Combination of short-pulsed CO2 laser resurfacing and cultured epidermal sheet autografting in the treatment of vitiligo: a preliminary report

Cultured epidermal autografting has been employed in a variety of clinical treatments including vitiligo management. In this study, we successfully treated 2 patients with vitiligo using a short-pulsed CO2 laser and by grafting the autologous cultured epidermis. Small pieces of uninvolved skin (2 x 1 cm) were taken for cultivation from a pudendal or axillary area and were expanded into 2 pieces of epidermal sheets 100 cm. Before grafting, the lesions were abraded superficially using a short-pulsed CO2 laser with a computerized pattern generator. After successful grafting, repigmentation was visible within 1 to 2 months. One year after grafting, the skin color was almost the same as that of the surrounding normal skin. Thus, the combination of short-pulsed CO2 laser resurfacing and cultured epidermal grafting is a powerful option for treating an asymmetric and wide vitiliginous lesion.     

Stage-dependent effect of pancreatic transplantation on diabetic ocular complications in the Spontaneously Diabetic Torii rat

BACKGROUND: In terms of the temporal relationship between pancreas transplantation (PTx) and reversal of diabetic ocular complications, it has been difficult but important to determine a "point of no return." Thus, it is of great clinical interest to evaluate the efficacy of PTx on diabetic ocular complications. METHODS: A spontaneous type 2 diabetic model of Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT; RT1) rats was used in the present study, and syngeneic PTx was performed. RESULTS: In the control SDT rats that received no treatment, hyperglycemia (>250 mg/dL) was developed from 25.2+/-3.9 weeks of age. Lens opacity was observed in all rats at 15 weeks after the onset of diabetes. Fluorescein angiography and immunohistochemistry detected the nonperfusion area and neovascularization in the retina at 5 weeks of diabetes. Daily insulin treatment could not prevent or reverse the ocular changes in our experiment. Fluorescein filling defect of the retinal vessels was observed at 10 weeks of diabetes. However, in the PTx rats, normoglycemia was achieved at all experimental time points. Diabetic cataract and retinopathy could have been prevented and improved if PTx had been performed at 5 weeks, but not at 10 weeks after the onset of diabetes. With PTx treatment, an inhibition of angiogenesis in the retina at 5 weeks after the onset of diabetes was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the potential use of the SDT rat for diabetes study and the positive effect of PTx performed before the "point of no return" could prevent and cure diabetic ocular complications.     

Time estimation during nocturnal sleep in human subjects

It has been postulated that time estimation during nocturnal sleep in humans can be explained by an interval timing clock inside the brain. However, no systematic investigations have been carried out with respect to how the human brain perceives the passage of time during sleep. The brain mechanisms of over- or underestimation of time spent in sleep have not yet been clarified. Here, we carried out an experimental study in which 11 healthy volunteers participated in time estimation trials scheduled six times during 9 h nocturnal sleep periods, under carefully controlled conditions. The time estimation ratio (TER: a ratio of subjective passage of time to actual time interval) decreased significantly from the first to the sixth trial. Individual TER was positively correlated with slow wave sleep prior to the trial, while it was negatively correlated with REM sleep. Our results indicate that the human brain has an ability to estimate the passage of time during nocturnal sleep without referring to time cues, and that the accuracy of this function fluctuates from overestimation in the early hours of sleep to underestimation in the last hours of sleep.     

Sargaquinoic acid supports the survival of neuronal PC12D cells in a nerve growth factor-independent manner

Sargaquinoic acid (designated previously as MC14) was isolated from a marine brown alga Sargassum macrocarpum, and has been found to possess a novel nerve growth factor (NGF)-dependent neurite outgrowth promoting activity in PC12D cells. In this study, we explored the neuroprotective effects of MC14 in terms of its survival supporting, antioxidant and neurite-regenerating activities under NGF deficient or deprived conditions. Intriguingly, MC14 did not only promote the NGF-induced survival support on neuronal PC12D cells, but also significantly abated neuronal PC12D cell death even in the absence of NGF. The pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) by wortmannin significantly suppressed the survival supporting activity of MC14, whereas the NGF receptor (tyrosine kinase A or TrkA) inhibitor K252a showed no detectable effect on MC14 activity. These results demonstrate that MC14 supports survival of neuronal PC12D cells in an NGF-independent manner, and that PI3K may be required for the neuroprotective activity of MC14. In addition, we have shown that MC14 markedly enhanced neurite-regeneration and protected PC12D cells from hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced oxidative stress. These pharmacological features suggest that MC14 may be a potentially important neuroprotective agent.     

Effects of second-generation histamine H1 receptor antagonists on the sleep-wakefulness cycle in rats

The present study was performed to examine the sedative effects of second-generation histamine H(1) receptor antagonist using power spectrum analysis in the rat. Similar to ketotifen, olopatadine caused a decrease in sleep latency at a dose of 50 mg/kg, while epinastine and cetirizine showed no significant effect even at a dose of 50 mg/kg. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed in the total times of wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement sleep and rapid eye movement sleep by any drugs used in the experiments. The number of sleep phases and interval between sleep phases were also unchanged by these drugs. Ketotifen and olopatadine inhibited [(3)H]mepyramine binding to rat brain homogenates in parallel with a decrease in sleep latency. No significant effect was observed with epinastine and cetirizine on [(3)H]mepyramine binding. These findings suggest that the differences in the central nervous system (CNS) depressant effect observed in second generation H(1) receptor antagonists may be due to their liability to penetrate into the CNS.     

A chronic model for evaluating the itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis in rats

The present study was performed to develop a new model for evaluating itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis in rats. Repeated topical application of antigen caused an increase in eye scratching behavior in sensitized animals, and a significant difference was observed from days 21 to 42. Almost the same findings were observed in allergic symptoms, hyperemia and edema. Instillation of histamine also resulted in an increase in eye scratching behavior. The sensitivity to histamine in eye scratching behavior was increased by topical antigen application for 42 days after sensitization. In addition, the number of conjunctival eosinophils was significantly increased by repeated topical antigen application from days 21 to 42 in sensitized rats. Some anti-allergic drugs such as olopatadine (H1 antagonist), cetiridine (H1 antagonist) and ramatroban (thromboxane A2 (TXA2) antagonist) caused an inhibition of eye scratching behavior induced by topical sensitization in a dose-related manner. However, zafirlukast (cys-LT antagonist) caused no significant inhibition even at a dose of 30 mg/kg. The findings in present model of itching in allergic conjunctivitis were mainly through histamine H1-activity, and thromboxane A2 receptors were also involved in the response.