Group IVA Phospholipase A in Collagen-Producing Cells Promotes High-Fat Diet-Induced Infiltration of Inflammatory Cells into the Liver by Upregulating the Expression of MCP-1.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by hepatic inflammation and fibrosis due to excessive fat accumulation. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a key chemokine that infiltrates inflammatory cells into the liver during the development of NASH. Our previous studies demonstrated that a systemic deficiency of group IVA phospholipase A (IVA-PLA), an enzyme that contributes to the production of lipid inflammatory mediators, protects mice against high-fat diet-induced hepatic fibrosis and markedly suppresses the CCl-induced expression of MCP-1 in the liver.

A case of methotrexate-related lymphoproliferative disease showing multiple liver lesions in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

A 66-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had been receiving methotrexate (MTX) for 2 years presented with tarry stools. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed irregular wall thickening in the ileocecal region and multiple low-contrast masses in both lobes of the liver. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor in the ileocecal region with a semi-peripheral ulcer.

Suppression of -induced Gliomagenicity in Ts1Cje Mice, a Model of Down Syndrome.

Background/aim: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS), attributed to triplication of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), exhibit a reduced incidence of solid tumors. However, the prevalence of glioblastoma among individuals with DS remains a contentious issue in epidemiological studies. Therefore, this study examined the gliomagenicity in Ts1Cje mice, a murine model of DS.

Bio-Metal Dyshomeostasis-Associated Acceleration of Aging and Cognitive Decline in Down Syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS), which is caused by triplication of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), exhibits some physical signs of accelerated aging, such as graying hair, wrinkles and menopause at an unusually young age. Development of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which is frequently observed in adults with DS, is also suggested to occur due to accelerated aging of the brain. Several Hsa21 genes are suggested to be responsible for the accelerated aging in DS.

Riboflavin compounds show NAD(P)H dependent quinone oxidoreductase-like quinone reducing activity.

NAD(P)H-dependent quinone oxidoreductase (NQO) is an essential enzyme in living organisms and cells protecting them from oxidative stress. NQO reduces coenzyme Q (CoQ) using NAD(P)H as an electron donor. In the present study, we searched for coenzyme Q10 reducing activity from fractions of gel filtration-fractionated rat liver homogenate.

Deficiency of Group IVA Phospholipase A in Collagen-Producing Cells Alleviates the Aggravated Hepatic Fibrosis in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice after Returning to a Normal Diet.

Hepatic fibrosis, a primary feature of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), develops with inflammation and subsequent activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the main extracellular matrix-producing cells. Currently, no approved pharmacotherapy is available to treat hepatic fibrosis, even under dietary intervention. The activation of cultured HSCs has been shown to be attenuated by pharmacological inhibition of group IVA phospholipase A (IVA-PLA), an enzyme initiating the generation of lipid proinflammatory mediators.

Plantainoside B in Bacopa monniera Binds to Aβ Aggregates Attenuating Neuronal Damage and Memory Deficits Induced by Aβ.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by dementia. The most characteristic pathological changes in AD brain include extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and neuronal loss. Particularly, cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert are some of the first neuronal groups to degenerate; accumulating evidence suggests that Aβ oligomers are the primary form of neurotoxicity.

Myocyte Culture with Decellularized Skeletal Muscle Sheet with Observable Interaction with the Extracellular Matrix.

In skeletal muscles, muscle fibers are highly organized and bundled within the basement membrane. Several microfabricated substrate models have failed to mimic the macrostructure of native muscle, including various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Therefore, we developed and evaluated a system using decellularized muscle tissue and mouse myoblasts C2C12 to analyze the interaction between native ECM and myocytes.

Endothelial group IVA phospholipase A promotes hepatic fibrosis with sinusoidal capillarization in the early stage of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in mice.

Aim: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by steatosis, inflammatory responses and fibrosis. Our previous studies provided evidence that group IVA phospholipase A (IVA-PLA), a key PLA isozyme in the arachidonic acid cascade, is involved in the development of NASH. However, which types of cells are critical for the IVA-PLA-dependent onset and progression of NASH is unclear.

Esophageal cancer in relation to alcohol drinking and tobacco use among men in Kerala, India - Karunagappally cohort.

Background: In the Karunagappally cohort, esophageal cancer is the third most common cancer with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 6.2 per 100,000 person-years among men. The present study analyzed the risk of esophageal cancer in relation to alcohol drinking and tobacco use.

Darwin's vexing contrivance: a new hypothesis for why some flowers have two kinds of anther.

Heteranthery, the presence of two or more anther types in the same flower, is taxonomically widespread among bee-pollinated angiosperms, yet has puzzled botanists since Darwin. We test two competing hypotheses for its evolution: the long-standing 'division of labour' hypothesis, which posits that some anthers are specialized as food rewards for bees whereas others are specialized for surreptitious pollination, and our new hypothesis that heteranthery is a way to gradually release pollen that maximizes pollen delivery. We examine the evolution of heteranthery and associated traits across the genus (Onagraceae) and study plant-pollinator interactions in two heterantherous species.

Decrease in the T-box1 gene expression in embryonic brain and adult hippocampus of down syndrome mouse models.

Down syndrome (DS, Trisomy 21) is the most common genetic cause of delayed fetal brain development and postnatal intellectual disability. Although delayed fetal brain development might be involved in intellectual disability, no evidence of an association between these abnormal phenotypes has been shown. To identify molecules differentially expressed in both the prenatal forebrain and adult hippocampus of Ts1Cje mice, a mouse model of DS, we employed a transcriptomic analysis.

α2-Antiplasmin as a potential regulator of the spatial memory process and age-related cognitive decline.

α2-Antiplasmin (α2AP), a principal physiological plasmin inhibitor, is mainly produced by the liver and kidneys, but it is also expressed in several parts of the brain, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Our previous study demonstrated that α2AP knockout mice exhibit spatial memory impairment in comparison to wild-type mice, suggesting that α2AP is necessary for the fetal and/or neonatal development of the neural network for spatial memory. However, it is still unclear whether α2AP plays a role in the memory process.

Lens opacity prevalence among the residents in high natural background radiation area in Yangjiang, China.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk and threshold doses of lens opacity among residents exposed to low-dose radiation. Residents aged ≥45 years were recruited from a high natural background radiation (HNBR) area in Yangjiang City and a control area selected from nearby Enping City. Lens opacities (LOPs) were classified according to the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS) III system.

Japanese Legacy Cohorts: Six-Prefecture Cohort Study (Hirayama Cohort Study).

Late Dr Takeshi Hirayama and his colleagues conducted a mortality follow-up of a large-scale cohort in six prefectures in Japan. This study is called the six-prefecture cohort study or Hirayama Cohort Study. The study subjects were residents aged 40 years or older at the baseline survey in 1965, which covered 94.

[Copper accumulation in the brain of Down syndrome model mice and its pathophysiological significance].

Down syndrome caused by triplication of human chromosome 21 (HSA21) is the most frequent aneuploidy, resulting in mental retardation, intellectual disability and accelerated aging. Individuals with DS are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like dementia, with up to 75% of DS people in their 60s developing dementia. Oxidative stress is widely accepted as a mechanism underlying a number of DS symptoms, such as accelerated aging and cognitive decline.

Thyroid nodule prevalence among women in areas of high natural background radiation, Karunagappally, Kerala, India.

Purpose: Radiation exposure has been reported to cause thyroid nodules. The study area was Karunagapally, which has several areas with high natural radiation levels derived from thorium and its decay products. Since thyroid abnormalities are more common in women, the focus was only on women.

[Inhibition of Group IVA Phospholipase A as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis].

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a lifestyle-related disease characterized by hepatic fibrosis with the accumulation of fat and inflammation and can progress to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. However, effective pharmacotherapeutic strategies for hepatic fibrosis in NASH remain to be established. Among the initiators of inflammation, we have been investigating the possible involvement of group IVA phospholipase A (IVA-PLA), which catalyzes the initial step in the generation of lipid mediators, including eicosanoids and lysophospholipids, in the progression of hepatic fibrosis.

Influence of different curing modes on flexural properties, fracture toughness, and wear behavior of dual-cure provisional resin-based composites.

We investigated the influence of different curing modes on the mechanical properties and wear behavior of dual-cure provisional resin-based composites (DCPRs). Three DCPRs and a self-curing bis-acryl provisional resin-based composite were used. Flexural strength (σ), elastic modulus (E), resilience (R), and fracture toughness (K) were measured.

Perturbation of the immune cells and prenatal neurogenesis by the triplication of the Erg gene in mouse models of Down syndrome.

Some mouse models of Down syndrome (DS), including Ts1Cje mice, exhibit impaired prenatal neurogenesis with yet unknown molecular mechanism. To gain insights into the impaired neurogenesis, a transcriptomic and flow cytometry analysis of E14.5 Ts1Cje embryo brain was performed.