Neopterin is associated with plaque inflammation and destabilisation in human coronary atherosclerotic lesions

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that recent activation of the inflammatory response in coronary atherosclerotic lesions contributes to rapid progressive plaque destabilisation. Neopterin, a by-product of the guanosine triphosphate pathway, is produced by activated macrophages and serves as an activation marker for monocytes/macrophages.

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the role of neopterin in coronary plaque destabilisation by immunohistochemical study of the presence of neopterin in coronary atherectomy specimens obtained from patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All patients underwent atherectomy of the primary atherosclerotic lesions responsible for SAP (n = 25) and UAP (n = 25). Frozen samples were studied with antibodies against smooth muscle cells, macrophages, T cells, neutrophils and neopterin.

RESULTS

In 22/25 patients with UAP, abundant neopterin-positive macrophages were found at the sites of coronary culprit lesions. However, in 25 lesions from patients with SAP, only 11 lesions showed neopterin positivity. Quantitatively, the neopterin-positive macrophage score was significantly higher (p<0.001) in patients with UAP than in patients with SAP. Moreover, the neopterin-positive macrophage score showed a significant positive correlation with the number of neutrophils or T cells, respectively (neutrophils, r = 0.55, p<0.001; T cells, r = 0.70, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Neopterin can be considered as one of the significant factors in the process of plaque inflammation and destabilisation in human coronary atherosclerotic lesions. Its exact role in the process needs to be investigated further.

Biliary navigation surgery using endoscopic nasobiliary drainage tube for the prevention of bile duct injury in laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Bile duct injury is the most troublesome complication in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The identification of the anatomical relationship between the cystic duct and common bile duct is one of the most important points for the safe LC. Therefore, we introduced a biliary navigation surgery using endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) tube to avoid bile duct injury during LC. The benefit of intraoperative cholangiography using an ENBD tube is that the identification of the anatomical relationship between the cystic duct and common bile duct can be confirmed by using intraoperative cholangiography through the ENBD tube. We consider that ENBD tube is useful for identifying the biliary tract by repeated intraoperative cholangiography and, thus, for preventing injury to the bile duct in LC.

Gastric wall-covering method for the prevention of pancreatic fistula after hand-assisted laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic tumor

Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery has been a common surgical procedure for pancreatic tumors. However, the rate of the pancreatic fistula after laparoscopic pancreatic surgery is still high. Recently, we have reported a gastric wall-covering method, a new and novel surgical technique in pancreatic surgery for the prevention of pancreatic fistula, in which the pancreatic cutting surface is covered completely with the gastric wall. Herein, we describe the new surgical procedure of a combination of hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery and gastric wall-covering method for distal pancreatectomy.

Gamow-Teller strength in the exotic odd-odd nuclei 138La and 180Ta and its relevance for neutrino nucleosynthesis

The Gamow-Teller strength distributions below the particle threshold in 138La and 180Ta, deduced from high-resolution measurements of the (3He,t) reaction at 0 degrees, allow us to evaluate the role of charged-current reactions for the production of these extremely rare nuclides in neutrino-nucleosynthesis models. The analysis suggests that essentially all 138La in the Universe can be made that way. Neutrino nucleosynthesis also contributes significantly to the abundance of 180Ta but the magnitude depends on the unknown branching ratio for population of the long-lived isomer.

Endoscopic naso-pancreatic stent-guided single-branch resection of the pancreas for multiple intraductal papillary mucinous adenomas

In benign or low-grade malignant pancreatic tumors, complete removal of the lesion is sufficient for a cure, and thus minimal resection techniques with preservation of the pancreatic functional reserve have advantages over more extended pancreatic resections. However, a high incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula in such procedures has been reported. Moreover, branch-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas tend to locate in the head of the pancreas, and show less malignant potential. We describe an endoscopic naso-pancreatic stent-guided single-branch resection of the pancreas for branch-type multiple intraductal papillary mucinous adenomas, along with a gastric wall-covering method for the prevention of pancreatic leakage.

Evaluation and management of thoracopancreatic fistula

BACKGROUND

Thoracopancreatic fistula is a rare clinical entity but a serious complication of inflammatory pancreatic diseases, caused by a disruption of the pancreatic ductal system. Its diagnosis is frequently misleading, however, and thus is often delayed.

METHODS

Seven patients with thoracopancreatic fistula who presented at our department between March 2002 and July 2005 were investigated, focusing on the diagnostic work-up as well as the treatment strategies, the response to therapy, and the outcome.

RESULTS

Thoracopancreatic fistulas developed secondary to alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis in 6 patients and acute severe pancreatitis in 1. The disruption sites of the pancreatic ductal system were the head of the pancreas in 2 patients, the pancreatic body in 2 patients, and the pancreatic tail in 3 patients. All patients, except 1, were complicated with stricture of the main pancreatic duct, with ductal disruptions developing distal to the pancreatic strictures. The precise demonstration of the pancreatic ductal anatomy with ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was limited. In contrast, MR-cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) provided excellent mapping of the pancreatic ductal stricture, disruption, and fistula in 6 patients. Various medical therapies failed to close the fistula in all patients. Subsequent treatments, based on the assessment of pancreatic ductal anatomy with MRCP, included endoscopic transpapillary implantation of a pancreatic stent, a longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy, distal pancreatectomy, and peritoneal drainage. All patient outcomes were favorable.

CONCLUSIONS

MRCP is an essential diagnostic modality in all suspected cases of thoracopancreatic fistula. The goal of treatment should be directed toward a sufficient decompression of the obstructed pancreas. If severe pancreatic stricture is present, then surgical decompression may be required in accordance with the individual pancreatic ductal anatomy.

Gamow-Teller strengths in the A = 14 multiplet: a challenge to the shell model

A new experimental approach to the famous problem of the anomalously slow Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions in the beta decay of the A=14 multiplet is presented. The GT strength distributions to excited states in 14C and 14O were studied in high-resolution (d,2He) and (3He,t) charge-exchange reactions on 14N. No-core shell-model calculations capable of reproducing the suppression of the beta decays predict a selective excitation of Jpi=2+ states. The experimental confirmation represents a validation of the assumptions about the underlying structure of the 14N ground state wave function. However, the fragmentation of the GT strength over three 2+ final states remains a fundamental issue not explained by the present no-core shell model using a 6homega model space, suggesting possibly the need to include cluster structure in these light nuclei in a consistent way.

Intraoperative pancreatography and gastric-wall-covering method for the prevention of pancreatic leakage after enucleation of insulinoma in the pancreas

Pancreatic leakage is one of the most common complications following pancreatic surgery. Although several surgical techniques and several devices for the management of pancreatic ducts have been advocated to prevent pancreatic leakage, its incidence is still not acceptable. We report our new surgical technique, a gastric-wall-covering method, for the prevention of pancreatic leakage in the enucleation of insulinoma in the pancreas, along with intraoperative pancreatography for navigation surgery of the pancreatic duct. Our novel techniques help to prevent pancreatic leakage following pancreatic surgery, including partial resection of the pancreas.

Bile-reflux into the pancreatic ducts is associated with the development of intraductal papillary carcinoma in hamsters

BACKGROUND

Reflux of pancreatic juice into the biliary tract is a well-known risk factor for the development of biliary carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the significance of bile-reflux into the pancreatic ducts in pancreatic carcinogenesis, especially in the development of carcinoma in the main pancreatic duct in hamsters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Syrian hamsters were subjected to three different surgical procedures: cholecystoduodenostomy with dissection of the extrahepatic bile duct on the distal end of the common duct (Model A); cholecystoduodenostomy along with a dissection of the common bile duct (Model B); or simple laparotomy (Model C). The animals then received weekly subcutaneous injections of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP), for 9 weeks, and were killed for pathological investigation at 16 weeks after the initial BOP administration.

RESULTS

Pancreas carcinomas developed in 95, 88, and 90% of the Model A hamsters (n = 22), B (n = 24), and C (n = 21), respectively. The induced pancreatic tumors were histologically classified into four types: papillary; tubular; cystic adenocarcinoma; or intraductal carcinoma of the main pancreatic duct consisting of intraductal papillary carcinoma (IPC) and intraductal tubular carcinoma (ITC). The number and the incidence of IPCs induced in Model A hamsters were 24 lesions and 77% and were statistically higher than those in Model B (7 lesions and 29%) and C hamsters (7 lesions and 33%) (P < 0.01). Bile-reflux into the pancreatic ducts was clearly demonstrated in only hamsters of Model A by means of Indocyanine green injection via the portal vein. Proliferative cell nuclear antigen labeling indices of the epithelial cells in the main pancreatic duct in hamsters, with no BOP treatment, were 3.8, 0.8, and 1.1% in Models A (n = 10), B (n = 10), and C (n = 10), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that bile-reflux into the pancreatic ducts is a significant factor predisposing to the development of IPC of the pancreas through an acceleration of epithelial cell kinetics of the main pancreatic duct.

Demonstration of a biliobronchial fistula with a hepatoiminodiacetic acid scan

Biliobronchial fistula (BBF) is a rare complication after hepatic resection. A 68-year-old woman who had undergone a right hepatic trisegmentectomy followed by a hepaticojejunostomy with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis for gallbladder cancer and liver metastasis from colon cancer was admitted to our hospital for further investigation of persistent bilioptysis. We could not detect the cause of the bilioptysis on computed tomography or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, but a hepatoiminodiacetic scan clearly showed the BBF. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography is thought to be suitable for diagnosing BBF, but it is invasive and unavailable in patients who have undergone digestive reconstruction, such as a Roux-en-Y anastomosis. In such cases, hepatoiminodiacetic scanning should be used for diagnosing BBF.

Inferior branch-preserving superior head resection of the pancreas with gastric wall-covering method for intraductal papillary mucinous adenoma

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas showed significantly less aggressive pathologic features compared with common pancreatic cancer. Therefore, several organ-preserving techniques, including duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection, have been advocated in surgical procedures for IPMN. We describe a surgical technique of superior head resection of the pancreas with inferior branch preservation followed by a gastric wall-covering method for the prevention of pancreatic leakage in patients with IPMN of the pancreas head.

Risk factors for pancreatic anastomotic leakage: the significance of preoperative dynamic magnetic resonance imaging of the pancreas as a predictor of leakage

BACKGROUND

The histologic degree of pancreatic fibrosis can be assessed preoperatively by using the time-signal intensity curve (TIC) of the pancreas obtained from dynamic magnetic resonance imaging.

STUDY DESIGN

To identify risk factors for postoperative pancreatic anastomotic leakage and to assess the impact of pancreatic TIC on this complication, 89 patients who underwent a pancreatic head resection with an end-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy between December 1998 and August 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. The pancreatic TIC profiles were classified into 3 types: type I, indicating a normal pancreas without fibrosis; and types II and III indicating fibrotic pancreas.

RESULTS

Pancreaticojejunal anastomotic leakage occurred in 14 patients (16%). In a univariate analysis, pancreatic texture (hard, 3% versus intermediate, 20% versus soft, 23%; p = 0.046), pancreatic duct size (> 3 mm, 8% versus <or= 3 mm, 25%; p = 0.037), and pancreatic TIC (types II, III, 3% versus type I, 25%; p = 0.006) were notably associated with pancreatic anastomotic leakage. In a multivariable analysis, pancreatic TIC (odds ratio [OR], 9.58; 95% CI, 1.1 to 91.7) was the only marked independent predictor of postoperative pancreatic leakage. A subanalysis of 52 patients with type I pancreatic TIC demonstrated hemoglobin A1c (odds ratio, 9.81; 95% CI, 1.2 to 127.9) to be a notable predictor of leakage and pancreatic leakage developed in diabetic patients with a high hemoglobin A1c concentration (> 6.0%) than in those with a normal hemoglobin A1c level.

CONCLUSIONS

Pancreatic TIC from dynamic MRI provides reliable information for predicting risk of pancreatic anastomotic leakage after pancreatic head resection. Especially in patients with type I pancreatic TIC, the presence of uncontrolled diabetes is considered a primary risk factor for postoperative pancreatic leakage.

Effects of running exercise on fibre-type distribution of soleus and plantaris muscles in diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats

AIM

Effect of running exercise on fibre-type distributions of the slow soleus and fast plantaris muscles was investigated in male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats (OLETF) as an animal model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

Five-week-old OLETF rats were allowed to exercise voluntarily in running wheels for 32 days and the data were compared with those of age-matched non-exercised OLETF and non-diabetic Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka rats (LETO).

RESULTS

In the soleus muscle, a higher percentage of type I fibres was observed in non-exercised OLETF rats compared with LETO rats, and there were no type IIA fibres in non-exercised OLETF rats. In the plantaris muscle, a higher percentage of type IIB fibres and a lower percentage of type I and type IIA fibres were observed in non-exercised OLETF rats compared with LETO rats. In contrast, there were no differences in the fibre-type distribution of soleus and plantaris muscles between exercised OLETF and LETO rats. The body weight and type I fibre percentage of the soleus muscle were related to the running distance in exercised OLETF rats. White adipose tissue weight, HbA(1c) and blood insulin and glucose concentrations were lower in exercised OLETF rats than in non-exercised OLETF rats, irrespective of the running distance. There was a difference in the gene-expression pattern of the soleus muscle among LETO rats, non-exercised OLETF and exercised OLETF rats.

CONCLUSION

Running exercise can inhibit diabetes-associated type shifting of fibres, which is more apparent with postnatal growth, in skeletal muscles of diabetic OLETF rats, as a result of mRNA expression change in muscle.

Fine structure of the Gamow-Teller resonance in 90Nb and level density of 1+ states

The fine structure of the Gamow-Teller resonance in a medium-heavy nucleus is observed for the first time in a high-resolution 90Zr(3He,t)90Nb experiment at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka. Using a novel wavelet analysis technique, it is possible to extract characteristic energy scales and to quantify their relative importance for the generation of the fine structure. This method combined with the selectivity of the reaction permits an extraction of the level density of 1+ states in 90Nb.

Fatal thrombosis of antithrombin-deficient mice is rescued differently in the heart and liver by intercrossing with low tissue factor mice

BACKGROUND

We previously reported that the targeted disruption of murine antithrombin (AT) gene resulted in embryonic lethality before 16.5 gestational days (gd) because of severe cardiac and hepatic thrombosis.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

To investigate the influences of lowered tissue factor (TF) activity upon hypercoagulation of AT-/- embryos, we crossed AT+/- with low TF (mTF-/- hTF+) mice to yield homozygous AT-deficient mice with the extremely low TF activity, that is expressed from the inserted human TF mini gene.

RESULTS

AT-/- embryos either with 50% TF (AT-/- mTF+/- hTF+) or with low (approximately 1% TF, AT-/- mTF-/- hTF+) were not born, although the survival was prolonged until 18.5 gd. In both genotypes, histological examination showed disseminated thrombosis in hepatic sinusoidal space or in the portal veins, suggesting that the thrombogenesis caused loss of hepatic blood flow. As in original AT-/-, AT-/- mTF+/- hTF+ showed subcutaneous (s.c.) bleeding and also suffered from the myocardial degeneration apparently because of coronary thrombus formation. However, AT-/- mTF-/- hTF+ had no skin hemorrhage and the thrombosis and degeneration were completely abolished in the heart. Myocardium of adult low TF mice had exhibited fibrosis secondary to hemorrhage; however, it was significantly decreased in low TF mice with AT+/-.

CONCLUSIONS

Our current model suggests that, in the heart, TF plays an important role in the thrombogenesis and it counterbalances AT-dependent anticoagulation. AT may be a potent anticoagulant during mice development and the activation and subsequent regulation of TF-procoagulant activity take place differently between the liver and the heart. These differences appear to point to local regulatory mechanisms in murine hemostasis.

Gamow-teller strengths in proton-rich exotic nuclei deduced in the combined analysis of mirror transitions

Isospin symmetry is expected for the T(z)=+/-1-->0 isobaric analogous transitions in isobars with mass number A, where T(z) is the z component of isospin T. Assuming this symmetry, strengths of analogous Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions within A = 50 isobars were determined from a high energy-resolution study at 0 degrees in combination with the decay Q value and lifetime from the beta decay. This method can be applied to other pf-shell nuclei and can be used to study GT strengths of astrophysical interest.

Experimental study on pathogenesis and histomorphology of early carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct in the Syrian hamster

To elucidate the pathogenesis of carcinomas in the extrahepatic bile duct, we investigated the histomorphological characteristics of adenomas and early carcinomas induced in the extrahepatic bile duct of hamsters. Syrian hamsters underwent a cholecystoduodenostomy along with a dissection of the common duct, while also being administered N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP). The tumors that arose from the extrahepatic bile duct included 10 adenomas and 55 early carcinomas in 56 of the 156 hamsters sacrificed. All the adenomas were found to be polypoid in shape. The early carcinomas, which were restricted within the mucosal layer of the bile duct, showed the following three different growth patterns: (1) protruding type in 41 (75%), consisting of 27 polypoid and 14 papillary tumors; (2) superficial spreading type in 9 (16%); and (3) periductal glandular type in 5 (9%). There were no depressed tumors observed. Carcinomas existing either alone or associated with adenomas were evident in 12 (22%) tumors, and 11 of these were polypoid. Atypical papillary hyperplasia within the tumor mass was noted in 22 early carcinomas (40%) and was particularly prominent in papillary type tumors. These results support the concept of an adenoma-carcinoma sequence in the majority of polypoid tumors of the extrahepatic bile duct. Atypical papillary hyperplasia might also be premalignant, and these precursor lesions should reflect the growth patterns of tumors, at least in the early stage of tumorigenesis.

Obesity enhances the induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 by restraint stress: a possible mechanism of stress-induced renal fibrin deposition in obese mice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Cardiovascular/thrombotic diseases are frequently induced by a variety of stressors. Obese patients are susceptible to thrombotic diseases associated with stress, but the underlying mechanism is still unknown. We have begun to investigate the expression of a primary inhibitor of fibrinolysis, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), in association with tissue thrombosis, using restraint-stressed obese mice.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed the expression of PAI-1 after restraint (immobilization) stress in genetically obese mice in comparison with their lean counterparts. Dramatic increases in PAI-1 antigen in plasma and in tissue extracts were observed in the obese mice exposed to restraint stress. The induction of PAI-1 mRNA by stress in the tissues was also pronounced in the stressed obese mice as compared with the lean mice, especially in the hearts and adipose tissues. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that strong signals for PAI-1 mRNA were localized in the adipocytes, cardiovascular endothelial cells, and renal glomerular cells of the stressed obese mice. Histological examination revealed that renal glomerular fibrin deposition was detected only in the obese mice after 2 h of restraint stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity enhances the stress-mediated PAI-1 induction in the blood and tissues. This phenomenon may be associated with the increased risk of stress-induced renal fibrin deposition in obese subjects.

Acute myocardial infarction caused by a septic coronary embolism diagnosed and treated with a thrombectomy catheter

Acute myocardial infarctions are common in bacteraemia but are seldom diagnosed during life. A 64 year old man with severe chest pain who had fever for several days due to possible bacteraemia was shown by ECG and echocardiography to have possible lateral infarction. Immediate coronary angiography showed possible thrombus in the left circumflex artery, which was treated by thrombectomy catheter. Bacterial thrombus was removed and was verified by histological examination. A stent was implanted without complications. Acute myocardial infarction caused by septic embolism is usually fatal; however, thrombectomy may be useful in these cases.

Induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters in human bronchial epithelial cells by beclomethasone dipropionate

Inhaled steroids are the most potent anti-inflammatory therapy commonly used in bronchial asthma. There are, however, a small number of asthmatic patients who do not respond to inhaled steroid-treatment. The stimulation of metabolism and excretion of inhaled drugs at bronchial tissues might lead to a decrease in the effect of the drugs, although the molecular mechanism of this resistance is unclear. In this study, we found that beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) stimulated the expression of mRNAs for uridine 5'-diphosphate glucuronosyl transferase 2B4 and 2B11, and transporters such as multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 and 2 in cultured bronchial epithelial cells. It is possible that the individual differences of expression of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters and their enhancement with BDP are implicated in the individual differences of reactivity over steroid medical treatment.

Expression of Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 3α in Human Inflamed Dental Pulp Tissue

Severe pulpitis resulting from dental caries is characterized by marked inflammatory infiltrate such as lymphocytes. Little is known about the recruitment of these cells into the dental pulp lesions of carious teeth. Macrophage inflammatory protein-3alpha (MIP-3alpha), a CC chemokine attracts CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6)-expressing T cells. We examined the distribution of MIP-3alpha-positive and/or CCR6-positive cells in human inflamed and normal dental pulp by immunohistochemistry. MIP-3alpha was observed in all inflamed pulp sections, and was mostly distributed in macrophages that had accumulated in the area adjacent to carious lesions. Furthermore, CCR6 expression was also observed in the infiltrating lymphocytes. In contrast, MIP-3alpha and CCR6 were rarely detected in normal pulp. These findings suggest that MIP-3alpha plays a role in the advancement of pulpal inflammation via the recruitment of CCR6-expressing lymphocytes.

Red blood cells regulate eosinophil chemotaxis by scavenging RANTES secreted from endothelial cells

BACKGROUND

Eosinophils play a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. CC chemokines, such as regulated on activation, normal, T cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES), are key regulators of eosinophil locomotion. Although eosinophils migrate from the bloodstream into tissues, mechanisms that generate a chemogradient across the endothelium remain to be fully elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

We first examined the polar secretion of RANTES by endothelial cells. We also studied the functional scavenging effect of red blood cells (RBCs) on RANTES secreted into the intravascular side.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Endothelial cells were cultured in a transwell chamber with a membrane pore size of 0.45, 3.0, and 8.0 microm and stimulated with TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, or IFN-gamma from the apical or basolateral side for 16 h. The measurement of RANTES in the supernatant was performed by ELISA. We did not see any difference in the amount of RANTES secreted from the cytokine-stimulated endothelium between inner (intravascular side) and outer (extravascular side) wells separated by the 8.0-microm membrane, although apical polarization was observed with the 0.45-microm membrane. The addition of RBCs (hemoglobin (Hb): 0.5-15 g/dL) to the apical supernatant of TNF-alpha-stimulated endothelial cells reduced the RANTES level in a concentration-dependent manner. The treatment of supernatant on the intravascular side with RBCs significantly enhanced the migration of eosinophils.

CONCLUSION

RBCs possess a scavenging effect on intravascular RANTES, and thereby regulate transendothelial migration of eosinophils. Our findings suggest a new role of RBCs in allergic inflammation.

[Squamous cell carcinoma caused by dysplasia on the bullous wall]

We experienced a squamous cell lung carcinoma caused by dysplasia around the bullous wall after right upper lobectomy by tuberculosis. A case is 70 years old male who was resected right upper lobe caused by tuberculosis 50 years ago. He was pointed out an abnormal shadow on the chest X-ray in March 2002. There were bullous change in right lung field on the chest computed tomography (CT). There was appeared a tumor contiguous to the bullous wall. A part of bullous wall surrounding the tumor was thickened bronchio-alveolar lavage gave proof of squamous cell carcinoma. Right basal segmentectomy and subcarinal lymph node dissection was done, because of severe adhesion a right middle lobe. Radiation therapy at the mediastinum is performed, because of positive subcarinal lymph nodes. It is rare case of squamous cell carcinoma caused by dysplasia, we reported.

Relationship of plasma extracellular-superoxide dismutase level with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients

Extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is a secretory glycoprotein located in blood vessel walls at high levels and may be important in the antioxidant capability of vascular walls. The aim of this study was to assess plasma levels of EC-SOD and to evaluate the relationship of the EC-SOD level with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients. We determined plasma EC-SOD in 122 patients and found for the first time that the EC-SOD level was strongly and positively related to adiponectin (r=0.503, P < 0.001), and significantly and inversely related to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (r=-0.209, P=0.022), body-mass index (BMI) (r=-0.187, P=0.040) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-R) (r=-0.190, P=0.039). Stepwise-multiple regression analysis also showed a significant influence of adiponectin (F=33.27) on the EC-SOD level. Administration of pioglitazone to 19 diabetic patients significantly increased the plasma levels of EC-SOD (69.9+/-19.3 ng/ml to 97.4+/-25.9 ng/ml; P < 0.0001) and adiponectin, while it decreased tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). The present observations suggest that factors related to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance play an important role in the regulation of the plasma EC-SOD concentration. It is possible that the increase in the EC-SOD level by pioglitazone administration in diabetic patients is due to a decline of TNF-alpha, which is known to suppress EC-SOD expression.

Evidence for the existence of the [2 0 2]3/2 deformed band in mirror nuclei 25Mg and 25Al

After 50 years of its prediction, the highest-lying [2 0 2]3/2 orbit among the six Nilsson single-particle orbits originating from the sd shells in prolately deformed nuclei and the rotational band on this orbit were identified. The band members were observed in 25Al at excitation energies of 6-7.5 MeV in a high-resolution 25Mg(3He,t) charge-exchange reaction at 0 degrees having a strong selectivity for Gamow-Teller transitions. In the comparison with the analogous M1 transitions in 25Mg, the J(pi)=3/2(+) bandhead state and the excited 5/2(+) and 7/2(+) members were clearly assigned.

Detection of Pneumocystis carinii by DNA amplification in patients with connective tissue diseases: re-evaluation of clinical features of P. carinii pneumonia in rheumatic diseases

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in induced sputum of patients with connective tissue diseases and assessed the clinical features of patients positive for P. carinii.

METHODS

Sputum was induced by nebulization in 29 in-patients with various connective tissue diseases who presented with symptoms suggestive of P. carinii pneumonia (PCP), and was examined by PCR.

RESULTS

Detection of P. carinii DNA by PCR was significantly more sensitive than cytology; 54.5% patients were positive by PCR and only 4.5% by cytology. The prevalence of PCP was higher than previously considered and was especially high in patients receiving > 30 mg/day prednisolone with or without other immunosuppressants. P. carinii-positive patients had significant lymphocytopenia and a low serum IgG level compared with P. carinii-negative patients. P. carinii disappeared within 7-10 days after therapy with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

CONCLUSION

We propose that the use of PCR for detection of P. carinii using induced sputum is a useful and non-invasive method that has high sensitivity and specificity for the early diagnosis of PCP.

Involvement of cell cycle progression in survival signaling through CD40 in the B-lymphocyte line WEHI-231

The CD40 molecule transmits a signal that abrogates apoptosis induced by ligation of the antigen receptor (BCR) in both primary B cells and B-cell lines such as WEHI-231. Expression of Bcl-xL and A1, antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family, is enhanced by CD40 ligation, and is suggested to mediate CD40-induced B-cell survival. CD40 ligation also promotes cell cycle progression by increasing the levels of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) required for cell cycle progression, and reducing expression of the CDK inhibitor p27(kip1). Here we demonstrate that cell cycle inhibition by retrovirus-mediated p27(kip1) expression does not modulate the levels of Bcl-xL or A1, but significantly reduces the survival of BCR-ligated WEHI-231 cells by CD40 ligation. This indicates that cell cycle progression is crucial for CD40-mediated survival of B cells.

Mucosal sulfhydryl compounds evaluation by in vivo electron spin resonance spectroscopy in mice with experimental colitis

BACKGROUND

Sulfhydryl (SH) compounds are essential in maintaining mucosal integrity in the gastrointestinal tract. A decrease in colonic mucosal SH compounds affects the redox status of the mucosa, resulting in vulnerability to further attacks. Therefore, there is a strong need for in vivo evaluation of SH compounds in the colonic mucosa.

AIMS

The aim of the current study was to establish a method of evaluating levels of SH compounds in the colonic mucosa of live animals before and after induction of colitis.

METHODS

Murine experimental colitis was induced by instillation of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in 50% ethanol into the colon via the anus. For evaluation of mucosal SH compounds in the colon, 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-1-oxyl (carbamoyl-PROXYL), a stable nitroxide radical, was instilled into the colonic lumen of live mice and the spin clearance rate was measured by L-band electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Morphological study showed that mucosal damage was severe one or two days after TNBS instillation. The colonic mucosa started to regenerate at four days, and looked normal at seven days, after induction of colitis. The spin clearance rate of carbamoyl-PROXYL decreased significantly at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 days after induction of colitis compared with mice before TNBS instillation. Surprisingly, although the colonic mucosa looked normal seven days after TNBS administration, the spin clearance rate still remained significantly slow. The spin clearance rate returned to normal 14 days after induction of colitis. The change in in vivo spin clearance rate was consistent with the time dependent change in mucosal reduced glutathione, a major component of SH compounds.

CONCLUSION

The spin clearance rate obtained by L-band ESR spectroscopy in combination with carbamoyl-PROXYL can give an estimate of the level of colonic mucosal SH compounds in live animals and is useful for evaluating the mucosal defence system against oxidative stress.

Directional dependence of osteoblastic calcium response to mechanical stimuli

In adaptive bone remodeling, mechanical signals such as stress/strain caused by loading/deformation are believed to play important roles as regulators of the process in which osteoclastic resorption and osteoblastic formation are coordinated under a local mechanical environment. The mechanism by which cells sense and transduce mechanical signals to the intracellular biochemical signaling cascade is still unclear, however to address this issue, the present study investigated the characteristic response of a single osteoblastic cell, MC3T3-E1, to a well-defined mechanical stimulus and the involvement of the cytoskeletal actin fiber structure in the mechanotransduction pathway. First, by mechanically perturbing to a single cell using a microneedle, a change in the intracellular calcium ion concentration [Ca(2+)](i) was observed as a primal signaling response to a mechanical stimulus, and the threshold value of the perturbation as the mechanical stimulus was evaluated quantitatively. Second, to study directional dependence of the response to the mechanical stimulus, the effect of actin fiber orientation on the threshold value of the calcium response was investigated at various magnitudes and directions of the stimulus. It was found that the osteoblastic response to the perturbation exhibited a directional dependence. That is, the sensitivity of osteoblastic cells to a mechanical stimulus depends on the angle of the applied deformation with respect to the cytoskeletal actin fiber orientation. This finding is phenomenological evidence that cytoskeletal actin fiber structures are involved in the mechanotransduction mechanism, which may be related to cell polarization behaviors such as cellular alignment caused by mechanical stimulation.

Upregulated response to chemokines in oxidative metabolism of eosinophils in asthma and allergic rhinitis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) from eosinophils are known to cause tissue damage in allergic inflammation. CC chemokines, especially eotaxin and regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), are involved not only in chemotaxis but also in eosinophil activation, such as ROS production. It has been shown that eosinophils from allergic patients are not functionally equivalent to those from normal subjects. In the present study, the characteristics of chemokine-primed ROS production in eosinophils from allergic patients and normal controls were compared. After pretreatment with chemokines, eosinophils were stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187. ROS production by eosinophils was measured using luminol-dependent chemiluminescence. Both RANTES and eotaxin exhibited a priming effect on calcium ionophore-induced ROS production from eosinophils. Despite there being no difference in expression of CC chemokine receptor 3, the priming effect of RANTES and eotaxin was significantly enhanced in eosinophils from the patients. Interleukin-5 further enhanced the priming effect of chemokines in eosinophils from normal subjects, but not those from allergic subjects. The present results suggest an upregulated response to chemokines in eosinophils from allergic patients, and that interleukin-5 can induce a similar phenotype to that found in vivo in allergic patients.

Effects of intermittent addition of cellulase for production of L-lactic acid from wastewater sludge by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation

An attempt was made to create L-lactic acid, a precursor of poly-lactic acid, which is a biodegradable plastic, from wastewater sludge from the paper-manufacturing industry. The sludge contained a high percentage of cellulose and needed to be hydrolyzed to glucose by the action of the cellulase before being treating with lactic acid bacteria. Therefore, a method involving simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) was carried out. The optimum pH of the SSF for production of the lactic acid by the newly isolated lactic acid bacterium with a high selectively of L-lactic acid was found out to be around pH = 5.0, and the optimum temperature to be approximately 40 degrees C. On the basis of the measurement of the cell density changes in the lactic acid bacteria, it was ascertained that the bacterial activity could continue at a high level for a relatively long period of time, and that the L-lactic acid productivity was diminished by the rapid deactivation of the cellulase. With the intermittent addition of cellulase once daily for the sake of compensating for the cellulase deactivation, the L-lactic acid attained a maximum concentration of 16.9 g/L, i.e., a 72.2% yield based on the potential glucose contained in the sludge under optimum pH and temperature conditions.