Publications by authors named "N Hirashima"
Article Synopsis
- Undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver is a rare and aggressive cancer that arises from mesenchymal tissues, particularly in adults.
- A case report details a 53-year-old man who presented with a large liver tumor, suspected as angiosarcoma, which was confirmed as undifferentiated sarcoma after surgical resection.
- The patient received four courses of adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide, and after over two years of follow-up, he showed no signs of recurrence, indicating that surgery followed by chemotherapy can improve prognosis for this type of cancer.
Article Synopsis
- Previous studies have found both shared and population-specific genetic factors contributing to primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), with more than 20 novel susceptibility loci identified in a recent meta-analysis across different populations.
- A new genome-wide association study (GWAS) focused on the Japanese population identified the gene PTPN2 as a novel susceptibility gene for PBC, linking a specific variant (rs8098858) to the disease.
- The risk allele (rs2292758) is shown to disrupt PTPN2 expression, leading to an impaired negative feedback mechanism in immune signaling, suggesting that targeting PTPN2 could be a promising approach for PBC treatment.
VAMP7 knockdown in secretory granules impairs CCL2 secretion in mast cells.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2024
Mast cells (MCs) possess numerous potent inflammatory mediators and undergo differential regulation in response to antigen (Ag) stimulation. Among the regulatory systems governing secretory responses, soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) play a pivotal role in facilitating granule-plasma membrane fusion and subsequent secretion. Our previous investigation documented the involvement of vesicle-associated membrane protein 3 (VAMP3) in regulating cytokine secretions in RBL-2H3 cells, a model for MC IgE-mediated responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the present study, we found that methiothepin (a nonselective 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT] receptor antagonist) inhibited antigen-induced degranulation in rat basophilic leukemia cells and mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. Although antigen stimulation induces release of histamine and serotonin (5-HT) by exocytosis and mast cells express several types of 5-HT receptor, the detailed role of these receptors remains unclear. Here, pretreatment of cells with methiothepin attenuated increased intracellular Ca concentration, phosphorylated critical upstream signaling components (Src family tyrosine kinases, Syk, and PLCγ1), and suppressed TNF-α secretion via inhibition of Akt (a Ser/Thr kinase activated by PI3K)and ERK phosphorylation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo investigate the roles of calcineurin (CN) in glial cells, we previously generated conditional knockout (CKO) mice lacking in glial cells. Because these CKO mice showed dysfunction and inflammation of the small intestine in addition to growth impairment and postweaning death, we have focused on enteric glial cells (EGCs) in the small intestine. In this study, we examined the effects of deficiency on the proliferation and survival of EGCs and the expression and secretion of EGC-derived substances in culture to reveal the mechanisms of how deficiency leads to dysfunction and inflammation of the small intestine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF