Total syntheses of ent-hypocoprin A and ent-hypocoprin B

This study reports the stereoselective total syntheses of the antipodes of the unique 3/10 bicyclic skeletal sesquiterpenoids, namely, hypocoprin A and hypocoprin B. The synthesis involved conjugate addition accelerated by trimethylsilyl chloride, construction of the ten-membered ring via the intramolecular S_N2 reaction promoted by 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, and osmium-mediated π-facial selective dihydroxylation to functionalize the 1,1-disubstituted alkene.

This study reports the stereoselective total syntheses of the antipodes of the unique 3/10 bicyclic skeletal sesquiterpenoids, namely, hypocoprin A and hypocoprin B.     

Does Systemic Chemotherapy Influence Skeletal Growth of Young Osteosarcoma Patients as a Treatment-Related Late Adverse Effect?

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of systemic chemotherapy on the skeletal growth of young osteosarcoma patients as a treatment-related late adverse effect. We reviewed the height data of 20 osteosarcoma patients (13 males and 7 females) aged ≤18 years. The average (±SD) age at diagnosis was 14.5 (±3.3) years. The average follow-up interval was 89.6 months. After wide resection of the affected bones, reconstruction with tumor prostheses and auto-bone grafting was carried out in 11 and 9 cases, respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the association between actual and predicted (using Paley’s multiplier method) heights. Z-scores were used to compare the initial and final heights with the Japanese national growth curve. Actual and predicted heights were correlated according to Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R = 0.503). Z-analysis showed that statistical significance (p = 0.04) was noted for the height data Z-scores of patients between ≤10 years and >10 years at the final follow-up. Systemic chemotherapy did not reduce skeletal growth in young osteosarcoma patients as a late adverse effect based on two different evaluation methods. However, patients aged ≤10 years at diagnosis may develop a short stature after systemic chemotherapy.     

Urinary Transthyretin as a Biomarker in ATTRv Val50Met Amyloidosis

Transthyretin (TTR), the precursor protein for amyloidogenic TTR (ATTR) amyloidosis, forms tetramers and escapes glomerular filtration by binding with thyroxine and retinol-binding protein. However, variant TTRs are unstable as tetramers, so monomeric TTR has become the precursor protein of amyloid deposits, via protein misfolding. The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of urinary TTR in the diagnosis of ATTRv amyloidosis. Urinary samples from healthy volunteers, ATTRv V50M amyloidosis patients, and asymptomatic carriers of the ATTRv V50M gene were analysed using ELISA. To analyse the different forms of TTR secreted to the urine, we performed Western blotting and mass spectrometry. Urinary TTR concentrations were significantly higher in the ATTRv V50M amyloidosis patients than they were in the healthy volunteers and asymptomatic carriers of the gene. Although the TTR concentrations were negligible in the healthy volunteers, they were correlated with disease progression and urinary albumin concentrations in the ATTRv V50M amyloidosis patients. The Western blotting and mass spectrometry revealed the presence of monomeric wild-type and variant TTRs in the urine. Urinary TTR concentrations may become a more sensitive biomarker of ATTRv progression than albumin.     

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Synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices have been studied during ageing of a double transgenic mouse strain relevant to early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). This strain, which over-expresses both the 695 amino acid isoform of human amyloid precursor protein (APP) with K670N and M671L mutations and presenilin 1 with the A246E mutation, has accelerated amyloidosis and plaque formation. There was a decrease in synaptic transmission in both wildtype and transgenic mice between 2 and 9 months of age. However, preparing slices from 14 month old animals in kynurenic acid (1 mM) counteracted this age-related deficit. Basal transmission and paired-pulse facilitation was similar between the two groups at all ages (2, 6, 9 and 14 months) tested. Similarly, at all ages LTP, induced either by theta burst stimulation or by multiple tetani, was normal. These data show that a prolonged, substantially elevated level of Aβ are not sufficient to cause deficits in the induction or expression of LTP in the CA1 hippocampal region.     

Distinct Recurrence Pattern and Outcome of Adenocarcinoma of the Gastric Cardia in Comparison with Carcinoma of Other Regions of the Stomach

Background Carcinoma arising in the cardioesophageal junction is a distinct clinical entity compared with tumors located in other regions of the stomach. The prognosis for adenocarcinoma of the upper stomach is considered to be relatively poorer than carcinomas of the more distal stomach. We have therefore investigated patients with carcinoma of the gastric cardia in order to evaluate the underlying cause of this poor prognosis. Materials and Methods Clinicopathologic features and postoperative prognosis of 101 patients with carcinoma of the cardia were evaluated and compared with findings on 1884 patients with tumors in other regions of the stomach. Results Tumors of the cardia had a mean size of 6.8 cm, which was significantly larger than the mean size of 5.9 cm for tumors found in the middle- and lower third of the stomach. The incidence of serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis, and lymphatic and blood vessel invasion was higher in association with adenocarcinoma of the cardia than with adenocarcinoma in remaining parts of the stomach. In the analysis of patients who had undergone curative resection, the 5-year survival rates were 61.6, 79.1, and 82.6% in patients with carcinoma of the cardia, upper one-third, and remaining middle- and lower one-third of the stomach, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant. Multivariate analysis indicated that adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia is an independent prognostic factor. With regard to the site of recurrence, both lymph node and hematogenous recurrence were observed more frequently in the cardia than in the remaining parts of the stomach. Conclusions Our data indicate that the prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia is extremely poor. To improve their prognosis, new treatments in addition to gastrectomy with extensive lymph node dissection are needed.     

Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with colorectal cancer: a sub-analysis of a large,multicenter, case-control study in Japan

Surgery Today - Postoperative pneumonia affects the length of stay and mortality after surgery in elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to determine the risk factors of...     

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumor of the pancreas associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

A 43-year-old male with a history of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) was admitted to our center with severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. CT showed multiple cysts in the liver and both kidneys along with ADPKD and a cystic mass, 4 cm in diameter, in the pancreatic head. The main pancreatic duct was dilated to 1 cm in diameter. The patient was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis due to intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (IPMT), and pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histologic examination revealed a multiloculated cystic tumor filled with mucin in the head of the pancreas. Microscopically, the tumor was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma and was found to have invaded the main pancreatic duct. Although, in addition to our case, only seven cases with association between ADPKD and malignant neoplasms have been reported, five of these cases had neoplasms arising from the pancreas. Therefore, we suggest that some genetic interactions may exist between ADPKD and pancreatic carcinogenesis.     

Role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta on lung dysfunction following hemorrhagic shock in rats.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic shock occasionally causes a fatal outcome following an outbreak of lung dysfunction, but the precise mechanism has not been clearly elucidated. Several studies have indicated that hemorrhagic shock causes a delayed vascular inflammatory decompensation and leads to inflammation-related organ dysfunction. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta are known as major proinflammatory cytokines that play an important role in excessive autolytic inflammation, finally inducing organ dysfunctions. In this study, the role of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta on lung dysfunction following hemorrhagic shock was examined by using FR167653, a potent inhibitor of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta production that acts by suppressing p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). MATERIAL/METHODS: Hemorrhagic shock was induced in anesthetized male rats by bleeding via a common carotid catheter for 20 minutes to 25% of total body blood volume without fluid resuscitation. Mean blood pressure, heart rate and arterial blood gas components were recorded up to 5 hours after the bleeding. The levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH)-3 isozyme were measured in the serum of pulmonary venous blood. The lung tissue was excised for the assay of mRNA and for histopathological study. RESULTS: The expressions of mRNA for TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in the lung tissue and the concentrations of both cytokines in pulmonary serum increased after a hemorrhage. Inflammation-related injuries and function deterioration were observed in the lung following hemorrhagic shock. These hemorrhagic changes were inhibited by pretreatment with FR167653. CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha and IL-1beta play a key role in the development of inflammation-related lung dysfunction following hemorrhagic shock. Our model should be useful to explain the pathogenesis of lung dysfunction following hemorrhagic shock.     

Transrectal ultrasound-guided 10-core biopsy of the prostate for Japanese patients

To determine the utility of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided 10-core prostate biopsy (sextant plus 4 far lateral cores) for Japanese patients, we compared it with the standard sextant for detection of prostate cancer. The study patients were 564 consecutive Japanese men (median age 71 years) who underwent 10-core biopsy because of PSA values of > or = 2.0 ng/ml at Hiroshima University Hospital between March 2000 and December 2004. The overall cancer detection rate for the 10-core biopsy was 42.6% (240/564), which was significantly higher than the 36.3% (205/564) for the standard sextant biopsy (P=0.0330), with a 14.6% (35/240) improvement. The 10-core biopsy also detected a significant number of additional cancers in the sub-groups of patients with PSA values of 2 to approximately 10 ng/ml (P=0.0275), a prostate volume of > 20 cc (P=0.0440), or normal findings of digital rectal examination (P=0.0304). The 10-core biopsy scheme detected 9.6% and 2.1 to approximately 8.3% more cancers than the lateral sextant (apex, lateral mid portion, and lateral base) and the probable different combinations of 8-core biopsy designs, respectively. Compared to the standard sextant biopsy, the 10-core biopsy did not detect an increased proportion of clinically insignificant cancers. There was no severe morbidity, and only 2 patients (0.4%) were briefly hospitalized due to high fever. These results show that the TRUS-guided 10-core biopsy yields a better prostate cancer detection rate than the 6-core or 8-core protocol without severe complications. Therefore, it seems to be practicable for Japanese patients.