ATP-sensitive K+ channel-mediated glucose uptake is independent of IRS-1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling.

We previously found that disruption of Kir6.2-containing ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels increases glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, but the mechanism is not clear. In the present study, we generated knockout mice lacking both Kir6.

Immusorba TR and PH.

Immusorba TR (IM-TR) and PH (IM-PH) were developed as adsorbents with non-biological materials as affinity ligands to remove pathogenic autoantibodies. The adsorbents of IM-TR and IM-PH are polyvinyl alcohol gel immobilized with tryptophan and phenylalanine as ligand, respectively. IM-TR is clinically applied for treatment of autoimmune neurological diseases such as myasthenia gravis and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Cellsorba.

Cellsorba is a leukocyte removal filter developed by Asahi Medical Co., which adsorbs white blood cells through the perfusion of peripheral blood by means of simple extracorporeal circulation. Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) therapy using the Cellsorba column has been reported to show therapeutic effects for many autoimmune related and inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, neurologic disease, and so on.

Molecular characterization of clinical and environmental isolates of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis from a teaching hospital in Wales.

The present study describes the first molecular characterization of environmental and clinical isolates of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in Wales. Over a 3-month period (May-July 2000), 134 isolates of VRE (89 Enterococcus faecium and 45 Enterococcus faecalis) were isolated from the patient environment of the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff, Wales, UK. In addition, over the same time-period, 24 clinical isolates of VRE (20 isolates of E.

Recent developments in diagnostic imaging techniques and management for acute pulmonary embolism: multicenter registry by the Japanese Society of Pulmonary Embolism Research.

Objective: There are many reports on the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism (APE), but there have been no investigations concerning the actual conditions in which recent developments in diagnostic imaging techniques and therapies have been applied in clinical practice. The present study was designed to investigate the changes in diagnostic imaging techniques and therapies for APE.

Methods And Patients: Three hundred and nine APE patients diagnosed during January 1994-October 1997 (Group 1) were compared with 257 APE patients diagnosed during November 1997-October 2000 (Group 2) in terms of the diagnostic imaging techniques and therapies for APE.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and the risk of smoking-related COPD.

Study Objectives: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling may be required for maintenance of the alveolar structures, and alveolar septal cell apoptosis could contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD presenting emphysematous changes; however, the common mutation at position 936 in the 3' untranslated region of the VEGF gene, a C to T substitution (the C allele was denoted as 1, and the T allele as 2), VEGF936*2, has been reported to be associated with significantly lower VEGF plasma levels. Based on these concepts, we hypothesized that VEGF936*1/2 polymorphism may be linked to the development of COPD.

Design: The differences in VEGF936*1/2 allele frequency were examined in 113 patients with smoking-related COPD and two control groups (101 smoker/ex-smoker control subjects and 102 population control subjects) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.

Immunosuppressive substances in Aspergillus fumigatus culture filtrate.

Invasive aspergillosis has become a serious problem in clinical practice, but the actual factor that confers virulence on the fungus has not been thoroughly elucidated. To identify and isolate the immunosuppressive substances produced by the fungus, the bioactivity of culture filtrates was assessed, and analyses of the culture filtrates were carried out. Culture filtrates from different strains of Aspergillus fumigatus were assessed for their effect on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and murine macrophages.

TH1-biased immunity induced by exposure to Antarctic winter.

Background: Certain immune functions are known to be impaired in human beings exposed to Antarctic winter; in particular, decreased amounts of serum proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha and IL-1, were noted. It is not known, however, whether this exposure has any effect on T-cell-mediated acquired immune functions.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate whether exposure to Antarctic winter has any effect on T cell-dependent immune functions.

T-cell-dependent antitumor effects produced by CD40 ligand expressed on mouse lung carcinoma cells are linked with the maturation of dendritic cells and secretion of a variety of cytokines.

CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) interaction plays an essential role in cell-mediated immune responses. We examined whether expression of CD40L in murine lung carcinoma (A11) cells could produce antitumor effects. The proliferation rate in vitro of A11 cells transfected with the murine CD40L gene (A11/CD40L) was not different from that of parent cells; however, half of the immunocompetent mice inoculated with A11/CD40L cells did not form tumors and the growth of A11/CD40L tumors developed in the rest of mice was significantly retarded compared with that of parent tumors.

Influence of stressful life events on the onset of sarcoidosis.

Objective: The onset of sarcoidosis may be triggered by any hereditary and/or environmental factor. Among these factors, psychosocial stress may play a critical role in the onset of sarcoidosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of stressful life events on the onset of sarcoidosis.

Gene delivery to the lung by means of syngeneic fibroblasts: an experimental model.

An experimental model, in which exogenous gene expression in the lung is achieved, has been established. A fibroblast cell line was transfected with the lacZ gene and was administered to syngeneic mice by either intravenous or intratracheal injection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and histochemical detection of beta-galactosidase revealed efficient gene delivery to the lung by either route.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure improves quality of life in obesity hypoventilation syndrome.

We studied the quality of life of obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) by comparing it with age- and body mass index-matched patients without hypoventilation and age-matched obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with body mass index (BMI) under 30, and the efficacy of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for 3 to 6 months on the quality of life in these patients. Prospectively recruited patients from six sleep laboratories in Japan were administered assessments of the general health status by the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and subjective sleepiness by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Compared with matched healthy subjects, OHS and OSA patients not yet treated had worse results on the ESS scores and the SF-36 subscales for physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, general health perception, energy/vitality, role limitations due to emotional problems, and social functioning.

Differential effects of physical and psychological stressors on immune functions of rats.

To study the effects of different types or durations of stressors on immune functions, male Fischer rats were exposed to chronic physical (electric foot shock) or psychological (non-foot shock) stress induced in the communication box. Superoxide production by alveolar macrophages (AMs), mitogen-induced splenic lymphocyte proliferation, and splenic natural killer (NK) cell cytolysis were examined in vitro. Repeated exposure to physical stress suppressed superoxide production by AMs (-58%, p<0.

Detection of tumor specific gene expression in bone marrow and peripheral blood from patients with small cell lung carcinoma.

Background: Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) has the propensity to grow rapidly and metastasize extensively. Detection of micro-dissemination of SCLC may have clinical relevance. For its detection, tumor-specific gene expressions were examined in peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate from patients with SCLC.

Feasibility of combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide for haemodialysis patients with lung cancer.

Cancer chemotherapy for haemodialysis patients has never been established. To elucidate the feasibility of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy for haemodialysis patients with lung cancer, a dose escalation study was conducted. Five haemodialysis patients with lung cancer were treated with cisplatin and etoposide.

Fas ligand-expressing tumors induce tumor-specific protective immunity in the inoculated hosts but vaccination with the apoptotic tumors suppresses antitumor immunity.

The interaction between Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) is involved in the apoptotic death of a number of cells including lymphocytes. Forced expression of FasL in tumors can induce apoptosis of infiltrating Fas-positive T cells; accordingly, tumors can survive in the milieu of systemic immune responses. However, FasL-expressing murine lung carcinoma (A11) and melanoma (B16) cells did not develop subcutaneous tumors and FasL-expressing A11 (A11/FasL) cells produced few spontaneous lung metastatic foci in syngeneic mice.

Suppression of a DNA double-strand break repair gene, Ku70, increases radio- and chemosensitivity in a human lung carcinoma cell line.

Ku70 protein, cooperating with Ku80 and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), is involved in DNA double-strand break (DNA DSB) repair and V(D)J recombination. Recent studies have revealed increased ionizing radiosensitivity in Ku70-deficient cells. The presented study, using a human squamous cell lung carcinoma cell line, demonstrated that introduction of an antisense Ku70 nucleic acid made the cells more radio- and chemosensitive than the parental cells.

Thermoradiotherapy for local control of chest wall invasion in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: We tested the feasibility of hyperthermia combined with concurrent radiotherapy (thermoradiotherapy) for pain relief and local control of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) invading to the chest wall.

Methods: Thirteen patients with advanced NSCLC (eight stage IIIB and five stage IV) and severe pain caused by chest wall invasion of tumor were treated with thermoradiotherapy. During the conventional fractionated radiotherapy period, 8-MHz radiofrequency capacitive hyperthermia was administered once or twice per week for a total of three to nine treatment sessions.

Oxygen affinity of hemoglobin regulates O2 consumption, metabolism, and physical activity.

The oxygen affinity of hemoglobin is critical for gas exchange in the lung and O(2) delivery in peripheral tissues. In the present study, we generated model mice that carry low affinity hemoglobin with the Titusville mutation in the alpha-globin gene or Presbyterian mutation in the beta-globin gene. The mutant mice showed increased O(2) consumption and CO(2) production in tissue metabolism, suggesting enhanced O(2) delivery by mutant Hbs.

Dose evaluation and effective dose estimation from CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy.

The development of computerized tomography (CT) has made CT fluoroscopy possible with real-time CT images. However examination are expected to have high medical and occupational exposures. Then, exposures to patients and operating and assisting physicians during the CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy were estimated.

A case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma accompanied by superior vena caval thrombosis in a patient with peutz-jeghers syndrome.

A case of lung adenocarcinoma and extensive deep vein thrombosis in a patient with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is presented. A 31-year-old Chinese man complained of shoulder pain and swelling of the right arm. A series of diagnostic procedures revealed a primary adenocarcinoma in the left upper lobe with cervical and supraclavicular lymph node metastases accompanied by deep vein thrombosis in the superior vena cava and right jugular vein.

Impaired oxygenation during sleep at high altitude in Sherpa.

Arterial oxygenation during sleep in Sherpa highlanders has been relatively unexplored. This study was designed to investigate arterial oxygen saturation (Sa(O(2))) and pulse rate (PR) during sleep in 61 Sherpa (29 men, 32 women) who had lived at 3,450-3,850 m in Nepal, from adolescence through old age, and to estimate the relative effects of aging on arterial oxygenation during sleep. The mean Sa(O(2)) during sleep (mSa(O(2))) was found to decrease with age, and to negatively correlate with the mean PR during sleep.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of major pathogens of orofacial odontogenic infections to 11 beta-lactam antibiotics.

In this study, we evaluated the current effectiveness of 11 beta-lactam antibiotics for treatment of orofacial odontogenic infections by determining the antimicrobial susceptibility of the major pathogens. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of viridans streptococci (n = 47), Peptostreptococcus (n = 67), Porphyromonas (n = 18), Fusobacterium (n = 57), black-pigmented Prevotella (n = 59) and non-pigmented Prevotella (n = 47) isolated from pus specimens of 93 orofacial odontogenic infections to penicillin G, cefmetazole, flomoxef, cefoperazone, cefoperazone/sulbactam, ceftazidime, cefpirome, cefepime, cefoselis, imipenem and faropenem were determined using the agar dilution method. Penicillin G, most cephalosporins, imipenem and faropenem worked well against viridans streptococci, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas and Fusobacterium.

Effects of insulin-like growth factor on nitrogen balance during hypoxic exposure.

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accompanied with hypoxaemia may induce net protein catabolism and hypoxaemia could be an important trigger of a systemic catabolic response. The aim of this study was to examine the anabolic effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) in rats exposed to hypoxia. Although acute hypoxia is usually accompanied with a decrease in dietary intake, the usual nitrogen intake was maintained in this study.