Differential contribution of clinical amounts of acetaldehyde to skeletal and cardiac muscle dysfunction in alcoholic myopathy

Acute intoxication due to alcohol consumption has been known to elicit reversible skeletal and cardiac muscle dysfunction, or "alcoholic myopathy and cardiomyopathy". Sometimes, irreversible muscle damage can be induced after heavy alcohol drinking. Many researchers have proposed that acetaldehyde, the major oxidised product of alcohol, may be a primary factor underlying alcohol-induced muscle dysfunction. Because acetaldehyde is rapidly metabolised to acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) mainly in the liver, blood concentration of acetaldehyde is maintained at a low level even after heavy alcohol intoxication. In alcoholics, blood acetaldehyde level is relatively high, probably due to hepatic inhibition of ALDH activity. Several mM of acetaldehyde have been used for studies of cardiac muscle contraction, the intracellular calcium transient, and the L-type calcium channel. In skeletal muscle, the calcium release channel/ryanodine receptor activity has been reported to be inhibited by exposure to 1 mM acetaldehyde. However, these observations were made using potentially lethal concentrations of acetaldehyde, so the hypothesis that acetaldehyde plays a crucial role on alcoholic myopathy is questionable. In this review, we will summarise the effect of alcohol and its major oxidised product, acetaldehyde, on skeletal and heart muscles and propose a toxic contribution of clinical concentrations of acetaldehyde to alcoholic myopathy. In addition, this review will include briefly the effect of acetaldehyde on diabetic cardiomyopathy.     

Induction of hepatocellular carcinoma in rat liver by initial treatment with benzo(a)pyrene after partial hepatectomy and promotion by phenobarbital

The hepatocarcinogenicity of benzo(a)pyrene(BP) in the rat was examined. Rats were treated with BP after partial hepatectomy and then kept on a diet containing phenobarbital (PB) as a promoter. Tumors including a hepatocellular carcinoma developed in the rat liver by week 52.     

Anti-angiogenic therapy and chemotherapy affect 99mTc sestamibi and 99mTc-HL91 accumulation differently in tumour xenografts

BACKGROUND: Favourable effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy for tumours are characterized by the reduced accumulation of radiotracers such as 99mTc sestamibi (MIBI). Anti-angiogenic therapy is primarily cytostatic; consequently, its influence on tracer accumulation may differ from that of cytotoxic treatments. METHODS: Anti-angiogenic therapy employing 2-methoxyestradiol was administered in mice bearing subcutaneous xenografts of LS180 colon cancer cells. The effects of chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil were examined as a cytotoxic counterpart. Treatments were conducted for 4 days from day 8. Distribution of 99mTc-MIBI and Tc-HL91, a hypoxic marker, was observed on days 8 and 12. Oxygen tension (PO2) in tumours was measured by a microelectrode. Cellular uptake of tracers was examined in vitro in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. RESULTS: 99mTc-MIBI accumulation decreased with increasing tumour weight when no treatment was conducted. Tumour growth was suppressed by anti-angiogenic therapy and chemotherapy. 99mTc-MIBI accumulation in tumours decreased after chemotherapy as compared to pre-therapeutic values, whereas accumulation of 99mTc-HL91 increased. In contrast, accumulation of tracers did not significantly change after anti-angiogenic therapy as compared to that observed pre-therapeutically. Tumour PO2 decreased with increasing tumour volume when no treatment was conducted. Chemotherapy reduced PO2 in tumours. PO2 in tumours treated with anti-angiogenic therapy was as high as that observed before treatment. 2-Methoxyestradiol or 5-fluorouracil did not significantly affect tracer accumulation in cells under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions in vitro. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that scintigraphic assessment of therapeutic efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy should be performed from a perspective distinct from that of cytotoxic treatment.     

With-time change of hemodynamics in fMRI: linearity consideration after stimulation ends from stimulation beginning

The BOLD signal responses that occur after a few seconds at the beginning and the end of stimulus are due to hemodynamic delay. A temporary increase of deoxyhemoglobin just after the beginning of stimulus causes an initial dip in the hemodynamic signal (response). After the initial dip, an increase of BOLD signal causes an overshoot. After the overshoot, a decrease of the BOLD signal due to the end of stimulus causes an undershoot. Many reports have examined the period of stimulus, but only a few have described the period after stimulus. This paper reports on a peak between the overshoot and undershoot. After the end of stimulus, the signal does not simply decrease, but shows a peak after some delay. An activated map showed the same tendency as the hemodynamics signal. This peak was termed hemodynamic over-saturation (HOS). Time control in chronological order is important to obtain a hemodynamic change in chronological order and a large, significant difference between the task and rest signal. The entire hemodynamic signal was evaluated by controlling the timing of the scan using an external trigger and by indicating the beginning of the task (rest) period using sound. The timing of the external trigger and sound are built into the sequence design as a program. From the results of the hemodynamic signal, the causal relationship between this signal and the fluctuation in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin can be considered.     

Pedicled Ileal Flap to Repair Large Duodenal Defect After Right Hemicolectomy for Right Colon Cancer Invading the Duodenum

Although right-sided colon cancer occasionally invades the second part of the duodenum, there is no standard procedure for reconstructing a large duodenal defect after resection. This report describes a new approach we recently devised. After resecting the right hemicolon and the involved duodenum, a segment of terminal ileum was isolated on the vascular pedicle, sacrificing the adjacent ileum. We created a flap by opening the segment along the antimesenteric border, and used this flap to cover the defect. This method does not create a nonanatomical bypass and fewer intestinal anastomoses are required than for Roux-en-Y reconstruction.     

Identification of decatenation G2 checkpoint impairment independently of DNA damage G2 checkpoint in human lung cancer cell lines

It has been suggested that attenuation of the decatenation G(2) checkpoint function, which ensures sufficient chromatid decatenation by topoisomerase II before entering into mitosis, may contribute to the acquisition of genetic instability in cancer cells. To date, however, very little information is available on this type of checkpoint defect in human cancers. In this study, we report for the first time that a proportion of human lung cancer cell lines did not properly arrest before entering mitosis in the presence of a catalytic, circular cramp-forming topoisomerase II inhibitor ICRF-193, whereas the decatenation G(2) checkpoint impairment was present independently of the impaired DNA damage G(2) checkpoint. In addition, the presence of decatenation G(2) checkpoint dysfunction was found to be associated with diminished activation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated in response to ICRF-193, suggesting the potential involvement of an upstream pathway sensing incompletely catenated chromatids. Interestingly, hypersensitivity to ICRF-193 was observed in cell lines with decatenation G(2) checkpoint impairment and negligible activation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated. These findings suggest the possible involvement of decatenation G(2) checkpoint impairment in the development of human lung cancers, as well as the potential clinical implication of selective killing of lung cancer cells with such defects by this type of topoisomerase II inhibitor.