Argatroban more effectively inhibits the thrombin activity in synovial fluid than naturally occurring thrombin inhibitors

The purpose of this study was to clarify the precise effect of argatroban on the inhibition of cytokine secretion induced by thrombin on synovial cells. The efficiency of thrombin inactivation by thrombin inhibitors was evaluated in human synovial fluids (SFs). In SFs from 13 osteoarthritis (OA) and 11 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, thrombin, Factor Xa (FXa), plasmin activity, IL-6, MMP-3, VEGF, and D-dimer concentrations were measured. Tissue factor (TF) activity or IL-6, MMP-3, and VEGF secretion of human synovial cells with or without thrombin and argatroban were measured. The efficiency of thrombin inactivation in SFs was compared for thrombin inhibitors: argatroban, antithrombin III (ATIII), or heparin cofactor II (HCII). In SFs, thrombin, FXa, plasmin, D-dimer, IL-6, and MMP-3 were significantly higher in RA than in OA. In synovial cell experiments, TNF-alpha and thrombin enhanced TF activity on the cell surface, and IL-6, MMP-3, and VEGF secretion were enhanced by thrombin. Increased TF activity, and IL-6, MMP-3, and VEGF secretion induced by thrombin were inhibited by argatroban. In SFs, argatroban inactivated thrombin more effectively than ATIII or HCII. Since thrombin plays an important role in the disease activity of OA and RA, it is a potential therapeutic molecular target. Argatroban was the most effective anticoagulant to inhibit thrombin activity in SF. Intra-articular injection is ideal administration because it can deliver high dose of argatroban without high risk of systematic complication.

Computer-Assisted Detection of Cerebral Aneurysms in MR Angiography in a Routine Image-Reading Environment: Effects on Diagnosis by Radiologists

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Experiences with computer-assisted detection of cerebral aneurysms in diagnosis by radiologists in real-life clinical environments have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of computer-assisted detection in a routine reading environment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

During 39 months in a routine clinical practice environment, 2701 MR angiograms were each read by 2 radiologists by using a computer-assisted detection system. Initial interpretation was independently made without using the detection system, followed by a possible alteration of diagnosis after referring to the lesion candidate output from the system. We used the final consensus of the 2 radiologists as the reference standard. The sensitivity and specificity of radiologists before and after seeing the lesion candidates were evaluated by aneurysm- and patient-based analyses.

RESULTS

The use of the computer-assisted detection system increased the number of detected aneurysms by 9.3% (from 258 to 282). Aneurysm-based analysis revealed that the apparent sensitivity of the radiologists' diagnoses made without and with the detection system was 64% and 69%, respectively. The detection system presented 82% of the aneurysms. The detection system more frequently benefited radiologists than being detrimental.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine integration of computer-assisted detection with MR angiography for cerebral aneurysms is feasible, and radiologists can detect a number of additional cerebral aneurysms by using the detection system without a substantial decrease in their specificity. The low confidence of radiologists in the system may limit its usefulness.

22q11.2 deletion carriers and schizophrenia-associated novel variants

The penetrance of schizophrenia risk in carriers of the 22q11.2 deletion is high but incomplete, suggesting the possibility of additional genetic defects. We performed whole exome sequencing on two individuals with 22q11.2 deletion, one with schizophrenia and the other who was psychosis-free. The results revealed novel genetic variants related to neuronal function exclusively in the person with schizophrenia (frameshift: KAT8, APOH and SNX31; nonsense: EFCAB11 and CLVS2). This study paves the way towards a more complete understanding of variant dose and genetic architecture in schizophrenia.

Reduced cortical expression of a newly identified splicing variant of the DLG1 gene in patients with early-onset schizophrenia

The human discs, large homolog 1 gene (DLG1) is mapped to the schizophrenia-susceptibility locus 3q29, and it encodes a scaffold protein that interacts with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor presumably dysregulated in schizophrenia. In the current study, we have newly identified a splicing variant of DLG1, which is transcribed from an unreported 95-base-pair exon (exon 3b) and is labeled 3b(+). We investigated the mRNA expression of 3b(+) in the post-mortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortices of patients with psychiatric disorders, obtained from The Stanley Medical Research Institute, and examined the potential association of the expression with the genotype of the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3915512 located within exon 3b. A real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed that the mRNA levels of 3b(+) were significantly reduced in patients with early-onset schizophrenia (onset at <18 years old, P=0.0003) but not in those with non-early-onset schizophrenia, early-onset or non-early-onset bipolar disorder or in the controls. Furthermore, the genotype at the rs3915512 SNP was closely associated with the levels of 3b(+) mRNA expression. It is inferred that the T allele fails to meet the exonic splicing enhancer consensus, thus resulting in skipping of exon 3b, leading to the expression of 3b(-) (the previously known DLG1 variant) but not 3b(+). Because all the subjects with early-onset schizophrenia in the current study possess the T/T genotype, the reduced level of the DLG1 3b(+) transcript may be involved in the susceptibility and/or pathophysiology of early-onset schizophrenia.

Efficacy of the Mirasol pathogen reduction technology system against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV)

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tickborne virus in the Bunyaviridae family. This virus has recently been found in China, Japan and Korea. The risk of transfusion-transmitted SFTSV infection (TTI-SFTSV) is a concern because person-to-person transmission resulting from contact with SFTSV-contaminated blood has been reported. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of the Mirasol pathogen reduction technology (PRT) system for inactivating SFTSV in vitro. The Mirasol PRT system achieved a > 4.11 log10 reduction value (LRV) for SFTSV. In conclusion, we showed that the Mirasol PRT system could potentially be used to reduce the risk of TTI-SFTSV.

A New Statistical Model Identified Two-thirds of Clinical T1 Gastric Cancers as Possible Candidates for Endoscopic Treatment

BACKGROUND

Clinical T1 gastric cancer has low metastatic potential to lymph nodes and is generally curable by local treatment. Endoscopic resection can preserve the whole stomach and does not impair the patient's quality of life; however, its indication is strictly limited to the subset of patients without nodal metastasis. The study was designed to predict reliably the patients without nodal metastasis based only on the clinical information.

METHODS

We examined patients with clinical T1 disease who were treated with surgery. The clinically available information was evaluated for its ability to predict nodal metastasis by logistic regression model. Then, the predictive ability of the logistic regression model using the risk factors for nodal metastasis was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic curve.

RESULTS

A total of 511 patients were entered into this study. The clinical depth (cT1a or cT1b), maximal tumor diameter, and pathological type were confirmed to be significantly different between patients with and without nodal metastasis. The cutoff value of the tumor diameter differed depending on the histology and clinical depth: 79 mm for differentiated type and 48 mm for undifferentiated type in cT1a tumors, and 43 mm for differentiated type and 11 mm for undifferentiated type in cT1b tumors. According to these criteria, 348 of the 511 patients (68.1 %) were classified to have predictive N0 status. The negative predictive value was 95.7 % (95 % confidence interval 94.0-97.5 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The predictive criteria based on the multivariate logistic model identified that almost two-thirds of the patients with clinical T1 gastric cancer were possible candidates for endoscopic treatment.

Loss of p53 in stromal fibroblasts enhances tumor cell proliferation through nitric-oxide-mediated cyclooxygenase 2 activation

Overexpression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) by stromal fibroblasts plays a critical role in the early stage of carcinogenesis. COX-2 expression is thought to be positively or negatively regulated by inflammatory chemical mediators or tumor suppressors. In this study, the contributions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and p53 to COX-2 expression were examined using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from wild-type, p53-deficient, iNOS-deficient, and p53/iNOS-deficient mice. These MEFs were treated with 1 μg/mL of lipopolysaccharide and 100 IU/mL of interferon gamma for up to 72 h. iNOS and COX-2 expression were analyzed by Western blotting. iNOS was induced earlier (16 h) in p53-deficient MEFs than in wild-type MEFs (48 h). Elevated expression of COX-2 was sustained for a longer duration in the p53-deficient MEFs. In contrast, COX-2 expression was reduced earlier in the iNOS-deficient MEFs. Addition of an exogenous NO donor (0.8 mM of S-nitroso-l-glutathione) to the iNOS-deficient MEFs augmented COX-2 expression. Co-culture with stimulated p53-deficient MEFs promoted cell proliferation of mouse rectal polyploid carcinoma CMT93 cells, but treatment with a COX-2-specific inhibitor counteracted this effect. These results suggest that loss of function of the p53 gene in stromal fibroblasts enhances COX-2 expression by enhancing iNOS expression and the resultant production of NO, contributing to the promotion of tumor growth.

Ten-year follow-up results of a randomized clinical trial comparing left thoracoabdominal and abdominal transhiatal approaches to total gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction or gastric cardia

Background

The optimal surgical approach for treatment of oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) cancer is controversial. A randomized clinical trial (JCOG9502) comparing transhiatal (TH) and left thoracoabdominal (LTA) approaches was stopped after the first interim analysis owing to limited efficacy for LTA resections. Complete 10‐year follow‐up data are now available.

Methods

Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the OGJ or gastric cardia with oesophageal invasion of 3 cm or less were randomized to a TH or LTA approach. Both groups underwent total gastrectomy and splenectomy with D2 nodal dissection plus para‐aortic lymphadenectomy above the left renal vein. For LTA, a thorough mediastinal lymphadenectomy below the left inferior pulmonary vein was also mandatory. The primary endpoint was overall survival.

Results

A total of 167 patients (82 TH, 85 LTA) were enrolled. The 10‐year overall survival rate was 37 (95 per cent c.i. 26 to 47) per cent for the TH approach and 24 (15 to 34) per cent for the LTA technique (P = 0·060). The hazard ratio for death was 1·42 (0·98 to 2·05) for the LTA technique. Subgroup analysis based on the Siewert classification indicated non‐significant survival advantages in favour of the TH approach.

Conclusion

LTA resections should be avoided in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the OGJ or gastric cardia. Registration number: NCT00149266 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

No survival benefit from a more extensive operation

Is the evidence of the Supreme Court Ruling of gefitinib litigation in Japan scientific?

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs of the gefitinib (Iressa) lawsuits in Japan started in 2004 were defeated in the Supreme Court in 2013. The Court judged it was not possible to foresee the outbreak of deaths caused by interstitial pneumonia due to gefitinib from death cases before approval of this drug.

OBJECTIVE

We attempted to verify validity of this judgment.

METHODS

We estimated the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the proportion of onset and death cases among 23 onset and 13 death cases occurring from "within 1 week" to "within 4 weeks" from clinical data before approval of this drug using data admitted to the Court.

RESULTS

For death cases, all of the upper limits of the 95% CI exceeded 50% within 1-4 weeks. This fact suggested that the cases of acute interstitial pneumonia were included in the clinical trial before the approval of gefitinib.

CONCLUSION

It was possible to foresee the outbreak of death cases after drug approval. This conclusion showed the Court's ruling was not reasonable and was unscientific.

The expression and function of histamine H₃ receptors in pancreatic beta cells

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Histamine and its receptors in the CNS play important roles in energy homeostasis. Here, we have investigated the expression and role of histamine receptors in pancreatic beta cells, which secrete insulin.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

The expression of histamine receptors in pancreatic beta cells was examined by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunostaining. Insulin secretion assay, ATP measurement and calcium imaging studies were performed to determine the function and signalling pathway of histamine H₃ receptors in glucose-induced insulin secretion (GIIS) from MIN6 cells, a mouse pancreatic beta cell line. The function and signalling pathway of H₃ receptors in MIN6 cell proliferation were examined using pharmacological assay and Western blotting.

KEY RESULTS

Histamine H₃ receptors were expressed in pancreatic beta cells. A selective H₃ receptor agonist, imetit, and a selective inverse H₃ receptor agonist, JNJ-5207852, had inhibitory and facilitatory effects, respectively, on GIIS in MIN6 cells. Neither imetit nor JNJ-5207852 altered intracellular ATP concentration, or intracellular calcium concentration stimulated by glucose and KCl, indicating that GIIS signalling was affected by H3 receptor signalling downstream of the increase in intracellular calcium concentration. Moreover, imetit attenuated bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in MIN6 cells. The phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), which facilitated beta cell proliferation, was inhibited, though not significantly, by imetit, indicating that activated H₃ receptors inhibited MIN6 cell proliferation, possibly by decreasing CREB phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Histamine H₃ receptors were expressed in mouse beta cells and could play a role in insulin secretion and, possibly, beta cell proliferation.

The role of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small intestinal injury

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been implemented in clinical settings for a long time for their anti-inflammatory effects. With the number of NSAID users increasing, gastroenterological physicians and researchers have worked hard to prevent and treat NSAID-induced gastric mucosal injury, an effort that has for the large part being successful. However, the struggle against NSAID-induced mucosal damage has taken on a new urgency due to the discovery of NSAID-induced small intestinal mucosal injury. Although the main mechanism by which NSAIDs induce small intestinal mucosal injury has been thought to depend on the inhibitory effect of NSAIDs on cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, recent studies have revealed the importance of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which occurs independently of COX-inhibition. ROS production is an especially important factor in the increase of small intestinal epithelial cell permeability, an early stage in the process of small intestinal mucosal injury. By clarifying the precise mechanism, together with its clinical features using novel endoscopy, effective strategies for preventing NSAID-induced small intestinal damage, especially targeting mitochondria-derived ROS production, may be developed.

Diffusion-weighted imaging vs STIR turbo SE imaging: capability for quantitative differentiation of small-cell lung cancer from non-small-cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

To compare the capability of differentiation of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) from non-SCLC (NSCLC) between diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) turbo spin-echo imaging.

METHODS

The institutional review board of Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan, approved this study, and written informed consent was obtained from each patient. 49 patients with NSCLC (30 males and 19 females; mean age, 66.8 years) and 7 patients with SCLC (5 males and 2 females; mean age, 68.6 years) enrolled and underwent DWI and STIR. To quantitatively differentiate SCLC from NSCLC, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on DWI and contrast ratios (CRs) between cancer and muscle on STIR were evaluated. ADC values and CRs were then compared between the two cell types by Mann-Whitney's U-tests, and the diagnostic performances were compared by McNemar's test.

RESULTS

There were significant differences of mean ADC values (p < 0.001) and mean CRs (p = 0.003). With adopted threshold values, the specificity (85.7%) and accuracy (85.7%) of DWI were higher than those of STIR (specificity, 63.3%; p = 0.001 and accuracy, 66.1%; p = 0.001). In addition, the accuracy of combination of both indexes (94.6%; p = 0.04) could significantly improve as compared with DWI alone.

CONCLUSION

DWI is more useful for the differentiation of SCLC from NSCLC than STIR, and their combination can significantly improve the accuracy in this setting.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Pulmonary MRI, including DWI and STIR, had a potential of the suggestion of the possibility as SCLC.

Diagnostic value of computed tomography for staging of clinical T1 gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

T1 gastric cancer can be diagnosed only by endoscopy and is almost curable by local treatment. It has been unclear how a multidetector-row computed tomography (CT) evaluation is valuable for clinical T1 patients.

METHODS

Patients with clinical T1 disease, as diagnosed by endoscopy and treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgery between October 2000 and October 2007, were examined. The efficacy of CT was evaluated by the reversal rate of endoscopic T1 by CT, the incidence of clinical M1 disease, and the accuracy of diagnosing pathological N+ disease in patients who received surgery. To confirm metachronous distant and nodal metastases, the disease-free survival (DFS) also was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 761 patients, 236 treated by ESD and 525 treated with surgery, were examined. None of the patients had an endoscopic diagnosis of clinical T1 reversed by CT. No clinical M1 disease was found. Among the 525 patients who underwent surgery, 8 showed clinical N+ disease (1.5 %), while 47 demonstrated pathological N+ disease (8.9 %). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values were 90.3, 4.3, 98.7, 25, and 91.3 %, respectively. The 5-year DFS rate was 93.6 % (95 % confidence interval 91.4-95.8 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that diagnostic value of CT is limited for staging of clinical T1 gastric cancer patients, because the reversal rate of endoscopic T1 by CT was very low, clinical M1 disease was rare, the diagnosis of N+ status was unreliable, and metachronous M1 and N+ findings were rare.

ACTH expression in synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and Lewis rats with adjuvant arthritis

Abstract Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and another pro-opiomelanocortin-derived neuropeptide, β-endorphin (β-End), are stimulated by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) at the anterior pituitary. CRH and β-End have predominantly proinflammatory effects in peripheral inflammatory sites. We have supposed that inflammatory stimuli develop ACTH as well as β-End. In this study, we investigated the expression of ACTH in inflamed synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), and at inflammatory joints with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in female Lewis (LEW/N) rats. The expression of ACTH immunostaining was significantly greater in synovium of RA patients than in that of OA patients (P < 0.0001), and correlated with the extent of inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltration. Extensive and intense intracellular ACTH immunostaining, which correlated with the advance in arthritis score, was observed in the synovial lining layer, inflammatory mononuclear cells, and fibroblast-like cells of synovium and chondrocytes in LEW/N rats with AA. In addition, we performed double immunostaining of the same sections from arthritic joints in rats with anti-ACTH and anti-CRH antibodies. ACTH and CRH colocalized in inflammatory mononuclear cells and fibroblast-like cells. ACTH may play a role in the pathogenesis of RA as well as CRH.

Involvement of free radicals and oxidative stress in NAFLD/NASH

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common liver disease affecting high proportion of the population worldwide. NAFLD encompasses a large spectrum of conditions ranging from fatty liver to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can progress to cirrhosis and cancer. NAFLD is considered as a multifactorial disease in relation to the pathogenic mechanisms. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH and the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been suggested. Many studies show the association between the levels of lipid oxidation products and disease state. However, often neither oxidative stress nor ROS has been characterized, despite oxidative stress is mediated by multiple active species by different mechanisms and the same lipid oxidation products are produced by different active species. Further, the effects of various antioxidants have been assessed in human and animal studies, but the effects of drugs are determined by the type of active species, suggesting the importance of characterizing the active species involved. This review article is focused on the role of free radicals and free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH, taking characteristic features of free radical-mediated oxidation into consideration. The detailed analysis of lipid oxidation products shows the involvement of free radicals in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH. Potential beneficial effects of antioxidants such as vitamin E are discussed.

Cellular signaling crosstalk between multiple receptors for investigation of pathophysiology in multifactorial diseases--what is clinically-relevant crosstalk?

Recently, genomics and proteomics have been utilized as advanced tools for investigation of cellular signaling pathways and molecular interactions, and elucidated promiscuous networks composed of numerous interactions among pathways. However, some of these interactions are considered to be simply contributing to background 'noise' and others are as 'crosstalk' biologically-relevant to cellular physiology, leading to synergy effects more than additive responses in an entire organism. Effort is now required to determine which interactions truly contribute to final physiological output. A receptor is the prime example of connectors among the networks. It functions, not simply as a signaling gateway, but also as an active trader by forming inter-receptor dimers. Furthermore, various receptors can modulate the function of the other receptors by input to common intracellular signaling pathways, establishing functional crosstalk among networks. Our findings by combined analyses of gene polymorphisms of two separate genes present evidences that such is the case with human body in a clinical setting: 1) an integrated effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and protease activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) on susceptibility to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and 2) a crosstalk effect between muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChRs) and β(2) adrenoceptor (β(2)AR) on bronchodilatory response to anticholinergic agents in patients with COPD. These results indicate that these interactions are unlikely to be 'noise' but functionally-relevant 'crosstalk' in a human body. This review attempts to highlight the clinically-relevant 'crosstalk' paradigm in a human body which provides us a novel insight necessary to investigate pathophysiology in common multifactorial diseases and to develop new drugs.

MicroRNAs and liver function

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally through complementary base pairing with thousands of messenger RNAs. Although the target genes and precise biological functions of individual miRNAs remain largely unknown, miRNAs are speculated to play important roles in diverse biological processes in both normal and pathological states. The liver is a vital organ that plays major roles in a number of physiological functions. Recent advances in the study of liver miRNAs using gene-modified mice or in vivo nucleic acid delivery to overexpress specific miRNAs or inhibit miRNA functions have revealed the crucial biological roles of individual miRNAs in physiologically essential liver functions in vivo. Because miRNA-based strategies are being applied to clinical therapeutics, the importance of precise knowledge of miRNA functions cannot be underestimated, not only from a scientific point of view, but also from a clinical perspective to make the most of such drugs and avoid unexpected harmful effects. The aims of this review are to describe current knowledge regarding both known and as-yet-undiscovered molecular aspects of the biological roles of miRNAs in the liver, with a special emphasis on lipid, glucose, drug, and iron metabolism as vital functions of the liver as well as important therapeutic targets.

Recognition of endoscopic diagnosis in differentiated-type early gastric cancer by flexible spectral imaging color enhancement with indigo carmine

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To evaluate the usefulness of flexible spectral imaging color enhancement with indigo carmine (I-FICE) in early gastric cancer (EGC) demarcation.

METHODS

The study participants were 29 patients with differentiated-type EGC. The endoscope was fixed and images of the same area of EGC demarcations in each lesion were obtained using four different methods (WLE, flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE), CE, and I-FICE). FICE mode at R 550 nm (Gain: 2), G 500 nm (Gain: 4), and B 470 nm (Gain: 4) was used. Four endoscopists ranked the images obtained by each method on the basis of the ease of recognition of demarcation using a 4-point system. We calculated the standard deviation of pixel values based on L*, a*, and b* color spaces in the demarcation region (Lab-SD score).

RESULTS

The median ranking score for I-FICE images was significantly higher than that obtained from the other methods. Further, the average Lab-SD score was significantly higher for I-FICE images than for images obtained by the other methods. There was a good correlation between the ranking score and Lab-SD score.

CONCLUSION

EGC demarcations were most easily recognized both subjectively and objectively using I-FICE image, followed by CE, FICE and WLE images.

Biochemical and hematologic effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone-wrapped fullerene C60 after oral administration

The fullerene C60 is used in consumer products such as cosmetics owing to its antioxidative effects and is being developed for nanomedical applications. However, knowledge regarding the safety of fullerene C60, especially after oral administration, is sparse. Here, we examined the safety of fullerene C60 in mice after 7 d of exposure to orally administered polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-wrapped fullerene C60 (PVP-fullerene C60). Mice treated with PVP-fullerene C60 showed few changes in the plasma levels of various markers of kidney and liver injury and experienced no significant hematologic effects. Furthermore, the histology of the colon of PVP-fullerene C60-treated mice was indistinguishable from that of control mice. These results suggest that PVP-fullerene C60 lacks toxicity after high-dose oral administration and indicate that PVP-fullerene C60 can be considered safe for oral medication. These data provide basic information that likely will facilitate the production of safe and effective forms of fullerene C60.

Three-dimensional airway lumen volumetry: comparison with bronchial wall area and parenchymal densitometry in assessment of airway obstruction in pulmonary emphysema

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to compare three-dimensional airway lumen volumetry with bronchial wall area and parenchymal densitometry in the assessment of airway obstruction in pulmonary emphysema.

METHODS

56 patients, who were smokers, underwent CT examination and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). For quantitative assessments, the following parameters were computationally calculated: (1) percentage of voxels -950, -960 and -970 HU in the lung (%LAA(-950), %LAA(-960) and %LAA(-970), respectively); (2) percentage of partial bronchi luminal volumes per total luminal volumes (LV(main), main and distal bronchial volume/total luminal volume; LV(lobe), lobar and distal bronchial volume/total luminal volume); and (3) mean wall area percentages of segmental bronchi of the right apical and left apicoposterior segment (WA%(seg)) and of subsegmental bronchi (WA%(sub)) in the upper lobes. These parameters were correlated with PFTs and statistically compared between a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) group [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC)<70] and a non-COPD group.

RESULTS

FEV1, maximum mid-expiratory flow rate and forced expiratory flow at 25% vital capacity had significant correlation with LV(main) (r>0.53, p<0.0001), LV(lobe) (r>0.52, p<0.0001), WA%(seg) (|r|>0.29, p<0.05) and WA%(sub) (|r|>0.31, p<0.05). FEV1/FVC had significant correlation with all parameters (0.27<|r|<0.52, p<0.05). LV(main) and LV(lobe) and WA%(seg) and WA%(sub) were significantly different between the two groups (LV(main) and LV(lobe); p<0.0001, WA%(seg) and WA%(sub); p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Bronchial luminal volumetric assessment better reflected the airflow limitation parameters.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Bronchial luminal volumetric assessment can potentially be used to gauge airflow limitation in pulmonary emphysema.

Andropausal symptoms in men with Type 2 diabetes

AIMS

Serum androgen concentration is reported to be low in patients with Type 2 diabetes. There have been no studies comparing andropausal symptoms such as sleep disturbance, depression, erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms simultaneously between men with Type 2 diabetes and subjects without diabetes.

METHODS

We compared andropausal symptom scores such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, the International Index of Erectile Function and the International Prostate Symptom Score in 296 men with Type 2 diabetes and in 267 subjects without diabetes. Furthermore, we evaluated relationships of andropausal symptom scores to various anthropometric factors and compared andropausal symptom scores according to diabetic complications in men with Type 2 diabetes.

RESULTS

Andropausal symptom scores such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, the International Index of Erectile Function and the International Prostate Symptom Score were 4.2 ± 2.6 vs. 5.0 ± 3.3, P<0.01 by unpaired Student's t-test, 34.8 ± 8.2 vs. 38.4 ± 9.3, P<0.0001, 11.5 ± 6.4 vs. 9.9 ± 6.9, P<0.01 and 7.3 ± 6.7 vs. 9.0 ± 7.1, P<0.01 in subjects without diabetes and in patients with diabetes, respectively. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was higher in patients with neuropathy than without. The Self-Rating Depression Scale was higher in patients with advanced retinopathy. The International Index of Erectile Function was lower in patients with advanced retinopathy and nephropathy. The International Index of Erectile Function was lower and the International Prostate Symptom Score was higher in patients with cardiovascular disease than without.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that men with Type 2 diabetes have higher prevalence of andropausal symptoms, especially those with diabetic complications.

Dermal absorption of amorphous nanosilica particles after topical exposure for three days

The skin penetration and cellular localization of well-dispersed amorphous nanosilica particles (nSPs) with a diameter of 70 nm was analyzed in mice. Our results suggest that after topical exposure for three days the particles penetrate the skin barrier and are transported to the lymph nodes. These findings underscore the need to examine biological effects following dermal exposure to nSPs for the development of safer use of nSPs.

Amorphous nanosilica particles induce ROS generation in Langerhans cells

Generation of total intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured in XS52 cells, a Langerhans cell-like line, treated with different sized amorphous silica particles. The results suggested that exposure to amorphous nanosilica particles (nSPs) with a particle size of 70 nm induced a higher level of ROS generation than did exposure to micron-sized amorphous silica particles. This finding means that it is essential to examine the biological effects of ROS generated after exposure to nSPs, which will provide useful information for hazard identification as well as the design of safer nanomaterials.

Interspecific and annual variation in pre-dispersal seed predation by a granivorous bird in two East Asian hackberries, Celtis biondii and Celtis sinensis

Pre-dispersal seed predation by granivorous birds has potential to limit fruit removal and subsequent seed dispersal by legitimate avian seed dispersers in bird-dispersed plants, especially when the birds form flocks. We monitored pre-dispersal seed predation by the Japanese grosbeak, Eophona personata, of two bird-dispersed hackberry species (Cannabaceae), Celtis biondii (four trees) and Celtis sinensis (10 trees), for 3 years (2005, 2007 and 2008) in a fragmented forest in temperate Japan. Throughout the 3 years, predation was more intense on C. biondii, which, as a consequence, lost a larger part of its fruit crop. Grosbeaks preferred C. biondii seeds that had a comparatively lower energy content and lower hardness than C. sinensis, suggesting an association between seed hardness and selective foraging by grosbeaks. In C. biondii, intensive predation markedly reduced fruit duration and strongly limited fruit removal by seed dispersers, especially in 2007 and 2008. In C. sinensis, seed dispersers consumed fruits throughout the fruiting seasons in all 3 years. In C. biondii, variation in the timing of grosbeak migration among years was associated with annual variation in this bird's effects on fruit removal. Our results demonstrate that seed predation by flocks of granivorous birds can dramatically disrupt seed dispersal in fleshy-fruited plants and suggest the importance of understanding their flocking behaviour.