6 of the 40 patients (15.0%) who received TS-1 did hand-foot syndrome (HFS), although 20 of the 40 patients (50.0%) who had received capecitabine, developed HFS. Conclusions: This study confirms that TS-1 achieves a high tumor control rate in pretreated MBC pts and is active in patients with capecitabine-resistant breast cancer. Response rates were comparable to or better than those seen with other therapies for patients with capecitabine-resistant MBC. TS-1 should be considered the reference treatment in this setting based on consistently high efficacy and good tolerability.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effects of 4-n-octylphenol on the induction of mammary tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in rats

We previously reported that a neonatal administration of diethylstilbestrol or 17beta-estradiol affected the mammary carcinogenesis induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in rats. The aim of this present study was to investigate the effects of 4-n-octylphenol (OP), a weak estrogenic disruptor, on the induction of mammary carcinomas (MC) and benign proliferative lesions (PL) induced by DMBA in rats. All female rats were administered at 0, 0.1, 10, 100, and 1,000 microg OP once at birth, given 10 mg DMBA at 50 days after birth, and thereafter underwent necropsy at 351 days after birth. All male rats were given 10 mg DMBA at 28, 42, and 56 days after birth, and 0, 10, 100, and 1,000 ppm OP fed from day 70-153; they underwent necropsy at 153 days after birth. Neonatal single administration of OP in female rats showed no effects such as persistent estrus, anovulatory ovaries, or PL. A slight increase in numbers of rats with MC occurred at the highest dosage. Feeding a large dose of OP for a long period in male rats induced atrophy of testes and slightly increased numbers of affected MC but not increased numbers of males while it showed no effects on PL. These results suggested that administration of a large dose of OP for a long period may have had a minimal effect on mammary carcinogenesis in male rats.

Expression of Androgen Receptor in Mammary Glands in Ovariectomized Cynomolgus Monkeys

This study investigated structural alterations and the immunohistochemical expression of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PgR) in the mammary glands from surgically postmenopausal cynomolgus monkeys ( Macaca fascicularis). Fourteen animals were divided into 2 groups. Seven animals underwent an ovariectomy (OVX), and the other 7 animals underwent a sham operation (sham). The in-life phase of study was 78 weeks. Atrophy in the mammary glands of OVX monkeys was similar to early postmenopausal atrophy of the human breast. The proportion of AR-positive cells in the OVX group was significantly higher than in the sham group, but the proportion of ER and PgR-positive cells was significantly lower. These results suggest that use of a primate model for hormone receptor expression has potential applications in basic human endocrinology, particularly in research in hormone receptor expression in mammary glands (both normal and neoplastic).

Pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel and carboplatin in a hemodialysis patient with advanced ovarian cancer

Paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy (TC) is increasingly performed in ovarian cancer patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, appropriate dosage and time interval between the end of carboplatin administration and the initiation of hemodialysis remain unclear. We performed TC in a hemodialysis patient with ovarian cancer. Paclitaxel was administered at 150 mg/m2 for 3 h, followed by administration of 125 mg of carboplatin within 30 min to achieve a target area under the concentration/time curve (AUC) of 5.0 mg/ml x min by Calvert's formula. At 1 h after completing carboplatin administration, hemodialysis was performed for 4 h. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed we had achieved the desired serum concentration of paclitaxel. However, AUC of free platinum was very low (AUC = 0.98 mg/ml x min). Although the appropriate time interval between the end of carboplatin administration and the initiation of hemodialysis remains a controversial issue, our findings suggest that an interval of at least 1 h is required.

Effects of Neonatally Administered High-dose Diethylstilbestrol on the Induction of Mammary Tumors Induced by 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in Female Rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of neonatal administration of a relatively high dose of diethylstilbestrol (DES) on the induction of mammary carcinomas (MCs) and benign proliferative lesions (PLs) induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in female rats. Three different terms of daily administration of DES (10 μg) were used: 0–14, 0–5, and 6–14 days after birth. Control animals were administered solvent (oil) alone once daily from 0 to 14 days after birth. Rats were given DMBA (10 mg) at 50 days after birth. All rats administered DES showed persistent estrus and anovulatory ovaries. In rats administered DES from 0 to 14 and 0 to 5 days after birth there was protection from development of MCs and PLs, and serum levels of both estrogen and progesterone were significantly lower than in the control animals at 100 days after birth. In rats administered DES from 6 to 14 days after birth, the incidence of MCs was equal to that of the control animals (100%), and the number of PLs was significantly higher than in the control animals. The critical period for exposure to endocrine disruptors, such as DES, affecting the induction of MCs and PLs may be from 0 to 5 days after birth.

Unit-charging programs for municipal solid waste in Japan

Unit-charging programs known as pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) for municipal solid waste in Japan were surveyed. The number of municipalities that have implemented PAYT for combustible waste totaled 954 (30%) in 2003. The introduction of PAYT programs peaked in the early 1970s and again in the 1990s. PAYT has tended to be adopted by municipalities with small populations (less than 30,000). PAYT charging systems can be roughly divided into two groups: simple unit-pricing programs and two-tiered pricing programs. It is difficult to see the relationship between PAYT and waste reduction by simple inspection of the overall changes throughout Japan. Case studies of four municipalities showed that the implementation of PAYT programs reduced the amount of residual waste generated by 20% to 30%. In combination with other measures, especially the recycling of containers and packaging, PAYT programs can bring about a dramatic reduction in waste.

Production of recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor by knocking into the active immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus in the hybridoma cell line

The hybridoma cell line KM50 originally produces a monoclonal antibody at a concentration of approximately 40 mg ml(-1) in ascites. To investigate the possibility to apply this expression system to the production of useful proteins, the cDNA encoding human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was inserted by homologous recombination into just downstream of the promoter of the active immunoglobulin heavy chain gene of KM50. Site directed integration of targeting DNAs resulted in the disruption of expression of the immunoglobulin heavy chain proteins with a frequency of 1 in 10 approximately 100 G418-resistance transfectants. One of the monoclonal antibody-deficient transfectants produced25 ng ml(-1) of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the supernatant of its cell culture the number of molecules of which corresponds to that of the monoclonal antibody originally produced by KM50. However, when this transfectant was injected intraperitoneally, it produced only a 9 mug ml(-1) concentration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in ascites, which is approximately 3 orders of magnitude less than the monoclonal antibody. This method may be applicable to production of other recombinant proteins, although further optimization in the conditions of production would be needed in order to reach much higher yields.

Fully automatic quantification of knee osteoarthritis severity on plain radiographs

OBJECTIVE

Although knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major public health issue causing chronic disability, there is no objective or accurate method for measurement of the structural severity in general clinical practice. Here we have established a fully automatic program KOACAD (knee OA computer-aided diagnosis) to quantify the major OA parameters on plain knee radiographs, validated the reproducibility and reliability, and investigated the association of the parameters with knee pain.

METHODS

KOACAD was programmed to measure joint space narrowing at medial and lateral sides, osteophyte formation, and joint angulation. Anteroposterior radiographs of 1979 knees of a large-scale cohort population were analyzed by KOACAD and conventional categorical grading systems.

RESULTS

KOACAD automatically measured all parameters in less than 1s without intra- or interobserver variability. All parameters, especially medial joint space narrowing, were significantly correlated with the conventional gradings. In the parameters, osteophyte formation was associated with none of the joint space parameters, suggesting different etiologic mechanisms between them. Multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age and confounding factors revealed that medial joint space narrowing and varus angulation of knee joints were risk factors for the presence of pain (594/1979 knees), while neither lateral joint space nor osteophyte area was.

CONCLUSION

KOACAD was shown to be useful for objective, accurate, simple and easy evaluation of the radiographic knee OA severity in daily clinical practice. This system may also serve as a surrogate measure for the development of disease-modifying drugs for OA, just as bone mineral density does in osteoporosis.