Endothelial activating transcription factor 3 promotes angiogenesis and vascular repair in the mouse retina.

Ischemia and pathological angiogenesis in retinal vascular diseases cause serious vision-related problems. However, the transcriptional regulators of vascular repair remain unidentified. Thus, the factors and mechanisms involved in angiogenesis must be elucidated to develop approaches for restoring normal blood vessels.

Inactivation Effects of Hypochlorous Acid, Chlorine Dioxide, and Ozone on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A virus are primarily transmitted through droplets or aerosols from patients. The inactivation effects of existing virus control techniques may vary depending on the environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to establish a suitable evaluation system for assessing virus control techniques against airborne viruses for further real-world implementation.

Improved visibility of palisade vessels within Barrett's esophagus using red dichromatic imaging: a retrospective cross-sectional study in Japan.

Background/aims: Visualization of palisade vessels (PVs) in Barrett's esophagus is crucial for proper assessment. This study aimed to determine whether red dichromatic imaging (RDI) improves PV visibility compared with white-light imaging (WLI) and narrow-band imaging (NBI).

Methods: Five expert and trainee endoscopists evaluated the PV visibility in Barrett's esophagus using WLI, NBI, and RDI on 66 images from 22 patients.

A Case of Olmesartan-associated Gastritis Observed Over Time.

A 61-year-old woman who had been taking olmesartan for 7 years complained of epigastric pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed roughened mucosa and erosions in the stomach and duodenum. An endoscopic biopsy failed to identify the cause of the mucosal disorder.

Freeze-dried fecal microorganisms as an effective biomaterial for the treatment of calves suffering from diarrhea.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic modality for treating neonatal calf diarrhea. Several practical barriers, including donor selection, fecal collection, and a limited timeframe for FMT, are the main constraints to using fresh feces for implementing on-farm FMT. We report the utility of FMT with pretreated ready-to-use frozen (F) or freeze-dried (FD) microorganisms for treating calf diarrhea.

Clinical, Pathological, and Genetic Characteristics of Patients with Digenic Alport Syndrome.

Key Points: Patients with both and variants exhibited poor renal prognosis compared with those with autosomal dominant Alport syndrome. The proportion of patients with digenic Alport syndrome was 1.7% among all patients with Alport syndrome.

Genotype and X-chromosome inactivation are associated with disease severity in females with X-linked Alport syndrome.

Background And Hypothesis: Male patients with X-linked Alport syndrome (XLAS) generally develop end-stage kidney disease in early or middle adulthood and show distinct genotype-phenotype correlations. Female patients, however, show various phenotypes ranging from asymptomatic to severe with no genotype-phenotype correlations. However, the factors affecting the severity of XLAS in female patients are unclear.

In steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome that meets the strict definition, monogenic variants are less common than expected.

Background: In patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), the presence of monogenic variants influences therapeutic strategies. Large cohort studies reported the detection of monogenic variants in approximately 30% of patients with SRNS. However, these cohorts included many patients, such as those with symptomatic proteinuria, who did not meet the strict diagnostic criteria for pediatric nephrotic syndrome (NS).

Polyphenols Have a Preventive Effect on Parkinson's Disease through the Activation of the Nrf2-ARE Pathway.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disorder defined by the deterioration and loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to a range of motor impairments and non-motor symptoms. The underlying mechanism of this neurodegeneration remains unclear. This research examined the neuroprotective properties of polyphenols (ECPs) in mitigating neuronal damage induced by rotenone via the activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway.

Evaluation of pathogenicity of WT1 intron variants by in vitro splicing analysis.

Background: Wilms tumor 1 (WT1; NM_024426) causes Denys-Drash syndrome, Frasier syndrome, or isolated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Several WT1 intron variants are pathogenic; however, the pathogenicity of some variants remains undefined. Whether a candidate variant detected in a patient is pathogenic is very important for determining the therapeutic options for the patient.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of immune-complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and C3 glomerulopathy in Japanese children.

Background: Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) can be divided into immune-complex MPGN (IC-MPGN) and C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), which includes dense deposit disease (DDD) and C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN). These conditions result from abnormalities in different complement pathways and may lead to different prognoses. However, there are limited studies describing the respective clinical courses.

Correlation of F-sodium fluoride uptake and radiodensity in extraosseous metastases of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: Although F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) uptake is frequently observed in extraosseous metastases of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with calcification, itcan also occur in metastatic sites without visible calcium deposition, leading to the hypothesis that visually undetectable calcium accumulation may be responsible for this uptake. The aim of this study was to indirectly support this hypothesis by analyzing the correlation between the degree of F-NaF uptake and radiodensity in extraosseous MTC metastases, since calcium deposition can increase attenuation even when not visually detectable.

Subjects And Methods: Extraosseous metastatic lesions of 15 patients with MTC were evaluated using F-NaF positron-emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT)and segmented by levels of standardized uptake value (SUV).

Nephronophthisis 13 caused by WDR19 variants with pancytopenia: case report.

We present a case of nephronophthisis 13 that resulted from WDR19 variants. The patient, a nine-year-old Japanese boy, had detection of mild proteinuria during a school urine screening. Urinalysis revealed mild proteinuria without hematuria.

Relaxant Effects of Piperine and Piperlongumine from Piper longum Fruits on Porcine Coronary Artery.

Since ancient times, Piper longum Linn. fruits have been recognized for exhibiting various effects, including the diaphoretic effects linked to enhanced blood flow. Piperine and piperlongumine coexist in Piper longum Linn.

Endothelium-Independent Vasorelaxant Effects of Sudachitin and Demethoxysudachitin, Polymethoxyflavone from the Peel of Citrus sudachi on Isolated Rat Aorta.

Although polymethoxyflavones have been reported to exhibit various pharmacological actions, the effects of polymethoxyflavones sudachitin and demethoxysudachitin from the peel of Citrus sudachi on the cardiovascular system have not been clarified. This study investigated the mechanisms of vasorelaxation induced by sudachitin and demethoxysudachitin in rat aorta. Both compounds inhibited phenylephrine-induced contractions in a concentration-dependent manner.