Adrenomedullin in peritoneal effluent expressed by peritoneal mesothelial cells

BACKGROUND: Adrenomedullin (AM) possesses vasodilative and cell-protective properties. Glycine combines with the C-terminal of AM to form mature, physiologically active AM (mAM). AM is reportedly induced by high glucose condition in vascular endothelial or smooth muscle cells; however, little is known on how AM is activated by amidation. To investigate the behavior of AM in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), the concentrations of AM, mAM and CA125 were measured. The mAM to AM ratio (mAM/AM ratio) was also evaluated as a marker of amidation activity. METHODS: Twenty patients were recruited for this study. The effluent at the time of the peritoneal equilibration test was collected and AM, mAM and CA125 concentrations were measured. The expression of AM in peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) collected from effluent was also examined with an indirect immunofluorescent method. RESULTS: Mean values of AM and mAM in effluent were 18.1 ± 1.6 and 4.1 ± 0.3 fmol/mL, respectively. In plasma, they were 42.6 ± 3.3 and 5.6 ± 0.6 fmol/mL, respectively. AM concentrations in effluent did not correlate with plasma AM level but correlated well with the dialysate-to-plasma ratio of creatinine (D/P ratio of creatinine). Moreover, in 7 of 20 cases, concentrations of the mAM and mAM/AM ratio in effluent were higher than in plasma. In effluent, AM concentration but not the mAM/AM ratio correlated with CA125 concentration. Immunocytological study revealed diffuse, cytoplasmic expression of AM in PMCs which were collected from effluent during PD. CONCLUSION: AM is expressed by PMCs and actively amidated in the abdominal cavity of patients undergoing PD

Intestinal Nature in Gallbladder Carcinoma with Reference to its Histogenesis

Forty advanced cases of gallbladder carcinoma were examined by the use of histochemical and immunohistological methods, in which attention was focused on intestinal metaplasia seen in and around the lesions. Twenty-nine percent for cases of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma displayed goblet cell-type carcinoma cells within the lesions, while no similar cell was evident in cases of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Ten percent for cases of gallbladder carcinoma included endocrine cells within neoplastic tissues, all of which consisted of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and mucosal areas adjacent to which also contained similar cells. Mucosal areas in the proximity to foci of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma demonstrated a marked increase in the amount of non-sulfated acid mucin, but no such tendency was discernible around foci of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Lysozyme immunoreactivity was identifiable in a high percent of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma foci and their surrounding mucosal areas, while similar reactivity was rarely present in cases of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. It may be suggested from these results that an intimate relationship would exist in between intestinal metaplasia and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma occurring in the gallbladder. It is, however, to be determined whether or not intestinal metaplasia alone would act as a precancerous lesion like adenoma, dysplasia and possibly hyperplastic polyp for the histogenesis of gallbladder carcinomas

Orientation behavior and deformation mechanism of polyethylene gels during cold drawing determined by in situ Raman spectroscopy

金沢大学理工研究域フロンティア工学系In situ Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate uniaxial stretching of polyethylene (PE) gels with various PE contents. Molecular orientation of the crystalline chains proceeds beyond the yield point and higher orientation is attained for PE gels with higher PE content, but orientation perpendicular to the stretching direction persists up to the highly stretched region. This biaxial orientation is essentially the same irrespective of the PE content, and it can be explained by the inhomogeneity embedded in the PE gel. The PE content dependence of the second-rank orientation parameter at high strain is similar to that of the dynamical mechanical properties, suggesting that the deformation mechanism is consistent during the entire stretching process from the elastic region to the highly stretched region.Embargo Period 12 month

Factors associated with good self-rated health of non-disabled elderly living alone in Japan: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Self-rated health (SRH) is reported as a reliable predictor of disability and mortality in the aged population and has been studied worldwide to enhance the quality of life of the elderly. Nowadays, the elderly living alone, a particular population at great risk of suffering physical and mental health problems, is increasing rapidly in Japan and could potentially make up the majority of the aged population. However, few data are available pertaining to SRH of this population. Given the fact that sufficient healthcare is provided to the disabled elderly whereas there is little support for non-disabled elderly, we designed this population-based survey to investigate SRH of non-disabled elderly living alone and to identify the factors associated with good SRH with the purpose of aiding health promotion for the elderly.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in a metropolitan suburb in Japan. Questionnaires pertaining to SRH and physical conditions, lifestyle factors, psychological status, and social activities, were distributed in October 2005 to individuals aged ≥ 65 years and living alone. Response rate was 75.1%. Among these respondents, a total of 600 male and 2587 female respondents were identified as non-disabled elderly living alone and became our subjects. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with good SRH and sex-specific effect was tested by stepwise logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Good SRH was reported by 69.8% of men and 73.8% of women. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that good SRH correlated with, in odds ratio sequence, "can go out alone to distant places", no depression, no weight loss, absence of self-rated chronic disease, good chewing ability, and good visual ability in men; whereas with "can go out alone to distant places", absence of self-rated chronic disease, no weight loss, no depression, no risk of falling, independent IADL, good chewing ability, good visual ability, and social integration (attend) in women.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>For the non-disabled elderly living alone, sex-appropriate support should be considered by health promotion systems from the view point of SRH. Overall, the ability to go out alone to distant places is crucial to SRH of both men and women.</p

Maturation-associated changes in toxicity of the pufferfish Takifugu poecilonotus.

From October 2006 to December 2007, wild specimens of the pufferfish Takifugu poecilonotus (93 females, 45 males) were collected from the Ariake Sea. Tissue toxicity was examined by mouse bioassay, and tetrodotoxin (TTX) content in the blood plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between toxicity and maturation was investigated based on changes in the gonadosomatic index: December-March in females and November-March in males, the \u27maturation period\u27; April, \u27just after spawning\u27; and the other months, the \u27ordinary period\u27. Toxicity of both sexes was high throughout the year, but sharply declined in April. In all tissues examined (skin, liver, and ovary) other than testis, toxicity exceeded 1000MU/g or 10,000MU/individual in many individuals. Seasonal profiles of tissue toxicity differed markedly between sexes. In females, liver toxicity was high during the ordinary period, and ovary toxicity was high during the maturation period. In males, little maturation-associated change in the toxin distribution was observed. Plasma TTX levels were similar between the sexes (1.59-15.1MU/ml), and fluctuated largely throughout the year without corresponding changes in tissue toxicity. The percentage of TTX binding to high molecular-weight substances in the plasma varied in association with maturation; the binding ratio fluctuated at relatively low levels during the ordinary period, and stabilized at a high level during the maturation period

胆嚢癌および胆嚢前癌性病変における血液型物質の免疫組織学的検討

胆嚢癌および胆嚢前癌性病変における血液型物質の消長を知る目的で,胆嚢粘膜癌11例,進行癌23例,腺腫9例,異型上皮5例および胆石症13例を用い,免疫組織学的に血液型物質の組織内局在を検討した.その結果,胆石症では血液型物質は胆嚢固有上皮および新生粘液腺にみられ,化生性杯細胞では陽性から陰性まで種々であった.腺腫および異型上皮の大部分は血液型物質陽性であった.また粘膜癌(すべて高分化腺癌)や高分化型進行癌では血液型物質が比較的よく残存していたが,低分化型進行癌では完全に消失したものが多く,組織型との関連性がつよくみられた.なお化生性変化が癌巣内にみられた粘膜癌では,全例血液型物質が残存していた.また血液型物質と粘液組成との関連を知る目的でhigh iron diamine-Alcian blue染色を重染色すると,血液型物質が消失した部にはnon-sulfated acid mucinが多く出現していた.血液型物質の検索は,良悪境界病変の鑑別や胆嚢癌の組織発生の解明に有用と思われ,その意義につき若干の考察を加えた.A.B.O. type blood group antigens in human gallbladders were studied immunohistologically in 11 cases with mucosal carcinoma, 23 cases with advanced carcinoma, 9 cases with adenoma, 5 cases with dysplasia and 13 cases with cholecystolithiasis. Blood group antigens were always detected in proper epithelia and mucous glands in cases with cholecystolithiasis, but were sometimes also detected in metaplastic goblet cells. Most adenoma and dysplasia were positive for these antigens. Mucosal carcinomas and well differentiated advanced carcinomas were occasionally positive for blood group antigens, but poorly differentiated advanced carcinomas were almost always negative. All mucosal carcinomas with metaplastic changes were positive for these antigens. Double staining with blood group antigens and high iron diamine-Alcian blue revealed non-sulfated acid mucin in areas where blood group antigens were lost. Immunohistological investigation of blood group antigens may be useful in differentiating border line lesions and in study of cancer histogenesis