Discriminant analysis of malignant mesothelioma and reactive mesothelium using three-dimensional nuclear estimation.

Objective: The cytological diagnosis of coelomic fluid is essential for examining malignant mesothelioma (MM). However, reactive mesothelium (RM), caused by various factors, is morphologically similar to MM and thus often complicates the differential diagnosis. Here, nuclear luminance and steric alterations were assessed for the discriminant analysis of MM and RM.

Identification of up-regulated and down-regulated cis-natural antisense transcripts in the human B lymphoblastic cell line IM-9 after X-ray irradiation.

Ionizing radiation (IR) causes DNA injury and induces multiple signal mechanisms, including the regulation of DNA repair, the cell cycle and gene expression through the activation of p53-related pathways. Cis-natural antisense transcripts (cis-NATs), which are transcribed from the DNA strand opposite to that for mRNA of the gene, are recognized as important regulators of gene expression in eukaryotic cells, but the effects on cis-NAT expression by IR are unknown to date. Therefore, we investigated the effects of X-ray irradiation on cis-NAT expression together with mRNA expression using a human B lymphoblast cell line (IM-9), a custom-microarray and strand-specific RT-qPCR.

Involvement of intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondria in the radiosensitivity of human hematopoietic stem cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause significant biological damage and are produced from low linear energy transfer-ionizing radiation, such as X-rays. Although hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are known to be particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation, little is known about the roles of mitochondria and ROS production in determining the radiosensitivity of HSCs. The clonogenic survival of CD34(+) HSCs, intracellular mitochondrial content, and intracellular ROS production after irradiation were investigated to elucidate the involvement of mitochondria and ROS in the individual radiosensitivity of HSCs detected in human placental/umbilical cord blood.

Suppressive effects of liquid crystal compounds on the growth of U937 human leukemic monocyte lymphoma cells.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological and pharmaceutical activities of 14 amphiphilic liquid-crystalline compounds (LCs), i.e, phenylpyrimidine derivatives possessing D-glucamine and cyanobiphenyl derivatives with a terminal hydroxyl unit.

Results: The cytotoxic properties of the LCs on the cell growth, cell cycle distribution, and cell signaling pathway of U937 human leukemic monocyte lymphoma cells were assessed by flow cytometry and western blot analysis.

World wide web-based cytological analysis of atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade intraepithelial lesions.

Objective: It has been reported that the low level of consistency of diagnosis of atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASC-H) in uterine cervical cancer screening using the Bethesda System, indicating the necessity of a large-scale survey. We presented cases cytologically judged as ASC-H on our website and invited our members to give their opinions regarding the diagnosis by voting online. The Web voting results were analyzed and ASC-H was cytologically investigated.

Aconitum C₂₀-diterpenoid alkaloid derivatives regulate the growth and differentiation of cord blood derived human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.

The pharmacological activity of Aconitum alkaloids depends on their fundamental structure. While C₁₉-norditerpenoid alkaloids present significant toxicity to the central nervous system, C₂₀-diterpenoid alkaloids have reduced toxicities. However, there is little information regarding the precise pharmacological properties of C₂₀-diterpenoid alkaloids.

Lack of awareness among future medical professionals about the risk of consuming hidden phosphate-containing processed food and drinks.

Phosphate toxicity is an important determinant of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those undergoing hemodialysis treatments. CKD patients are advised to take a low phosphate-containing diet, and are additionally prescribed with phosphate-lowering drugs. Since these patients usually seek guidance from their physicians and nurses for their dietary options, we conducted a survey to determine the levels of awareness regarding the high phosphate content in commercially processed food and drinks among medical and nursing students at the Hirosaki University School of Medicine in Japan.

Characteristics of reactive oxygen metabolites in serum of early teenagers in Japan.

Objectives: The relationship between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and the state of oxidative stress in blood has been studied to some extent. Several lines of evidence underscore the importance of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease beginning in childhood. However, little is known about the current state of oxidative stress in childhood.

Quality-assessments of characteristics of placental/umbilical cord blood associated with maternal age- and parity-related factor.

Umbilical cord blood (CB) has been widely used for unrelated allogeneic stem cell transplantation. It is important to determine the quality of CB units to avoid frequent problem of limited cell yields. However, no practical and/or optimum obstetric factors to predict them are yet available.

Individual radiation exposure dose due to support activities at safe shelters in Fukushima Prefecture.

Immediately after the accidents in the nuclear power stations in Fukushima on March 11, the Japanese Government ordered the evacuation of the residents within a 20-km radius from the station on March 12, and asked various institutions to monitor the contamination levels of the residents. Hirosaki University, which is located 355 km north of Fukushima City, decided to send support staff to Fukushima. This report summarizes the results of the exposure of 13 individual teams from March 15 to June 20.

The potential of patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells to differentiate into dendritic cells after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Aims: Although hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative treatment for many hematological disorders, there is persistent immunosuppression in both allogeneic and autologous HSCT. Dendritic cells (DCs) play key roles in the immune system. This study investigated whether the DC progenitor cells within patients' peripheral blood after HSCT have the potential to differentiate into DCs.

Megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis in hematopoietic stem cells exposed to ionizing radiation.

Hematopoietic processes, especially megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis, are highly sensitive to extracellular oxidative stresses such as ionizing radiation and chemotherapeutic agents. This study examined the terminal maturation of megakaryocytes and platelet production in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) exposed to ionizing radiation. Highly purified CD34(+) cells derived from human placental/umbilical cord blood were exposed to X rays (2 Gy, 150 kVp, 20 mA; 0.

Cytologic difference between benignity and malignancy in suspicious cases employing urine cytodiagnosis using a liquid-based method.

Objective: To follow cases with atypical cells or suspicious cases on first examination by liquid-based cytology (LBC), comparing cases that became negative and those confirmed to be positive (urothelial carcinoma) with regard to the cell morphology.

Study Design: Urine cytology was performed employing LBC in 323 samples. Of 75 suspicious cases on first examination, 5 and 8 cases were identified with (positive) and without (negative) cancer on reexamination, respectively.

[Activities and awareness of public health nurses working at local government facilities and health centers regarding potential nuclear accidents].

Objectives: The purpose was to study public health service activities developed during non-emergency periods to respond to potential nuclear accidents and to contribute to an understanding of public health nurses' awareness of the possibility of such accidents.

Methods: For the purpose of this study, we chose prefectural health centers located in a prefecture with a nuclear power plant and in two adjacent prefectures, along with all local administrative bodies (cities, towns, and villages) in these prefectures. For each one of 124 entities, we selected one public health nurse in charge of health crisis management from among the personnel to be targeted for a questionnaire survey conducted by mail.

Three-dimensional nuclear luminance analysis in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Objective: Well-differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma of the lung (G1 cancer cells) is difficult to distinguish from benign bronchial columnar epithelial cells with reactive atypia (benign cells) in many cases because nuclear atypia is mild. We focused on the 3-dimensional presence of nuclei in cell smears. Several images focused on the nucleus were acquired, and the nuclear luminance was measured and analyzed.

Cytological analysis of atypical squamous epithelial cells of undetermined significance using the world wide web.

Objective: The low-level consistency of the cytodiagnosis of uterine cervical atypical squamous epithelial cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) employing the Bethesda System has been reported, suggesting the necessity of a wide survey. We presented cases judged as ASC-US on the Web and analyzed the voting results to investigate ASC-US cytologically.

Study Design: Cytology samples from 129 patients diagnosed with ASC-US were used.

Terminal maturation of megakaryocytes and platelet production by hematopoietic stem cells irradiated with heavy-ion beams.

Hematopoietic processes, especially megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis, are highly sensitive to high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiations such as heavy-ion beams that have greater biological effects than low-LET radiation. This study examined the terminal maturation of megakaryocytes and platelet production derived from hematopoietic stem cells irradiated with heavy-ion beams. CD34(+) cells derived from human placental/umbilical cord blood were exposed to monoenergetic carbon-ion beams (LET  =  50 keV/µm) and then cultured in a serum-free medium supplemented with thrombopoietin and interleukin-3.

The influence of gender- and age-related differences in the radiosensitivity of hematopoietic progenitor cells detected in steady-state human peripheral blood.

To investigate the importance of gender and aging on the individual radiosensitivity of lineage-committed myeloid hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) detected in mononuclear cells (MNCs) of steady-state human peripheral blood (PB), the clonogenic survival of HPCs, including colony-forming unit-granulocyte macrophage; burst-forming unit-erythroid; colony-forming unit-granulocyte-erythroid-macrophage-megakaryocyte cells derived from MNCs exposed to 0.5 Gy and 2 Gy X-irradiation were estimated. MNCs were prepared from the buffy-coats of 59 healthy individual blood donors.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate induces nonapoptotic cell death in leukemia cells independent of the 67 kDa laminin receptor.

The 67 kDa laminin receptor (67 LR) mediates (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (1; EGCG)-67 LR direct action only at physiological concentrations. The relevancy of biological effects of 1 at physiological concentrations to 67 LR was investigated in myeloid and lymphoid leukemia cells using flow cytometric analysis. It was shown that physiological concentrations of 1 suppressed the cell growth of HL60 myeloid leukemia cells and Raji lymphoid leukemic cells independent of 67 LR expression.

Caspase-independent apoptosis induction of quorum-sensing autoinducer analogs against chronic myeloid leukemia K562.

Quorum sensing is defined as the ability of microorganisms to sense their population density via the release of signaling molecules called autoinducers (AIs). Various types of AI analogs were prepared and their antitumor properties against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) K562 cells were investigated. Two AI analogs induced progressive apoptosis with JNK activation and p21 induction.

Relationship between radiosensitivity of human neonatal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and individual maternal/neonatal obstetric factors.

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in placental/umbilical cord blood (CB), which is neonatal peripheral blood, have increasingly been used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantations. It is likely HSPCs are sensitive to extracellular oxidative stresses, such as ionizing radiation and redox-directed chemotherapeutic agents. However, the radiosensitivity of HSPCs and neonatal hematopoietic system remains unclear.

[The property and applications of the photovoltaic solar panel in the region of diagnostic X-ray].

In this study, the sensitivity in the diagnostic X-ray region of the single crystalline Si photovoltaic solar panel, which is expected to grow further, was measured by using an X-ray tube. The output voltage of the solar panel was clearly proportional to the tube voltage and a good time response in the irradiation time setting of the tube was measured. The factor which converts measured voltage to irradiation dose was extracted experimentally using a correction filter to investigate the ability of the solar panel as a dose monitor.

Correlations between the detection of stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers in umbilical cord blood and the physical condition of the mother and neonate.

Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the correlations between the detection of stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers in umbilical cord blood (CB) and the physical condition of the mother and neonate.

Methods: CB units collected from normal vaginal deliveries were analyzed for various biochemical markers, some stress-associated hormones, such as progesterone, cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and oxidative stress marker 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), respectively.

Results: The progesterone concentration closely correlated with Apgar score, hemoglobin, maternal smoking and insulin concentration, respectively.

Leg massage therapy promotes psychological relaxation and reinforces the first-line host defense in cancer patients.

Purpose: Patients with cancer suffer a wide range of physical symptoms coupled with psychological stress. Moreover, cancer chemotherapy induces immunosuppression and consequently causes respiratory infections. Massage therapy has been reported to reduce symptoms in cancer patients via an increase in psychosocial relaxation and to enhance and/or improve immune function.

Functional properties of synthetic N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone analogs of quorum-sensing gram-negative bacteria on the growth of human oral squamous carcinoma cells.

Quorum sensing is defined as the ability of microorganisms to sense their population density via the release of signaling molecules composed of acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), which is a type of autoinducer (AI). Previous structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies demonstrated that the 3-oxo group, homoserine lactone of L-form, and long acyl side chain have crucial roles in apoptosis induction. Various types of synthetic AI analogs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were prepared, and SAR study was conducted to determine their effects against human oral squamous carcinoma cells derived from gingival carcinoma Ca9-22 cells and tongue cancer SAS cells.