Photodeprotectable N-Alkoxybenzyl Aromatic Polyamides.

N-alkoxybenzyl aromatic polyamides were synthesized by polycondensation of N-alkoxybenzyl aromatic diamine with equimolar dicarboxylic acid chloride in the presence of 2.2 equiv. of pyridine at room temperature for 2 days.

Major vault protein forms complexes with hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha and reduces HIF-1alpha level in ACHN human renal adenocarcinoma cells.

Vaults are evolutionarily highly conserved ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles with a hollow barrel-like structure. Although roles in multidrug resistance and innate immunity have been suggested, the physiological function of vaults remains unclear. Major vault protein (MVP), the main component of the vault particle, has been reported to be induced by hypoxia.

Blockade of constitutively activated ERK signaling enhances cytotoxicity of microtubule-destabilizing agents in tumor cells.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway is constitutively activated in many human tumor cell types. Given the cytoprotective role of this pathway, we examined whether its specific blockade might sensitize human tumor cells to the induction of apoptosis by various anticancer drugs. Although blockade of ERK signaling alone did not induce substantial cell death, it resulted in marked and selective enhancement of the induction of apoptosis by microtubule-destabilizing agents in tumor cells in which the ERK pathway is constitutively activated.

Hyperosmotic stress up-regulates the expression of major vault protein in SW620 human colon cancer cells.

The major vault protein (MVP) is the major constituent of the vault particle, the largest ribonuclear protein complex described to date and is identical to lung resistance-related protein (LRP). Although MVP is also expressed in several normal tissues, little is known about its physiological role. MVP played a protective role against some xenobiotics and other stresses.

Down regulation of c-Myc and induction of an angiogenesis inhibitor, thrombospondin-1, by 5-FU in human colon cancer KM12C cells.

5-FU is commonly used for treatment of various solid tumors including colon carcinoma. We have previously demonstrated that Egr-1 induced by 5-FU enhanced TSP-1 expression in human colon cancer KM12C cells. In this study, a Genechip analysis of KM12C cells treated with 5-FU revealed down-regulation of 924 genes and up-regulation of 460 genes.

Thymidine phosphorylase inhibits the expression of proapoptotic protein BNIP3.

An angiogenic factor, thymidine phosphorylase (TP), confers resistance to apoptosis induced by hypoxia. We investigated the molecular basis for the suppressive effect of TP on hypoxia-induced apoptosis using Jurkat cells transfected with TP cDNA, Jurkat/TP, and a mock transfectant, Jurkat/CV. TP and 2-deoxy-d-ribose, a degradation product of thymidine generated by TP enzymatic activity, suppressed hypoxia-induced apoptosis.

The incidence of internal malignancies in autoimmune bullous diseases.

Autoimmune bullous diseases are classified into pemphigus and pemphigoid. Pemphigus is designated as incurable disease by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and it is said that pemphigus is difficult to care and can be fatal. The clinical course of bullous pemphigoid (BP) is better than that of pemphigus.

The small heat shock protein alphaB-crystallin inhibits differentiation-induced caspase 3 activation and myogenic differentiation.

Myoblasts respond to growth factor deprivation either by diffentiation into multinucleated myotubes or by undergoing apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis and differentiation in myogenic lineage may use overlapping cellular mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that the expression of the small heat shock protein alphaB-crystallin as well as MyoD and myogenin is induced during myogenic differentiation in C2C12 cells, and these inductions occur at an early stage in the differentiation in vitro.

A case of implantation dermatosis that formed a tumor.

A 51-year-old man visited our hospital complaining of a tumor located above his lip. He had been hit on his upper left lip by a chopstick holder 2 months previously. The lesion turned into a tumor and gradually enlarged.

A case of superficial angiomyxoma.

We report a case of a 19-year-old man who showed a brownish, elastic-soft, multilocular, pedunculated, solid tumor (10 × 6 × 6 cm), with scale crust and erosion, on the medial side of the right thigh. The histopathology of a specimen removed completely revealed a tumor that was located between the middle layer of the dermis and the subcutaneous fatty tissue, was filled with a mucoid material, and was surrounded by a fibrous tissue. The tumor consisted of small thin-walled blood vessels and spindle-shaped or stellate tumor cells without cytological atypia in addition to the mucoid material.

Feasibility of modified DLQI-based questionnaires for evaluation of clinical efficacy of herbal medicine in chronic skin diseases.

Background: The efficacy of herbal medicines is thought to be ambiguous. The quality of life (QOL) of patients has been well-recognized as an useful measurement and we thought it to be a measurement of the efficacy of herbal medicine.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of modified DLQI-based questionnaires in evaluating the efficacy of herbal drugs in chronic skin diseases.

A case of epidermal cyst with pilomatrical differentiation.

A 20-year-old Japanese woman with an epidermal cyst on the back is described. Physical examination revealed a deep blue and round shaped cystic lesion measuring 10 min in diameter. A comedo-like keratotic plug also could be seen at the center.