Indoor radiocaesium contamination in residential houses within evacuation areas after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Indoor contaminants were investigated from July 2013 to January 2015 within ninety-five residential houses in five evacuation zones, Iitate village, Odaka district, and the towns of Futaba, Okuma, and Tomioka. A dry smear test was applied to the surface of materials and structures in rooms and in the roof-space of houses. We found that (134)Cs and (137)Cs were the dominant radionuclides in indoor surface contamination, and there was a distance dependence from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP).

Olmesartan Inhibits Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice Overexpressing Renin Independently of Blood Pressure: Its Beneficial Effects on ACE2/Ang(1-7)/Mas Axis and NADPH Oxidase Expression.

Enhanced renin-angiotensin activity causes hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. The angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme (ACE)2/Ang(1-7)/Mas axis pathway functions against Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) signaling. We investigated whether olmesartan (Olm), an AT1R blocker, inhibits cardiac hypertrophy independently of blood pressure, and evaluated the potential mechanisms.

Analysis of chromosome translocation frequency after a single CT scan in adults.

We recently reported an increase in dicentric chromosome (DIC) formation after a single computed tomography (CT) scan (5.78-60.27 mSv: mean 24.

A comparison of the dose from natural radionuclides and artificial radionuclides after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, the evacuees from Namie Town still cannot reside in the town, and some continue to live in temporary housing units. In this study, the radon activity concentrations were measured at temporary housing facilities, apartments and detached houses in Fukushima Prefecture in order to estimate the annual internal exposure dose of residents. A passive radon-thoron monitor (using a CR-39) and a pulse-type ionization chamber were used to evaluate the radon activity concentration.

Application of cell sorting for enhancing the performance of the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay.

Among the numerous methods available to assess genotoxicity, the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay is very popular due its relative simplicity and power to detect both clastogenic and aneugenic compounds. A problem with the CBMN assay is that all DNA damaging agents also inhibit the ability of cells to progress through mitosis, leading to a low number of binucleated cells (BNCs). One method to resolve this issue is to ensure a sufficient proportion of BNCs in the samples.

The advantages of incorporating liquid-based cytology (TACAS™) in mass screening for cervical cancer.

We incorporated liquid-based cytology (LBC) in population-based screening for cervical cancer. The usefulness of using LBC in mass screening for cervical cancer was examined. From 2009 to 2014, 157,061 individuals underwent mass screening for cervical cancer in Aomori Prefecture.

Genetic network profiles associated with established resistance to ionizing radiation in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells and their extracellular vesicles.

Radiation-resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells present challenges to treatment, and the acquisition of resistance to ionizing radiation (IR) is a matter of clinical concern. However, little information is available on the behavior of radio-resistant APL in terms of gene expression profiles and intercellular communication. In this study, cDNA microarray and RT-PCR were used to analyze the intracellular genetic network and extracellular vesicles (EVs), respectively, in the established radio-resistant HL60 (Res-HL60) cell line.

Effects of ionizing radiation on differentiation of murine bone marrow cells into mast cells.

Mast cells, immune effector cells produced from bone marrow cells, play a major role in immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic responses. Ionizing radiation affects the functions of mast cells, which are involved in radiation-induced tissue damage. However, whether ionizing radiation affects the differential induction of mast cells is unknown.

Detection of natural antisense non-coding RNAs transcribed from in mice tissues at several developmental stages.

Natural antisense ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are transcribed from a large number of genes in various species, including humans and mice. The expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 1 () antisense non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in mice has been demonstrated by functional annotation of the mammalian genome project, but the localization of antisense ncRNAs has not been reported in mice tissues. In the present study, the localization of antisense ncRNAs was examined in tissues at several developmental stages by hybridization.

Phytoestrogenic activity of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) anthocyanins is mediated through estrogen receptor alpha.

Scope: Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L., Grossulariaceae) contain high amounts of anthocyanin polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic health benefits. This study analyzed the potential phytoestrogenic effects of blackcurrant extract (BCE) in breast cancer (MCF-7) and human endometrial cancer (Ishikawa) cell lines that over-express estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), as well as in immature female rats.

Increase in dicentric chromosome formation after a single CT scan in adults.

Excess risk of leukemia and brain tumors after CT scans in children has been reported. We performed dicentric chromosome assay (DCAs) before and after CT scan to assess effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on chromosomes. Peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes were collected from 10 patients before and after a CT scan.

Mitigative Effects of a Combination of Multiple Pharmaceutical Drugs on the Survival of Mice Exposed to Lethal Ionizing Radiation.

It is important to establish an easy-to-use therapeutic protocol for the emergency medical care of patients involved in radiation accidents to reduce the radiation-related casualties. The present study aimed to establish an optimum therapeutic protocol using currently approved pharmaceutical drugs to increase the survival of victims exposed to lethal radiation. Different combinations of four drugs-recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), c-mpl receptor agonist romiplostim (RP) and nandrolone decanoate (ND)-were administered to mice within 2 h after exposure to a lethal 7 Gy dose of γ-irradiation.

Effects of X‑ray irradiation in combination with ascorbic acid on tumor control.

Our previous studies demonstrated that the combination of treatment with ascorbic acid (AsA) and X‑ray irradiation results in increased apoptosis in HL60 cells. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of the combined use of AsA and X‑ray irradiation on epithelial cancer and sarcoma cells, and its potential use in future clinical treatment. X‑ray irradiation combined with AsA treatment resulted in increased suppression of cell growth of HT1080, SAS and A549 cells in vitro compared with X‑ray irradiation alone.

Predictive factors of cytotoxic damage in radioactive iodine treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer patients.

Radioactive iodine (I) therapy in patients suffering from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a targeted treatment commonly used for thyroid ablation and locoregional and distant metastatic spread management. Despite a significant proportion of the I dose entering the circulation, there is currently no detailed information regarding its effect on the blood cell system. In order to assess the cytotoxic effects of I therapy on the circulatory system, blood cell levels, thyroid-related hormones and CD45 cell cytotoxicity were estimated in blood collected from patients with DTC.

Spontaneous epileptic seizures in transgenic rats harboring a human ADNFLE missense mutation in the β2-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

We generated a transgenic rat strain with a missense mutation in V286L (V286L-TG), in the gene encoding the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β2 subunit (CHRNB2) found in patients with autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE). To confirm that V286L-TG rats exhibit seizures similar to those observed in humans, gene expression patterns and behavioral phenotypes were analyzed. In situ hybridization using a V286L Chrnb2-selective probe indicated that the transgene was expressed at higher levels in the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of V286L-TG than wild-type littermates (non-TG).

LW6, a hypoxia-inducible factor 1 inhibitor, selectively induces apoptosis in hypoxic cells through depolarization of mitochondria in A549 human lung cancer cells.

Hypoxia‑inducible factor 1 (HIF‑1) activates the transcription of genes that act upon the adaptation of cancer cells to hypoxia. LW6, an HIF‑1 inhibitor, was hypothesized to improve resistance to cancer therapy in hypoxic tumors by inhibiting the accumulation of HIF‑1α. A clear anti‑tumor effect under low oxygen conditions would indicate that LW6 may be an improved treatment strategy for cancer in hypoxia.

Deletion of phospholipase A2 group IVc induces apoptosis in rat mammary tumour cells by the nuclear factor-κB/lipocalin 2 pathway.

Although some forms of phospholipase A2, the initiator of the arachidonic acid cascade, contribute to carcinogenesis in many organs, the contribution of phospholipase A2 group IVc (Pla2g4c) remains to be clarified and the function of the enzyme in cancer development is unknown. The Hirosaki hairless rat (HHR), a mutant rat strain with autosomal recessive inheritance, derived spontaneously from the Sprague-Dawley rat (SDR). The HHRs showed a lower incidence and much smaller volume of mammary tumours induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, and a markedly increased number of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling)-positive apoptotic cells was detected.

Cytogenetic dosimetry by micronucleus assay using peripheral blood cells is modified by thyroid hormones.

Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay is a convenient and easy method of radiation biodosimetry that uses peripheral blood (PB) cells. However, for micronuclei (MN) frequency induced by ionising radiation, a dose-response relationship in abnormal condition, such as in cancer patients, has not been assessed. To clarify the difference between the dose-response curve generated by the CBMN assay in conditions when thyroid hormone levels were normal and during thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) prior to (131)I treatment, 12 thyroid cancer patients who underwent thyroidectomy were studied.

Absorbed dose rate in air in metropolitan Tokyo before the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

The monitoring of absorbed dose rate in air has been carried out continually at various locations in metropolitan Tokyo after the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. While the data obtained before the accident are needed to more accurately assess the effects of radionuclide contamination from the accident, detailed data for metropolitan Tokyo obtained before the accident have not been reported. A car-borne survey of the absorbed dose rate in air in metropolitan Tokyo was carried out during August to September 2003.

Approaches for improving the toileting problems of hemiplegic stroke patients with poor standing balance.

[Purpose] Our objective was to evaluate the residual dynamic and static functionality in the sitting position of hemiplegic stroke patients who require help to pull their lower garments up and down during toileting. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 11 hemiplegic patients. We gathered data on the patients' motor paralysis, sensory capacity, lower extremity muscle strength, trunk control, ability to roll and sit up from a lying position, sitting balance, and ability to pull the lower garments up and down.

Estimation of radon emanation coefficient for representative soils in Okinawa, Japan.

Radon ((222)Rn) emanation coefficients for the representative soils distributed in Okinawa Island, Japan, have been estimated empirically. Arithmetic means of the emanation coefficients for dry and moist conditions were calculated to be 0.19 and 0.

Estimation of external dose by car-borne survey in Kerala, India.

A car-borne survey was carried out in Kerala, India to estimate external dose. Measurements were made with a 3-in × 3-in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer from September 23 to 27, 2013. The routes were selected from 12 Panchayats in Karunagappally Taluk which were classified into high level, mid-level and low level high background radiation (HBR) areas.

Characteristics of human CD34+ cells exposed to ionizing radiation under cytokine-free conditions.

To clarify the mechanisms underlying radiation-induced hematopoietic stem cell death, we investigated the effects of excessive ionizing radiation on the clonogenic potential of CD34(+) cells obtained from human umbilical cord blood under cytokine-free conditions. The CD34(+) cells were X-ray-irradiated (up to 2 Gy) and were cultured for 0-48 h under cytokine-free conditions. At various time-points, the CD34(+) cells were investigated for survival, clonogenic potential and the generation of mitochondrial superoxide.