Motor discoordination of transgenic mice overexpressing a microtubule destabilizer, stathmin, specifically in Purkinje cells

The proper regulation of microtubule (MT) structure is important for dendritic and neural circuit development. However, the relationship between the regulation of the MTs in dendrites and the formation of neural function is still unclear. Stathmin is a MT destabilizer, and we have previously reported that the expression and the activity of stathmin is downregulated during cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) development. In this study, we generated transgenic mice that specifically overexpress the constitutively active form of stathmin in the PCs. These mutant mice did not show any obvious morphological or excitatory transmission abnormalities in the cerebellum. In contrast, we observed a decline in the expression of MAP2 and KIF5 signal in the PC dendrites and a discoordination of motor function in the mutant mice, although they displayed normal general behavior. These data indicate that the overexpression of stathmin disrupts dendritic MT organization, motor protein distribution, and neural function in PCs.     

The immediate effects of 10-minute relaxation training on salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and mood state for Japanese female medical co-workers

This study examined the effects of relaxation training on salivary IgA (s-IgA) and mood state in Japanese female medical workers. Participants were enrolled and assigned to relaxation or control groups. The relaxation group Japanese female medical workers (n = 38, mean age = 33.5 years, SD = 9.6) participated in a lecture on stress for 1 h and had 10 min of relaxation training. The control group (n = 41, mean age = 35.0 years, SD = 8.6) participated in only the lecture. S-IgA was measured, and a self-report mood questionnaire administered before the lecture and then again after the relaxation training for the relaxation group. The control group was measured before and after the lecture. The results showed that s-IgA levels significantly increased after relaxation training in the relaxation group compared with the control group (p = 0.03). A marginally significant intervention effect was observed for mood state (p = 0.06) ; indicating that the relaxation group was more likely to reduce any fatigue and confusion than was the control group. These findings suggest that short-time relaxation training is effective in relaxing mood and causes changes in immunological function.     

Incidence rate of injection-site granulomas resulting from the administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogues for the treatment of prostatic cancer

PURPOSE: Granulomas resulting from the administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogues (LH-RH analogues) are thought to be very rare. We report on our clinical experience with injection-site granulomas that result from the administration of LH-RH analogues, and we evaluate the incidence rate of these granulomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the clinical records of 118 patients who were administered LH-RH analogues in 2005. We describe the clinical data of patients who experienced injection-site granulomas and evaluated the incidence rate. RESULTS: Five patients demonstrated injection-site granulomas due to LH-RH analogue administration. The incidence rate was 4.2% (5 of 118 patients). Most of the granulomas occurred after the first or second administration of 11.25mg of leuprorelin acetate. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of granulomas resulting from the administration of LH-RH analogues was thought to be very rare. Our study, however, revealed a higher incidence rate than expected, especially for leuprorelin acetate.     

Preoperative change of modified Glasgow prognostic score after stenting predicts the long-term outcomes of obstructive colorectal cancer

Inflammation-based markers predict the long-term outcomes of various malignancies. We investigated the relationship between the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and the long-term outcomes of obstructive colorectal cancer in patients who underwent self-expandable metallic colonic stent placement and subsequently received curative surgery. We retrospectively analyzed 63 consecutive patients with pathological stage II and III obstructive colorectal cancer from 2013 to 2018. The mGPS was calculated before stenting and surgery, and the difference of the scores was defined as the d-mGPS. All d-mGPS = 2 patients were > 70 years of age (p = 0.01). Postoperative complications were more common in the preoperative mGPS = 2 group (p = 0.02). The postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer in the mGPS = 2 group (p = 0.007). Multivariate analyses revealed that d-mGPS was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 9.18, p = 0.004) and cancer-specific survival (HR = 9.98, p = 0.01). Preoperative mGPS = 2 was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 5.53, p = 0.04). The results indicated that mGPS might serve as a valuable indicator of the immunonutritional status of preoperative patients, and a preoperative change of the status might affect the long-term outcomes of patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.