Changes of ventricular monophasic action potential duration by stellate ganglion stimulation in dogs.

Left or right stellate ganglion stimulation resulted in changes of ST segments and T waves of electrocardiogram. The present experiments were performed in an attempt to elucidate alpha-and beta-adrenergic actions, and calcium action on the monophasic action potential duration (APD), that is, the repolarizing phase of myocardium. During experiments in open-chest dogs, right ventricular pacing was performed for avoiding the acceleration of heart rate by stellate ganglion stimulation. Administration of phentolamine, propranolol or D600 prolonged APD, while hydrazine shortened it. However, stellate ganglion stimulation caused a prolongation of APD after infusion of propranolol or hydrazine, and a shortening of APD after infusion of phentolamine, D600 or hydrazine. These results indicate that alpha-and beta-adrenergic actions as well as calcium ions can be related to APD in the ventricular myocardium of dogs; apparently, alpha-adrenergic action prolongs APD and beta-adrenergic action shortens it.     

Transference of cefmenoxime from serum to lung tissue

Ten patients who were performed pulmonary resection for the disease of the lung, were administered 2 g of cefmenoxime (CMX) by intravenous injection before their operation. The concentrations of CMX in serum and lung tissue were determined. The CMX concentrations in lung tissue were observed to be higher than the MIC of CMX for Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Serratia. These results suggested that CMX will be useful agent for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary infection.     

Secondary hemophagocytic syndrome in a patient with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus bacteremia due to severe decubitus ulcer

A 51-year-old man with poliomyelitis was admitted to emergency because of a severe decubitus ulcer on his right hip that was associated with infection. His general condition deteriorated and he was malnourished and dehydrated. Despite adequate hyperalimentation and antibiotic administration, laboratory data indicated pancytopenia 4 days later. He was diagnosed as having secondary hemophagocytosis (HPS) associated with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus sepsis due to decubitus inflammation based on bone marrow aspiration and a blood culture. Although granulocyte colony stimulating factor, packed red blood cell transfusions, platelet transfusions, and antibiotics gradually improved the pancytopenia, the patient died of massive gastrointestinal tract bleeding.     

Transgenic overexpression of brain natriuretic peptide prevents the progression of diabetic nephropathy in mice

Aims/hypothesis Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a potent vasorelaxing and natriuretic peptide that is secreted from the heart and has cardioprotective properties. We have previously generated hypotensive transgenic mice (BNP-Tg mice) that overproduce BNP in the liver, which is released into the circulation. Using this animal model, we successfully demonstrated the amelioration of renal injury after renal ablation and in proliferative glomerulonephritis. Glomerular hyperfiltration is an early haemodynamic derangement, representing one of the key mechanisms of the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Based on the suggested involvement of increased endogenous natriuretic peptides, the aim of this study was to investigate their role in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Materials and methods We evaluated the progression of renal injury and fibrogenesis in BNP-Tg mice with diabetes induced by streptozotocin. We also investigated the effect of BNP on high glucose-induced signalling abnormalities in mesangial cells. Results After induction of diabetes, control mice exhibited progressively increased urinary albumin excretion with impaired renal function, whereas these changes were significantly ameliorated in BNP-Tg mice. Notably, diabetic BNP-Tg mice revealed minimal mesangial fibrogenesis with virtually no glomerular hypertrophy. Glomerular upregulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, TGF-β and extracellular matrix proteins was also significantly inhibited in diabetic BNP-Tg mice. In cultured mesangial cells, activation of the above cascade under high glucose was abrogated by the addition of BNP. Conclusions/interpretation Chronic excess of BNP prevents glomerular injury in the setting of diabetes, suggesting that renoprotective effects of natriuretic peptides may be therapeutically applicable in preventing the progression of diabetic nephropathy.     

H3F3A K27M mutations in thalamic gliomas from young adult patients

Introduction

Mutations in H3F3A, which encodes histone H3.3, commonly occur in pediatric glioblastoma. Additionally, H3F3A K27M substitutions occur in gliomas that arise at midline locations (eg, pons, thalamus, spine); moreover, this substitution occurs mainly in tumors in children and adolescents. Here, we sought to determine the association between H3F3A mutations and adult thalamic glioma.

Methods

Genomic H3F3A was sequenced from 20 separate thalamic gliomas. Additionally, for 14 of the 20 gliomas, 639 genes—including cancer-related genes and chromatin-modifier genes—were sequenced, and the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip was used to examine DNA methylation across the genome.

Results

Of the 20 tumors, 18 were high-grade thalamic gliomas, and of these 18, 11 were from patients under 50 years of age (median age, 38 y; range, 17–46), and 7 were from patients over 50 years of age. The H3F3A K27M mutation was present in 10 of the 11 (91%) younger patients and absent from all 7 older patients. Additionally, H3F3A K27M was not detected in the 2 diffuse astrocytomas. Further sequencing revealed recurrent mutations in TP53, ATRX, NF1, and EGFR. Gliomas with H3F3A K27M from pediatric or young adult patients had similar, characteristic DNA methylation profiles. In contrast, thalamic gliomas with wild-type H3F3A had DNA methylation profiles similar to those of hemispheric glioblastomas.

Conclusion

We found that high-grade thalamic gliomas from young adults, like those from children and adolescents, frequently had H3F3A K27M.     

Positive effect on bone fusion by the combination of platelet-rich plasma and a gelatin β-tricalcium phosphate sponge: a study using a posterolateral fusion model of lumbar vertebrae in rats

We developed a novel method for bone fusion by combining platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and a gelatin β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) sponge. The PRP is an autologous concentration of platelets that includes several growth factors. The gelatin β-TCP sponge comprises gelatin and β-TCP, thus enabling the sustained release of growth factors and osteoconduction. To evaluate this method, we generated a posterolateral fusion model of lumbar vertebrae in rats and divided it into five groups by implanting the following materials between transverse processes of vertebrae, (1) the gelatin β-TCP sponge with PRP (PRP sponge), (2) the gelatin β-TCP sponge with platelet-poor plasma, (3) gelatin hydrogel with PRP, (4) autologous iliac bone (autograft), and (5) no material was implanted as a control. The assessment of bone fusion by a radiographic assessment, a biomechanical test, microcomputed tomography, and histological evaluations demonstrated that there were no significant differences between the PRP sponge and the autograft groups regarding the osteogenic effect. Subsequent examinations revealed that no significant differences existed between the PRP sponge and the autograft groups in either biomechanical stiffness or the bone volume over time; whereas the radiographic and histological composition underwent similar changes in the fusion process. These results indicate that the PRP sponge could, therefore, be potentially useful as an attractive and less invasive method for bone fusion.     

A case of leiomyosarcoma of the testis

A 64-year-old man presented with the painless hard swelling of left scrotal content. Left orchiectomy with high ligation of the spermatic cord was performed with clinical diagnosis of testicular tumor. Histopathologically, it was diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma arising from the spermatic cord. There has been neither local recurrence nor metastasis for 5 months after operation. This is the 20th case of leiomyosarcoma of the spermatic cord in Japan.     

Structural and functional adaptation of the pulpal nerve fibers in the rat incisor

Special fine structure of the pulpal nerve fibers adapted to the continuously growing incisor was studied on 20 rats (25-d-old-males) electron microscopically and was compared with that of the molars of limited growth. The incisal pulp was innervated by 2 kinds of the nerve fibers derived from the cervical sympathetic and the trigeminal ganglia: polyaxonal unmyelinated and monoaxonal myelinated. In the apical pulp, however, the pulpal nerve fibers were unmyelinated, showing 3 different profiles in the fine structure: 1. polyaxonal, 2. polyaxonal with dial plate-like profile and 3. monoaxonal. The monoaxonal unmyelinated fiber reflected the transverse profile of the unmyelinated part of the myelinated axon derived from the trigeminal ganglion. It can be concluded that the pulpal nerve fibers derived from the trigeminal ganglion maintain the immatured nature in the apical proliferating pulp to adapt to the continuous growth of the incisor.