Assessment of HIV prevalence among MSM in Tokyo using self-collected dried blood spots delivered through the postal service.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV infection. However, there are only few data on HIV prevalence in MSM in Japan. The objective of this study was to explore the HIV prevalence in MSM at Shinjuku 2-chome, a well known gay quarter in Tokyo.

Risk factors for cervical lymph node metastasis in endoscopically resected superficial hypopharyngeal cancers.

Objective: Hypopharyngeal cancer is a head and neck cancer with a poor prognosis, and most cases show metastases on diagnosis. Cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in hypopharyngeal cancer patients. The identification of risk factors for LN metastasis can help guide surgical treatment strategies for these patients.

Retrospective observational study of occult cervical lymph-node metastasis in T1N0 tongue cancer.

Objective: Delayed neck metastasis is the most significant prognostic factor for early tongue cancer. The main strategies for controlling cervical lymph nodes in Japan are elective neck dissection or watchful waiting. Elective neck dissection offers significantly better survival, but adversely impacts patient quality of life; consequently, here we investigated how to identify high-risk patients warranting elective neck dissection.

Xenotransplantation elicits salient tumorigenicity of adult T-cell leukemia-derived cells via aberrant AKT activation.

The transplantation of human cancer cells into immunodeficient NOD/SCID/IL-2Rγc(null) (NOG) mice often causes highly malignant cell populations like cancer stem cells to emerge. Here, by serial transplantation in NOG mice, we established two highly tumorigenic adult T-cell leukemia-derived cell lines, ST1-N6 and TL-Om1-N8. When transplanted s.

Clear cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity: A case report from histopathological viewpoint.

We report an extremely rare case of primary clear cell carcinoma (CCC), not otherwise specified (NOS) of the nasal cavity. An 80-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with left nasal obstruction caused by a nasal cavity tumor. The tumor was resected completely with lateral rhinotomy approach.

Olmesartan ameliorates urinary dysfunction in the spontaneously hypertensive rat via recovering bladder blood flow and decreasing oxidative stress.

Purpose: As hypertension (HT) is one of the risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms, we investigated the effect of an angiotensin II type I receptor blocker, olmesartan, on bladder dysfunction in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).

Materials And Methods: Twelve-week-old male SHRs were administered perorally with olmesartan (0, 1, or 3 mg/kg/day) or nifedipine (30 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks. Wistar rats were used as normotensive controls.

Superconductivity induced by longitudinal ferromagnetic fluctuations in UCoGe.

From detailed angle-resolved NMR and Meissner measurements on a ferromagnetic (FM) superconductor UCoGe (T(Curie)∼2.5  K and T(SC)∼0.6  K), we show that superconductivity in UCoGe is tightly coupled with longitudinal FM spin fluctuations along the c axis.

Anisotropic magnetic fluctuations in the ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe studied by direction-dependent 59Co NMR measurements.

We have carried out direction-dependent 59Co NMR experiments on a single crystal sample of the ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe in order to study the magnetic properties in the normal state. The Knight-shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements provide microscopic evidence that both static and dynamic susceptibilities are ferromagnetic with strong Ising anisotropy. We discuss that superconductivity induced by these magnetic fluctuations prefers spin-triplet pairing state.

Effects of cyclohexenonic long-chain fatty alcohol in type 2 diabetic rat nephropathy.

We attempted to clarify the effects of cyclohexenonic long-chain fatty alcohol (CHLFA) on the alterations of type 2 diabetes-induced nephropathy. Forty-week-old male Goto-Kakizaki (GK) and Wistar rats were divided into four groups of 6 to 8 animals. Group A consisted of eight Wistar rats and served as an age-matched control group.

Protective effect of sivelestat, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, on ipsilateral and contralateral testes after unilateral testicular ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat sodium hydrate, on testicular ischaemia-reperfusion (IR)-injury.

Material And Methods: Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham-operated control rats; IR rats (group IR); and IR rats that received intra-abdominal administration of 15 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg sivelestat (group IR15 and group IR60, respectively). Right testicular vessels were clamped for 90 min in groups IR, IR15 and IR60.

Protective effect of ischaemic post-conditioning on ipsilateral and contralateral testes after unilateral testicular ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ischaemic post-conditioning (IPostC) against ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury on bilateral testes after unilateral testicular ischaemia in the rat. Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control group; IR group (60 min ischaemia-24 h reperfusion); IPostC1 × 10 group (60 min ischaemia followed by one cycle of 10 sec reperfusion-10 sec ischaemia; then 24 h reperfusion); IPostC3 × 10 group (three cycles of 10 sec reperfusion-10 sec ischaemia; then 24 h reperfusion); IPostC5 × 10 group (five cycles of 10 sec reperfusion-10 sec ischaemia; then 24 h reperfusion) and IPostC3 × 30 group (three cycles of 30 sec reperfusion-30 sec ischaemia; then 24 h reperfusion). In the IR and IPostC groups, the right testicular vessels were clamped using a special vascular clip.

The role of ATP-sensitive potassium channel on acute urinary retention and subsequent catheterization in the rat.

We investigated the role of K(ATP) channel on acute urinary retention (AUR) induced bladder dysfunction. Eight-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into seven groups: a sham-operated control group, an AUR group, and five AUR groups treated with: two different K(ATP) channel openers namely nicorandil (3 or 10mg/kg), or cromakalim (100 or 300microg/kg), or one K(ATP) channel inhibitor namely glibenclamide (5mg/kg). The drugs were administered 30min before induction of AUR.

Immunohistochemical analysis of a dentigerous cyst in a dog.

A dentigerous cyst is a cyst that encloses part or the entire crown of an impacted or late-erupting tooth and occurs with comparatively high frequency in humans. In animals, there are three different lesions that are similar to dentigerous cyst and this complexity has led to confusion. In order to clarify the dentigerous cyst most similar to that in humans especially with regard to characteristics of the lining epithelium, this report describes the clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features of a dentigerous cyst in a dog.

Protective effect of edaravone, a free-radical scavenger, on ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the rat testis.

Objective: To investigate the effect of edaravone, a radical scavenger, on ischaemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury in the testes.

Materials And Methods: Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to one of four groups: a no-drug group subjected to induction of 30-min of ischaemia and 60-min reperfusion; two drug groups administered edaravone at 1 or 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal and then subjected to 30-min ischaemia and 60-min reperfusion; and a sham-operated control group administered edaravone at 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal. To induce testicular I-R, the right testis was exposed outside of the body and the testicular artery was clamped with a small clip for 30 min.

Intra-articular distal ulnar fractures associated with distal radial fractures in older adults: early experience in fixation of the radius and leaving the ulna unfixed.

There is no clear consensus about the best management of intra-articular distal ulnar fractures associated with distal radial fractures in older adults. We describe a treatment wherein the distal radial fractures were securely fixed with a palmar plate, leaving the associated ulnar fractures unfixed. The wrists of 14 patients with a mean age of 74 years were reviewed at an average of 18 months after surgery.

Ischemic preconditioning and post-conditioning to decrease testicular torsion-detorsion injury.

Purpose: The main pathophysiology of torsion-detorsion is associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury in the testis caused by the twisted spermatic cord and its release. It is most likely mediated by oxygen free radicals. We investigated the effects of ischemic preconditioning and post-conditioning on rat testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Bladder dysfunction after acute urinary retention in the rats: a novel over active bladder model.

As there is increasing evidence that benign prostatic hyperplasia and its related acute urinary retention (AUR) induce over active bladder (OAB) syndrome, we investigated the effects of AUR on bladder function over a 4-week period in a rat model. Ten-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. AUR was induced by clamping the distal urethra of each rat with a small clip, and then infusing 3 ml (0.

Endothelial dysfunction in the early- and late-stage type-2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rat aorta.

As there are increasing evidences that human diabetes induces cardiovascular dysfunction, we investigated the type-2 diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction in the early and late-stage Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat aorta. We performed organ bath studies, and examined the changes in expression levels of muscarinic M(3) receptor, endothelial, inducible, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, iNOS, and nNOS, respectively) mRNAs in the rat aorta utilizing real-time polymerase chain reaction in 12-week-old and 70-week-old GK rats as well as in age-matched Wistar rats. In the 12-week-old GK rat aorta, a significant increase in norepinephrine-induced contraction and a significant decrease in acetylcholine-induced relaxation as well as significant increases in expression levels of muscarinic M(3) receptor and eNOS and a significant decrease in nNOS mRNAs were observed compared to age-matched controls.

Acute urinary retention and subsequent catheterization cause lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage in the bladder: preventive effect of edaravone, a free-radical scavenger.

Objective: To investigate the effect of a free-radical scavenger, edaravone, on the changes occurring with acute urinary retention (AUR) and subsequent catheterization in the rat bladder.

Materials And Methods: Eight-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated to one of four groups; an AUR group that had urinary retention induced, with subsequent catheterization; two edaravone groups, given edaravone at 1 or 10 mg/kg body weight for 60 min and then the same urinary retention and subsequent catheterization; and a sham-operated control group given edaravone 10 mg/kg. Urinary retention was induced by the clamping the rat penile urethra with a small clip, making a cystostomy, and then infusing 3 mL (0.

Characterization of the ileal muscarinic receptor system in 70-week-old type II Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats; effects of cyclohexenonic long-chain fatty alcohol.

As gastrointestinal motility disorders are frequently reported in patients with diabetes, we attempted to clarify the effects of cyclohexenonic long-chain fatty alcohol in type 2 Goto-Kakizaki (GK) diabetic enteropathy. At 40 weeks of age male GK rats divided into three groups (treated with 0, 2 or 8 mg/kg of cyclohexenonic long-chain fatty alcohol; started at the age of 40 weeks). Age-matched male Wistar rats were used in this study.

A disappearing left atrial thrombus.

The authors report a case of a migrating left atrial thrombus identified under direct visualization using transthoracic echocardiography in an elderly patient with atrial fibrillation. The left atrial-ventricular-aortic course of the thrombus was observed in real time, and prompt diagnosis and treatment of an acute cardioembolic cerebral infarction were performed. This case provides an example of the importance of transthoracic echocardiography in the diagnosis of stroke.

Fluorometric determination of urea in alcoholic beverages by using an acid urease column-FIA system.

An acid urease column was applied to a fluorometric flow-injection analysis (FIA) system as a recognition element for determination of urea in rice wines. The acid urease has specific properties of showing its catalytic activity in low pH range and tolerance to ethanol in comparison to those of a urease from jack-beans. The enzymes were covalently immobilized onto porous glass beads with controlled pore size and then, packed into a small polymer column.