Effect of maturation on muscle quality of the lower limb muscles in adolescent boys

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of maturation on the muscle quality of the lower limb muscles around puberty. METHODS: Subjects were 117 Japanese boys age 12 to 15 years. The maturity status was assessed by using a self-assessment of stage of pubic hair development based on the criteria of Tanner. On the basis of the criteria, subjects were divided into the prepubescent or pubescent group. Muscle thickness of knee extensors and plantar flexors were measured by a B-mode ultrasound. Muscle volume index (MV) was calculated from muscle thickness and limb length. Maximal voluntary isometric joint toques (TQ) of knee extension and ankle plantar flexion were measured using a myometer. Muscle quality was derived from dividing TQ by MV (TQ/MV). RESULTS: In both muscles, TQ-MV relationships were also similar between the prepubescent and pubescent groups, and there was no significant difference in TQ/MV between the two groups when chronological age was statistically adjusted. CONCLUSION: The current results indicate that, for adolescent boys, the muscle quality of the lower limb muscles is not significantly influenced by maturation

Clinically suspected acute myopericarditis with cardiac tamponade associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia presenting in early pregnancy: a case report

INTRODUCTION: The clinical presentation of eosinophilic myocarditis may vary from asymptomatic to the manifestation of severe symptoms, including cardiac tamponade and arrhythmias. In pregnant patients with this condition, drugs must be used cautiously up to approximately the 4th month of pregnancy because drug use should be limited during the period of fetal organogenesis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old Asian woman at 14 weeks of pregnancy with progressive malaise was hospitalized. The electrocardiogram revealed ST elevation and low QRS voltage. Echocardiography revealed massive pericardial effusion and myocardial swelling. A laboratory examination revealed an increase in her white blood cell count, with a predominance of neutrophils. Pericardial drainage was performed for relief of the cardiac tamponade. The pericardial effusion revealed an abundance of eosinophils. Subsequently, the peripheral blood eosinophil count began to rise, and the patient was clinically diagnosed with eosinophilic myopericarditis. The patient’s condition improved rapidly following the initiation of prednisolone treatment, and she finally delivered a full-term normal infant. CONCLUSIONS: A patient with clinically suspected myopericarditis in the early stage of pregnancy who improved rapidly with pericardial drainage and prednisolone therapy, and successfully delivered a normal full-term infant; the diagnosis was made in the early stage of the disease, based on the detection of an abundance of eosinophils in the pericardial effusion preceding the subsequent development of peripheral blood eosinophilia

Three-dimensional human placenta-like bud synthesized from induced pluripotent stem cells

Placental dysfunction is related to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction, but there is no effective treatment for it. Recently, various functional three-dimensional organs have been generated from human induced-pluripotent cells (iPSCs), and the transplantation of these iPSCs-derived organs has alleviated liver failure or diabetes mellitus in mouse models. Here we successfully generated a three-dimensional placental organ bud from human iPSCs. The iPSCs differentiated into various lineages of trophoblasts such as cytotrophoblast-like, syncytiotrophoblast-like, and extravillous trophoblast-like cells, forming organized layers in the bud. Placental buds were transplanted to the murine uterus, where 22% of the buds were successfully engrafted. These iPSC-derived placental organ buds could serve as a new model for the study of placental function and pathology

Cast: a novel protein of the cytomatrix at the active zone of synapses that forms a ternary complex with RIM1 and munc13-1

The cytomatrix at the active zone (CAZ) has been implicated in defining the site of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of neurotransmitter. We have identified here a novel CAZ protein of ∼120 kD from rat brain and named it CAST (CAZ-associated structural protein). CAST had no transmembrane segment, but had four coiled-coil domains and a putative COOH-terminal consensus motif for binding to PDZ domains. CAST was localized at the CAZ of conventional synapses of mouse brain. CAST bound directly RIM1 and indirectly Munc13-1, presumably through RIM1, forming a ternary complex. RIM1 and Munc13-1 are CAZ proteins implicated in Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of neurotansmitters. Bassoon, another CAZ protein, was also associated with this ternary complex. These results suggest that a network of protein–protein interactions among the CAZ proteins exists at the CAZ. At the early stages of synapse formation, CAST was expressed and partly colocalized with bassoon in the axon shaft and the growth cone. The vesicles immunoisolated by antibassoon antibody–coupled beads contained not only bassoon but also CAST and RIM1. These results suggest that these CAZ proteins are at least partly transported on the same vesicles during synapse formation

Impact of pathological tumor stage for salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy in patients with prostate-specific antigen < 1.0 ng/ml

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To evaluate prognostic factors in salvage radiotherapy (RT) for patients with pre-RT prostate-specific antigen (PSA) < 1.0 ng/ml.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between January 2000 and December 2009, 102 patients underwent salvage RT for biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy (RP). Re-failure of PSA after salvage RT was defined as a serum PSA value of 0.2 ng/ml or more above the postradiotherapy nadir followed by another higher value, a continued rise in serum PSA despite salvage RT, or initiation of systemic therapy after completion of salvage RT. Biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median follow-up period was 44 months (range, 11-103 months). Forty-three patients experienced PSA re-failure after salvage RT. The 4-year bRFS was 50.9% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 39.4-62.5%). In the log-rank test, pT3-4 (p < 0.001) and preoperative PSA (p = 0.037) were selected as significant factors. In multivariate analysis, only pT3-4 was a prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 3.512 [95% CI: 1.535-8.037], p = 0.001). The 4-year bRFS rates for pT1-2 and pT3-4 were 79.2% (95% CI: 66.0-92.3%) and 31.7% (95% CI: 17.0-46.4%), respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In patients who have received salvage RT after RP with PSA < 1.0 ng/ml, pT stage and preoperative PSA were prognostic factors of bRFS. In particular, pT3-4 had a high risk for biochemical recurrence after salvage RT.</p

Synaptic activity prompts γ-secretase–mediated cleavage of EphA4 and dendritic spine formation

Alzheimer's disease is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function. γ-secretase dysfunction is evident in many cases of early onset familial Alzheimer's disease. However, the mechanism by which γ-secretase dysfunction results in memory loss and neurodegeneration is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that γ-secretase is localized at synapses and regulates spine formation. We identify EphA4, one of the Ephrin receptor family members, as a substrate of γ-secretase, and find that EphA4 processing is enhanced by synaptic activity. Moreover, overexpression of EphA4 intracellular domain increases the number of dendritic spines by activating the Rac signaling pathway. These findings reveal a function for EphA4-mediated intracellular signaling in the morphogenesis of dendritic spines and suggest that the processing of EphA4 by γ-secretase affects the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Genome Sequence of a Mesophilic Hydrogenotrophic Methanogen Methanocella paludicola, the First Cultivated Representative of the Order Methanocellales

We report complete genome sequence of a mesophilic hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanocella paludicola, the first cultured representative of the order Methanocellales once recognized as an uncultured key archaeal group for methane emission in rice fields. The genome sequence of M. paludicola consists of a single circular chromosome of 2,957,635 bp containing 3004 protein-coding sequences (CDS). Genes for most of the functions known in the methanogenic archaea were identified, e.g. a full complement of hydrogenases and methanogenesis enzymes. The mixotrophic growth of M. paludicola was clarified by the genomic characterization and re-examined by the subsequent growth experiments. Comparative genome analysis with the previously reported genome sequence of RC-IMRE50, which was metagenomically reconstructed, demonstrated that about 70% of M. paludicola CDSs were genetically related with RC-IMRE50 CDSs. These CDSs included the genes involved in hydrogenotrophic methane production, incomplete TCA cycle, assimilatory sulfate reduction and so on. However, the genetic components for the carbon and nitrogen fixation and antioxidant system were different between the two Methanocellales genomes. The difference is likely associated with the physiological variability between M. paludicola and RC-IMRE50, further suggesting the genomic and physiological diversity of the Methanocellales methanogens. Comparative genome analysis among the previously determined methanogen genomes points to the genome-wide relatedness of the Methanocellales methanogens to the orders Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales methanogens in terms of the genetic repertoire. Meanwhile, the unique evolutionary history of the Methanocellales methanogens is also traced in an aspect by the comparative genome analysis among the methanogens