Development of gelatin flakes, a new type of anti-adhesive material: a preliminary study of in vivo rat adhesion models

To overcome the problems associated with sheet- or film-type anti-adhesive materials, we developed a new type of anti-adhesive material, gelatin flakes. We made two types of gelatin flakes with or without thermal cross-linking, and preliminarily examined their basic properties and the anti-adhesive efficacy using a rodent adhesion model. Both types of the gelatin flakes rapidly turned into gel and tightly attached the injured surfaces, absorbing the moisture and blood, when applied onto the abraded sites of rats. In addition, these flakes could be sprayed into the desired area by compressed air through a device with a long, thin tube, which could be used in laparoscopic surgery. The anti-adhesive effects of both types of gelatin flakes were similar, and both types were significantly superior compared to the non-treated group. Although further investigations are necessary, the gelatin flakes have unique and useful properties and satisfactory anti-adhesive effects, which indicate that they may be applicable in laparoscopic surgery.     

Regulatory Mechanisms of RANKL Presentation to Osteoclast Precursors

It is important to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating osteoclast formation, as excess activation of osteoclasts is associated with various osteopenic disorders. Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANKL) is a central player in osteoclastogenesis. Recent findings suggest that osteocytes are the major supplier of RANKL to osteoclast precursors. It has also been suggested that osteocyte cell death upregulates the RANKL/osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio in viable osteocytes adjacent to apoptotic osteocytes in areas of bone microdamage, thus, contributing to localized osteoclast formation. Indeed, viable osteocytes can provide RANKL through direct interactions with osteoclast precursors at osteocyte dendritic processes. In addition, OPG tightly regulates RANKL cell surface presentation in osteocytes, which contributes to the inhibition of RANKL signaling, as well as the decoy receptor function of OPG. By contrast, the physiological role of RANKL in osteoblasts is yet to be clarified, although similar mechanisms of regulation are observed in both osteocytes and osteoblasts.     

Modafinil augments brain activation associated with reward anticipation in the nucleus accumbens

Rationale

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) works as a key brain structure of the reward system, in which reward-related neural activity is well correlated with dopamine release from mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons.

Objectives

Since modafinil can modulate dopaminergic transmission through re-uptake inhibition of dopamine, we investigated whether modafinil affects the reward-related brain activity in the NAc in healthy subjects.

Methods

Twenty healthy participants underwent two series of functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing monetary incentive delay task in which they were cued to anticipate and respond to a rapidly presented target to gain or avoid losing varying amounts of money, under modafinil or placebo condition. Blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) activation signals during gain and loss anticipations were analyzed in the NAc as an a priori region of interest as well as the whole brain.

Results

Modafinil significantly changed subjective feelings toward positive ones. The activation of BOLD signals was observed during gain anticipation under the placebo and modafinil conditions in the left and bilateral NAc, respectively. The modafinil condition showed significantly higher BOLD signal change at the highest gain (+¥500) cue compared to the placebo condition.

Conclusions

The present study showed that modafinil affects reward processing in the NAc in healthy subjects through enhancing more positive anticipation, and it may provide a basis for the use of this drug for treating anhedonia observed in psychiatric disorders.     

“My Friend Said it was Good LSD”: A Suicide Attempt Following Analytically Confirmed 25I-NBOMe Ingestion

A new class of synthetic hallucinogens called NBOMe has emerged, and reports of adverse effects are beginning to appear. We report on a case of a suicide attempt after LSD ingestion which was analytically determined to be 25I-NBOMe instead. Clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion for possible NBOMe ingestion in patients reporting the recent use of LSD or other hallucinogens.     

Glyoxal-induced formation of advanced glycation end-products in type 1 collagen decreases both its strength and flexibility in vitro

The high plasma glucose induced in glucose metabolism disorders leads to the non-enzymatic glucose-dependent modification (glycation) of type 1 collagen, which is an essential component of bone tissue. The glycation of proteins induces the formation of advanced glycation end-products, such as carboxymethyl arginine, which is preferentially generated in glycated collagen. However, the effect of advanced glycation end-product formation on the characteristics of type 1 collagen remains unclear due to the lack of suitable in vitro experimental systems analyzing type 1 collagen. Here, we show that the glycation of type 1 collagen can be analyzed in vitro using a goldfish-scale bone model. Our study using these scales provides evidence that the advanced glycation end-product formation in type 1 collagen induced by glyoxal, the carboxymethyl arginine inducer, facilitates the crosslinking of type 1 collagen, decreasing both its strength and flexibility.     

Endoscopic imaging modalities for diagnosing the invasion depth of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review

Esophagus - Endoscopic diagnosis of the invasion depth of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an important determinant of the treatment strategy. The three endoscopic imaging...