アヒル消化管における内分泌細胞の分布

食道から直腸末端までのアヒル消化管における内分泌細胞の存在と分布を,鉛ヘマトキシリン,塩酸トルイジンブルー,Sevier and Mungerの鍍銀法およびMassonの銀親和反応を用いて検索した。 鉛ヘマトキシリンと塩酸トルイジンブルーで染まる細胞は食道を除く消化管の全部位でみられ,好銀性細胞は腺胃粘膜,腺胃腺および腸管の全部位に,銀親和性細胞は腸管にのみみられた。 内分泌細胞の分布密度は,筋胃幽門部が最も多く,次が腺胃腺であり,腸は十二指腸,空腸,回腸,盲腸,結直腸の5部位とも同程度で幽門部の約1/2,腺胃粘膜および胃峡部は腺胃腺の1/10,筋胃中央部は前2部位よりも少なく最少であった。 筋胃幽門部は,筋胃と十二指腸を分けるわずかな粘膜ひだから筋胃側5㎜位の部分であり,この部に非銀親和性で非好銀性の内分泌細胞が高密度に存在することは興味ある所見である。 これら内分泌細胞の染色性および分布から,アヒル消化管における4種類以上の内分泌細胞の存在が推測された。The four histological methods, previously known to be useful in selective detection of endocrine cells, were applied to the duck digestive tracts, from oesophagus to colorectum. Cells stained with lead-hematoxylin and HC1-toluidine blue were observed in all regions of the duck digestive tracts with the exception of the oesophagus. Argyrophil cells were observed in proventricular mucosa and glands, and in the intestine. Argentaffin cells were observed only in the intestine. The frequency of endocrine cells in the duck digestive tracts was highest in the restricted region of gizzard mucosa where was called the pyloric region in this paper, next in the proventricular glands, equally about half of the frequency in the pyloric region in the five regions of the intestine, one tenth of that of the proventricular glands in the proventricular and isthmus mucosa, and the smallest frequency was noted in the central part of gizzard mucosa. The pyloric region was about 5mm anterior to the narrow mucosal fold separating the gizzard from the intestine. It was an interesting to find that the endocrine cells which were nonargentaffin and nonargyrophil were densely present in this region. From the staining properties and the distribution of the endocrine cells, the possibility of existence of four and more types of endocrine cells in the duck digestive tracts was discussed

Glucotoxicity Induces Insulin Promoter DNA Methylation in Beta Cells

Recent studies have implicated epigenetics in the pathophysiology of diabetes. Furthermore, DNA methylation, which irreversibly deactivates gene transcription, of the insulin promoter, particularly the cAMP response element, is increased in diabetes patients. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate insulin promoter DNA methylation in an over-nutrition state. INS-1 cells, the rat pancreatic beta cell line, were cultured under normal-culture-glucose (11.2 mmol/l) or experimental-high-glucose (22.4 mmol/l) conditions for 14 days, with or without 0.4 mmol/l palmitate. DNA methylation of the rat insulin 1 gene (Ins1) promoter was investigated using bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing analysis. Experimental-high-glucose conditions significantly suppressed insulin mRNA and increased DNA methylation at all five CpG sites within the Ins1 promoter, including the cAMP response element, in a time-dependent and glucose concentration-dependent manner. DNA methylation under experimental-high-glucose conditions was unique to the Ins1 promoter; however, palmitate did not affect DNA methylation. Artificial methylation of Ins1 promoter significantly suppressed promoter-driven luciferase activity, and a DNA methylation inhibitor significantly improved insulin mRNA suppression by experimental-high-glucose conditions. Experimental-high-glucose conditions significantly increased DNA methyltransferase activity and decreased ten-eleven-translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase activity. Oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress did not affect DNA methylation of the Ins1 promoter. High glucose but not palmitate increased ectopic triacylglycerol accumulation parallel to DNA methylation. Metformin upregulated insulin gene expression and suppressed DNA methylation and ectopic triacylglycerol accumulation. Finally, DNA methylation of the Ins1 promoter increased in isolated islets from Zucker diabetic fatty rats. This study helps to clarify the effect of an over-nutrition state on DNA methylation of the Ins1 promoter in pancreatic beta cells. It provides new insights into the irreversible pathophysiology of diabetes

Long-term results of a randomized controlled trial comparing neoadjuvant Adriamycin, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil vs docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil followed by surgery for esophageal cancer (OGSG1003)

Sugimura, K, Yamasaki, M, Yasuda, T, et al. Long‐term results of a randomized controlled trial comparing neoadjuvant Adriamycin, cisplatin, and 5‐fluorouracil vs docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5‐fluorouracil followed by surgery for esophageal cancer (OGSG1003). Ann. Gastroenterol. Surg. 2020; 00: 1– 8. https://doi.org/10.1002/ags3.12388

Local people\u27s use of non-timber forest products in the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java

We surveyed local people’s collection and use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) as well as knowledge about thenational park regulations and villagers’ perception about those regulations, in three villages in the West Java. Kutajaya villagers used five groups of NTFPs, firewood and fodder being most commonly collected and medicinal plants, food, and construction materials less frequently. In Hanjawar, seven groups of NTFPs were used: foliage other than food and household appliances in addition to the above. The most frequently used were fodder plants and firewood. In Majasari, eight groups of NTFPs were used, palm sugar in addition, which was the most frequently collected. Food and firewood were also important NTFPs exploited there. The typical personal characteristics of the interviewed NTFP users were low education level, agricultural employment (except in Kutajaya) and a low rate of agricultural land ownership. Perceptions about national park regulations were similar among the three villages. Their knowledge of the regulations was low, usually limited to such regulations as the prohibitions of cutting trees down, hunting wildlife, opening new land for cultivation, and collecting firewood and cattle feed. They were ready to accept the former three restrictions, but they tended to be against the prohibitions on firewood and cattle feed collection because there was no alternative place to collect such resources. As for the prohibition of tree cutting, the Hanjawar and Majasari villagers hoped that there would be exceptions to the regulations to meet their minimum needs for house construction. They argued that they could not afford to buying non-wood construction materials due to low income levels. In addition they considered that cutting one or two trees would not have significant negative impacts on forests as they each would be certainly replaced by new seedlings growing naturally or by seedlings they would be willing to plant

Adalimumab Dose-Escalation Therapy Is Effective in Refractory Crohn’s Disease Patients with Loss of Response to Adalimumab, Especially in Cases without Previous Infliximab Treatment

Background/Aims: Adalimumab dose escalation is one of the most important options in refractory Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adalimumab dose escalation in Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab, since there are few reports of adalimumab dose escalation, especially in East Asia. Methods: The clinical response to adalimumab dose escalation in Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab was evaluated retrospectively, using the Crohn’s disease activity index score, serum C-reactive protein levels, and endoscopic analyses. Results: Of the 203 Crohn’s disease patients treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor, 14 refractory Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab received adalimumab dose-escalation therapy. The C-reactive protein level was significantly reduced from the start to weeks 12 and 52 of adalimumab dose escalation in the whole group, although there were no significant reductions of Crohn’s disease activity index scores. Both Crohn’s disease activity index scores and C-reactive protein levels were significantly reduced from the start to weeks 12 and 52 of adalimumab dose escalation in patients without previous infliximab treatment, although C-reactive protein levels were positive in all cases with previous infliximab exposure at weeks 12 and 52. Endoscopic mucosal healing was achieved with adalimumab dose escalation in 2 cases without previous infliximab treatment. Conclusions: Adalimumab dose-escalation therapy is effective in refractory Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab, especially in cases without previous infliximab treatment

Diversity of Melissococcus plutonius from Honeybee Larvae in Japan and Experimental Reproduction of European Foulbrood with Cultured Atypical Isolates

European foulbrood (EFB) is an important infectious disease of honeybee larvae, but its pathogenic mechanisms are still poorly understood. The causative agent, Melissococcus plutonius, is a fastidious organism, and microaerophilic to anaerobic conditions and the addition of potassium phosphate to culture media are required for growth. Although M. plutonius is believed to be remarkably homologous, in addition to M. plutonius isolates with typical cultural characteristics, M. plutonius-like organisms, with characteristics seemingly different from those of typical M. plutonius, have often been isolated from diseased larvae with clinical signs of EFB in Japan. Cultural and biochemical characterization of 14 M. plutonius and 19 M. plutonius-like strain/isolates revealed that, unlike typical M. plutonius strain/isolates, M. plutonius-like isolates were not fastidious, and the addition of potassium phosphate was not required for normal growth. Moreover, only M. plutonius-like isolates, but not typical M. plutonius strain/isolates, grew anaerobically on sodium phosphate-supplemented medium and aerobically on some potassium salt-supplemented media, were positive for β-glucosidase activity, hydrolyzed esculin, and produced acid from L-arabinose, D-cellobiose, and salicin. Despite the phenotypic differences, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization demonstrated that M. plutonius-like organisms were taxonomically identical to M. plutonius. However, by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis, these typical and atypical (M. plutonius-like) isolates were separately grouped into two genetically distinct clusters. Although M. plutonius is known to lose virulence quickly when cultured artificially, experimental infection of representative isolates showed that atypical M. plutonius maintained the ability to cause EFB in honeybee larvae even after cultured in vitro in laboratory media. Because the rapid decrease of virulence in cultured M. plutonius was a major impediment to elucidation of the pathogenesis of EFB, atypical M. plutonius discovered in this study will be a breakthrough in EFB research

Associations between the orexin (hypocretin) receptor 2 gene polymorphism Val308Ile and nicotine dependence in genome-wide and subsequent association studies

Impact of the HCRTR2 gene risk variant on schizotypal personality traits (mean ± SD). (DOC 54 kb