High-dose 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine therapy in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma in Japan

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - The aim of the study was to investigate the outcomes and prognostic factors of high-dose 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) therapy in patients with refractory or...     

Electromyographic activity of m. longissimus and the kinematics of the vertebral column during level and downslope treadmill walking in cats

Electromyographic (EMG) burst patterns of m. longissimus and the kinematics of the vertebral column were assessed in cats during treadmill walking for six downslope grades (5 degrees-30 degrees). The EMG bursts during downslope walking were weak between 5 degrees and 20 degrees. At steeper grades (>20 degrees), EMG bursts were large. Bursts at T10 facilitated inward movements, and those at L1 decreased forward movements, while those at L5 decreased backward movements during downslope walking at steeper grades.     

Characterization of human rotavirus serotype G9 isolated in Japan and Thailand from 1995 to 1997.

Serotyping of human rotavirus was conducted in 396 Japanese and 100 Thai rotavirus-positive fecal specimens collected from 1995 to 1997. Serotype G9 was found to be the third most common serotype with frequency of 16.2% in Thailand from 1996 to 1997. It was also detected in Japan with a low frequency (0.7%) in this year. The genetic analyses of VP4 and NSP4 genes of these G9 strains showed that 1 strain from Japan possessed P[8] genotype and NSP4 Wa-group with long electropherotype (e-type). In contrast, 5 strains from Thailand belonged to P[6] and 1 strain belonged to P[4]. All of the Thai strains were in the NSP4 KUN-group with a short e-type. Sequence analysis of their VP7 gene revealed that there was the highest homology among fecal G9 strains (> 96.3%, amino acid identity) and a relatively high degree of homology to standard viruses, F45 from Japan (95.4-96.3%, amino acid identity) and 116E from India (92-92.3%, amino acid identity). However, immunological analysis using G9 specific monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against VP7 protein showed that the G9 strains isolated from the two countries had different antigenic specificity. It was confirmed further by intraserotypical phylogenetic analysis of VP7 amino acid. These results indicated that the prevalence of G9 rotavirus in 1996-1997 in Thailand was relative to the continuing recent emergence of it on a worldwide basis, while the Japanese G9 strain isolated in this survey was identified to have progenitors common to the F45 strain that was prevalent in 1985 in Japan. Phylogenetic analysis of VP7 amino acid of G1-14 prototype rotavirus showed that the G9 strains were most closely related to the equine G14 rotavirus FI23 strain but G3 strains, interserotypically. These findings suggest that G9 rotaviruses might be divided into two or more subtypes.     

High-dose 131I-mIBG as consolidation therapy in pediatric patients with relapsed neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma: the Japanese experience

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - Children with relapsed neuroblastoma have a poor prognosis despite modern multimodality therapy. Novel and more effective therapeutic strategies are required for...     

Synaptic input from homonymous group I afferents in m. longissimus lumborum motoneurons in the L4 spinal segment in cats

We examined the relationship between input resistance and amplitude of monosynaptic and polysynaptic EPSPs produced by electrical stimulation of group I muscle afferents innervating the m. longissimus lumborum (Long) at different levels (L1–L4) in Long motoneurons in L4 spinal segments to obtain an insight into the neuronal control of trunk muscles. In the Long motoneuron pool, the amplitude of monosynaptic EPSP was shown to have a close relationship to input resistance. Furthermore, the relation between the amplitude of polysynaptic EPSP after stimulating Long nerves at L3 and input resistance was statistically significant, but the relation between EPSP amplitude evoked by stimulation of Long at L1 or L2 and input resistance was not statistically significant. Our findings suggest a position-dependent control of motoneuron activity by group I muscle afferents. The motoneuron activities carried out by monosynaptic pathways and polysynaptic pathways from adjacent spinal segments are dependent on the intrinsic properties of motoneurons (input resistance, etc.), while the motoneuron activities carried out by polysynaptic pathways from the far spinal segments have independent intrinsic properties.     

Differential effects of hindlimb peripheral afferents on motoneurons innervating different parts of longissimus muscle in cats

Previous studies (Wada and Kanda 2001, Exp Brain Res 136:263–263; Wada et al. 1999, Exp Brain Res 128:543–549) demonstrated that input patterns from hindlimb muscles and cutaneous afferents vary among individual trunk muscle motoneurons. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the synaptic pattern from hindlimb afferents and the area innervated by motoneurons. Histologic study of m. longissimus lumborum (Long) indicated that the distribution of different fiber types (slow-twitch oxidative, SO; fast-twitch oxidative glycolytic, FOG; fast-twitch glycolytic, FG) depends on the area of the Long cross-section. The ventromedial area and dorsolateral area of the cross-section possess a high content of SO and FG, respectively. The motoneurons innervating the dorsolateral area receive muscle afferent inputs mainly from the ipsilateral side, while the motoneurons innervating the ventromedial area often receive bilateral afferent inputs. The motoneurons innervating the dorsolateral area receive excitatory post-synaptic potentials from cutaneous nerves on both sides. These findings indicate that the effects of afferent inputs from the hindlimbs are related to motoneuron type or the area innervated by the motoneurons.     

Prognostic Value of Early Evaluation of Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony After Myocardial Infarction

Molecular Imaging and Biology - Dispersion in the contraction of the normally coordinate ventricular system, referred to as left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony, is constantly observed at different...     

Occurrence of changes in human rotavirus serotypes with concurrent changes in genomic RNA electropherotypes.

To investigate the serotypic and genetic diversity of human rotavirus strains, we have tested 513 and 519 fecal rotavirus specimens, respectively, by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the segmented RNA genome. Of the 513 specimens, 375 were typed as serotype 1 (47.3%), serotype 2 (2.9%), serotype 3 (2.9%), or serotype 4 (17.7%). In addition, a presumptive new human serotype, tentatively referred to as serotype X in this paper, was found in 1.6% of the specimens tested. The remaining 138 specimens (26.9%) were untypeable. Considerable variation in relative frequency of circulating serotypes was observed with respect to geographic locations and observation periods. Rotavirus RNAs were visualized in 481 of 519 specimens tested. Of these, 415 were typed as 33 electropherotypes, many of which were infrequently detected and were restricted to single epidemics. Analysis of the 291 specimens whose electropherotypes and serotypes were available indicated clearly that a given RNA pattern always corresponded to a particular serotype. Heterogeneity of electropherotypes within a serotype was similarly observed in strains belonging to the four previously established serotypes. The results obtained in this study indicated that antigenic changes on the major neutralization antigen occurred always with concurrent changes of genomic RNA electropherotypes. On the other hand, serotypic changes could not be predicted from the changes in RNA electropherotypes.