Endoscopic and histopathological features of gastrointestinal amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a rare disorder, characterized by the extracellular deposition of an abnormal fibrillar protein, which disrupts tissue structure and function. Amyloidosis can be acquired or hereditary, and systemic or localized to a single organ, such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Clinical manifestations may vary from asymptomatic to fatal forms.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of renovascular-tumor anatomy to facilitate zero-ischemia partial nephrectomy.

Zero-ischemia robotic and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, a novel concept, eliminates ischemia to the tumor-free normal kidney. Anatomic microdissection of tertiary/higher-order tumor-specific arteries is performed to selectively devascularize only the tumor, maintaining normal perfusion of the remaining kidney. A thorough understanding of renovascular tumor anatomy is essential.

Photoisomerization of perfluoroaryltetrahedranes to perfluoroarylcyclobutadienes.

Two perfluoroaryl-substituted cyclobutadiene derivatives, 6 and 7, were prepared as air- and moisture-sensitive red solids by the photochemical isomerization of the corresponding tetrahedranes (4 and 5, respectively). Remarkably, the 9,10-dicyanoanthracene-sensitized photochemical reaction of 4 also proceeded, giving 6, and the mechanism of this reaction is also discussed. The first aryl-substituted cyclobutadienes were characterized by spectroscopic data as well as by X-ray crystallography for 6, showing a distorted rectangular structure with extremely long C-C single bonds.

Anatomic renal artery branch microdissection to facilitate zero-ischemia partial nephrectomy.

Background: Robot-assisted and laparoscopic partial nephrectomies (PNs) for medial tumors are technically challenging even with the hilum clamped and, until now, were impossible to perform with the hilum unclamped.

Objective: Evaluate whether targeted vascular microdissection (VMD) of renal artery branches allows zero-ischemia PN to be performed even for challenging medial tumors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A prospective cohort evaluation of 44 patients with renal masses who underwent robot-assisted or laparoscopic zero-ischemia PN either with anatomic VMD (group 1; n=22) or without anatomic VMD (group 2; n=22) performed by a single surgeon from April 2010 to January 2011.

Bacterial heat shock protein 60, GroEL, can induce the conversion of naïve T cells into a CD4 CD25(+) Foxp3-expressing phenotype.

Recent publications report that heat shock proteins (HSPs) can endow regulatory responses to the systemic immune system when administered via the mucosal route, leading to an amelioration of atherosclerosis and allergy. However, it remains poorly understood if HSP antigens exist in the luminal contents of the gastrointestinal tract and which types of HSP induce regulatory responses. Here we addressed these problems, considering that numerous gut microflora and foods are natural sources of HSPs.

Sulfur-substituted tetrahedranes.

The stable sulfur-substituted tetrahedrane derivatives 2-4 were synthesized by the reaction of tris(trimethylsilyl)tetrahedranyllithium 1 with diphenyl disulfide, bis(4-nitrophenyl) disulfide, and bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) disulfide, respectively, and characterized by both NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Phenylsulfonyltetrahedrane 5 was prepared by the reaction of 2 and m-chloroperbenzoic acid. The UV-vis absorption spectra of 2-4 suggested an interaction of the σ orbital of the tetrahedrane core and the lone-pair electrons on the sulfur atom, whereas no interaction for 5 was found.

Switching therapy from variable-dose multiple pill to fixed-dose single-pill combinations of angiotensin II receptor blockers and thiazides for hypertension.

The efficacy and tolerability of switching therapy from free combinations of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and thiazide (A/T) to a fixed-dose of losartan and hydrochlorothiazide (L/H) has not been evaluated in Japan. We examined effects of switching therapy from variable-dose multiple-pill A/T to a fixed-dose L/H on blood pressure (BP) along with medication adherence and the degree of satisfaction in 91 hypertensive outpatients (mean age, 65.2 ± 9.

Changes in lamina propria dendritic cells on the oral administration of exogenous protein antigens during weaning.

Two critical periods of maximum exposure to antigens occur in young mammals, immediately after birth and at weaning, as a result of colonization by commensal bacteria and the ingestion of new diets. At weaning, active immune responses of antibody production against dietary proteins are known to occur, but simultaneously, oral tolerance is acquired for harmless food proteins. However, regulated mechanisms of the immune system at weaning remain to be elucidated although its immune responses may be somewhat similar to those in adulthood.

Profile of participants and genotype distributions of 108 polymorphisms in a cross-sectional study of associations of genotypes with lifestyle and clinical factors: a project in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study.

Background: Most diseases are thought to arise from interactions between environmental factors and the host genotype. To detect gene-environment interactions in the development of lifestyle-related diseases, and especially cancer, the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study was launched in 2005.

Methods: We initiated a cross-sectional study to examine associations of genotypes with lifestyle and clinical factors, as assessed by questionnaires and medical examinations.

Suppression of oral tolerance by Lactococcus lactis in mice.

Although oral ovabumin (OVA) administration suppressed the antibody (Ab) response in OVA-immunized mice, Lactococcus lactis increased OVA-specific IgG2a in these mice. L. lactis increased the casein-specific IgG level in NC/Nga mice fed on a casein diet.

Soy isoflavone equol perpetuates dextran sulfate sodium-induced acute colitis in mice.

The effects of the soy isoflavones, genistein, daidzein and equol, on experimental colitis were examined. Equol severely perpetrated dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis as evaluated by the weight loss. Production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, from T cells was decreased in the equol-treated mice.

Correlation between Asian dust storms and worsening asthma in Western Japan.

Background: Severe wind storms during spring in East Asia, called Asian dust storms (ADS), have been assessed in the past for their effect on health in Asian countries. Our objective was to study the ADS association with asthma symptoms in adult patients in Japan.

Methods: We designed a telephone survey to assess ADS influence on upper and lower respiratory, ocular and cutaneous symptoms in 98 patients with adult asthma from April to May 2007.

Correlations of fish intake and plasma docosahexaenoic acid levels with each congener of PCDDs/PCDFs/dioxin-like PCBs in blood from the Japanese population.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with blood levels of each congener of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in the Japanese population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 1,656 subjects (755 men and 901 women) aged 15-73 years, who were living in 90 different areas of 30 prefectures in Japan. Blood levels of 29 PCDD, PCDF, and DL-PCB congeners were determined by high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Esophagitis dissecans superficialis and autoimmune bullous dermatoses: A review.

Esophagitis dissecans superficialis (EDS) is a rare and severe endoscopic finding characterized by sloughing of large fragments of esophageal mucosal lining. Although EDS has been reported in association with serious illnesses and certain medications, the pathophysiological association of autoimmune bullous dermatoses with EDS has gained remarkable attention. Among these dermatoses, pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigoid frequently present with various types of esophageal involvement including EDS.

Dietary deoxynucleic acid induces type 2 T-helper immune response through toll-like receptor 9 in mice.

Background: It has been shown that dietary nucleotides modulate immune response. Due to their unique properties in immune responses, nucleotides are used as immunonutrition in the field of clinical nutrition.

Aim Of The Study: In this study, we examined the effect of dietary deoxynucleic acid (DNA) on antigen (Ag)-specific immune response in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized BALB/c mice and determined the mechanism using toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) knock-out (KO) mice.

Lymphoid neoplastic P388D1 cells express membrane protein candidates that discriminate among the C-terminal phylogenetic diversity in heat shock protein 70 sequences.

We previously found that mouse inducible Hsp72 bound more extensively to lymphoblast-like lymphoid neoplastic P388D1 cells than to RAW264.7 monocyte-macrophages. In the present study, we analyzed the characteristics of the binding to P388D1 cells of recombinant HSP70 derived from different species.

The detection of glycosphingolipids in brain tissue sections by imaging mass spectrometry using gold nanoparticles.

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are amphiphilic molecules consisting of a hydrophilic carbohydrate chain and a hydrophobic ceramide moiety. They appear to be involved primarily in biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and signaling. To investigate the mechanism of brain function in more detail, a more highly sensitive method that would reveal the GSL distribution in the brain is required.

Excess phosphoinositide 3-kinase subunit synthesis and activity as a novel therapeutic target in fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited neurologic disease caused by loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), which is hypothesized to mediate negative regulation of mRNA translation at synapses. A prominent feature of FXS animal models is exaggerated signaling through group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (gp1 mGluRs), and therapeutic strategies to treat FXS are targeted mainly at gp1 mGluRs. Recent studies, however, indicate that a variety of receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways are dysregulated in FXS, suggesting that FMRP acts on a common downstream signaling molecule.

[A case report of dolichoectasia of the anterior cerebral artery].

Dolichoectasia of the intracranial arteries is a rare condition, and the vertebrobasilar system and the internal carotid artery is most commonly involved. We describe a rare case of a 60-year-old man with dolichoectasia of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). The patient presented with continuous vertigo and nausea.

Expression of gonadal soma derived factor (GSDF) is spatially and temporally correlated with early testicular differentiation in medaka.

In the teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes), the sex is genetically determined at the time of fertilization. The males are heterogametic with XY chromosome composition, while females are of XX chromosome composition. The male sexual differentiation is initiated in XY embryos of medaka by the sex-determining gene Dmy.

Potential impact of cytochrome P450 3A5 in human liver on drug interactions with triazoles.

Cytochrome P450 3A is the main enzyme subfamily involved in the metabolism of a variety of marketed medicines. It is generally believed that the substrate specificity of polymorphic P450 3A5 is similar to that of the predominant P450 3A4 isoform, although some differences in catalytic properties have been found. It has been hypothesized that individuals with CYP3A5 1 (P450 3A5 expresser) might clear the HIV protease inhibitor saquinavir, administered by mouth, more rapidly than subjects lacking functional CYP3A5 alleles.

[A case of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in which a restricted subarachnoid hemorrhage recurred in the cortical sulcus following a subcortical hemorrhage].

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is predominantly recognized in elderly people and repeatedly causes a huge subcortical hemorrhage. Some cases of CAA can cause secondary subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but cases in which it causes primary SAH is very rare. We describe a valuable reference case of a 75-year-old man in whom a restricted SAH recurred in the cortical sulcus following a huge subcortical hemorrhage.

[Subclavian steal phenomenon associated with hypervascular thyroid tumor].

Subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) is caused by hypoplasia of a vertebral artery or stenosis or occlusion of the subclavian artery or the brachiocephalic artery with subsequent retrograde filling of the subclavian artery via the contralateral vertebral artery. Symptoms of SSS are due to vertbrobasilar insufficiency or ischemia of the ipsilateral upper extremity, and they may include dizziness, syncope, ataxia, arm claudication, hand numbness or a decrease in brachial blood pressure on the affected side. However, most SSS cases are asymptomatic and they are classified as subclavian steal phenomenon (SSP).

Cloning and expression of medaka cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P450 during gonadal development.

Cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P450 (P450scc, Cyp11a) is responsible for the first step in steroidogenesis, catalyzing the conversion of cholesterol to prognenolone. To investigate the differentiation of steroid-producing cells and the function of sex steroids during gonadal differentiation in the teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes), we isolated the full length cDNA of medaka P450scc and analyzed the expression pattern of P450scc mRNA during gonadal development using in situ hybridization. At hatching, and just after the initiation of morphological sex differentiation, we did not detect any P450scc expression in both sexes.