Association of Aquaporin 7 and 9 with Obesity and Fatty Liver in Mice.

Aquaporin (AQP) 7 and AQP9 are membrane channel proteins called aquaglyceroporins and are related to glucose and lipid metabolism. AQP7 is mainly expressed in white adipose tissue (WAT) and is involved in releasing glycerol into the bloodstream. AQP9 is the glycerol channel in the liver that supplies glycerol to the hepatic cells.

Docosapentaenoic acid-rich oil lowers plasma glucose and lipids in a mouse model of diabetes and mild obesity.

Many studies have investigated the beneficial effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as their potential for lowering lipid levels and reducing diabetes risk. However, few studies have specifically examined docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid with limited availability in its pure form. We hypothesized that DPA would have lipid-lowering effects and improve insulin resistance in KK/Ta mice.

The Association of Body Image Self-Discrepancy With Female Gender, Calorie-Restricted Diet, and Psychological Symptoms Among Healthy Junior High School Students in Japan.

Body image self-discrepancy reflects a preference for weight loss regardless of normal body size and is a distorted cognition that may be a precursor to eating disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with body image self-discrepancy among healthy junior high school students in Japan. This cross-sectional study was conducted at one junior high school in Saitama, Japan, in December 2016.

The menstrual cycle influences the gastric emptying of alcohol.

We previously reported that ingestion of 60 mL of red wine or vodka prior to the ingestion of a pancake significantly inhibited the gastric emptying of the pancake in male subjects, but not in female subjects, and that the retention times of wine and vodka were significantly longer than those of the congener of red wine and mineral water in male subjects, whereas in female subjects the retention times of these four drinks did not differ significantly from one another. We hypothesized that the menstrual cycle may influence the gastric emptying of alcohol beverages. Here, we determined and compared the retention times of vodka and water in the stomach during the luteal phase and the follicular phase.

Comparative histopathological analysis between tenosynovitis and joint synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aims: To clarify the histological and biological features of tenosynovitis accompanying rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods And Results: Synovial tissue was obtained from the wrist joint and extensor tendon of the digits of six RA patients and the sections were examined by haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical analysis. RA tenosynovitis exhibited the typical histological features of RA joint synovitis, including hyperplasia of the synovial lining and infiltration of leucocytes, largely CD4+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages.

Th1 but not Th17 cells predominate in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Recent animal studies have revealed critical roles of interleukin (IL)17, which is produced by a newly identified subset of helper T cells, Th17 cells, in the development of autoimmune diseases including arthritis. However, in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA), detailed characteristics and the prevalence of Th17 cells are unclear.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 123 patients with RA and 28 healthy controls.

Interleukin-15 selectively expands CD57+ CD28- CD4+ T cells, which are increased in active rheumatoid arthritis.

Proinflammatory cytokines as well as CD4(+) T cells play critical roles in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, an increase of CD57(+) or CD28(-)CD4(+) T cells was demonstrated in RA, although the mechanism of the increase of these T cells is unclear. In this study, we first examined the relationship between CD57(+)CD4(+) T cells and CD28(-)CD4(+) T cells and found CD57(+)CD28(-)CD4(+) T cells, but neither CD57(+)CD28(+) nor CD57(-)CD28(+) cells, expanded in the peripheral blood of active RA.

Grb2 and Gads exhibit different interactions with CD28 and play distinct roles in CD28-mediated costimulation.

Although both CD28 and ICOS bind PI3K and provide stimulatory signal for T cell activation, unlike CD28, ICOS does not costimulate IL-2 secretion. CD28 binds both PI3K and Grb2, whereas ICOS binds only PI3K. We have generated an ICOS mutant, which can bind Grb2 by replacement of its PI3K binding motif YMFM with the CD28 YMNM motif, and shown that it induces significant activation of the IL-2 promoter.

Detection of circulating cancer cells after a gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the correlation between the postoperative detection of circulating cancer cells and the risk of recurrence in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods: Total RNA was extracted from 1.5 ml of peripheral blood from 59 patients with gastric cancer and 15 patients with cholecystolithiasis (control) before and after operation.

[Clinical significance of micrometastasis in lymph nodes and microinvasion in primary lesion in submucosal gastric cancer].

Objective: To clarify the clinicopathologic characteristics of micrometastasis in lymph nodes and microinvasion in primary lesion for the treatment options with regard to submucosal gastric cancer.

Methods: 1945 lymph nodes and 68 primary tumors resected from 79 patients with submucosal gastric cancer were examined. Two consecutive sections were prepared for simultaneous staining with HE and immunostaining with anti-cytokeratin antibody (CAM 5.

Laparoscopic-assisted intraperitoneal chemotherapy for patients with scirrhous gastric cancer.

Background: The prognosis for patients with scirrhous gastric cancer (SGC) is extremely poor. To improve the patients' prognosis, laparoscopic-assisted intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) was introduced for SGC. In this study, we analyzed whether IPC reduced the number of cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity of patients or changed the gene expression levels of cytokines in the peritoneal cavity.

COX-2 correlates with F-box protein, Skp2 expression and prognosis in human gastric carcinoma.

The expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is induced by growth factors, tumor promoters and cytokines, and is correlated with carcinogenesis, tumor progression and inhibition of apoptosis. To clarify the pathological significance of COX-2, we examined the effect of a selective COX-2 inhibitor, NS398, on two human gastric carcinoma cell lines, MKN-45 and KATO-III, and the expression of Skp2, P27/Kip1 and COX-2 protein in human gastric carcinomas. NS398 inhibited cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner and exerted cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase without induction of apoptosis in MKN-45, but had no effect in KATO-III.

Management protocol for scirrhous gastric cancer.

Background: The prognosis for patients with scirrhous gastric cancer (SGC) is extremely poor. However, the management protocol for this type of cancer has not been well discussed. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the management of SGC and we introduced a new treatment protocol for SGC.

Lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer: comparison of Union International Contra Cancer and Japanese systems.

Background: The pN classification of gastric cancer (GC) in the Japanese system (Japanese Gastric Cancer Association; JGCA) is based on the site and distance of metastatic nodes from the primary tumour. Union International Contra Cancer (UICC) has recently proposed a classification system based on the number of nodes involved (TNM-1997). The aim of the present study is to assess which classification system is more suitable for providing a prognosis in advanced GC with lymph node metastasis.

Responses of cytokines and coagulation-fibrinolytic states to surgical stress following esophagectomy.

Background/aims: Surgery for esophageal cancer is one of the most invasive treatments in gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was to analyze perioperative kinetics of coagulation-fibrinolytic states in comparison with cytokines in order to investigate biological responses to surgical stress in patients undergoing esophagectomy.

Methodology: Serum or plasma samples of 20 patients with esophageal cancer who had undergone esophagectomy were collected during the perioperative period.

Gene expression levels of cytokines in peritoneal washings from patients with gastric cancer.

Peritoneal seeding is frequently detected in patients with gastric cancer. The peritoneal cavity is a compartment in which the immunologic host-tumor interaction can occur. Here, we investigated the gene expression levels of cytokines, and compared these gene expressions with the progression of gastric cancer.

Expression of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in cancer cells but not in stromal cells predicts the efficacy of fluorouracil treatment in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Background: It is not known whether immunohistochemical quantification of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) in cancer cells, stromal mononuclear cells and normal glands predicts the efficacy of fluorouracil (FU) derivatives inpatients with T3 gastric adenocarcinoma.

Materials And Methods: The levels of DPD in cancer cells, stromal cells and normal glands were measured immunohistochemically in 111 patients with T3 gastric carcinoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy with oral UFT (uracil/tegafur[4:1]) was administered to 95 patients for more than 1 year after surgery.

Lymph node metastasis at the splenic hilum in proximal gastric cancer.

We performed splenectomy on patients with macroscopic advanced gastric cancer located at the proximal part of the stomach to achieve complete D2 lymphadenectomy. The aim of this study was to clarify the survival benefit of splenectomy in the treatment of gastric cancer. The clinical records of 225 patients who underwent total gastrectomy with splenectomy for gastric cancers involving the proximal part of the stomach were analyzed retrospectively.

Neoangiogenesis in patients with gastric carcinoma in relation to the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and thymidine phosphorylase.

Background: We investigated the prognostic significance of microvessel density and the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and angiogenesis in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: The expression of VEGF and TP, and the microvessel density were examined by immunohistochemistry in patients with gastric carcinoma invading the serosa.

Results: The prognosis of patients with low microvessel density in the cancerous tissue was significantly better than that of patients with high microvessel density.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human gastric tubular adenomas and carcinomas; correlation with intratumoral microvessel density and apoptotic index.

Background: Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 plays an important role in carcinogenesis in various human malignancies. This study examined the relationship among COX-2 expression, angiogenesis and apoptosis in human gastric adenoma and carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: We examined the expression of COX-2 in 30 tubular adenomas and 11 carcinomas, comparing it with intratumoral microvessel density (IMVD) and apoptotic index (AI) by immunohistochemistry and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-digoxygenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) procedure.

Expression of Mcl-1 and p53 proteins predicts the survival of patients with T3 gastric carcinoma.

Background: The expression of myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) and p53 proteins was investigated for clinicopathological and prognostic significance in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Mcl-1 protein was immunohistochemically examined in 182 patients with gastric carcinoma. The overexpression of p53 was also analyzed in T3 gastric carcinomas.

Immunohistochemical dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase expression is a good prognostic indicator for patients with Dukes' C colorectal cancer.

Background: Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is an enzyme that catabolizes 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which is widely used for chemotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the clinical importance of tumor dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) expression in patients with CRC treated with 5-FU remains unclear.

Materials And Methods: We investigated DPD activities in normal mucosa (N) and tumors (T) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 64 surgically resected patients with Dukes' C CRC who were treated orally with postoperative adjuvant FU-based chemotherapy.

Gene and protein expression of RCAS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: RCAS1 (receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells) is expressed on the tumor cell membrane and induces apoptosis in infiltrated lymphocytes. In the present study, the clinical importance of RCAS1 gene and protein expression were analyzed in surgically resected hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs).

Patients And Methods: RCAS1 gene and protein expression levels were evaluated and compared with clinical findings in 60 patients with HCC.