[Recurrent myelitis in a case of IgG4-related respiratory disease].

We report an 80-year-old man with IgG4-related pleuritis who had been treated with a low dose oral steroid for two years and developed recurrent myelitis. He was admitted to our hospital with gradually worsening numbness in the lower body and difficulty in walking due to mild weakness and loss of proprioception in the legs. T-weighted MR images of the spinal cord showed a high signal intensity lesion, located centrally in the spinal cord at the Th2-4 spine levels.

TRPV2 channels mediate insulin secretion induced by cell swelling in mouse pancreatic β-cells.

β-Cell swelling induces membrane depolarization, which has been suggested to be caused at least partly by the activation of cation channels. Here, we show the identification of the cation channels. In isolated mouse pancreatic β-cells, the exposure to 30% hypotonic solution elicited an increase in cytosolic Ca concentration ([Ca]).

GRBAS and Cape-V scales: high reliability and consensus when applied at different times.

Objectives: To evaluate whether the overall dysphonia grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale, and the Consensus Auditory Perceptual Evaluation-Voice (CAPE-V) scale show the same reliability and consensus when applied to the same vocal sample at different times.

Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Methods: Sixty subjects had their voices recorded according to the tasks proposed in the CAPE-V scale.

Juvenile angiofibroma: major and minor complications of preoperative embolization.

Introduction: Juvenile angiofibromas (JA) are highly vascular, benign tumours for which surgery is the treatment of choice. In most services, embolisation is performed prior to resection. Nevertheless, there are few data on the complications of preoperative embolisation for JA.

Pycnalin, a new α-glucosidase inhibitor from Acer pycnanthum.

A new compound, pycnalin (1), together with four known compounds, ginnalins A (2), B (3), C (4), and 3,6-di-O-galloyl-1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (3,6-di-GAG) (5), were isolated from Acer pycnanthum. The structure of 1 was determined on the basis of 2D-NMR spectral data and synthesis of 1. Pycnalin (1) is the first 1,5-anhydro-D-mannitol linked to a gallic acid, while compounds 2-5 were 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol linked to gallic acids.

Biofilm in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps: pilot study.

Unlabelled: Chronic rhinosinusitis' pathogenesis is not completely established and there are some explanations for this disease, such as osteitis, superantigens, fungal-mediated hypersensitivity and, more recently, biofilms. There are no reports in Portuguese about biofilms in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Aim: To reproduce a method for visualization of biofilms in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps.

Identification and analysis of two splice variants of human G2A generated by alternative splicing.

G2A is a G protein-coupled receptor that can be induced by various stressors. G2A is reported to have proton-sensing activity that mediates intracellular inositol phosphate (IP) accumulation with decreasing pH. We previously showed that G2A is also activated by some oxidized free fatty acids such as 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE).

Ceramide induces myogenic differentiation and apoptosis in Drosophila Schneider cells.

Cells exposed to genotoxic stress, such as ionizing radiation and DNA damaging reagents, either arrest the cell cycle to repair the genome, or undergo apoptosis, depending on the extent of the DNA damage. DNA damage also has been implicated in various differentiation processes. It has been reported that gamma-ray exposure or treatment with DNA-damaging agents could induce myogenic differentiation in Drosophila Schneider cells.

Facile synthesis of de-O-sulfated salacinols: revision of the structure of neosalacinol, a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor.

Facile synthesis of de-O-sulfated salacinols (3) was developed by employing the coupling reaction of an epoxide, 1,2-anhydro-3,4-di-O-benzyl-D-erythritol (9) with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-1,4-dideoxy-1,4-epithio-D-arabinitol (10) as the key reaction. The reported structure of a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor named neosalacinol (8), isolated recently from Ayurvedic medicine Salacia oblonga, was proved incorrect, and revised to be de-O-sulfated salacinol formate (3c) by comparison of the spectroscopic properties with those of the authentic specimen synthesized. Discrepancies and confusion in the literature concerning the NMR spectroscopic properties of salacinol (1) have also been clarified.

Double-stranded RNA homopolymer poly(rC).poly(rG) for a new pH-sensitive drug carrier.

Double-stranded RNA homopolymer poly(rC).poly(rG) has been used as a new pH-sensitive drug carrier. The poly(rC).

G2A plays proinflammatory roles in human keratinocytes under oxidative stress as a receptor for 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid.

G2A is a stress-inducible G protein-coupled receptor for oxidized free fatty acids, such as 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (HODE). As skin is routinely and pathologically exposed to many oxidative stresses such as UV radiation, chemical agents, and inflammation that might induce both G2A expression and production of G2A ligands, we examined G2A function in human keratinocytes. G2A was expressed in human epidermis, normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK), and an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT).

Geographical distribution of vampire bat-related cattle rabies in Brazil.

Seventy-seven rabies virus (RV) isolates originating from Brazilian cattle were genetically characterized. Partial nucleoprotein gene sequences of these isolates were phylogenetically and geographically analyzed. Cattle isolates, which clustered with the vampire bat-related RV group, were further subdivided into nine genetic subgroups.