Different origin of leiomyoblastoma by immunohistochemical study.

Leiomyoblastoma has been regarded as a neoplasm of smooth muscle origin. With recent progress in immunohistostaining techniques, many clinicopathological discrepancies have been pointed out about the origin of leiomyoblastoma. It has been claimed that gastrointestinal non-epithelial tumors should be regarded as stromal tumors in order to study their origin. In the present study, we performed various forms of immunohistostaining in seven cases of leiomyoblastoma to determine their origin. One case expressed desmine and muscle specific actin and was considered to be derived from smooth muscle. Four neoplasms expressed X-100 protein (two cases were also NSE positive) and were thought to be derived from the nerve. Two cases were of unknown derivation. These results suggest that the cells of leiomyoblastoma may arise from a primitive to totipotential cell of neural lineages that may anomalously express smooth muscle filaments.     

Direct in vivo protein transduction into a specific restricted brain area in rats

Attempts at protein transduction into specific restricted brain areas have remained unsuccessful. We attempted targeted, direct in vivo protein transduction by microinjecting beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) with hemagglutinating virus of Japan envelope (HVJ-E) vector into the rat nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). The medulla oblongata including the NTS was removed 6h post-injection and cryostat sections were histochemically stained to detect beta-gal enzymatic activity. beta-gal-positive cells were present in these sections as was beta-gal activity determined by colorimetric analysis. beta-gal-positive cells were not present in the rats microinjected only beta-gal protein without HVJ-E vector. Our findings suggest that direct in vivo protein transduction into specific restricted brain areas is possible. The type of targeted delivery system we present may have wide applications in the administration of therapeutic proteins to the central nervous system.     

The effects of media violence on aggression: focus on the role of anger evoked by provocation

This study investigated the effects of anger evoked by earlier provocation on cognition, emotion, and aggressive behavior after being exposed to media violence. Sixty male undergraduates participated in the experiment. Before viewing one of three videos (either highly violent, violent with high entertainment, or nonviolent), half of the subjects were provoked by a confederate posing as another subject. Subjects' heart rates and eyeblink rates were recorded while viewing the video. After viewing the video, subjects described their thoughts that occurred while watching the video and rated their affective reactions toward the video. Finally, subjects' aggressive behavior toward the confederate was measured. Results of covariance structure analysis suggested that (a) anger evoked by provocation and high level of violence in videos additively elicited negative cognition and affect, which further facilitated aggressive behavior, and (b) high level of entertainment in videos elicited positive cognition and affect, which alleviated negative cognition and affect.     

Cordyceps militaris Fruit Body Extract Decreases Testosterone Catabolism and Testosterone-Stimulated Prostate Hypertrophy

The androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are essential for a variety of systemic functions in mature males. Alteration of these hormones results in late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The fruit bodies of fungi of the genus Cordyceps have been regarded as folk medicine or health food with tonic and antifatigue effects. The extract from the fruit body of Cordyceps militaris parasitizing Samia cynthia ricini (CM) was evaluated as a novel-candidate natural product for ameliorating male andropause symptoms. To explore the effects of CM on LOH and BPH, CM was applied to rat models and cultured testicular cells and prostate cells. The concentrations of androgens in the serum and culture media were determined by ELISA. Expression of steroidogenic enzymes and androgen-related genes was evaluated by qPCR, and prostatic cell proliferation was assessed with the cell-viability assay. CM maintained the serum levels of testosterone and DHT, but inhibited testosterone-induced prostate hypertrophy. CM also increased the secretion of testosterone and DHT by primary testicular cells, with no changes in the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes, but decreased the growth of prostatic cell lines. Our data suggest that CM could improve both LOH and BPH in males.     

A study of comparison between the nationwide epidemiological survey in 1991 and previous surveys on behçet’s disease in Japan

The 4th nationwide epidemiological survey on Behçet disease (BD), which included all patients with BD at 1,200 hospitals selected at random from 10,081 hospitals in Japan, was carried out by the BD Research Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1991 to examine the epidemiological features of BD in Japan by comparing with previous surveys. 3,938 patients from these hospitals were examined by the Japanese diagnostic criteria of BD (JCBD) revised in 1987 and the International criteria for classification of BD (ICBD). Among these 3,938 patients, 622 patients were only suspected of having BD or clinical signs of the disease were unknown, and most of these patients were incompatible with the ICBD. So these patients were excluded from the study of epidemiological features. The average patients age has risen 7–8 years over the last 20 years and the average age of onset in both sexes increased by about 3 years from 1972 to 1991. While a decrease in the sex ratio was seen in the complete-type and the incomplete-type BD without ocular symptoms, a sustained high sex ratio was shown in incomplete-type BD with ocular symptoms. The positive rate of HLA-B51 antigen was 54.9% (men: 56.9%, women: 52.2%) significantly higher than die 15–16% in healthy subjects but it might have been gradually decreasing. Also the clinical course of BD has become too mild for prognosis. According to diese epidemiological features of BD, the clinical manifestation of BD in Japan might have become the Western type of BD.     

Effects of hemodialysis membrane on serum lipid profile of maintenance hemodialysis patients

Atherosclerosis and lipid abnormalities are still insuperable complications for maintenance hemodialysis patients. We observed the serum lipid profile of 27 maintenance hemodialysis patients (M : F; 20 : 7, age; 54.9 +/- 6.2 y. o., hemodialysis duration; 10.8 +/- 4.9 years, body weight; 53.6 +/- 4.4 kg) using a low flux cellulose membrane, cellulose (1.5 m2), a vitamin-E-modified dialysis membrane, CL-15E (CL- 15E 1.5 m2, Terumo), and polysulfon, PS (PS-1.3UW 1.3 m2, Fresenius) dialysers. Each membrane dialyzer was used for 3 months. The blood flow rate was 200 ml/min, and hemodialysis time, 4 hours. When the dialyzers were replaced, fasting blood was collected at the beginning of hemodialysis and serum lipid parameters were measured. Seven additional maintenance hemodialysis patients were selected and TC, TG, HDL-C were measured as controls, because their dialyzers (low flux cellulose 1.5 m2) and hemodialysis conditions were not changed during the study. TC was decreased by PS and there were significant differences between cellulose and PS, and between CL-15E and PS. However, these changes were conducted within the normal range of TC. TG was not significantly changed during the study. HDL-C was decreased by CL-15E and PS as well as TC. There were significant differences in HDL-C between cellulose and CL-15E, and between cellulose and PS. Apo B, Apo B/A-I were decreased by PS and there were significant differences between cellulose and PS, respectively, LP(a) was not changed during the study. RLP-C (Cellulose vs. PS, CL-15E vs. PS), VLDL-C (Cellulose vs PS), and LDL-C (cellulose vs. PS, CL-15E vs. PS) were significantly decreased between membranes, respectively. Although the precise mechanism is yet unknown, the uptake of LDL and remnant into receptors of the liver might be improved by PS hemodialysis. In conclusion, these data suggest that PS decreased the serum levels of the lipid profile in maintenance hemodialysis patients and may be effective in improving their lipid abnormality.     

Induction of radioresistance to accelerated carbon-ion beams in recipient cells by nitric oxide excreted from irradiated donor cells of human glioblastoma

PURPOSE: To investigate whether nitric oxide excreted from cells irradiated with accelerated carbon-ion beams modulates cellular radiosensitivity against irradiation in human glioblastoma A-172 and T98G cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Western-blot analysis of inducible nitric oxide synthase, hsp72 and p53, the concentration assay of nitrite in medium and cell survival assay after irradiation with accelerated carbon-ion beams were performed. RESULTS: The accumulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase was caused by accelerated carbon-ion beam irradiation of T98G cells but not of A-172 cells. The accumulation of hsp72 and p53 was observed in A-172 cells after exposure to the conditioned medium of the T98G cells irradiated with accelerated carbon-ion beams, and the accumulation was abolished by the addition of an inhibitor for inducible nitric oxide synthase to the medium. The radiosensitivity of A-172 cells was reduced in the conditioned medium of the T98G cells irradiated with accelerated carbon-ion beams compared with conventional fresh growth medium, and the reduction of radiosensitivity was abolished by the addition of an inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor to the conditioned medium. CONCLUSIONS: Nitric oxide excreted from the irradiated donor cells with accelerated carbon-ion beams could modulate the radiosensitivity of recipient cells. These findings indicate the importance of an intercellular signal transduction pathway initiated by nitric oxide in the cellular response to accelerated heavy ions.