Neural substrates of cough control during coughing

Cough is known as a protective reflex to keep the airway free from harmful substances. Although brain activity during cough was previously examined mainly by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with model analysis, this method does not capture real brain activity during cough. To obtain accurate measurements of brain activity during cough, we conducted whole-brain scans during different coughing tasks while correcting for head motion using a restraint-free positron emission tomography (PET) system. Twenty-four healthy right-handed males underwent multiple PET scans with [15O]H2O. Four tasks were performed during scans: "resting"; "voluntary cough (VC)", which simply repeated spontaneous coughing; "induced cough (IC)", where participants coughed in response to an acid stimulus in the cough-inducing method with tartaric acid (CiTA); and "suppressed cough (SC)", where coughing was suppressed against CiTA. The whole brain analyses of motion-corrected data revealed that VC chiefly activated the cerebellum extending to pons. In contrast, CiTA-related tasks (IC and SC) activated the higher sensory regions of the cerebral cortex and associated brain regions. The present results suggest that brain activity during simple cough is controlled chiefly by infratentorial areas, whereas manipulating cough predominantly requires the higher sensory brain regions to allow top-down control of information from the periphery.

Effective nose-to-brain drug delivery using a combination system targeting the olfactory region in monkeys

The nose-to-brain (N2B) pathway has garnered attention because it transports drugs directly into the brain. Although recent studies have suggested the necessity of selective drug administration to the olfactory region for effective N2B drug delivery, the importance of delivering the formulation to the olfactory region and the detailed pathway involved in drug uptake in primates brain remain unclear. Here, we developed a combination system for N2B drug delivery comprising a proprietary mucoadhesive powder formulation and a dedicated nasal device (N2B-system) and evaluated it for nasal drug delivery to the brain in cynomolgus monkeys. This N2B-system demonstrated a much greater formulation distribution ratio in the olfactory region in an in vitro experiment using a 3D-printed nasal cast and in vivo experiment using cynomolgus monkeys, as compared to that in other nasal drug delivery systems that comprise of a proprietary nasal powder device developed for nasal absorption and vaccination and a commercially available liquid spray. Additionally, Texas Red-labeled dextran (TR-DEX, 3 kDa) was administered using the N2B-system to estimate the drug transition pathway from the nasal cavity to the brain. TR-DEX preferentially localized to the olfactory epithelium and reached the olfactory bulb through the cribriform foramina. Moreover, domperidone, a model drug with poor blood-brain barrier permeability, was administered to assess the brain uptake of medicine after olfactory region-selective administration by using the N2B-system. Domperidone accumulation in the brain was evaluated using positron emission tomography with intravenously administered [¹⁸F]fallypride based on competitive inhibition of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R). Compared to other systems, the N2B-system significantly increased D2R occupancy and domperidone uptake in the D2R-expressing brain regions. The current study reveals that the olfactory region of the nasal cavity is a suitable target for efficient nasal drug delivery to the brain in cynomolgus monkeys. Thus, the N2B-system, which targets the olfactory region, provides an efficient approach for developing effective technology for nasal drug delivery to the brain in humans.

In vivo imaging of acute physiological responses after treatment of cancer with near-infrared photoimmunotherapy

PURPOSE

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new cancer phototherapy using an antibody-photosensitizer conjugate (Ab-IR700). By NIR light irradiation, Ab-IR700 forms a water-insoluble aggregation on the plasma membrane of cancer cells, leading to lethal membrane damage of cancer cells with high selectivity. However, IR700 produces singlet oxygen, which induces non-selective inflammatory responses such as edema in normal tissues around the tumor. Understanding such treatment-emergent responses is important to minimize side effects and improve clinical outcomes. Thus, in this study, we evaluated physiological responses during NIR-PIT by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

PROCEDURES

Ab-IR700 was intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice with two tumors on the right and left sides of the dorsum. At 24 h after injection, a tumor was irradiated with NIR light. Edema formation was examined by T1/T2/diffusion-weighted MRI and inflammation was investigated by PET with 2-deoxy-2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D-glucose ([¹⁸F]FDG). Because inflammation can increase vascular permeability via inflammatory mediators, we evaluated changes in oxygen levels in tumors using a hypoxia imaging probe, [¹⁸F]fluoromisonidazole ([¹⁸F]FMISO).

RESULTS

The uptake of [¹⁸F]FDG in the irradiated tumor was significantly decreased compared to the control tumor, indicating the impairment of glucose metabolism induced by NIR-PIT. MRI and [¹⁸F]FDG-PET images showed that inflammatory edema with [¹⁸F]FDG accumulation was present in the surrounding normal tissues of the irradiated tumor. Furthermore, [¹⁸F]FMISO accumulation in the center of the irradiated tumor was relatively low, indicating the enhancement of oxygen supply due to increased vascular permeability. In contrast, high [¹⁸F]FMISO accumulation was observed in the peripheral region, indicating enhancement of hypoxia in the region. This could be because inflammatory edema was formed in the surrounding normal tissues, which blocked blood flow to the tumor.

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully monitored inflammatory edema and changes in oxygen levels during NIR-PIT. Our findings on the acute physiological responses after light irradiation will help to develop effective measures to minimize the side effects in NIR-PIT.

Reduced P-glycoprotein recognition of a radioiodine-labeled phosphonium cation by stilbenylation for mitochondrial membrane potential based-imaging

The accumulation of radiolabeled phosphonium cations in cells is dependent on the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). However, the efflux of these cations from tumor cells via P-glycoprotein (P-gp) limits their clinical application as MMP-based imaging tracers. In the present study, we designed (E)-diethyl-4-[¹²⁵I]iodobenzyl-4-stilbenylphosphonium ([¹²⁵I]IDESP), which contains a stilbenyl substituent, as a P-gp inhibitor to reduce P-gp recognition, and evaluated its biological properties in comparison with 4-[¹²⁵I]iodobenzyl dipropylphenylphosphonium ([¹²⁵I]IDPP). The in vitro cellular uptake ratio of [¹²⁵I]IDESP in P-gp expressing K562/Vin cells to the parent (P-gp negative) K562 cells was significantly higher than that of [¹²⁵I]IDPP. The efflux rate of [¹²⁵I]IDESP was not significantly different between K562 and K562/Vin, while [¹²⁵I]IDPP was rapidly effluxed from K562/Vin compared with K562, and the efflux of [¹²⁵I]IDPP from K562/Vin was inhibited by the P-gp inhibitor, cyclosporine A. The cellular uptake of [¹²⁵I]IDESP was well correlated with the MMP levels. These results suggested that [¹²⁵I]IDESP was accumulated in cells depending on the MMP levels, without being effluxed via P-gp, while [¹²⁵I]IDPP was rapidly effluxed from the cells via P-gp. Despite having suitable in vitro properties for MMP-based imaging, [¹²⁵I]IDESP showed rapid blood clearance and lower tumor accumulation than [¹²⁵I]IDPP. Improvement in the normal tissue distribution of [¹²⁵I]IDESP is required to develop an agent for use in in vivo MMP-based tumor imaging.

Measurement of Hepatic CYP3A4 and 2D6 Activity Using Radioiodine-Labeled O-Desmethylvenlafaxine

Drug metabolizing enzyme activity is affected by various factors such as drug–drug interactions, and a method to quantify drug metabolizing enzyme activity in real time is needed. In this study, we developed a novel radiopharmaceutical for quantitative imaging to estimate hepatic CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 activity. Iodine-123- and 125-labeled O-desmethylvenlafaxine (123/125I-ODV) was obtained with high labeling and purity, and its metabolism was found to strongly involve CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. SPECT imaging in normal mice showed that the administered 123I-ODV accumulated early in the liver and was excreted into the gallbladder, as evaluated by time activity curves. In its biological distribution, 125I-ODV administered to mice accumulated early in the liver, and only the metabolite of 125I-ODV was quickly excreted into the bile. In CYP3A4- and CYP2D6-inhibited model mice, the accumulation in bile decreased more than in normal mice, indicating inhibition of metabolite production. These results indicated that imaging and quantifying the accumulation of radioactive metabolites in excretory organs will aid in determining the dosages of various drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 for individualized medicine. Thus, 123/125I-ODV has the potential to direct, comprehensive detection and measurement of hepatic CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 activity by a simple and less invasive approach.

OP0112 THE EVER-LARGEST ASIAN GWAS FOR SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS AND TRANS-POPULATION META-ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED SEVEN NOVEL LOCI AND A CANDIDATE CAUSAL SNP IN A CIS-REGULATORY ELEMENT OF THE FCGR REGION

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified 29 disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for systemic sclerosis (SSc) in non-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) regions (1-7). While these GWASs have clarified genetic architectures of SSc, study subjects were mainly Caucasians limiting application of the findings to Asians.

Objectives

The study was conducted to identify novel causal variants for SSc specific to Japanese subjects as well as those shared with European population. We also aimed to clarify mechanistic effects of the variants on pathogenesis of SSc.

Methods

A total of 114,108 subjects comprising 1,499 cases and 112,609 controls were enrolled in the two-staged study leading to the ever-largest Asian GWAS for SSc. After applying a strict quality control both for genotype and samples, imputation was conducted using the reference panel of the phase 3v5 1,000 genome project data combined with a high-depth whole-genome sequence data of 3,256 Japanese subjects. We conducted logistic regression analyses and also combined the Japanese GWAS results with those of Europeans (6) by an inverse-variance fixed-effect model. Polygenicity and enrichment of functional annotations were evaluated by linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), Haploreg and IMPACT programs. We also constructed polygenic risk score (PRS) to predict SSc development.

Results

We identified three (FCRLA-FCGR, TNFAIP3, PLD4) and four (EOMES, ESR1, SLC12A5, TPI1P2) novel loci in Japanese GWAS and a trans-population meta-analysis, respectively. One of Japanese novel risk SNPs, rs6697139, located within FCGR gene clusters had a strong effect size (OR 2.05, P=4.9×10-11). We also found the complete LD variant, rs10917688, was positioned in cis-regulatory element and binding motif for an immunomodulatory transcription factor IRF8 in B cells, another genome-wide significant locus in our trans-ethnic meta-analysis and the previous European GWAS. Notably, the association of risk allele of rs10917688 was significant only in the presence of the risk allele of the IRF8. Intriguingly, rs10917688 was annotated as one enhancer-related histone marks, H3K4me1, in B cells, implying that FCGR gene(s) in B cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SSc. Furhtermore, significant heritability enrichment of active histone marks and a transcription factor C-Myc were found in B cells both in European and Japanese populations by LDSC and IMPACT, highlighting a possibility of a shared disease mechanism where abnormal B-cell activation may be one of the key drivers for the disease development. Finally, PRS using effects sizes of European GWAS moderately fit in the development of Japanese SSc (AUC 0.593), paving a path to personalized medicine for SSc.

Conclusion

Our study identified seven novel susceptibility loci in SSc. Downstream analyses highlighted a novel disease mechanism of SSc where an interactive role of FCGR gene(s) and IRF8 may accelerate the disease development and B cells may play a key role on the pathogenesis of SSc.

References

[1]F. C. Arnett et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2010.

[2]T. R. Radstake et al. Nat Genet, 2010.

[3]Y. Allanore et al. PLoS Genet, 2011.

[4]O. Gorlova et al. PLoS Genet, 2011.

[5]C. Terao et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2017.

[6]E. López-Isac et al. Nat Commun, 2019.

[7]W. Pu et al. J Invest Dermatol, 2021.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Indirect SPECT Imaging Evaluation for Possible Nose-to-Brain Drug Delivery Using a Compound with Poor Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability in Mice

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging using intravenous radioactive ligand administration to indirectly evaluate the time-dependent effect of intranasal drugs with poor blood-brain barrier permeability on brain drug distributions in mice was evaluated. The biodistribution was examined using domperidone, a dopamine D2 receptor ligand, as the model drug, with intranasal administration at 0, 15, or 30 min before intravenous [123I]IBZM administration. In the striatum, [123I]IBZM accumulation was significantly lower after intranasal (IN) domperidone administration than in controls 15 min after intravenous [125I]IBZM administration. [123I]IBZM SPECT was acquired with intravenous (IV) or IN domperidone administration 15 min before [123I]IBZM, and time–activity curves were obtained. In the striatum, [123I]IBZM accumulation was clearly lower in the IN group than in the control and IV groups. Time–activity curves showed no significant difference between the control and IV groups in the striatum, and values were significantly lowest during the first 10 min in the IN group. In the IN group, binding potential and % of receptor occupancy were significantly lower and higher, respectively, compared to the control and IV groups. Thus, brain-migrated domperidone inhibited D2R binding of [123I]IBZM. SPECT imaging is suitable for research to indirectly explore nose-to-brain drug delivery and locus-specific biological distribution.

No significant association between stable iodine intake and thyroid dysfunction in children after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: an observational study

PURPOSE

Stable iodine prophylaxis helps prevent childhood thyroid cancer in nuclear emergencies; however, there is limited information on its effect on thyroid function. This study aimed to examine thyroid function and autoimmunity among children and adolescents that took stable iodine after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.

METHODS

For this observational study, data were obtained from children and adolescents that underwent thyroid cancer screening at Hirata Central Hospital from April 2012 to March 2018. Participant characteristics, including possible hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, were compared between the prophylaxis and no-prophylaxis groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess for possible hypothyroidism, autoantibodies positive, and hyperthyroidism.

RESULTS

A total of 1,225 participants with stable iodine prophylaxis and 3,946 without prophylaxis were enrolled. Of those participants, blood samples were available for 144 and 1,201 participants in the prophylaxis and no-prophylaxis groups, respectively. There were 17 (11.8%) and 146 cases (12.2%) of possible hypothyroidism or autoantibodies positive cases in the prophylaxis and no-prophylaxis groups, respectively, and there were no cases and 3 cases (0.2%) of possible hyperthyroidism in those two groups, respectively. Multivariable analysis for possible hypothyroidism revealed no association between stable iodine intake and possible hypothyroidism or autoantibodies positive [odds ratio 0.716 (95% confidence interval 0.399-1.284)] (p = 0.262). We did not perform multivariable analysis for hyperthyroidism due to the limited number of cases.

CONCLUSION

Significant adverse effects of stable iodine intake on thyroid function were not observed among children and adolescents 7 years after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.

Multidisciplinary Team Care Delays the Initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Diabetes: A Five-year Prospective, Single-center Study

Objective Although recent reports have highlighted the benefits of multidisciplinary team care (MTC) for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in slowing the progress of renal insufficiency, its long-term effects have not been evaluated for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). We compared the renal survival rate between MTC and conservative care (CC). Methods In this five-year, single-center, prospective, observational study, we examined 24 patients (mean age 65.5±12.1 years old, men/women 18/6) with DM-induced CKD stage ≥3 in an MTC clinic. The control group included 24 random patients with DM (mean age 61.0±12.8 years old, men/women 22/2) who received CC. MTC was provided by a nephrologist and medical staff, and CC was provided by a nephrologist. Results In total, 10 MTC and 20 CC patients experienced renal events [creatinine doubling, initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT), or death due to end-stage CKD]. During the five-year observation period, there were significantly fewer renal events in the MTC group than in the CC group according to the cumulative incidence method (p=0.006). Compared to CC, MTC significantly reduced the need for urgent initiation of hemodialysis (relative risk reduction 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.107-0.964). On a multivariate analysis, MTC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.434, 95% CI 0.200-0.939) and the slope of the estimated glomerular filtration rate during the first year (HR, 0.429 per 1 mL/min/m²/year, 95% CI 0.279-0.661) were negatively associated with renal events. Conclusion MTC for DM-induced CKD is an effective strategy for delaying RRT. Long-term MTC can demonstrate reno-protective effects.

Differences in in vitro microglial accumulation of the energy metabolism tracers [18F]FDG and [18F]BCPP-EF during LPS- and IL4 stimulation

The positron emission tomography probes 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) and 2-tert-butyl-4-chloro-5-{6-[2-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxy)-ethoxy]-pyridin-3-ylmethoxy}-2H-pyridazin-3-one ([18F]BCPP-EF) are designed to evaluate glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively, and are both used to estimate neuronal activity. However, previous studies have shown a discrepancy in these probes' accumulation in the compromised region, possibly due to the presence of activated microglia acting like deleterious or neuroprotective phenotypes. Hence, we evaluated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and interleukin 4 (IL4)-stimulated microglial uptake of [14C]2DG and [18F]BCPP-EF to give a new insight into the hypothesis that different uptake of [18F]FDG and [18F]BCPP-EF can be ascribed to the different metabolic pathways activated during microglial activation. LPS or IL4 stimulation increased the proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory marker gene expression in microglial cells. In LPS-stimulated cells, [14C]2DG uptake and glycolysis related gene expression were elevated, and [18F]BCPP-EF uptake was reduced. In IL4-stimulated cells, [18F]BCPP-EF uptake was increased, and [14C]2DG uptake was decreased. The expression of genes involved in glycolysis and mitochondrial complex I subunits was not changed by IL4 stimulation. The uptake of [14C]2DG and [18F]BCPP-EF differs in LPS- and IL4-stimulated polarized microglial cells. The present results suggest that the in vivo accumulation of metabolic tracers [18F]FDG and [18F]BCPP-EF can be influenced by the different aspects of neuroinflammation.

Estrus Detection Using Background Image Subtraction Technique in Tie-Stalled Cows

Simple Summary

With increasing herd sizes and labor costs in recent decades, visual estrus detection by farmers has become more difficult because of the reduced manpower input per cow. To address this problem, various wearable devices have been developed for automatic estrus detection in cows, such as neck- or leg-mounted activity meters for monitoring estrus-associated increments in the amount of activity. However, these animal-contact devices have several limitations; namely, it can be dangerous to attach or remove the device and it can cause discomfort. Recently, a background image subtraction technique has been proposed as a non-contact method for monitoring activity changes in livestock animals. In this study, a new method was developed by combining the background subtraction technique and the thresholding method to detect estrus-associated activity increases in tie-stalled cows. Using this method, a substantial increase in activity in estrus was detectable, and the estrus detection sensitivity reached as high as 90% with a precision of 50%, where the sensitivity and precision were calculated as: (true-positive/[true-positive + false-negative]) × 100% and (true-positive/[true-positive + false-positive]) × 100%, respectively. This result may indicate that activity monitoring using the background subtraction technique has the potential to be a non-contact estrus detection method in tie-stalled cows.

Abstract

In this study, we determined the applicability of the background image subtraction technique to detect estrus in tie-stalled cows. To investigate the impact of the camera shooting direction, webcams were set up to capture the front, top, and rear views of a cow simultaneously. Video recording was performed for a total of ten estrous cycles in six cows. Standing estrus was confirmed by testing at 6 h intervals. From the end of estrus, transrectal ultrasonography was performed every 2 h to confirm ovulation time. Foreground objects (moving objects) were extracted in the videos using the background subtraction technique, and the pixels were counted at each frame of five frames-per-second sequences. After calculating the hourly averaged pixel counts, the change in values was expressed as the pixel ratio (total value during the last 24 h/total value during the last 24 to 48 h). The mean pixel ratio gradually increased at approximately 48 h before ovulation, and the highest value was observed at estrus, regardless of the camera shooting direction. When using front-view videos with an appropriate threshold, estrus was detected with 90% sensitivity and 50% precision. The present method in particular has the potential to be a non-contact estrus detection method for tie-stalled cows.

A new multi-tracer pellet injection for a simultaneous study of low- and mid/high-Z impurities in high-temperature plasmas

A new multi-tracer technique in the Tracer-Encapsulated Solid Pellet (TESPEL) method has been developed in order to acquire simultaneously the information about the behaviors of various impurities, i.e., to study concurrently the behaviors of low- and mid/high-Z impurities in magnetically confined high-temperature plasmas. In this new technique, an inorganic compound (for example, lithium titanate, Li₂TiO₃) is proposed to be used as a tracer embedded in the core of the TESPEL, instead of pure elements. The results of the proof-of-principle experiment clearly demonstrate the applicability of the new multi-tracer technique in the TESPEL method for the simultaneous study of behaviors of low- and mid/high-Z impurities in high-temperature plasmas.

Analysis of the Motional Stark Effect (MSE) diagnostic to measure the rotational transform and current profile in the Large Helical Device

The analysis method of the Motional Stark Effect (MSE) diagnostic to measure the rotational transform and current profiles in the Large Helical Device has been improved. This was done by using the Variational Moments Equilibrium Code to calculate an equilibrium database for various pressure profiles and current profiles. This method looks for the radial profile of the rotational transform in the equilibrium database that gives the best fit to the polarization angle profiles measured with the MSE diagnostic. This analysis improves the measurements of rotational transform, especially near the magnetic axis, where the sensitivity of the polarization angle measurements becomes low and the uncertainty due to error in the estimation of the Pfirsch-Schlüter current becomes large. The radial profiles of the rotational transform and current profiles for Electron Cyclotron Current Drive and Neutral Beam Current Drive are obtained in the new analysis method with a sufficiently high accuracy to discuss the discrepancy of the current density profiles between the measurements and the calculations.

Rectal cancer lateral lymph nodes: multicentre study of the impact of obturator and internal iliac nodes on oncological outcomes

BACKGROUND

In patients with rectal cancer, enlarged lateral lymph nodes (LLNs) result in increased lateral local recurrence (LLR) and lower cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates, which can be improved with (chemo)radiotherapy ((C)RT) and LLN dissection (LLND). This study investigated whether different LLN locations affect oncological outcomes.

METHODS

Patients with low cT3-4 rectal cancer without synchronous distant metastases were included in this multicentre retrospective cohort study. All MRI was re-evaluated, with special attention to LLN involvement and response.

RESULTS

More advanced cT and cN category were associated with the occurrence of enlarged obturator nodes. Multivariable analyses showed that a node in the internal iliac compartment with a short-axis (SA) size of at least 7 mm on baseline MRI and over 4 mm after (C)RT was predictive of LLR, compared with a post-(C)RT SA of 4 mm or less (hazard ratio (HR) 5.74, 95 per cent c.i. 2.98 to 11.05 vs HR 1.40, 0.19 to 10.20; P < 0.001). Obturator LLNs with a SA larger than 6 mm after (C)RT were associated with a higher 5-year distant metastasis rate and lowered CSS in patients who did not undergo LLND. The survival difference was not present after LLND. Multivariable analyses found that only cT category (HR 2.22, 1.07 to 4.64; P = 0.033) and margin involvement (HR 2.95, 1.18 to 7.37; P = 0.021) independently predicted the development of metastatic disease.

CONCLUSION

Internal iliac LLN enlargement is associated with an increased LLR rate, whereas obturator nodes are associated with more advanced disease with increased distant metastasis and reduced CSS rates. LLND improves local control in persistent internal iliac nodes, and might have a role in controlling systemic spread in persistent obturator nodes.Members of the Lateral Node Study Consortium are co-authors of this study and are listed under the heading Collaborators.

An attempt at estrus detection in cattle by continuous measurements of ventral tail base surface temperature with supervised machine learning

We aimed to determine the effectiveness of estrus detection based on continuous measurements of the ventral tail base surface temperature (ST) with supervised machine learning in cattle. ST data were obtained through 51 estrus cycles on 11 female cattle (six Holsteins and five Japanese Blacks) using the tail-attached sensor. Three estrus detection models were constructed with the training data (n = 17) using machine learning techniques (random forest, artificial neural network, and support vector machine) based on 13 features extracted from sensing data (indicative of estrus-associated ST changes). Estrus detection abilities of the three models on test data (n = 34) were not statistically different among models in terms of sensitivity and precision (range 50.0% to 58.8% and 60.6% to 73.1%, respectively). The relatively poor performance of the models might indicate the difficulty of separating estrus-associated ST changes from estrus-independent fluctuations in ST.

Resolvin D1 suppresses inflammation-induced hyperexcitability of nociceptive trigeminal neurons associated with mechanical hyperalgesia

7S,8R,17S-trihydroxy-4Z,9E,11E,13Z,15E,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid (resolvin D1 [RvD1]) is biosynthesized from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and belongs to a novel family of lipid mediators showing remarkable anti-inflammatory effects; however, the effect of RvD1 on inflammation-induced hyperexcitability of nociceptive neurons under in vivo conditions remains to be determined. The present study, therefore, investigated whether under in vivo conditions, systemic administration of RvD1 could attenuate the inflammation-induced hyperexcitability of spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis (SpVc) wide-dynamic range (WDR) neurons associated with hyperalgesia in rats. The threshold of escape from mechanical stimulation applied to the orofacial area in rats with complete Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammation was significantly lower than in naïve rats. The lowered mechanical threshold in rats with inflammation was returned to control levels following administration of RvD1 (3 ng/kg, i.p.) for 3 days. The mean discharge frequency of SpVc WDR neurons in rats with inflammation was significantly decreased after RvD1 administration for both non-noxious and noxious mechanical stimuli. Increased spontaneous discharge of SpVc WDR neurons in rats with inflammation was also significantly decreased after RvD1 administration. Noxious pinch-evoked afterdischarge frequency and occurrence in rats with inflammation was significantly diminished after RvD1 administration. Expansion of the receptive field in rats with inflammation also returned to control levels after RvD1 administration. These results suggest that administration of RvD1 attenuates inflammation-induced hyperexcitability of SpVc WDR neurons associated with inflammatory hyperalgesia. These findings support the idea that RvD1, derived from DHA, as well as DHA itself, are potential complementary or alternative therapeutic agents for the alleviation of inflammatory hyperalgesia.

Isotope Effect on Energy Confinement Time and Thermal Transport in Neutral-Beam-Heated Stellarator-Heliotron Plasmas

The isotope effect on energy confinement time and thermal transport has been investigated for plasmas confined by a stellarator-heliotron magnetic field. This is the first detailed assessment of an isotope effect in a stellarator heliotron. Hydrogen and deuterium plasmas heated by neutral beam injection on the Large Helical Device have exhibited no significant dependence on the isotope mass in thermal energy confinement time, which is not consistent with the simple gyro-Bohm model. A comparison of thermal diffusivity for dimensionally similar hydrogen and deuterium plasmas in terms of the gyroradius, collisionality, and thermal pressure has clearly shown robust confinement improvement in deuterium to compensate for the unfavorable mass dependence predicted by the gyro-Bohm model.

Development of a High-Throughput Screening-Compatible Assay for Discovery of GPR3 Inverse Agonists Using a cAMP Biosensor

While G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest class of cell surface proteins, there are ≥100 orphan GPCRs whose endogenous ligands are unknown. Accordingly, these could prove to be potential therapeutic targets for the pharmaceutical intervention of various diseases. Constitutively active orphan GPCRs are activated without ligands; thus, inverse agonists may be very useful pharmacological tools for inhibiting constitutive activity. However, in general, inverse agonist screening is considered more difficult to perform with high quality than antagonist screening, particularly due to the narrow assay window. We developed a high-throughput screening (HTS)-compatible assay to identify inverse agonists of GPR3. GPR3 is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and is known to be related to Alzheimer's disease and other CNS diseases. The GPR3 inducible cell line was established using T-REx 293 cells that stably expressed the tetracycline repressor protein, and the cAMP biosensor, GloSensor, was stably co-expressed. After optimization of the induction level of GPR3 and assay conditions, the GloSensor assay showed an approximately 20-fold signal-to-background ratio and high sensitivity. Using the HTS method, we successfully screened a library of hundreds of thousands of compounds for the inhibition of constitutive activity with good quality and excellent reproducibility. Finally, 35 compounds were identified as GPR3 selective inverse agonists. This inverse agonist screening approach using GloSensor in combination with the inducible expression of orphan GPCR indicates universal applicability to the search for inverse agonists of constitutively active orphan GPCRs.

Flow Cytometry-Based Photodynamic Diagnosis with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid for the Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is the cancer of plasma cells. Along with the development of new and effective therapies, improved outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma have increased the interest in minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring. However, the considerable heterogeneity of immunophenotypic and molecular markers of myeloma cells has limited its clinical application. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a natural compound in the heme biosynthesis pathway. Following ALA treatment, tumor cells preferentially accumulate porphyrins because of the differential activities of aerobic glycolysis, known as Warburg effect. Among various porphyrins, protoporphyrine IX is a strong photosensitizer; thus, ALA-based photodynamic diagnosis has been widely used in various solid cancers. Here, the feasibility of flow cytometry-based photodynamic detection of MRD was tested in multiple myeloma. Among various human cell lines of hematological malignancies, including K562 erythroleukemia, Jurkat T-cell leukemia, Nalm6 pre-B cell leukemia, KG1a myeloid leukemia, and U937 monocytic leukemia, human myeloma cell line, KMS18, and OPM2 abundantly expressed ALA transporters, such as SLC36A1 and SLC15A2, and 1 mM ALA treatment for 24 h resulted in nearly 100% porphyrin fluorescence expression, which could be competitively inhibited by ALA transport with gamma-aminobutyric acid. Titration studies revealed that the lowest ALA concentration required to achieve nearly 100% porphyrin fluorescence in KMS18 cells was 0.25 mM, with an incubation period of 2 h. Under these conditions, incubation of primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells resulted in only 1.8 % of the cells exhibiting porphyrin fluorescence. Therefore, flow cytometry-based photodynamic diagnosis is a promising approach for detecting MRD in multiple myeloma.

Transcriptional Corepressor ASP1 and CLV-Like Signaling Regulate Meristem Maintenance in Rice

Stem cell homeostasis is maintained by the WUSCHEL-CLAVATA (WUS-CLV) negative feedback loop in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). In rice (Oryza sativa), FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 (FON2) functions in the negative regulation of stem cell proliferation, similar to Arabidopsis CLV3 In this study, through genetic enhancer analysis, we found that loss of function of ABERRANT SPIKELET AND PANICLE1 (ASP1), encoding an Arabidopsis TOPLESS (TPL)-like transcriptional corepressor, enhances the fon2 flower phenotype, which displayed an increase in floral organ number. In the fon2 asp1 double mutant, the inflorescence was severely affected, resulting in bifurcation of the main axis (rachis), a phenotype that has not previously been reported. The stem cells showed marked overproliferation in fon2 asp1, resulting in extreme enlargement and splitting of the inflorescence meristem. These results suggest that ASP1 and FON2 synergistically regulate stem cell maintenance in rice. Unexpectedly, genetic analysis indicated that TILLERS ABSENT1, the rice ortholog of WUS, is not involved in promoting stem cell proliferation in this meristem. Transcriptome analysis suggested that ASP1 and FON signaling negatively regulate a set of genes with similar functions, and they act on these genes in concert. Taken together, our results suggest that TPL-like corepressor activity plays a crucial role in meristem maintenance, and that stem cell proliferation is properly maintained via the cooperation of ASP1 and FON2.

BELL1-like homeobox genes regulate inflorescence architecture and meristem maintenance in rice

Inflorescence architecture is diverse in angiosperms, and is mainly determined by the arrangement of the branches and flowers, known as phyllotaxy. In rice (Oryza sativa), the main inflorescence axis, called the rachis, generates primary branches in a spiral phyllotaxy, and flowers (spikelets) are formed on these branches. Here, we have studied a classical mutant, named verticillate rachis (ri), which produces branches in a partially whorled phyllotaxy. Gene isolation revealed that RI encodes a BELL1-type homeodomain transcription factor, similar to Arabidopsis PENNYWISE/BELLRINGER/REPLUMLESS, and is expressed in the specific regions within the inflorescence and branch meristems where their descendant meristems would soon initiate. Genetic combination of an ri homozygote and a mutant allele of RI-LIKE1 (RIL1) (designated ri ril1/+ plant), a close paralog of RI, enhanced the ri inflorescence phenotype, including the abnormalities in branch phyllotaxy and rachis internode patterning. During early inflorescence development, the timing and arrangement of primary branch meristem (pBM) initiation were disturbed in both ri and ri ril1/+ plants. These findings suggest that RI and RIL1 were involved in regulating the phyllotactic pattern of the pBMs to form normal inflorescences. In addition, both RI and RIL1 seem to be involved in meristem maintenance, because the ri ril1 double-mutant failed to establish or maintain the shoot apical meristem during embryogenesis.

A case with good response to belimumab for lupus nephritis complicated by IgG4-related disease

Immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an unusual complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report a case in which belimumab proved efficacious for not only SLE, but also IgG4-RD. A 58-year-old Japanese woman had suffered from photodermatosis and erythema on the limbs for 20 years. She presented in slight fever and fatigue since 2016. Laboratory data showed hypergammaglobulinemia, proteinuria and positive results for anti-nuclear antibody and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody. Furthermore, elevated levels of serum IgG4 were detected. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography disclosed multiple areas of poor enhancement in the kidneys. The patient was diagnosed with lupus nephritis and IgG4-RD from renal biopsy. Treatment was started with prednisolone at 40 mg/day and mycophenolate mofetil. Proteinuria and serological findings improved initially, but tapering the dose of glucocorticoid proved difficult. After treatment was started with belimumab, clinical symptoms and proteinuria resolved completely. The dose of glucocorticoid was successfully tapered and serum concentration of IgG4 fell further. This appears to represent the first report of a case in which both SLE and IgG4-RD were effectively treated using belimumab.

TILLERS ABSENT1, the WUSCHEL ortholog, is not involved in stem cell maintenance in the shoot apical meristem in rice

Stem cell maintenance in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is very important for plant development and is regulated by the WUSCHEL-CLAVATA (WUS-CLV) feedback loop in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). WUS promotes stem cell identity, whereas CLV negatively regulates stem cell proliferation by repressing WUS expression. We previously showed that, in rice (Oryza sativa), the WUS ortholog TILLERS ABSENT1 (TAB1, also known as OsWUS) has no function in SAM maintenance, whereas it plays a crucial role in axillary meristem development. Recently, we showed that a double mutant of FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 (FON2) and ABERRANT SPIKELET AND PANICLE1 (ASP1) led to a marked enlargement of the inflorescence meristem, and that the TAB1 function is not associated with massive stem cells in this meristem. In this paper, we confirmed that TAB1 is also unrelated to the enlargement of the SAM in the vegetative phase of the fon2 and fon2 asp1 mutants. In addition, misexpression of TAB1 under the promoter of FON1 led to a slight reduction of the SAM size in wild type, suggesting that TAB1 is not a positive regulator of stem cells. Taking together, TAB1 seems not to be involved in meristem maintenance, irrespective of the meristem type.

Noninvasive quantitation of rat cerebral blood flow using 99mTc-HMPAO-assessment of input function with dynamic chest planar imaging

BACKGROUND

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) quantitation using technetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (^99mTc-HMPAO) generally requires assessment of input function by arterial blood sampling, which would be invasive for small animals. We therefore performed chest dynamic planar imaging, instead of arterial blood sampling, to estimate the input function and establish noninvasive quantitation method of rat CBF using the image-derived input function.

RESULTS

Integrated radioactivity concentration in the heart-blood pool on planar images (AUC_Blood-planar) was identical to that in arterial blood samples (AUC_Blood-sampling). Radioactivity concentration in the brain determined by SPECT imaging (C_Brain-SPECT) was identical to that using brain sampling (C_Brain-sampling). Noninvasively calculated CBF obtained by dividing C_Brain-SPECT by AUC_Blood-planar was well correlated with conventionally estimated CBF obtained by dividing C_Brain-sampling by AUC_Blood-sampling.

CONCLUSION

Rat CBF could be noninvasively quantitated using ^99mTc-HMPAO chest dynamic planar imaging and head SPECT imaging without arterial blood sampling.

A motional Stark effect diagnostic analysis routine for improved resolution of iota in the core of the large helical device

A new Motional Stark Effect (MSE) analysis routine has been developed for improved spatial resolution in the core of the Large Helical Device (LHD). The routine was developed to reduce the dependency of the analysis on the Pfirsch-Schlüter (PS) current in the core. The technique used the change in the polarization angle as a function of flux in order to find the value of diota/dflux at each measurement location. By integrating inwards from the edge, the iota profile can be recovered from this method. This reduces the results' dependency on the PS current because the effect of the PS current on the MSE measurement is almost constant as a function of flux in the core; therefore, the uncertainty in the PS current has a minimal effect on the calculation of the iota profile. In addition, the VMEC database was remapped from flux into r/a space by interpolating in mode space in order to improve the database core resolution. These changes resulted in a much smoother iota profile, conforming more to the physics expectations of standard discharge scenarios in the core of the LHD.

Measurements of metastatic renal cell tumours as determined by diffusion weighted imaging or computed tomography are in close agreement, a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) provides both functional and anatomical information regarding tumours but can also be used for tumour detection. Today, tumour treatment response in clinical trials is mainly assessed on Computed Tomography (CT) using established criteria. Despite availability of dedicated software, CT still requires significant manual work for selection and measurement in treatment response evaluation of solid tumours.

PURPOSE

To compare the maximum diameter of tumour lesions on CT with the corresponding measurements on diffusion weighted images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective cohort, metastatic lesions were identified on CT and on DWI in five patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma before and after three months of treatment with pazopanib. Two radiologists independently measured the same lesions on axial CT images and separately also on axial DWI images. The measurements were compared between CT and DWI with respect to the number of target lesions measured, size of the lesions, size reduction due to treatment and the inter-observer variability. Wilcoxon signed rank test, linear regression and Bland-Altman plots were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

In this pilot study, there was no significant inter-observer variability in terms of numbers of lesion selected between CT and DWI. A significant reduction of lesion size was observed both for CT and DWI when post-treatment scans were compared to pre-treatment scans. There was no significant difference in measurement of lesion size on both pre- and post treatment scans between CT and DWI (p = 0.099 and p = 0.388 respectively).

CONCLUSION

Measurement of the size of metastatic lesions on the basis of axial DWI images are in close agreement with measurement based on conventional axial CT images, the most often employed approach in clinical trials today. The results in this pilot study can be used to estimate sufficient sample size in a larger trial with adequate power, were the results can be confirmed in a wider range of cancers other than renal cell carcinoma.