Measurement of Plasma Tryptophan Metabolites: Clinical and Experimental Application for Depression and Stress States Assessment

There are three pathways in tryptophan (TRP) metabolism. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) pathway is important in mood, anxiety, memory, and cognition and is impaired in depression. Kynurenine (KYN) pathways are involved in immunity, inflammation, muscles movement, and mental health. We investigated changes in TRP metabolites in plasmas of stressed rats and in depressive patients. TRP metabolite levels in 5-HT and KYN pathways in various brain areas and plasma were increased soon after electric foot shock given to rats but returned to normal 24 h later. Plasma levels of 5-HT were very low or undetectable in patients of monopolar depression. 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA)/TRP ratios or KYN/TRP ratios were not different between healthy controls and depressive patients, indicating 5-HT quickly being degraded into 5-HIAA in patients of depression but KYN levels were not changed in depression. These results indicate that TRP metabolism changes upon stress application and in patients of depression

Studies on Tryptophan Metabolites in Patients of Major Monopolar Depression

Plasma levels of tryptophan metabolites were compared between healthy volunteers and patients of major monopolar depression at various ages and genders. An ultrahigh-speed liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry has been used for analysis. There are significant gender and age differences in TRP metabolites of healthy volunteers. At the upper stream of metabolism, metabolites of young women and old men are higher, but at the lower stream of metabolism, their levels are higher in young men and old women. Such differences disappear in plasma of patients of major monopolar depression except for kynurenine (KYN). Daily variation of blood serotonin (5-HT) levels showed that 5-HT levels were low in the morning and increased toward evening, but blood levels of 5-HT were higher in healthy people than depressive people in the morning and decreased to ward evening. Significant age and gender differences of plasma levels of tryptophan metabolites in healthy volunteers disappear in patients of major monopolar depression. Blood levels of 5-HT were higher in healthy people than depressive patients

Simultaneous Determination of Raltegravir, Dolutegravir, Elvitegravir, and Bictegravir in Human Plasma Using High-performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry

In this study, a highly sensitive method to simultaneously quantify the integrase strand transfer inhibitors （INSTIs） raltegravir, dolutegravir, elvitegravir, and bictegravir, which are recommended drugs in the HIV treatment guidelines, was established using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. Raltegravir-d3 was used as the internal standard substance. The plasma samples were deproteinized with methanol and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Chromatographic separation was performed using the gradient method with a mobile phase A （20mmol/l ammonium formate - water） and mobile phase B （20mmol/l ammonium formate - methanol）. In addition, an InertSustain C18 column （3µm, 100×2.1mm）, a flow rate of 0.45ml/min, and a measurement time of 10 minutes were used. The calibration curve showed linearity （r2＞0.9904） within the range of 0.5-1,250ng/ml, and the limit of quantification was 0.5ng/ml for all drugs. The mean intra- and inter-day accuracy was 99.6％±7.2％ and 101.0％±5.0％, respectively, and the coefficient of variation （CV） was ≤18.5％ and ≤10.3％, respectively. This method enables the highly sensitive simultaneous analysis of INSTIs and is useful for confirming the efficacy and safety of drugs in clinical practice

Ecological Studies on Pepper(Capsicum annuum L. MIYAKOMIDORI) : Mainly on the Flowering and Fruit Bearing Habits

1.本実験はピーマン(都みどり)について開花結実についての調査を行った.2.開花は周期性を示し,本調査期間中2つの開花の山を作った.3.開花数とたん果数には密接な関係があり,たん果数の増加は開花数の減少を,たん果数の減少は開花数の増加をもたらす.4.果実の収穫までに要した日数は21～25日が最も多く,収穫果数の41.9%がこれに相当した.5.よく生育した1株当たりの吸水量は1日1～1.5lであった

Beneficial effects of nasal high flow oxygen therapy after weaning from non-invasive ventilation: A prospective observational study

It remains unknown whether application of nasal high flow (NHF) is effective after liberation from non-invasive ventilation (NIV). This study was aimed at investigating the effect of NHF in patients ready for weaning from NIV. With institutional ethic committee approval, patients receiving NIV due to hypoxemic respiratory failure for more than 24 hours were enrolled. After passing the weaning criteria with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mode [fraction of inspiratory oxygen (FIO2) ≦0.5, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) 4 cmH2O], patients received NHF (Flow 50 L/min, FIO2 ≦0.5) immediately after liberation from NIV. Before the initiation of the study, eight sequential patients who received oxygen via face mask after NIV treatment, served as the historical control. Respiratory parameters [partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) to FIO2 ratio (P/F ratio), respiratory rate (RR)] 1 hour after liberation from NIV were evaluated with those during NIV as the primary outcome. The frequency of rescue NIV therapy, intubation, and respiratory failure were also recorded. Nine eligible patients received NHF therapy after liberation from NIV. P/F ratio and RR did not change significantly compared with those during NIV (231 ± 43.6 versus 250.7 ± 34.2 mmHg, 20.8 ± 2.3 versus 21 ± 1.6 /min), while P/F ratio decreased significantly in the historical control group (194.3 ± 20.1 versus 255.9 ± 58.1 mmHg, p=0.013). Rescue NIV therapy, intubation, and respiratory failure never occurred in the NFH group, although two patients received NIV rescue therapy, of whom one was intubated in the historical control. NHF after liberation from NIV might be effective in patients recovering from hypoxemic respiratory failure

Ectopic adrenal adenoma causing gross hematuria: Steroidogenic enzyme profiling and literature review

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149375/1/iju512068.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149375/2/iju512068_am.pd

Activation of TRPV1 and TRPM8 Channels in the Larynx and Associated Laryngopharyngeal Regions Facilitates the Swallowing Reflex

The larynx and associated laryngopharyngeal regions are innervated by the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) and are highly reflexogenic. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have recently been detected in SLN innervated regions; however, their involvement in the swallowing reflex has not been fully elucidated. Here, we explore the contribution of two TRP channels, TRPV1 and TRPM8, located in SLN-innervated regions to the swallowing reflex. Immunohistochemistry identified TRPV1 and TRPM8 on cell bodies of SLN afferents located in the nodose-petrosal-jugular ganglionic complex. The majority of TRPV1 and TRPM8 immunoreactivity was located on unmyelinated neurons. Topical application of different concentrations of TRPV1 and TRPM8 agonists modulated SLN activity. Application of the agonists evoked a significantly greater number of swallowing reflexes compared with the number evoked by distilled water. The intervalbetween the reflexes evoked by the agonists was shorter than that produced by distilled water. Prior topical application of respective TRPV1 or TRPM8 antagonists significantly reduced the number of agonist-evoked reflexes. The findings suggest that the activation of TRPV1 and TRPM8 channels present in the swallowing-related regions can facilitate the evoking of swallowing reflex. Targeting the TRP channels could be a potential therapeutic strategy for the management of dysphagia

Nematode-specific tRNAs that decode an alternative genetic code for leucine

Class II transfer RNAs (tRNAs), including tRNALeu and tRNASer, have an additional stem and loop structure, the long variable arm (V-arm). Here, we describe Class II tRNAs with a unique anticodon corresponding to neither leucine nor serine. Because these tRNAs are specifically conserved among the nematodes, we have called them ‘nematode-specific V-arm-containing tRNAs’ (nev-tRNAs). The expression of nev-tRNA genes in Caenorhabditis elegans was confirmed experimentally. A comparative sequence analysis suggested that the nev-tRNAs derived phylogenetically from tRNALeu. In vitro aminoacylation assays showed that nev-tRNAGly and nev-tRNAIle are only charged with leucine, which is inconsistent with their anticodons. Furthermore, the deletion and mutation of crucial determinants for leucylation in nev-tRNA led to a marked loss of activity. An in vitro translation analysis showed that nev-tRNAGly decodes GGG as leucine instead of the universal glycine code, indicating that nev-tRNAs can be incorporated into ribosomes and participate in protein biosynthesis. Our findings provide the first example of unexpected tRNAs that do not consistently obey the general translation rules for higher eukaryotes

Adenocarcinoma of the Small Intestine in a Young Adult Diagnosed by Double-balloon Enteroscopy

A 29-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of abdominal pain and appetite loss. Superficial lymph node adenopathy was noted. Systemic computed tomography showed multiple liver and lung metastases, as well as ascites. No abnormalities were found on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy; therefore, double-balloon enteroscopy was performed. A stenosis with reddish and edematous mucosal changes from the third part of the duodenum to the upper jejunum was noted; on histopathology of the biopsy specimens, adenocarcinoma was diagnosed. Thus, the patient had advanced small intestinal cancer with carcinomatous peritonitis and liver metastases. Although the patient was given chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, he died 2 months after commencing treatment. Primary small intestinal carcinoma is a rare malignancy; most cases cannot be detected on routine gastrointestinal endoscopy due to their location. Our experience suggests that double-balloon enteroscopy is useful for diagnosing small intestinal adenocarcinoma