A promising culture model for analyzing the interaction between adipose tissue and cardiomyocytes.

The heart has epicardial adipose tissue that produces adipokines and mesenchymal stem cells. Systemic adipose tissue is involved in the pathophysiology of obesity-related heart diseases. However, the method for analyzing the direct interaction between adipose tissue and cardiomyocytes has not been established.

The therapeutic effects of the herbal medicine, Juzen-taiho-to, on amyloid-beta burden in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Innate immunity, especially that involving macrophage function, reportedly diminishes with advancing age and in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we tried to elicit the non-specific activation of peripheral macrophages by oral administration of the herbal medicine Juzen-taiho-to (JTT), to assess its effect as a possible treatment for AD patients. Amyloid-beta protein precursor transgenic mice were used as a model of AD to clarify the effect of JTT.

Prognostic value of pentraxin 3 in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: A long pentraxin, PTX3, is produced by vascular cells or inflammatory cells and released into the circulation, possibly reflecting local inflammation in the cardiovascular system.

Aim: This study was designed to assess the clinical significance of plasma pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels in chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: We measured plasma PTX3 levels in 37 patients with non-ischemic CHF (dilated cardiomyopathy) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods.

[Acute epidural hematoma clearly demonstrated by fat suppression MR image].

We report a case of acute cervical epidural hematoma clearly demonstrated by fat suppression MR image. A 64-year-old woman was admitted because of quadriparesis with neck pain, both occurred suddenly. She had been healthy except for mild hypertension.