Publications by authors named "Karaki S"

Article Synopsis
  • Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) act as barriers to protect against harmful substances and bacteria; when these barriers are weakened, it can lead to leaky gut syndrome (LGS), which may be linked to autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases.* -
  • Researchers created mice lacking the Ap1m2 protein to study the effects of impaired intestinal barrier integrity, observing that these mice developed signs similar to IgA nephropathy (IgAN), including abnormal immune complex accumulation in their kidneys.* -
  • The study found that the lack of Ap1m2 led to changes in how IgA antibodies are processed and increased gut microbiota imbalances, with antibiotic treatment reducing harmful IgA levels, suggesting a connection between LGS and
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Introduction And Importance: Biliary cysts are rare congenital anomalies of the biliary ductal system. Cystic duct cysts in particular are not included in the widely used Todani classification and remain underreported.

Case Presentation: A 28-year-old male presented with intermittent right upper quadrant pain exacerbated by fatty foods.

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Depression is a major burden for society. While most mood disorders are treated on an outpatient basis, specific indications warrant hospitalization. Besides progresses in pharmacology, psychotherapy, or interventional procedures, we suggest that the hospital setting could also be used as a tool to address specific aspects of the mood disorder problem.

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The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a series of hollow organs that play roles in food digestion and nutrient absorption. To perform these functions, they should recognize the luminal environment and elicit adequate physiological responses, including digestive juice secretion, peristaltic movements, etc. The Ussing chamber technique is an electrophysiological method for measuring transepithelial ion transport and permeability as short-circuit current (I) and transepithelial electrical tissue conductance (G) or resistance (TEER), respectively, in vitro.

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Aim: There is a need for a cognitive function test that is less burdensome to perform cognitive function tests used to date and can detect mild changes in the cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We developed a cognitive function examination using a virtual reality device (VR-E). The purpose of this study was to verify its usability.

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Enduring behavioral changes upon stress exposure involve changes in gene expression sustained by epigenetic modifications in brain circuits, including the mesocorticolimbic pathway. Brahma (BRM) and Brahma Related Gene 1 (BRG1) are ATPase subunits of the SWI/SNF complexes involved in chromatin remodeling, a process essential to enduring plastic changes in gene expression. Here, we show that in mice, social defeat induces changes in BRG1 nuclear distribution.

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Background: Resident memory T lymphocytes (T) are located in tissues and play an important role in immunosurveillance against tumors. The presence of T prior to treatment or their induction is associated to the response to anti-Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy and the efficacy of cancer vaccines. Previous work by our group and others has shown that the intranasal route of vaccination allows more efficient induction of these cells in head and neck and lung mucosa, resulting in better tumor protection.

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Colonic motor activity is important for the formation and propulsion of feces. The production of prostaglandins (PGs) in colonic tissue is considered to play a critical role in the generation and regulation of colonic motility. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of PGE and selective agonists of four EP receptors on the spontaneous phasic contractions, called 'giant contractions' (GCs), of mucosa-free circular smooth muscle strips from the rat middle colon.

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Diarrhea is the most common complication of enteral nutrition (EN). Pro/prebiotics are typically used to prevent diarrhea during EN. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of enteral formula containing fermented dairy products (FDPs) and galacto-oligosaccharides on intestinal mucosal functions in rats.

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The effect of non-viable lactic acid bacteria on gastrointestinal physiology and dysfunction remains still unclear. Previous clinical trials have reported that Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 (CP2305) exerts stress-relieving and anti-flatulent effects regardless of cell viability. In this study, we investigated the effect of viable and non-viable CP2305 cells on electrical field stimulation (EFS)-evoked increases in short-circuit current (I) using the Ussing chamber technique.

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Gut microbiota mediates the effects of diet, thereby modifying host metabolism and the incidence of metabolic disorders. Increased consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that is abundant in Western diet contributes to obesity and related diseases. Although gut-microbiota-related metabolic pathways of dietary PUFAs were recently elucidated, the effects on host physiological function remain unclear.

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Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality in men in the western world after lung cancer. Many patients are not candidates for resection given the advanced stage of their cancer. The primary treatment for advanced PC is the castration therapy which supresses the production of androgens, hormone that promotes PC growth.

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Resident memory CD8T cells (T) usually defined by the CD103 marker represent a new subset of long-lived memory T cells that remain in the tissues. We directly demonstrate their specific role in cancer vaccine-induced tumor regression. In human, they also seem to play a major role in tumor immunosurveillance.

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The actual strategy to improve current therapies in advanced prostate cancer involves targeting genes activated by androgen withdrawal, either to delay or prevent the emergence of the castration-refractory phenotype. However, these genes are often implicated in several physiological processes, and long-term inhibition of survival proteins might be accompanied with cytotoxic effects. To avoid this problem, an alternative therapeutic strategy relies on the identification and use of compounds that disrupt specific protein-protein interactions involved in androgen withdrawal.

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Tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) represent a new subset of long-lived memory T cells that remain in tissue and do not recirculate. Although they are considered as early immune effectors in infectious diseases, their role in cancer immunosurveillance remains unknown. In a preclinical model of head and neck cancer, we show that intranasal vaccination with a mucosal vector, the B subunit of Shiga toxin, induces local Trm and inhibits tumour growth.

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Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) has been implicated in a plethora of important cellular processes related to cell growth, cell cycle progression, malignant transformation and inhibition of apoptosis. Therefore, TCTP is now recognized as a potential therapeutic target in several cancers including prostate, breast and lung cancers. We previously showed that TCTP is overexpressed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and it has been implicated resistance to treatment.

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Intestinal epithelial cells form a tight barrier to act as selective physical barriers, repelling hostile substances. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a well characterized pro-inflammatory cytokine which can compromise intestinal barrier function and the suppression of TNF-α function is important for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we investigated the contribution of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-induced signalling pathways to the maintenance of epithelial barrier function.

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Checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) blockade is considered to be a revolution in cancer therapy, although most patients (70%-80%) remain resistant to this therapy. It has been hypothesized that only tumors with high mutation rates generate a natural antitumor T cell response, which could be revigorated by this therapy. In patients with no pre-existing antitumor T cells, a vaccine-induced T cell response is a rational option to counteract clinical resistance.

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Non-neuronal and atropine-sensitive ileal contractile responses to short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are detected in the neonatal stage, and change with age or inflammatory conditions. However, the roles of luminal SCFAs in developmental changes have not yet been elucidated. We examined ileal contractile responses to SCFAs in mice colonized with different SCFA-producing intestinal microbiota under normal and inflammatory conditions.

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Cancer immunotherapy has occupied a marginal therapeutic option in cancer despite strong arguments documenting the role of the immune system in controlling the proliferation of cancers. The recent success of immunotherapy results from a change in the past paradigm. From now on, the goal is not only to activate the immune system against tumor, but also to take account of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment Among these mechanisms, negative costimulatory molecules (CTLA-4, PD-1, etc.

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ε-Viniferin is a dehydrodimer of resveratrol, a polyphenol synthesized in many plants, including grapevine. The present study investigated the effects of ε-viniferin and resveratrol on epithelial secretory and barrier functions in isolated rat small and large intestinal mucosa. Mucosa-submucosa tissue preparations of various segments of the rat large and small intestines were mounted on Ussing chambers, and short-circuit current (Isc) and tissue conductance (Gt) were continuously measured.

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Intestinal epithelial cells sense short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to secrete non-neuronal acetylcholine (ACh). However, the roles of luminalSCFAs and epithelialACh under normal and pathological conditions remain unknown. We examined ileal contractile responses toSCFAs at different ages and their mucosal cholinergic alterations under inflammatory conditions.

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A pool of long synthetic peptides derived from HPV16 proteins induce objective partial or complete histologic regression of lesions in more than 50% of patients with high-grade vulvar (VuVIN3) and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN3). The intensity of T-cell response induced by the vaccine was correlated with clinical response. Clin Cancer Res; 22(10); 2317-9.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the mode of desacetyl bisacodyl (DAB)-induced secretory action in intestinal tissues using an Ussing chamber assay. DAB is the active metabolite of the laxative bisacodyl. In mucosal-submucosal preparations, mucosal application of DAB induced a transient decrease followed by subsequent increases in short-circuit current and tissue conductance in a concentration-dependent manner.

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