Unique gangliosides synthesized in vitro by sialyltransferases from marine bacteria and their characterization: ganglioside synthesis by bacterial sialyltransferases.

On the basis of the results outlined in our previous report, bacterial sialyltransferases (ST) from marine sources were further characterized using glycosphingolipids (GSL), especially ganglio-series GSLs, based on the enzymatic characteristics and kinetic parameters obtained by Line weaver-Burk plots. Among them, GA1 and GA2 were found to be good substrates for these unique STs. Thus, new gangliosides synthesized by α2-3 and α2-6STs were structurally characterized by several analytical procedures.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving adalimumab: a retrospective review and case-control study of 17 patients.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with adalimumab.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, case-control study to compare RA patients treated with adalimumab with and without PCP. Data from 17 RA patients who were diagnosed with PCP and from 89 RA patients who did not develop PCP during adalimumab treatment were collected.

Effects of salivary protein flow and indigenous microorganisms on initial colonization of Candida albicans in an in vivo model.

Background: Candida albicans is a dimorphic fungus that is part of the commensal microbial flora of the oral cavity. When the host immune defenses are impaired or when the normal microbial flora is disturbed, C. albicans triggers recurrent infections of the oral mucosa and tongue.

Peptide-based delivery to bone.

Peptides are attractive as novel therapeutic reagents, since they are flexible in adopting and mimicking the local structural features of proteins. Versatile capabilities to perform organic synthetic manipulations are another unique feature of peptides compared to protein-based medicines, such as antibodies. On the other hand, a disadvantage of using a peptide for a therapeutic purpose is its low stability and/or high level of aggregation.

Adalimumab for the induction and maintenance of clinical remission in Japanese patients with Crohn's disease.

Background And Aims: Adalimumab has been shown to be efficacious and well-tolerated in Western patients with Crohn's disease. These 2 randomized, double-blind clinical trials evaluated adalimumab efficacy and safety in Japanese patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease.

Methods: 90 patients enrolled in the induction trial and were randomized to receive adalimumab 160/80 mg, adalimumab 80/40 mg or placebo at Weeks 0/2.

[Bone and calcium update; bone research update. Osteoclastogenesis and osteoimmunology].

Bone is constantly renewed by the balanced action of osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption. This restructuring process called "bone remodeling" is important not only for maintaining bone mass and strength, but also for mineral homeostasis. Excessive osteoclast activity leads to pathological bone resorption, as seen in a variety of local or generalized osteopenic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer bone metastasis and osteoporosis.

[RANKL signal and osteoimmunology].

The bony skeleton enables the locomotive activity, the storage of calcium, and the harboring of the hematopoietic stem cells from which blood and immune cells are derived. The immune and skeletal systems share various molecules including cytokines, signaling molecules, transcription factors and membrane receptors. Investigation into rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as cloning of RANKL and various bone phenotypes found in immune-compromised gene deficient mice has highlighted the importance of the dynamic interplay between the both systems.

[Case of cardiac arrest due to coronary spasm during laparoscopic distal gastrectomy].

We describe a 50-year-old man who developed ventricular arrhythmia followed by cardiac arrest during laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. Preoperatively, there were no findings suggesting an ischemic heart disease. Anesthesia was maintained using sevoflurane combined with epidural anesthesia.

New method of chest compression for infants in a single rescuer situation: thumb-index finger technique.

We introduce a new method of external chest compression (ECC), an essential part of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, using a thumb and index finger method (TIFM) on infants, and compares, this with two standard methods of the two finger method (TFM) and the two-thumb encircling hands method (TTEM). Sixty trained PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) providers were randomly assigned into three groups and provided one-rescuer ECC for a period of five continuous minutes. Results without coaching or feedback were recorded on a recording CPR simulator (Laerdal, Inc).

iCOD: an integrated clinical omics database based on the systems-pathology view of disease.

Background: Variety of information relating between genome and the pathological findings in disease will yield a wealth of clues to discover new function, the role of genes and pathways, and future medicine. In addition to molecular information such as gene expression and genome copy number, detailed clinical information is essential for such systematic omics analysis.

Results: In order to provide a basic platform to realize a future medicine based on the integration of molecular and clinico-pathological information of disease, we have developed an integrated clinical omics database (iCOD) in which comprehensive disease information of the patients is collected, including not only molecular omics data such as CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridization) and gene expression profiles but also comprehensive clinical information such as clinical manifestations, medical images (CT, X-ray, ultrasounds, etc), laboratory tests, drug histories, pathological findings and even life-style/environmental information.

[Role of glutamate transporters in the pathophysiology of major mental illnesses].

Abnormalities in L-glutamate signal transmission have been postulated to play a role in major mental illnesses. The glial disruption results in decreased uptake of glutamate and an elevation of extracellular glutamate levels. Elevated extracellular glutamate may cause cytotoxic damage to neurons and glia.

Effects of a liquid diet on temporomandibular joint mechano-receptors.

Load during mastication is an important factor for the development and maintenance of mechano- receptor properties. The purpose of this study was to examine property changes in the rat TMJ mechano-receptors under conditions of liquid diet feeding and low articular load during the growth period. The hypothesis was that alterations in mastication of liquid diet might increase TMJ mechano-receptor sensitivity.

Enhanced in vivo responses of osteoblasts in electrostatically activated zones by hydroxyapatite electrets.

Matured osteoblasts were proved to be located in the bone formation accelerated by induced large surface charges on the electrically polarized hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics regardless of the charge polarities, whereas the spatial cell distribution patterns were different. Polarized HA ceramic plates with an average electric charge of 3.9 microCcm(-2) were implanted in widely spaced defects of canine femora for 3 and 7 days.

Pilot study on prolonged exposure of Japanese patients with posttraumatic stress disorder due to mixed traumatic events.

This pilot study investigated the feasibility of Prolonged Exposure (PE) treatment for Japanese patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to mixed traumatic events. Among 12 participants in this study, 9 women and 1 man completed between 9 and 15 weekly individual PE sessions; 2 female participants dropped out in early sessions. Among completers, the authors identified a significant reduction of symptom severity scores from pretreatment to posttreatment in terms of PTSD and depression on therapist-rated and self-rated measurements.

Functional polymorphisms in carboxylesterase1A2 (CES1A2) gene involves specific protein 1 (Sp1) binding sites.

Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) is involved in metabolic activation of a variety of prodrugs into active derivatives and plays an important role in pharmacokinetics. We previously reported that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), -816A/C of the CES1A2 gene associates with the responsiveness to an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, imidapril, whose activity is achieved by CES1. To identify relevant functional polymorphisms, we re-sequenced the CES1A2 promoter region ( approximately 1kb) in 100 Japanese hypertensive patients.

Comparison of refolding activities between nanogel artificial chaperone and GroEL systems.

The chaperone-like activity of a nanogel of cholesteryl group-bearing pullulan (CHP) was compared with that of GroEL for refolding acid-denatured green fluorescent protein (GFP). The refolding of denatured GFP was carried out by dilution of acid-denatured GFP in the presence of the nanogel or GroEL. GFP fluorescence was increasingly repressed with increases in the concentration of the CHP nanogel or GroEL added to the dilution buffer.

Naf1alpha is phosphorylated in mitotic phase and required to protect cells against apoptosis.

Naf1alpha is an HIV Nef-associated factor expressed ubiquitously in human cells. Previously, we reported that Naf1alpha is phosphorylated with EGF through MEK/ERK2 pathway. In this study, we found an additional phosphorylation of Naf1alpha when cells are in mitotic phase (M phase) or arrested in M phase with anti-mitosis reagents, and disappeared when the cells exit from mitotic phase to G1 phase.

Quality of life in gynecological inpatients undergoing surgery.

This study investigates the changes in the quality of life (QOL) of gynecological patients undergoing surgery, and the relationship between these changes and clinical/demographic factors. Ninety patients were examined on three occasions using the Japanese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-core30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Although the global QOL and physical function decreased before discharge, the emotional function was lowest before surgery.

Direct preparation of giant proteo-liposomes by in vitro membrane protein synthesis.

We investigated the direct constitution of membrane proteins into giant liposomes in cell-free (in vitro) protein synthesis. Giant liposomes were present in a translation reaction cocktail of a wheat germ cell-free protein translation system. Apo cytochrome b(5) (b5) and its fusion proteins were synthesized and directly localized in the liposomes.

Possible involvement of enhanced arginase activity due to up-regulated arginases and decreased hydroxyarginine in accelerating intimal hyperplasia with hyperglycemia.

The present study was designed to investigate the roles of enhanced arginase activity due to up-regulated arginases and the decreased hydroxyarginine for accelerating intimal hyperplasia with hyperglycemia. Thirteen weeks after injection of alloxan or physiological saline, endothelial denudation of the carotid artery was performed to induce intimal hyperplasia. The intimal hyperplasia occurred on 4 weeks following denudation was significantly accelerated by hyperglycemia.

[Role of glutamate transporters in astrocytes].

L-glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system and has also been implicated as a potent neurotoxin. To ensure a high signal-to-noise ratio during synaptic transmission and to prevent neuronal damage that might occur as a result of excessive activation of glutamate receptors, the extracellular glutamate concentration is tightly controlled by glutamate transporters in the plasma membrane of neurons and the surrounding glial cells. Five subtypes of glutamate transporters have been identified and characterized by molecular cloning.

[CTLA4-Ig (abatacept)].

Although tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists have dramatically improved the outcome of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), some of the patients do not respond or cannot tolerate these drugs. Abatacept is a recombinant fusion protein containing components of IgG and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 that inhibit costimulatory signal from antigen presenting cells and prevent activation of T cells. Several clinical trials have demonstrated the excellent efficacy and safety of abatacept in patients with RA who are resistant to methotrexate or TNF antagonists.

A simple competitive RT-PCR assay for quantitation of HIV-1 subtype B and non-B RNA in plasma.

An easy, inexpensive competitive RT-PCR assay for HIV-1 RNA quantitation was constructed. A 138-bp sequence in the HIV-1 gag p24 region was selected as the target and co-amplified with competitor RNA containing an internal 44-bp deletion. Quantitation of serial dilutions of control RNA samples prepared from the LAI isolate demonstrated a good linearity (R(2)=0.

[Nationwide questionnaire survey on anesthesiology in undergraduate medical education in Japan].

Background: Since the establishment of Model Core-Curriculum for Medical Education in 2001, undergraduate medical education has been progressively renovated in Japan. We conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate how this curriculum changed undergraduate anesthesiology education and how it affected our work load as the teaching staff of medical schools.

Methods: The questionnaire sent to 80 medical universities in Japan, consisted of 4 parts; (1) activity of institution and human resources, (2) lectures, (3) clerkship, and (4) future direction of the lectures and clerkship.