PDGFRα Interstitial Cells are Effector Cells of PACAP Signaling in Mouse and Human Colon.

Background & Aims: Platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα)-positive interstitial cells (PIC) are interposed between enteric nerve fibers and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the tunica muscularis of the gastrointestinal tract. PIC have robust expression of small conductance Ca activated K channels 3 (SK3 channels) and transduce inhibitory inputs from purinergic and sympathetic nerves in mouse and human colon. We investigated whether PIC also express pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) receptors, PAC1 (PACR), and are involved in mediating inhibitory regulation of colonic contractions by PACAP in mouse and human colons.

Norepinephrine Has Dual Effects on Human Colonic Contractions Through Distinct Subtypes of Alpha 1 Adrenoceptors.

Background & Aims: Colonic musculature contain smooth muscle cells (SMC), interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α cells (PDGFRα cells), which are electrically coupled and operate together as the SIP syncytium. PDGFRα cells have enriched expression of small conductance Ca-activated K (SK) channels. Purinergic enteric neural input activates SK channels in PDGFRα cells, hyperpolarizes SMC, and inhibits colonic contractions.

Nuclear expression of TCF4/TCF7L2 is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The prognosis for patients with esophageal cancer remains poor. Therefore, the identification of novel target molecules for the treatment of esophageal cancer is necessary. Here, we investigated the clinicopathological significance of transcription factor 4/transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF4/TCF7L2) in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), because TCF4/TCF7L2 expression has not been studied in esophageal cancer previously.

Laparoscopically resected obturator nerve schwannoma: A case report.

Obturator nerve schwannomas are very rare. To date, only nine cases have been reported in the English-language literature; none of these were diagnosed preoperatively. A 68-year-old woman was admitted with left lower abdominal pain.

Clinical significance of NOTCH1 intracellular cytoplasmic domain translocation into the nucleus in gastric cancer.

Recent studies have shown constitutive activation of the Notch signaling pathway in various types of malignancies. However, it remains unclear whether this signaling pathway is activated in gastric cancer. In the present study, the aim was to investigate the role of Notch signaling in gastric cancer by investigating the subcellular localization of Notch-associated proteins in tissue samples from gastric cancer patients.

Decreased expression of CDH1 or CTNNB1 affects poor prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer.

Background: E-cadherin/CDH1 is one of the proteins involved in cell adhesion, and it is known that decreased expression of E-cadherin induces lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer. Beta catenin/CTNNB1, which is an important component of the Wnt signaling pathway, binds to E-cadherin at the cell membrane, where the complex of these two proteins functions in the stabilization of cell adhesion. However, its role in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer is still unknown.

High serum levels of interleukin-6 in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer: the effect on the outcome and the response to chemotherapy plus bevacizumab.

Purpose: We evaluated the relationship of the pretreatment serum IL-6 levels with the outcome and treatment response in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who underwent bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy.

Methods: In this retrospective study, the pretreatment serum IL-6 and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were measured in 113 patients with metastatic CRC. The cut-off values for these measurements, as determined by a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, were 4.

A Retrospective Study on the Effectiveness of Switching to Oral Methadone for Relieving Severe Cancer-Related Neuropathic Pain and Limiting Adjuvant Analgesic Use in Japan.

Background: Cancer-related neuropathic pain is resistant to treatment with multiple medications and results in reduced patient quality of life.

Objective: The aim was to find a new curative to treat neuropathic pain without using adjuvant analgesics.

Design: This was a retrospective study that used the FACES Pain Scale (FPS) to measure pain intensity and pain relief.

Connexin 43 expression is associated with poor survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) is an important gap junction protein in vertebrates, which has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in a number of organs. However, the mechanism underlying the effect of Cx43 on tumor progression remains unknown, with only a limited number of studies reporting on the role of Cx43 in esophageal cancer. In the present study, Cx43 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and the associations between Cx43 expression and clinicopathological characteristics or prognosis were evaluated.

Factors that predict the occurrence of and recovery from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Background: The manifestations of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients who have undergone pancreatoduodenectomy differ from those associated with obesity-related non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This study aimed to identify factors that predicted the occurrence of and recovery from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Methods: This retrospective study included 120 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy between April 2004 and December 2013.

Weak Points of a Stapled Side-to-Side Anastomosis.

Background/aims: In recent years, the side-to-side intestinal anastomosis has become a widely used technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in the burst pressures and weak points using three different kinds of suture instruments.

Methodology: Fresh pig esophagus and small bowel were used for all experiments.

Bypass Operation as Palliation for Unresectable Esophageal Cancer: Selection of Suitable Patients.

We evaluated the bypass operation as palliation for unresectable esophageal cancer. In this study, patients were divided into 2 groups. Group A included 19 patients with good progress, defined as sufficient oral ingestion for more than 2 months.

GADD45A expression is correlated with patient prognosis in esophageal cancer.

The prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer remains poor, and the tumor-node-metastasis classification system is not sufficient for predicting patient prognoses. Therefore, the identification of novel predictive markers for esophageal cancer is required. The present study investigated the clinicopathological significance of growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45α (GADD45A) and p53 in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Preoperative Serum Interleukin-6 Is a Potential Prognostic Factor for Colorectal Cancer, including Stage II Patients.

Aims. To evaluate the prognostic significance of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) in colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients and Methods.

Suppression of Cancer-associated Fibroblasts and Endothelial Cells by Itraconazole in Bevacizumab-resistant Gastrointestinal Cancer.

Background: We evaluated the ability of itraconazole to enhance the effects of bevacizumab in bevacizumab-resistant cancer cells, endothelial cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).

Materials And Methods: Human gastrointestinal cancer cell lines (HT-29, MKN-28 and MKN-45), human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and CAFs established from human colon cancer were used. In each of these cell lines, cell growth, apoptosis, and angiogenesis were evaluated with bevacizumab with and without itraconazole both in vitro and in vivo.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Their Characteristics and Their Roles in Tumor Growth.

Cancer tissues are composed of cancer cells and the surrounding stromal cells (e.g., fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells, and immune cells), in addition to the extracellular matrix.

Laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal lymphangioma around the pancreas: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Lymphangiomas are rare, benign tumors. An intra-abdominal location of these lesions is rarer still and there are only a few reports describing laparoscopic resection for retroperitoneal lymphangiomas, especially in tumors that mimic pancreatic tumors.

Case Presentation: We present the case of an asymptomatic 30-year-old Japanese woman in whom a cystic tumor was found incidentally in close approximation to the pancreas.

Connexin 32 and luteolin play protective roles in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis development and its related hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has the potential to lead to the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Connexin (Cx) 32, a hepatocyte gap-junction protein, plays a preventive role in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the precise contribution of Cx32 in the development of NASH has not been established.

Profiling Surgical Staplers: Does Staple Direction Affect the Strength of the Anastomosis.

Background: Few studies have been conducted regarding the optimal staple direction in gastrointestinal anastomosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the burst pressure of the anastomosis depending on the firing direction of the stapler.

Methods: Pig esophagus and small bowel were used for all experiments.

Prevalence, course and factors associated with delirium in elderly patients with advanced cancer: a longitudinal observational study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of delirium on admission, the course of delirium during a 2-week period after admission and factors associated with delirium on admission, among elderly patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: Patients aged ≥ 65 years with incurable lung or gastroenterological cancer and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 2 or greater were continuously sampled after admission to a university hospital. Participants were evaluated for DSM-IV-TR delirium by trained psychiatrists and the delirium subtype was assessed using the Delirium Motor Subtype Scale within 4 days after admission and again 2 weeks later.

Laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy for early gastric cancer with situs inversus totalis: report of a first case.

Background: Situs inversus totalis is a relatively rare condition and is an autosomal recessive congenital defect in which an abdominal and/or thoracic organ is positioned as a "mirror image" of the normal position in the sagittal plane. We report our experience of laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy with lymph node dissection performed for gastric cancer in a patient with situs inversus totalis.

Case Presentation: A 58-year-old male was diagnosed with cT1bN0N0 gastric cancer.

[Bacteria isolated from surgical infections and its susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents - Special references to bacteria isolated between April 2011 and March 2012].

Bacteria isolated from surgical infections during the period from April 2011 to March 2012 were investigated in a multicenter study in Japan, and the following results were obtained. In this series, 785 strains including 31 strains of Candida spp. were isolated from 204 (78.

Advanced esophageal cancer with tracheobronchial fistula successfully treated by esophageal bypass surgery.

Introduction: When esophageal cancer infiltrates the respiratory tract and forms a fistula, a patient's quality of life falls remarkably. Abstinence from oral feeding is necessary to prevent respiratory complications including pneumonia. Surgery is sometimes necessary to maintain quality of life.