Simple method to make a supersaturated oxygen fluid

Journal of Artificial Organs - Intravenous oxygenation has demonstrated significant increase in partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in animal models. A highly dissolved oxygen solution might be able...     

Multiple calcifying lesions in the maxilla and mandible of a 4-year-old girl: report of a rare case and literature review

Calcifying lesions in the jaws are usually solitary and can be diagnosed by intraoral, panoramic, and conventional extraoral radiographs. It is extremely rare for these calcifying lesions to be multiple, unless they are associated with certain systematic diseases. Herein, we report a rare case of multiple odontomas in a 4-year-old girl. The lesions were scattered throughout both jaws on the panoramic image. The reconstructed CT image showed lesions in the left maxilla that occupied the sinus and affected the floor of the left orbit. The lesions in the mandible were widespread and extended to the tooth-bearing area. Enucleations of the maxillary parts were performed, and the pathological diagnosis was a mixture of complex and compound odontomas. The 3-year postoperative follow-up by panoramic imaging was uneventful. Preoperative CT was useful for the differential diagnosis by depicting the internal calcifying lesions and revealing the extent and complex relationships among the lesions.     

Expression of Recombination Activating Genes in Germinal Center B Cells: Involvement of Interleukin 7 (IL-7) and the IL-7 Receptor

Mouse germinal center (GC) B cells have been shown to undergo secondary V(D)J (V, variable; D, diversity; J, joining) recombination (receptor editing) mediated by the reexpressed products of recombination activating gene (RAG)-1 and RAG-2. We show here that interleukin (IL)-7 as well as IL-4 was effective in inducing functional RAG products in mouse IgD⁺ B cells activated via CD40 in vitro. Blocking of the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) by injecting an anti– IL-7R monoclonal antibody resulted in a marked suppression of the reexpression of RAG-2 and subsequent V(D)J recombination in the draining lymph node of immunized mice, whereas RAG-2 expression was not impaired in immunized IL-4–deficient mice. Further, these peripheral B cells activated in vitro or in vivo were found to express IL-7R. These findings indicate a novel role for IL-7 and IL-7R in inducing receptor editing in GC B cells.     

The effects of bradykinin agonists and antagonists on visceral polymodal receptor activities

The endogenous algesic agent bradykinin (BK) is a consistent stimulant for the polymodal receptor, a type of nociceptor. Two types of BK receptor, B1 and B2, have been proposed in smooth muscles by Regoli. The type of BK receptor mediating the BK response of the polymodal receptor was studied using 3 BK analogs, des-Arg9-BK (a B1 agonist), des-Arg9-[Leu8]-BK (a B1 antagonist), and [Thi5,8, D-Phe7]-BK (a B2 antagonist). Single- and multi-fiber activities from testicular polymodal receptors were recorded in vitro using testis-spermatic nerve preparations excised from dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital (30 mg/kg, i.v.). Neither des-Arg9-BK, des-Arg9-[Leu8]-BK, nor [Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-BK induced discharges in nociceptors at concentrations up to 9.4 x 10(-6) M. Des-Arg9-[Leu8]-BK (up to 9.4 x 10(-6) M) did not suppress responses to BK (9.4 x 10(-8 approximately -9) M), whereas [Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-BK (above 2.8 x 10(-7) M) suppressed the BK response in a concentration-dependent manner and shifted the concentration-response curve of BK to the right. It was ascertained that [Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-BK had no effect on responses to noxious heat and high K+ solution. These results suggest that the BK receptor mediating the nociceptor response to BK is of the B2 type.     

Pulmonary coccidioidomycosis that formed a fungus ball with 8-years duration

Coccidioidomycosis, caused by inhaling Coccidioides immitis, is a mycosis imported from endemic regions including the southwestern United States. C. immitis is so virulent that even a short-term stay in the endemic area can provide a chance for infection. Here, we report a 33-year-old Japanese man with formation of a fungus ball inside the pulmonary cavity secondary to coccidioidomycosis with a duration of 8 years, which is considered rare. He was infected with C. immitis in the United States in 1996. A nodule remained in the lung, which later cavitated with fungus ball formation. We identified Coccidioides immitis in the cultured specimen from the cavity and serum antibodies against it. We performed a lobectomy in 2003 since anti-fungal treatment was only temporarily effective. He is still free of disease 6 months later.     

Combination Analysis in Genetic Polymorphisms of Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A5 in the Japanese Population

The Cytochrome P450 is the major enzyme involved in drug metabolism. CYP enzymes are responsible for the metabolism of most clinically used drugs. Individual variability in CYP activity is one important factor that contributes to drug therapy failure. We have developed a new straightforward TaqMan PCR genotyping assay to investigate the prevalence of the most common allelic variants of polymorphic CYP enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A5 in the Japanese population. Moreover, we focused on the combination of each genotype for clinical treatment. The genotype analysis identified a total of 139 out of 483 genotype combinations of five genes in the 1,003 Japanese subjects. According to our results, most of subjects seemed to require dose modification during clinical treatment. In the near future, modifications should be considered based on the individual patient genotype of each treatment.