Correlation Between Skin Autofluorescence and Muscle Activities of Lower Limb in Aging Without Disease and Disability.

Skin autofluorescence is a useful index to estimate the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products in human tissues. Elderly persons with higher skin autofluorescence have lower muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle power, however, little is known about the relationship between the skin autofluorescence level and each muscle activity. We measured the values of skin autofluorescence from five places on a lower limb, and the signals of surface electromyogram during isometric contractions from five muscles on that, simultaneously.

Introduction of Otolaryngology Outpatient Examination Training Program for junior residents as part of rural regional medical support in Japan.

Background: Nagasaki Prefecture is located in the most western part of Japan, and there are a considerable number of clinics in its many remote islands and rural areas. Thus, the Regional Medical Support Center in Nagasaki Prefecture dispatches doctors to rural hospitals to provide medical support. We introduced an outpatient training program at these rural hospitals for all residents to improve their clinical training in the field of otorhinolaryngology, whereby one otolaryngologist trains one resident.

Effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on prevalence of otitis media with effusion among children in Vietnam.

Purpose: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is common in young children and is associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. We aimed to determine the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction on the prevalence of OME and OME associated with vaccine-type (VT) or non-VT.

Methods: Population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in pre- (2016) and post-PCV periods (2017, 2018, and 2019) at selected communes in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Nano-hydroxyapatite improves intestinal absorption of acetazolamide (BCS Class IV drug)-but how?

We earlier reported that coating poorly water-soluble drugs with nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HAP) improves bioavailability after oral administration. In the present study, we coated BCS Class IV drug acetazolamide (AZ) with nano-HAP (AZ/HAP formulation), and investigated its bioavailability and nano-HAP's role in promoting it. We tested AZ bioavailability after a single oral dose of the AZ/HAP formulation in rats, followed by a series of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo testing.

Clinical evaluation of [F]pitavastatin for quantitative analysis of hepatobiliary transporter activity.

It is widely accepted that uptake and efflux transporters on clearance organs play crucial roles in drug disposition. Although in vitro transporter assay system can identify the intrinsic properties of the target transporters, it is not so easy to precisely predict in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters from in vitro data. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is a useful tool to directly assess the activity of drug transporters in humans.

[F]DPA-714 PET imaging for the quantitative evaluation of early spatiotemporal changes of neuroinflammation in rat brain following status epilepticus.

Background: Most antiepileptic drug therapies are symptomatic and adversely suppress normal brain function by nonspecific inhibition of neuronal activity. In recent times, growing evidence has suggested that neuroinflammation triggered by epileptic seizures might be involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Although the potential effectiveness of anti-inflammatory treatment for curing epilepsy has been extensively discussed, the limited quantitative data regarding spatiotemporal characteristics of neuroinflammation after epileptic seizures makes it difficult to be realized.

Immunohistochemical Expression of Choline Acetyltransferase and Catecholamine-Synthesizing Enzymes in Head-and-Neck and Thoracoabdominal Paragangliomas and Pheochromocytomas.

Paragangliomas (PGLs) are neural-crest-derived, non-epithelial neuroendocrine tumors distributed along the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. Head-and-neck PGLs (HNPGLs) have been recognized as nonchromaffin, nonfunctional, parasympathetic tumors. By contrast, thoracoabdominal paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas (PPGLs) are chromaffin, functional, sympathetic tumors.

Characteristics of Lower Limb Muscle Activity in Elderly Persons After Ergometric Exercise.

This study examined the characteristics of lower limb muscle activity in elderly persons after ergometric pedaling exercise for 1 month. To determine the effect of the exercise, surface electromyography (SEMG) of lower limb muscles was subjected to Daubechies-4 wavelet transformation, and mean wavelet coefficients were compared with the pre-exercise coefficients and the post-exercise coefficients in each wavelet level. The characteristics of muscle activity after pedaling exercise were also compared between the elderly subjects and young subjects.

The Diagnostic Dilemma of GATA3 Immunohistochemistry in Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

Although GATA3 has been recognized as a useful marker for mammary and urothelial carcinomas, there is large variation in GATA3 expression detected in pheochromocytoma (PC) and paraganglioma (PGL), from 90% to less than 5%. For GATA3 to be a useful diagnostic marker for PCCs/PGLs, the reasons for such discrepancy must be elucidated. Thus, we compared different immunohistochemistry protocols.

Practical Synthesis of [F]Pitavastatin and Evaluation of Hepatobiliary Transport Activity in Rats by Positron Emission Tomography.

We developed a practical synthetic method for fluorine-18 (F)-labeled pitavastatin ([F]PTV) as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer to assess hepatobiliary transporter activity and conducted a PET scan as a preclinical study for proof-of-concept in rats. This method is a one-pot synthesis involving aromatic F-fluorination of an arylboronic acid ester followed by deprotection under acidic conditions, which can be reproduced in general clinical sites equipped with a standard radiolabeling system due to the simplified procedure. PET imaging confirmed that intravenously administered [F]PTV was rapidly accumulated in the liver and gradually transferred into the intestinal lumen through the bile duct.

Paraganglioma of the carotid body and intrapericardium.

A 65-year-old Japanese woman with an intrapericardial tumor and neck tumor was admitted to our hospital. Intrapericardial tumor had not been resected because of massive bleeding from the hypervascular tumor and its invasion into the pericardium, ascending aorta, and pulmonary artery. The neck tumor had been successfully resected, and paraganglioma was pathologically diagnosed.

PET imaging of C-labeled coenzyme Q: Comparison of biodistribution between [C]ubiquinol-10 and [C]ubiquinone-10.

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) plays a key role not only as an essential electron carrier in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, but also as an antioxidant to protect cells from oxidative stress. CoQ supplementation is expected to be effective for a variety of diseases. The predominant forms of CoQ are the ubiquinol-10 (reduced form) and ubiquinone-10 (oxidized form).

A Clinical Quantitative Evaluation of Hepatobiliary Transport of [C]Dehydropravastatin in Humans Using Positron Emission Tomography.

Various positron emission tomography (PET) probes have been developed to assess in vivo activities in humans of drug transporters, which aid in the prediction of pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and the impact of drug-drug interactions. We developed a new PET probe, sodium (3, 5)-3, 5-dihydroxy-7-((1 2, 6, 8)-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-8- ((1-[C]-()-2-methyl-but-2-enoyl) oxy) -1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 8-hexahydronaphthalen-1-yl) heptanoate ([C]DPV), and demonstrated its usefulness for the quantitative investigation of Oatps (gene symbol ) and Mrp2 (gene symbol ) in rats. To further analyze the species differences and verify the pharmacokinetic parameters in humans, serial PET scanning of the abdominal region with [C]DPV was performed in six healthy volunteers with and without an OATP1Bs and MRP2 inhibitor, rifampicin (600 mg, oral), in a crossover fashion.

Multi-institutional survey of carotid body tumors in Japan.

There has been no attempt to clarify the status of patients with carotid body tumor (CBT) in Japan. This multi-institutional survey analyzed patients with CBT throughout Japan by gathering information on these patients from institutions that performed head and neck surgeries. Information from a total of 150 patients from 25 institutions from the past 20 years was employed in the present survey.

Sensory defects and developmental delay among children with congenital rubella syndrome.

This study investigated the features of developmental difficulties combined with sensory defects in children with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Following a large rubella outbreak in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, in 2011, we enrolled 41 children with CRS from September 2011 through May 2013. Fourteen participants died and six became untraceable by October 2013; the remaining 21 children were followed up from 2013 to 2015.

Vocal-fold vibration of patients with Reinke's edema observed using high-speed digital imaging.

Objective: We aimed to assess the vocal-fold vibration of patients with moderate-to-severe Reinke's edema using high-speed digital imaging (HSDI) and videostroboscopy and to confirm HSDI usefulness in examining the vocal folds with Reinke's edema.

Methods: We examined the vocal folds of seven patients (six severe and one moderate; six females and one male; aged 55-74 years; mean 64.7 years) with Reinke's edema using HSDI and videostroboscopy.

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the palatal torus.

Background: Bisphosphonates are widely used for the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone-degrading disorders; however, bisphosphonate therapy is an important risk factor for osteonecrosis of the jaws.

Methods: We report a rare case of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the palatal torus.

Results: The patient was a 72-year-old woman with osteoporosis who had received 35 mg alendronate sodium hydrate once every week for 6 years.

Efficacy of aprepitant for nausea in patients with head and neck cancer receiving daily cisplatin therapy.

Background: Although efficacy of aprepitant for suppressing emesis associated with single-dose cisplatin has been demonstrated, there are limited data on the antiemetic effect of this oral neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist during daily administration of cisplatin. Accordingly, we investigated the efficacy and safety of aprepitant in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) receiving combination therapy with cisplatin and 5-FU (FP therapy).

Materials And Methods: Twenty patients with HNC were prospectively studied who received a triple antiemetic regimen comprising granisetron (40 μg/kg on Days 1-4), dexamethasone (8 mg on Days 1-4), and aprepitant (125 mg on day 1 and 80 mg on days 2-5) with FP therapy (cisplatin 20 mg/m2 on days 1-4; 5-FU 400 mg/m2 on days 1-5) (aprepitant group).

Human organic anion transporters function as a high-capacity transporter for p-cresyl sulfate, a uremic toxin.

Background: Recent clinical studies have shown that increased serum levels of p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), a uremic toxin, are associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular outcomes. Using rat renal cortical slices, we previously reported that the rat organic anion transporter (OAT) could play a key role in the renal tubular secretion of PCS. However, no information is currently available regarding the transport of PCS via human OAT (hOAT) isoforms, hOAT1 and hOAT3.

Radiation-associated small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the thyroid: a case report with molecular analyses.

Background: Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the thyroid other than medullary carcinoma is extremely rare. We describe here a case of calcitonin-negative small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC), which occurred in a thyroid gland that had previously been irradiated at high dose (60 Gy) for pharyngeal cancer, with molecular analyses for follicular cell origin.

Patient Findings: The tumor cells were small with fine chromatin, inconspicuous nucleoli, and inapparent cytoplasm, and showed neuroendocrine architectures such as palisading, rosettes, and trabeculae.

Multiparametric MR imaging for differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules: initial experience in 23 patients.

Purpose: To evaluate multiparametric MR imaging with combined use of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and time-signal intensity curves (TICs) for discriminating malignant thyroid nodules from benign ones.

Materials And Methods: ADCs and TICs of 7 benign and 16 malignant nodules were retrospectively analyzed on lesion-by-lesion (overall ADCs and TICs) and pixel-by-pixel (ADC and TIC mapping) bases. ADCs were determined using b-values of 500 and 1000 s/mm(2) .

Low-cost high-speed imaging system for observing vocal fold vibration in voice disorders.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish a method to observe vocal fold vibration using a low-cost high-speed laryngeal imaging system.

Procedures: We assembled a high-speed imaging system with a consumer digital camera and a rigid laryngeal endoscope. The camera can shoot digital images at a rate of 1,200 frames per second and be purchased for about USD 1,000 in Japan.

Negative middle ear pressure and otitis media with effusion after surgery under general anesthesia.

Conclusion: Negative middle ear pressure was observed in many patients and otitis media with effusion (OME) developed in 3.3% of ears after surgery under general anesthesia. Gas dynamics in the middle ear cavity induced by nitrous oxide inhalation anesthesia and transient blockage of the eustachian tube induced by surgery are considered to be involved in development of OME after surgery under general anesthesia.

Cavernous hemangioma of the accessory parotid gland.

We report a rare case of a hemangioma arising from the accessory parotid gland. The patient, a 45-year-old woman, complained of a right midcheek mass. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined mass located in the right buccal space, anterior to the masseter muscle, and adjacent to the Stensen duct.