Spontaneous Parasitic Pedunculated Myoma Presenting the Absence of Uterine Smooth Muscle Cells in the Stalk - A Case Report.

A few cases of spontaneous parasitic myoma have been reported. However, its cause remains unidentified. We report a case of spontaneous parasitic pedunculated subserosal myoma with pathological findings presenting with the absence of uterine smooth muscle cells in the stalk observed during robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Type 3 vasa previa with no low-lying placenta, with central umbilical cord insertion at the upper uterine segment, and with aberrant vessels on the broad membrane: A case report.

Type 3 vasa previa is a new concept. Herein, a case is reported of a 35-year-old woman, pregnant following in vitro fertilization, in whom vasa previa was detected on color Doppler ultrasound at 26 weeks, with no finding of a low-lying placenta. A cesarean section was performed at 34 weeks and 3 days.

Successful myomectomy using barbed sutures at 15 weeks of gestation: A case report.

To date, there are no reports on the use of barbed sutures in myomectomy during pregnancy. Herein, successful laparotomic myomectomy at 15 weeks of gestation using barbed sutures is described. A 38-year-old pregnant woman with a large myoma (16 × 11 cm) underwent myomectomy at 15 weeks and 4 days of gestation because of strong pain at the myoma site, a high level of inflammatory markers with degeneration of uterine fibroids, and severe anemia caused by denaturation of myoma.

Roles of muscle activities in foreleg movements during predatory strike of the mantis.

Foreleg trajectory in the mantis strike varies depending on prey distance. To examine how muscle activities affect foreleg trajectory, we recorded strike behaviours of the Chinese mantis with a high-speed camera and electromyograms of the foreleg trochanteral extensor and flexor. At the approach phase of the mantis strike, the prothorax-coxa (P-C) joint elevated and the femur-tibia (F-T) joint extended.

A vaginal fibroepithelial stromal polyp: a case report with magnetic resonance images.

A fibroepithelial stromal polyp is a benign soft tissue tumour that can occur in the vagina, vulva and uterine cervix. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings have been reported in patients with vulvar fibroepithelial stromal polyps, not in those with vaginal polyps. We present MRI findings of vaginal fibroepithelial stromal polyp in a postmenopausal female.

Epithelioid leiomyoma of the uterus: A case report with magnetic resonance imaging findings.

Epithelioid leiomyoma of the uterus is rare, and its prognostic factors have not been well established. Moreover, radiologic findings of this disease have not been previously documented. This is a case of a 49-year-old woman with epithelioid leiomyoma of the uterus.

Tailored synbiotic powder (functional food) to prevent hyperphosphataemia (kidney disorder).

Hyperphosphataemia is treated with phosphate binders, which can cause adverse effects. Spray-dried synbiotic powder (SP) composed of Lactobacillus casei JCM1134 (a phosphate-accumulating organism; PAO) and Aloe vera is potentially a safer alternative for efficient phosphate removal. In this study, a novel strategy was developed; lysine-derivatized deacetylated A.

Citraconylation and maleylation on the catalytic and thermodynamic properties of raw starch saccharifying amylase from .

Amylase capable of raw starch digestion presents a cheap and easier means of reducing sugar generation from various starch sources. Unfortunately, its potential for use in numerous industrial processes is hindered by poor stability. In this work, chemical modification by acylation using citraconic anhydride (CA) and maleic anhydride (MA) was used to stabilize the raw starch saccharifying amylase from .

Resveratrol and its dimers ε-viniferin and δ-viniferin in red wine protect vascular endothelial cells by a similar mechanism with different potency and efficacy.

Red wine compounds have been reported to reduce the rate of atherosclerosis by inducing nitric oxide (NO) production and antioxidant enzyme expression in vascular endothelial cells (VECs). The present study compared the effects of the three red wine compounds resveratrol and its dimers, ε-viniferin and δ-viniferin, on VECs function for the first time. Both 5 μM ε-viniferin and δ-viniferin, but not 5 μM resveratrol, significantly stimulated wound repair of VECs.

Angelica keiskei (Ashitaba) powder and its functional compound xanthoangelol prevent heat stress-induced impairment in sperm density and quality in mouse testes.

Recently, gradual decline in human sperm production has become a serious worldwide concern because it leads to increased rates of infertility. Endocrine disrupters, lifestyle changes, and varicocele, all of which elevate testicular temperature, are thought to be the main causes of this decline. The present study aimed to determine whether the dietary phytochemicals Angelica keiskei (Ashitaba) powder (57.

4-Hydroxyderricin inhibits osteoclast formation and accelerates osteoblast differentiation.

4-Hydroxyderricin (4-HD) is a major polyphenol of Angelica keiskei (Japanese name Ashitaba), exhibiting anti-allergic, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, and antitumor effects. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of 4-HD on bone formation and maintenance by using cultured osteoclasts and osteoblasts. 4-HD did not affect cell proliferation of stromal ST2 cells and preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells at concentrations of 1-10 μM.

Chemical modification with phthalic anhydride and chitosan: Viable options for the stabilization of raw starch digesting amylase from Aspergillus carbonarius.

The raw starch digesting type of amylase (RSDA) presents greater opportunities for process efficiency at cheaper cost and shorter time compared to regular amylases. Chemical modification is a simple and rapid method toward their stabilization for a wider application. RSDA from Aspergillus carbonarius was modified with either phthalic anhydride (PA) or chitosan.

The protective effect of lycopene intake on bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

Antioxidant lycopene supplementation has been shown to decrease oxidative stress and have beneficial effects on bone health. However, it remains unclear whether lycopene exerts its beneficial effect on bone metabolism through mitigation of oxidative stress in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate whether lycopene intake protects against bone loss by reducing oxidative stress in ovariectomized rats.

Lycopene intake facilitates the increase of bone mineral density in growing female rats.

Intake of the antioxidant lycopene has been reported to decrease oxidative stress and have beneficial effects on bone health. However, few in vivo studies have addressed these beneficial effects in growing female rodents or young women. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lycopene intake on bone metabolism through circulating oxidative stress in growing female rats.

Less invasive new vaginoplasty using laparoscopy, atelocollagen sponge, and hand-made mould.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate the therapeutic efficacy of the innovative surgical approach using laparoscopy, atelocollagen sponge, and hand-made mould on the achievement of a satisfactory neovagina in patients with vaginal agenesis.

Study Design: The current study involved four patients diagnosed as having Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. After creating a vaginal tunnel, the mould wrapped with atelocollagen sponge was placed within the neovagina.

AxyR, an AraC family transcriptional activator of the xylanase 3 gene, requires xylo-oligosaccharides as a cofactor for DNA binding in Paenibacillus sp. strain W-61.

The xylanolytic bacterium Paenibacillus sp. strain W-61 encodes three extracellular xylanase genes, xyn1, xyn3, and xyn5. In this study, we identified a transcriptional activator required for transcription of the xyn3 gene in strain W-61.

ε-Viniferin is more effective than its monomer resveratrol in improving the functions of vascular endothelial cells and the heart.

The present study compared the effects of resveratrol and its dimer ε-viniferin on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) functions, and on the blood pressure and cardiac mass of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Treatment of VECs with these compounds enhanced cell proliferation via nitric oxide generation and protected the cells from oxidative stress by suppressing increases in intracellular oxygen species. ε-Viniferin was more potent than resveratrol in most of these effects.

Lessons learned from the preclinical drug discovery of asoprisnil and ulipristal for non-surgical treatment of uterine leiomyomas.

Introduction: Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor in women during the reproductive years. Menorrhagia is the common symptom and accounts for the most frequent indication for hysterectomy. Thus, development of a novel drug for non-surgical treatment of uterine leiomyoma is needed for the betterment of women's health.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of a malignant brenner tumor.

Microscopically, ovarian malignant Brenner tumor shows components of malignant transitional cell tumor intermixed with benign and borderline elements. We report a case of this tumor with components that transition from benign to malignant on diffusion-weighted images (DWI) and in histologic findings. The benign component showed low signal intensity on T(2)-weighted images, whereas the malignant component showed high signal intensity on T(2)-weighted images and high signal intensity on DWI with low apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value.

Greater effectiveness of ε-viniferin in red wine than its monomer resveratrol for inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration.

Resveratrol is a strong candidate for explaining an irreversible correlation between red wine consumption and coronary heart disease. The present study examined the effect of ε-viniferin, a dehydrodimer of resveratrol, on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), because ε-viniferin functions are poorly understood in spite of its comparable content to resveratrol in red wines and grapes. Both ε-viniferin and resveratrol inhibited platelet-derived growth factor-induced cell proliferation, migration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, in addition to inducing nitric oxide generation.

Radiotherapy for Japanese elderly patients with cervical cancer: preliminary survival outcomes and evaluation of treatment-related toxicity.

Purpose: To examine the preliminary survival outcomes and treatment-related toxicity for elderly patients with cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: Forty patients ≥75 years old with cervical cancer who were treated with RT were evaluated. Of these 40 patients, 25 were classified as FIGO stage I or II and 15 as stage III or IVA.

Translational research with progesterone receptor modulator motivated by the use of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system.

The use of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) is effective for management of menorrhagic women with uterine myomas because of reduction in menorrhagia. However, the size of myomas during use of LNG-IUS increased in some but decreased in other instances. This prompted us to characterize the effects of progesterone (P4) on cultured leiomyoma cell growth.

Cell-type specific actions of progesterone receptor modulators in the regulation of uterine leiomyoma growth.

Although the traditional concept supports a crucial role of estrogen in promoting leiomyoma growth, unequivocal evidence has emerged indicating that progesterone also plays a vital role in the regulation of leiomyoma growth. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of asoprisnil, a selective progesterone receptor modulator, and CDB-2914, a novel progesterone receptor modulator, for the treatment of women with symptomatic leiomyomata. These compounds significantly reduced leiomyoma and uterine volume and improved leiomyoma-related symptoms without serious complications.