Obstructive Shock Due to a Crushed Left Atrium and Pulmonary Vein by Pulmonary Artery Intimal Sarcoma Successfully Treated with Pulmonary Vein Stenting.

A 46-year-old patient who had undergone right pneumonectomy for pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma presented with hypoxemia. The recurrent sarcoma in the mediastinum revealed external compression to the left pulmonary veins (PVs), leading to obstructive shock and cardiac arrest. Venous artery extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) was initiated; however, withdrawal was difficult, and the patient's survival seemed hopeless.

Tall P-waves in inferior leads: A case of coexisting ectopic rhythm and atrial fibrillation arising from the superior vena cava.

Suppression of atrial fibrillation (AF) arising within the superior vena cava (SVC) requires SVC electric isolation (SVCI) without sinus node (SN) injury. If an ectopic rhythm and AF trigger coexist within the SVC, the intra-SVC ectopic rhythm complicates the pre-SVCI search for the SN. This coexistence is without precedent; however, it is important to carefully locate the SN to prevent injury during SVCI.

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of carbocyclic and heterocyclic spiranes a decarboxylative aldol cyclization.

The synthesis of a variety of enantioenriched 1,3-diketospiranes from the corresponding racemic allyl β-ketoesters an interrupted asymmetric allylic alkylation is disclosed. Substrates possessing pendant aldehydes undergo decarboxylative enolate formation in the presence of a chiral Pd catalyst and subsequently participate in an enantio- and diastereoselective, intramolecular aldol reaction to furnish spirocyclic β-hydroxy ketones which may be oxidized to the corresponding enantioenriched diketospiranes. Additionally, this chemistry has been extended to α-allylcarboxy lactam substrates leading to a formal synthesis of the natural product (-)-isonitramine.

Rapid Assembly of Protoilludane Skeleton through Tandem Catalysis: Total Synthesis of Paesslerin A and Its Structural Revision.

A multicomponent domino reaction involving three mechanistically distinct TfNH-catalyzed reactions was developed. The reaction cascade enables the assembly of a skewed 5/6/4 tricyclic motif with migration of the reactive site with the assistance of a catalyst. The tricyclic product was used to achieve the first total synthesis of cytotoxic paesslerin A by regioselective C-H insertion of the sulfonyl carbenoid and base-promoted olefin isomerization.

Effects of amycenone on serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, and depression-like behavior in mice after lipopolysaccharide administration.

Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation plays a role in the pathophysiology of depression and that anti-inflammatory substances have antidepressant effects. Amycenone is obtained from extracts of the Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceum). The purpose of this study is to examine whether amycenone shows anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects in an inflammation-induced mouse model of depression.

Novel and Efficient Chromium(II)-Mediated Desulfonylation of α-Sulfonyl Ketone.

A novel and efficient method for the Cr(II)-mediated desulfonylation of α-sulfonyl ketone by a Cr-ligand-Mn system has been developed during the course of process research on Halaven (eribulin mesylate). This reaction is dramatically accelerated in the presence of an appropriate bipyridyl-type ligand. This system is applicable to reduction of α-sulfur-substituted ketones.

Facile isomerization of silyl enol ethers catalyzed by triflic imide and its application to one-pot isomerization-(2 + 2) cycloaddition.

A triflic imide (Tf(2)NH) catalyzed isomerization of kinetically favourable silyl enol ethers into thermodynamically stable ones was developed. We also demonstrated a one-pot catalytic reaction consisting of (2 + 2) cycloaddition and isomerization. In the reaction sequence, Tf(2)NH catalyzes both of the reactions.

Inhibition of MDM2 attenuates neointimal hyperplasia via suppression of vascular proliferation and inflammation.

Aims: Tumour protein p53 plays an important role in the vascular remodelling process as well as in oncogenesis. p53 is negatively regulated by murine double minute 2 (MDM2). A recently developed MDM2 inhibitor, nutlin-3, is a non-genotoxic activator of the p53 pathway.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors attenuate atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice.

Objective: Donepezil, a reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, improves cognitive function of Alzheimer's disease. Stimulation of cholinergic system was reported to improve long-term survival of rats with chronic heart failure and to attenuate inflammatory response in mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis. We sought to determine whether the pharmacological stimulation of cholinergic system by donepezil reduces atherogenesis in apolipoprotein (Apo) E-knockout (KO) mice.

Inhibition of prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing protein suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha expression.

Objective: Prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing proteins (PHDs) play pivotal roles in oxygen-sensing system through the regulation of alpha-subunit of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a key transcription factor governing a large set of gene expression to adapt hypoxia. Although tissue hypoxia plays an essential role in maintaining inflammation, the role of PHDs in the inflammatory responses has not been clearly determined. Here, we investigated the role of PHDs in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) induction in macrophages.

Resveratrol attenuates angiotensin II-induced interleukin-6 expression and perivascular fibrosis.

Recent studies have shown that resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenolic compound found in grapes and red wine, has various beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases and prolongs the life span of mice fed a high-fat diet. We hypothesized that resveratrol may attenuate vascular inflammatory response induced by angiotensin (Ang) II. We examined the effect of resveratrol on Ang II-induced interleukin (IL)-6 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced interleukin-6 expression by telmisartan through cross-talk of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma with nuclear factor kappaB and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-beta.

Telmisartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, was reported to be a partial agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma. Although peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activators have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, such as inhibition of cytokine production, it has not been determined whether telmisartan has such effects. We examined whether telmisartan inhibits expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine, in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Liver X receptor activator downregulates angiotensin II type 1 receptor expression through dephosphorylation of Sp1.

Atherosclerosis is considered to be a combined disorder of lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation. Recent studies have reported that liver X receptors (LXRs) are involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation and that LXR agonists inhibit atherogenesis. In contrast, angiotensin II is well known to accelerate atherogenesis through activation of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R).

SIRT1, a longevity gene, downregulates angiotensin II type 1 receptor expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Objective: Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenol found in red wine, is known to activate sirtuin1 (SIRT1), a longevity gene. Previous studies have demonstrated that resveratrol extends the life span of diverse species through activation of SIRT1. It was also reported that inhibition of angiotensin II function by angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) antagonist prolonged rat life span.

Inhibition of balloon injury-induced neointimal formation by olmesartan and pravastatin in rats with insulin resistance.

The combined effect of an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker and a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor on vascular lesion formation in the insulin-resistant state has not been examined. We tested whether or not combined treatment is superior to single-drug treatment for inhibiting vascular lesion formation in insulin-resistant rats. The rats were maintained on a fructose-rich diet for 4 weeks and then treated with olmesartan (1 mg/kg/day) and/or pravastatin (10 mg/kg/day) for 3 weeks.

Inducible cAMP early repressor inhibits growth of vascular smooth muscle cell.

Objective: The role of inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), a transcriptional repressor, in the vascular remodeling process has not been determined. We examined whether ICER affects growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Methods And Results: Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that expression of ICER was increased in beraprost (a prostaglandin I2 analogue)-stimulated VSMCs in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

Telmisartan downregulates angiotensin II type 1 receptor through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.

Objective: Telmisartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist, was found to have a unique property: it is a partial agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma). Since previous studies have demonstrated that PPARgamma activators suppressed AT1R expression, we examined whether telmisartan affects AT1R expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Methods: Vascular smooth muscle cells were derived from the thoracic aorta of Wistar-Kyoto rat.

A practical catalytic method for preparing highly substituted cyclobutanes and cyclobutenes.

Tf2NH, an organic acid, efficiently catalyzes (2 + 2) cycloaddition reactions of silyl enol ethers with acrylates or propiolate. The process affords highly substituted cyclobutanes in high yield with high stereoselectivity under practical and environmentally benign conditions. Application for the formation of terpene skeletons and multigram synthesis of four-membered carbocycles were demonstrated.

[Postherpetic neuralgia alleviated by an SSRI fluvoxamine: two cases of PHN accompanied with depression were treated with fluvoxamine].

Case 1: female, age 76. Fluvoxamine (50 mg/day) initiated a reduction of pain on the 14th day of administration and completely ameliorated pain as well as depression. Case 2: female, age 76.

Rapid assembly of polycyclic substances by a multicomponent cascade (4 + 2)-(2 + 2) cycloadditions: total synthesis of the proposed structure of paesslerin A.

A versatile method for stereoselective formation of multisubstituted bicyclo[4.2.0]octane framework has been developed by means of catalytic (4 + 2)-(2 + 2) cycloaddition reactions.

Catalytic (2 + 2)-cycloaddition reactions of silyl enol ethers. A convenient and stereoselective method for cyclobutane ring formation.

An efficient catalytic (2 + 2)-cycloaddition reaction leading to the formation of cyclobutane rings has been devised. The process transforms silyl enol ethers and alpha,beta-unsaturated esters into polysubstituted cyclobutanes with a high degree of trans-stereoselectivity. Both the rate and stereoselectivity of the process can be controlled by the choice of the ester group and silyl substituents.

Frontal midline theta rhythm and mental activity.

Theta rhythm at the midline of the frontal area can be observed in normal subjects, during mental task performance, rest and sleep. Frontal midline theta rhythm (Fm theta) is a train of rhythmic waves at the frequency of 6- Hz and can be induced by various mental tasks. Fm theta is induced not only during mental tasks but also during nocturnal sleep in which it was most frequent during rapid eye movement (REM) and second most frequent during stage 1 of non-REM (NREM) sleep, and the relationship of Fm theta to dream images during sleep was found.

Analysis of sleep EEGs by the interval histogram method--validity of the baseline night as a control and the effect of ethyl loflazepate (CM6912).

The effects of an anxiolytic drug, ethyl loflazepate (CM6912) on sleep EEGs were investigated by the interval histogram method originally developed. EEGs were classified into each of the delta 2-beta 2 and sigma 1 wave-form parameters, and the individual frequencies were determined on the third baseline, second drug and the first recovery nights in each sleep stage. In comparison with the second baseline night, the sigma 1 waves in stage 2 sleep and the delta 1 waves in REM sleep were decreased and the alpha and sigma 1 waves in stage 3 sleep were increased on the third baseline night.