Inhibition of the renal renin-angiotensin system and renoprotection by pitavastatin in type1 diabetes.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether or not pitavastatin ameliorates diabetic nephropathy and if inhibition of the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is associated with any renoprotective effects. Pitavastatin (10mg/ kg/day) and/or spironolactone (100mg/kg/day) were given by gavage for 3weeks to uninephrectomized rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Aortic thrombus in a patient with myeloproliferative thrombocytosis, successfully treated by pharmaceutical therapy: a case report.

Introduction: Thrombosis in myeloproliferative thrombocytosis occurs usually in the microvessels and medium-sized arteries and veins and only rarely in the aorta. Aortic thrombosis is usually treated with thrombectomy. Reported here is a rare case that was treated pharmacologically.

Two distinct FSGS lesions caused by distinct etiology confirmed in a single patient in pre- and post-transplantation.

At the age of three yr, a male patient had surgical treatment for bilateral vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), and at the age of 19 yr, he developed nephrotic syndrome because of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). His renal function deteriorated despite treatment with temocapril and aspirin, and dialysis treatment was started when he was 19. After nine yr of dialysis, he received a living kidney transplantation from his 58-yr-old father, who had a long history of hypertension.

A 90-day oral toxicity study of nisin A, an anti-microbial peptide derived from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, in F344 rats.

This study was designed to evaluate and characterize any adverse effect of nisin A, when administered to both sexes of F344/DuCrlCrlj rats (10 males and 10 females in each group) at dietary levels of 0%, 0.2%, 1.0% and 5.

Kinetics differ between copper-zinc and manganese superoxide dismutase activity with acute ischemic stroke.

This study aimed to clarify the kinetics of copper-zinc (CuZn) and manganese (Mn) superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in acute ischemic stroke victims. Using the nitrite method, we investigated sequential changes in CuZn and Mn SOD activity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 8 patients with acute ischemic stroke. SOD activity in each patient was measured at 36 hours and 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after stroke.

Tubulointerstitial nephritis with IgM-positive plasmacytoid large lymphocyte infiltration in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis and Sjögren's syndrome.

We report a 38-year-old woman diagnosed with tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) on renal biopsy, followed by being diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Immunohistochemically, the cellular infiltrates in TIN were mainly composed of small lymphocytes and IgM-positive plasmacytoid large lymphocytes. IgM-positive plasmacytoid large lymphocytes were not identical with, but colocalized with CD3- or CD20-positive lymphocytes.

Detection of allogeneic blood group A and B enzyme activities in patients with ABO incompatible kidney transplantation.

The phenomenon of accommodation in recipients of blood group ABO incompatible kidney transplantation (iKTx), in which grafts survive despite the presence of blood group A or B antigen in the graft and the presence of corresponding antibodies in the recipient's blood, is not uncommon. alpha1,3-N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase and alpha1,3galactosyltransferase associated with the synthesis of blood group A and B antigen (A and B enzymes), respectively, were measured by a highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the sera and transplanted tissues of patients who underwent an ABO iKTx. Allogeneic A and B enzymes were present in the sera and tissues as well as A and B antigens in the tissues for a long period, which hitherto have never been seen in recipients prior to an iKTx.

Development in the cynomolgus macaque following administration of ustekinumab, a human anti-IL-12/23p40 monoclonal antibody, during pregnancy and lactation.

Background: Ustekinumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the p40 subunit of interleukin (IL) 12 and IL-23 and inhibits their pharmacological activity. To evaluate potential effects of ustekinumab treatment during pregnancy, developmental studies were conducted in cynomolgus macaques.

Methods: Ustekinumab was tested in two embryo/fetal development (EFD) studies and in a combined EFD/pre and postnatal development (PPND) study.

A 28-day oral toxicity study of fermentation-derived cellulose, produced by Acetobacter aceti subspecies xylinum, in F344 rats.

This study was designed to evaluate any adverse effect of fermentation-derived cellulose, produced by Acetobacter aceti subspecies xylinum, when administered to both sexes of F344 rats at dietary levels of 0, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.

[A case of metastatic pancreatic cancer with a remarkable response to combination therapy of gemcitabine and adoptive immune cell therapy].

A 52-year-old woman with a chief complaint of epigastric distress was diagnosed as having pancreatic cancer with multiple liver metastases. After insertion of a metallic stent for biliary stenosis, combination therapy of gemcitabine (GEM) and adoptive immune cell therapy (AICT) was initiated. GEM 1,000 mg/m2 was administered on day 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks, while AICT using MUC1 peptide-pulsed dendritic cells (DC) and anti-CD3-activated T lymphocytes (CAT) was given biweekly.

Direct asymmetric aldol reaction with recyclable fluorous organocatalyst.

Direct asymmetric aldol reactions of aldehydes with ketones in the presence of a catalytic amount of fluorous sulfonamide 4 and trifluoroacetic acid result in the corresponding aldol products in high yields with up to 96% ee. The fluorous organocatalyst 4 can be readily recovered from the reaction mixture by fluorous solid-phase extraction and could be reused without a significant loss of the catalytic activity and enantioselectivity.

Lack of adverse effects of whole-body exposure to a mobile telecommunication electromagnetic field on the rat fetus.

Abstract The recent steep increase in the number of users of cellular phones is resulting in marked increase of exposure of humans to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Children are of particular concern. Our goal was to evaluate potential adverse effects of long-term whole-body exposure to EMFs simulating those from base stations for cellular phone communication.

[Case of IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis showing the progression of renal dysfunction after a cure for autoimmune pancreatitis].

A 78-year-old-man was admitted to our hospital because of renal insufficiency 20 months after the onset of autoimmune pancreatitis. He had cerebral infarction and prostatic hypertrophy as complications. He had been previously diagnosed with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP).

Ischemic stroke associated with cough and cold preparation containing methylephedrine and supplement containing Chinese herbal drugs.

Methylephedrine is generally harmless and is contained in many cough and cold preparations. Likewise, Chinese herbal drugs are considered to be effective and to have few side effects. A 32-year-old woman experienced ischemic stroke attributed to concomitant administration of a cough and cold preparation containing methylephedrine and a supplement containing Chinese herbal drugs.

A twenty eight-day repeated dose toxicity study of black soybean extract in Sprague-Dawley rats.

This study was designed to evaluate any adverse effect of a hot water extract of black soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), when administered to both sexes of Crj:CD(SD)IGS rats at dietary levels of 0 (control), 0.

[A case of hepatitis B-related multiple hepatocellular carcinomas, most of which lead to necrosis possibly due to the implantation of an arterial infusion catheter].

The patient was a 59-year-old male with chronic hepatitis type B. He was diagnosed as having multiple hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), most of which showed hypervascular features on contrast-enhanced CT scan. He underwent the implantation of a 5-french catheter by" GDA coil method" for hepatic arterial infusion of chemotherapy.

Cellular therapy of kidney diseases.

The understanding of cellular sources of kidney regeneration has rapidly evolved in the last decade. It is now believed that regeneration occurs predominantly from cells that reside within the injured kidney, with minimal contribution from extra-renal cells. We now know that improved kidney regeneration seen following exogenous administration of stem cells occur predominantly by noncellular paracrine mechanisms.

Co-benefits of sustainable forest management in biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration.

Background: Sustainable forest management (SFM), which has been recently introduced to tropical natural production forests, is beneficial in maintaining timber resources, but information about the co-benefits for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration is currently lacking.

Methodology/principal Findings: We estimated the diversity of medium to large-bodied forest-dwelling vertebrates using a heat-sensor camera trapping system and the amount of above-ground, fine-roots, and soil organic carbon by a combination of ground surveys and aerial-imagery interpretations. This research was undertaken both in SFM applied as well as conventionally logged production forests in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Rat medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay of Agaricus blazei Murrill fruit-body extract.

The modifying potential of Agaricus blazei Murrill fruit-body extract (ABFE) on tumor development was investigated in a medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay. Male 6-week-old F344 rats were treated with N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN), N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH), N-butyl-N-(hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (BBN), and diisopropanolnitrosamine (DHPN) for initiation (DMBDD treatment). After a 1-week withdrawal period, the animals received distilled water (vehicle control) or ABFE A, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) at 0.

High incidence of colonic perforation during colonoscopy in hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease.

Background & Aims: Colonic perforation is a rare but life-threatening complication of colonoscopy. We evaluated the incidence of colonic perforation that resulted from colonoscopy in patients who underwent hemodialysis compared with those who did not have this procedure (controls).

Methods: Data from a total of 15,098 consecutive patients who underwent colonoscopy from January 2001 to December 2008 in Nagoya Kyoritsu Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.

Websites offer helpful information concerning consultation with headache specialists.

Patients with severe primary headache may benefit from consultation with headache specialists, but doctor attendance rates in Japan are very low. More headache patients might consult headache specialists if these specialists were more widely recognized by the public. To determine what information prompted patients to seek consultation with a headache specialist, we questioned 256 primary headache patients about the source of the helpful information concerning consultation with headache specialists.

Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor stimulation enhances the multifunctionality of adoptively transferred tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells with tumor regression.

We have reported for the first time the significance of effector T-cell multifunctionality in antitumor immunity, suggesting that the appearance of multifunctional/polyfunctional tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells in vivo is a critical determinant of the success of antitumor immunotherapy, and a strategy to induce multifunctionality in effector cells is required for the successful immunotherapy of hosts with progressing tumor. Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) stimulation has been shown to enhance antitumor immune response. However, its functional impact on adoptively transferred T cells remains unclear.

Hypocomplementemia of unknown etiology: an opportunity to find cases of IgG4-positive multi-organ lymphoproliferative syndrome.

Recently, a new clinical entity, IgG4-positive multi-organ lymphoproliferative syndrome (IgG4+ MOLPS), characterized by hyper-IgG4 gammaglobulinemia and IgG4-positive plasma cell tissue infiltration, has been proposed. It includes autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), Mikulicz's disease, and many other inflammatory conditions affecting multiple organs. However, diagnosis is difficult if the disease is not suspected because serum IgG subclasses are not measured routinely and the affected organs vary.

Alterations in male infant behaviors towards its mother by prenatal exposure to bisphenol A in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) during early suckling period.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental chemical with physiological potencies that cause adverse effects, even at environmentally relevant exposures, on the basis of a number of studies in experimental rodents. Thus, there is an increasing concern about environmental exposure of humans to BPA. In the present study, we used experimentally controlled cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) to assess the influence of prenatal exposure to BPA (10 microg/(kg day)) via subcutaneously implanted pumps and examined social behaviors between infants and their mothers during the suckling period.