Both G3BP1 and G3BP2 contribute to stress granule formation

Upon exposure to various environmental stresses such as arsenite, hypoxia, and heat shock, cells inhibit their translation and apoptosis and then repair stress‐induced alterations, such as DNA damage and the accumulation of misfolded proteins. These types of stresses induce the formation of cytoplasmic RNA granules called stress granules (SGs). SGs are storage sites for the many mRNAs released from disassembled polysomes under these stress conditions and are essential for the selective translation of stress‐inducible genes. Ras‐GTPase‐activating protein SH3 domain‐binding protein 1 (G3BP1) is a component of SGs that initiates the assembly of SGs by forming a multimer. In this study, we examined the role of G3BP2, a close relative of G3BP1, in SG formation. Although single knockdown of either G3BP1 or G3BP2 in 293T cells partially reduced the number of SG‐positive cells induced by arsenite, the knockdowns of both genes significantly reduced the number. G3BP2 formed a homo‐multimer and a hetero‐multimer with G3BP1. Moreover, like G3BP1, the overexpression of G3BP2 induced SGs even without stress stimuli. Collectively, these results suggest that both G3BP1 and G3BP2 play a role in the formation of SGs in various human cells and thereby recovery from these cellular stresses.     

Correction to: Search of anti-allodynic compounds from Plantaginis Semen,a crude drug ingredient of Kampo formula “Goshajinkigan”

Journal of Natural Medicines - The article Search of anti-allodynic compounds from Plantaginis Semen, a crude drug ingredient of Kampo formula “Goshajinkigan”.     

Suture Granuloma With False-Positive Findings on FDG-PET/CT Resected via Laparoscopic Surgery

A 61-year-old woman who had undergone total hysterectomy 16 years previously exhibited a pelvic tumor on computed tomography (CT). F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) combined positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging revealed a solitary small focus of increased FDG activity in the pelvis. A gastrointestinal stromal tumor originating in the small intestine or another type of tumor originating in the mesentery (desmoid, schwannoma, or foreign body granuloma) was suspected; therefore, laparoscopic resection was conducted. A white, hard tumor was found to originate from the mesentery of the sigmoid colon and adhered slightly to the small intestine. The tumor was resected with a negative margin, and the pathologic diagnosis was suture granuloma. The possibility of suture granuloma should be kept in mind in cases of tumors with positive PET findings and a history of surgery close to the lesion. However, it is difficult to preoperatively diagnose pelvic tumors using a biopsy. Therefore, considering the possibility of malignancy, it is necessary to achieve complete resection without exposing the tumor.Key words: Suture granuloma, Laparoscopy, Positron emission tomography (PET)It is very difficult to diagnose suture granulomas preoperatively. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) combined positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging is often used to differentiate benign from malignant tumors that are difficult to diagnose on other modalities, such as ultrasound (US), CT, and magnetic resonance imaging. However, it is not easy to differentiate tumors associated with inflammation or malignancy using FDG-PET/CT. Suture granulomas are known to be benign; however, false-positive findings were observed on PET/CT in our case. In the literature, there are few reports of suture granulomas showing false-positive findings on PET/CT.^1–5 We report here a case in which it was not possible to rule out the potential for malignancy using CT or FDG-PET/CT and the lesion was confirmed to be a suture granuloma based on a pathologic examination following laparoscopic resection.     

Effects of cardioplegia on myocardial metabolism during hypothermic ischemia--components and mode of administration

Isolated rat heart preparations were used to determine the effect of cardioplegia on myocardial metabolism during profound hypothermic (15 degrees C) ischemia. The hearts were grouped according to the components of cardioplegia and the mode of administration. The six groups were normokalemic (GI), calcium-containing hyperkalemic (GII), calcium-free hyperkalemic (GIII) and single dose (A), multidose (B). Following 120 min of ischemia, tissue ATP decreased from 25.4 +/- 2.2 to 10.3 +/- 2.7, 3.9 +/- 2.4, 4.1 +/- 1.2, 15.5 +/- 3.2, 14.5 +/- 2.4 and 20.0 +/- 2.7 (I-A vs II-A p less than 0.005, I-A vs III-A p less than 0.005, I-B vs III-B p less than 0.05, II-B vs III-B p less than 0.005), and tissue lactate increased from 9.6 +/- 1.5 to 163.4 +/- 12.0, 174.1 +/- 13.5, 166.8 +/- 21.3, 99.1 +/- 8.3, 102.6 +/- 12.2 and 83.5 +/- 9.3 (I-B vs III-B p less than 0.02, II-B vs III-B p less than 0.02) mumol/dry wt g, in GI-A, GII-A, GIII-A, GI-B and GII-B, respectively. The results of this study suggests that (1) potassium cardioplegia in a single dose does not prevent degradation of high energy phosphate (HEP) in the hypothermic arrested heart, (2) though multidose cardioplegia is effective in preserving HEP during ischemia, the extent of its effects varies with the composition, and (3) the omission of calcium is beneficial in GIK cardioplegia in terms of preserving HEP at the end of ischemia.     

Changes in energy metabolism after induction therapy in patients with severe or moderate ulcerative colitis

We investigated the changes in energy expenditure during induction therapy in patients with severe or moderate ulcerative colitis. Thirteen patients (10 men, 3 women; mean age, 36.5 years) with ulcerative colitis admitted to the Shiga University Hospital were enrolled in this study. We measured the resting energy expenditure and respiratory quotients of these patients before and after induction therapy with indirect calorimetry. We analyzed the changes of nutritional status and serum inflammatory cytokine levels and also evaluated the relationship between energy metabolism and disease activity by using the Seo index and Lichtiger index. The resting energy expenditure was 26.3 ± 3.8 kcal/kg/day in the active stage and significantly decreased to 23.5 ± 2.4 kcal/kg/day after induction therapy (p<0.01). The resting energy expenditure changed in parallel with the disease activity index and C-reactive protein and inflammatory cytokine levels. The respiratory quotient significantly increased after induction therapy. Thus, moderate to severe ulcerative colitis patients had a hyper-metabolic status, and the energy metabolism of these patients significantly changed after induction therapy. Therefore, we recommend that nutritional management with 30–34 kcal/kg/day (calculated as measured resting energy expenditure × activity factor, 1.3) may be optimal for hospitalized ulcerative colitis patients.