Comparative clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of micronodular thymoma and micronodular thymic carcinoma with lymphoid stroma.

Aim: To elucidate the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of micronodular thymomas (MNTs) and micronodular thymic carcinomas (MNCs) with lymphoid stroma.

Methods: We examined four cases of MNTs and three cases of MNCs pathologically and immunohistochemically.

Results: There were prominent cystic changes infive of the seven cases.

Long-term follow-up of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Background Aims: The efficacy of CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells for treatment of relapsed B-cell malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and the long-term outcomes of these patients remain inconclusive.

Methods: The authors focused on the survival of 35 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who relapsed after allo-HSCT and received CAR T cells.

Results: Of the 34 eligible patients, 30 achieved minimal residual disease-negative complete remission (CR), with a total CR rate of 85.

Vascular Metabolic Mechanisms of Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe and progressive disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right heart failure and death. In PH, the cellular metabolisms including those of the three major nutrients (carbohydrate, lipid and protein) are aberrant in pulmonary vascular cells. Glucose uptake, glycolysis, insulin resistance, sphingolipid S1P, PGE, TXA, leukotrienes and glutaminolysis are upregulated, and phospholipid-prostacyclin and L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway are compromised in lung vascular cells.

Visfatin Protects Rat Pancreatic β-cells against IFN-γ-Induced Apoptosis through AMPK and ERK1/2 Signaling Pathways.

Objective: Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) plays an important role in apoptosis and was shown to increase the risk of diabetes. Visfatin, an adipokine, has anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, and regulating inflammatory properties. In this study we investigated the effect of visfatin on IFN-γ-induced apoptosis in rat pancreatic β-cells.

Adiponectin increases secretion of rat submandibular gland via adiponectin receptors-mediated AMPK signaling.

Adiponectin and adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1/2) are expressed in various tissues and are involved in the regulation of multiple functions such as energy metabolism and inflammatory responses. However, the effect of adiponectin and AdipoRs in submandibular glands has not been fully evaluated. In the present study, we found that mRNA and protein of both adiponectin and AdipoR1/2 were expressed in rat submandibular glands and in the SMG-C6 cell line, as evidenced by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.

Occludin is required for TRPV1-modulated paracellular permeability in the submandibular gland.

Occludin plays an important role in maintaining tight junction barrier function in many types of epithelia. We previously reported that activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) in rabbit submandibular gland promoted salivary secretion, partly by an increase in paracellular permeability. We have now explored the role of occludin in TRPV1-modulated paracellular permeability in a rat submandibular gland cell line SMG-C6.

[Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome in non-obese diabetic mice].

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease, the pathogenesis of which still remains to be explored. Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, presenting impairment of secretory function as well as the development of sialoadenitis, which is in common with human Sjögren's syndrome, is considered as one of the appropriate animal models for the study of Sjögren's syndrome. With regard to genetic factors, apoptosis, autoantibodies and cytokines, this paper reviewed the progress in understanding the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome in NOD mice.

Activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 increases expression and permeability of tight junction in normal and hyposecretory submandibular gland.

Tight junction (TJ) is an important structure that regulates material transport through the paracellular pathway across the epithelium, but its significance in salivary physiology and pathogenesis of salivary dysfunctional diseases is not fully understood. We previously demonstrated that a functional transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) expresses in submandibular gland (SMG). However, association of TRPV1-induced saliva secretion with TJ remains unknown.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel gene family of four ancient conserved domain proteins (ACDP).

We have recently cloned four novel human genes that encode the ancient conserved domain proteins (ACDP). The full-length cDNA sequence of ACDP1 consists of 5898 bp and encodes a predicted protein of 951 amino acids (AA). The transcript for ACDP2 has 4058 bp of cDNA sequence, encoding a protein of 875 AA.