Improvement of diaphragmatic excursion in the supine position in a patient with idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis: A case report.

Idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (iPPFE) is a rare form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. We report a case of a patient with iPPFE in whom postural changes improved diaphragmatic excursion (DE) and exercise tolerance. Chest radiography showed a greater elevation of the diaphragm at maximum expiration in the supine position than the standing position.

Intravenously Injected Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cells Form Fetomaternal Vasculature and Prevent Miscarriage in Mouse.

Miscarriage is the most common complication of pregnancy, and about 1% of pregnant women suffer a recurrence. Using a widely used mouse miscarriage model, we previously showed that intravenous injection of bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may prevent miscarriage. However, preparing enough BM-derived EPCs to treat a patient might be problematic.

Liver-specific dysregulation of clock-controlled output signal impairs energy metabolism in liver and muscle.

The liver is the major organ maintaining metabolic homeostasis in animals during shifts between fed and fasted states. Circadian oscillations in peripheral tissues including the liver are connected with feeding-fasting cycles. We generated transgenic mice with hepatocyte specific E4BP4, D-box negative regulator, overexpression.

Anomalous diffusion of a quantum Brownian particle in a one-dimensional molecular chain.

We discuss anomalous relaxation processes of a quantum Brownian particle which interacts with an acoustic phonon field as a thermal reservoir in one-dimensional chain molecule. We derive a kinetic equation for the particle using the complex spectral representation of the Liouville-von Neumann operator. Due to the one-dimensionality, the momentum space separates into infinite sets of disjoint irreducible subspaces dynamically independent of one another.

HDAC9 Is Preferentially Expressed in Dedifferentiated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells and Is Involved in an Anchorage-Independent Growth.

Aberrant activation of histone deacetylases (HDACs) is one of the causes of tumor cell transformation in many types of cancer, however, the critical HDAC responsible for the malignant transformation remain unclear. To identify the HDAC related to the dedifferentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, we investigated the expression profile of HDACs in differentiated and undifferentiated hepatoma cells. We found that HDAC9, a member of the class II HDAC, is preferentially expressed in undifferentiated HCC cells.

Glycolytic inhibition by resveratrol prevents myoblast cell death caused by glucose deprivation and hypoxia; a possible application to the three-dimensional tissue construction.

Decreased cell viability resulting from a severe condition of nutrients deprivation and hypoxia has been the major obstacle in three-dimensional (3D) tissue construction. Therefore, technical improvement which prevents cell death caused by starvation and low oxygen is desired for the development of large, thick tissues. We focused on the anti-glycolytic effect of resveratrol (RSV), a naturally-occurring polyphenol known as a caloric restriction mimetic, and investigated its cytoprotective effect in two-dimensional (2D) and 3D-cell culture using H9c2 rat myoblast cells.

Hedgehog Signal Inhibitor GANT61 Inhibits the Malignant Behavior of Undifferentiated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Targeting Non-Canonical GLI Signaling.

The Hedgehog (HH)-GLI pathway plays an important role in cell dedifferentiation and is therefore pivotally involved in the malignant transformation of cancer cells. GANT61, a selective inhibitor of GLI1 and GLI2, was reported as a promising treatment for cancer in various tissues; however, the biological impact of GANT61 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially in undifferentiated HCC cells, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the antitumor effect of GANT61 using two undifferentiated hepatoma cell lines: HLE and HLF.

Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting MYCN-positive liver cancer stem cells with acyclic retinoid.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal cancer that has a high rate of recurrence, in part because of cancer stem cell (CSC)-dependent field cancerization. Acyclic retinoid (ACR) is a synthetic vitamin A-like compound capable of preventing the recurrence of HCC. Here, we performed a genome-wide transcriptome screen and showed that ACR selectively suppressed the expression of MYCN, a member of the MYC family of basic helix-loop-helix-zipper transcription factors, in HCC cell cultures, animal models, and liver biopsies obtained from HCC patients.

Microscopic description of irreversibility in quantum Lorentz gas by complex spectral analysis of the Liouvillian outside the Hilbert space.

Irreversible process of a weakly coupled one-dimensional quantum perfect Lorentz gas is studied on the basis of the fundamental laws of physics in terms of the complex spectral analysis associated with the resonance state of the Liouvillian. Without any phenomenological operations, such as a coarse-graining of space-time or a truncation of the higher order correlation, we obtained irreversible processes on a purely dynamical basis in all space and time scale including the microscopic atomic interaction range that is much smaller than the mean-free-length. The list of development of the complex spectral analysis of the Hamiltonian (instead of the Liouvillian) in quantum optical systems and in quantum nano-devices is also presented.

All-trans retinoic acid ameliorates hepatic stellate cell activation via suppression of thioredoxin interacting protein expression.

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the effector factor of hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Accumulating evidence suggests that retinoic acids (RAs), derivatives of vitamin A, contribute to prevention of liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis, however, regulatory mechanisms of RAs still remain exclusive. To elucidate RA signaling pathway, we previously performed a genome-wide screening of RA-responsive genes by in silico analysis of RA-response elements, and identified 26 RA-responsive genes.

A Case of Intestinal Obstruction in Pregnancy Diagnosed by MRI and Treated by Intravenous Hyperalimentation.

Intestinal obstruction in pregnancy is rare and is mainly caused by prior pelvic surgery. We herein report a case of intestinal obstruction in a pregnant female with a history of laparoscopic myomectomy, who presented with hypogastric pain, abdominal distension, and vomiting at 26 weeks of gestation. A simple intestinal obstruction was diagnosed by MRI.

Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells Reduce Recurrent Miscarriage in Gestation.

Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been shown to contribute to not only angiogenesis in ischemic tissue but also neovascularization in uterine endometrium formation. Reduced neovascularization and elevation of serum soluble Flt1, a functional blockage of VEGF, in the development of placenta is thought to be one of the major causes of repeated miscarriages in gestation. We then examined whether transfusion of VEGF-expressing extrinsic EPCs prevented frequent miscarriage via its promotional effect on neovascularization with a VEGFeNOS signaling pathway in a mouse miscarriage model.

Wnt/Beta-Catenin Signal Inhibitor HC-1 Sensitizes Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells to 5-Fluorouracil through Reduction of CD44-Positive Population.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a prevalent and frequently lethal malignancy worldwide. Existence of treatment-resistant cancer stem cells is considered to be associated with tumor formation, recurrence and metastasis. Wnt/beta-catenin signal is one of the crucial signaling pathways for cancer stem cells.

Microscopic description of quantum Lorentz gas and extension of the Boltzmann equation to entire space-time scale.

Irreversible processes of weakly coupled one-dimensional quantum perfect Lorentz gas are studied on the basis of the fundamental laws of physics in terms of the complex spectral analysis associated with the resonance state of the Liouville-von Neumann operator. Without any phenomenological operations, such as a coarse-graining of space-time, or a truncation of the higher order correlation, we obtained irreversible processes in a purely dynamical basis in all space and time scale including the microscopic atomic interaction range that is much smaller than the mean-free length. Based on this solution, a limitation of the usual phenomenological Boltzmann equation, as well as an extension of the Boltzmann equation to entire space-time scale, is discussed.

Liver Resident Macrophages (Kupffer Cells) Share Several Functional Antigens in Common with Endothelial Cells.

The identification and specific functions of Kupffer cells (KCs), a liver resident macrophage subpopulation, are still unclear. We compared KCs with peritoneal macrophages using cDNA microarray analysis and found that these cells share some antigens with endothelial cells. KCs highly express VCAM-1 and VEGF receptors (VEGF-Rs) at transcriptional and protein levels.

Identification of the small molecule compound which induces hepatic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are expected to have utility as a cell source in regenerative medicine. Because we previously reported that suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signal enhances hepatic differentiation of human MSCs, we synthesized twenty-three derivatives of small molecule compounds originally reported to suppress the Wnt/β-catenin signal in human colorectal cancer cells. We then screened these compounds for their ability to induce hepatic differentiation of human UE7T-13 MSCs.

Involvement of glucocorticoid in induction of lingual T1R3 in rodents.

We previously reported that in rats, chronic exposure to stress inhibits the induction of the common receptor (T1R3) for sweet and umami tastes. Here, we investigated whether endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) might be responsible for this inhibition. In addition, we used mouse taste-bud cells (TB cells) expressing T1R3 to examine the effect of exogenous GC on T1R3 induction.

Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase by retinoic acid sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cells to apoptosis induced by sorafenib.

To improve the outcome of cancer chemotherapy, strategies to enhance the efficacy of anticancer drugs are required. Sorafenib is the only drug to prolong overall survival of the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, the outcome is still not satisfactory. Retinoids, vitamin A derivatives, have been known to exhibit inhibitory effects on various cancers including HCC.

Local injection of vasopressin reduces the blood loss during cesarean section in placenta previa.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of local injection of vasopressin on blood loss and secondary impact on complications during cesarean section in patients with placenta previa.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients diagnosed with placenta previa admitted to our hospital. Two consecutive periods were compared.

Retinoids and their target genes in liver functions and diseases.

Retinoids have been reported to prevent several kinds of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Retinoic acid (RA) coupled with retinoic acid receptor/retinoid X receptor heterodimer exerts its functions by regulating its target genes. We previously reported that transgenic mice, in which RA signaling is suppressed in a hepatocyte-specific manner, developed liver cancer at a high rate, and that disruption of RA functions led to the increased oxidative stress via aberrant metabolisms of lipid and iron, indicating that retinoids play an important role in liver pathophysiology.

Biological and clinical implications of retinoic acid-responsive genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background & Aims: Accumulating data from epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested that retinoids, which are vitamin A derivatives, exert antitumor activity in various organs. We performed a gene screening based on in silico analysis of retinoic acid response elements (RAREs) to identify the genes facilitating the antitumor activity of retinoic acid (RA) and investigated their clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: In silico analysis of RAREs was performed in the 5-kb upstream region of EST clusters.

Identification of the genes chemosensitizing hepatocellular carcinoma cells to interferon-α/5-fluorouracil and their clinical significance.

The incidence of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide, and its prognosis is extremely poor. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) therapy is reportedly effective in some HCC patients. In the present study, to improve HCC prognosis, we identified the genes that are sensitizing to these agents.

The nucleocapsid protein of measles virus blocks host interferon response.

Measles virus (MV) belongs to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. A number of paramyxoviruses inhibit host interferon (IFN) signaling pathways in host immune systems by various mechanisms. Inhibition mechanisms have been described for many paramyxoviruses.

Nonequilibrium transport on a quantum molecular chain in terms of the complex Liouvillian spectrum.

The transport process in a molecular chain in a nonequilibrium stationary state is theoretically investigated. The molecule is interacting at both ends with thermal baths of different temperatures, while no dissipation mechanism is contained inside the molecular chain. We have first obtained the nonequilibrium stationary state outside the Hilbert space in terms of the complex spectral representation of Liouvillian.