A relation between the short time variations of cosmic rays and geomagnetic field change

An event is reported of approx. 37 min periodicity in cosmic ray intensity observed at Akeno(38 deg 47 N, 138 deg 30 E. 900m above s.l., cutoff 10.4 GV) during 1300 approx. 1900 UT on April 25th, 1984, just a day before Forbush decrease of April 26th. This event seemed to be followed by the periodic variations of the geomagnetic field observed at Kakioka (36 deg 23 N, 140 deg 18 E). The regression coefficient between them was obtained approx. 0.07%/10nT. It is shown that in general the power spectral density of cosmic rays in the frequency of 0.0001 approx. 0.001Hz correlates positively with the fluctuations of geomagnetic field (Dst field) around approx. 1.2x0.0001Hz. From the analysis of 47 days data (April 14th to June 13th, 1984) the regression curve was obtained as y=0.275x sup 0.343 with the correlation coefficient of 0.48, where x and y mean Fourier components of Dst field summed over 1.04 approx. 1.39x0.001Hz and cosmic ray power spectral density averaged over 0.0001 approx. 0.001Hz

雌ラットにおいて生殖腺の状態とエストロゲン環境が視床下部オキシトシン遺伝子発現および血清オキシトシンレベルに及ぼす影響

Oxytocin (OT) and its receptor (OTR) play various roles in the central and peripheral regulation of appetite and body weight. Previously, we have shown that the administration of OT markedly decreased appetite and body weight gain in ovariectomized (OVX) obese rats. In addition, recent studies have shown that the endogenous OT system is also affected by endogenous or exogenous estrogen. In this study, we showed that ovariectomy decreased rats' hypothalamic OT/OTR mRNA and serum OT levels, but did not affect their visceral fat OTR mRNA levels. The chronic administration of estradiol (E2) abrogated these ovariectomy-induced changes; i.e., it increased the rats' hypothalamic OT/OTR mRNA and serum OT levels, and may be associated with reductions in food intake and body weight gain. In addition, acute E2 administration increased the rats' hypothalamic OTR mRNA and serum OT levels, but did not affect their hypothalamic OT mRNA levels. Taken together, these results suggest that endogenous OT and/or OTR expression might be positively regulated by E2 and that the suppressive effects of E2 on appetite and body weight gain might be mediated, at least in part, by the OT system. Thus, we consider that OT might be a target hormone to pursue subsequent interventions of menopause for menopause-induced metabolic disorders

Fatal case of subdural empyema caused by Campylobacter rectus and Slackia exigua

We report a fatal subdural empyema caused by Campylobacter rectus in a 66-year-old female who developed acute onset of confusion, dysarthria, and paresis in her left extremities. A CT scan showed hypodensity in a crescentic formation with a mild mid-line shift. She had a bruise on her forehead caused by a fall several days before admission, which initially raised subdural hematoma (SDH) diagnosis, and a burr hole procedure was planned. However, her condition deteriorated on the admission night, and she died before dawn. An autopsy revealed that she had subdural empyema (SDE) caused by Campylobacter rectus and Slackia exigua. Both microorganisms are oral microorganisms that rarely cause extra-oral infection. In our case, head trauma caused a skull bone fracture, and sinus infection might have expanded to the subdural space causing SDE. CT/MRI findings were not typical for either SDH or SDE. Early recognition of subdural empyema and prompt initiation of treatment with antibiotics and surgical drainage is essential for cases of SDE. We present our case and a review of four reported cases

Androgen’s effects in female

The metabolic effects of androgens and their underlying mechanisms in females have been revealed by recent studies. An excess of androgens can have adverse effects on feeding behavior and metabolic functions and induce metabolic disorders / diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, in women and experimental animals of reproductive age. Interestingly, these effects of androgens are not observed in ovariectomized animals, indicating that their effects might be dependent on the estrogen milieu. Central and peripheral mechanisms, such as alterations in the activity of hypothalamic factors, reductions in energy expenditure, skeletal muscle insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction, might be related to these androgens’ effects

糖尿病患者における食事関連QOLの検討

Diet therapy constitutes the basis of treatment for diabetes mellitus. For its successful outcome, the patients' good compliance and persistence are essential. Thus, we have evaluated the diet-related quality of life (QOL) in diabetic patients to gain in

Pharmacokinetic modeling of hepatocyte growth factor in experimental animals and humans

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is under development for treatment of renal failure. This study was designed to clarify changes in HGF pharmacokinetics in renal failure and to establish a pharmacokinetic model applicable to single and repeated doses. The plasma concentration profile in mice with glycerol-induced acute renal failure was similar to that in normal mice, indicating a minimal contribution of kidney to systemic clearance of HGF. Nevertheless, accumulation of fluorescein-4-isocyanate-labeled HGF in renal tubules in both cases suggests the occurrence of efficient endocytosis of HGF in kidney. A pharmacokinetic model including plasma and liver compartments was constructed, incorporating both high- and low-affinity receptors for association and subsequent endocytosis of HGF because HGF is eliminated via specific receptor c-Met and heparin-like substance. The model well explained the plasma concentration profiles at all doses examined after bolus injection in animals and humans, and those during infusion in rodents. It includes externalization of receptors, which is negatively regulated by HGF, and can explain the gradual increase in trough concentration during repeated dosing in monkeys. Overall pharmacokinetic profiles of HGF are governed by at least two receptors and are well described by this pharmacokinetic model, which should assist in safe management of clinical trials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Biotin levels in blood and follicular fluid

It has been shown that biotin, a water-soluble vitamin (B7), plays roles in reproductive functions, such as oocyte maturation and embryo development, in experimental animals. On the other hand, little is known about the clinical effects of biotin on human reproduction. In this study, serum and follicular fluid biotin levels were measured in patients who underwent in vitro fertilization / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF / ICSI), and their associations with reproductive outcomes were evaluated. As a result, biotin was detected in follicular fluid, as well as serum, and the biotin levels of follicular fluid were found to be positively correlated with those of serum. The biotin levels of serum were higher than those of follicular fluid, suggesting that biotin may be taken up into the follicular fluid from the blood. Although serum and follicular fluid biotin levels tended to be higher in pregnant patients than in non-pregnant patients, these data did not show the significant statistical difference. These findings indicate that biotin does not contribute to the maintenance of oocyte quality, and hence, it does not increase fertilization and pregnancy rates

Direct inhibition and down-regulation by uremic plasma components of hepatic uptake transporter for sn-38, an active metabolite of irinotecan, in humans

Purpose: Clinical study has previously revealed that plasma concentration of 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38), an active metabolite of irinotecan, was higher in patients with end-stage renal failure than those with normal kidney function although SN-38 is mainly eliminated in the liver. Here, we focused on inhibition by uremic toxins of hepatic SN-38 uptake and down-regulation of uptake transporter(s) by uremic plasma in humans. Methods: We evaluated SN-38 uptake and its inhibition by uremic toxins, 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionate (CMPF), indoxyl sulfate (Indox), hippuric acid (HA) and indole acetate (IA), with cryopreserved human hepatocytes and HEK293 cells stably expressing hepatic uptake transporters, organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs). We also collected plasma samples from patients with severe renal failure to examine their effects on mRNA level of OATPs in primary cultured human hepatocytes. Results: SN-38 was taken up by hepatocytes, which showed biphasic saturation patterns. The SN-38 uptake by hepatocytes was significantly inhibited by a uremic toxin mixture including clinically relevant concentrations of CMPF, Indox, HA and IA. Kinetic analyses for OATP-mediated transport revealed that the uptake of SN-38 by OATP1B1 was the highest, followed by OATP1B3. Among the uremic toxins, CMPF exhibited most potent inhibition of OATP1B1-mediated SN-38 uptake and directly inhibited the uptake of SN-38 also in hepatocytes. In addition, gene expression of OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 in hepatocytes was significantly down-regulated by the treatment with the uremic plasma. Conclusions: OATP1B1-mediated hepatic uptake of SN-38 was inhibited by uremic toxins, and gene expression of OATP1B1 was down-regulated by uremic plasma. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York