Relationships between thermic effect of food, insulin resistance and autonomic nervous activity

Background: The thermic effect of food (TEF) is higher in lean than in obese human subjects. Objective: Relationships between TEF and insulin resistance during meals, from the point of view of autonomic nervous activity, were evaluated. Methods : Autonomic nervous activity was evaluated in 20 young adults using the spectral analysis of heart rate variability from one hour before to two hours after a meal. Heart rate data were analyzed based on low frequency components (LF power, 0.04 - 0.15Hz),high frequency components (HF power, 0.15-0.40 Hz), and LF/HF ratios. Energy expenditure and the TEF were measured 30 min after a meal. Homeostasis model of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was also measured. Results : The LF/HF ratio was significantly increased 30minafter a meal (p<0.05).No correlation between LF power and HF power with TEF was found, but the LF/HF ratio was significantly and positively correlated with TEF(r＝＋0.56,p<0.05). Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between the HOMA-IR and TEF (r＝－0.601, p<0.05). Conclusions : The findings suggest that a reduction in insulin sensitivity induces a poor response of sympathetic nervous activity in the postprandial phase and a reduction in postprandial energy expenditure

Effects of a novel method of anesthesia combining propofol and volatile anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecological surgery

AbstractBackgroundWe investigated the effects of a novel method of anesthesia combining propofol and volatile anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecological surgery.MethodsPatients were randomly divided into three groups: those maintained with sevoflurane (Group S, n=42), propofol (Group P, n=42), or combined propofol and sevoflurane (Group PS, n=42). We assessed complete response (no postoperative nausea and vomiting and no rescue antiemetic use), incidence of nausea and vomiting, nausea severity score, vomiting frequency, rescue antiemetic use, and postoperative pain at 2 and 24h after surgery.ResultsThe number of patients who exhibited a complete response was greater in Groups P and PS than in Group S at 0–2h (74%, 76% and 43%, respectively, p=0.001) and 0–24h (71%, 76% and 38%, respectively, p<0.0005). The incidence of nausea at 0–2h (Group S=57%, Group P=26% and Group PS=21%, p=0.001) and 0–24h (Group S=62%, Group P=29% and Group PS=21%, p<0.0005) was also significantly different among groups. However, there were no significant differences among groups in the incidence or frequency of vomiting or rescue antiemetic use at 0–24h.ConclusionCombined propofol and volatile anesthesia during laparoscopic gynecological surgery effectively decreases the incidence of postoperative nausea. We term this novel method of anesthesia “combined intravenous-volatile anesthesia (CIVA)”

Risk factors associated with soft coronary artery plaques in Japanese, as determined by 16 slice multidetector-row computed tomography

Purpose: The acute coronary syndrome is often caused by the rupture of plaques and thrombus formation even without significant stenosis, and patients with soft plaques, but without significant stenosis evidenced by coronary angiography(CAG), often develop an acute coronary syndrome. To address this discrepancy, a qualitative diagnosis of coronary plaques using a 16 slice multidetector-row CT was conducted. Methods and Results: Volume rendering and cross-sectional MPR images were obtained. Based on the CT values, plaques on the coronary artery wall were classified as lipid-rich soft plaques(CT value50 HU) . A significant correlation was observed between the percent stenosis determined in crosssectional MPR images and those determined by CAG(r=＋0.92, p<0.01). Diffuse plaques with CT values of less than 50 HU often caused stenosis at level of 75% or less, which were not indicated by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Conclusions : Although diffuse soft plaques with CT values less than 50 HU are not an indication of intervention, a risk of an acute coronary syndrome exists, due to rupture. These soft plaques must be stabilized by treatment even when they do not cause significant stenosis, and MDCT is considered to be useful for their evaluation

Benzene Metabolite 1,2,4-Benzenetriol Induces Halogenated DNA and Tyrosines Representing Halogenative Stress in the HL-60 Human Myeloid Cell Line

Background: Although benzene is known to be myelotoxic and to cause myeloid leukemia in humans, the mechanism has not been elucidated

Nuclear dynamics of topoisomerase II beta reflects its catalytic activity that is regulated by binding of RNA to the C-terminal domain

DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) changes DNA topology by cleavage/re-ligation cycle(s) and thus contributes to various nuclear DNA transactions. It is largely unknown how the enzyme is controlled in a nuclear context. Several studies have suggested that its C-terminal domain (CTD), which is dispensable for basal relaxation activity, has some regulatory influence. In this work, we examined the impact of nuclear localization on regulation of activity in nuclei. Specifically, human cells were transfected with wild-type and mutant topo II beta tagged with EGFP. Activity attenuation experiments and nuclear localization data reveal that the endogenous activity of topo II beta is correlated with its subnuclear distribution. The enzyme shuttles between an active form in the nucleoplasm and a quiescent form in the nucleolus in a dynamic equilibrium. Mechanistically, the process involves a tethering event with RNA. Isolated RNA inhibits the catalytic activity of topo II beta in vitro through the interaction with a specific 50-residue region of the CTD (termed the CRD). Taken together, these results suggest that both the subnuclear distribution and activity regulation of topo II beta are mediated by the interplay between cellular RNA and the CRD

Transmission of Bordetella holmesii during Pertussis Outbreak, Japan

We describe the epidemiology of a pertussis outbreak in Japan in 2010–2011 and Bordetella holmesii transmission. Six patients were infected; 4 patients were students and a teacher at the same junior high school. Epidemiologic links were found between 5 patients. B. holmesii may have been transmitted from person to person

Discrimination of Stem Cell Status after Subjecting Cynomolgus Monkey Pluripotent Stem Cells to Naïve Conversion

Experimental animal models have played an indispensable role in the development of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) research. The derivation of high-quality (so-called “true naïve state”) iPSCs of non-human primates enhances their application and safety for human regenerative medicine. Although several attempts have been made to convert human and non-human primate PSCs into a truly naïve state, it is unclear which evaluation methods can discriminate them as being truly naïve. Here we attempted to derive naïve cynomolgus monkey (Cm) (Macaca fascicularis) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and iPSCs. Several characteristics of naïve Cm ESCs including colony morphology, appearance of naïve-related mRNAs and proteins, leukaemia inhibitory factor dependency, and mitochondrial respiration were confirmed. Next, we generated Cm iPSCs and converted them to a naïve state. Transcriptomic comparison of PSCs with early Cm embryos elucidated the partial achievement (termed naïve-like) of their conversion. When these were subjected to in vitro neural differentiation, enhanced differentiating capacities were observed after naïve-like conversion, but some lines exhibited heterogeneity. The difficulty of achieving contribution to chimeric mouse embryos was also demonstrated. These results suggest that Cm PSCs could ameliorate their in vitro neural differentiation potential even though they could not display true naïve characteristics

Nuclear protein LEDGF/p75 recognizes supercoiled DNA by a novel DNA-binding domain

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF) or p75 is a co-activator of general transcription and also involved in insertion of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) cDNA into host cell genome, which occurs preferentially to active transcription units. These phenomena may share an underlying molecular mechanism in common. We report here that LEDGF/p75 binds negatively supercoiled DNA selectively over unconstrained DNA. We identified a novel DNA-binding domain in the protein and termed it ‘supercoiled DNA-recognition domain’ (SRD). Recombinant protein fragments containing SRD showed a preferential binding to supercoiled DNA in vitro. SRD harbors a characteristic cluster of lysine and glutamic/aspartic acid residues. A polypeptide mimicking the cluster (K9E9K9) also showed this specificity, suggesting that the cluster is an essential element for the supercoil recognition. eGFP-tagged LEDGF/p75 expressed in the nucleus distributed partially in transcriptionally active regions that were identified by immunostaining of methylated histone H3 (H3K4me3) or incorporation of Br-UTP. This pattern of localization was observed with SRD alone but abolished if the protein lacked SRD. Thus, these results imply that LEDGF/p75 guides its binding partners, including HIV-1 integrase, to the active transcription site through recognition of negative supercoils generated around it