The role of osteocrin in memory formation during early learning, as revealed by visual imprinting in chicks.

Osteocrin (OSTN) is structurally associated with natriuretic peptides. Its expression in the brain, which has only been recognized in anthropoid primates, is induced by sensory stimuli and regulates the activity-dependent dendritic growth of neurons. However, details on the signaling mechanisms of OSTN and its function in plastic changes during learning and memory have yet to be elucidated.

Microsomal Prostaglandin E Synthase-1 Controls Colonic Prostaglandin E Production and Exerts a Protective Effect on Colitis Induced by Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid in Mice.

Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is an isozyme of the prostaglandin (PG) E synthase that acts downstream of cyclooxygenase and catalyzes the conversion of PGH to PGE. The impact of genetic deletion of mPGES-1 on the development of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis, a well-established model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), was investigated in this study. After administration of TNBS, mice deficient in mPGES-1 (mPGES-1 mice) showed more severe colitis than did wild-type (WT) mice.

Differences in efficacy of biweekly irinotecan plus cisplatin versus irinotecan alone in second-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer with or without prior gastrectomy.

Background: Biweekly irinotecan plus cisplatin combination therapy (BIRIP) and irinotecan monotherapy (IRI) are both expectable second-line chemotherapy (SLC) options for treating advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Although many patients receiving SLC have undergone gastrectomy, the impact of gastrectomy on SLC remains unclear, and the impact of gastrectomy may vary from regimen to regimen.

Patients And Methods: A total of 290 eligible patients registered in two randomized phase III trials evaluating BIRIP (IRI, 60 mg/m; CDDP, 30 mg/m, q2w) or IRI (150 mg/m, q2w) for patients with AGC was classified into the prior gastrectomy subgroup (PGG) or the no gastrectomy subgroup (NGG).

Reliability and Validity of Measuring the Strength of the Chin-Tuck Maneuver in Community-Dwelling Older Adults as a Means of Evaluating Swallowing-Related Muscle Strength.

: The chin-tuck maneuver has been suggested to increase suprahyoid muscle activation, but a method to measure the strength of the chin-tuck maneuver has not been established. We developed a method to measure the strength of the chin-tuck maneuver (chin-tuck strength) and examined the reliability and validity of chin-tuck-strength measurement in community-dwelling older adults. : The participants were 233 older adults aged ≥65 years without dysphagia or physical disability.

C-H functionalization of camphor through emerging approaches.

Camphor and related monoterpenoid natural products have served as versatile "chiral pool" materials in organic chemistry for over half a century. Historically, many researchers have used a variety of transformations involving orchestrated rearrangements of the bornane skeleton to functionalize the camphor framework, expanding the utility of this chiral building block. Recent developments in C-H functionalization methodologies provide myriad opportunities to derivatize the camphor framework in a selective and predictable fashion.

Adriamycin-induced nephropathy models: elucidating CKD pathophysiology and advancing therapeutic strategies.

The Adriamycin-induced nephropathy (AN) model plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of and research on chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review outlines methodologies for generating AN models in mice and rats, discusses their pathophysiologic and molecular characteristics, highlights their advantages and limitations, describes therapeutic interventions that have been evaluated in these models, and presents future research perspectives. The AN model replicates key features observed in human CKD, such as proteinuria, podocyte injury, glomerulosclerosis, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Exploring flavonoids as potent SLC46A3 inhibitors: Insights from the structural characteristics of flavonoid-SLC46A3 interactions.

SLC46A3, a transporter for lysosomal steroid conjugates and bile acids, plays a pivotal role in the pharmacological effects of noncleavable antibody-drug conjugates using maytansine as a payload. SLC46A3 may exert negative effects on various phenomena, including copper homeostasis, mitochondrial function in the liver, and the uptake of lipid-based nanoparticles (NPs) in tumor cells. Consequently, inhibiting SLC46A3 may be a promising strategy for treating hepatic disease or enhancing lipid NP delivery to tumor cells, although the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

Recurrence score-predicted value derived from estrogen receptor, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, progesterone receptor, and Ki-67 may substitute for the Oncotype DX recurrence score in estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)- breast cancer.

Oncotype DX is the only multigene assay supported by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (USA) with Level 1 evidence for use on node-negative and postmenopausal node-positive patients with estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-breast cancer to predict the prognosis and to estimate chemotherapy add-on effects. However, the test's high cost prevents its use in most cases. Therefore, we aimed to obtain an alternative recurrence score (RS) prediction formula using the optimal clinicopathological factors.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Three Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Ulcerative Colitis: A Real-World Multicentre Study in Japan.

Background: Three Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are approved for ulcerative colitis (UC) in Japan.

Aim: To compare the real-world efficacy and safety of these three JAK inhibitors in UC.

Methods: This was a multicentre, retrospective study of patients with UC started on JAK inhibitors.

Identification of nanaomycin A and its analogs by a newly established screening method for functional inhibitors of the type IX secretion system in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is a key pathogen in chronic periodontitis. P. gingivalis has a type IX secretion system (T9SS) that secretes highly hydrolytic proteinases called gingipains for obtaining peptides as an energy source.

Usefulness of participation of endoscopic surgical skill qualification system-qualified surgeons in laparoscopic high anterior resection.

Introduction: A technical qualification system was established by the Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgery in 2004, and its effectiveness in low anterior resection (LAR) has been reported. We herein performed a subgroup analysis of the effectiveness of the participation of technically qualified surgeons in laparoscopy-assisted high anterior resection (HAR), a procedure used for the technical qualification of surgeons.

Methods: The EnSSURE study enrolled 3188 patients who underwent laparoscopic rectal resection for rectal cancer between January 2014 and December 2016 at 56 Japanese hospitals.

A phase 2 clinical trial of luspatercept in non-transfusion-dependent patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Luspatercept has shown durable clinical efficacy for the treatment of anemia in transfusion-dependent patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS). We report the results of a prespecified primary analysis of a phase 2 trial of luspatercept in non-transfusion-dependent (NTD) Japanese patients with anemia due to LR-MDS. Luspatercept (starting dose 1.

A case of needle tract seeding of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma after a single endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition.

Needle tract seeding (NTS) is a rare complication of endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA). Herein, we report the case of an 83 year-old man who presented with a solid mass in the pancreatic tail, measuring 35 mm in diameter, with cystic degeneration. EUS-TA was performed using a 22-gauge biopsy needle, with a single puncture via the stomach; however, no definitive pathological diagnosis was achieved.

Incidence of Cholecystitis After Endoscopic Biliary Drainage Using a Low Axial Force Covered Self-Expandable Metallic Stent in Patients With Malignant Distal Biliary Obstruction: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Background And Aim: No prospective studies have verified the incidence of cholecystitis in patients using the covered self-expandable metallic stent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of cholecystitis and its risk factors after low axial force covered self-expandable metallic stent placement for malignant distal biliary obstruction.

Methods: This multicenter prospective study included patients diagnosed with unresectable distal biliary obstruction between November 2019 and October 2022 who underwent low axial force covered self-expandable metallic stent placement.

Involvement of Mediterranean fever gene mutations in colchicine-responsive enterocolitis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The involvement of Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene mutations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and responsiveness to colchicine in Japanese patients with IBDU carrying MEFV mutations.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we examined MEFV mutations using gene analysis, clinical information, and colchicine responsiveness.

Modular Display of Circumsporozoite Surface Protein and Merozoite Surface Protein-1 on Norovirus-like Particles.

Recently, virus-like particles have been regarded as a promising platform for displaying foreign peptides or proteins on their surface. In this study, a dual-protein-displaying platform based on the norovirus-like particle (NoV-LP) was developed using SpyTag (SpT)/SpyCatcher (SpC) protein bioconjugation. A short 14-amino-acid SpT peptide was added to the C-terminus of VP1, with a rigid "EAAAK" spacer in between.

Impact of Concomitant Prescriptions and Lifestyle Factors on the Initial Course of Newly Diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Introduction: There is a close relationship between the relapse of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and lifestyle factors, including concomitant medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antithrombotic drugs, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. However, solid evidence is limited regarding the risk factors at diagnosis and initial disease course. This study aimed to explore the impact of concomitant prescriptions and lifestyle factors in patients with newly diagnosed IBD using a large-scale real-world database.

Biological effects of Maillard reaction products: use of Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model.

Maillard reaction products (MRPs), including melanoidins and volatile odor compounds, are associated with distinct flavors and colors during food processing and cooking. Although MRPs have health benefits, such as antioxidant activity, they are also associated with pathophysiological effects. Several in vivo models, especially rodents, are used to demonstrate physiological effects.

Disruption of Iqsec1 in mice leads to embryonic lethality with reduced large apical vacuoles in the visceral endoderm.

Iqsec1 (IQ motif and Sec7 domain-containing protein 1), also known as BRAG2 (Brefeldin A-resistant Arf-GEF 2), is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that regulates membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal organization, and signal transduction by activating class II and III ADP-ribosylation factors. To investigate the physiological role of Iqsec1 at the whole animal level, we generated Iqsec1-deficient mice using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. Nearly all Iqsec1 mice (99%) exhibited embryonic lethality with severe growth retardation.

Device-Related Adverse Events and Flow Capacity of Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices.

Background: Complication management is crucial in patients receiving mechanical circulatory devices. However, there are limited data on the association between the risks of complications and device type in patients with percutaneous ventricular assist devices (PVAD).

Methods: The Japanese registry for PVAD (J-PVAD) is a nationwide ongoing registry that enrolls consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock treated with PVAD.

Validation of British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding from 8,956 cases in Japan.

Background And Aims: We sought to validate the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (ALGIB).

Methods: We analyzed 8,956 patients with ALGIB in CODE BLUE-J study and categorized them into four groups based on BSG guidelines. Outcomes included 30-day rebleeding, 30-day mortality, blood transfusion, therapeutic intervention, and severe bleeding.