Diastolic dysfunction in patients with systemic sclerosis detected by gated myocardial perfusion SPECT: An early sign of cardiac involvement

金沢大学大学院Diagnosis of cardiac involvement is important for the management of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). This study was undertaken to determine the significance of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT in patients with SSc and whether diastolic function measured by gated SPECT is an early sign of cardiac complications. Methods: Thirty-four patients with SSc and 16 control patients were studied using exercise nongated and resting gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. The SSc was classified by the modified Rodnan total skin score (TSS) into high-TSS (score ≥ 10; n = 18) and low-TSS (score < 10; n = 16) groups. Gated SPECT was performed using 99mTc-methoxyisobutyl-isonitrile with 16 frames per cardiac cycle and quantitatively analyzed by QGS software and Fourier filtering of the volume curve. The parameters of ejection fraction (EF), peak filling rate (PFR), one-third mean filling rate, and time to PFR (TPFR) were calculated. Results: A slight perfusion abnormality was observed in four and five patients in the low-TSS and high-TSS groups, respectively (not statistically significant). A decreased resting EF less than 55% was found in no and two patients in the low-TSS and high-TSS groups, respectively. TPFR was 166 ± 22, 168 ± 38, and 216 ± 82 ms (P = 0.05, high-TSS group versus low-TSS group; P = 0.04, control group versus high-TSS group) and TPFR/R-R interval was 0.18 ± 0.02, 0.19 ± 0.04, and 0.26 ± 0.09 (P = 0.01, high-TSS group versus low-TSS group; P = 0.005, control group versus high-TSS group) for the control, low-TSS, and high-TSS groups, respectively. Conclusion: Diastolic function can be evaluated by gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. Significant diastolic abnormalities were shown even in patients with normal perfusion and systolic function and were related to the severity of SSc

Field measurements of absolute gravity in East Antarctica

This paper reports the results of field-based absolute gravity measurements aimed at detecting gravity change and crustal displacement caused by glacial isostatic adjustment. The project was initiated within the framework of the 53rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE53). Absolute gravity measurements, together with GPS measurements, were planned at several outcrops along the Prince Olav Coast and Sôya Coast of East Antarctica, including at Syowa Station. Since the icebreaker Shirase (AGB 5003) was unable to moor alongside Syowa Station, operations were somewhat restricted during JARE53. However, despite this setback, we were able to complete measurements at two sites: Syowa Station and Langhovde. The absolute gravity value at the Syowa Station IAGBN (A) site, observed using an FG-5 absolute gravimeter (serial number 210; FG-5 #210), was 982 524 322.7±0.1 μGal, and the gravity change rate at the beginning of 2012 was –0.26 μGal∙a-1. An absolute gravity value of 982 535 584.2±0.7 μGal was obtained using a portable A-10 absolute gravimeter (serial number 017; A-10 #017) at the newly located site AGS01 in Langhovde

Inhibitory Effects of Antithrombin III on Interactions between Blood Cells and Endothelial Cells during Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

PURPOSE. Infiltrating leukocytes have long been widely thought to be key mediators of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Recently, however, evidence suggests that platelets accumulating in postischemic tissues also contribute to ischemia-reperfusion injury because of their inflammatory properties and promotion of formation of thrombi. This study was designed to evaluate quantitatively the inhibitory effects of antithrombin (AT)-III on the interactions between blood cells and retinal endothelial cells in vivo after transient retinal ischemia. METHODS. Transient retinal ischemia was induced for 60 minutes in male Long-Evans rats by ligation of the optic nerve. AT III (250 U/kg) was administered intravenously just after induction of ischemia. Leukocyte and platelet behavior in the retina was evaluated in vivo with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Expression of P-selectin and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 in the postischemic retina was investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. After 14 days of reperfusion, ischemia-induced retinal damage was evaluated histologically. RESULTS. Administration of AT III significantly inhibited leukocyte rolling along the major retinal veins and subsequent accumulation of leukocytes in the postischemic retina. Furthermore, the maximum number of rolling and adherent platelets was reduced by 76% (P Ͻ 0.01) and 48% (P Ͻ 0.01), respectively, at 12 hours after reperfusion. Immunohistochemical studies also revealed the suppressive effect of AT III on expression of P-selectin and ICAM-1. Finally, histologic examination demonstrated the protective effects of AT III against retinal damage after transient retinal ischemia. CONCLUSIONS. This study demonstrates the inhibitory effects of AT III on leukocyte and platelet recruitment to the postischemic retina, which may account for the neuroprotective properties of this ␣-2 globulin against retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003;44:332-341) DOI: 10.1167/iovs.02-0493 I nfiltrating leukocytes have long been acknowledged to be a feature of ischemia-reperfusion injury. 1-4 Recently, however, evidence suggests that platelets also play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury. 5,6 The importance of platelets is supported by many studies that have demonstrated the beneficial effects of platelet depletion against ischemia-reperfusion injury. 20,21 Thrombin, which is the terminal serine protease of the coagulation cascade, has the ability to activate platelets and fibrinogen. Recently, many investigators have focused on the role of thrombin in various pathologic conditions. It has been demonstrated that an increase in thrombin in postischemic tissues activates vascular endothelial cells. Such activated vascular endothelial cells express adhesion molecules, which contribute to the recruitment of leukocytes and platelets. We recently developed an in vivo method to quantitatively evaluate platelet-endothelium interactions in rat retina. 26 Using this method, we have found that platelets roll along and adhere to retinal venous endothelium during ischemia-reperfusion and that these interactions are mediated by endothelial Pselectin, not by platelet P-selectin. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animal Model Male pigmented Long-Evans rats (200 -250 g) were used in this study. Transient retinal ischemia was induced for 60 minutes in the right eye of each rat

Repeat Microgravity Measurements Using Absolute and Relative Gravimeters for Geothermal Reservoir Monitoring in Ogiri Geothermal Power Plant, South Kyushu, Japan

ABSTRACT Repeat microgravity measurements using absolute and relative gravimeters (hybrid microgravity measurements) have been applied at Ogiri geothermal power plant (30MW) on the western slope of Kirishima volcano, southern Kyushu, Japan. In this study we tried to detect the short-term gravity change caused by the temporary shut of production and reinjection wells for regular power plant maintenance in 2011 and 2013. Repeat microgravity measurements were conducted using A-10 absolute gravimeter (Micro-g LaCoste) and CG-5 relative gravimeter (Scintrex) in the period before and after the regular power plant maintenance. We set up 27 gravity stations (6 stations for absolute gravimeter and 26 stations for relative one). The accuracy of these instruments is 10 micro gals. After removing some effects (Earth tide, precipitation, shallow groundwater level changes, and so on), the residual gravity changes can be subdivided into five types of responses. We detected decreases in gravity by as much as 20 micro gal in the reinjection area, and increases in gravity by as much as 30 micro gal in the production area one month after the temporal shut-in. Then almost all of the gravity stations recovered the gravity after the maintenance period. We estimated the temporal change in density in the geothermal reservoir using these gravity changes

Development and evaluation of PCR primers for environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of Amphibia

水をくむだけの新しい両生類の調査法. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-02-22.Biodiversity monitoring is important for the conservation of natural ecosystems in general, but particularly for amphibians, whose populations are pronouncedly declining. However, amphibians’ ecological traits (e.g. nocturnal or aquatic) often prevent their precise monitoring. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding – analysis of extra-organismal DNA released into the environment – allows the easy and effective monitoring of the biodiversity of aquatic organisms. Here, we developed and tested the utility of original PCR primer sets. First, we conducted in vitro PCR amplification tests with universal primer candidates using total DNA extracted from amphibian tissues. Five primer sets successfully amplified the target DNA fragments (partial 16S rRNA gene fragments of 160–311 bp) from all 16 taxa tested (from the three living amphibian orders Anura, Caudata and Gymnophiona). Next, we investigated the taxonomic resolution retrieved using each primer set. The results revealed that the universal primer set “Amph16S” had the highest resolution amongst the tested sets. Finally, we applied Amph16S to the water samples collected in the field and evaluated its detection capability by comparing the species detected using eDNA and physical survey (capture-based sampling and visual survey) in multiple agricultural ecosystems across Japan (160 sites in 10 areas). The eDNA metabarcoding with Amph16S detected twice as many species as the physical surveys (16 vs. 8 species, respectively), indicating the effectiveness of Amph16S in biodiversity monitoring and ecological research for amphibian communities