Intratumoral Injection of Propionibacterium acnes Suppresses Malignant Melanoma by Enhancing Th1 Immune Responses

Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy associated with poor prognosis; many putatively therapeutic agents have been administered, but with mostly unsuccessful results. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is an aerotolerant anaerobic gram-positive bacteria that causes acne and inflammation. After being engulfed and processed by phagocytes, P. acnes induces a strong Th1-type cytokine immune response by producing cytokines such as IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α. The characteristic Th2-mediated allergic response can be counteracted by Th1 cytokines induced by P. acnes injection. This inflammatory response induced by P. acnes has been suggested to have antitumor activity, but its effect on MM has not been fully evaluated

Precision and Relative Accuracy of a Phased Array Doppler Sodar

We developed a phased array Doppler sodar and participated with the new sodar in the International Sodar Intercomparison Experiment (ISIE) at Boulder Atmospheric Observatory (BAO) in 1988. From the data obtained during this experiment, errors in wind measurement by the sodar were estimated by the method proposed for a microwave wind profiler by Strauch et al. The error in horizontal wind components was 0.35m/s at 75m and 0.60m/s at 300m when the mean wind speed was about 5m/s. The error is separated into random errors in radial velocity measurement of 0.29 and 0.47m/s at 75 and 300m, and errors caused by the assumption of uniform wind in the beam separation of 0.20 and 0.38m/s at 75 and 300m

Chronological Change of Resistance to β-Lactams in Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis Isolated from Broilers in Japan

Epidemiologic surveillance study was conducted in southern Japan to determine the antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and characterize the β-lactamase genes and the plasmids harboring these genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) isolates from broilers. Between January, 2007 and December, 2008, a total of 1,472 fecal samples were collected and examined at the Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Kagoshima University, Japan. In 93 (6.3%) isolates recovered, 33 (35.5%) isolates showed resistance to cefotaxime, an extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC), conferred by TEM-20, TEM-52 and CTX-M-25 extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). In addition to ESC-resistance, eight (8.6%) isolates exhibited resistance to cefoxitin mediated by CMY-2 AmpC β-lactamase. Plasmid analysis and polymerase chain reaction replicon typing revealed the blaTEM-20 and blaCMY-2 genes were associated with IncP plasmids, blaTEM-52 was linked with a non-typable plasmid and blaCTX-M-25 was carried by an IncA/C plasmid. Non- β-lactam resistance to streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole and oxytetracycline encoded by the aadA1, sul1 and tet(A) genes, respectively, was found in 86 (92.5%) isolates. Resistance to kanamycin and ofloxacin was exhibited in 12 (12.9%) and 11 (11.8%) isolates, respectively, the former was mediated by aphA1-Iab. These data indicate that S. Infantis isolates producing ESBLs and AmpC β-lactamase have spread among broiler farms in Japan. These data demonstrated that the incidence of ESC-resistant S. Infantis carrying blaTEM-52 remarkably increased and S. Infantis strains harboring blaCMY-2, blaTEM-20 or blaCTX-M-25 genes emerged from broilers in Japan for the first time in 2007 and 2008

The effects of CsA and Tac on cytokine production from memory CD4⁺ T cells.

<p>Memory CD4⁺ T cells were stimulated with PMA and ionomycin in the absence or presence of CsA or Tac. Fluorescence profiles showed distinct cytokine productions from mature cells, and the production of all cytokines investigated here was strikingly suppressed with the addition of CsA or Tac, even at the lower concentration. Representative figures of ten independent experiments are shown (A). The percentages of IFN-γ⁺CD4⁺ T cells (B), IL-4⁺CD4⁺ T cells (C) or IL-17⁺CD4⁺ T cells (D) within the CD4⁺ T cell population were significantly suppressed with the addition of CsA or Tac. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM.</p

The effects of CsA and Tac on the differentiation of naïve CD4⁺ T cells into cytokine-producing mature cells (Th1/Th2/Th17).

<p>Flow cytometric analysis showed abundant cytokine production from CD45RA⁻CD45RO⁺CD4⁺ T cells. Representative figures of ten independent experiments are shown (A). Addition of CsA or Tac lowered the percentage of CD45RA⁻CD45RO⁺IFN-γ⁺ cells significantly compared with the control group (B). The percentages of CD45RA⁻CD45RO⁺IL-4⁺ cells and CD45RA⁻CD45RO⁺IL-17⁺ cells within the CD4⁺ T cell population were also decreased compared with the control group (C,D). Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM.</p