Radon inhalation decreases DNA damage induced by oxidative stress in mouse organs via the activation of antioxidative functions

Radon inhalation decreases the level of lipid peroxide (LPO); this is attributed to the activation of antioxidative functions. This activation contributes to the beneficial effects of radon therapy, but there are no studies on the risks of radon therapy, such as DNA damage. We evaluated the effect of radon inhalation on DNA damage caused by oxidative stress and explored the underlying mechanisms. Mice were exposed to radon inhalation at concentrations of 2 or 20 kBq/m(3) (for one, three, or 10 days). The 8-hydroxy-2 '-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels decreased in the brains of mice that inhaled 20 kBq/m(3) radon for three days and in the kidneys of mice that inhaled 2 or 20 kBq/m(3) radon for one, three or 10 days. The 8-OHdG levels in the small intestine decreased by approximately 20-40% (2 kBq/m(3) for three days or 20 kBq/m(3) for one, three or 10 days), but there were no significant differences in the 8-OHdG levels between mice that inhaled a sham treatment and those that inhaled radon. There was no significant change in the levels of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase, which plays an important role in DNA repair. However, the level of Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased by 15-60% and 15-45% in the small intestine and kidney, respectively, following radon inhalation. These results suggest that Mn-SOD probably plays an important role in the inhibition of oxidative DNA damage

The combination of polymorphisms within interferon-γ receptor 1 and receptor 2 associated with the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus

AbstractGenetic factors seem to play a significant role in susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We previously described the amino acid polymorphism (Val14Met) within the IFN-γ receptor 1 (IFN-γR1), and that the frequency of the Met14 allele in SLE patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy control population [Tanaka et al. (1999) Immunogenetics 49, 266–271]. We also found an amino acid polymorphism (Gln64Arg) within IFN-γ receptor 2 (IFN-γR2). Since the IFN-γ receptor is a complex consisting of IFN-γR1 and IFN-γR2, we searched for the particular combination of two kinds of amino acid polymorphisms found within the IFN-γ receptor which plays a prominent role in susceptibility to SLE. The greatest risk of the development of SLE was detected in the individuals who had the combination of IFNGR1 Met14/Val14 genotype and IFNGR2 Gln64/Gln64 genotype

Evaluation of the redox state in mouse organs following radon inhalation

Radon inhalation activates antioxidative functions in mouse organs, thereby contributing to inhibition of oxidative stress-induced damage. However, the specific redox state of each organ after radon inhalation has not been reported. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the redox state of various organs in mice following radon inhalation at concentrations of 2 or 20 kBq/m(3) for 1, 3 or 10 days. Scatter plots were used to evaluate the relationship between antioxidative function and oxidative stress by principal component analysis (PCA) of data from control mice subjected to sham inhalation. The results of principal component (PC) 1 showed that the liver and kidney had high antioxidant capacity; the results of PC2 showed that the brain, pancreas and stomach had low antioxidant capacities and low lipid peroxide (LPO) content, whereas the lungs, heart, small intestine and large intestine had high LPO content but low antioxidant capacities. Furthermore, using the PCA of each obtained cluster, we observed altered correlation coefficients related to glutathione, hydrogen peroxide and LPO for all groups following radon inhalation. Correlation coefficients related to superoxide dismutase in organs with a low antioxidant capacity were also changed. These findings suggested that radon inhalation could alter the redox state in organs; however, its characteristics were dependent on the total antioxidant capacity of the organs as well as the radon concentration and inhalation time. The insights obtained from this study could be useful for developing therapeutic strategies targeting individual organs

Study on Record Linkage of Anonymizied Data

Data anonymization is required before a big-data business can run effectively without compromising the privacy of personal information it uses. It is not trivial to choose the best algorithm to anonymize some given data securely for a given purpose. In accurately assessing the risk of data being compromised, there needs to be a balance between utility and security. Therefore, using common pseudo microdata, we propose a competition for the best anonymization and re-identification algorithm. The paper reported the result of the competition and the analysis on the effective of anonymization technique. The competition result reveals that there is a tradeoff between utility and security, and 20.9% records were re-identified in average

Hochuekkito, a Kampo (Traditional Japanese Herbal) Medicine, and its Polysaccharide Portion Stimulate G-CSF Secretion from Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal) medicines are taken orally due to which the gastric mucosal immune system may act as one of the major targets for the expression of pharmacological activity. The inner surface of the intestinal tract possesses a large area of mucosal membranes, and the intestinal epithelial cells sit at the interface between a lumen and a lymphocyte-rich lamina propria. The cross talk that occurs between these compartments serves to maintain intestinal homeostasis, and the cytokine network plays an important role in the cross talk. In this study, the effect of Hochuekkito (HET), one of Kampo medicines, on cytokine secretion of intestinal epithelial cells was investigated. When murine normal colonic epithelial cell-line MCE301 cells were stimulated with HET, the contents of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the conditioned medium were significantly increased in dose- and time-dependent manners. The enhanced G-CSF gene transcription in MCE301 cells by the stimulation of HET was observed by RT-PCR. The enhanced G-CSF secretion by HET was also observed in C3H/HeJ mice-derived primary cultured colonic epithelial cells. When the HET was fractionated, only the polysaccharide fraction (F-5) enhanced the G-CSF secretion of MCE301 cells, and the activity of F-5 lost after the treatment of periodate that can degrade the carbohydrate moiety. These results suggest that HET enhances secretion of G-CSF from colonic epithelial cells and the polysaccharide is one of the active ingredients of HET. The enhanced G-CSF secretion by HET may partly contribute to the clinically observed various pharmacological activities of HET including immunomodulating activity