Pulmonary function change in patients with Sauropus androgynus-related obstructive lung disease 15 years later

Background/PurposeLittle is understood about the clinical course and prognosis of patients with Sauropus androgynus-related obstructive lung disease. The aim of this study was to investigate their clinical manifestations and pulmonary function change 15 years after the acute episode.MethodsA descriptive, observational study of patients with S androgynus-related obstructive lung disease, diagnosed 15 years ago, was conducted. We evaluated their pulmonary function and the Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale. Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was also performed. Age- and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)-matched chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients were used as a reference group for comparison of clinical manifestations.ResultsTwenty-nine of 49 patients, diagnosed at our hospital 15 years ago, could be contacted. Four patients died and one patient was ventilator-dependent. Sixteen patients were willing to come to our hospital to have pulmonary function and questionnaire evaluation. The FEV1 of these patients declined only 1.6 ± 21.6 mL/year over a 15-year period. Meanwhile, the severity of their dyspnea and their health-related quality of life were better than age- and FEV1-matched COPD patients as shown by the MMRC dyspnea scale (1.4 ± 0.8 vs. 2.0 ± 1.0; p = 0.037) and symptom domain of the SGRQ (32.6 ± 18.4 vs. 43.5 ± 20.3; p = 0.006).ConclusionAfter an acute deterioration, patients with S androgynus-related obstructive lung disease had a stationary pulmonary function over a period of 15 years, and their clinical manifestations were less severe than age- and FEV1-matched COPD patients. A further study with a larger sample size may be needed to confirm these findings

Effects of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibition with MK-0431 on Syngeneic Mouse Islet Transplantation

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors increase circulating levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide which may promote β-cell proliferation and survival. This study tested if DPP-4 inhibition with MK-0431 is beneficial for diabetic mice syngeneically transplanted with a marginal number of islets. We syngeneically transplanted 150 C57BL/6 mouse islets under the kidney capsule of each streptozotocin-diabetic mouse and then treated recipients with (n=21) or without (n=17) MK-0431 (30 mg/kg/day, po) for 6 weeks. After islet transplantation, blood glucose levels decreased in both MK-0431-treated and control groups. However, the blood glucose and area under the curve of the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test at 2, 4, and 6 weeks were not significantly different between MK-0431-treated mice and controls. During 6 weeks, both groups exhibited increased body weights over time. However, the weight between two groups did not differ throughout the study period. At 6 weeks after transplantation, the graft beta-cell mass (0.024 ± 0.005 versus 0.023 ± 0.007 mg, P=0.8793) and insulin content (140 ± 48 versus 231 ± 63 ng, P=0.2939) were comparable in the MK-0431-treated group and controls. Our results indicate posttransplant DPP-4 inhibition with MK-0431 in the diabetic recipient with a marginal number of islets is not beneficial to transplantation outcome or islet grafts

Application of Scutellariae radix

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis, a host-adapted pathogen of swine, usually causes septicemia. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains have been widely studied in recent years for their probiotic properties. In this study, a mouse infection model first screened for potential agents against infection, then a pig infection model evaluated effects of LAB strains and herbal plants against infection. Scutellariae radix (SR) and Gardeniae fructus (GF) showed abilities to reduce bacteria shedding and suppressing serum level of TNF-α induced by infection in swine. Bioactivities of SR and GF were enhanced by combining with LAB strains, which alone could speed up the bacteria elimination time in feces and boost immunity of infected pigs. Baicalein and genipin exhibited stronger cytotoxicity than baicalin and geniposide did, as well as prevent Salmonella from invading macrophages. Our study suggests LAB strains as exhibiting multiple functions: preventing infection, enhancing immunity to prepare host defenses against further infection, and adjusting intestinal microbes’ enzymatic activity in order to convert herbal compounds to active compounds. The SR/GF-LAB strain mixture holds potential infection-prevention agents supplied as feed additives

Long-term Clinical Outcomes Following Elective Stent Implantation for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease

Background/PurposePercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been increasingly adopted for unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors of long-term clinical outcomes in patients after elective stent implantation for unprotected LMCA disease.MethodsA total of 122 patients with medically refractory angina who received coronary stenting for unprotected LMCA disease between August 1997 and December 2008 were included.ResultsDuring the follow-up period of 45 ± 35 months (range: 1–137 months), the incidence of repeated PCI and/or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and cardiovascular and total mortality were 28% (34 patients), 20% (24 patients), and 25% (31 patients), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that young age [p = 0.02; hazard ratio (HR): 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11–4.30] and bare-metal stent (BMS) use (p = 0.02; HR: 5.35, 95% CI: 1.27–22.57) were the independent predictors of repeated PCI and/or CABG. Only lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) could predict both cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.003; HR: 4.25, 95% CI: 1.63–11.08) and total mortality (p = 0.002; HR: 3.95, 95% CI: 1.65–9.45). Lower LVEF (p = 0.001; HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16–0.61) and small stent size (p = 0.01; HR: 5.95, 95% CI: 1.43–24.80) could predict the composite endpoint, including target vessel revascularization and total mortality.ConclusionWe showed that young age and BMS implantation could predict repeated PCI and/or CABG after stent implantation for unprotected LMCA disease. Only lower LVEF could predict both cardiovascular and total mortality. Lower LVEF and small stent size but not BMS implantation could predict composite target vessel revascularization/total mortality

Major Functional Transcriptome of an Inferred Center Regulator of an ER(−) Breast Cancer Model System

We aimed to find clinically relevant gene activities ruled by the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) proteins in an ER(−) breast cancer population via network approach. STAT3 is negatively associated with both lymph nodal category and stage. MYC is a component of STAT3 network. MYC and STAT3 may co-regulate gene expressions for Warburg effect, stem cell like phenotype, cell proliferation and angiogenesis. We identified a STAT3 network in silico showing its ability in predicting its target gene expressions primarily for specific tumor subtype, tumor progression, treatment options and prognostic features. The aberrant expressions of MYC and STAT3 are enriched in triple negatives (TN). They promote histological grade, vascularity, metastasis and tumor anti-apoptotic activities. VEGFA, STAT3, FOXM1 and METAP2 are druggable targets. High levels of METAP2, MMP7, IGF2 and IGF2R are unfavorable prognostic factors. STAT3 is an inferred center regulator at early cancer development predominantly in TN

The Stable Association of Virion with the Triple-geneblockProtein 3-based Complex of Bamboo mosaic virus

The triple-gene-block protein 3 (TGBp3) of Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) is an integral endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membraneprotein which is assumed to form a membrane complex to deliver the virus intracellularly. However, the virus entity that isdelivered to plasmodesmata (PD) and its association with TGBp3-based complexes are not known. Results from chemicalextraction and partial proteolysis of TGBp3 in membrane vesicles revealed that TGBp3 has a right-side-out membranetopology; i.e., TGBp3 has its C-terminal tail exposed to the outer surface of ER. Analyses of the TGBp3-specificimmunoprecipitate of Sarkosyl-extracted TGBp3-based complex revealed that TGBp1, TGBp2, TGBp3, capsid protein (CP),replicase and viral RNA are potential constituents of virus movement complex. Substantial co-fractionation of TGBp2, TGBp3and CP, but not TGBp1, in the early eluted gel filtration fractions in which virions were detected after TGBp3-specificimmunoprecipitation suggested that the TGBp2- and TGBp3-based complex is able to stably associate with the virion. Thisnotion was confirmed by immunogold-labeling transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the purified virions. In addition,mutational and confocal microscopy analyses revealed that TGBp3 plays a key role in virus cell-to-cell movement byenhancing the TGBp2- and TGBp3-dependent PD localization of TGBp1. Taken together, our results suggested that the cellto-cell movement of potexvirus requires stable association of the virion cargo with the TGBp2- and TGBp3-based membranecomplex and recruitment of TGBp1 to the PD by this complex

Pro-angiogenic effects of chalcone derivatives in zebrafish embryos in vivo

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