Hypoglycemic effects of a phenolic acid fraction of rice bran and ferulic acid in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.

Rice bran contains many phenolic acids, the most abundant of which is the antioxidant, ferulic acid (FA). We evaluated the hypoglycemic effects of a phenolic acid fraction (the ethyl acetate fraction, EAE) of rice bran and of FA in C57BL/KsJ db/db mice. Type 2 diabetic mice were allocated to a control group, an EAE group, or an FA group.

Preoperative chemoradiation followed by transanal excision for rectal cancer.

Background: This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of preoperative chemoradiation followed by transanal excision among patients with locally advanced lower rectal cancer.

Methods: Between May 1994 and June 2005, 73 patients with locally advanced lower rectal cancer were treated with curative intent by preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgical resection. Transanal excision was performed in 9 patients due to either the absolute refusal of a permanent stoma by the patient (n = 8) or medical comorbidity (n = 1).

[Short-term therapy with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for the chronic hepatitis C genotype 2 patients].

Background/aims: The standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C patients infected with HCV genotype-2 is a combination of pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin over a 24 week period. It is unclear if a shorter treatment duration is possible for patients showing a rapid virological response (RVR) without compromising the sustained virologic response (SVR) in Korea.

Methods: 42 patients chronically infected with the HCV genotype-2 were treated with peginterferon alfa-2a 180 mcg/wk plus ribavirin 800 mg/d for 24 weeks and followed up for 24 weeks.

Correlation of hepatitis B core antigen and beta-catenin expression on hepatocytes in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: relevance to the severity of liver damage and viral replication.

Background And Aims: The topographical distribution of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) is related to the pathogenesis of liver damage caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. beta-catenin plays an important role in both intracellular adhesion and Wnt signaling transduction pathways. This study investigated the intrahepatic expression of HBcAg and beta-catenin in chronic HBV infection, and correlated the results with the degree of liver damage and viral replication.

Evaluation of HER-2 gene status in gastric carcinoma using immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

HER-2 gene amplification and the overexpression of HER-2 protein have been observed in various solid tumors, including gastric carcinomas. HER-2 gene amplification has attracted research attention since the development of the new therapeutic agent trastuzumab. Here, we evaluated HER-2 status in the surgically resected tissues of 248 gastric carcinoma cases using immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and compared the results.

Psyllium husk combined with hydroxycitrate reduces body weight gain and body fat in diet-induced obese rats.

The fortified physiological activities of psyllium with hydroxycitrate (HCA) will promote the use of this mixture in making nutraceutical foods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed high-fat diets containing fiber-free (control), cellulose (F-control), psyllium husk (WF-1), and psyllium husk + HCA (WF-2) for 4 weeks. Weight gains in WF-2 were significantly lower than those of the control (P < .

Role and prognostic significance of proapoptotic proteins in Epstein-Barr virus-infected gastric carcinomas.

Background: The purposes of the present study were to evaluate the role and the prognostic values of proapoptotic proteins involved in the death receptors (Fas and TRAIL receptors) and mitochondrial pathways (Bax) in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected gastric carcinomas.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-five EBV-infected gastric carcinomas were identified by in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded small RNAs. Immunohistochemistry was performed for Fas, Fas-ligand, FADD, TRAIL, DR4, DR5 and Bax.

[Renal dysfunction after spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhosis: incidence and risk factors].

Background/aims: Deterioration of renal function in patients with cirrhosis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is the most sensitive predictor of in-hospital mortality. It has been shown that high dose intravenous albumin in addition to antibiotics reduces the incidence of renal impairment and improve hospital survival in these patients. Besides, it is important to know which patients would benefit from albumin infusion.

[Usefulness of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as a marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis C virus related cirrhosis: analysis of the factors influencing AFP elevation without HCC development].

Background/aims: Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is frequently used for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most available data concerning AFP came from studies of patients with chronic hepatitis B or mixed etiologies. Studies concerning the diagnostic value of AFP for HCV-related liver cirrhosis (LC) are limited.

Mithramycin A sensitizes cancer cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by down-regulation of XIAP gene promoter through Sp1 sites.

Mithramycin A is a DNA-binding antitumor agent, which has been clinically used in the therapies of several types of cancer and Paget's disease. In this study, we investigated the combined effect of mithramycin A and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on apoptosis of cancer cells. In Caki renal cancer cells, which are resistant to TRAIL, cotreatment with subtoxic doses of mithramycin A and TRAIL resulted in a marked increase in apoptosis.

Caspase-dependent and caspase-independent apoptosis induced by evodiamine in human leukemic U937 cells.

Evodiamine is one of the major bioactive compounds that have been isolated and purified from the fruit of Evodiae fructus. Evodiamine exhibits antitumor activities against the human tumor cells, including multidrug-resistant tumor cells. However, the molecular mechanism involved in cell death induced by evodiamine treatment remains poorly understood.

[A case of hepatoid carcinoma of the pancreas].

Hepatoid carcinoma is a primary extrahepatic neoplasm exhibiting features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in terms of morphology, immunohistochemistry, and behavior. In many cases, tumor cytoplasm is positive for alpha- fetoprotein (alpha-FP) with elevated serum alpha-FP level. Because not all hepatoid carcinomas are associated with alpha- FP overproduction, diagnosis should be made essentially by histological features of the tumor.

Lytic induction and apoptosis of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer cell line with epigenetic modifiers and ganciclovir.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpes virus. EBV gene transcription is regulated by an epigenetic mechanism to establish a persistent infection and to evade the host immune system. We found that low concentrations of epigenetic modifying agents, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) or trichostatin A (TSA), induced the expression of BMRF1, BZLF1, and BRLF1 genes, which are found in the lytic form of the virus, in an EBV-positive gastric cancer cell line.

Curcumin sensitizes tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis through CHOP-independent DR5 upregulation.

Death receptor DR5 (DR5/TRAIL-R2) is an apoptosis-inducing membrane receptor for tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). In this study, we showed that curcumin, a plant product containing the phenolic phytochemical, is a potent enhancer of TRAIL-induced apoptosis through upregulation of DR5 expression. Both treatment with DR5/Fc chimeric protein and silencing of DR5 expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA) attenuated curcumin plus TRAIL-induced apoptosis, showing that the critical role of DR5 in this cell death.

Identification of large-scale molecular changes of Autotaxin(ENPP2) knock-down by small interfering RNA in breast cancer cells.

To understand comprehensive molecular mechanisms by which Autotaxin (ENPP2) mediates, we identified large-scale molecular changes responsible for aberrant expression of Autotaxin (ATX) on breast cancer cells by using DNA microarrays. Transcriptional over-expression of ENPP2 gene was endogenously silenced by using RNA interference technique, and then recapitulated corresponding molecular changes in MDA435 breast cancer cells. Application of nonparametric Wilcoxon statistical analyses (P<0.

Relapsing Bacillus licheniformis peritonitis in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patient.

Bacillus licheniformis is a rare pathogen in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) peritonitis. Only one case of B. licheniformis peritonitis has been previously reported but relapsing peritonitis by same species has not been reported.

Myosin VI is a mediator of the p53-dependent cell survival pathway.

Myosin VI is an unconventional motor protein, and its mutation is responsible for the familiar conditions sensorineural deafness and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Myosin VI is found to play a key role in the protein trafficking and homeostasis of the Golgi complex. However, very little is known about how myosin VI is regulated and whether myosin VI has a function in the DNA damage response.

Expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of ampulla of Vater cancer.

Background/aims: Ampullary carcinoma is uncommon but provides a good model for adenoma-carcinoma sequence. During the adenoma-carcinoma transition, the tumor cells should acquire the ability to invade. The E-cadherin-catenin complex connects the adjacent epithelial cells at the zona adherens, and this adhesion interferes with the tumor cell invasion.

Trousseau's syndrome in association with cholangiocarcinoma: positive tests for coagulation factors and anticardiolipin antibody.

Thromboembolic events are reported to occur with a high frequency in the setting of malignancy. However, reports on an association between cholangiocarcinoma and pulmonary thromboembolism, thus far, are almost lacking. We present here an unusual case of a 56-yr-old patient presenting cholangiocarcinoma and unexplained pulmonary thromboembolism.

Autotaxin (lysoPLD/NPP2) protects fibroblasts from apoptosis through its enzymatic product, lysophosphatidic acid, utilizing albumin-bound substrate.

Autotaxin (ATX) was originally identified as a potent tumor cell motility-stimulating factor that displays multiple enzymatic activities including ATPase, Type I nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase, and lysophospholipase D, depending on its substrates. We demonstrate herein that ATX is a key regulator of extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) that can act as survival factor, in addition to its mitogenic activity in mouse fibroblasts. Introduction of atx gene into NIH3T3 cells resulted in resistance to conditional apoptosis induced by serum-deprivation, and exogenous ATX protein prevented cells from death by starvation.

Laparoscopic resection of duplicated sigmoid colon under the guidance of intraoperative colonoscopy.

Colonic duplications are rare congenital malformations. Complete surgical removal is the treatment of choice. The authors report a case of sigmoid colonic duplication successfully treated by laparoscopic resection under the guidance of intraoperative colonoscopy.