A Potential Intracanal Medicament, 2-Hydroxyisocaproic Acid (HICA): Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity, and Its Effect on SCAP Differentiation.

Intracanal medicaments with maximal antimicrobial efficacy and minimal damage to resident stem cells are essential for successful regenerative endodontic procedures. 2-Hydroxyisocaproic acid (HICA) could have the attributes of a potential intracanal medicament. This study evaluates its cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and effects on the odontogenic and osteogenic differentiation of the stem cells of the apical papilla (SCAP).

Altered Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Associated with Mood and Sleep in Shift Workers: Cerebral Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background And Purpose: Shift work disrupts the body's circadian rhythms and increases the risk of health problems. Despite evidence of neuropsychological disturbances in shift workers (SW), the brain functional status as measured by brain perfusion in chronic shift work has not been evaluated previously. We investigated the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in SW using perfusion MRI (pMRI) and evaluated the relationships between altered rCBF and sleep, mood, psychometric measures, and quality of life.

Genetic and Non-Genetic Factors Affecting the Quality of Anticoagulation Control and Vascular Events in Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic window. We hypothesized that genetic factors related to warfarin metabolism (CYP2C9) and activity (VKORC1) would show stronger associations than modifiable factors with the quality of anticoagulation control and risks for thromboembolism and hemorrhage.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort analysis, clinical and genetic data were collected from 380 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who were followed for an average observation period of 4 years.

Integrins in synapse regulation.

Integrins are a large family of extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors. In the developing and adult brain, many integrins are present at high levels at synapses. The tetrapartite structure of synapses - which comprises presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, the ECM and glial processes - places synaptic integrins in an excellent position to sense dynamic changes in the synaptic environment and use this information to coordinate further changes in synapse structure and function that will shape neural circuit properties.

White matter alterations in narcolepsy patients with cataplexy: tract-based spatial statistics.

Functional imaging studies and voxel-based morphometry analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormalities in the hypothalamus-thalamus-orbitofrontal pathway, demonstrating altered hypocretin pathway in narcolepsy. Those distinct morphometric changes account for problems in wake-sleep control, attention and memory. It also raised the necessity to evaluate white matter changes.

Lack of Association of Clinical Factors (SAMe-TT2R2) with CYP2C9/VKORC1 Genotype and Anticoagulation Control Quality.

Background And Purpose: Advantages of new oral anticoagulations may be greater in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients of poor anticoagulation control with warfarin. The SAMe-TT2R2 scoring system, based on clinical variables, was recently developed to aid in identifying these patients. In this study, we investigated the association of this clinical composite score with genetic factors related warfarin dosing and the quality of anticoagulation control.

Different Strategies for Transpancreatic Septotomy and Needle Knife Infundibulotomy Due to the Presence of Unintended Pancreatic Cannulation in Difficult Biliary Cannulation.

Background/aims: Several precut techniques have been used to gain biliary access for difficult cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the success and complication rates of two precut techniques, transpancreatic septotomy (TPS) and needle knife infundibulotomy (NKI), in difficult biliary cannulation due to the presence of unintended pancreatic cannulation.

Methods: Eighty-six patients who failed standard biliary cannulation were included.

Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum, Pneumopericardium, and Pneumothorax with Respiratory Failure in a Patient with AIDS and Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia.

Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in up to 35% of patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. However, spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium are uncommon complications in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, with no reported incidence rates, even among patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and P. jirovecii pneumonia.

A case of three consecutive events of acute myocardial infarctions in three different vessels.

A 51-year-old man was being admitted to the emergency department with chest pains. He had a history of acute myocardial infarction (MI) on two prior occasions and was successfully treated with drug eluting stents. He was diagnosed with 3 consecutive events of acute MI in 3 different vessels.

Is atrial fibrillation always a culprit of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation plus stroke?

Background: Some ischemic strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are caused by noncardioembolic etiologies (AF-unrelated stroke), but not AF itself (AF-related stroke). However, most clinical trials on the risk of stroke in AF have not distinguished between these. We investigated the frequency and features of AF-unrelated versus AF-related strokes in patients with AF plus ischemic stroke.

Severe rhabdomyolysis associated with concurrent use of simvastatin and sirolimus after cisplatin-based chemotherapy in a kidney transplant recipient.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of sickness and death for long-term kidney transplant recipients, and dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Lipid-lowering strategies, with the use of statins, have been shown to reduce the cardiovascular risks related to dyslipidemia, but concomitant use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and immunosuppressive agents may increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis owing to a drug-drug interaction. We report a case of simvastatin-induced rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury triggered by addition of sirolimus and cisplatin-based chemotherapy to a kidney transplant recipient who had previously tolerated chronic statin therapy.

Imaging neural circuit dynamics with a voltage-sensitive fluorescent protein.

Population signals from neuronal ensembles in cortex during behavior are commonly measured with EEG, local field potential (LFP), and voltage-sensitive dyes. A genetically encoded voltage indicator would be useful for detection of such signals in specific cell types. Here we describe how this goal can be achieved with Butterfly, a voltage-sensitive fluorescent protein (VSFP) with a subthreshold detection range and enhancements designed for voltage imaging from single neurons to brain in vivo.

Molecular interaction between HAX-1 and XIAP inhibits apoptosis.

Caspase-3 is an important executor caspase that plays an essential role in apoptosis. Recently, HS1-associated protein X1 (HAX-1) was found to be a substrate of caspase-3. Although HAX-1 has serve multifunctional roles in cellular functions such as cell survival and calcium homeostasis, the detailed functional mechanism of HAX-1 remains still unclear.

HS 1-associated protein X-1 is cleaved by caspase-3 during apoptosis.

Caspase-3 (CASP3) plays a key role in apoptosis. In this study, HAX-1 was identified as a new substrate of CASP3 during apoptosis. HAX-1 was cleaved by CASP3 during etoposide-(ETO) induced apoptosis, and this event was inhibited by a CASP3-specific inhibitor.

Group I mGluR regulates the polarity of spike-timing dependent plasticity in substantia gelatinosa neurons.

The spinal synaptic plasticity is associated with a central sensitization of nociceptive input, which accounts for the generation of hyperalgesia in chronic pain. However, how group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) may operate spinal plasticity remains essentially unexplored. Here, we have identified spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons, using perforated patch-clamp recordings of SG neuron in a spinal cord slice preparation.

A new method for concentration of proteins in the calcareous corpuscles separated from the spargana of Spirometra erinacei.

Calcareous corpuscles are a characteristic structure found in larval and adult stage cestodes. These corpuscles are known to contain several protein components and to possess protein-binding activity. However, the proteins bound to calcareous corpuscles in situ have not been studied.

Effect of acute hypoxia on ATP-sensitive potassium currents in substantia gelatinosa neurons of juvenile rats.

Although hypoxia is known to affect membrane excitability of various neurons by various mechanisms, the effects of hypoxia on substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons have not yet been elucidated. In whole-cell or perforated patch-clamp recordings from SG neurons, we showed that acute hypoxia induces a reversible hyperpolarization of -6.1+/-1.

Mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity of some chromones.

Currently, aloesin is used in the cosmetic industry as a whitening agent because it inhibits tyrosinase activity. Aloesin is a C-glycosylated chromone compound isolated from aloe, and it is difficult to synthesize because of C-glycosyl moiety in the molecule. The purpose of this study is to search for a new chromone compound which is easy to synthesize and which posesses stronger tyrosinase inhibitory activity than aloesin.