Sustained activation of protein kinase C is essential to HL-60 cell differentiation to macrophage.

Although a single dose of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) allowed HL-60 cells to differentiate to macrophages, a single dose of membrane-permeant diacylglycerol (DAG), 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (1,2-DiC8), was normally insufficient to differentiate these cells. These cells metabolized 1,2-DiC8 very rapidly, and 1,2-DiC8 available to protein kinase C (PKC) activation was removed from the incubation medium at a rate proportional to cell density. However, increasing the duration of exposure of HL-60 cells to this DAG either by its repeated addition or by decreasing the cell density greatly enhanced their differentiation to macrophages as measured by CD11b expression. During this differentiation induced by DAG, neither measurable translocation nor depletion (down-regulation) of PKC was observed. When the cells were exposed to PMA, on the other hand, some PKC subspecies were instantaneously translocated to membranes and subsequently disappeared very quickly, whereas the alpha-subspecies was decreased to the level of approximately 60% of the resting cell, but thereafter its activity was maintained at a nearly constant level in membranes. After approximately 4 hr, the PKC subspecies, once depleted, reappeared gradually in the membrane fraction. The results suggest that sustained activation of PKC is essential to differentiation of HL-60 cells to macrophages, and depletion of the enzyme is not needed. Perhaps translocation of PKC represents an extreme state of the active form of the enzyme, which may result from PMA action, and the alpha-subspecies presumably plays a key role in HL-60 cell differentiation.     

Effect of stretch on improvement of muscular contractures in rats

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate how a stretching torque affects muscular contractures. [Subjects] The subjects of this study were 48 male Wistar rats. [Methods] Subjects were divided into 4 groups as follows: Group 1 was the control; Group 2 had muscles in continuous fixation; Group 3 had muscles stretched in the direction of dorsiflexion by a spring balancer set at a torque of 0.3N for a period of 30 minutes after continuous fixation; and Group 4 had muscles stretched in the direction of dorsiflexion by a spring balancer set at a torque of 3.0N for a period of 30 minutes after continuous fixation. Joint fixation periods were for 2 and 4-weeks. Ankle joint range of motion and soleus flexibility were analyzed. [Results] For the 2-week joint fixation, soleus flexibility in Group 4 showed an increase compared with that of Group 3. For both fixation periods, range of motion in Group 4 showed an increase compared with that of Group 3. [Conclusion] For both fixation periods, stretching improved joint range of motion. In the 2-week joint fixation, soleus flexibility improved. However, soleus flexibility did not improve in the 4-week joint fixation.Key words: Muscular contracture, Stretching, Muscular flexibility     

Advances in reduced port laparoscopic liver resection

Reduced port surgery has been attracting attention in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Although the use of SILS is becoming widespread, technical difficulty has delayed its adoption for laparoscopic liver resection. Recently, advances in laparoscopic liver resection have been made in tandem with advances in surgical skill and devices. The main driver in conventional laparoscopic liver resection's evolution to become less surgically invasive seems to be single‐incision laparoscopic liver resection (SILLR). To date, most reports on SILLR have been single case reports or case series. Only a few cohort studies on conventional laparoscopic surgery and SILLR have been conducted. Recent reports have described the use of SILLR for well‐localized lesions and solitary tumors located in the anterolateral segments of the liver or left liver lobe, but its application remains limited to partial resection and left lateral sectionectomy. The feasibility and safety of SILLR have been demonstrated, but additional work is needed for standardization of the procedure.     

Predictors of left ventricular remodeling in patients with acute myocardial infarction participating in cardiac rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine the factors influencing the development of left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients participating in a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with special reference to exercise intensity and frequency. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 72 patients with AMI participated in CR consisting of exercise training of moderate intensity (heart rate reserve 40-60%) and education for 12 weeks. Plasma concentration of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was measured at the beginning and the end of CR. Echocardiography was performed before and 1 year after CR. An increase in LV end-diastolic dimension (delta-LVDd) from baseline was used as an index of remodeling. Delta-LVDd was significantly greater in patients with an anterior AMI than with other infarct locations (p<0.05) and correlated significantly with baseline BNP concentration (p<0.05). Delta-LVDd >5 mm occurred exclusively in patients with baseline BNP >150 pg/ml. Variables representing the intensity and frequency of exercise training did not correlate with delta-LVDd. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AMI participating in CR, those having both anterior infarction and baseline BNP concentration >150 pg/ml are at high risk for subsequent LV remodeling, whereas neither exercise intensity nor participation frequency in CR appears to be associated with LV remodeling.     

Infective endocarditis caused by lactobacillus

Lactobacillus (LB) is a gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium that inhabits the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, vagina and nasal cavity. Although LB plays a role in the prevention of infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, it causes some critical infectious diseases such as infective endocarditis (IE). IE due to LB is rare; however, early diagnosis and early treatment are important because of its high mortality rate. We report the onset of IE after otologic treatment in a heavy drinker of alcohol, the second case of IE due to LB in Japan.     

Influence of antimicrobial solutions in the decontamination and adhesion of glass-fiber posts to root canals

Objective

This study evaluated the effect of root canal disinfectants on the elimination of bacteria from the root canals, as well as their effect on glass-fiber posts bond strength.

Material and Methods

Fifty-three endodontically treated root canals had post spaces of 11 mm in length prepared and contaminated with E. faecalis. For CFU/ml analysis, eight teeth were contaminated for 1 h or 30 days (n=4). Teeth were decontaminated with 5% NaOCl, 2% CHX, or distilled water. As control, no decontamination was conducted. After decontamination, sterile paper points were used to collect samples, and CFU/ml were counted. For push-out, three groups were evaluated (n=15): irrigation with 2.5% NaOCl, 2% CHX, or sterile distilled water. A bonding agent was applied to root canal dentin, and a glass-fiber post was cemented with a dual-cured cement. After 24 h, 1-mm-thick slices of the middle portion of root canals were obtained and submitted to the push-out evaluation. Three specimens of each group were evaluated in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s T3 test (α=0.05).

Results

The number of CFU/ml increased from 1 h to 30 days of contamination in control and sterile distilled water groups. Decontamination with NaOCl was effective only when teeth were contaminated for 1 h. CHX was effective at both contamination times. NaOCl did not influence the bond strength (p>0.05). Higher values were observed with CHX (p<0.05). SEM showed formation of resin tags in all groups.

Conclusion

CHX showed better results for the irrigation of contaminated root canals both in reducing the bacterial contamination and in improving the glass-fiber post bonding.     

Evolocumab Effects on Lipoproteins,Measured by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Aims: Profiling of lipoproteins can predict risk of cardiovascular disease; gel permeation high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) improves prediction accuracy by providing detailed data for specific lipoprotein subclasses. This study applied HPLC to examine the effects of evolocumab, which effectively treats hyperlipidemia and mixed dyslipidemia, on lipoprotein subclasses, specifically the number and size of lipoprotein particles.Methods: This post-hoc analysis used patient blood samples from YUKAWA-2, a phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy of evolocumab in Japanese adult patients with hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia and at high risk for cardiovascular disease. We used HPLC to assess observed values and percent change from baseline in cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) concentrations, number of particles in lipoprotein subclasses to week 12, and mean observed values and mean percent change from baseline in variables to weeks 10 and 12. HPLC was also compared with conventional methods in assessing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C) values.Results: Data for all 404 patients were analyzed. Evolocumab significantly decreased cholesterol and TG concentrations, and total particle count, in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and LDL subclasses. Particle size increased slightly in LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and VLDL, but data varied widely. At very low L-DLC, HPLC measurements were higher than those from conventional methods.Conclusion: This research used HPLC to assess the effects of evolocumab in 20 lipid subclasses. By lowering lipid content and improving the lipid profile, evolocumab may reduce atherogenicity. This reduction is better quantified by HPLC than by conventional methods in the very low LDL-C range.