No evidence of PEG1/MEST gene mutations in Silver‐Russell syndrome patients

Silver‐Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth retardation with morphologic anomalies. Maternal uniparental disomy 7 has been reported in some SRS patients. PEG1/MEST is an imprinted gene on chromosome 7q32 that is expressed only from the paternal allele and is a candidate gene for SRS. To clarify its biological function and role in SRS, we screened PEG1/MEST abnormalities in 15 SRS patients from various standpoints. In the lymphocytes of SRS patients, no aberrant expression patterns of two splice variants (α and β) of PEG1/MEST were detected when they were compared with normal samples. Direct sequence analysis failed to detect any mutations in the PEG1/MEST α coding region, and there were no significant mutations in the 5′‐flanking upstream region containing the predicted promoter and the highly conserved human/mouse genomic region. Differential methylation patterns of the CpG island for PEG1/MEST α were normally maintained and resulted in the same pattern as in the normal control, suggesting that there was no loss of imprinting. These findings suggest that PEG1/MEST can be excluded as a major determinant of SRS. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A possible pathogenic role of CD8+ T cells and their derived cytokine, IL-16, in SLE

Current investigations into the role of CD8+ T cells and their derived cytokine, interleukin (IL)-16, in the induction of CD4+ T cell abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were reviewed and discussed on the basis of results mainly obtained in our laboratory.     

Interaction between the septal area and the subfornical organ in the control of water intake induced by thirst-eliciting procedures

Rats bearing lesions in the septal area followed by lesions in the subfornical organ were submitted to various thirst-eliciting procedures. The rats with hyperdipsia induced by lesions of the septal area drank more water than either during the control period or after lesion of the subfornical organ under the same thirst-eliciting or angiotensin-liberating stimuli (polyethyleneglycol, isoproterenol, water deprivation and ligation of the inferior vena cava). The overdrinking elicited by lesions in the septal area was blocked after lesion of the subfornical organ. Neither hypovolemia, nor hypotension or water deprivation could elicit increased water intake in animals whose subfornical organ had been destroyed. Animals with lesions in the subfornical organ showed decreased water intake after cellular dehydration. The results obtained suggest that the subfornical organ acts as a more important structure than the septal area in the regulation of water intake elicited by angiotensin, with two opposite effects: a direct one facilitating water intake, and an indirect one inhibiting the septal area. The septal area has an inhibitory effect on the subfornical organ and on water intake.     

Conservative treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy--clinical effects of increased administration of Hachimijiogan and the relation between these effects and the "Sho" of Chinese medicine

Tsumura Hachimijiogan, 7.5 g a day, was administered to 30 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Clinical effects were estimated based on subjective symptoms and objective findings obtained by uroflowmetry. Twenty patients (66.7%) showed improvement of subjective symptoms and 14 patients (46.7%) showed good response in uroflowmetry. An improvement of overall clinical efficacy was observed in 21 patients (70%). These results were better than those obtained with 5.0 g a day doses of Tsumura Hachimijiogan. No significant relation between the "Sho" in Chinese medicine and the clinical effects of Hachimijiogan was detected. No side effects or abnormal laboratory data were found in any of these 30 patients.     

Brainstem afferents to the omnipause region in the cat: a horseradish peroxidase study

"Omnipause" neurons (OPNs), located in the nucleus raphe pontis and the reticular formation, actively suppress saccadic eye movements during intersaccadic intervals. To determine the brainstem afferents that may inhibit the OPNs and thereby allow a saccade to occur, we injected horseradish peroxidase into the raphe pontis of four cats at the site of physiologically identified OPNs. Labeled neurons were found in a number of brainstem nuclei. The greatest concentrations, composed of small to medium-sized neurons, were located in a group of nuclei around the habenulopeduncular tract, in the rostral mesencephalic reticular formation, in the deep layers of the superior colliculus, and in parts of the subjacent cuneiform and subcuneiform reticular nuclei. Smaller numbers were found in the nucleus reticularis pontis oralis. Caudal to the injection site, labeled neurons were scattered in parts of the nuclei reticularis gigantocellularis, paragigantocellularis dorsalis, and paragigantocellularis lateralis. A few neurons were labeled in a restricted region of the causal part of the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi and in the nucleus reticularis medullaris ventralis. Larger numbers of neurons were labeled in the dorsal column nuclei and in parts of the cochlear nuclei. Smaller numbers were found in the spinal trigeminal nucleus, the lateral nucleus of the superior olive, and the fastigial nucleus of the cerebellum. The nonreticular brainstem projections may contribute sensory information in a number of modalities since OPNs respond to visual, somesthetic, and auditory stimuli. Our findings indicate a number of regions that may contain neural elements impinging on the OPNs. The best prospects for a saccade initiation signal from one of the labeled populations appear to be the meso-diencephalic reticular formation and/or the superior colliculus.     

Effects of Daily Matcha and Caffeine Intake on Mild Acute Psychological Stress-Related Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study

Matcha, a type of green tea, has a higher amino acid content than other types of tea. We previously examined the ability of matcha to improve cognitive function in older adults and determined that continuous matcha intake improves attention and executive function. This study aimed to compare the effects of matcha and caffeine and clarify the differences between these effects. The study was registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000036578). The effect of single and continuous intake was compared, and the usefulness of continuous intake was evaluated under the stress condition. The Uchida–Kraepelin test (UKT) was used to induce mild acute stress, and the Cognitrax was used to evaluate cognitive function. A single dose of caffeine improved attentional function during or after stress loading. The reduced reaction time in the Cognitrax, observed following a single dose of matcha, was likely due to caffeine. The matcha group showed an increase in the amount of work after continuous intake, whereas the caffeine group only showed an increase in the amount of work for the UKT after a single dose. Ingesting matcha with caffeine improves both attention and work performance when suffering from psychological stress compared with caffeine alone.     

Correction to: Efficient photodynamic therapy against drug-resistant prostate cancer using replication-deficient virus particles and talaporfin sodium

Lasers in Medical Science - After publication of this paper, the authors determined an error in Fig. 1.     

A surveillance study of patterns of reirradiation practice using external beam radiotherapy in Japan

The aim of this study was to survey the present status and patterns of reirradiation (Re-RT) practice using external beam radiotherapy in Japan. We distributed an e-mail questionnaire to the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology partner institutions, which consisted of part 1 (number of Re-RT cases in 2008–2012 and 2013–2018) and part 2 (indications and treatment planning for Re-RT and eight case scenarios). Of the 85 institutions that replied to part 1, 75 (88%) performed Re-RTs. However, 59 of these 75 institutions (79%) reported difficulty in obtaining Re-RT case information from their databases. The responses from 37 institutions included the number of Re-RT cases, which totaled 508 in the period from 2009 to 2013 (institution median 3; 0–235), and an increase to 762 cases in the period from 2014 to 2018 (12.5; 0–295). A total of 47 physicians responded to part 2 of the survey. Important indications for Re-RT that were considered were age, performance status, life expectancy, absence of distant metastases and time interval since previous radiotherapy. In addition to clinical decision-making factors, previous total radiation dose, volume of irradiated tissue and the biologically equivalent dose were considered during Re-RT planning. From the eight site-specific scenarios presented to the respondents, >60% of radiation oncologists agreed to perform Re-RT. Re-RT cases have increased in number, and interest in Re-RT among radiation oncologists has increased recently due to advances in technology. However, several problems exist that emphasize the need for consensus building and the establishment of guidelines for practice and prospective evaluation.