Overexpression of the Del1 gene causes dendritic branching in the mouse mesentery

In the present study, we established transgenic mice overexpressing Del1, a ligand of integrins, to examine the effect of overexpression of Del1 on vascular morphogenesis. In the wild-type mouse, mesenteric vessels are shaped like rakes consisting of a long stalk and short branches at the periphery. In contrast, those in transgenic mice showed typical dendritic architecture consisting of a few large primary branches with smaller spreading branches. The phenotype of mice overexpressing Del1 suggests the existence of a tissue-specific mechanism for branching morphogenesis in the mesentery.     

General Pathology Of Kawasaki Disease

Systemic pathological alterations were studied in thirty-seven autopsied patients with Kawasaki disease. Systemic vasculitis was the most characteristic pathological finding and was present in all the patients. In addition to the vasculitis, there was a high incidence of inflammatory lesions in various organs and tissues: in the heart, endocarditis, myocarditis, and pericarditis; in the digestive system, stomatitis, sialoduct-adenitis, catarrhal enteritis, hepatitis, cholangitis, pancreatitis, and pancreas ductitis; in the respiratory system, bronchitis and segmental interstitial pneumonia; in the urinary system, focal interstitial nephritis, cystitis, and prostatitis; in the nervous system, aseptic leptomeningitis, choriomeningitis, ganglionitis, and neuritis; in the hematopoietic system, lymphadenitis, splenitis, and thymitis. Dermatitis, panniculitis or myositis were also observed in some patients. Therefore, Kawasaki disease is a systemic inflammatory disease which mainly affects the cardiovascular system. These systemic inflammatory lesions are considered to correspond to the variegated clinical manifestaitions. The relationship between Kawasaki disease and infantile polyarteritis nodosa (IPN) were discussed, based on the clinicopathological characteristics.     

Cloning of a truncated Babesia equi gene encoding an 82-kilodalton protein and its potential use in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

To isolate Babesia equi genes encoding immunodominant proteins, a cDNA expression library prepared from B. equi mRNA was immunoscreened with B. equi-infected horse serum. Eighteen positive cDNA clones were obtained, and the clone that showed the strongest immunoreactivity, designated Be82, was further characterized. The Be82 gene consisted of 1,953 bp and contained a partial open reading frame lacking the 5'-terminal sequence. As shown by Western blot analyses, immune sera from mice intraperitoneally injected with the Be82 gene product recognized the 82- and 52-kDa proteins of B. equi but not those of Babesia caballi. The glutathione S-transferase fusion protein expressed in Escherichia coli that was purified and used as the antigen in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reacted specifically with B. equi-infected horse sera. These results suggest that the Be82 gene product is a potential diagnostic antigen candidate in the detection of B. equi infection in horses that will be useful both in the performance of epidemiological studies and in the granting of quarantine passes.     

Raman spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) in heavy water and dimethyl sulfoxide

The Raman spectra of solutions of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP; M?_w = 1 000, 10 000, 40 000 and 360 000) in D₂O and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were measured at various concentrations. PVP is hydrated by D₂O in a manner different from N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), monomer analogues of PVP. The self-association of DMSO molecules in the solution of PVP was found to be different from that in the solution of NMP by using difference spectroscopy. These phenomena were attributed to a net-like structure of concentrated solutions of PVP.     

Effects of participatory workplace improvement program on stress-related biomarkers and self-reported stress among university hospital nurses: a preliminary study

Although participatory workplace improvement programs are known to provide favorable effects on high stress occupations like nursing, no studies have confirmed its effect using biomarkers. The aim of this study was to determine whether a participatory workplace improvement program would decrease stress-related symptoms as evaluated by biomarkers and self-reported stress among hospital nurses. Three actions to alleviate job stress, which were determined through focus group interviews and voting, were undertaken for two months. A total of 31 female Japanese nurses underwent measurement of inflammatory markers, autonomic nervous activity (ANA), and perceived job stress (PJS) at three-time points; before the program (T1), within a week after the completion of the program (T2), and three months after the program (T3). A series of inflammatory markers (Interferon-γ, Interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12/23p40) decreased significantly at T2, and IL-12/23p40 and IL-15 significantly decreased at T3 compared to T1, while ANA and PJS remained unchanged. Our participatory program exerted beneficial effects in reducing inflammatory responses, but not for ANA and PJS. Further investigations with a better study design, i.e., a randomized controlled trial, and a larger sample size are warranted to determine what exerted beneficial effects on inflammatory markers and why other outcomes remained unchanged.     

A cost-minimization analysis of measures against metallic dental restorations for head and neck radiotherapy

The aim of this study was to compare the estimated public medical care cost of measures to address metallic dental restorations (MDRs) for head and neck radiotherapy using high-energy mega-voltage X-rays. This was considered a first step to clarify which MDR measure was more cost-effective. We estimated the medical care cost of radiotherapy for two representative MDR measures: (i) with MDR removal or (ii) without MDR removal (non-MDR removal) using magnetic resonance imaging and a spacer. A total of 5520 patients received head and neck radiation therapy in 2018. The mean number of MDRs per person was 4.1 dental crowns and 1.3 dental bridges. The mean cost per person was estimated to be 121 720 yen for MDR removal and 54 940 yen for non-MDR removal. Therefore, the difference in total public medical care cost between MDR removal and non-MDR removal was estimated to be 303 268 800 yen. Our results suggested that non-MDR removal would be more cost-effective than MDR removal for head and neck radiotherapy. In the future, a national survey and cost-effectiveness analysis via a multicenter study are necessary; these investigations should include various outcomes such as the rate of local control, status of oral mucositis, frequency of hospital visits and efforts of the medical professionals.     

Characterization of [3H]brevetoxin binding to voltage-dependent sodium channels in adrenal medullary cells

We have previously reported that in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells Ptychodiscus brevis toxin-3 (PbTx-3) does not alter the veratridine-induced ²²Na influx when given alone, but increases the influx of ²²Na when co-applied with either - or -scorpion venom (Wada et al. 1992). In the present study, we characterized [³H]PbTx-3 binding in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. [³H]PbTx-3 binding was saturable, reversible and of high-affinity with an equilibrium dissociation constant (K_d) of 32.0±4.9 nmol/1 and a maximum binding capacity B_max of 6.2 ± 1.2 pmol/4 × 10⁶ cells (4.5 ± 0.9 pmol/mg cell protein). A Hill plot revealed the lack of cooperative interaction among the binding sites. Unlabelled PbTx-3 inhibited [³H]PbTx-3 binding with an IC₅₀ of 31 nmol/l. However, tetrodotoxin, veratridine, - and -scorpion venom, or veratridine in combination with either - or -scorpion venom did not alter [³H]PbTx-3 binding. All these results suggest that PbTx-3 binds to a site (site 5) distinct from the previously known four toxin binding sites, which does not gate voltage-dependent Na channels by itself, but is specifically involved in the allosteric modulation of Na channels in adrenal medullary cells. Correspondence to: A. Wada at the above address