Usefulness of Amplatzer Vascular Plug for Preoperative Embolization Before Distal Pancreatectomy with En Bloc Celiac Axis Resection.

Purpose: We evaluated the usefulness of the Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP) for preoperative embolization before distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR).

Materials And Methods: Between April 2010 and September 2017, 19 patients with locally advanced pancreatic body cancer underwent preoperative embolization of the common hepatic and the left gastric artery (CHA, LGA) with AVP or coils. We compared the embolization success rate, embolization-related complications, the time required for preoperative embolization before DP-CAR and the procedure costs in patients whose CHA was AVP- (n = 7) or coil (n = 12) embolized.

Heart Rate Responses and Exercise Intensity During A Prolonged 4-Hour Individual Cycling Race among Japanese Recreational Cyclists.

Heart rate (HR) during different endurance cycling races and events are investigated for professional cyclist, however, enduro races to compete for total laps and distance covered within a fixed time using a circuit course has not yet been investigated. This study examined the heart rate (HR) and exercise intensity during an enduro cycling race. Ten male Japanese amateur cyclists performed cycling individually for at least 2 consecutive hours.

Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt with progressive myelopathy and encephalopathy.

Portosystemic encephalopathy commonly occurs in patients with portal hypertension caused by end-stage liver disease or portal vein thrombosis. Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (CEPS) is an underdiagnosed and treatable condition that can cause encephalopathy and various neuropsychiatric symptoms. We report an unusual case of type 2 CEPS in a 29-year-old woman who presented with progressive myelopathy and fluctuating encephalopathy on a background of congenital cardiac disease.

Self-assembly of tripeptides into γ-turn nanostructures.

Self-assembling phenylalanine-based peptides have garnered interest owing to their potential for creating new functional materials. Here, we designed four diastereomers, l-Phe-l-Phe-l-Phe (FFF), d-Phe-l-Phe-l-Phe (fFF), l-Phe-d-Phe-l-Phe (FfF) and l-Phe-l-Phe-d-Phe (FFf), to analyze the effect of the d-isomer on the self-assembly. Using SEM, TG, VCD, and solid-state NMR measurements, we found that only FFf forms a γ-turn conformation and self-assembles into a nanoplate with higher thermal stability.

Involvement of pulmonary arteriopathy in the development and severity of reperfusion pulmonary edema after pulmonary endarterectomy.

Reperfusion pulmonary edema (RPE) is a common complication after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, the precise mechanisms underlying the development of RPE remain unclear. To evaluate the effects of pulmonary vasculopathy on RPE, the severity of the pulmonary arteriopathies and venopathies of lung tissues biopsied during PEA were pathologically quantified in 33 CTEPH patients.

[A Case of Curative Surgery after Infection Control Surgery for Peritonitis Due to Perforation of Rectal Cancer].

A 70s man was admitted to another hospital with a complaint of abdominal pain, and was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal perforation based on the presence of free air in the abdominal cavity on computed tomography. The patient was transferred to our hospital in shock and underwent emergency surgery. Operative findings showed a perforation of the rectosigmoid colon and rectal cancer at the anal side of the perforation site.

[A Resected Case of Tumorigenic Pancreatic Endocrine Cell Hyperplasia].

A 51-year-old man with a gallstone was found to have a tumor in the tail of the pancreas during preoperative examination. We performed EUS-FNA and a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor was suspected.Therefore, laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and cholecystectomy were performed.

[Sustained Complete Response of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Multiple Intrahepatic Metastases following the Discontinuation of Sorafenib].

Sorafenib is an oral multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in cases of unresectable advanced HCC that significantly improves progression-free and overall survival. Complete response(CR)is uncommon; however, if major or complete radiological response are obtained, the issue of the discontinuation of sorafenib remains unresolved. The present study reported a case of a 75-year-old man with non-hepatitis B and C virus-related cirrhosis and multiple recurrent HCCs followingresection.

[A Case of Strangulating Intestinal Obstruction Caused by Coiling of Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm to Terminal Ileum].

The patient was a 67-year-old female without a history of surgery. She presented with an abdominal pain and vomiting, and was rushed to our hospital. The abdominal pain was severe, but no peritoneal irritation sign was observed.

Potential of preimplantation genomic selection for carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle.

Preimplantation genomic selection using genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes is expected to accelerate genetic improvement in cattle. To develop a preimplantation genomic selection system for carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle, we investigated the accuracy of genomic evaluation of carcass traits using biopsied embryonic cells (Experiment 1); we also performed an empirical evaluation for embryo transfer (ET) of vitrified GEBV-evaluated blastocysts to assess the efficiency of the preimplantation genomic selection system (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, the mean call rate for SNP genotyping using approximately 15 biopsied cells was 98.

Inhibition of avian-origin influenza A(H7N9) virus by the novel cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir marboxil.

Human infections with avian-origin influenza A(H7N9) virus represent a serious threat to global health; however, treatment options are limited. Here, we show the inhibitory effects of baloxavir acid (BXA) and its prodrug baloxavir marboxil (BXM), a first-in-class cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor, against A(H7N9), in vitro and in vivo. In cell culture, BXA at four nanomolar concentration achieved a 1.

Photoreaction pathways and photointermediates of retinal-binding photoreceptor proteins as revealed by in situ photoirradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Photoirradiation solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful means to study photoreceptor retinal-binding proteins by the detection of short-lived photointermediates to elucidate the photoreaction cycle and photoactivated structural changes. An in situ photoirradiation solid-state NMR apparatus has been developed for the irradiation of samples with extremely high efficiency to enable observation of photointermediates which are stationary trapped states. Such observation enables elucidation of the photoreaction processes of photoreceptor membrane proteins.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and a concomitant psychiatric disorder.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) can cause right heart failure. A concomitant psychiatric disorder (PD) is thought to increase the risk of acute pulmonary thromboembolism; however, whether PDs are associated with deterioration in CTEPH pathophysiology is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics and prognoses in patients with CTEPH and a co-existing PD.

[A Case of Disease Control Achieved with TACE Using Cisplatin for Liver-Limited Metastases of Colorectal Cancer].

A 54-year-old woman with unresectable multiple liver-limited metastases of rectal cancer was treated with cisplatin-based transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE). Before initiating TACE, we performed abdominoperineal resection for advanced rectal cancer, resection of the bilateral ovaries for metastasis, liver resection for metastasis, and oxaliplatin/irinote- can/anti-EGFR chemotherapy for the unresectable liver metastases. For the liver-limited metastases that did not respond to systemic chemotherapy, we successfully controlled the disease in 26 months with TACE every 4 or 5months.

Elevated levels of autoantibodies against EXD2 and PHAX in the sera of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

While circulating autoantibodies have been detected in patients with several cardiovascular diseases, such studies have not been performed for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Here we investigated the production of certain auto-antibodies in CTEPH patients. Initial screening was performed in 5 CTEPH patients and 5 healthy donors (HDs) using a ProtoArray Human Protein Microarray v5.

Electropharmacological effects of intracellular Ca handling modulator caldaret on the heart assessed in the halothane-anesthetized dogs.

We analyzed how the enhancement of net sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca uptake may affect cardiac electrophysiological properties in vivo by using caldaret which can decrease SR diastolic Ca leak, enhance SR Ca reuptake and inhibit reverse-mode Na/Ca exchanger. Caldaret in doses of 0.5, 5 and 50 μg/kg was intravenously administered over 10 min to the halothane-anesthetized beagle dogs (n = 5), attaining pharmacologically active plasma concentration.

Characterization of microminipig as a laboratory animal for safety pharmacology study by analyzing fluvoxamine-induced cardiovascular and dermatological adverse reactions.

Fluvoxamine is a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor, of which IC values for serotonin- and noradrenaline-uptake process were reported to be 3.8 and 620 nmol/L, respectively, also known to directly inhibit cardiac Na, Ca, and K channels. We characterized microminipig as a laboratory animal by analyzing fluvoxamine-induced cardiovascular and dermatological responses under halothane anesthesia.

Measurement of J-Tc along with QT-Interval Prolongation May Increase the Assay Sensitivity and Specificity for Predicting the Onset of Drug-Induced Torsade de Pointes: Experimental Evidences Based on Proarrhythmia Model Animals.

dl-Sotalol which can block both K channel and ß-adrenoceptor has been shown to prolong the J-Tc of electrocardiogram in beagle dogs but tended to shorten it in microminipigs, although the drug prolonged the QT interval in both animals under physiologically maintained experimental condition. In order to estimate how the changes in the J-Tc in the normal hearts would be reflected in the pathologic hearts, we compared proarrhythmic effects of dl-sotalol by using proarrhythmia models of beagle dogs and microminipigs, of which atrioventricular node had been ablated > 2 months and 8-9 weeks before, respectively (n = 4 for each species). dl-Sotalol in an oral dose of 10 mg/kg induced torsade de pointes in three out of four beagle dogs, which degenerated into ventricular fibrillation.

[Treatment Outcomes of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Combination Therapy for Unresectable and Recurrent Biliary Tract Cancer].

Gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy(GC therapy)is now considered a highly effective regimen for patients with unresectable and metastatic biliary tract cancer. We performed GC therapy for 18 patients between January 2014 and April 2018. The median age of the patients was 67.

[A Case of Successful Drainage for Mediastinitis during Chemotherapy for Unresectable Advanced Esophageal Cancer].

A 78-year-old man complained of dysphagia. Gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a Type 2 tumor in the lower esophagus and a Type 0-Ⅱa lesion in the posterior wall of the upper gastric body. An enhanced CT scan showed several swollen abdominal and cervical lymph nodes as well as bilateral lung multiple nodules, suggesting distant metastasis.

[Staging by TNM Classification of Two Cases of Advanced Appendiceal Carcinoma].

We report 2 cases of resected appendiceal carcinomas. Case 1: A 67-year-old woman. At surgery, multiple mucoid foci were observed in the peritoneal cavity.

[Resection for Peritoneal Dissemination of Colorectal Cancer].

We reported the outcome of colorectal peritoneal dissemination resection. Eleven patients who underwent R0 resection for colorectal peritoneal dissemination from January 2009 to December 2017 were examined in our hospital. The median observation period was 23 months, the 3-year overall survival rate was 72.

[A Case of an Elderly Patient with Unresectable HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer Successfully Treated by Chemotherapy Combined with Trastuzumab over a Long Period].

An 82-year-old man was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer(tub2, HER2-positive), and the clinical findings were T3N3M1(LYM), Stage Ⅳ. We started chemotherapy with capecitabine, cisplatin, and trastuzumab. After the first course, the dose of capecitabine was reduced and cisplatin was discontinued due to Grade 3 neutropenia.

[A Case of Gastric Schwannoma with Regional Lymphadenopathy].

Schwannomas are rarely observed in the gastrointestinal tract. A 63-year-old man was referred to our hospital with gastric submucosal tumor with central ulceration by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Biopsy was performed, but pathological diagnosis was not obtained.