Longitudinal micro-endoscopic monitoring of high-success intramucosal xenografts for mouse models of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently lethal forms of cancer. Intramucosal injection allows development of better mouse models of CRC, as orthotopic xenografts allow development of adenocarcinoma in the submucosa of the mouse colon wall. In this paper, a method of orthotopic injection is monitored longitudinally using cellular-resolution real-time fluorescence microendoscopy, following the injection of three different cell lines: 3T3-GFP to confirm immunosuppression and HCT116-RFP cells to model CRC.

Whole kidney engineering for clinical translation.

Purpose Of Review: Renal transplantation is currently the only definitive treatment for end-stage renal disease; however, this treatment is severely limited by the shortage of implantable kidneys. To address this shortcoming, development of an engineered, transplantable kidney has been proposed. Although current advances in engineering kidneys based on decellularization and recellularization techniques have offered great promises for the generation of functional kidney constructs, most studies have been conducted using rodent kidney constructs and short-term in-vivo evaluation.

Diet control to achieve euglycemia induces significant loss of heart and liver weight via increased autophagy compared with ad libitum diet in diabetic rats.

Intensive glucose control increases the all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that strict diet control to achieve euglycemia in diabetes damages major organs, increasing the mortality risk. To evaluate effects on major organs when euglycemia is obtained by diet control, we generated a model of end-stage T2DM in 13-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats by subtotal pancreatectomy, followed by ad libitum feeding for 5 weeks.

Markers of poor outcome in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Purpose: This study described the acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) population and identified potential modifiable markers of outcome.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter study was performed in 22 intensive care units (ICUs). The clinical outcomes of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were compared to the outcomes in patients with non-ARDS AHRF, and a propensity score matched analysis was performed.

Body mass index and mortality in Korean intensive care units: a prospective multicenter cohort study.

Background: The level of body mass index (BMI) that is associated with the lowest mortality in critically ill patients in Asian populations is uncertain. We aimed to examine the association of BMI with hospital mortality in critically ill patients in Korea.

Methods: We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study of 3,655 critically ill patients in 22 intensive care units (ICUs) in Korea.

A case of acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy following hepatitis a infection.

Acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) are recently described subtypes of Guillain-Barre syndrome characterized by acute onset of distal weakness, loss of deep tendon reflexes, and sensory symptoms. A 21-yr-old male was transferred to our hospital due to respiration difficulties and progressive weakness. In laboratory findings, immunoglobulin M antibodies against hepatitis A were detected in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Improvement of β-cell function after achievement of optimal glycaemic control via long-term continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy in non-newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients with suboptimal glycaemic control.

Background: Achieving euglycaemia by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy alone has been shown to restore β-cell function in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. However, the efficacy has not been evaluated in patients with non-newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and suboptimal glycaemic control.

Methods: Of the 1220 patients with type 2 diabetes who began CSII therapy from March 2000 to March 2007, we retrospectively selected patients using the following inclusion criteria: glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c ) ≥ 7.

Review of natural products actions on cytokines in inflammatory bowel disease.

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the effects that natural products have on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to provide insight into the relationship between these natural products and cytokines modulation. More than 100 studies from the past 10 years were reviewed herein on the therapeutic approaches for treating IBD. The natural products having anti-IBD actions included phytochemicals, antioxidants, microorganisms, dietary fibers, and lipids.

The impact of implementing critical care team on open general intensive care unit.

Background: There are a plethora of literatures showing that high-intensity intensive care unit (ICU) physician staffing is associated with reduced ICU mortality. However, it is not widely used in ICUs because of limited budgets and resources. We created a critical care team (CCT) to improve outcomes in an open general ICU and evaluated its effectiveness based on patients' outcomes.

Acorus gramineus inhibits microglia mediated neuroinflammation and prevents neurotoxicity in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Acorus gramineus Solander (Acoraceae, AG), is a widely distributed plant in Asian countries. Rhizome part of this plant has long been used as a traditional medicine for treating various symptoms including central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

Aim Of Study: The anti-neuroinflammatory effect of AG aqueous extract was investigated using in vitro cellular and in vivo Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model.

Spontaneous left external iliac vein rupture.

We report a 72-year-old female patient with spontaneous rupture of the left external iliac vein. She visited our hospital for abdominal and back pain. She had the abnormal finding of hemoperitoneum.

De novo generation of short antimicrobial peptides with simple amino acid composition.

As potential therapeutic agents, antimicrobial peptides with shorter length and simpler amino acid composition can be better candidates for clinical and commercial development. Here, we attempted de novo design of short (5- to 11-residue) antimicrobial peptides with three kinds of amino acids. Amphipathic helical properties were conferred by using leucines and lysines and two tryptophan residues were positioned at the critical amphipathic interface between the hydrophilic ending side and the hydrophobic starting side.

Venous hemodynamic changes in the surgical treatment of primary varicose vein of the lower limbs.

Venous hemodynamic changes after the surgery of primary varicose veins were evaluated. (Materials and methods) We retrospectively analyzed 1,211 patients (1,407 limbs) who underwent surgery for primary varicose veins from 1994 to 2002. The venous hemodynamics were evaluated using air- plethysmography (APG) preoperatively and one month postoperatively in the viewpoints of ambulatory venous pressure (AVP), venous volume (VV), venous filling index (VFI), and ejection fraction (EF).