Ultraviolet irradiation benefits left ventricular hypertrophy and mitochondrial morphology of cardiomyocytes in hypertensive rats.

Insufficient exposure to sunlight increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hypertensive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy exacerbates the risks of myocardial ischemia, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, and heart failure. This study aimed to determine the effects of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on LV hypertrophy and mitochondrial morphology.

Distribution Analysis of Iron and Copper by STEM-EDX Spectroscopy of Hemosiderin Particles in the Liver of Rats Overloaded With Iron.

Background/aim: Our recent studies have indicated that trace copper co-existed with iron in hemosiderin particles of human genetic iron overload. To understand this phenomenon, we analyzed hemosiderin particles in iron-overloaded rat liver by using scanning transmission electron microscopy - energy-dispersive X-ray (STEM-EDX) spectroscopy.

Materials And Methods: Samples for STEM-EDX spectroscopy were prepared from the liver of rats administered an intraperitoneal injection of dextran iron.

Mobilization of Circulating Tumor Cells after Short- and Long-Term FOLFIRINOX and GEM/nab-PTX Chemotherapy in Xenograft Mouse Models of Human Pancreatic Cancer.

Mobilization of CTCs after various types of therapy, such as radiation therapy, has been reported, but systematic study of CTCs after chemotherapy remained quite limited. In this study, we sequentially examined CTC numbers after single-dose and repetitive-dose chemotherapy, including FORFIRINOX (FFX) and Gemcitabine and nab-Paclitaxel (GnP) using two pancreatic cancer xenograft models. CTC was detected by the immunocytology-based microfluidic platform.

Neonatal lethality of mouse A/J-7 consomic strain is caused by an insertion mutation in the Dchs1 gene.

Homosomic mice of the A/J-7 consomic mouse strain that introduced the entire chromosome 7 (Chr 7) of SM/J into the A/J strain exhibited neonatal lethality. We tentatively maintained segregating inbred strains (A/J-7A and A/J-7D) in which the central portion of Chr 7 was heterozygous for the A/J and SM/J strains, and the centromeric and telomeric sides of Chr 7 were homozygous for the SM/J strain, instead of the A/J-7 strain. Based on the chromosomal constitution of Chr 7 in A/J-7A and A/J-7D mice, the causative gene for neonatal lethality in homosomic mice was suggested to be located within an approximately 1.

Hydrogen gas improves left ventricular hypertrophy in Dahl rat of salt-sensitive hypertension.

Purpose: Hypertension is an important risk factor for death resulting from stroke, myocardial infarction, and end-stage renal failure. Hydrogen (H) gas protects against many diseases, including ischemia-reperfusion injury and stroke. The effects of H on hypertension and its related left ventricular (LV) function have not been fully elucidated.

Protective effects of intratracheally administered quercetin on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can result in a life-threatening form of respiratory failure, and established, effective pharmacotherapies are therefore urgently required. Quercetin is one of the most common flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables, and has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Quercetin has been demonstrated to exhibit cytoprotective effects through the induction of heme oxygenase (HO)-1.

New diagnostic technique for rapid fluorescence immunocytochemical staining of adenocarcinoma and mesothelial cells using liquid-based cytology.

Objective: To evaluate the expression of antibodies against calretinin, cytokeratin 5/6, desmin, D2-40, HBME-1, mesothelin, thrombomodulin, WT1, Ber-EP4, CEA, EMA and MOC-31 individually and to compare it with a new rapid procedure for fluorescence immunocytochemistry (ICC) using liquid-based cytology (LBC).

Study Design: Sixty-four peritoneal cell specimens prepared with the LBC method were stained with these markers to evaluate their usefulness and develop a rapid fluorescence immunostaining method using Ber-EP4 that is applicable to intraoperative cancer cytodiagnosis.

Results: The adenocarcinoma markers were positive in 92% of adenocarcinoma cases, 57% of cases with suspicion of adenocarcinoma, and 5% of negative cases (reactive mesothelial cells).

Ovarian mucinous tumors arising from mature cystic teratomas--a molecular genetic approach for understanding the cellular origin.

Mucinous tumors of the ovary are frequently associated with mature cystic teratomas, and it has been speculated that the mucinous tumors arise from teratoma components. The cellular origins of mature cystic teratomas are believed to be post-meiotic ovarian germ cells, and the analysis of microsatellite markers such as short tandem repeats is suitable for determining the cellular origin of tumors. In this study, we analyzed 3 ovarian mature cystic teratomas, all of which were associated with simultaneous ovarian mucinous tumors within the same ovary.

Immunocytochemical analysis for differential diagnosis of thyroid lesions using liquid-based cytology.

Recently, liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been widely applied to various samples in diagnostic cytology and its usefulness has been reported. In this study, we investigated thyroid cytology that applied LBC and immunocytochemistry to achieve more objective diagnosis and greater diagnostic accuracy. This study included 125 cases (57 papillary carcinomas (PCs), 22 follicular tumors, 43 adenomatous goiters and 3 with Basedow's disease).

An aspiration material preparation system: application of a new liquid-based cytology technique for fine-needle aspiration of the breast.

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of our original liquid-based cell preparation system AMAPS (aspiration material preparation system) and to compare it with the AutoSmear system in breast aspiration cytology.

Study Design: A total of 487 specimens of fine-needle aspiration cytology of the breast were retrieved, of which 250 were processed with AMAPS and 237 with the AutoSmear method (before the introduction of AMAPS). A final histological diagnosis was obtained by an excisional biopsy or a surgical resection in 148 cases.

Beneficial effects of growth hormone-releasing peptide on myocardial oxidative stress and left ventricular dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters.

Background: Growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) may act directly on the myocardium and improve left ventricular (LV) function, suggesting a potential new approach to the treatment of cardiomyopathic hearts. The present study tested the hypothesis that the beneficial cardiac effects of GHRP might include attenuation of myocardial oxidative stress.

Methods And Results: Dilated cardiomyopathic TO-2 hamsters were injected with GHRP-2 (1 mg/kg) or saline from 6 to 12 weeks of age.

Exercise training alters left ventricular geometry and attenuates heart failure in dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats.

The clinical efficacy of exercise training in individuals with heart failure is well established, but the mechanism underlying such efficacy has remained unclear. An imbalance between cardiac hypertrophy and angiogenesis is implicated in the transition to heart failure. We investigated the effects of exercise training on cardiac pathophysiology in hypertensive rats.

Up-regulation of surfactant protein production in a mouse model of secondary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Although Pneumocystis infection might be one of the causes of secondary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP), the mechanism of its pathogenesis is uncertain. We analyzed a mouse model of secondary PAP resulting from Pneumocystis infection using mice deficient in CD40 (CD40KO), and evaluated the mechanism of the pathogenesis of secondary PAP from the viewpoint of surfactant-associated protein (SP) homeostasis, the overproduction of SP by type II alveolar epithelial cells, and the phagocytic function of alveolar macrophages (AMs). The effect of CD40 on SP production was also investigated in vitro using the H441 cell line, which has a phenotype similar to type II alveolar epithelial cells and primary alveolar epithelial cells.

Xanthine oxidase inhibition improves left ventricular dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters.

Background: Oxidative stress is implicated in cardiac remodeling and failure. We tested whether xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibition could decrease myocardial oxidative stress and attenuate left ventricular (LV) remodeling and dysfunction in the TO-2 hamster model of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods And Results: TO-2 hamsters were randomized to treatment with the XO inhibitor, allopurinol, or vehicle from 6 to 12 weeks of age.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 associated with heparan sulphate chains of GPI-anchored cell surface proteoglycans mediates motility of murine colon adenocarcinoma cells.

Using murine colon adenocarcinoma-derived clones with different metastatic potentials, the cellular localization of matrix metalloporteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its role in the cell motility were examined. Highly metastatic LuM1 clone aggressively invaded into adjacent tissue in vivo, but low metastatic NM11 clone did not. As compared with the NM11 clone, the LuM1 clone expressed and secreted a remarkably large amount of MMP-9, and exhibited higher abilities of cell migration and invasion in vitro, which were suppressed by MMP-2/MMP-9 inhibitor IV.

Differential cardiovascular effects of endotoxin derived from Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Sepsis is characterized by various symptoms, signs and underlying pathophysiology. To investigate possible mechanisms underlying this diversity, we compared the cardiovascular effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Escherichia coli (E-LPS) with those of LPS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P-LPS) in rats. We also examined the possible roles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and oxidative stress in LPS-induced cardiovascular damage.

The role of organic cation transporter-3 in methamphetamine disposition and its behavioral response in rats.

Organic cation transporter-3 (OCT3) is expressed in several tissues including the brain. We have previously demonstrated that rats with behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine (METH) increased the brain penetration of METH with decreased expression of OCT3 in brain. Considering the earlier in vitro studies demonstrating that 1) OCT3 could transport dopamine (DA) and 2) the specific transport via OCT3 could be inhibited by METH, these results suggest that decreased OCT3 might decrease the efflux of METH and/or DA from brain, subsequently causing the development of behavioral sensitization.

Double immunostaining with p63 and high-molecular-weight cytokeratins distinguishes borderline papillary lesions of the breast.

Papillary breast lesions remain a source of diagnostic confusion because the full range of epithelial proliferations may arise within, or secondarily involve, papilloma. The expression of p63 and high-molecular-weight cytokeratins (HMWCK) was studied simultaneously in 33 papillary lesions including intraductal papilloma (IP, n = 10), atypical papilloma (AP, n = 8) and intraductal papillary carcinoma (IPC, n = 15) by double immunostaining. The myoepithelial cell nuclei were stained dark brown whereas the cytoplasms of usual ductal hyperplasia (UDH) and myoepithelium were stained purple.

Essential role of GATA transcriptional factors in the activation of mast cells.

Mast cells are pivotal effector cells in IgE-mediated allergic reactions. GATA transcriptional factors such as GATA-1 and GATA-2 are expressed in mast cells, and recent studies have revealed that both GATA-1 and GATA-2 are required for mast cell development. However, the role of GATA transcriptional factors in differentiated mast cells has remained largely unknown.

Attenuation of oxidative stress and cardiac dysfunction by bisoprolol in an animal model of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Oxidative stress is an important susceptibility factor for dilated cardiomyopathy. We have investigated the effects of bisoprolol, a beta1-selective adrenoceptor blocker, on oxidative stress and the development of cardiac dysfunction in a model of dilated cardiomyopathy. Male TO-2 and control hamsters at 8 weeks of age were treated with bisoprolol (5 mg/kg per day) or vehicle for 4 weeks.

GDNF-inducible zinc finger protein 1 is a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor that binds to the HOXA10 gene regulatory region.

The RET tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are critical regulators of renal and neural development. It has been demonstrated that RET activates a variety of downstream signaling cascades, including the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3-K)/AKT pathways. However, nuclear targets specific to RET-triggered signaling still remain elusive.

Endotoxin from various gram-negative bacteria has differential effects on function of hepatic cytochrome P450 and drug transporters.

The differential effects of endotoxin derived from Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent drug-metabolizing enzyme activity and on the expression of hepatic CYP3A2, CYP2C11, P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2) was investigated in rats. Endotoxin from all three different pathogens significantly decreased the systemic clearance of antipyrine, reflecting reduced hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme activity 24 h after intravenous injection (0.5 mg/kg).

Growth hormone-releasing peptide can improve left ventricular dysfunction and attenuate dilation in dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters.

Objective: The mammalian heart contains specific growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) binding sites whose physiological significance is unknown. We sought to compare the effects of GHRP and GH on progressive left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the TO-2 hamster model of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods: TO-2 hamsters (8 weeks old) were injected with GHRP-6 (100 microg/kg day), GH (2 mg/kg day), or saline for 4 weeks; F1B hamsters served as controls.

Progressive development of pulmonary hypertension leading to right ventricular hypertrophy assessed by echocardiography in rats.

The present study aimed to evaluate the development of pulmonary hypertension by serial echocardiography, including measurements of pulmonary artery (PA) flow velocities, and correlate echocardiographic indices with pathological findings in rats administered monocrotaline (MCT). MCT (60 mg/kg body weight) or physiologic saline was administered to a total of 9 male Wistar rats at the age of 4 weeks (MCT group: n = 4, control group: n = 5, respectively). Echocardiography was performed serially until the age of 8 weeks.