A case of giant epidermoid cyst occupying the testis

A case of a giant epidermoid cyst of the testis is presented. A 65-year-old man was incidentally pointed out to have left scrotal painless swelling. Physical examination revealed an over hen-egg sized enlargement of the left scrotal contents. Ultrasonography revealed a 7.5 X 5.5 X 4.0 cm solid tumor with heterogeneous echogenicity. No other abnormal findings were observed including tumor markers. Since preoperative examination did not rule out malignancy, we performed left high orchiectomy. Pathological diagnosis was a epidermoid cyst of the testis with a small portion of atrophic testis. Although the preoperative diagnosis of testicular epidermoid cyst is possible, it may be considerably difficult when a giant epidermoid cyst is occupying the testis.     

Antidiabetic effects of ajoene in genetically diabetic KK-A(y) mice

Antidiabetic effects of ajoene, derived from garlic, were investigated in genetically diabetic KK-A(y) mice. Four-week-old male KK-A(y) mice were kept on a laboratory diet containing 0.02 or 0.05% of ajoene for 8 wk. The elevation of water intake was suppressed depending on ajoene intake. The levels of plasma glucose in the 0.05% ajoene-containing diet group was significantly suppressed to 73.8% compared with the control group at the 8th wk. Similarly, the plasma triglyceride level was significantly suppressed. It is suggested that hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia are suppressed by ajoene treatment.     

Behavior of new type of rock wool (HT wool) in lungs after exposure by nasal inhalation in rats

Objectives Previous types of rock wool has been recently replaced with high-temperature wool (HT wool). HT wool is characterized by a chemical composition with a higher concentration of Al₂O₃ and a lower concentration of SiO₂, lower biopersistence, and a higher melting point than previous types of rock wool. To evaluate the safety of HT wool, an asbestos substitute, we examined the biopersistence of HT wool in the lungs, based on changes in fiber count according to the length and fiber size (length and width), by performing a nose-only inhalation exposure study in rats. Methods Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed to fibers at the target exposure concentration of 30 mg/m³ continuously for 3 hours daily for 5 consecutive days. Rats were sacrificed shortly after exposure, and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after exposure, and their lung tissues were incinerated at a low temperature. Then, fiber counts and sizes in the lungs were analyzed using a phase contrast microscope. Results The fiber count in the lungs 4 weeks after exposure significantly decreased from the baseline value (shortly after exposure). The half-life of fibers calculated from the approximation curve was 34 days for all fibers and 11 days for fibers longer than 20 μm. Conclusions Both the length and width significantly decreased 4 weeks after exposure, probably because fibers were ingested by alveolar macrophages, discharged to outside of the body by mucociliary movement, or lysed by body fluid. In future studies, it is necessary to examine the long-term persistence of fibers in the lungs.     

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome Causing Respiratory Failure During Surgery for a Ruptured Descending Thoracic Aneurysm: Report of a Case

Elevated intra-abdominal pressure causing widespread organ dysfunction is known as abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). The subject of our case report is a 64-year-old man who underwent repair of a ruptured descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. During the operation, decompression laparotomy was required to relieve intra-abdominal hypertension causing respiratory failure, before the patient could be weaned off cardiopulmonary bypass. We report this case to alert surgeons to the fact that ACS can occur during surgery on the thoracic aorta, especially if massive fluid resuscitation is required and venous drainage for extracorporeal circulation is less than optimal. Early recognition and prompt decompression by laparotomy is essential to save the life of the patient.     

Exercise training enhances tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced expressions of anti-apoptotic genes without alterations in caspase-3 activity in rat epididymal adipocytes

The effect of exercise training on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) signaling was investigated in rat epididymal adipocytes. Incubation of isolated adipocytes with TNF-alpha (20 ng/ml) for 5 h enhanced the expression of the inhibitor apoptosis protein 2 (IAP2) gene without any enhancement of caspase-3 activity in both the sedentary control (C) and exercise-trained (TR) groups. However, the ability of TNF-alpha to enhance IAP2 gene expression was significantly greater in TR than in C rats. The basal expression of the IkappaB kinase beta (IKK beta) gene and that of the BCL-x(L) gene were also higher in TR than in C rats. Mn-superoxidedismutase contents in adipocytes were higher in TR than in C rats. Moreover, no apoptotic nucleuses of adipocytes in response to acute exercise were observed in either group at least up to 5 h after exercise. Exercise training also enhanced the inhibitory effect of TNF-alpha on the gene expression of the fatty acid synthase (FAS), a lipogenic enzyme, suggesting that fatty acid synthesis may be reduced. Thus, exercise training enhanced TNF-alpha signaling directed toward the expressions of survival signals and the suppression of FAS gene expression.     

Information processing flow and neural activations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the Stroop task in schizophrenic patients. A spatially filtered MEG analysis with high temporal and spatial resolution

Using a spatially filtered magnetoencephalography analysis (synthetic aperture magnetometry), we estimated neural activations in the Stroop task in nearly real time for schizophrenic patients with/without auditory hallucinations and for normal control subjects. In addition, auditory hallucinations were examined through the information processing flow of the brain neural network, including the frontal regions. One hundred unaveraged magnetoencephalography signals during the incongruent stimulus responses were analyzed with a time window of 200 ms in steps of 50 ms. In the 25-60-Hz band, cortical regions that showed significant current source density changes were examined for each time window. The three groups showed significantly decreased current source density, corresponding to neural activation, with temporal overlap along the fundamental cognitive information processing flow: sensory input system, executive control system, motor output system. Transient neural activations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were bilateral with left-side dominancy for normal controls, left-lateralized for nonhallucinators and right-lateralized for hallucinators. Our results suggest that the dysfunction in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was related to auditory hallucinations, while the information processing flow was unaffected in the schizophrenic subjects in the Stroop task.     

NMDA receptor-dependent oscillatory signal outputs from the retrosplenial cortex triggered by a non-NMDA receptor-dependent signal input from the visual cortex

The retrosplenial cortex is located at a critical juncture between the visual cortex and hippocampal formation. Functions of the retrosplenial cortex at the local circuit level, however, remain unclear. Herein, we show how signals traveling from the visual cortex behave in local circuits of the retrosplenial cortex, using optical recording methods and application of caffeine to rat brain slices. Electrical signals evoked in the primary visual cortex penetrated into the deep layer of the retrosplenial granular a cortex (RSGa) and propagated further toward postsubiculum and upper layer. Non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent initial traveling signal from the visual cortex triggered NMDA receptor-dependent neural oscillation in the RSGa. Oscillatory signals originated from the local area in the deep layer of the RSGa, and the signal spread back and forth toward the visual cortex and postsubiculum, in addition to spreading toward the upper layer. From the perspective of the RSGa, extrinsic signal inputs from the visual cortex switched on neural oscillators in the RSGa that deliver NMDA receptor-dependent intrinsic signal outputs. Opening and strengthening of non-NMDA receptor-dependent input pathways from the visual cortex required NMDA receptor-dependent oscillatory neural activities. These input and output relationships indicate that the retrosplenial cortex may represent an important relay station between the visual cortex and hippocampal formation.