Use of electroporation to accelerate the skin permeability enhancing action of oleic acid

Rat skin permeability after treatment by electroporation (newly developed frog type electrode, 100V, 10 pulses), oleic acid/propylene glycol (PG) and a combination of both were investigated using Fourier transformed infrared attenuated total reflectance (FT-IR/ATR) analysis. Electroporation immediately disordered the stratum corneum lipid structure up to a certain threshold level. This action lasted throughout the experiment. This may be attributed to the formation of long lifetime of metastable lipid structures, which may allow molecules to pass to the inside of the stratum corneum due to the electroporation-induced fluidized lipid membranes. Electroporation also altered the protein structure of the stratum corneum. When electroporation was combined with 0.05 M oleic acid/PG, uptake of oleic acid and PG into the stratum corneum was remarkably accelerated compared to the application of only 0.05 M oleic acid/PG to the skin. This indicates that electroporation enables oleic acid and PG to penetrate the stratum corneum easily by disrupting the structure of the latter. PG transfer into the dermis from the epidermis was accelerated, not because of the direct action of electroporation on the dermis, but because electroporation induced the rapidly disordering action of oleic acid on the stratum corneum. Lipid-soluble indomethacin permeated the skin more rapidly when the skin was treated with electroporation plus oleic acid/PG than with 0.05 M oleic acid/PG in vitro.     

Hepatic angiomyolipoma: value of breath hold 2D FLASH GD-dynamic imaging with fat saturation

A case of hepatic angiomyolipoma in a 61-year-old woman is reported. Findings on ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are presented and the usefulness of breath hold 2D FLASH Gd-dynamic imaging with fat saturation is discussed.     

Multiple aneurysms arising from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery with unknown etiology--case report--

A 67-year-old man presented with multiple aneurysms arising from the caudal loop of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), possibly as a result of blunt trauma. Computed tomography of the head revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage in the posterior fossa and sylvian fissure. Repeated angiography demonstrated an aneurysmal dilatation and an irregular wall on the caudal loop of the PICA. Under the operating microscope, two lesions were observed 10 mm distal to the apex of the caudal loop, both consisting of a tiny hole on the vessel wall with a fragile fringe of connective tissue and covered with a firm clot. The height of the lesions corresponded to the C-l lamina, so the lesions were probably traumatic rather than saccular.     

Explicit knowledge and intention to learn in sequence learning: an event-related potential study

The present study was performed to examine how intention to learn and explicit knowledge in sequence learning are reflected in event-related potentials. Participants responded to numerals presented in a repeating order, which were replaced infrequently by deviant numerals. The participants were given incidental or intentional learning instructions. Sequence parts for which they acquired explicit knowledge were identified for each participant by post-task memory tests. Reaction times indicated that sequence learning occurred under both types of instruction. The N2 enhancement for deviants was primarily associated with explicit sequence knowledge, and the P3 enhancement showed a weak association. These results suggested that N2 and P3 reflect different aspects of explicit learning.     

T-cell-depleted CD34+ cell transplantation from an HLA-mismatched donor in a low-birthweight infant with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency

The best strategy of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation for low-birthweight (LBW) infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) remains to be determined. To avoid the toxicity of drugs used for the transplantation and the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the authors performed allogeneic bone marrow HSC transplantation with a combination of CD34 selection and T-cell depletion in a LBW infant with X-linked SCID. The authors analyzed the process of T-cell reconstitution after the transplantation in this patient. The patient was born at 30 weeks and 2 days' gestational age via cesarean section. He was diagnosed as having SCID at birth. The patient received a transplant of 1 million CD34+ cells/kg body weight. Immunologic reconstitution was investigated by means of phenotypic analysis of T cells and genetic analysis of coding joint T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circle expression. Increases in donor-derived NK cells and T cells were observed 2 and 3 months after the transplantation, respectively. The patient had no infectious complications or GVHD despite the presence of SCID and prematurity-associated immunodeficiency. Analysis of T-cell regeneration pathways revealed that T cells reconstituted mainly via the thymus-dependent pathway. T-cell-depleted CD34+ cell transplantation would be a safe and useful therapy for LBW infants with SCID.     

A 40-year-old gossypiboma (foreign body granuloma) mimicking a malignant femoral surface tumor

The patient was a 61-year-old man who developed gossypiboma of the left thigh and femur resulting in the imaging appearances of a malignant surface tumor. He had a past history of surgery on the left femur for open fracture 40 years previously. Radiographs and CT showed a soft tissue mass with osteolysis and periosteal thickening of the left femur. On MRI, the mass showed heterogeneous signal intensity with contrast enhancement at the periphery, suggesting a malignancy. ^99mTc-HMDP bone scintigraphy showed a faint ring-like uptake, but thallium -201 scintigraphy did not show any uptake in the tumor. An extensive intralesional excision was performed. Postoperative histopathological examination showed a fibrous foreign body with reactive changes. There were neither viable cells nor atypical giant cells around the foreign body. No malignant change was evident. Based on surgical and histopathological examinations, the tumor was finally diagnosed as gossypiboma related to a retained surgical sponge.The patient was treated by Dr. Kenshi Sakayama at Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan     

Impaired host defense against Sporothrix schenckii in mice with chronic granulomatous disease

We compared the immune defense of mice with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD mice) with that of wild-type C57BL/6 mice for their response to Sporothrix schenckii. A subcutaneous injection of 5 x 10(4) CFU S. schenckii strain IFM41598 into CGD mice resulted in systemic infection and death within 84 days. In contrast, injected C57BL/6 mice did not develop systemic infection and were able to survive through 100 days of observation. Differences in host resistance were analyzed in vitro. Neutrophils and macrophages obtained from CGD mice were found to allow greater growth of this organism than did those obtained from C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, macrophages obtained from immunized CGD mice were able to simply inhibit the growth of this fungus whereas macrophages obtained from immunized C57BL/6 mice killed the fungus within 48 h after phagocytosis. These results suggest that (i) the lack of NADPH oxidase function is a risk factor for lethal S. schenckii infection and (ii) superoxide anion and its reactive oxidative metabolites produced by neutrophils and macrophages are involved in fungistatic and fungicidal activities.