Allergic airway eosinophilia is suppressed in ovalbumin-sensitized Brown Norway rats fed raffinose and alpha-linked galactooligosaccharide

We recently found that dietary raffinose suppressed allergic airway eosinophilia in ovalbumin-sensitized Brown Norway rats. Using this model in the present study, we compared the efficacy of other oligosaccharides with that of raffinose. Brown Norway rats were immunized s.c. with ovalbumin on d 0 and exposed to aerosolized ovalbumin on d 20; broncho-alveolar lavage fluid was obtained on d 21. In Expt. 1, rats were fed a control diet or diets supplemented with different oligosaccharides (50 g/kg diet, raffinose, alpha-linked galactooligosaccharide, fructooligosaccharide, and xylooligosaccharide). The number of eosinophils in the fluid was significantly lower in rats fed raffinose and alpha-linked galactooligosaccharide diets than in those fed the control diet. Dietary fructooligosaccharide and xylooligosaccharide did not affect airway eosinophilia. In Expt. 2, i.p. administration of raffinose and alpha-linked galactooligosaccharide, but not fructooligosaccharide and xylooligosaccharide, suppressed airway eosinophilia in rats fed the control diet. In Expt. 3, suppression of airway eosinophilia by dietary alpha-linked galactooligosaccharide occurred in cecectomized rats administered neomycin. Reduced levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 mRNA in lung tissue were associated with the suppression of airway eosinophilia. We propose that indigestible oligosaccharides differ in their suppressive effect on allergic airway eosinophilia in ovalbumin-sensitized Brown Norway rats and that the effect appears not to be mediated by intestinal microflora.     

Effects of Gender on the Severity of Sepsis

Purpose To investigate the differences between male and female rats and the effects of sex hormones on tissue changes in the lung and liver in a sepsis model.Methods Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups of ten. Groups 1 and 2 were the control male and female groups, respectively, subjected only to sepsis; groups 3 and 4 were the male and female groups, respectively, subjected to sepsis, then given 0.04mg/kg estrogen + progesterone (E-P) intramuscularly (i.m.); and groups 5 and 6 were the male and female groups, respectively, subjected to sepsis, then given 0.5mg/kg testosterone (T) i.m. The rats were killed and the histopathological changes in the lung and liver were examined, and plasma endotoxin levels were measured.Results Histopathological examination revealed less congestion, portal inflammation, and focal necrosis of the liver, and less congestion, edema, and emphysematous and inflammatory changes in the lung in the E-P groups than in the other groups. Moreover, signs of systemic endotoxemia in plasma were proportionally less in the female rats and in the E-P groups than in the male rats and the T groups.Conclusion Female rats subjected to sepsis showed less liver and lung tissue damage and less systemic endotoxemia than male rats, because of the effects of female sex hormones.     

Spatial fragment distribution from a therapeutic pencil-like carbon beam in water

The latest heavy ion therapy tends to require information about the spatial distribution of the quality of radiation in a patient's body in order to make the best use of any potential advantage of swift heavy ions for the therapeutic treatment of a tumour. The deflection of incident particles is described well by Molière's multiple-scattering theory of primary particles; however, the deflection of projectile fragments is not yet thoroughly understood. This paper reports on our investigation of the spatial distribution of fragments produced from a therapeutic carbon beam through nuclear reactions in thick water. A DeltaE-E counter telescope system, composed of a plastic scintillator, a gas-flow proportional counter and a BGO scintillator, was rotated around a water target in order to measure the spatial distribution of the radiation quality. The results revealed that the observed deflection of fragment particles exceeded the multiple scattering effect estimated by Molière's theory. However, the difference can be sufficiently accounted for by considering one term involved in the multiple-scattering formula; this term corresponds to a lateral 'kick' at the point of production of the fragment. This kick is successfully explained as a transfer of the intra-nucleus Fermi momentum of a projectile to the fragment; the extent of the kick obeys the expectation derived from the Goldhaber model.     

The development of a brief screening instrument for depression and suicidal ideation for elderly: the Depression and Suicide Screen

The early detection of depression and suicidal ideation is essential for the prevention of suicide in the community. This study therefore aimed to develop a brief screen for depression and suicidal ideation that can be easily administered in primary-care settings. The Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) were administered by 353 residents of a single community aged 64 years and over. A five-item screen was derived from SDS and HADS, using CIDI as the external criterion (study 1). The scale was modified so that it was more appropriate for our use, and was labeled the Depression and Suicide Screen (DSS). Its validity and reliability were examined among a further 382 residents of the same community aged 64 years and over, using the Short-Form Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-S) as the external criterion (study 2). The DSS was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha=0.62). Its reliability in detecting depression (defined as >or= 6 in GDS-S) and suicidal ideation (screened out by the inquiry by our trained staff) was 0.768 and 0.721, respectively. For depression, the sensitivity was 0.705; specificity, 0.729; positive predictive value (PPV), 0.446; negative predictive value (NPV), 0.888; and the overall diagnostic power, 0.723. For suicidal ideation, its sensitivity was 0.698; specificity, 0.693; PPV, 0.317; NPV, 0.926; and overall diagnostic power, 0.694. The DSS demonstrated a reasonable level of sensitivity and specificity in identifying both depression and suicidal ideation among the elderly within a community.     

Expression of tubulin beta II in neuroepithelial tumors: reflection of architectural changes in the developing human brain

Tubulin beta II (Tub-II) is widely distributed in the developing neuronal axons and dendrites. Recent studies have demonstrated that Tub-II is also important in the early development of the human brain, and Tub-II represents a marker for progenitor and neural stem cells. To elucidate the correlation between the developing brain and neuroepithelial tumors (NETs), the present study assessed Tub-II expression by NETs and normal brain tissue using immunohistochemical and immunoblot analyses. In the gliomas, decreased numbers and staining intensities of Tub-II-positive cells tended to be associated with increased differentiation. Conversely, neuronal neoplasms displayed high percentages and strong staining intensities among the Tub-II-positive cells, irrespective of differentiation. In neuronal neoplasms and neoplasms with neuronal differentiation, Tub-II staining was far more intense and more homogeneous than Tub-II staining in gliomas. These results indicate that the expression of Tub-II in NETs may reflect architectural changes in the developing brain and may support the hypothesis that neuroepithelial tumors originate from glioneuronal progenitor cells capable of generating astrocytic, and neuronal cell types.     

Strongest correlation of HbA(1c) with 1-month-earlier glucose levels in type 2 diabetes

We examined the correlations of hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) with each plasma glucose (PG) level obtained at 0 (the same day), 1 and 2 month(s) prior to HbA(1c) determination. Data were from glycemic profiles of four patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with tablets whose HbA(1c) and pre- and post-breakfast PG levels were monitored each month. There was no significant difference in the correlation coefficients in cases 1 and 2, who presented with linear glycemic time courses. In contrast, HbA(1c) correlated with 1-month-earlier pre-breakfast PG level more strongly than 2-month-earlier post-breakfast PG level in cases 3 and 4, and than same-day post-breakfast PG level in case 3 (P<0.05, ANOVA). The cases 3 and 4 presented with fluctuating glycemic time courses. Samples were separated into upslope's and downslope's sections according to HbA(1c) fluctuation in the latter two cases. Reflecting around the 1-month lag between HbA(1c) and PG, the two sections' regression lines for PG versus HbA(1c) corresponded in the only samples related to 1-month-earlier pre- and post-breakfast PG (t-test). In conclusion, it appears that pre- and post-breakfast PG levels are the most reliable predictors of 1-month-later HbA(1c) in type 2 diabetic outpatients who undergo medical examinations every month.     

Denervation and Reinnervation of the Heart After Aortic Surgery,Estimated by <Superscript>123</Superscript>I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine Scintigraphy

Purpose To investigate whether sympathetic nerve injury occurs during aortic surgery and how reinnervation takes place afterward.Methods Imaging with ¹²³I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) was performed in 12 patients (aortic group) who underwent aortic surgery (ascending replacement 3, ascending-arch replacement 9) before and 3 weeks after surgery. In 8 of 12 patients, MIBG scintigraphy was performed 1 and 2 years after surgery. Twelve patients (control group) who underwent open-heart surgery (mitral valve repair: 11; tricuspid valve replacement: 1) were studied using MIBG scintigraphy. The heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) activity ratio was obtained from planar images. The myocardial single-photon-emission computed tomography image was divided into five segments and the regional tracer uptake was scored from 0 = absent to 3 = normal uptake.Results No significant difference in the H/M ratio in either early and delayed planar scans was observed between both groups before surgery. The H/M ratios significantly decreased 3 weeks after surgery in the aortic group, whereas there was no significant change in the control group. The H/M ratio did not recover to the preoperative level within 2 years. In these 8 patients, the regional uptake of MIBG improved in the anterior and septal regions 1 year after surgery.Conclusion During ascending or ascending-arch replacement, the sympathetic nerve was globally denervated and slight reinnervation was observed within 2 years. The anterior and septal regions showed a rapid reinnervation, whereas other regions did not.     

Effects of combined sensory and muscular training on balance in Japanese older adults

BACKGROUND: Adequate levels of physical balance and muscular strength are necessary to live independently in old age. The effects of an exercise training program targeting the sensory and muscle systems on balance and strength in a group of older adults were determined in this study. METHODS: Static balance (one-leg balance with eyes closed), dynamic balance (limits of stability [endpoint excursion [EPE], maximum excursion [MXE]]), and strength (chair stand) were assessed before and after the intervention. Volunteers were divided randomly into a training group (TR, n = 15, 76 +/- 4 years) and a control group (CN, n = 14, 76 +/- 7 years). TR performed 12-week (2 days/week, 60 min/day) supervised training while standing on the floor (first 4 weeks) and progressing to standing on foam pads of different compliances. Exercises included movements that challenged the sensory and muscle systems. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of training, the TR demonstrated significant improvements in static balance (82%); EPE backward (72%), right (32%), and left (33%); MXE backward (74%), right (31%), and left (18%); and lower body muscle strength (20%) with no significant changes in CN. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that this training program is very effective in improving balance and lower body strength in older adults.