Palmitic acid induces insulin resistance and oxidative stress-mediated cell injury through accumulation of lipid rafts in murine hepatocytes.

Lipid rafts are subdomains of the cell membrane that are rich in cholesterol and glycolipids, and they are involved in various cellular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms. However, the specific role of lipid rafts in hepatocyte dysfunction during the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of lipid rafts on insulin sensitivity and hepatocyte injury induced by saturated free fatty acids (sFFAs) using primary-cultured mouse hepatocytes.

Effect of Increasing or Decreasing Use of Polypharmacy on Recovery of Activities of Daily Living in Patients With Stroke in the Recovery-Phase Rehabilitation Ward: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Propensity Score Matching.

Polypharmacy is a predictor of adverse outcomes, making its management crucial for improving patient health and recovery. Managing polypharmacy is particularly challenging in patients with stroke with many comorbidities and sequelae. Although reducing inappropriate prescribing is necessary, the number of medications may increase to effectively implement secondary prevention, potentially offsetting any changes in medication count.

Multiomics analyses reveal adipose-derived stem cells inhibit the inflammatory response of M1-like macrophages through secreting lactate.

Background: Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are widely used in the field of regenerative medicine because of their various functions, including anti-inflammatory effects. ADSCs are considered to exert their anti-inflammatory effects by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines and extracellular vesicles. Although recent studies have reported that metabolites have a variety of physiological activities, whether those secreted by ADSCs have anti-inflammatory properties remains unclear.

Dexmedetomidine Pretreatment of Neuronal Cells Has Protective Effect Against Cell Death During Oxygen-glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation, Based on IGF-1 Production.

Objective: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) protects neuronal-cell damage by ischemia. Although neuronal cells have been reported to produce IGF-1, the molecular mechanisms remains obscure. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) protects neuronal cells from ischemic damage.

Complement activation and lung injury in Japanese patients with COVID-19: a prospective observational study.

Background The production of inflammatory cytokines is reportedly increased in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), causing the migration of neutrophils and monocytes to lung tissues. This disrupts the air-blood barrier by damaging the bronchial epithelial and vascular endothelial cells. As multiorgan dysfunction in sepsis is considered to be partly caused by complement activation, which can cause lung injury in patients with COVID-19.

A novel internal target volume definition based on velocity and time of respiratory target motion for external beam radiotherapy.

This study aimed to develop a novel internal target volume (ITV) definition for respiratory motion targets, considering target motion velocity and time. The proposed ITV was evaluated in respiratory-gated radiotherapy. An ITV modified with target motion velocity and time (ITVvt) was defined as an ITV that includes a target motion based on target motion velocity and time.

Limited impact of cancer-derived gangliosides on anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer.

Aberrant glycosylation is a key mechanism employed by cancer cells to evade immune surveillance, induce angiogenesis and metastasis, among other hallmarks of cancer. Sialic acids, distinctive terminal glycan structures located on glycoproteins or glycolipids, are prominently upregulated across various tumor types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Sialylated glycans modulate anti-tumor immune responses through their interactions with Siglecs, a family of glycan-binding receptors with specificity for sialic acid-containing glycoconjugates, often resulting in immunosuppression.

Relationship between 2nd-generation angiotensin receptor blockers and the risk of hypotension in COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

It has not yet been established whether angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), statins, and multiple drugs affect the severity of COVID-19. Therefore, we herein performed an observational study on the effects of 1st- and 2nd-generation ARB, statins, and multiple drugs, on COVID-19 in patients admitted to 15 Japanese medical facilities. The results obtained showed that ARB, statins, and multiple drugs were not associated with the primary outcome (odds ratio: 1.

Recent advances regarding the potential roles of invariant natural killer T cells in cardiovascular diseases with immunological and inflammatory backgrounds.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which bear αβ-type T-cell antigen-receptors (TCRs), recognize glycolipid antigens in a cluster of differentiation 1d (CD1d)-restricted manner. Regarding these cells, the unique modes of thymic selection and maturation elucidate innateness, irrespective of them also being members of the adaptive immune system as a T-cell. iNKT cells develop and differentiate into NKT1 [interferon γ (IFN-γ)-producing], NKT2 [interleukin 4 (IL-4)/IL-13-producing], or NKT17 (IL-17-producing) subsets in the thymus.

Contribution of NKT cells and CD1d-expressing cells in obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation.

Natural killer T (NKT) cell are members of the innate-like T lymphocytes and recognizes lipid antigens presented by CD1d-expressing cells. Obesity-associated inflammation in adipose tissue (AT) leads to metabolic dysfunction, including insulin resistance. When cellular communication is properly regulated among AT-residing immune cells and adipocytes during inflammation, a favorable balance of Th1 and Th2 immune responses is achieved.

QTL analysis of femaleness in monoecious spinach and fine mapping of a major QTL using an updated version of chromosome-scale pseudomolecules.

Although spinach is predominantly dioecious, monoecious plants with varying proportions of female and male flowers are also present. Recently, monoecious inbred lines with highly female and male conditions have been preferentially used as parents for F1-hybrids, rather than dioecious lines. Accordingly, identifying the loci for monoecism is an important issue for spinach breeding.

ABC transporter subfamily B1 as a susceptibility determinant of Bombyx mori larvae to Cry1Ba, Cry1Ia and Cry9Da toxins.

ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are a diverse family of transmembrane proteins. Specific subfamily members expressed in the lepidopteran midgut can act as susceptibility determinants for several insecticidal Bt Cry proteins. However, the susceptibility determinants to many Cry toxins still remain unclear.

Synthetic immune checkpoint engagers protect HLA-deficient iPSCs and derivatives from innate immune cell cytotoxicity.

Immune rejection of allogeneic cell therapeutics remains a major problem for immuno-oncology and regenerative medicine. Allogeneic cell products so far have inferior persistence and efficacy when compared with autologous alternatives. Engineering of hypoimmune cells may greatly improve their therapeutic benefit.

Development of a novel artificial intelligence algorithm to detect pulmonary nodules on chest radiography.

Background: In this study, we aimed to develop a novel artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to support pulmonary nodule detection, which will enable physicians to efficiently interpret chest radiographs for lung cancer diagnosis.

Methods: We analyzed chest X-ray images obtained from a health examination center in Fukushima and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chest X-ray 14 dataset. We categorized these data into two types: type A included both Fukushima and NIH datasets, and type B included only the Fukushima dataset.

Phylactic role of anti-lipoarabinomannan IgM directed against mannan core during mycobacterial infection in macrophages.

Mycobacteria enter host phagocytes, such as macrophages by binding to several receptors on phagocytes. Several mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis have evolved systems to evade host bactericidal pathways. Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is an essential mycobacterial molecule for both binding to phagocytes and escaping from bactericidal pathways.

Lysophosphatidylglucoside/GPR55 signaling promotes foam cell formation in human M2c macrophages.

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases. Intravascular plaques, a well-known pathological finding of atherosclerosis, have a necrotic core composed of macrophages and dead cells. Intraplaque macrophages, which are classified into various subtypes, play key roles in maintenance of normal cellular microenvironment.

MR1 deficiency enhances IL-17-mediated allergic contact dermatitis.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib molecules present antigens to subsets of T cells primarily involved in host defense against pathogenic microbes and influence the development of immune-mediated diseases. The MHC class Ib molecule MHC-related protein 1 (MR1) functions as a platform to select MR1-restricted T cells, including mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in the thymus, and presents ligands to them in the periphery. MAIT cells constitute an innate-like T-cell subset that recognizes microbial vitamin B metabolites and plays a defensive role against microbes.

[Case of Lung Cancer with High-Grade Fetal Lung Adenocarcinoma Components Treated with Chemotherapy].

A woman in her 70s presented to our hospital with complaints of cough and dyspnea. Computed tomography(CT) images showed a large amount of left pleural effusion, pleural tumors, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Left thoracic drainage was performed, and high-grade fetal lung adenocarcinoma was suspected upon pleural effusion-cell block immunostaining.