Changes in mRNA expression of MMP-2 in the Müllerian duct of chicken embryo

Although asymmetric development of the ovary and the oviduct is a unique characteristic in birds, the mechanism of asymmetric development still remains unclear. Recently, degradation of extracellular matrix has been suggested as an important factor related to the regression of the Müllerian duct in mammals. The present study was conducted to examine a possible role of metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the regression of the right Müllerian duct in the developing chicken embryo. Morphological changes in the Müllerian ducts were studied on day 15 of incubation and mRNA expresseion of MMP-2 was studied on days 12, 15, and 18 of incubation. Morphological observation demonstrated the disappearance of basement membrane in the right Müllerian duct which undergoes the regression. RT-PCR analysis showed that MMP-2 mRNA expression of the right Müllerian duct increased on days 15 and 18 of incubation coincidently with the time of regression. In the right Müllerian duct, regression was prevented by diethylstilbestrol treatment on day 4 of incubation and a coincident decrease in MMP-2 expression was observed when compared to the control group. These results suggest that MMP-2 may be involved in the regression of the right Müllerian duct in the female embryos of the chicken.     

Family history of diabetes and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Korean men and women

The importance of family history of type 2 diabetes (FHD) as a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains controversial. A report of diabetes in parents and siblings was used to establish FHD in a cohort of 1,005,230 Koreans aged 30-95 years insured by the National Health Insurance Corporation who had a biennial medical evaluation during 1992-1995. ASCVD morbidity and mortality from 1993 to 2005 were examined in relation to FHD and other ASCVD risk factors. The risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) increased significantly (19%) in men with FHD but not in women. A strong interaction was observed between FHD and personal history of diabetes for the occurrence of ASCVD; men with both diabetes and FHD were at significantly increased risk of developing IHD, cerebrovascular disease and ASCVD with hazard ratios (HR) of 2.28, 2.07, and 2.12, respectively, compared to those who had neither FHD nor type 2 diabetes. Corresponding risks were 2.64, 2.03, and 2.10 in women, respectively. This study demonstrates that risk of ASCVD is increased among those with diabetes and a family history of diabetes; suggesting that genetic factors associated with occurrence of familial diabetes may increase risk of ASCVD beyond the risk among people without FHD.     

A Novel Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Correction Method for Mitochondrial Ca2+ Measurement with FURA-2-FF in Single Permeabilized Ventricular Myocytes of Rat

Fura-2 analogs are ratiometric fluoroprobes that are widely used for the quantitative measurement of [Ca²⁺]. However, the dye usage is intrinsically limited, as the dyes require ultraviolet (UV) excitation, which can also generate great interference, mainly from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) autofluorescence. Specifically, this limitation causes serious problems for the quantitative measurement of mitochondrial [Ca²⁺], as no available ratiometric dyes are excited in the visible range. Thus, NADH interference cannot be avoided during quantitative measurement of [Ca²⁺] because the majority of NADH is located in the mitochondria. The emission intensity ratio of two different excitation wavelengths must be constant when the fluorescent dye concentration is the same. In accordance with this principle, we developed a novel online method that corrected NADH and Fura-2-FF interference. We simultaneously measured multiple parameters, including NADH, [Ca²⁺], and pH/mitochondrial membrane potential; Fura-2-FF for mitochondrial [Ca²⁺] and TMRE for Ψ_m or carboxy-SNARF-1 for pH were used. With this novel method, we found that the resting mitochondrial [Ca²⁺] concentration was 1.03 µM. This 1 µM cytosolic Ca²⁺ could theoretically increase to more than 100 mM in mitochondria. However, the mitochondrial [Ca²⁺] increase was limited to ~30 µM in the presence of 1 µM cytosolic Ca²⁺. Our method solved the problem of NADH signal contamination during the use of Fura-2 analogs, and therefore the method may be useful when NADH interference is expected.     

Short-term Treatment of Daumone Improves Hepatic Inflammation in Aged Mice

Chronic inflammation has been proposed as one of the main molecular mechanisms of aging and age-related diseases. Although evidence in humans is limited, short-term calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in aged experimental animals. We reported on the long-term treatment of daumone, a synthetic pheromone secreted by Caenorhabditis elegans in an energy deficient environment, extends the life-span and attenuates liver injury in aged mice. The present study examined whether late onset short-term treatment of daumone exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the livers of aged mice. Daumone was administered orally at doses of 2 or 20 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks to 24-month-old male C57BL/6J mice. Increased liver macrophage infiltration and gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines in aged mice were significantly attenuated by daumone treatment, suggesting that short-term oral administration of daumone may have hepatoprotective effects. Daumone also dose-dependently suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation in HepG2 cells. The present data demonstrated that short-term treatment of daumone has anti-inflammatory effects in aged mouse livers possibly through suppression of NF-κB signaling and suggest that daumone may become a lead compound targeting aging and age-associated diseases.     

Seasonal variation of peptic ulcer disease,peptic ulcer bleeding,and acute pancreatitis: A nationwide population-based study using a common data model

Although gastrointestinal diseases are reported at various times throughout the year, some particular seasons are associated with a higher incidence of these diseases. This study aimed to identify the seasonal variations of peptic ulcer (PU), peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB), and acute pancreatitis (AP) in South Korea.We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study of all subjects aged >18 years between 2012 and 2016 using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment-National Patient Samples database, previously converted to the standardized Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model. We assessed the overall seasonal variations of PU, PUB, and AP and further analyzed seasonal variations according to age and sex subgroups.In total, 14,626 patients with PU, 3575 with PUB, and 9023 with AP were analyzed for 5 years. A clear seasonal variation was noted in PU, with the highest incidence rate during winter, the second highest during spring, the third highest during summer, and the lowest incidence during autumn for 5 years (P < .001). PUB also showed significant seasonal fluctuations, with winter peak for 4 years, except 1 year, which had a spring peak (P < .001). However, AP showed no clear seasonal variations (P = .090). No significant differences in the seasonal variation of PU, PUB, and AP were observed according to sex and age subgroups (<60 years vs ≥60 years).Seasonal variation of PU and PUB should be considered when determining allocation of available health care resources.     

Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling of the Enterohepatic Recirculation of Fimasartan in Rats,Dogs, and Humans

Enterohepatic recirculation (EHC) can greatly enhance plasma drug exposures and therapeutic effects. This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic model that can simultaneously characterize the extent and time-course of EHC in three species using fimasartan, a novel angiotensin II receptor blocker, as a model drug. All fimasartan plasma concentration profiles in 32 rats (intravenous doses, 0.3–3 mg/kg; oral doses, 1–10 mg/kg), 34 dogs (intravenous doses, 0.3–1 mg/kg; oral doses, 1–10 mg/kg), and 42 healthy volunteers (single or multiple oral doses, 20–480 mg) were determined via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and simultaneously modeled in S-ADAPT. The proposed model quantitatively characterized EHC in three species after oral and intravenous dosing. The median (range) fraction of drug undergoing recirculation was 76.3% (64.9–88.7%) in rats, 33.3% (24.0–45.9%) in dogs, and 65.6% (56.5–72.0%) in humans. In the presence compared with the absence of EHC, the area under the curve in plasma was predicted to be 4.22-fold (2.85–8.85) as high in rats, 1.50-fold (1.32–1.85) in dogs, and 2.91-fold (2.30–3.57) in humans. The modeled oral bioavailability in rats (median (range), 38.7% (20.0–59.8%)) and dogs (median, 7.13% to 15.4%, depending on the formulation) matched the non-compartmental estimates well. In humans, the predicted oral bioavailability was 25.1% (15.1–43.9%) under fasting and 18.2% (12.2–31.0%) under fed conditions. The allometrically scaled area under the curve predicted from rats was 420 ng ⋅ h/mL for 60 mg fimasartan compared with 424 ± 63 ng ⋅ h/mL observed in humans. The developed population pharmacokinetic model can be utilized to characterize the impact of EHC on plasma drug exposure in animals and humans.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1208/s12248-015-9764-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.KEY WORDS: animal to human scaling, enterohepatic recirculation, fimasartan, population pharmacokinetics, S-ADAPT     

BVAS version 3 and BVAS/GPA: standing on the same line?

Clinical Rheumatology - Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) version 3 (BVAS 3.0) and BVAS/granulomatosis with polyangiitis (BVAS/GPA) are used as indicators of disease activity in...     

Language-specific Dysgraphia in Korean Patients with Right Brain Stroke: Influence of Unilateral Spatial Neglect

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Korean language-specific dysgraphia and unilateral spatial neglect in 31 right brain stroke patients. All patients were tested for writing errors in spontaneous writing, dictation, and copying tests. The dysgraphia was classified into visuospatial omission, visuospatial destruction, syllabic tilting, stroke omission, stroke addition, and stroke tilting. Twenty-three (77.4%) of the 31 patients made dysgraphia and 18 (58.1%) demonstrated unilateral spatial neglect. The visuospatial omission was the most common dysgraphia followed by stroke addition and omission errors. The highest number of errors was made in the copying and the least was in the spontaneous writing test. Patients with unilateral spatial neglect made a significantly higher number of dysgraphia in the copying test than those without. We identified specific dysgraphia features such as a right side space omission and a vertical stroke addition in Korean right brain stroke patients. In conclusion, unilateral spatial neglect influences copy writing system of Korean language in patients with right brain stroke.

Graphical Abstract

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