Nuclear Hormone Receptor Expression in Mouse Kidney and Renal Cell Lines

Nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) are transcription factors that regulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, immune responses, and inflammation. Although several NHRs, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and PPARα, demonstrate a renoprotective effect in the context of diabetic nephropathy (DN), the expression and role of other NHRs in the kidney are still unrecognized. To investigate potential roles of NHRs in the biology of the kidney, we used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to profile the expression of all 49 members of the mouse NHR superfamily in mouse kidney tissue (C57BL/6 and db/m), and cell lines of mesangial (MES13), podocyte (MPC), proximal tubular epithelial (mProx24) and collecting duct (mIMCD3) origins in both normal and high-glucose conditions. In C57BL/6 mouse kidney cells, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α, chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) and COUP-TFIII were highly expressed. During hyperglycemia, the expression of the NHR 4A subgroup including neuron-derived clone 77 (Nur77), nuclear receptor-related factor 1, and neuron-derived orphan receptor 1 significantly increased in diabetic C57BL/6 and db/db mice. In renal cell lines, PPARδ was highly expressed in mesangial and proximal tubular epithelial cells, while COUP-TFs were highly expressed in podocytes, proximal tubular epithelial cells, and collecting duct cells. High-glucose conditions increased the expression of Nur77 in mesangial and collecting duct cells, and liver x receptor α in podocytes. These data demonstrate NHR expression in mouse kidney cells and cultured renal cell lines and suggest potential therapeutic targets in the kidney for the treatment of DN

ER, PgR, Ki67, p27Kip1, and histological grade as predictors of pathological complete response in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy using taxanes followed by fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide concomitant with trastuzumab

Patient and tumor characteristics at baseline. (PDF 6 kb

Association Between Visceral Adipose Tissue Area and Coronary Plaque Morphology Assessed by CT Angiography

ObjectivesWe sought to investigate the association between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with the presence, extent, and characteristics of noncalcified coronary plaques (NCPs) using 64-slice computed tomography angiography (CTA).BackgroundAlthough visceral adiposity is associated with cardiovascular events, its association with NCP burden and vulnerability is not well known.MethodsThe study population consisted of 427 patients (age 67 ± 11 years; 63% men) with proven or suspected coronary artery disease who underwent 64-slice CTA. We assessed the presence and number of NCPs for each patient. The extent of NCP was tested for the difference between high (≥2) and low (≤1) counts. We further evaluated the vulnerable characteristics of NCPs with positive remodeling (remodeling index >1.05), low CT density (≤38 HU), and the presence of adjacent spotty calcium. Plain abdominal scans were also performed to measure the VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue area.ResultsA total of 260 (61%) patients had identifiable NCPs. Multivariate analyses revealed that increased VAT area (per 1 standard deviation, 58 cm2) was significantly associated with both the presence (odds ratio [OR]: 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28 to 2.22) and extent (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.68) of NCP. Other body composition measures, including subcutaneous adipose tissue area, body mass index, and waist circumference were not significantly associated with either presence or extent of NCP. Increased VAT area was also independently associated with the presence of NCP with positive remodeling (OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.53), low CT density (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.17 to 2.47), and adjacent spotty calcium (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.27).ConclusionsIncreased VAT area was significantly associated with NCP burden and vulnerable characteristics identified by CTA. Our findings may explain the excessive cardiovascular risk in patients with visceral adiposity, and support the potential role of CTA to improve risk stratification in such patients

Characterization of Noncalcified Coronary Plaques and Identification of Culprit Lesions in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome by 64-Slice Computed Tomography

ObjectivesWe sought to characterize noncalcified coronary atherosclerotic plaques in culprit and remote coronary atherosclerotic lesions in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with 64-slice computed tomography (CT).BackgroundLower CT density, positive remodeling, and adjacent spotty coronary calcium are characteristic vessel changes in unstable coronary plaques.MethodsOf 147 consecutive patients who underwent contrast-enhanced 64-slice CT examination for coronary artery visualization, 101 (ACS; n = 21, non-ACS; n = 80) having 228 noncalcified coronary atherosclerotic plaques (NCPs) were studied. Each NCP detected within the vessel wall was evaluated by determining minimum CT density, vascular remodeling index (RI), and morphology of adjacent calcium deposits.ResultsThe CT visualized more NCPs in ACS patients (65 lesions, 3.1 ± 1.2/patient) than in non-ACS patients (163 lesions, 2.0 ± 1.1/patient). Minimum CT density (24 ± 22 vs. 42 ± 29 Hounsfield units [HU], p < 0.01), RI (1.14 ± 0.18 vs. 1.08 ± 0.19, p = 0.02), and frequency of adjacent spotty calcium of NCPs (60% vs. 38%, p < 0.01) were significantly different between ACS and non-ACS patients. Frequency of NCPs with minimum CT density <40 HU, RI >1.05, and adjacent spotty calcium was approximately 2-fold higher in the ACS group than in the non-ACS group (43% vs. 22%, p < 0.01). In the ACS group, only RI was significantly different between 21 culprit and 44 nonculprit lesions (1.26 ± 0.16 vs. 1.09 ± 0.17, p < 0.01), and a larger RI (≥1.23) was independently related to the culprit lesions (odds ratio: 12.3; 95% confidential interval: 2.9 to 68.7, p < 0.01), but there was a substantial overlap of the distribution of RI values in these 2 groups of lesions.ConclusionsSixty-four-slice CT angiography demonstrates a higher prevalence of NCPs with vulnerable characteristics in patients with ACS as compared with stable clinical presentation

Report on Academic Exchange Partner Universities’ Short‒term International Student Exchange Programs: Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University

departmental bulletin pape

Evaluation of the difference-correction effect of the gamma camera systems used by easy Z-score Imaging System (eZIS) analysis

Objective: We examined the difference of the effect by data to revise a gamma camera difference. The difference-correction method of the camera is incorporated in eZIS analysis. Methods: We acquired single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data from the three-dimensional (3D) Hoffman brain phantom (Hoffman), the three-dimensional brain phantom (3D-Brain), Pool phantom (pool) and from normal subjects (Normal-SPECT) to investigate compensating for a difference in gamma camera systems. We compared SPECT counts of standard camera with the SPECT counts that revised the difference of the gamma camera system (camera). Furthermore, we compared the "Z-score map (Z-score)". To verify the effect of the compensation, we examined digitally simulated data designed to represent a patient with Alzheimer\u27s dementia. We carried out both eZIS analysis and "Specific Volume of interest Analysis (SVA)". Results: There was no great difference between the correction effect using Hoffman phantom data and that using 3D-Brain phantom data. Furthermore, a good compensation effect was obtained only over a limited area. The compensation based on the pool was found to be less satisfactory than any of the other compensations according to all results of the measurements examined in the study. The compensation based on the Normal-SPECT data resulted in a Z-score map (Z-score) for the result that approximated that from the standard camera. Therefore, we concluded that the effect of the compensation based on Normal-SPECT data was the best of the four methods tested. Conclusions: Based on eZIS analysis, the compensation using the pool data was inferior to the compensations using the other methods tested. Based on the results of the SAV analysis, the effect of the compensation using the Hoffman data was better than the effect of the compensation using the 3D-Brain data. By all end-point measures, the compensation based on the Normal-SPECT data was more accurate than the compensation based on any of the other three phantoms. © 2014 The Author(s).発行後1年より全文公