Reduction of ferricytochrome c by tyrosyltyrosylphenylalanine.

Cytochrome c (cyt c) was reduced by a tyrosine-containing peptide, tyrosyltyrosylphenylalanine (TyrTyrPhe), at pH 6.0-8.0, while tyrosinol or tyrosyltyrosine (TyrTyr) could not reduce cyt c effectively under the same condition.

Crystal structure of the N-terminal RecA-like domain of a DEAD-box RNA helicase, the Dugesia japonica vasa-like gene B protein.

The Dugesia japonica vasa-like gene B (DjVLGB) protein is a DEAD-box RNA helicase of a planarian, which is well known for its strong regenerative capacity. DjVLGB shares sequence similarity to the Drosophila germ-line-specific DEAD-box RNA helicase Vasa, and even higher similarity to its paralogue, mouse PL10. In this study, we solved the crystal structure of the DjVLGB N-terminal RecA-like domain.

Predictive value of COX-2 for the effect of chemoradiotherapy on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) displays anti-apoptotic functions related to angiogenesis or blocking of bcl-2 functions. COX-2 overexpression has been found in various human malignancies, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The present study examined correlations between expression of COX-2 mRNA and ESCC responses to chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Intestinal uptake of nateglinide by an intestinal fluorescein transporter.

Nateglinide, a novel oral hypoglycemic agent, rapidly reaches its maximum serum concentration after oral administration, suggesting that it is rapidly absorbed in the intestine. However, nateglinide itself is not transported by MCT1 or PEPT1. The aim of this study was to characterize the transporters on the apical side of the small intestine that are responsible for the rapid absorption of nateglinide.

Slug Expression in the E-cadherin preserved tumors is related to prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: The expression of E-cadherin correlates with the development, progression, and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Slug, a member of the snail family of transcriptional factors, is a newly identified suppressive transcriptional factor of E-cadherin. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of E-cadherin and Slug expression in ESCC.

C-type natriuretic peptide, a novel antifibrotic and antihypertrophic agent, prevents cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction.

Objectives: We assessed the hypothesis that in vivo administration of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) might attenuate cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) through its antifibrotic and antihypertrophic action.

Background: Recently, we have shown that CNP has more potent antifibrotic and antihypertrophic effects than atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in cultured cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes.

Methods: Experimental MI was induced by coronary ligation in male Sprague-Dawley rats; CNP at 0.

Comparisons between molecular dynamics and hydrodynamics treatment of nonstationary thermal processes in a liquid.

Molecular dynamics (MD) and Navier-Stokes hydrodynamics have been performed to model thermal relaxation processes arising from an initially established nonequilibrium stationary state. A nanoscale two-layer Lennard-Jones (LJ) liquid system was constructed in which the two parts were initially at a different temperature, with a narrow transitional zone between the two layers that was spatially linear in temperature. The highest-temperature layer had widths of five or 20 LJ particle diameters.

A case of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from esophageal basaloid carcinoma diagnosed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for carcinoembryonic antigen.

We describe herein the case of a 68-year-old man who experienced leptomeningitis after esophagectomy from an esophageal basaloid carcinoma. Although the patient had a good operative course for the first 10 days after surgery, he suddenly had general convulsions with unconsciousness. He was placed on mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit.

The predictive value of p53, p53R2, and p21 for the effect of chemoradiation therapy on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The p53 family regulates cell-cycle arrest, triggers apoptosis or is involved in repair of DNA damage. In the present study, we analysed the expression of some p53 family proteins and their responses to chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in cases of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We immunohistochemically investigated the relationship between p53, p53R2, and p21 expression in biopsy specimens of untreated primary tumours and their clinical and histological responses to CRT in 62 patients with ESCC.

Initial metastatic, including micrometastatic, sites of lymph nodes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background And Objectives: It is important to identify the initial lymph node metastasis when performing less invasive surgery. The purpose of the present study was to analyze locations of solitary lymph node metastasis and micrometastasis in esophageal carcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the initial sites of lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer.

Multiple primary carcinomas with esophageal squamous cell cancer: clinicopathologic outcome.

The incidence of multiple primary carcinomas (MPCs) associated with esophageal cancer has increased. The purpose of this study was to analyze clinicopathologic findings for MPC and for only esophageal cancer (OEC). Of 157 patients with MPCs, 60 had synchronous cancer and 97 metachronous cancer.

Production and autocrine/paracrine effects of endogenous insulin-like growth factor-1 in rat cardiac fibroblasts.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 appears to play an important role in cardiac hypertrophy or remodeling. However, the role of endogenous IGF-1 in the growth of cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts remains unclear. This study investigated the major site of the production of cardiac IGF-1 and the local effects of endogenous IGF-1 secreted from cardiac cells.

Clinicopathological and biological characteristics of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma associated with head and neck cancer.

Objective: Esophageal cancer has been reported to be frequently associated with cancer of the head and neck. The iodine dye method is reportedly useful to detect early esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to clarify clinicopathological and biological characteristics of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma associated with head and neck cancer (HN group).

Monte Carlo simulations in generalized isobaric-isothermal ensembles.

We present three generalized isobaric-isothermal ensemble Monte Carlo algorithms, which we refer to as the multibaric-multithermal, multibaric-isothermal, and isobaric-multithermal algorithms. These Monte Carlo simulations perform random walks widely in volume space and/or in potential energy space. From only one simulation run, one can calculate isobaric-isothermal-ensemble averages in wide ranges of pressure and temperature.

In situ detection of acetylaminofluorene-DNA adducts in human cells using monoclonal antibodies.

The present study was performed to generate monoclonal antibodies capable of detecting N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (NA-AAF)-derived DNA adducts in human cells in situ. As an immunogen, we employed NA-AAF-modified single-stranded DNA coupled electrostatically to methylated protein and we produced five different monoclonal antibodies. All of them showed strong binding to NA-AAF-modified DNA, but had undetectable or minimal binding to undamaged DNA.

Crystal structure of the M intermediate of bacteriorhodopsin: allosteric structural changes mediated by sliding movement of a transmembrane helix.

Structural changes in the proton pumping cycle of wild-type bacteriorhodopsin were investigated by using a 3D crystal (space group P622)prepared by the membrane fusion method. Protein-protein contacts in the crystal elongate the lifetime of the M intermediate by a factor of approximately 100,allowing high levels of the M intermediate to accumulate under continuous illumination. When the M intermediate generated at room temperature was exposed to a low flux of X-rays (approximately 10(14) photons/mm2), this yellow intermediate was converted into a blue species having an absorption maximum at 650 nm.

Bilaterally identical monoclonality in a case of primary intraocular lymphoma.

Purpose: To report a case of primary intraocular lymphoma possessing bilaterally identical monoclonal rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene.

Design: Observational case report.

Methods: A 78-year-old woman with bilateral vitritis, subretinal infiltrates in the right eye, and no involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) was diagnosed histologically with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by a transvitreal subretinal biopsy of the right eye.

CD3 zeta expression of regional lymph node and peripheral blood lymphocytes in gastric cancer.

Background And Aim: Impaired expression of the CD3 zeta chain in T cells associated with T cell anergy has been reported in cancer patients. However, few studies have investigated CD3 zeta expression in regional lymph node lymphocytes (LAL) in cancer patients. This study aims to confirm CD3 zeta expression levels by lymph node and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in gastric cancer patients and to discuss the clinical implications of intranodal or peripheral blood expression of CD3 zeta in gastric cancer.

A newly identified zona pellucida glycoprotein, ZPD, and dimeric ZP1 of chicken egg envelope are involved in sperm activation on sperm-egg interaction.

Fertilization begins with interaction between the sperm and the egg. The surface of the vertebrate oocyte is covered with the egg envelope, which is composed of ZP (zona pellucida) glycoproteins. We have identified two glycoproteins, ZP1/gp97 and ZPC/gp42, as the major components of the chicken egg envelope.

Prognostic factors in patients with submucosal esophageal cancer.

The detection rate of early-stage esophageal cancer has increased recently. Various types of treatment including endoscopic mucosal resection, blunt dissection, and esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy are employed in patients with submucosal esophageal cancer. The purpose of the present study was to analyze prognostic factors in patients with submucosal esophageal cancer.

Preoperative assessment of the depth of early gastric cancer invasion by transabdominal ultrasound sonography (TUS): a comparison with endoscopic ultrasound sonography (EUS).

Background/aims: Transabdominal ultrasound sonography (TUS) is considered a useful diagnostic tool ascertaining depth of cancer invasion, but there are few detailed studies on its accuracy in preoperative estimations of depth of invasion in early gastric cancer (mucosal and submucosal cancer). We retrospectively analyzed the clinical efficacy of preoperative evaluation by TUS in early gastric cancer in comparison with endoscopic ultrasound sonography (EUS).

Methodology: A total of 101 patients preoperatively diagnosed as early gastric cancer were enrolled in the current study.

Structure-based design and synthesis of non-nucleoside, potent, and orally bioavailable adenosine deaminase inhibitors.

We disclose optimization efforts based on the novel non-nucleoside adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibitor, 4 (K(i) = 680 nM). Structure-based drug design utilizing the crystal structure of the 4/ADA complex led to discovery of 5 (K(i) = 11 nM, BA = 30% in rats). Furthermore, from metabolic considerations, we discovered two inhibitors with improved oral bioavailability [6 (K(i) = 13 nM, BA = 44%) and 7 (K(i) = 9.

Interaction of plastocyanin with oligopeptides: effect of lysine distribution within the peptide.

We synthesized and purified four oligopeptides containing four lysines (KKKK, GKKGGKK, KKGGGKK, and KGKGKGK) as models for the plastocyanin (PC) interacting site of cytochrome f. These peptides competitively inhibited electron transfer between cytochrome c and PC. The inhibitory effect increased as the peptide concentrations were increased.