Enhanced alcohol-drinking behavior associated with active ghrelinergic and serotoninergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus and amygdala.

Central ghrelin is required for the rewarding properties of drug abuse. We investigated whether alcohol affects ghrelinergic, dopaminergic, and serotoninergic neurons and growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1A (GHS-R1A) levels in the reward system of the brain. Alcohol-naïve C57BL/6J mice received 2g/kg ethanol (EtOH) intraperitoneally (i.

Development of the human oculomotor nuclear complex: Centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus.

Background: The cytoarchitecturally defined Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EW) is now referred to by many investigators as the centrally-projecting EW (EWcp) in humans. Although the mature structure is well-characterized, there have been few reports describing the precise morphology of this nucleus during the second half of gestation.

Subjects/design: Eleven brains were examined from preterm infants, aged 20-39 postmenstrual weeks, who died of various causes.

A multicenter phase II prospective clinical trial of glucocorticoid for patients with untreated IgG4-related disease.

Objective: Although glucocorticoids are effective for patients with IgG4-related disease, the treatment has not yet been standardized. Therefore, the treatment strategy should be established.

Patients And Methods: Patients who fulfilled the comprehensive diagnostic criteria for definite IgG4-related disease were started on prednisolone (0.

Introduction of nuclear medicine research in Japan.

There were many interesting presentations of unique studies at the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine, although there were fewer attendees from Europe than expected. These presentations included research on diseases that are more frequent in Japan and Asia than in Europe, synthesis of original radiopharmaceuticals, and development of imaging devices and methods with novel ideas especially by Japanese manufacturers. In this review, we introduce recent nuclear medicine research conducted in Japan in the five categories of Oncology, Neurology, Cardiology, Radiopharmaceuticals and Technology.

Structural equation modeling of the relationship between posttraumatic growth and psychosocial factors in women with breast cancer.

Objective: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is a positive psychological change occurring after struggling with a highly challenging experience. The purposes of this study were to investigate how women's demographic and clinical characteristics as well as psychosocial factors are associated with PTG and to reveal the influence of PTG on depressive symptoms.

Methods: Participants were 157 women with breast cancer (BC) who attended a breast oncology clinic at a university hospital in Japan.

The effect of astaxanthin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and peroxidation reactions in the aqueous humor.

We explored the effect of astaxanthin on vascular endothelial growth factor in the aqueous humor, by measuring vascular endothelial growth factor levels and oxidation-related parameters, including O2 (•-) scavenging activity, H2O2 level, and total hydroperoxide level in the aqueous humor, obtained from 35 patients before and after astaxanthin administration. We evaluated the relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor and the oxidation-related parameters as well as the patient's diabetic status, age, and sex. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels did not change significantly but O2 (•-) scavenging activity and total hydroperoxide level significantly (p<0.

Proposed diagnostic criteria, disease severity classification and treatment strategy for TAFRO syndrome, 2015 version.

TAFRO syndrome is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia, anasarca including pleural effusion and ascites, fever, renal insufficiency, and organomegaly including hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. Its onset may be acute or sub-acute, but its etiology is undetermined. Although several clinical and pathological characteristics of TAFRO syndrome resemble those of multicentric Castleman disease (MCD), other specific features can differentiate between them.

Role of regenerating gene I in claudin expression and barrier function in the small intestine.

We have recently shown that loss of the regenerating gene (Reg) I causes susceptibility to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastrointestinal damage. However, the mechanism by which Reg I plays a protective role against this pathophysiological condition is unclear. Here, we investigated whether Reg I plays roles in the induction of tight junction proteins and mucosal barrier function in the small intestine.

Long-term effects of AST-120 on the progression and prognosis of pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease: a 5-year retrospective study.

AST-120 has been used widely in Japan to slow the deterioration of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by decreasing uremic toxins. The heart and the kidney are closely related, with cardiorenal interaction being very important. This retrospective study examined whether AST-120 influences the prevalence of dialysis induction, mortality, and cardiac and stroke events in CKD patients.

IgG4-related plasma cell granuloma of the maxillary sinus: A report of 2 cases.

We report 2 rare cases of IgG4-related plasma cell granuloma of the maxillary sinus. Histologically, both lesions were characterized by severe lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. In 1 case, fibrous sclerosis and obliterative arteritis were observed.

Primary non-gestational pure choriocarcinoma arising in the ovary: A case report and literature review.

Pure non-gestational choriocarcinoma is a primary germ cell neoplasm that has been defined as a tumor without other germ cell elements. The current study presents an extremely rare case of non-gestational pure choriocarcinoma in a postmenarcheal young female and describes details of the tumor, including the clinicopathological findings. The patient was a 10-year-old female who underwent salpingo-oophorectomy.

The addition of high magnifying endoscopy improves rates of high confidence optical diagnosis of colorectal polyps.

Background And Study Aims: The real-time optical diagnosis of colorectal polyps with high confidence predictions can achieve high levels of accuracy. Increasing the rates of high confidence optical diagnosis can improve the clinical application of real-time optical diagnosis in routine practice. The primary aim of this prospective study was to evaluate whether high magnifying endoscopy improves the rates of high confidence narrow-band imaging (NBI) - based optical diagnosis for differentiating between neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal lesions according to the NBI international colorectal endoscopic (NICE) classification.

Molecular pathology and potential therapeutic targets in esophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare and poorly differentiated variant of typical squamous cell carcinoma. Emerging studies show that genetic alterations are more frequent in BSCC than in conventional SCC, and some of which led to the identification of potential therapeutic targets in esophageal BSCC. Approximately half of the esophageal BSCC cases harbor either an EGFR mutation or amplification, and these occur in a mutually exclusive fashion.

Spinal intraarterial computed tomography angiography as an effective adjunct for spinal angiography.

Object: Spinal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is indispensable for the precise diagnosis of spinal vascular lesions and the assessment of blood supply to the spinal cord. However, comprehensive spinal DSA covering multiple segments requires repetition of selective catheterization into small segmental arteries, which is time consuming, sometimes difficult, and hazardous. The authors investigated the usefulness of CT angiography with intraarterial contrast injection (IA-CTA) as a preliminary study preceding spinal DSA.

Effect of REG Iα protein on angiogenesis in gastric cancer tissues.

Regenerating gene (REG) Iα is not only overexpressed in a subset of gastric cancers, but also involved in tumor progression. However, the mechanism by which (REG) Iα promotes tumor growth is not fully understood. In the present study, we investigated whether REG Iα plays a role in angiogenesis during the progression of gastric cancers.

Expression of Reg family genes in the gastrointestinal tract of mice treated with indomethacin.

Regenerating gene (Reg) family proteins, which are classified into four types, commonly act as trophic and/or antiapoptotic factors in gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. However, it remains unclear how these proteins coordinate their similar roles under such pathophysiological conditions. Here, we investigated the interrelationships of Reg family gene expression with mucosal cell proliferation and apoptosis in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced GI injury.

Broader criteria of undifferentiated connective tissue disease in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias.

Background: Kinder et al. proposed a broader definition of undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and reported that the entity of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) is a lung manifestation of this more broadly defined UCTD. However, a retrospective study did not support their findings and its clinical significance remains unclear.

Atypical interfollicular hyperplasia of tonsils resembling mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: a clinicopathological, immunohistochemical study and epstein-barr virus findings in 12 cases.

This study attempted to clarify the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical findings and presence or absence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in tonsillar atypical interfollicular hyperplasia (AIFH). A total of 597 consecutive specimens from tonsillectomies performed in Dokkyo University School of Medicine between 1999 and July 2013 were reexamined. Using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections, histological and immunohistochemical analyses, and in situ hybridization (ISH) were performed.

B-RAF mutation and accumulated gene methylation in aberrant crypt foci (ACF), sessile serrated adenoma/polyp (SSA/P) and cancer in SSA/P.

Background: Sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSA/Ps) are a putative precursor of colon cancer with microsatellite instability (MSI). However, the developmental mechanism of SSA/P remains unknown. We performed genetic analysis and genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in aberrant crypt foci (ACF), SSA/P, and cancer in SSA/P specimens to show a close association between ACF and the SSA/P-cancer sequence.

GNAS mutation as an alternative mechanism of activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type.

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (GAFG) is a rare variant of gastric tumor. We have recently reported the frequent accumulation of β-catenin in GAFGs and showed that approximately half of the cases studied harbored at least 1 mutation in CTNNB1/AXINs/APC, leading to the constitutive activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. However, the mechanisms of Wnt signaling activation in the remaining cases are unknown.

Experimental studies of remarkable monoamine releases and neural resistance to the transient ischemia and reperfusion.

Introduction: The literature described that neural damage caused by ischemia definitely occurs in brain areas. However, few studies have shown real-time changes of extracellular monoamine levels at the time of transient ischemia.

Methods: We examined changes in the responses of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) release in the nucleus accumbens (ACC) of rats treated with four-vessel occlusion (4VO) in experiment 1.

Development of the human oculomotor nuclear complex: somatic nuclei.

Background: Precise anatomical data on the development of human oculomotor somatic nuclei (OSN) remain rare.

Design/subjects: This study describes the histology of human OSN in 11 preterm and full-term infants aged 20-43 postmenstrual weeks who died of various causes. Celloidin-embedded serial sections were stained with the Klüver-Barrera and other conventional methods including silver impregnation.