Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pancreas: Imaging Findings

We report here a case of a pathologically proven solitary fibrous tumor of the pancreas. A 54-year-old man was referred to our hospital for further evaluation of a pancreatic mass that was found incidentally. CT, MR imaging, and endoscopic ultrasonography showed a well-defined, enhancing mass with cystic portions of the pancreas body. MR cholangiopancreatography showed no pancreatic duct dilatation. A solitary fibrous tumor of the pancreas is a very rare lesion

Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase stimulates the nuclear localization of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in human diploid fibroblasts

In addition to its well-known glycolytic activity, GAPDH displays multiple functions, such as nuclear RNA export, DNA replication and repair, and apoptotic cell death. This functional diversity depends on its intracellular localization. In this study, we explored the signal transduction pathways involved in the nuclear translocation of GAPDH using confocal laser scanning microscopy of immunostained human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs). GAPDH was present mainly in the cytoplasm when cultured with 10% FBS. Serum depletion by culturing cells in a serum-free medium (SFM) led to a gradual accumulation of GAPDH in the nucleus, and this nuclear accumulation was reversed by the re-addition of serum or growth factors, such as PDGF and lysophosphatidic acid. The nuclear export induced by the re-addition of serum or growth factors was prevented by LY 294002 and SH-5, inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt/protein kinase B, respectively, suggesting an involvement of the PI3K signaling pathway in the nuclear export of GAPDH. In addition, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR), an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), stimulated the nuclear translocation of GAPDH and prevented serum- and growth factor-induced GAPDH export. AMPK inhibition by compound C or AMPK depletion by siRNA treatment partially prevented SFM- and AICAR-induced nuclear translocation of GAPDH. Our data suggest that the nuclear translocation of GAPDH might be regulated by the PI3K signaling pathway acting mainly as a nuclear export signal and the AMPK signaling pathway acting as a nuclear import signal.Peairs A, 2009, CLIN EXP IMMUNOL, V156, P542, DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2009.03924.xChen Z, 2009, CIRC RES, V104, P496, DOI 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.108.187567Cao C, 2008, J BIOL CHEM, V283, P28897, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M804144200Li XX, 2008, ARTERIOSCL THROM VAS, V28, P1789, DOI 10.1161/ATVBAHA.108.172452Lombardi M, 2008, J CELL BIOL, V182, P327Sen N, 2008, NAT CELL BIOL, V10, P866, DOI 10.1038/ncb1747Kim HS, 2008, J BIOL CHEM, V283, P3731, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M704432200Du ZX, 2007, ENDOCRINOLOGY, V148, P4352, DOI 10.1210/en.2006-1511Harada N, 2007, J BIOL CHEM, V282, P22651, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M610724200Goirand F, 2007, J PHYSIOL-LONDON, V581, P1163, DOI 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.132589Barbini L, 2007, MOL CELL BIOCHEM, V300, P19, DOI 10.1007/s11010-006-9341-1Hurley RL, 2006, J BIOL CHEM, V281, P36662, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M606676200Hara MR, 2006, CELL MOL NEUROBIOL, V26, P527, DOI 10.1007/s10571-006-9011-6Tisdale EJ, 2006, J BIOL CHEM, V281, P8436, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M513031200Rattan R, 2005, J BIOL CHEM, V280, P39582, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M507443200Hara MR, 2005, NAT CELL BIOL, V7, P665, DOI 10.1038/ncb1268Sirover MA, 2005, J CELL BIOCHEM, V95, P45, DOI 10.1002/jcb.20399Jones RG, 2005, MOL CELL, V18, P283, DOI 10.1016/j.molcel.2005.03.027Tisdale EJ, 2004, J BIOL CHEM, V279, P54046, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M409472200Hardie DG, 2004, J CELL SCI, V117, P5479, DOI 10.1242/jcs.01540Li J, 2004, AM J PHYSIOL-ENDOC M, V287, pE834, DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00234.2004Cooray S, 2004, J GEN VIROL, V85, P1065, DOI 10.1099/vir.0.1977-0Brown VM, 2004, J BIOL CHEM, V279, P5984, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M307071200Tisdale EJ, 2003, J BIOL CHEM, V278, P52524, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M309343200HAWLEY SA, 2003, J BIOL, V2, P28Schmitz HD, 2003, CELL BIOL INT, V27, P511, DOI 10.1011/S1065-6995(03)00096-9Tisdale EJ, 2002, J BIOL CHEM, V277, P3334, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M109744200Schmitz HD, 2001, EUR J CELL BIOL, V80, P419Dastoor Z, 2001, J CELL SCI, V114, P1643Yeo EJ, 2000, MOL CELLS, V10, P415Stein SC, 2000, BIOCHEM J, V345, P437Sirover MA, 1999, BBA-PROTEIN STRUCT M, V1432, P159Shashidharan P, 1999, NEUROREPORT, V10, P1149Rameh LE, 1999, J BIOL CHEM, V274, P8347Sawa A, 1997, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V94, P11669Vincent MF, 1996, BIOCHEM PHARMACOL, V52, P999Reiss N, 1996, BIOCHEM MOL BIOL INT, V38, P711CORTON JM, 1995, EUR J BIOCHEM, V229, P558KAWAMOTO RM, 1986, BIOCHEMISTRY-US, V25, P657BOYCE ST, 1983, J INVEST DERMATOL S, V81, P33

Impact of hypothyroidism on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A 4-year retrospective cohort study

Background/AimsHypothyroidism is reported to contribute to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We compared the risk of the development of NAFLD among three groups with different thyroid hormonal statuses (control, subclinical hypothyroidism, and overt hypothyroidism) in a 4-year retrospective cohort of Korean subjects.MethodsApparently healthy Korean subjects without NAFLD and aged 20-65 years were recruited (n=18,544) at health checkups performed in 2008. Annual health checkups were applied to the cohort for 4 consecutive years until December 2012. Based on their initial serum-free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, they were classified into control, subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH >4.2 mIU/L, normal fT4), and overt hypothyroidism (TSH >4.2 mIU/L, fT4 <0.97 ng/dL) groups. NAFLD was diagnosed on the basis of ultrasonography findings.ResultsNAFLD developed in 2,348 of the 18,544 subjects, representing an overall incidence of 12.7%: 12.8%, 11.0%, 12.7% in the control, subclinical hypothyroidism, and overt hypothyroidism groups, respectively. The incidence of NAFLD did not differ significantly with the baseline thyroid hormonal status, even after multivariate adjustment (subclinical hypothyroidism group: hazard ratio [HR]=0.965, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.814-1.143, P=0.67; overt hypothyroidism group: HR=1.255, 95% CI=0.830-1.899, P=0.28).ConclusionsOur results suggest that the subclinical and overt types of hypothyroidism are not related to an increased incidence of NAFLD

Anti-Allergic Activity of a Platycodon Root Ethanol Extract

Platycodon grandiflorum (Campanulaceae) is used as traditional medicine in Asian countries. In Korean traditional medicine, Platycodon root has been widely used since ancient times as a traditional drug to treat cold, cough and asthma. However, its effects on bone marrow-derived mast cell (BMMC)-mediated allergy and inflammation mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the biological effect of Platycodon root ethanol extract (PE) was evaluated in BMMC after induction of allergic mediators by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus calcium ionophore A23187 (A23187) stimulation. The effect of PE on the production of several allergic mediators, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), leukotriene C4 (LTC4), β-Hexosaminidase (β-Hex) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein, was investigated. The results demonstrate that PE inhibits PMA + A23187 induced production of IL-6, PGD2, LTC4, β-Hexosaminidase and COX-2 protein. Taken together, these results indicate that PE has the potential for use in the treatment of allergy