Effects of diet with or without exercise on leptin and anticoagulation proteins levels in obesity.

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and thromboembolic events. We investigated the effects of weight reduction by a 12-week calorie-restricted diet with or without aerobic exercise (diet group and diet plus exercise group) on leptin and anticoagulation proteins levels. Forty-two obese nondiabetic individuals were evaluated for blood levels of leptin, protein C activity, free protein S antigen and for body fat area calculated on computerized tomography before and after intervention. Before intervention, serum levels of leptin and free protein S antigen correlated positively with several adiposity-related parameters. After the program, body weight and fat area were significantly decreased in both groups. Body mass index and leptin levels decreased in both groups, with a larger change in the diet plus exercise group than in the diet group. Although protein C activity levels did not change in both groups, free protein S antigen levels decreased significantly in the diet plus exercise group. In conclusion, the 12-week programs had significant effects on the initial weight reduction and body fat mass, decreasing lepin levels in obese nondiabetic individuals. To clarify whether aerobic exercise has additional or direct effects on the anticoagulation system, a study in a large number of individuals is needed.     

Computerized tomography observation of a calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor with an odontoma: case report.

The calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor is a rare benign odontogenic lesion. This report documents a case of this lesion associated with odontoma arising from the anterior maxilla in a 14-year-old boy. The diagnosis was confirmed based on computerized tomography findings, which clearly depicted the internal structures obscured in conventional images.     

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine in a patient with a choking feeling in the esophagus]

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of a choking feeling around the esophagus. Laboratory examinations revealed eosinophilia, and high levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E. A computed tomography scan (CT) showed wall thickening of the esophagus and terminal ileum, and ascites around the liver. An endoscopic examination revealed mild mucosal edema in the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Biopsy specimens showed diffuse eosinophilic infiltration in the mucosa. We therefore diagnosed eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Oral prednisolone relieved clinical conditions and the CT image improved. This case was considered valuable, because there have been few reports of eosinophilic esophagitis in Japan.     

Primary linitis plastica of the descending colon: a case report

A rare case of primary linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon seen in a 44 year old Japanese man is described herein. The patient had a complete obstruction of the descending colon and was treated with a loop colostomy followed shortly afterward by a left hemicolectomy. At the time of the second operation, the entire thickness of the colonic wall was found to be infiltrated by cancer cells, however, the other intraabdominal organs were free of cancerous involvement. The histopathological diagnosis made at this time was primary linitis plastica carcinoma of the descending colon. Nine months later, the patient developed an intestinal obstruction and relaparotomy revealed diffuse peritoneal dissemination. Two years after the first operation, upper GI films and a gastrofiberscopic examination revealed gastric involvement. The patient died 28 months after his initial operation, and autopsy revealed widespread metastases in the peritoneal surface, paraaortic lymph nodes, small intestine, remaining colon and stomach.     

Immunobead and Density Gradient Purification of Paget Cells: In vitro Studies of Proliferation

Previous studies using primary monolayer cultures of epithelial cells from the involved epidermis of patients with mammary and extramammary Paget's disease investigated whether Paget cells proliferate as other malignant cells do. Although epithelial monolayers from the involved skin were maintained for approximately 45 days, no permanent cell lines were established. The proportion of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-positive cells did not increase in the long-term cultures. Herein, we report studies of whether there is a real reduction of Paget cell numbers or if this is merely a decrease in the expression of CEA by the cells. Furthermore, we investigated whether Paget cells survive longer when cultured free from any potential inhibitory keratinocytes or other epidermal cells. Skin samples were obtained from one patient with mammary Paget's disease and three with extramammary Paget's disease; epidermal cells were cultured in vitro. An enrichment of Paget cells was carried out from the cultured epidermal cells by combining an anti-epithelial membrane antigen monoclonal antibody, binding to immunobeads, and density gradient centrifugation in Nycodenz. The separated cells were re-cultured in Keratinocyte-SFM serum-free media. The proportion of CEA-positive cells did not increase in the cultures, and the purified cells did not show any increase in survival times compared to the non-purified cultured cells. These results suggest that the decrease of CEA-positive cells noted during culture results from a decline in expression of CEA in the Paget cells. Paget cells in the involved epidermis do not proliferate significantly and thus differ from many other malignant cells.     

Clinical and immunological studies on patients with Graves' disease preoperatively treated with corticosteroids and iodides

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of corticosteroid and iodide preoperative therapy in patients with Graves' disease in terms of thyroid function and immunological parameters. The above combination was prescribed for 4 patients who had experienced severe side effects from antithyroid drugs (ATD) in order to reduce the possibility of post-thyroidectomy thyroid storm. Corticosteroids were employed daily for four days, and iodides were given daily for two weeks prior to thyroidectomy. The free T₃ values decreased rapidly to euthyroid levels following the administration of both drugs, although the free T₄ values were still much higher than normal in 3 of the 4 patients at the time of surgery. By comparison, 3 of 8 patients treated with ATD also had thyroid hormone levels above normal. Studies of lymphocyte subsets revealed that the percentage of helper T cells was significantly less in the corticosteroidiodide treatment group than in the control and ATD groups. It is thus possible that postoperative thyroid storm might be prevented through corticosteroid-iodide therapy by virtue of the reduction of free T₃ values to within the normal range by the time of surgery. The acute suppression of helper T cells was another result of this form of therapy observed.     

Characterization of adenosine deaminase (ADA)-negative B-lymphoblastoid cells cocultured with ADA-positive fibroblasts

Abstract: A cell line, BAD05, derived from B lymphocytes of an adenosine deaminase (ADA; EC 3,5,4,4)-deficient patient could not proliferate in a serum-free medium containing 100 μmol/l deoxyadenosine. When BAD05 was cultured with ADA-positive fibroblasts, the proliferation of BAD05 was improved. BAD05 cell density increased when the initially mixed ratio of fibroblasts/BAD05 was 1/10 or higher, but decreased when the ratio was 1/20 or lower. Deoxyadenosine concentrations in the medium and ATP and deoxyATP (dATP) levels in the BAD05 were measured after 4 hours of coculture at initial BAD05 cell densities of 1 × 10⁵and 1 × 10⁶cells/ml. Deoxyadenosine concentrations in the medium decreased as the density of fibroblasts increased. The dATP level decreased as the mixed ratio rose. The ratio of fibroblasts/BAD05 rather than the cell density of fibroblasts had a larger effect on the dATP levels in BAD05. Under our experimental conditions, ADA-negative cells proliferated well when the ratio of ADA-positive cells/ADA-negative cells was over 1/10.     

Phototransduction in cones as examined in excised membrane patch.

Phototransduction mechanisms have been so far investigated mostly in rods, whereas those in cones are much less known. In the present experiment, we investigated phototransduction mechanisms in inside-out patches excised from cone outer segments of the carp. Cyclic GMP-activated channels on the patch became light-sensitive when both GTP and Mg2+ were supplied by perfusion. When the channels were activated by a hydrolysis-resistant analogue of cGMP, activities were not suppressed by light even though both GTP and Mg2+ were present. Thus activation of transducin and phosphodiesterase (PDE) were involved in the transduction processes, indicating that phototransduction mechanisms in cones are qualitatively similar to those in rods. In cone patches, however, light responses fully terminated even though ATP was absent, opposing to the report that ATP was indispensable for light response termination in rods. The response termination in the cone patch might result from activation of guanylate cyclase and/or inactivation of PDE. Under the perfusion of GTP together with Mg2+ and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine, no channel activities were observed, indicating that no guanylate cyclase activity was present in cone patch preparations. Therefore, termination of the light response in the patch might be caused by inactivation of PDE which resulted from inactivation of photopigment and transducin. Based on these observations, differences in light response kinetics between the rod and cone are discussed.     

Effect of alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist (midaglizole) on gastrointestinal motility in conscious dogs

To clarify the physiological role of the mechanism that adrenergic nerve inhibits Ach release from intramural cholinergic nerve endings, the influence of Midaglizole, alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, to postprandial gastrointestinal motilities in conscious dogs was investigated. Postprandial motilities of gastric antrum, duodenum, ileum, and colon were significantly enhanced by Midaglizole (3.0-5.0 mg/kg body weight, i.v.). These excitatory responses were abolished by atropine (0.05-0.1 mg/kg body weight, i.v.). On the other hand, in most cases (29 cases out of 32), when Midaglizole was administered during quiesent phase of IMC, no change occurred in gastrointestinal motility. However, after subliminal dose of pentagastrin or cisapride, which stimulated Ach release from intramural cholinergic neuron without development of motility, was administered, Midaglizole induced phasic, postprandial motility-like contraction in gastrointestinal tract. Even in the fasted state, when Midaglizole was administered intragastrically, irregular contractions with high amplitude occurred in every regions from gastric antrum to colon. And these excitatory responses were abolished by atropine. Similar reaction was observed also in truncal vagotomized dogs. These results suggest that it is the physiological mechanism that adrenergic nerve presynaptically inhibits Ach release from intramural cholinergic neuron, which is the main mechanism of development of postprandial motility, acting on alpha 2-adrenergic receptor, and has tonic control of postprandial motility.