Gfap transgenic medaka as a novel reporter line for neural stem cells

Radial glial cells (RGCs) play an essential role in developing, maintaining, and repairing the central nervous system (CNS). However, a specific reporter line of RGCs is limited in medaka. Glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) is abundant in teleost CNS, including the brain and spinal cord, and is a possible candidate for a marker for RGCs in medaka CNS. We generated a transgenic medaka in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression is regulated under putative medaka gfap regulatory elements. We observed EGFP expression in the CNS of live larval and juvenile medaka through the transparent body of the See-through medaka strain. Histological analysis for juvenile and adult Tg(gfap:EGFP) medaka showed that EGFP was expressed in GFAP-positive cells in the telencephalon, optic tectum, retina, and spinal cord. We further found another EGFP expressing cells in the optic tectum and retina. These cells are possibly neuroepithelial-like stem cells, deducing from the distribution of these EGFP-positive cells. We concluded that this reporter line would be valuable in the investigation of neural stem cell function during the development and regeneration of medaka CNS visualizing two types of neural stem cells, RGCs and neuroepithelial-like stem cells.

Intraperitoneal dye injection method for visualizing the functioning lymphatic vascular system in zebrafish and medaka

A hierarchically organized lymphatic vascular system extends throughout the vertebrate body for tissue fluid homeostasis, immune trafficking, and the absorption of dietary fats. Intralymphatic dye injection and serial sectioning have been the main tools for visualizing lymphatic vessels. Specific markers for identifying the lymphatic vasculature in zebrafish and medaka have appeared as new tools that enable the study of lymphangiogenesis using genetic and experimental manipulation. Transgenic fishes have become excellent organisms for visualizing the lymphatic vasculature in living embryos, but this method has limited usefulness, especially in later developmental stages. The functional lymphatic endothelium predominantly takes up foreign particles in zebrafish and medaka. We utilized this physiological activity and lymph flow to label lymphatic vessels. Intraperitoneal injection of trypan blue is useful for temporal observations of the lymphatic ducts, which are essential for large-scale genetic screening, while cinnabar (HgS) injection allows identification of the lymphatic endothelium under electron microscopy, avoiding artefactual damage. This injection method, which is not high in cost and does not require high skill or special devices, is applicable to any live fish with functioning lymphatic vessels, even mutants, with high reproducibility for visualizing the entire lymphatic vascular system.

P4384Noninvasive and novel method to evaluate left ventricular contractility using pressure-volume loop area obtained by 3-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography

Introduction

Left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume (P-V) loop area reflects stroke work (SW), but clinical use of this index is limited by the need of invasive pressure measurement. A noninvasive method to obtain LV pressure-strain loop was recently introduced to assess myocardial work (MW). The minimum LV diastolic pressure (mLVP) was reported to have a strong correlation with Tau and we reported that Tau was noninvasively evaluated by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the impact of preload change by leg lifts on LV SW noninvasively obtained by the novel method and to examine the utility to assess LV contractility by SW and end-diastolic (ED) volume relation (SW-VED).

Methods

Thirty six controls (age 71±10) and 30 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (EF) <50% (HF) (age 73±6) were enrolled. LV pressure in a cardiac cycle was estimated using systolic blood pressure (SBP), minimum diastolic pressure (mDP) and ED pressure (EDP) by utilizing the profile of an empiric, normalized reference curve. The mDP and EDP were estimated as (Tau − 33.7)/2.06 and as 12.3 − 10.1 x Log (left atrial active emptying function/minimum volume) as we reported. LVSW was obtained by P-V loop by the combination of these pressures and LV volume using 3-D STE.

Results

LVEF and longitudinal strain in HF before leg up by 3D-STE were lower compared to normal (LVEF; normal: 58±5 vs HF: 39±10*% and strain; −12±3 vs −8±3%*, *p<0.05 vs normal). LVEF was increased after leg up by 7±6% in normal and by 8±8% in HF associated with increased LVED volume (normal: 84±24 to 90±24 and HF: 124±36* to 136±42*ml). LV MW and SW in HF before leg up were lower compared to normal (MW: 1790±412 vs 1002±432*mmHg% and SW: 3946±1682 vs 3352±1026mmHgml). LV SW increased after leg up by 26±19% in normal and by 25±20% in HF. LV SW-VED in normal was greater than HF (241±151 vs 90±54*).

Conclusion

LV SW noninvasively obtained by P-V loop area was increased after leg up in both normal and HF but SW-VED in HF was smaller than normal, indicating reduced contractility in HF. This noninvasive method may be a new echocardiographic approach for quantification of LV SW and contractility.

P3548Noninvasive estimation of left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertension and normal ejection fraction using 3-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography

Background

Left ventricular (LV) relaxation (eTau) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (ePCWP) were reported to be estimated by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). LV camber stiffness (e-c stiffness) may be estimated with the use of 2 diastolic pressure-volume coordinates. The minimum diastolic pressure (mP) is reported to have a strong correlation with Tau.

Purpose

We sought to examine the impact of hypertension on LV diastolic function and LA properties and to elucidate the feature of hypertensive heart failure with preserved EF (HFpEF).

Methods

The e', E/e', Tau, PCWP, LVEDP, LV stiffness, LAV, LA emptying function (LAEF) and LA strain were examined in 53 controls (age 66±11), 136 hypertensive patients (HTN) with normal EF (69±11) and 39 HFpEF (77±14). ePCWP and estimated EDP (eEDP) was calculated as previously reported. Tau was calculated as isovolumic relaxation time/(ln 0.9 x systolic blood pressure − ln PCWP). Myocardial stiffness (e-m stiffness) was estimated as LVED stress/LV strain. LV c-stiffness was calculated as LV pressure change (from mP to EDP) obtained by catheterization divided by LV volume change. Estimated LV c-stiffness (e-c-stiffness) was noninvasively obtained using e-mP and e-EDP. The eTau, eEDP and e-mP by STE were validated by catheterization (n=126).

Results

The mP had a good correlation with Tau (r=0.70, p<0.01). The eTau, eEDP and e-mP by STE had a good correlation with those by catheterization (r=0.75, 0.63 and 0.70, p<0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that ePCWP and LA strain were independent predictors of HFpEF.

LV diastoric function Variables Control HTN HFpEF LVEF, % 68±6 68±8 63±9*+ LV longitudinal strain x (s–1) 19.1±3.0 16.8±4.3* 14.5±5.1*+ E/e' 9.2±2.6 11.6±4.5* 15.9±7.9*+ eTau, ms 35±12 48±17* 59±17*+ ePCWP, mmHg 7.3±2.7 8.3±4.3 15.0±4.4*+ eLVEDP, mmHg 9.4±2.2 10.4±3.5 15.9±3.7*+ LV e-myocardial stiffness, kdynes/cm 0.56±0.25 0.69±0.56 1.27±0.71*+ LV e-chamber stiffness, mmHg/ml 0.19±0.06 0.20±0.08 0.36±0.19*+ Maximum LAVI, ml/m2 42±15 50±21* 68±17*+ Total LAEF, % 55±7 51±11 36±12*+ LA peak strain 41±15 40±17 19±8*+ *p<0.05 vs Control, +p<0.05 vs HTN.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that LV diastolic function in HTN may be accurately and noninvasively evaluated by STE.

P4351Validation by cardiac catheterization of noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular chamber and myocardial stiffness as a diastolic function using speckle tracking echocardiography

Background

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is mainly composed of LV relaxation and LV stiffness. We reported that pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (ePCWP) and LV relaxation assessed by Tau (eTau) are noninvasively evaluated by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). The minimum LV diastolic pressure (mLVP) was reported to have a strong correlation with Tau. Therefore, LV chamber stiffness (c-stiffness) may be assessed with the use of two LV diastolic pressure-volume coordinates: the mLVP and volume and the end-diastolic pressure (EDP) and volume.

Purpose

We sought to noninvasively assess LV stiffness using STE and validate the value by cardiac catheterization.

Methods

Echocardiography and catheterization were performed in 124 patients (age 72±8) (70 angina pectoris, 20 prior myocardial infarction, 19 hypertensive heart disease, 11 congestive heart failure and 4 paroxysmal atrial fibrillation). The ePCWP (mmHg) is noninvasively obtained as 10.8 − 12.4 × Log (left atrial active emptying function/minimum volume) and the eTau (ms) is obtained as isovolumic relaxation time/(ln 0.9 × systolic blood pressure − ln ePCWP) as previously reported. The mLVP (e-mLVP) was estimate using Tau. The estimated EDP (e-EDP) was calculated as 12.3 − 10.1 × Log (left atrial active emptying function / minimum volume). LV c-stiffness (mmHg/ml) was calculated as LV pressure change (from mLVP to EDP) obtained by catheterization divided by LV volume change during diastole which equals to stroke volume by echocardiography. Estimated c-stiffness (e-c-stiffness) was noninvasively obtained using e-mLVP and e-EDP. Furthermore, LV myocardial stiffness (m-stiffness) was calculated by LVED stress / LV longitudinal strain by STE, where LV stress (kdynes/cm2) was calculated as 0.334 × pressure × dimension / [thickness (1 + thickness/dimension)]. The estimated m-stiffness (e-m-stiffness) was calculated using e-EDP.

Results

The eTau and e-EDP estimated by STE had a good correlation with Tau and EDP invasively obtained by catheterization (r=0.75 and 0.63, respectively, both p<0.001). There was a good correlation between Tau and mLVP (Tau = 2.06 mLVP + 33.7, r=0.70). The estimated LVED stress had good correlation with ED stress obtained by catheterization (r=0.77, p<0.001). The e-c-stiffness and e-m-stiffness had a good correlation with those obtained by catheterization (e-c-stiffness; 0.116±0.07 and c-stiffness; 0.115±0.06, r=0.603, e-m-stiffness; 0.81±0.41 and m-stiffness; 0.85±0.45, r=0.89, respectively). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a good agreement between e-c-stiffness and c-stiffness, and between e-m-stiffness and m-stiffness without fixed and proportional bias.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that LV stiffness may be noninvasively assessed by STE with reasonable accuracy and may have utility and value in the routine clinical practice for the diagnosis and treatment in patients with diastolic dysfunction.

A population-based study identifies an association of THBS2 with intervertebral disc degeneration

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the genetic mechanisms underlying intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), we examined the associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indicated as coefficient of interaction term (IDD) in a general population in Japan.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. In 1,605 participants, C2-3 to L5/S1 in the total spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated using the Pfirrmann's scoring system. Disc scores of 4 and 5 were defined as IDD. Eight SNPs in eight genes associated with IDD were examined at each disc level, considering the non-genetic risk factors of age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

The highest odds ratio was found for rs9406328 in the THBS2 gene at disc level T12-L1 (OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.05 to 1.53), and this association was strengthened after adjustment for age using logistic regression (OR 1.37, 95%CI 1.12 to 1.67). Among participants aged <50 years and 50-59, the average IDD score in those with 2 risk alleles of rs9406328 was markedly higher than in those with 0 or 1 risk allele, and the difference is much wider than the elderly participants. It indicates the genetic effect of rs9406328 is stronger in the younger age groups. Finally, multiple linear regression analyses of the association between rs9406328 and IDD, adjusted for age, sex, and BMI at each disc level, showed a statistical interaction between age and the number of risk alleles at C7-T1, T3-4 and T4-T5 as well as T12-L1.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION: The association between rs9406328 in THBS2 and IDD was replicated. The contributions of genetic and environmental factors to IDD differed by disc level.

Valves Are a Conserved Feature of the Zebrafish Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system comprises blind-ended tubes that collect interstitial fluid and return it to the circulatory system. In mammals, unidirectional lymphatic flow is driven by muscle contraction working in conjunction with valves. Accordingly, defective lymphatic valve morphogenesis results in backflow leading to edema. In fish species, studies dating to the 18^th century failed to identify lymphatic valves, a precedent that currently persists, raising the question of whether the zebrafish could be used to study the development of these structures. Here, we provide functional and morphological evidence of valves in the zebrafish lymphatic system. Electron microscopy revealed valve ultrastructure similar to mammals, while live imaging using transgenic lines identified the developmental origins of lymphatic valve progenitors. Zebrafish embryos bearing mutations in genes required for mammalian valve morphogenesis show defective lymphatic valve formation and edema. Together, our observations provide a foundation from which to further investigate lymphatic valve formation in zebrafish.

Abnormal nuclear morphology is independent of longevity in a zmpste24-deficient fish model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS)

Lamin is an intermediate protein underlying the nuclear envelope and it plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the nucleus. A defect in the processing of its precursor by a metalloprotease, ZMPSTE24, results in the accumulation of farnesylated prelamin in the nucleus and causes various diseases, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). However, the role of lamin processing is unclear in fish species. Here, we generated zmpste24-deficient medaka and evaluated their phenotype. Unlike humans and mice, homozygous mutants did not show growth defects or lifespan shortening, despite lamin precursor accumulation. Gonadosomatic indices, blood glucose levels, and regenerative capacity of fins were similar in 1-year-old mutants and their wild-type (WT) siblings. Histological examination showed that the muscles, subcutaneous fat tissues, and gonads were normal in the mutants at the age of 1 year. However, the mutants showed hypersensitivity to X-ray irradiation, although p53target genes, p21 and mdm2, were induced 6 h after irradiation. Immunostaining of primary cultured cells from caudal fins and visualization of nuclei using H2B-GFP fusion proteins revealed an abnormal nuclear shape in the mutants both in vitro and in vivo. The telomere lengths were significantly shorter in the mutants compared to WT. Taken together, these results suggest that zmpste24-deficient medaka phenocopied HGPS only partially and that abnormal nuclear morphology and lifespan shortening are two independent events in vertebrates.

CO2 low-level laser therapy has an early but not delayed pain effect during experimental tooth movement

OBJECTIVES

To test the hypothesis that the use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) reduces elevated pain by controlling the release of neurochemicals during orthodontic tooth movement.

SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION

Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Okayama University. Sixty-five Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to tooth movement and LLLT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult Sprague Dawley rats were used in this study. Groups included day 0 controls, irradiation only controls and with or without irradiation sacrificed at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after tooth movement (n=5 each, total n=65). Tooth movement was achieved by insertion of an elastic module between molar teeth. Immunohistochemistry for CD-11b, GFAP and c-fos in the brain stem was performed. Stains were quantified by constructing a three-dimensional image using IMARIS, and counted using NEURON TRACER and WinROOF software. Two-way ANOVA followed by a Tukey's post hoc test (P<.05) was used for statistical comparison between groups.

RESULTS

C-fos expression was significantly increased at one and three days after tooth movement. LLLT significantly diminished this increase in c-fos expression only at one day after tooth movement CD-b11 and GFAP expression also significantly increased after tooth movement. No significant change was observed for CD-11b and GFAP expression in the central nervous system upon LLLT.

CONCLUSION

Low-level laser therapy may reduce early neurochemical markers but have no effect on delayed pain neurochemical markers after tooth movement.

Impact of surgical margins on survival of 37 dogs with massive hepatocellular carcinoma

AIMS

To compare the survival of dogs with completely resected massive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with that of dogs in which HCC were incompletely excised.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Dogs that underwent surgical excision of massive HCC between November 2006 and April 2015 were included. Dogs that died in the perioperative period or were lost to follow-up within 2 months after surgery were excluded. Data were collected from the medical records and a single pathologist examined all available histology slides to confirm the diagnosis of HCC. Surgical margins were defined as complete if no neoplastic cells were seen at the edge of excised tissues, based on original histopathology reports. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between dogs with complete surgical margins (CM) and those with incomplete margins (IM) using a log-rank test.

RESULTS

Of the 37 dogs included in the study, 25 were allocated to the CM group and 12 to the IM group. Progressive local disease developed after surgery in three dogs in the CM group and seven dogs in the IM group. Three dogs in the CM group and five dogs in the IM group died due to tumour progression. Median PFS was longer for dogs in the CM group (1,000 (95% CI=562-1,438) days) compared to dogs in the IM group (521 (95% CI=243-799) days; p=0.007). OS was also longer for dogs in the CM group (>1,836 days) compared to those in the IM group (median 765 (95% CI=474-1,056) days; p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Compared with complete resection, incomplete resection decreased PFS and OS in dogs with massive HCC. Dogs with incompletely excised HCC should be closely monitored for local recurrence, although median OS was >2 years following incomplete excision. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Removal of anti-Stokes emission background in STED microscopy by FPGA-based synchronous detection

In stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, the role of the STED beam is to de-excite, via stimulated emission, the fluorophores that have been previously excited by the excitation beam. This condition, together with specific beam intensity distributions, allows obtaining true sub-diffraction spatial resolution images. However, if the STED beam has a non-negligible probability to excite the fluorophores, a strong fluorescent background signal (anti-Stokes emission) reduces the effective resolution. For STED scanning microscopy, different synchronous detection methods have been proposed to remove this anti-Stokes emission background and recover the resolution. However, every method works only for a specific STED microscopy implementation. Here we present a user-friendly synchronous detection method compatible with any STED scanning microscope. It exploits a data acquisition (DAQ) card based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which is progressively used in STED microscopy. In essence, the FPGA-based DAQ card synchronizes the fluorescent signal registration, the beam deflection, and the excitation beam interruption, providing a fully automatic pixel-by-pixel synchronous detection method. We validate the proposed method in both continuous wave and pulsed STED microscope systems.

Increase of Galanin in Trigeminal Ganglion during Tooth Movement

It is known that nerve fibers containing neuropeptides such as galanin increase in the periodontal ligament during experimental tooth movement. However, the origin of galanin-containing nerve fibers in the periodontal ligament remains unclear. This study was conducted to examine our hypothesis that the increased galanin nerve fibers have a sensory neuronal origin, and that the peptide is associated with pain transmission and/or periodontal ligament remodeling during experimental tooth movement. In control rats, galanin-immunoreactive trigeminal ganglion cells were very rare and were observed predominantly in small ganglion cells. After 3 days of experimental tooth movement, galanin-immunoreactive trigeminal ganglion cells significantly increased, and the most marked increase was observed at 5 days after experimental tooth movement. Furthermore, their cell size spectrum also significantly changed after 3 and 5 days of movement: Medium-sized and large trigeminal ganglion cells began expressing, and continued to express, galanin until 14 days after experimental tooth movement. These findings suggest that the increase of galanin in the periodontal ligament during experimental tooth movement at least partially originates from trigeminal ganglion neurons and may play a role in pain transmission and/or periodontal remodeling.

Characterization of pediatric Philadelphia-negative B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia with kinase fusions in Japan

Recent studies revealed that a substantial proportion of patients with high-risk B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) harbor fusions involving tyrosine kinase and cytokine receptors, such as ABL1, PDGFRB, JAK2 and CRLF2, which are targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). In the present study, transcriptome analysis or multiplex reverse transcriptase–PCR analysis of 373 BCP-ALL patients without recurrent genetic abnormalities identified 29 patients with kinase fusions. Clinically, male predominance (male/female: 22/7), older age at onset (mean age at onset: 8.8 years) and a high white blood cell count at diagnosis (mean: 94 200/μl) reflected the predominance of National Cancer Institute high-risk (NCI-HR) patients (NCI-standard risk/HR: 8/21). Genetic analysis identified three patients with ABL1 rearrangements, eight with PDGFRB rearrangements, two with JAK2 rearrangements, three with IgH-EPOR and one with NCOR1-LYN. Of the 14 patients with CRLF2 rearrangements, two harbored IgH-EPOR and PDGFRB rearrangements. IKZF1 deletion was present in 16 of the 22 patients. The 5-year event-free and overall survival rates were 48.6±9.7% and 73.5±8.6%, respectively. The outcome was not satisfactory without sophisticated minimal residual disease-based stratification. Furthermore, the efficacy of TKIs combined with conventional chemotherapy without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in this cohort should be determined.

Catalysts for direct H2O2 synthesis taking advantage of the high H2 activating ability of Pt: kinetic characteristics of Pt catalysts and new additives for improving H2O2 selectivity

To develop efficient catalysts for the direct H₂O₂ synthesis from H₂ and O₂ by taking advantage of the high H₂ activating ability of Pt, kinetic studies of the H₂–O₂ reaction were performed using a Pt-PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) colloid and Pt supported on carbon (Pt/C) as catalysts, and new additives were explored.

A software tool for tomographic axial superresolution in STED microscopy

A method for generating three-dimensional tomograms from multiple three-dimensional axial projections in STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) superresolution microscopy is introduced. Our STED< method, based on the use of a micromirror placed on top of a standard microscopic sample, is used to record a three-dimensional projection at an oblique angle in relation to the main optical axis. Combining the STED< projection with the regular STED image into a single view by tomographic reconstruction, is shown to result in a tomogram with three-to-four-fold improved apparent axial resolution. Registration of the different projections is based on the use of a mutual-information histogram similarity metric. Fusion of the projections into a single view is based on Richardson-Lucy iterative deconvolution algorithm, modified to work with multiple projections. Our tomographic reconstruction method is demonstrated to work with real biological STED superresolution images, including a data set with a limited signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); the reconstruction software (SuperTomo) and its source code will be released under BSD open-source license.

Generation of Xeroderma Pigmentosum-A Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Line for Use As Future Disease Model

Xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XP-A) is a genetic disorder in which there is an abnormality in nucleotide excision repair that causes hypersensitivity to sunlight and multiple skin cancers. The development of central and peripheral neurological disorders not correlated to ultraviolet light exposure is associated with XP-A. The genes responsible for XP-A have been identified and a XPA knockout mouse has been generated. These knockout mice exhibit cutaneous symptoms, but they do not show neurological disorders. The mechanism of pathogenesis of neurological disorders is still unclear and therapeutic methods have not been established. Therefore, we generated XP-A patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (XPA-iPSCs) to produce in vitro models of neurological disorders. We obtained iPSC lines from fibroblasts of two patients carrying different mutations. Drugs screened using XPA-iPSC lines can be helpful for treating XP-A patients in Japan. Additionally, we revealed that these iPSCs have the potential to differentiate into neural lineage cells, including dopaminergic neurons, which decrease in XP-A patients. Our results indicate that expression of the normal XPA gene without mutations is not required for generation of iPSCs and differentiation of iPSCs into neural lineage cells. XPA-iPSCs may become useful models that clarify our understanding of neurological pathogenesis and help to establish therapeutic methods.

Preoperative oral supplementation support in patients with esophageal cancer

OBJECTIVE

Surgeries for cancer of the esophagus are still associated with a high rate of postoperative morbidity. There are few reports of perioperative nutritional support for patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery, and there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine use of immunonutrition in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether preoperative immunonutrition positively influences key clinical outcomes such as postoperative infectious complications, mortality, length of hospital stay, and short-term survival in this population.

DESIGN AND SETTING

We undertook a retrospective investigation of the effects of preoperative nutritional support on the postoperative course of esophageal cancer surgery at the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare Mita Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-five patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were included in this study. Of the 55 patients, 26 patients consumed a liquid dietary supplement (IMPACT group) before surgery and 29 patients did not (STANDARD group).

INTERVENTION

Before surgery, the IMPACT group consumed 750 ml (3 packs)/day of Impact for 5 consecutive days.

MEASUREMENTS

The analysis was based on postoperative complications, hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and short-term survival.

RESULTS

Significantly fewer patients developed postoperative infections in the IMPACT group compared with the STANDARD group (p=.007): 4 of 21 patients in the IMPACT group and 10 of 29 patients in the STANDARD group. Either an infectious complication or another complication developed in 8 patients in the IMPACT group and 13 patients in the STANDARD group, with the result that 6 patients in the STANDARD group died of postoperative complications (p=.001). The duration of hospitalization was 34 days in the IMPACT group and 48 days in the STANDARD group; hence, hospitalization was significantly shorter in patients treated with Impact (p=.008). The mean 6-month survival rates for the IMPACT group and the STANDARD group were 92% (24/26) and 72% (21/29), respectively (p=.028).

CONCLUSION

Simple preoperative supplementation significantly improved outcome. Administration of the supplemental diet before esophageal surgery appeared to be an effective strategy in reducing infectious complications, mortality, and hospitalization, and improving short-term survival.

Bacterial loads of Ureaplasma urealyticum contribute to development of urethritis in men

Ureaplasma urealyticum could be a pathogen of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in men. However, ureaplasma is often detected in men without NGU, and the proportion of cases possibly attributable to this pathogen is still undefined. We attempted to determine the bacterial loads of U. urealyticum significantly associated with NGU. The 16S rRNA genes of U. urealyticum were quantified by a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based assay in first-void urine (FVU) from 26 asymptomatic and 25 symptomatic men positive for U. urealyticum. The leucocyte counts in first-void urine (FVU) were determined as an objective measure of inflammatory response to ureaplasma in the hosts by automated quantitative urine particle analysis. Positive correlations were observed between copies of the 16S rRNA genes of U. urealyticum per ml and the leucocyte counts per µl in FVU (r = 0.49, p = 0.0003). Loads of ≥10(4) copies of the 16S rRNA gene of U. urealyticum/ml, corresponding to ≥5 × 10(3) cells of U. urealyticum/ml in FVU, were significantly associated with the presence of urethritis symptoms (p < 0.0001) and with higher leukocyte counts in FVU (p < 0.0001). The bacterial load of U. urealyticum, possibly of ≥5 × 10(3) cells of U. urealyticum/ml in FVU, could be significantly associated with the development of symptomatic NGU.

Application of infrared laser to the zebrafish vascular system: gene induction, tracing, and ablation of single endothelial cells

OBJECTIVE

Infrared laser-evoked gene operator is a new microscopic method optimized to heat cells in living organisms without causing photochemical damage. By combining the promoter system for the heat shock response, infrared laser-evoked gene operator enables laser-mediated gene induction in targeted cells. We applied this method to the vascular system in zebrafish embryos and demonstrated its usability to investigate mechanisms of vascular morphogenesis in vivo.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

We used double-transgenic zebrafish with fli1:nEGFP to identify the endothelial cells, and with hsp:mCherry to carry out single-cell labeling. Optimizing the irradiation conditions, we finally succeeded in inducing the expression of the mCherry gene in single targeted endothelial cells, at a maximum efficiency rate of 60%. In addition, we indicated that this system could be used for laser ablation under certain conditions. To evaluate infrared laser-evoked gene operator, we applied this system to the endothelial cells of the first intersegmental arteries, and captured images of the connection between the vascular systems of the brain and spinal cord.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the infrared laser-evoked gene operator system will contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying vascular morphogenesis by controlling spatiotemporal gene activation in single endothelial cells, by labeling or deleting individual vessels in living embryos.

Intergenic region between TATA-box binding protein and proteasome subunit C3 genes of Medaka function as the bidirectional promoter in vitro and in vivo

In the genome of eukaryotic organisms, each protein-coding gene has the unique promoter in the 5'-flanking region, and the direction of the promoter is usually controlled unidirectional. In this study, we revealed that the intergenic region between TATA-box binding protein (tbp) and proteasome subunit C3 (psmc3) genes in Medaka functions as bidirectional promoter in vitro and in vivo. The tbp and psmc3 genes were allocated as a head-to-head configuration with a 719bp intergenic region. A comparative analysis of gene arrangement surrounding loci of tbp in vertebrates also illustrated that it was unique in Acanthopterygii lineage. The transcription activities were about 1.2 times for tbp direction and 0.7 times for psmc3 direction against that of SV40 promoter in Medaka fibroblasts, respectively. A dual fluorescent reporter assay directly showed that the bidirectional promoter could express two divergent genes concurrently without disruption of RNA polymerase II elongation. In addition, an analysis of sequential deletion of this promoter suggested that the ETS binding site was necessary for maximum expression of downstream gene, and only the ETS binding site was shared from fish to mammals. In mammals, high correlation with CpG islands was observed in such bidirectional promoters, no association was found in the tbp/psmc3 bidirectional promoter in Medaka. These results suggest that molecular machineries of fish bidirectional promoter may be somehow different from those of mammals but the cis-acting element for binding ETS transcription factors is essential for divergent gene expression.

Transgenic medaka fish which mimic the endogenous expression of neuronal kinesin, KIF5A

Intracellular transport is spatiotemporally controlled by microtubule-dependent motor proteins, including kinesins. In order to elucidate the mechanisms controlling kinesin expression, it is important to analyze their genomic regulatory regions. In this study, we cloned the neuronal tissue-specific kinesin in medaka fish and generated transgenic fish which mimic endogenous neuronal kinesin expression in order to elucidate the mechanisms which regulate kinesin expression. Searches for medaka neuronal orthologues by RT-PCR identified a candidate gene expressed only in neuronal tissues. Using BAC clones, we determined the cDNA sequence and the gene structure of the candidate neuronal kinesin. Evolutionary analysis indicated that the candidate gene encoded medaka KIF5Aa. The endogenous medaka orthologue was found to be expressed only in the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, while expression of KIF5Ab was not exclusive to neuronal tissues. Transgenic (Tg) medaka that expressed EGFP under the control of the 6.9 kbp 5' and 1.9kbp 3' flanking regions of the KIF5Aa gene showed characteristic expression throughout the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, olfactory pit, eye and cranial nerve. Immunohistological analysis showed that EGFP expression in Tg fish co-localized with expression of HuC/D, a neuronal marker. These results demonstrate that the 6.9 kbp 5' and 1.9 kbp 3' flanking regions of medaka KIF5Aa have neuronal-specific promoter activity mimicking endogenous expression of medaka KIF5Ab. This transgenic fish strain will be useful for further functional analysis of the effects of these regulatory regions on gene expression.

Orthodontic miniscrew failure rate and root proximity, insertion angle, bone contact length, and bone density

OBJECTIVES

To test the hypothesis that there is no significant correlation between miniscrew failure rate and root proximity, insertion angle, bone contact length, and bone density.

SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION

This study included 107 patients in whom 190 miniscrews had been placed from April 2008 to October 2009 in Tohoku University Hospital (Sendai, Japan).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cone beam computed tomography scans (CBCT) and periapical radiographs were taken before and after miniscrew placement. Differences in root proximity, screw insertion angle, bone contact length, and bone density were statistically compared; comparisons were also made between the CBCT images and periapical radiographs.

RESULTS

A significantly higher success rate was observed in the maxilla than in the mandible. The distance between the miniscrew and the root surface was significantly smaller in the failure group. There were no significant differences in the insertion angle, bone contact length, or bone density between the success group and the failure group. The concordance rate between the periapical dental radiographs and CBCT images was 46.5%.

CONCLUSION

While bone contact length, miniscrew angle, and bone density did not exert major effects on miniscrew failure, root proximity was the factor that most affected miniscrew failure, especially for miniscrews placed in the mandible. CBCT was superior to periapical dental X-rays for evaluating the proximity of miniscrews to the root. Correction of the X-ray attenuation coefficient value was necessary for measuring bone density using CBCT.

In vivo visualization of the lymphatic vessels in pFLT4-EGFP transgenic medaka

Feline McDonough Sarcoma (FMS)-like tyrosine kinase 4 (FLT4) is a marker for lymphatic vessels and some high endothelial venules in human adult tissues. We generated a transgenic medaka fish in which the lymphatic vessels and some blood vessels are visible in vivo by transferring the promoter of medaka flt4 driving the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) using a see-through medaka line. To do this, we identified and cloned medaka flt4 and generated a construct in which the promoter was the 4-kb region upstream of the translation initiation site. The fluorescent signal of EGFP could be observed with little background, and the expression pattern correlated well with that of flt4 determined by whole-mount RNA in situ hybridization. Because a see-through medaka line is transparent until adult, the model is useful for visualizing the lymphatic vessels not only in embryo and fry but also in adult. This model will be a useful tool for analyzing lymphatic development.

Rapamycin causes upregulation of autophagy and impairs islets function both in vitro and in vivo

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation process of redundant or faulty cell components in normal cells. However, certain diseases are associated with dysfunctional autophagy. Rapamycin, a major immunosuppressant used in islet transplantation, is an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin and is known to cause induction of autophagy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of rapamycin on pancreatic β cells. Rapamycin induced upregulation of autophagy in both cultured isolated islets and pancreatic β cells of green fluorescent protein-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 transgenic mice. Rapamycin reduced the viability of isolated β cells and down-regulated their insulin function, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, rapamycin increased the percentages of apoptotic β cells and dead cells in both isolated and in vivo intact islets. Treatment with 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, abrogated the effects of rapamycin and restored β-cell function in both in vitro experiments and animal experiments. We conclude that rapamycin-induced islet dysfunction is mediated through upregulation of autophagy, with associated downregulation of insulin production and apoptosis of β cells. The results also showed that the use of an autophagy inhibitor abrogated these effects and promoted islet function and survival. The study findings suggest that targeting the autophagy pathway could be beneficial in promoting islet graft survival after transplantation.

Molecular cloning and expression of the col2a1a and col2a1b genes in the medaka, Oryzias latipes

The Col2a1 gene is expressed in notochord, otic vesicle, cartilaginous tissue and the anlage of endochondral bone during development in higher vertebrates. Type II collagen, a homotrimeric product of the Col2a1 gene, functions as a key regulatory protein for cartilage development and endochondral ossification. In medaka and zebrafish, a single homolog of the col2a1 gene has been identified. However, it is necessary to note that many genes are duplicated in teleost fishes. To clarify function of col2a1 genes in teleost fishes and to further understand the process of cartilage development and endochondral ossification, we cloned and mapped the gene loci of two col2a1 orthologs in medaka. The proteins encoded by both medaka col2a1a and col2a1b genes were highly conserved (85.3% and 82.6%) relative to human COL2A1, but synteny was not observed. We also examined the expression patterns of col2a1a and col2a1b during embryonic development. Whole-mount insitu hybridization data suggests that expression patterns of both medaka co2a1a and col2a1b genes are similar to that of zebrafish co2a1 in the early embryonic stages. In medaka, the two col2a1 genes show a closely correlated pattern of spatial and temporal expression. In late embryonic stages, however, there were differences in both expression patterns in the pectoral fin. This study is the first report of two homologs of col2a1 in teleosts and also the first examination of col2a1a and col2a1b expression patterns in this group.

Relationship between bone fragility of the mandibular inferior cortex and tooth loss related to periodontal disease in older people

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between bone fragility of the mandibular inferior cortex and tooth loss in older adults by accounting for periodontal disease and bone metabolism markers.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A total of 177 subjects aged 77 years participated in this study. We counted the number of remaining teeth. The mandibular cortex condition was examined using the mandibular inferior cortex classification (MICC) on dental panoramic radiographs. The mandibular inferior cortex was detected on both sides of the mandible, distally from the mental foramen (C1, normal; C2, mild/moderate erosion; C3, severe erosion). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the mandibular cortex condition with the MICC and the number of remaining teeth after controlling for confounding factors such as gender, the percentage of sites with > or = 4 mm clinical attachment levels, and serum osteocalcin levels.

RESULTS

The mean +/- SD number of remaining teeth of MICC C1, C2 and C3 were 20.7 +/- 7.5, 14.6 +/- 8.1 and 4.0 +/- 0.0 for males, and MICC C1, C2, and C3 were 21.7 +/- 7.6, 17.2 +/- 8.0, and 16.2 +/- 10.4 for females. The MICC was significantly associated with the number of remaining teeth using multiple linear regression analysis (beta = -0.21, p = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that there is a relationship between bone fragility of the mandibular inferior cortex and tooth loss related to periodontal disease.

Identification of Cancer Stem Cells Derived From a Canine Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Line

Accumulating evidence supporting the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis is based on the finding that tumors contain a small population of self-renewing cells that generate differentiated progeny and thereby contribute to tumor heterogeneity. CSCs are reported to exist in several human cancers, yet only a few reports demonstrate the existence of CSCs in primary lung cancer in dogs. In this study, the authors established a cancer cell line derived from a canine primary lung adenocarcinoma and identified a side population (SP) of cells that displayed drug-resistant features. To confirm the characteristics of these SP cells, the authors investigated the tumorigenicity of the cells in vivo by using a nude mouse xenograft model. Only 100 SP cells were able to give rise to new tumors, giving a 10-fold enrichment over the main population (MP) of cells, suggesting that these cells have the cancer-initiating ability of CSCs. Further studies characterizing CSCs in canine lung adenocarcinoma might contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and to the establishment of novel therapeutic strategies.

Osteogenic potential of rat stromal cells derived from periodontal ligament

Various mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been applied to regenerative medicine. MSCs derived from periodontal tissue could also be a useful cell source for alveolar bone regeneration. However, only a few attempts of direct comparisons have been made between MSCs from periodontal tissues and those from other somatic tissues. The purpose of this study was to clarify the osteogenic characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from bone marrow (BMSCs), adipose tissue (ASCs) and periodontal ligament (PDLSCs). BMSCs, ASCs and PDLSCs were isolated from Fisher 344 rats. After 1 week of primary culture, stromal cells were subjected to cell surface analysis and osteogenic differentiation. The cells were subcultured for 2 weeks with and without osteogenic supplements (OS), followed by biochemical and histological analyses. With regard to cell surface antigens, all MSCs were positive for CD29 and CD90 and negative for CD45. With regard to osteogenic differentiation, BMSCs with OS had the highest ALP activity, calcium uptake and osteocalcin content. Without OS, PDLSCs had the highest levels of these bone differentiation markers. RT-PCR analysis and histological analysis showed similar trends. These results indicate that PDLSCs are an ideal candidate for alveolar bone regeneration.

High-resolution melting curve analysis for rapid detection of mutations in a Medaka TILLING library

BACKGROUND

During the last two decades, DNA sequencing has led to the identification of numerous genes in key species; however, in most cases, their functions are still unknown. In this situation, reverse genetics is the most suitable method to assign function to a gene. TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes) is a reverse-genetic strategy that combines random chemical mutagenesis with high-throughput discovery of the induced mutations in target genes. The method has been applied to a variety of plant and animal species. Screening of the induced mutations is the most important step in TILLING. Currently, direct sequencing or nuclease-mediated screening of heteroduplexes is widely used for detection of mutations in TILLING. Both methods are useful, but the costs are substantial and turnaround times are relatively long. Thus, there is a need for an alternative method that is of higher throughput and more cost effective.

RESULTS

In this study, we developed a high resolution melting (HRM) assay and evaluated its effectiveness for screening ENU-induced mutations in a medaka TILLING library. We had previously screened mutations in the p53 gene by direct sequencing. Therefore, we first tested the efficiency of the HRM assay by screening mutations in p53, which indicated that the HRM assay is as useful as direct sequencing. Next, we screened mutations in the atr and atm genes with the HRM assay. Nonsense mutations were identified in each gene, and the phenotypes of these nonsense mutants confirmed their loss-of-function nature.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that the HRM assay is useful for screening mutations in TILLING. Furthermore, the phenotype of the obtained mutants indicates that medaka is an excellent animal model for investigating genome stability and gene function, especially when combined with TILLING.

Identification of a functional medaka heat shock promoter and characterization of its ability to induce exogenous gene expression in medaka in vitro and in vivo

Heat shock protein promoters (hsp promoters) are powerful tools for investigating gene functions, as the expression of targeted genes can be controlled simply by heating. However, there have been no reports of the utilization of an endogeneous medaka (Oryzias latipes) hsp promoter to induce exogenous gene expression in medaka. We identified and cloned a functional medaka hsp promoter (olphsp70.1) and verified its ability to act as an inducible promoter both in vitro and in vivo. The hsp promoter efficiently induced exogenous gene expression in cultured cells, developing embryos, and also in adult fishes. When used to control the expression of Venus, a variant of yellow fluorescent protein, in transgenic medaka, the hsp promoter was functional in all tissues except for the gonads of adults. These results indicate that the medaka hsp promoter can be a powerful tool for inducing exogenous gene expression and investigating gene functions both in vitro and in vivo in medaka.

Effects of CO2 laser irradiation of the gingiva during tooth movement

Patients often feel pain or discomfort in response to orthodontic force. It was hypothesized that CO(2) laser irradiation may reduce the early responses to nociceptive stimuli during tooth movement. The distribution of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-IR) neurons in the medullary dorsal horn of rats was evaluated. Two hrs after tooth movement, Fos-IR neurons in the ipsilateral part of the medullary dorsal horn increased significantly. CO(2) laser irradiation to the gingiva just after tooth movement caused a significant decrease of Fos-IR neurons. PGP 9.5- and CGRP-positive nerve fibers were observed in the PDL of all study groups. The maximum temperature below the mucosa during CO(2) laser irradiation was less than 40 degrees C. It was suggested that CO(2) laser irradiation reduced the early responses to nociceptive stimuli during tooth movement and might not have adverse effects on periodontal tissue.

Surveillance of antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the WHO Western Pacific and South East Asian regions, 2007-2008

Long-term surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been conducted in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region (WPR) to optimise antibiotic treatment of gonococcal disease since 1992. In 2007 and 2008, this Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GASP) was enhanced by the inclusion of data from the South East Asian Region (SEAR) and recruitment of additional centres within the WPR. Approximately 17,450 N. gonorrhoeae were examined for their susceptibility to one or more antibiotics used for the treatment of gonorrhoea by external quality controlled methods in 24 reporting centres in 20 countries and/or jurisdictions. A high proportion of penicillin and/or quinolone resistance was again detected amongst isolates tested in North Asia and the WHO SEAR, but much lower rates of penicillin resistance and little quinolone resistance was present in most of the Pacific Island countries. The proportion of gonococci reported as 'resistant', 'less susceptible' or 'non-susceptible' gonococci to the third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic ceftriaxone lay in a wide range, but no major changes were evident in cephalosporin minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) patterns in 2007-2008. Altered cephalosporin susceptibility was associated with treatment failures following therapy with oral third-generation cephalosporins. There is a need for revision and clarification of some of the in vitro criteria that are currently used to categorise the clinical importance of gonococci with different ceftriaxone and oral cephalosporin MIC levels. The number of instances of spectinomycin resistance remained low. A high proportion of strains tested continued to exhibit a form of plasmid mediated high level resistance to tetracyclines. The continuing emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant gonococci in and from the WHO WPR and SEAR supports the need for gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance programs such as GASP to be maintained and potentially expanded.