Association of kidney function with cancer incidence and its influence on cancer risk of smoking: The Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study

The association between kidney function and cancer incidence is inconsistent among previous reports, and data on the Japanese population are lacking. It is unknown whether kidney function modifies the cancer risk of other factors. We aimed to evaluate the association of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with cancer incidence and mortality in 55 242 participants (median age, 57 years; 55% women) from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. We also investigated differences in cancer risk factors between individuals with and without kidney dysfunction. During a median 9.3-year follow-up period, 4278 (7.7%) subjects developed cancer. Moderately low and high eGFRs were associated with higher cancer incidence; compared with eGFR of 60-74 ml/min/1.73 m², the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for eGFRs of ≥90, 75-89, 45-59, 30-44 and 10-29 ml/min/1.73 m² were 1.18 (1.07-1.29), 1.09 (1.01-1.17), 0.93 (0.83-1.04), 1.36 (1.00-1.84) and 1.12 (0.55-2.26), respectively. High eGFR was associated with higher cancer mortality, while low eGFR was not; the adjusted subdistribution HRs (95% CIs) for eGFRs of ≥90 and 75-89 ml/min/1.73 m² were 1.58 (1.29-1.94) and 1.27 (1.08-1.50), respectively. Subgroup analyses of participants with eGFRs ≥60 and <60 ml/min/1.73 m² revealed elevated cancer risks of smoking and family history of cancer in those with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m², with significant interactions. Our findings suggest that the relationship between eGFR and cancer incidence was U-shaped. Only high eGFR was associated with cancer mortality. Kidney dysfunction enhanced cancer risk from smoking.     

High-magnitude mechanical strain inhibits the differentiation of bone-forming rat calvarial progenitor cells

Purpose: Orthodontic tooth movement occurs during the bone remodeling induced by therapeutic mechanical strain. It is important to investigate the relation between the strength of mechanical stress and bone formation activity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high-magnitude mechanical strain on bone formation in detail.

Materials and methods: Osteoblast-like cells isolated from fetal rat calvariae were loaded with 18% cyclic tension force (TF) for 48?h. To phenotypically investigate the effect of TF, we measured the number and the size of bone nodules stained by von Kossa technique on day 21 after cell seeding and determined the calcium content of bone nodules on day 14. Furthermore, we examined the gene expression of BMP-2, Runx2 and Msx2, which are important factors for bone nodule formation, on days 1, 4 and 7 after TF loading.

Results: The maximum bone nodule size in the control group was 1620 and 719?μm in the TF group. Furthermore, the mean number of bone nodules sized over 360?μm in the TF group was significantly decreased compared to the control group. The calcium content was also significantly decreased to 42% by TF loading. The mRNA expression of BMP-2, Runx2 and Msx2 was decreased 1 and 4 days after TF loading.

Conclusion: The differentiation of bone forming progenitor cells into bone nodule forming cells was inhibited by TF due to the decreased expression of bone formation related factors such as BMP-2, Runx2 and Msx2.     

Allergic Predisposition Among Infants with Bronchiolitis

Allergic predisposition among infants with bronchiolitis was examined. The number of infants with serum IgE exceeding mean +1 SD was 31/70 (44.3%). The rate of positive radioallergosorbent test (RAST) scores of 1 or more to mites, egg white, or milk was 31/71 (43.7%) and that of scores over 2 was 11/71 (15.5%). Eosinophils and/or mast cells were found in their nasal smears on several occasions. These results indicated that allergic predisposition may be observed among infants with bronchiolitis.     

GABAergic Interneurons at Supraspinal and Spinal Levels Differentially Modulate the Antinociceptive Effect of Nitrous Oxide in Fischer Rats

Background: The study hypothesizes that nitrous oxide (N2O) releases opioid peptide in the brain stem, which results in inhibition of [gamma]-aminobutyric acid-mediated (GABAergic) neurons that tonically inhibit the descending noradrenergic inhibitory neurons (DNIN), resulting in activation of DNIN. In the spinal cord, activation of DNIN leads to the release of norepinephrine, which inhibits nociceptive processing through direct activation of [alpha]2 adrenoceptor and indirect activation of GABAergic neurons through [alpha]1 adrenoceptor. Arising from this hypothesis, it follows that GABAergic neurons will modulate the antinociceptive effect of N2O in diametrically opposite directions at supraspinal and spinal levels. The authors have tested this tenet and further examined the effect of midazolam, a GABA-mimetic agent, on N2O-induced antinociceptive effect.

Methods: Adult male Fischer rats were administered muscimol (GABAA receptor agonist) intracerebroventricularly (icv), gabazine (GABAA receptor antagonist) intrathecally (intrathecal), or midazolam intraperitoneally (intraperitoneal). Fifteen minutes later, they were exposed to air or 75% N2O and were subjected to the plantar test after 30 min of gas exposure. In some animals administered with midazolam, gas exposure was continued for 90 min, and the brain and spinal cord were examined immunohistochemically.

Results: The N2O-induced antinociceptive effect, which was attenuated by icv muscimol, intrathecal gabazine, and intraperitoneal midazolam. Midazolam inhibited N2O-induced c-Fos expression (a marker of neuronal activation) in the pontine A7 and spinal cord.     

Impact of unilateral interposition sural nerve graft on the recovery of sexual function after radical prostatectomy in Japanese men: A preliminary study

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of an interposition nerve graft on sexual function after radical prostatectomy. METHODS: This study includes 64 patients, without hormonal therapy, who underwent a radical prostatectomy and intraoperative electrophysiological confirmation of cavernous nerve preservation. Twelve patients underwent a unilateral interposition sural nerve graft (UNG) for the resected neurovascular bundle. Twenty-one and 31 patients underwent bilateral nerve-sparing (BNS) and unilateral nerve-sparing (UNS) surgery without a nerve graft, respectively. As the age of patients was significantly younger in the UNG group than in the other groups, age-matched analysis also was conducted. Sexual function, evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire using the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index, was compared statistically among the three groups. RESULTS: In the age-matched analysis, the postoperative sexual function (SXF) score of the UNG group showed an intermediate level of recovery between those of the BNS and UNS groups at 12 months and reached the same level as the score at 12 months of the BNS group at 18 months postoperatively. The difference in the SXF score between the UNG and UNS groups began to appear after 6 months postoperatively and increased steadily with time. However, the background factors, such as the baseline SXF score, the usage rate of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, and the rate of comorbidities were different between the UNG and UNS groups. CONCLUSIONS: The difference of the SXF score between the UNG and UNS groups increased with time after 6 months postoperatively. However, it might be difficult at present to attribute a better recovery of the SXF score to the nerve graft because of the difference in the background factors between the groups.     

Ultrastructural characterization of the tau-immunoreactive tubules in the oligodendroglial perikarya and their inner loop processes in progressive supranuclear palsy

Coiled bodies and interfascicular threads are conspicuous white matter abnormalities of brains of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Both structures are argyrophilic and immunoreactive for the microtubule-binding protein tau. This report concerns the ultrastructural localization of interfascicular threads and their relationship to coiled bodies in five PSP patients. We showed for the first time that abnormal tubules with a 13- to 15-nm diameter and fuzzy outer contours were the common structures of coiled bodies in the oligodendroglial perikarya and of interfascicular threads. Moreover, the tubules were immunolabeled by anti-tau antibodies. The abnormal tau-positive tubules of interfascicular threads were located in the inner loop of the myelin sheath. Our study further indicated that the thread-like structures in the white matter comprised, at least in part, oligodendroglial processes, and that they were also present in gray matter. We consider that the formation of coiled bodies in the perikarya and of interfascicular threads represents a common cytoskeletal abnormality of the oligodendroglia of PSP patients. Moreover, even though the white matter alterations of PSP resemble those of corticobasal degeneration, there are certain ultrastructural differences in the abnormal oligodendroglial tubules of the two diseases. Received: 4 October 1996 / Accepted: 6 December 1996