窖蛋白1在无血清状态下诱导FBJ细胞死亡

目的研究无血清状态下,FBJ-S1细胞较FBJ-LL细胞更易死亡的原因。方法用细胞活性检测法分析细胞的活性,分别用HPTLC法、逆转录PCR法和免疫印迹法检测细胞中GD1a和窖蛋白1(caveolin-1)的含量。结果研究表明,在无血清培养基培养条件下,富含神经节苷脂GM3和GD1a的低转移性的FBJ-S1小鼠骨肉瘤细胞趋向死亡,但对含有几乎相同量GM3而无GD1a表达的高转移性的FBJ-LL细胞的生长却未见明显影响。同时发现:a.FBJ-S1细胞富含窖蛋白1,而FBJ-LL细胞中窖蛋白1表达量则较低;b.利用小干扰基因沉默技术在FBJ-S1细胞中沉默窖蛋白1的表达,结果使细胞存活率升高;c.使用GD1a处理FBJ-LL细胞导致其趋向死亡,通过免疫印迹法检测窖蛋白1发现其蛋白表达量增加。结论在无血清培养条件下,窖蛋白1诱导FBJ细胞的死亡。     

A Case of Multiple Ectopic Pheochromocytomas Occurring in the Urinary Bladder and the Para-Aortic Region

A patient with urinary bladder pheochromocytoma and anotherpheo-chromocytoma in the para-aortic region is presented. Also,nine cases which have already been reported in Japan are reviewed. The following conclusions are made: bladder pheochromocytomacan appear at any age in either sex. The clinical triad consistingof hypertension, gross intermittent or transient painless hematuriaand micturitional attacks typical of pheochromocytoma are seenin most cases. Attention is called to such urinary bladder     

Differentiating early and late-onset depression with multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy

Background: Individuals with late‐life depression can be divided into two categories, those with early and late‐onset depression (EOD and LOD, respectively). It has been reported that LOD has more accentuated subcortical vascular lesions and frontal lobe dysfunction (hypofrontality). The aim of the present study was to examine whether LOD exhibits more prominent hypofrontality than EOD during performance of the word fluency task (WFT) under multichannel near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a newly developed non‐invasive functional neuroimaging technique. Methods: Eleven patients with EOD, 12 patients with LOD, and 13 healthy controls participated in the study. Clinical symptoms of depression were equivalent in the EOD and LOD groups. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated more robust subcortical vascular changes in LOD than EOD. The NIRS images were obtained using an ETG‐4000, 52‐channel NIRS system (Hitachi Medical, Tokyo, Japan). Mean changes in oxy‐hemoglobin (oxy‐Hb) were evaluated while the participants performed the phonemic WFT. Results: Healthy controls exhibited clear increases in oxy‐Hb bilaterally throughout the medial to the lateral frontal cortices and the superior temporal areas during the WFT. In contrast, increases in oxy‐Hb were mildly attenuated in EOD and severely attenuated in LOD in most channels. Subsequent analyses revealed that increases in oxy‐Hb in LOD during the WFT was significantly poorer than in EOD in the left lateral portion of the cortex, including the dorsolateral prefrontal and the superior temporal areas. In addition, significant negative correlations were obtained between the age of onset and oxy‐Hb, as well as between subcortical vascular changes and oxy‐Hb in the lateral channels. These findings suggest that the higher the age of onset of depression, and the more prominent the vascular lesions, the greater the attenuation in lateral frontal and temporal activation, as indicated by NIRS. Conclusions: Multichannel NIRS is useful for demonstrating attenuated functional activation in the left lateral prefrontal and temporal areas in LOD and, thus, for differentiating between LOD and EOD. The NIRS findings observed may have useful clinical implications for treatment‐resistant LOD.     

Kinetics of serum cytokines in adults undergoing peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation

Summary. We investigated the serum cytokine levels (G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-l/?, IL-3 and IL-6) using an ELISA in 14 patients with haematological malignancies undergoing peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation (PBPCT). Serum G-CSF levels in all patients rose immediately after PBPCT, then gradually decreased as the neutrophil counts began to rise. No detectable serum levels of GM-CSF or IL-lp were observed, but serum levels of IL-3 rose transiently immediately following PBPCT. Serum levels of JL-6 rose transiently during a fever in four patients. These observations suggest that G-CSF and L 3 may contribute to the early haemopoietic reconstitution in PBPCT.     

Chronic Ischemic Colitis Associated with Marked Calcifications of the Mesenteric Vessels —Report of Two Cases—

Abstract: Phlebosclerosis of the mesenteric vein is a rare cause of ischemic colitis. The current report includes two patients with segmental ischemic colitis associated with marked calcifications of the mesenteric vessels. No evidence of systemic vasculitis, tuberculosis nor amyloidosis was observed. The patients were previously healthy and had no history of drug use of any kind. Clinical findings included abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant and diarrhea alternating with constipation, and colonic narrowing were discoverd by barium enema. An abdominal X-ray examination revealed some patchy calcifications in the right and left upper quadrants. An angiography of the superior mesenteric artery revealed sclerosis of the artery, disturbance of colonic blood flow, and calcifications of the mesenteric vessels. The patients were treated with an anticoagulant. In follow-up studies, barium enema and colonoscopy revealed a gradual progression of the disease over the last five years. Treatment with an anticoagulant may have prevented rapid advancement of the disease and thereby eliminated the need for emergency operations. These unusual venous lesions have been rarely reported, and their etiology and pathogenesis remain unknown.     

Pilot study to test the safety of an exercise machine on healthy adult females

Aim:  To assess the safety and effectiveness of a chair-type training machine developed for the elderly and to conduct a training program in healthy women using this machine.
Methods:  Twenty-four healthy women (mean age: 27.0 ± 5.4 years; range: 21–38 years) were randomly assigned to the exercise program (intervention) group ( n  = 12) or the control group ( n  = 12). Intervention: Training program using the chair-type training machine for the elderly in 60-min sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. Measurements: Safety standards for machinery (ISO 12100) and physiological phenomena (blood pressure, heart rate, and subjective symptoms and objective symptoms) were assessed. The primary endpoints were isometric muscle strength (knee joint extension strength (KJES)), ankle dorsal flexion strength (ADFS), and ankle plantar flexion strength (APFS); these were assessed using standardized protocols at the beginning and the end of intervention.
Results:  There were two dropouts in the intervention group. The safety of the machine was judged as acceptable based on the standard. No training-related medical problems occurred. It was observed that 12 weeks after the end of the training program, the isometric muscle strengths of all the left muscles and the right APFS were reinforced in the intervention group ( P  < 0.05). The right KJES and right ADFS of the intervention group did not show significant change when compared to the control.
Conclusion:  The chair-type training machine and the training program with this machine are safe and effective for increasing muscle strength.     

GD1a对基质金属蛋白酶-9在不同细胞类型中表达的调控作用

目的在不同的细胞类型中,检测神经节苷脂GD1a是否抑制基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)的表达。方法采用逆转录PCR法和酶谱法检测MMP-9及MMP-2的表达。结果在鼠黑色素瘤B16细胞中,神经节苷脂GD1a促进MMP-9的表达,而在小鼠肺癌Lewis细胞、人单核细胞THP-1及人子宫颈癌HeLa细胞中,神经节苷脂GD1a降低MMP-9的表达。在上述细胞中,神经节苷脂GD1a不影响基质金属蛋白酶MMP-2的表达;肿瘤坏死因子TNF-α在这几种细胞中均能促进MMP-9的表达,但对MMP-2无影响;在B16细胞中,GD1a通过胞窖膜介导信号传递,并且主要通过ERK促进MMP-9的表达,而在Lewis细胞中,GD1a不通过胞窖膜介导信号传递,但部分通过p38、ERK和JNK抑制MMP-9表达。结论在不同的细胞类型中,神经节苷脂GD1a能够激活不同的信号转导途径。