Suppression of body weight gain preserves acute insulin response to glucose in the portal vein of spontaneously type 2 diabetic rats with visceral obesity

The age-related changes in acute insulin response after glucose loading and the influence of suppression of body weight gain were investigated by using blood samples from portal and peripheral veins. We placed indwelling catheters in the portal vein of 12- and 24- wk-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats (n = 8, 12), and age-matched control Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats (n = 8, 6). To suppress the body weight gain, 6 out of 12 OLETF rats were fed chow containing 50 ppm voglibose (VOG) from 8 until 24 wk of age. After fasting for 17 h, rats underwent 1 g/kg oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Peripheral glucose levels after glucose loading were significantly higher in 12- and 24-wk-old OLETF rats than in the age-matched LETO rats. Values for delta insulin 15 min/delta glucose 15 min (delta I15 min/delta G15 min) in portal blood were 0.029 +/- 0.011 and 0.009 +/- 0.009 (12 wk of age) and 0.03 +/- 0.03 and -0.01 +/- 0.01 (24 wk of age) in the LETO rats and OLETF rats. At the age of 24 wk, the body weights in VOG-treated OLETF rats were significantly lower than those in the OLETF rats. And there was significantly greater acute insulin response to glucose in VOG-treated OLETF rats than in the OLETF rats. Acute insulin response to glucose decreased with advancing age and the suppression of body weight gain preserved the response in spontaneously type 2 diabetic rats with visceral fat obesity.     

A case of eosinophilic fasciitis without skin manifestations: a case report in a patient with lupus and literature review

Clinical Rheumatology - Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare connective tissue disease that causes inflammation and fibrosis of the fascia, inducing pain and motor dysfunction. Characteristic skin...     

Transbronchial Cryobiopsy for Miliary Tuberculosis Mimicking Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Miliary tuberculosis is a potentially lethal type of tuberculosis that results from the hematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli. We herein describe the case of a 34-year-old man that presented with a one-month history of cough and fever, while his sputum smear results were negative. Chest computed tomography revealed bilateral centrilobular ground-glass opacification (GGO), suggestive of hypersensitivity pneumonitis; thus, bronchoscopy was performed. Cryobiopsy specimens revealed necrotic granulomas. A re-examination of sputum after bronchoscopy identified Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and miliary tuberculosis was diagnosed. A cryobiopsy might be useful for diagnosing miliary tuberculosis pathologically, particularly when miliary nodules may be masked by GGO.     

Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration and Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome with SOX-1 Antibodies

A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for progressive muscle weakness in both lower limbs and limb ataxia (day 0). Nerve conduction studies showed low compound muscle action potential amplitudes at rest and increased amplitudes after maximum voluntary contraction. Blood testing revealed SOX-1 antibodies. He was diagnosed with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (PCD-LEMS). He died from aspiration pneumonia on day 9. Small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), which had not been obvious on computed tomography, was found during the autopsy. Patients with PCD-LEMS who test positive for SOX-1 antibodies should be carefully evaluated for SCLC.     

Efficacy of temozolomide combined with capecitabine (CAPTEM) on refractory prolactinomas as assessed using an ex vivo 3D spheroid assay

Pituitary - Refractory prolactinomas resistant to dopamine agonists (DAs) pose a clinical challenge. Temozolomide (TMZ) is a recommended treatment option, but its effects are difficult to predict,...     

Genetic polymorphisms in the tumour necrosis factor locus in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Genetic polymorphisms in the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) locus influence the outcome of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We investigated whether these polymorphisms might contribute to the clinical course of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Genomic DNA from 214 childhood ALL patients was analysed. Patients with a high-risk haplotype were older than patients with low-risk haplotype (P = 0.024). No statistically significant associations were found between TNF haplotype and sex, WBC counts, central nervous system involvement, immunophenotype, response to chemotherapy, and event-free survival. These data suggest that genetic polymorphisms in the TNF locus have a limited effect on the outcome of childhood ALL.     

Genetic and environmental effects on fasting and postchallenge plasma glucose and serum insulin values in Finnish twins

The aim of this study was to evaluate genetic and environmental effects on plasma glucose, insulin secretion, and resistance in Finnish twins. Altogether 151 randomly selected twin pairs were examined by the oral glucose tolerance test; 66 twin pairs were monozygotic and 85 like-sexed dizygotic. We estimated the intraclass correlation coefficients and variance components of genetic and environmental effects on waist circumference, plasma glucose, and serum insulin. For fasting insulin, the proportion of total variation accounted for by additive genetic effects (A) and nonshared environmental effects (E) were 43 and 57%, respectively. As to postchallenge insulin and waist circumference, A effects were stronger in female twins (51 and 70%, respectively) than male twins in whom no significant evidence for genetic variance was found. Of the variation in fasting glucose, A and E effects accounted for 45 and 55%, respectively. Of the variation in postchallenge glucose, E effects had a greater role (65%), compared with A effects (35%); A effects on pre- and postchallenge insulin levels were highly correlated (genetic correlation coefficient = 0.81). In conclusion, additive genetic effects are important for the insulin secretion, whereas nonshared environmental effects contribute strongly to peripheral insulin resistance.     

Development of a valve type semi-closed extracorporeal circulation system

Journal of Artificial Organs - In Japan, perfusionists who work on other clinical tasks are involved in cardiopulmonary bypass. Moreover, the number of cases they can perform is limited. In view of...     

Case of solitary pulmonary capillary hemangioma: Pathological features based on frozen section analysis

Solitary pulmonary capillary hemangioma (SPCH) is a rare benign lung tumor that must be distinguished from small and early lung cancers. Here, we report a case of SPCH for which we performed frozen section diagnosis. The patient was a 55‐year‐old Japanese woman. Five years before the operation, mixed ground‐glass opacity was detected by computed tomography in the left posterior basal segment of the lower lobe (S10). Because the interior tumor density of the ground‐glass opacity increased slightly, video‐assisted thoracic surgery wedge resection was performed. Frozen section diagnosis revealed a benign tumor without proliferation of atypical epithelial cells. The tumor had narrow alveolar lumens, thickened alveolar septa and a clear boundary separating it from normal lung tissue. The proliferated lumens varied in size and were lined with single layers of flat cells. After the operation, immunohistochemical staining of a paraffin section revealed that the thickened alveolar septa resulted from the proliferation of capillary vessels, the flat cells of which were positive for CD31 and CD34 and negative for podoplanin; the tumor was diagnosed as SPCH. Here, we discuss the pathological features of SPCH on frozen sections with reference to this case and review previous related reports.