Multicenter Remote-Access Simulation of Vaginal Delivery for High-Flexibility Medical Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

During the coronavirus pandemic, face-to-face simulation education became impossible. Therefore, we aimed to develop remote-access simulation education with a sense of realism through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) using a perinatal whole-body management and delivery simulator. In September 2021, we administered a multi-center simultaneous remote simulation based on our developed model.

Mechanisms of kidney fibrosis and routes towards therapy.

Kidney fibrosis is the final common pathway of virtually all chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) and is therefore considered to be a promising therapeutic target for these conditions. However, despite great progress in recent years, no targeted antifibrotic therapies for the kidney have been approved, likely because the complex mechanisms that initiate and drive fibrosis are not yet completely understood. Recent single-cell genomic approaches have allowed novel insights into kidney fibrosis mechanisms in mouse and human, particularly the heterogeneity and differentiation processes of myofibroblasts, the role of injured epithelial cells and immune cells, and their crosstalk mechanisms.

When and how to enlighten citizens on genetics and hereditary cancer: a web survey of online video viewers.

With the rapid expansion of genomic medicine, more citizens are compelled to think about genetics in their daily lives. This study aims to explore appropriate types of educational media and methods to enlighten activities for genetics and hereditary cancer. We presented an 18-min YouTube video on genetics and hereditary cancer to participants at a scientific event, Science Agora 2020, and administered a web questionnaire to investigate their opinions about when and how citizens should start learning about genetics and hereditary cancer.

Proximal tubular epithelia-specific transcriptomics of diabetic mice treated with dapagliflozin.

Based on recent clinical trials using sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) demonstrating the significant improvement of outcomes of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), the paradigm shift from "glomerulocentric" to "tubule centric" pathophysiology in DKD progression has been highlighted. Several responsible mechanisms for renoprotective effects by SGLT2i have been proposed recently, but the changes in proximal tubule-specific gene expression by SGLT2i in diabetic mice have not been elucidated. We report the analysis of the proximal tubular-specific pathway, demonstrating the downregulation of oxidative phosphorylation in dapagliflozin-treated mice, a type 2 diabetic model.

Direct evidence of proximal tubular proliferation in early diabetic nephropathy.

Kidney hypertrophy is a common clinical feature in patients with diabetes and is associated with poor renal outcomes. Initial cell proliferation followed by cellular hypertrophy are considered the responsible mechanisms for diabetic kidney hypertrophy. However, whether similar responses against hyperglycemia continue in the chronic phase in diabetes is unclear.

Cumulative DNA damage by repeated low-dose cisplatin injection promotes the transition of acute to chronic kidney injury in mice.

Cisplatin is a commonly used anticancer drug, but nephrotoxicity is a dose-limiting adverse effect. Recent experimental and clinical observations have demonstrated that multiple injections of cisplatin induce the transition to chronic kidney disease; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We found that multiple injections of higher doses of cisplatin in a shorter interval affected the severity of kidney injury, causing kidney fibrosis to develop at a later time point.

Intratubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tubular atrophy after kidney injury in mice.

Tubular atrophy is a common pathological feature of kidney fibrosis. Although fibroblasts play a predominant role in tissue fibrosis, the role of repairing tubular epithelia in tubular atrophy is unclear. We demonstrated the essential role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-mediated intratubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the pathogenesis of tubular atrophy after severe ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

Diverse Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Phosphorylation in Urine-Derived Tubular Epithelial Cells from Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Patients.

Backgrounds: The clinical features of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) differ among patients even if they have the same gene mutation in PKD1 or PKD2. This suggests that there is diversity in the expression of other modifier genes or in the underlying molecular mechanisms of ADPKD, but these are not well understood.

Methods: We primarily cultured solute carrier family 12 member 3 (SLC12A3)-positive urine-derived distal tubular epithelial cells from 6 ADPKD patients and 4 healthy volunteers and established immortalized cell lines.

[Training Medical Staff with Basic Skills for Data Science in Genomic Medicine].

The development of specialized training programs for medical personnel, particularly nurses, clinical laboratory technicians, and pharmacists, is considered critical for the promotion of genomic medicine throughout Japan. Specifically, medical personnel skilled at analyzing and understanding high-throughput genomic data are in high demand. In this symposium, we will introduce the basic knowledge and skills necessary for processing genomic data.

Pharmacological inhibition of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated exacerbates acute kidney injury by activating p53 signaling in mice.

The DNA damage response after kidney injury induces cell cycle arrest in renal tubular epithelial cells, resulting in the secretion of pro-fibrotic cytokines, thereby promoting interstitial fibrosis in a paracrine manner. Phosphorylation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is the initial step in the DNA damage response and subsequent cell cycle arrest; however, the effects of ATM inhibition on the injured kidney have not been explored. Pharmacological ATM inhibition by KU55933 in cisplatin-treated mice did not ameliorate, but instead exacerbated cisplatin-induced DNA damage and tubular injury, thereby increasing mortality.

[A case of motor dominant neuropathy and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with Sjögren's syndrome].

A 49-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with gradually progressive weakness of the limbs for about 20 days. She presented with weakness of the limbs, predominantly in the proximal portion, and slight dysesthesia of the limbs, predominantly in the distal portion. Repeated nerve conduction examination revealed axonopathy dominantly in the motor neurons.

Statistical evaluation of single-photon emission computed tomography image using smoothed bootstrap method.

Many of the neurodegenerative diseases associated with a decrease in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) are untreatable, and the appropriate therapeutic strategy is to slow the progression of the disease. Therefore, it is important that a definitive diagnosis is made as soon as possible when such diseases are suspected. Diagnostic imaging methods, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), play an important role in such a definitive diagnosis.

Size dependent heat generation of magnetite nanoparticles under AC magnetic field for cancer therapy.

Background: We have developed magnetic cationic liposomes (MCLs) that contained magnetic nanoparticles as heating mediator for applying them to local hyperthermia. The heating performance of the MCLs is significantly affected by the property of the incorporated magnetite nanoparticles. We estimated heating capacity of magnetite nanoparticles by measuring its specific absorption rate (SAR) against irradiation of the alternating magnetic field (AMF).

Hyperthermic treatment of DMBA-induced rat mammary cancer using magnetic nanoparticles.

Background: We have developed magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs) and applied them as a mediator of local hyperthermia. MCLs can generate heat under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). In this study, the in vivo effect of hyperthermia mediated by MCLs was examined using 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat mammary cancer as a spontaneous cancer model.

Application of revised version of neural independent component analysis to classification problems of confiscated methamphetamine.

Recently, profiling the chemical substances in illegally distributed drugs has been needed in order to reveal the drug channels. However, this kind of profiling is often difficult because such drugs contain various kinds of impurities and the quantity of these impurities changes. Due to these circumstances, several methods, including a slightly revised ICA (Independent Component Analysis) by a Hebbian learning artificial neural network, were applied for profiling illegally distributed methamphetamine.