Roles of induced expression of MAPK phosphatase-2 in tumor development in RET-MEN2A transgenic mice.

Germline mutations in the RET tyrosine kinase gene are responsible for the development of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A and 2B (MEN2A and MEN2B). However, knowledge of the fundamental principles that determine the mutant RET-mediated signaling remains elusive. Here, we report increased expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2) in carcinomas developed in transgenic mice carrying RET with the MEN2A mutation (RET-MEN2A).

The common function of a novel subfamily of B-Box zinc finger proteins with reference to circadian-associated events in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Over 1,600 genes encoding putative transcription factors have been identified in the Arabidopsis genome sequence, however, their physiological functions are not yet fully understood. In this study, a small subfamily of double B-box zinc finger (DBB, DOUBLE B-BOX) genes, encoding eight putative transcription factors, were characterized with reference to the circadian rhythm and the early photomorphogenic regulation of hypocotyl elongation in response to light signals. Among these, it was found that the transcriptions of five DBB genes were under the control of circadian rhythm.

Two different transcription factors discriminate the -315C>T polymorphism of the Fc epsilon RI alpha gene: binding of Sp1 to -315C and of a high mobility group-related molecule to -315T.

The alpha-chain is a specific component of FcepsilonRI, which is essential for the cell surface expression of FcepsilonRI and the binding of IgE. Recently, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the alpha-chain promoter, -315C>T and -66T>C, have been shown by statistic studies to associate with allergic diseases. The effect of -66 SNP on GATA-1-mediated promoter activity has been already indicated.

Efficacy of rebamipide for diclofenac-induced small-intestinal mucosal injuries in healthy subjects: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study.

Background: Although obscure gastrointestinal bleeding cannot be detected by colonoscopy or upper endoscopy, wireless video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is capable of imaging it. Few data are available on medical therapy for patients with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced small-intestinal mucosal injuries. The aim of this study was to compare prevention by rebamipide and placebo of NSAID-induced smallintestinal injury in healthy subjects.

Ultradian oscillators in somite segmentation and other biological events.

Somite formation occurs every 2 hours in mouse embryos by periodic segmentation of the anterior ends of the presomitic mesoderm, and this process is controlled by a biological clock called the segmentation clock. During this process, the basic helix-loop-helix gene Hes7 is cyclically expressed, and each cycle leads to generation of a bilateral pair of somites. Both sustained expression and loss of expression of Hes7 result in severe somite fusion, indicating that Hes7 constitutes an essential component of the segmentation clock.

Value of colonoscopy for prediction of prognosis in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder characterized by exacerbations and remissions. Some UC patients remain refractory to conventional medical treatment while, in others, the effectiveness of drugs is limited by side-effects. Recently, cyclosporine and leukocyte removal therapy have been used for refractory UC patients.

Active smoking, passive smoking, and breast cancer risk: findings from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk.

Background: Evidence is lacking regarding the relationship between cigarette smoking and breast cancer in Japanese women. We examined the association between breast cancer incidence and active and passive smoking in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk.

Methods: Our study comprised 34,401 women aged 40-79 years who had not been diagnosed previously with breast cancer and who provided information on smoking status at baseline (1988-1990).

A systematic forward genetic analysis identified components of the Chlamydomonas circadian system.

The molecular bases of circadian clocks have been studied in animals, fungi, bacteria, and plants, but not in eukaryotic algae. To establish a new model for molecular analysis of the circadian clock, here we identified a large number of components of the circadian system in the eukaryotic unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by a systematic forward genetic approach. We isolated 105 insertional mutants that exhibited defects in period, phase angle, and/or amplitude of circadian rhythms in bioluminescence derived from a luciferase reporter gene in their chloroplast genome.

High-repetition rate 1-J green laser system.

A laser-diode-pumped high-repetition-rate zigzag slab Nd:YAG oscillator-amplifier system is developed as the pumping source of a high-average-power and terawatt Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplification laser system. This system can produce a greater than 2-J high-energy fundamental laser pulse at a repetition rate of 100 Hz. The frequency-doubled energy with a diffusion-bonded KTP crystal is 1 J at a repetition rate of 100 Hz.

[The usefulness of video capsule endoscopy for small bowel diseases].

Until recently, the diagnosis of small bowel disease by the endoscopic procedure was difficult due to the organ characteristics. Video capsule endoscopy (VCE), which enables the whole small bowel observation safely and noninvasively, was introduced in 2000 and these problems are now being resolved. The best adaptation of VCE is the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) and its diagnostic value is superior to other imagings.

Clinical significance of nuclear non-phosphorylated beta-catenin in acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Wnt signaling activates the canonical pathway and induces the accumulation of non-phosphorylated beta-catenin (NPBC) in the nucleus. Although this pathway plays an important role in the maintenance of haematopoietic stem cells as well as in oncogenesis, the significance of nuclear NPBC remains unclear in malignant haematopoiesis. This study examined the expression of nuclear NPBC in bone marrow specimens from 54 and 44 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), respectively.

Platelet-derived growth factor signals play critical roles in differentiation of longitudinal smooth muscle cells in mouse embryonic gut.

In the development of mouse gut, longitudinal smooth muscle cells (LMC) and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) originate from common precursor cells expressing c-Kit. Recently, some gastrointestinal stromal tumours, which develop from smooth muscle layers of the gut and have gain-of-function mutations of c-kit, have been reported to have gain-of-function mutations of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor alpha gene. These data raise the possibility that PDGF signalling might be involved in the development of LMC.

Insight into missing genetic links between two evening-expressed pseudo-response regulator genes TOC1 and PRR5 in the circadian clock-controlled circuitry in Arabidopsis thaliana.

In Arabidopsis thaliana, many circadian clock-associated genes have been identified. Among them, the evening-expressed TOC1 (TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1) gene plays a role by forming a transcriptional feedback core loop together with the morning-expressed CCA1 (CIRCADIAN CLOCK-ASSOCIATED 1) gene and its homologous LHY (LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL) gene. TOC1 encodes a member of the PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR (PRR) family, including PRR9, PRR7, PRR5, PRR3,and PRR1/TOC1.

[A case of gallbladder adenoma with wide base].

A 65-year-old man was referred for a gallbladder elevated lesion. Abdominal US showed a hypoechoic tumor with wide base at the gallbladder body. The maximum velocity of the gallbladder wall blood flow was 20 cm/s.

Inhalation exposure to carbon black induces inflammatory response in rats.

Background: A link between exposure to fine particulate matter and cardiovascular events has been established. Inhaled nanoparticles are thought to pass through the lungs to reach other tissues via systemic circulation and to induce cell or tissue injuries. It was recently shown that long-term exposure to intra-tracheal dispersion of nano-sized carbon black (CB) exacerbates atherosclerotic lesions in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice.

Metabolic syndrome mortality in a population-based cohort study: Jichi Medical School (JMS) Cohort Study.

Background: Metabolic syndrome is known to increase morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Expert Panel III in 2001 (revised in 2005) and the Japanese definition of metabolic syndrome were launched in 2005. No study regarding the association between metabolic syndrome by Japanese definition and mortality has been performed.

Diode-pumped 250-W zigzag slab Nd:YAG oscillator amplifier system.

A laser-diode-pumped zigzag slab Nd:YAG master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system featuring high pulse energy and high average power was developed for pumping of an ultrashort-pulse laser system. The MOPA system consists of an oscillator, a preamplifier, two postamplifiers, and image-relay telescopes. The postamplifiers have an angle-multiplexed ring-type double-pass configuration.

Surveyor nuclease-based detection of p53 gene mutations in haematological malignancy.

Background: Surveyor nuclease is a new single-strand-specific endonuclease that cleaves heteroduplex DNA at a base-mismatch site in both DNA strands. We applied this enzyme to detection of p53 gene mutations in haematological malignancy.

Methods: DNA fragments including exons 5 and 6, and those including exons 7 and 8, of the p53 gene, were amplified by polymerase chain reaction using DNA samples extracted from bone marrow aspirates.

Arytenoid dislocation after cardiac surgery.

Occurring most usually as complications of upper aerodigestive tract instrumentation during endotracheal intubation or extubation, arytenoid cartilage dislocation and arytenoid subluxation are uncommon laryngeal injuries. Their precise cause, however, is usually difficult to determine. We encountered arytenoid dislocation following cardiac surgery requiring the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

Diagnosis and treatment of obscure GI bleeding at double balloon endoscopy.

Background: Double balloon endoscopy (DBE) and videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) have been useful in managing obscure GI bleeding (OGIB).

Objective: This study evaluated the usefulness of DBE for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of OGIB and compared diagnostic yield between DBE and VCE in Japan.

Methods: Detection rates of abnormalities and diagnostic yields between VCE and DBE were compared in 74 patients at 5 centers.

A case of acute gastroduodenitis with cytomegalovirus infection in a healthy adult.

A 33-year-old man with epigastralgia was admitted. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed gastric fold hypertrophy, mucosal hemorrhage, and widespread erosion in the stomach and aphthoid erosion in the duodenum. The presence of intranuclear inclusion bodies positively stained with anti-cytomegalovirus antibody from the biopsy specimens indicated that the gastroduodenitis was related to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.

Potential and present limitation of endocytoscopy in the diagnosis of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma: a multicenter ex vivo pilot study.

Background: Endocytoscopy enables the in vivo observation of cellular nuclei in the GI tract. However, potential and present limitations of endocytoscopy have not been elucidated in detail.

Objective: To investigate whether endocytoscopic images of cancerous and normal squamous cells in the esophagus correspond with horizontal histology of the mucosal surface.

[Nasal endotracheal intubation using GlideScope].

We describe the performance of GlideScope in 34 consecutive patients who required nasal endotracheal intubation for surgical convenience. In the 34 patients, nasal endotracheal intubation was achieved in 52 +/- 22 (mean +/- SD) sec by unexperienced clinicians, and in 50 +/- 17 sec by anesthetists in the department. Margill forceps were not needed for any patient during nasotracheal intubation.

Ginger ingredients reduce viability of gastric cancer cells via distinct mechanisms.

Ginger has been used throughout the world as spice, food and traditional herb. We found that 6-gingerol, a phenolic alkanone isolated from ginger, enhanced the TRAIL-induced viability reduction of gastric cancer cells while 6-gingerol alone affected viability only slightly. 6-Gingerol facilitated TRAIL-induced apoptosis by increasing TRAIL-induced caspase-3/7 activation.