Noninvasive measurement of stiffness and density of bone for its diagnosis using ultrasound.

Because the acoustic and elastic properties of bone evaluated using ultrasound-based methods have proved so useful in the direct evaluation of bone characteristics, many workers have developed methods and systems based on thein vivo measurement of velocity, attenuation, or both, of ultrasound in bone. These include the acoustic emission (AE), apparent velocity of ultrasound (AVU), and speed of sound-broadband ultrasound attenuation (SOS-BUA) methods. Bone stiffness is accepted as an effective index in the diagnosis of such bone diseases as osteoporosis.

Quantitative comparison of the cytocidal effect of seven macrolide antibiotics on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts.

The cytocidal effect of seven macrolide antibiotics on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (Pel cells) was studied. Pel cells were exposed for 48 h to erythromycin (EM), clarithromycin (CAM), roxithromycin (RXM), azithromycin (AZM), josamycin (JM), midecamycin (MDM), and rokitamycin (RKM), and allowed to form colonies. The cytocidal effect of the macrolides was measured as a decrease in colony-forming efficiency and was found to increase with the concentration.

Endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1) induces adrenomedullin gene expression in cardiac myocytes: role of EPAS1 in an inflammatory response in cardiac myocytes.

Endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1) has been identified as a member of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-PAS protein family, and plays a critical role in the regulation of hypoxia inducible genes. It remains unknown whether physiological stimuli other than hypoxia modulate EPAS1 expression. This study examined the inducible expression of EPAS1 by various cytokines and growth factors, and determined the target gene for EPAS1 in cardiac myocytes.

Neuroprotective effects of lithium in cultured cells and animal models of diseases.

Lithium, the major drug used to treat manic depressive illness, robustly protects cultured rat brain neurons from glutamate excitotoxicity mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. The lithium neuroprotection against glutamate excitotoxiciy is long-lasting, requires long-term pretreatment and occurs at therapeutic concentrations of this drug. The neuroprotective mcchanisms involve inactivation of NMDA receptors, decreased expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, p53 and Bax, enhanced expression of the cytoprotective protein, Bcl-2, and activation of the cell survival kinase, Akt.

Induction of VEGF gene expression by retinoic acid through Sp1-binding sites in retinoblastoma Y79 cells.

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic peptide that has been implicated in many retinopathies. Although all trans-retinoic acid (atRA) has long been known as an essential factor in the visual cycle, the role of atRA in the pathogenesis of retinal disease remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the effects of atRA on expression of the VEGF gene in retinoblastoma Y79 cells.

Pineal region metastasis appearing as hypointensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging--case report.

A 48-year-old female presented with headache and limitation of upward gaze. She had a history of total gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma 2 years previously. Computed tomography with contrast medium and T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with gadolinium showed ring-like enhancement of a solitary mass in the pineal region with obstructive hydrocephalus.

Initial experiences of tissue harmonic imaging in the diagnosis of fetal cardiac tumors.

The usefulness of tissue harmonic imaging in prenatal diagnosis is illustrated in two fetuses with a cardiac tumor. Tissue harmonic imaging provided more informative images than conventional B-mode imaging, enabling the detection of the site of attachment of the cardiac tumor and estimation of intracardiac blood flow. The advantages of tissue harmonic imaging over conventional B-mode imaging in prenatal diagnosis are discussed.

Sensor system using polarization analysis method to monitor oil-on-water in water purification plants and rivers.

Some 80% of accidental pollution in river water is caused by oil spills. Oil spills can cause serious damage such as suspension of water intake at water purification plants and major harm to ecosystems in the lower reaches of rivers. This is because oil-on-water tends to spread easily, quickly exacerbating the damage.

Retinoids induce the PAI-1 gene expression through tyrosine kinase-dependent pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Retinoids exert their pleiotropic effects on several pathophysiologic processes, including neointima formation after experimental vascular injury. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) has been proposed to play an inhibitory role in arterial neointima formation after injury. We examined whether retinoids regulate PAI-1 expression in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs).

Vertebral body fracture of the lumbar spine in elderly women: more severe in osteoarthritis of the knee than in femoral neck fracture.

This study investigated bone fragility by comparing fractures of the vertebral body of the spine in elderly women receiving total knee replacement (TKR) (group 1) due to severe osteoarthritis of the knee and those with femoral neck fractures (group 2) attributable to osteoporosis. Forty-two women each were selected retrospectively for group 1 and prospectively for group 2. Patient age ranged from 64-83 years.

Myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis superimposed on biopsy-proven diabetic nephrosclerosis.

We present a case of myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis with diabetic nephrosclerosis, diagnosed by serial renal biopsies within a short period. A 78-year-old man with renal insufficiency, who had been diagnosed with diabetic nephrosclerosis by renal biopsy 9 months earlier, was admitted to the hospital for dyspnea and rapid deterioration of renal function. The titer of serum MPO-ANCA was high, and the second renal biopsy confirmed the presence of necrotizing glomerulonephritis with crescents.

Troglitazone improves endothelial function and augments renal klotho mRNA expression in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats with multiple atherogenic risk factors.

Targeted disruption of the klotho gene induces multiple phenotypes characteristic of human aging, including arteriosclerosis, pulmonary emphysema and osteoporosis. Moreover, we previously observed that insufficient klotho expression in mice leads to endothelial dysfunction. In the present study, we used Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, which exhibit hypertension, obesity, severe hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia, and are thus considered an animal model of atherogenic disease, to test the effects of oral administration of troglitazone (200 mg/kg) on renal klotho mRNA expression and endothelial function.

Antenatal diagnosis of mirror-image dextrocardia in association with situs inversus and Turner's mosaicism.

We describe the antenatal diagnosis of a fetus with mirror-image dextrocardia, complete situs inversus and Turner's mosaicism (45,XO/46,XY) that was artificially terminated at 19 weeks. Autopsy confirmed our initial findings. This case represents an unusual combination of anomalies rarely encountered in clinical practice.

Predominance of Th1 immune response in diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis.

Objective: Lupus nephritis, which shows various histologic patterns, is a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We previously demonstrated the importance of Thl cell-mediated immune response in patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis (DPLN). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the peripheral blood Th1/Th2 balance and the intrarenal immune response.

Depressed cerebral oxygen metabolism in patients with chronic renal failure: a positron emission tomography study.

To elucidate brain oxygen metabolism in uremic patients, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), oxygen extraction (rOEF), and oxygen metabolism (rCMRO(2)) were measured by positron emission tomography (PET) in 10 hemodialysis (HD) patients and 13 predialysis patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Data were compared with 20 nonuremic patients (controls) without neurological abnormalities, congestive heart failure, history of cerebrovascular accident, diabetes mellitus, or symptomatic brain lesion on magnetic resonance imaging. In the hemisphere, rCMRO(2) in both HD (1.

Overexpression of interleukin-6 aggravates viral myocarditis: impaired increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

The process of inflammation and immune response is regulated by proinflammatory cytokines. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), one of the proinflammatory cytokines, plays a potentially critical role in viral-induced myocarditis. Our previous work demonstrates that exogenous IL-6 administration, given at the time of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) inoculation in C3H/HeJ mice, has a protective effect on myocardium and improves survival rates.

Ruptured intracranial aneurysm associated with unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm--case report.

A 61-year-old male with hypertension presented with sudden onset of headache and nausea due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). He had two siblings with history of SAH due to ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Right carotid angiography on admission showed an anterior communicating artery aneurysm.

Cell-transforming activity and estrogenicity of bisphenol-A and 4 of its analogs in mammalian cells.

Estrogenicity is an important mechanism in hormonal carcinogenesis but not sufficient to explain the carcinogenic activity of all estrogens. Additional mechanisms, related to genetic alterations, in conjunction with estrogenicity mediated through the estrogen receptor, have been suggested. An environmental estrogen bisphenol-A (BP-A) and its analogs are widespread in our living environment.

Myocardial rapid velocity distribution.

Myocardial motion exhibits frequency components of up to 100 Hz, as found by a phased tracking method. To simultaneously measure the rapid and minute velocity signals at multiple points along the surface of the left ventricle (LV), in this study, conventional ultrasonic diagnosis equipment was modified to allow 10 scan lines from a sector scanner to be arbitrarily selected in real-time for analysis. By considering the maximum value of the velocity in the heart wall and the maximum depth from the chest surface, the number of transmission directions of the ultrasonic pulses should be carefully confirmed to be 10 to avoid aliasing, which is much less than the number employed in conventional tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction due to dialysis-related amyloid deposition in the propria muscularis in a hemodialysis patient.

Dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) is one of the most serious complications interfering with rehabilitation in dialysis patients. Here, we report a case of beta2-microglobulin (beta2M)-related amyloidosis, in which the patient developed a severe intestinal pseudo-obstruction. The patient was a 42-year-old male who had been undergoing hemodialysis for 13 years, and who had no history of osteoarticular involvement of DRA.

Optimal hematocrit for the maximum oxygen delivery to the brain with recombinant human erythropoietin in hemodialysis patients.

Aim: Although hematocrit (Ht) around 33 to 36% has been recommended, Ht of 30% is usually achieved as a target level during recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) therapy in the majority of hemodialysis (HD) patients. The present study aimed at estimating an optimal hematocrit (Ht) for the maximum oxygen delivery to the brain with rHuEPO.

Patients And Methods: Oxygen delivery was defined as a product of cerebral blood flow and arterial oxygen content (CaO2).

Effects of cilostazol on heart rate and its variation in patients with atrial fibrillation associated with bradycardia.

Background: Heart-rate (HR) variability is an important predictor of mortality in patients with heart disease. We examined the effects of cilostazol, a quinolinone derivative, on HR and HR variability in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation associated with bradycardia episodes.

Patients And Methods: Thirteen patients with chronic atrial fibrillation associated with bradycardia episodes (minimal HR <40/min and/or pauses, ie, episodes with an RR interval > 2.

A novel chiral stationary phase in HPLC: optical resolution of racemic amino compounds by (1-->6)-2,5-anhydro-3,4-di-O-ethyl-D-glucitol bound on silica gel.

[(1-->6)-2,5-Anhydro-3,4-di-O-ethyl-D-glucitol]-bound silica gel (CSP 4a), which was prepared by a two-step reaction, was used as a chiral stationary phase in high-performance liquid chromatography. The chiral recognition ability of the CSP 4a for racemates was examined using aq. NaClO4 (pH 2) and aq.