Corticosteroids for treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

There is scientific evidence that corticosteroids should be given in exacerbation of COPD. It is still controversial if patients with stable COPD could receive benefits by long-term administration with inhaled corticosteroids. However, many investigators recently consider favorable opinions for inhaled corticosteroids, since inhaled corticosteroids could decrease the frequency of exacerbation especially in severe to moderate COPD.     

Influence of oro-facial sensory input on the output of the cortical masticatory area in the anesthetized rabbit

In order to study the role of sensory inputs to the cortical masticatory area (CMA) and plasticity in the CMA, the representation of sensory inputs and the change of sensory inputs and motor outputs in the CMA 16 days after trigeminal deafferentation in the rabbit were examined. Neuronal activity was recorded in response to mechanical and electrical stimulation of the oro-facial region and cortically-induced rhythmical jaw movements (CIRJMs) were analyzed. Cortical neurons with receptive fields in the deafferented region were not found in the CMA. However, the projection area of the intact lingual nerve extended both antero-posteriorly and medio-laterally in the CMA and included neurons with long latency responses to lingual nerve stimulation. In a previous study in the rabbit, CIRJMs were classified into two groups according to their similarity to normal masticatory patterns: one pattern resembled that occurring during the food transport stage (T-pattern), and the other resembled that occurring during the chewing stage (C-pattern). These two patterns of CIRJMs were evoked from different stimulation sites: T-patterns were induced from the dorsal CMA and C-patterns were induced from the ventral CMA. The relationship between the patterns of CIRJMs and the site of stimulation in the deafferented rabbits was similar to that observed in normal rabbits. This finding suggests that sensory inputs to the CMA may not directly influence the CMA motor outputs controlling jaw movements, despite a close spatial relationship between the input and output of this area.     

Ventriculography Using ECG-Gated Multiple Diastolic Injection of Contrast Material in Pediatric Angiocardiography

In pediatric patients, the lower body weight limits the volume of contrast medium. Conventionally, angiocardiography is carried out with a single large bolus injection of contrast material. Angiocardiograms are used in pediatric patients with complex congenital heart diseases. In patients with complex congenital heart disease, especially with MAPCA, the volume of contrast medium used may be excessive. This would allow further injection to provide additional information. To reduce contrast medium used in the angiocardiogram in pediatric patients, we decided to use electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated multiple diastolic injection (EMDI). Three small boluses were injected during the diastolic phase of three consecutive cardiac cycles using a commercially-available power injector. Seventy-eight ventriculograms (47 left ventriculograms and 31 right ventriculograms) using EMDI were carried out on 53 patients with congenital heart disease. Total contrast medium volume with EMDI ventriculograms (mean [±SD] per body weight: 0.72 [±0.25] ml/kg) was significantly smaller than with conventional injection (1.01 [±0.36] ml/kg) (p <0.001). The grades of ventriculograms with EMDI tended to be slightly better than those with conventional injection (statistically not significant, p = 0.478). No short-run type premature ventricular contraction (PVC)s or intramural injection occurred in the ventriculograms with EMDI. PVCs tended to be less frequent in the ventriculograms with EMDI than in those with conventional injection (statistically not significant, p = 0.131). EMDI may be worthwhile in reducing ventricular ectopy when checking ventricular function by angiography, since hemodynamic conditions are less affected by small quantities of contrast medium and only during the filling phase of the ventricles. In conclusion, EMDI may be a useful method for reducing complications of ventriculography in pediatric angiocardiography.     

Myeloid progenitors protect against invasive aspergillosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Myelotoxic treatments for oncologic diseases are often complicated by neutropenia, which renders patients susceptible to potentially lethal infections. In these studies of murine hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), cotransplantation of lineage-restricted progenitors known as common myeloid progenitors (CMP) and granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMP) protects against death following otherwise lethal challenge with either of 2 pathogens associated with neutropenia: Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cotransplantation of CMP/GMP resulted in a significant and rapid increase in the absolute number of myeloid cells in the spleen, most of which were derived from the donor CMP/GMP. Despite persistent peripheral neutropenia, improved survival correlated with the measurable appearance of progenitor-derived myeloid cells in the spleen. A marked reduction or elimination of tissue pathogen load was confirmed by culture and correlated with survival. Localization of infection by P aeruginosa and extent of disease was also assessed by in vivo bioluminescent imaging using a strain of P aeruginosa engineered to constitutively express a bacterial luciferase. Imaging confirmed that transplantation with a graft containing hematopoietic stem cells and CMP/GMP reduced the bacterial load as early as 18 hours after infection. These results demonstrate that enhanced reconstitution of a tissue myeloid pool offers protection against lethal challenge with serious fungal and bacterial pathogens.     

Low-dose doxorubicin-induced necrosis in Jurkat cells and its acceleration and conversion to apoptosis by antioxidants

We treated rapidly growing Jurkat cells with 40 nmol/l of doxorubicin for 72 h. After 36 h, the G2-arrested cells became larger and some of them started endoreplication. Nuclear staining with Hoechst 33342 combined with propidium iodide (PI) exclusion revealed that about 90% of the cells were necrotic at 72 h, although apoptotic cells accounted for only 8%. Incubation with 40 nmol/l of aclarubicin or cytosine beta-d-arabinofuranoside for 60 h induced necrosis both in Jurkat and ml-1 cells. Pre-necrotic Jurkat cells incubated with 40 nmol/l of doxorubicin had much higher intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels than pre-apoptotic ones. Addition of Tempol or Desferal accelerated doxorubicin-induced necrosis and partially converted it into apoptosis. Both antioxidants reduced surviving colony numbers of prenecrotic Jurkat cells. n-acetyl-l-cysteine had little effect on the apoptotic conversion but profoundly accelerated necrosis. Because an apoptosis-resistant Jurkat subclone was also refractory to doxorubicin-induced necrosis, apoptosis and necrosis might share some common pathways. Low-dose doxorubicin increased micronuclei-positive cell percentages and also suppressed high-dose doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in Jurkat and ml-1 cells. Some of the prenecrotic cells, therefore, might survive and obtain genomic instability. Antioxidants may be useful to suppress, at least to some extent, this vicious consequence.     

Relaxation modulus of denture base resin reinforced with woven glass fibers

This study examined the reinforcing effect of woven glass fibers on the relaxation modulus by three-point loading of denture base resin. Three sandwich-type flexure test specimens polymerized by heating were used, all 3 mm thick: glass fibers in compression (U type); glass fibers in the center (C type); and glass fibers in tension (L type). Unreinforced specimens (ACR) were produced as a control. The relaxation modulus after 8 sec from the start of stress (Er(8)) was calculated from stress relaxation curves. In the glassy state, the Er(8)s of the U and L types were greater than those of the ACR and C types. In the rubbery state (plateau region), the Er(8)s of the U and L types were greater than those of the ACR and C types. The woven glass fibers added to the U and L type specimens increased the relaxation modulus of PMMA near the oral temperature; moreover, they inhibited stress relaxation when the temperature increased.