[Port-site metastasis after retroperitoneoscopy-assisted nephroureterectomy and cystectomy for bladder cancer invading the ureter: a case report].

We report a case of port-site metastasis of bladder cancer after left retroperitoneoscopy-assisted nephroureterectomy and cystectomy. The patient was a 73-year-old man with a chief complaint of gross hematuria. The diagnosis was invasive bladder cancer with bone metastasis.

[Renal cell carcinoma with asynchronous contralateral adrenal metastasis and liver cirrhosis (four years after surgery): a case report].

We report a case of adrenal metastasis from renal cell carcinoma. A 52-year-old man was referred to our hospital for a left renal mass. A computed tomography revealed a left renal tumor.

Marked regression of liver metastasis by combined therapy of ultrasound-mediated NF kappaB-decoy transfer and transportal injection of paclitaxel, in mouse.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF kappaB) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression. In this study, we developed a decoy cis-element oligo-deoxyribonucleic acid against NF kappaB-binding site (NF kappaB-decoy), which effectively inhibits NF kappaB activity, and tested the effect of combined therapy comprising local transfection of NF kappaB-decoy into the liver and transportal injection of paclitaxel on cancer growth and metastasis using an orthotopic murine model of colon cancer liver metastasis. For NF kappaB-decoy transfection, we employed a novel approach using ultrasound exposure with an echocardiographic contrast agent, Optison.

Influence of hyperoxia on skin vasomotor control in normothermic and heat-stressed humans.

Hyperoxia induces skin vasoconstriction in humans, but the mechanism is still unclear. In the present study we examined whether the vasoconstrictor response to hyperoxia is through activated adrenergic function (protocol 1) or through inhibitory effects on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and/or cyclooxygenase (COX) (protocol 2). We also tested whether any such vasoconstrictor effect is altered by body heating.

[Ureteral-abdominal aortic fistula during the exchange of ureteral stenting: a case report].

We report a case of a patient with a fistula between the left ureter and abdominal aorta. The patient was a 44-year-old male who had undergone radiation therapy (intraoperative: 25 Gy, external beam: 50 Gy) and chemotherapy (CDDP: 250 mg) for retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis from seminoma. His postoperative course was complicated by stenosis of bilateral ureters, which were treated by indwelling double J-stents.

Surgery for thoracic myelopathy caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum.

Background: Ossification of the ligamentum flavum overlying the lower thoracic spine frequently produces myelopathy. This study analyzed the postoperative outcomes after decompressive laminectomy for thoracic OLF.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 13 patients (10 male, 3 female; mean age, 58 years; range, 39-69).

Continuous spectrophotometric assays for three regulatory enzymes of the arginine biosynthetic pathway.

N-Acetylglutamate synthase (AGS), N-acetylglutamate kinase (AGK), and glutamate N-acetyltransferase (GAT) are the key enzymes in the synthesis of arginine that serves as an important precursor for the synthesis of protein, polyamines, urea, and nitric oxide. Current assays available for these three enzymes are laborious and time-consuming and do not allow continuous monitoring of enzyme activities. Here we established continuous enzyme assays for AGS, AGK, and GAT based on the coupling of AGS and GAT reactions to AGK followed by coupling of the AGK reaction to N-acetylglutamate 5-phosphate reductase (AGPR).

Change of cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and other bone resorption markers in patients with bone fragility fractures.

Background: The serum concentration of cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) has been reported to be a useful marker and for both diagnosis and monitoring of bone metastasis. This study was performed to clarify the changes in various bone turnover markers, including ICTP, after bone fragility fracture.

Methods: Seventy-six bone fragility fracture patients (14 men and 62 postmenopausal women; mean age, 77.

Insufficiency fracture of the acetabulum without apparent trauma.

A 76-year-old woman presented history of left hip joint pain on walking, which occurred after she bent to move a planter. Plain radiographs showed no fracture. Bone scintigraphy revealed accumulation, and magnetic resonance imaging showed a low signal area on T1-weighted images.

FTY720 induced Bcl-associated and Fas-independent apoptosis in human renal cancer cells in vitro and significantly reduced in vivo tumor growth in mouse xenograft.

Background: A unique immunosuppressant, FTY720, selectively induces apoptosis in activated lymphocytes, but not in other hematopoietic cells. The potential that this unique mechanism could provide anticancer potential by inducing apoptosis in the human renal cancer cell line, ACHN, which is resistant to cisplatin, and its molecular pathway was investigated.

Materials And Methods: The difference in drug susceptibility to FTY720 between cancer cells and non-cancer cells was examined by MTT assay and flow cytometry.

Radiographic evaluation of vertebral fractures in osteoporotic patients.

Vertebral fractures, are a serious clinical problem for elderly osteoporotic patients, have been increasingly recognized and are now common. On the assumption that it is difficult to diagnose osteoporotic vertebral fractures on plain radiographs, we studied 78 consecutive patients aged over 50 years with severe back pain with or without minor trauma. All patients had been admitted to our department and had undergone radiographic examinations including plain radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bone scintigraphy.

[Cerebral salt wasting syndrome in a patient with viral meningoencephalitis].

A 53-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for a high fever. He suffered a change in personality, memory loss and disorientation as well. The findings of cerebrospinal fluid showed monocytosis, but the titers of glucose, C1 and ADA were all normal.

Optimal duration of conservative treatment for lumbar disc herniation depending on the type of herniation.

Six hundred and six clinical records of patients who were admitted to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Nagano, Japan, due to lumbar disc herniation (LDH) between 1991 and 2002 were reviewed to determine the ideal conservative treatment period in relation to different types of LDH: contained and non-contained. Since 1997, we have prolonged in-hospital conservative treatment over a few weeks, which resulted in a decrease in the number of surgeries for non-contained LDH, especially of surgeries performed within 1 month. The number of surgeries for contained LDH did not decrease.

[Bladder cancer with skin metastasis: a case report].

Bladder carcinoma with skin metastasis is extremely rare. We herein report a case of a bladder tumor with skin metastasis. A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital with macroscopic hematuria.

Reduced baroreflex cardiac sensitivity predicts increased cognitive performance.

Abstract This study evaluated the relationship between baroreceptor reflex sensitivity and cognitive performance. Twenty normal subjects performed the Uchida-Kraepelin test, a serial arithmetic task. Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity during a 5-min Uchida-Kraepelin test was assessed in minute periods by spectral analysis using the maximum-entropy method.

Changes in total alkaline phosphatase level after hip fracture: comparison between femoral neck and trochanter fractures.

Background: Biochemical bone metabolic markers are affected by fractures, and total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is considered one of the bone formation markers. Only a few reports have dealt with changes in bone formation markers during the healing process of bone fragility hip fractures. Despite the difference in the amount of callus formation and bone fusion rate, no significant differences in longitudinal change of total ALP between femoral neck and trochanter fracture have been reported.

Pseudoarthrosis of vertebral fracture: radiographic and characteristic clinical features and natural history.

Background: We examined mobility based on radiographic appearance, clinical appearance, and the natural course of osteoporotic vertebral pseudoarthrosis (VPA) in a prospective study in 34 consecutive cases of VPA in 27 patients with osteoporosis.

Methods: Conventional lateral, lateral flexion, and extension stress radiography (XP) and supine cross-table lateral XP were performed. Anterior vertebral body height and vertebral kyphotic angle were measured to assess vertebral mobility.

Urinary excretion of type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase analysis to determine the correlation of age and back-pain related changes in elderly women.

We evaluated bone turnover using biochemical markers in 273 women over 60 years of age with suspected osteoporosis. Their age range was 60-96 years, with an average of 72.7 years.

Unusual stress fracture of the femoral neck in a young adult not caused by excessive stress: a case report.

A 30-year-old man complained of a 10-day history of gradual onset of severe left leg pain. He did not have any history of trauma or excessive training. Routine laboratory data showed no abnormal findings.

Purification and characterization of glutamate N-acetyltransferase involved in citrulline accumulation in wild watermelon.

Citrulline is an efficient hydroxyl radical scavenger that can accumulate at concentrations of up to 30 mm in the leaves of wild watermelon during drought in the presence of strong light; however, the mechanism of this accumulation remains unclear. In this study, we characterized wild watermelon glutamate N-acetyltransferase (CLGAT) that catalyses the transacetylation reaction between acetylornithine and glutamate to form acetylglutamate and ornithine, thereby functioning in the first and fifth steps in citrulline biosynthesis. CLGAT enzyme purified 7000-fold from leaves was composed of two subunits with different N-terminal amino acid sequences.

Assessment of cardiac baroreflex function during fixed atrioventricular pacing using baroreceptor-stroke volume reflex sensitivity.

Unlabelled: Baroreflex sensitivity in paced patients.

Introduction: The baroreceptor-heart rate (HR) reflex has prognostic value in cardiovascular medicine. However, it cannot be used in chronotropically incompetent or paced patients.

ANCA-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis complicated with recurrent massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

On April 25, 2003, a 62-year-old Japanese man had been admitted to a hospital because of heavy proteinuria and elevated serum creatinine level, and purpura on the lower extremities. On May 15, 2003, he was referred to our hospital for evaluation and treatment. Serum immunoglobulin and complements were within normal ranges.

Association of SIGNR1 with TLR4-MD-2 enhances signal transduction by recognition of LPS in gram-negative bacteria.

SIGNR1, a member of a new family of mouse C-type lectins, is expressed at high levels in macrophages (Mphi) within the splenic marginal zone, lymph node medulla, and in some strains, in peritoneal cavity. We previously reported that SIGNR1 captures gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, as well as Candida albicans. We have now investigated the precise ligands and innate responses that involve SIGNR1.