Endoscopic surveillance of gastric cancers after Helicobacter pylori eradication.

The incidence and mortality of gastric cancer remains high in East Asian countries. Current data suggest that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication might be more effective for preventing gastric cancer in young people before they develop atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia.

Histological and Transcriptomic Analysis of Adult Japanese Medaka Sampled Onboard the International Space Station.

To understand how humans adapt to the space environment, many experiments can be conducted on astronauts as they work aboard the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS). We also need animal experiments that can apply to human models and help prevent or solve the health issues we face in space travel. The Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) is a suitable model fish for studying space adaptation as evidenced by adults of the species having mated successfully in space during 15 days of flight during the second International Microgravity Laboratory mission in 1994.

Site-Specific Impact of a Regional Hydrodynamic Injection: Computed Tomography Study during Hydrodynamic Injection Targeting the Swine Liver.

A hemodynamic study of hydrodynamic gene delivery (HGD) from the tail vein in rodents has inspired a mechanism and an approach to further improve the efficacy of this procedure. However, there is no report on the hemodynamics of a regional HGD, which is an inevitable approach in large animals. Here, we report the hemodynamics of a regional hydrodynamic injection in detail based on 3D volume data and the dynamism of tissue intensity over time by using computed tomography (CT) both during and after a regional hydrodynamic injection that targeted the liver of a pig weighing 15.

First case of bacteremia caused by Helicobacter cinaedi in a patient with liver cirrhosis: a case report and literature review.

Patients with liver cirrhosis are known to be immunocompromised hosts due to the dysfunction of the cellular and humoral immune systems, allowing easier bacterial translocation from the intestine to the systemic circulation via the portal vein. Sepsis can often be seen in these patients; however, approximately 10 % of patients show negative results with the standard culture period (3-4 days) and their pathogens remain undiagnosed. Here we report the first case of a patient with liver cirrhosis diagnosed with bacteremia due to Helicobacter cinaedi after gastrointestinal symptoms and review 62 cases of H.

Image-Guided Hydrodynamic Gene Delivery: Current Status and Future Directions.

Hydrodynamics-based delivery has been used as an experimental tool to express transgene in small animals. This in vivo gene transfer method is useful for functional analysis of genetic elements, therapeutic effect of oligonucleotides, and cancer cells to establish the metastatic cancer animal model for experimental research. Recent progress in the development of image-guided procedure for hydrodynamics-based gene delivery in large animals directly supports the clinical applicability of this technique.

Evaluation of esophageal motility after endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal cancer.

Introduction: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a standard treatment for superficial esophageal cancer. Some patients complain of dysphagia after ESD even without any postoperative strictures. Although ineffective esophageal motility might be associated with dysphagia after ESD, its effect on esophageal motility after ESD remains unknown.

Evidence for a Role of the Transcriptional Regulator Maid in Tumorigenesis and Aging.

Maid is a helix-loop-helix protein that is involved in cell proliferation. In order to further elucidate its physiological functions, we studied Maid activity in two small fish model systems. We found that Maid expression was greatest in zebrafish liver and that it increased following partial hepatectomy.

A new therapeutic assessment score for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy.

Background & Aims: Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is an option for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Because of the poor prognosis in HAIC non-responders, it is important to identify patients who may benefit from continuous HAIC treatment; however, there are currently no therapeutic assessment scores for this identification. Therefore, we aimed to establish a new therapeutic assessment score for such patients.

Nutcracker and jackhammer esophagus treatment: a three-case survey, including two novel cases of eosinophilic infiltration into the muscularis propria.

Nutcracker esophagus and jackhammer esophagus are largely unknown motility disorders, also sometimes called hypertensive and hypercontractile peristalsis, respectively. There is currently no standardized diagnostic or management plan for these diseases. Here, we report on three patients with jackhammer/nutcracker esophagus who were treated with either peroral endoscopic myotomy or a systemic steroid regimen, focusing particularly on two novel presentations of nutcracker and jackhammer esophagus involving eosinophilic infiltration into the muscularis propria, and their responses to both interventions.

Advances in understanding and treating liver diseases during pregnancy: A review.

Liver disease in pregnancy is rare but pregnancy-related liver diseases may cause threat to fetal and maternal survival. It includes pre-eclampsia; eclampsia; haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome; acute fatty liver of pregnancy; hyperemesis gravidarum; and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Recent basic researches have shown the various etiologies involved in this disease entity.

Direct bone-to-bone integration between recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2-injected tendon graft and tunnel wall in an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction model.

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate one-stage anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a semitendinosus tendon graft injected with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) in a rabbit model.

Methods: We injected recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) in the experimental group and phosphate-buffered saline in the control group at two sites of the semitendinosus tendon (15 μg in each site) to replace tendon with bone in the bone tunnel. Twenty minutes later, the injected tendon graft was transplanted for ACL reconstruction by passing the graft through the bone tunnel.

Factors predicting aggressiveness of non-hypervascular hepatic nodules detected on hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic-acid magnetic resonance imaging.

Aim: To establish a prognostic formula that distinguishes non-hypervascular hepatic nodules (NHNs) with higher aggressiveness from less hazardous one.

Methods: Seventy-three NHNs were detected in gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic-acid magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI) study and confirmed to change 2 mm or more in size and/or to gain hypervascularity. All images were interpreted independently by an experienced, board-certified abdominal radiologist and hepatologist; both knew that the patients were at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma development but were blinded to the clinical information.

[A case of representational dysgraphia and object representational disorder with unilateral spatial neglect].

We describe the case of a 48-year-old left-handed woman with unilateral neglect from a brain infarction in the area of the right basal ganglia and temporo-parieto-occipital lobe. When a Kanji character was dictated to her, she wrote only the right side (tukuri) of the character. When copying a picture from the visual image of a left-right asymmetrical object, such as the side view of the dog, she drew the tail and a hind leg immediately but was unable to draw a picture of the dog from the left side.

Molecular Role of RNF43 in Canonical and Noncanonical Wnt Signaling.

Wnt signaling pathways are tightly regulated by ubiquitination, and dysregulation of these pathways promotes tumorigenesis. It has been reported that the ubiquitin ligase RNF43 plays an important role in frizzled-dependent regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we show that RNF43 suppresses both Wnt/β-catenin signaling and noncanonical Wnt signaling by distinct mechanisms.

Collagenous gastritis: Review.

Collagenous gastritis is a rare disease characterized by the subepithelial deposition of collagen bands thicker than 10 μm and the infiltration of inflammatory mononuclear cells in the lamina propria. Collagenous colitis and collagenous sprue have similar histological characteristics to collagenous gastritis and are thought to be part of the same disease entity. However, while collagenous colitis has become more common in the field of gastroenterology, presenting with clinical symptoms of chronic diarrhea in older patients, collagenous gastritis is rare.

Proposed Referential Index to Resect Femoroacetabular Cam-Type Impingement During Arthroscopy Using a Cadaveric Hip Model.

Purpose: To establish a reference index for the simple identification of the optimum resection point for cam-type impingement on arthroscopy.

Methods: Twelve cadaveric left hips with a 20° to 40° center-edge angle, without osteoarthritis, were examined (mean age, 85 ± 10.1 years).

Enhanced survival of mice infused with bone marrow-derived as compared with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Aim: Less invasive therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are being developed to treat patients with severe liver cirrhosis. MSC constitute a promising cell source for regenerative therapy and are frequently isolated from bone marrow (BMSC) or adipose tissue (ASC). Therefore, this study assessed the characteristics of these two cell types and their safety for cell infusion.

A case of asymptomatic bilateral massive pulmonary embolism after arthroscopic multiple knee ligament reconstruction.

Venous thromboembolism, which includes deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a serious complication after operations involving the lower extremities, and it can be fatal. However, few reports have described the incidence of PE and its associated risk factors after arthroscopic knee surgery. We present a case of bilateral massive PE of the main pulmonary arteries and DVT detected on multi-detector row computed tomography after arthroscopic multiple knee ligament reconstruction.

Re-response to tolvaptan after furosemide dose reduction in a patient with refractory ascites.

Tolvaptan is a new drug used for treating ascites induced by liver cirrhosis, and it is covered by health insurance in Japan. In the present report, we describe the case of a 74-year-old man with type C liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites. He was receiving furosemide and spironolactone daily, but still required repeat puncture for ascites removal.

Circulating nucleated peripheral blood cells contribute to early-phase meniscal healing.

The purpose of this study was to assess how peripheral blood cells (PBCs) contribute to meniscus repair, using a parabiotic rat model. Wild-type (WT) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic rats were conjoined at the torso. After 4 weeks, the anterior part of the medial meniscus of both groups of rats was removed.

Evaluation of quantitative trait loci affecting intramuscular fat and reproductive traits in pigs using marker-assisted introgression.

We investigated the effects of previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) in an experimental backcross (BC) between Chinese Meishan pigs and commercial Duroc pigs. We performed marker-assisted introgression of two QTL for intramuscular fat (IMF) content (IMF population) and three QTL for reproductive traits (reproduction population) from a donor Meishan pig into a recipient Duroc pig. At the fourth BC generation of the IMF population and third BC generation of the reproduction population, carrier animals were selected for the production of animals homozygous for the QTL.

Single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy for treating appendicitis in a patient with gastrointestinal malrotation.

Introduction: Intestinal malrotation is a rare congenital anomaly, and acute appendicitis associated with intestinal malrotation is extremely rare. PRESENTATION OF CASE We report a rare case of a 47-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with barium-related perforated appendicitis associated with intestinal malrotation. We used a transumbilical single-incision laparoscopic approach to resect the appendix, and the procedure was completed successfully without perioperative complications.