The role of glucocorticoid receptors in the induction and prevention of hippocampal abnormalities in an animal model of posttraumatic stress disorder

Rationale: Since the precise mechanisms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remain unknown, effective treatment interventions have not yet been established. Numerous clinical studies have led to the hypothesis that elevated glucocorticoid levels in response to extreme stress might trigger a pathophysiological cascade which consequently leads to functional and morphological changes in the hippocampus. Objectives: To elucidate the pathophysiology of PTSD, we examined the alteration of hippocampal gene expression through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the single prolonged stress (SPS) paradigm, a rat model of PTSD. Methods: We measured nuclear GRs by western blot, and the binding of GR to the promoter of Bcl-2 and Bax genes by chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR as well as the expression of these 2 genes by RT-PCR in the hippocampus of SPS rats. In addition, we examined the preventive effects of a GR antagonist on SPS-induced molecular, morphological, and behavioral alterations (hippocampal gene expression of Bcl-2 and Bax, hippocampal apoptosis using TUNEL staining, impaired fear memory extinction (FME) using the contextual fear conditioning paradigm). Results: Exposure to SPS increased nuclear GR expression and GR binding to Bcl-2 gene, and decreased Bcl-2 mRNA expression. Administration of GR antagonist immediately after SPS prevented activation of the glucocorticoid cascade, hippocampal apoptosis, and impairment FME in SPS rats. Conclusion: The activation of GRs in response to severe stress may trigger the pathophysiological cascade leading to impaired FME and hippocampal apoptosis. In contrast, administration of GR antagonist could be useful for preventing the development of PTSD.This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (a grant-in aid for Scientific Research, C) Grant Number JP18K07562, and Takeda Science Foundation

A Case of Paragonimus westermani Infection by Eating Imperfectly Cooked Wild Boar Flesh

A 19 year old woman was admitted because of abnormal chest X-ray showing smoothly outlined cystic lesion. The eggs of Paragonimus westermani was identified in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. Anti-Paragonimus westermani antibody was positive in the serum by the ELISA method. Six eggs were observed in one gram of feces before the administration of praziquantel. Praziquantel (75mg/kg) was administered for two day, the egg of Paragonimus westermani disappeared in the feces and the size of cystic lesion in the chest X-ray decreased

Changes in stenosis resistance and myocardial blood flow after a brief coronary occlusion in the dog.

Stress-induced changes in the resistance due to coronary arterial stenosis of a fixed diameter and in the myocardial blood flow distal to the stenosis were investigated in the open-chest dog. Myocardial blood flow in the inner and outer third of the left ventricular wall was continuously measured with heated cross-thermocouples. The circumflex coronary artery was constricted with a thick string so that myocardial reactive hyperemia was nearly eliminated. Without constriction, a 15-second occlusion of the artery produced no significant changes in the resistance of large coronary arteries. On the contrary, in the presence of coronary constriction, a brief coronary occlusion caused a sustained decrease in distal coronary pressure and subendocardial myocardial flow during reactive hyperemia, while coronary flow returned quickly to the pre-occlusion level with significant reactive hyperemia of subepicardial flow. This change resulted in a long-lasting increase in the stenosis resistance. These results suggest that stenosis resistance changes dynamically, resulting in additional myocardial ischemia especially in the subendocardial myocardial layers.</p

Evaluation of Bronchoalveolar Lavage as a Diagnostic Procedure for Primary Pulmonary B-cell Lymphoma

We evaluated retrospectively the role of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the diagnosis of primary pulmonary B-cell lymphoma in four patients. Histological examination of transbronchial lung biopsy specimens showed nonspecific infiltration of small lymphocytes. Examination of BAL fluid (BALF) samples showed lymphocytosis in all samples with dominant B-cell in two patients and T-cell in the remaining patients. In two patients only, there was a increase in B-cell bearing IgM light-chain or M-protein in BALF samples. our results suggest that the diagnostic value of BAL in primary pulmonary B-cell lymphoma is limited and that new molecular biological techniques should be adapted for analysis of BALF samples

The novel heart-specific RING finger protein 207 is involved in energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes

A failing heart shows severe energy insufficiency, and it is presumed that this energy shortage plays a critical role in the development of cardiac dysfunction. However, little is known about the mechanisms that cause energy metabolic alterations in the failing heart. Here, we show that the novel RING-finger protein 207 (RNF207), which is specifically expressed in the heart, plays a role in cardiac energy metabolism. Depletion of RNF207 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCs) leads to a reduced cellular concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Consistent with this result, we observed here that the expression of RNF207 was significantly reduced in mice with common cardiac diseases including heart failure. Intriguingly, proteomic approaches revealed that RNF207 interacts with the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), which is considered to be a key regulator of mitochondria function, as an RNF207-interacting protein. Our findings indicate that RNF207 is involved in ATP production by cardiomyocytes, suggesting that RNF207 plays an important role in the development of heart failure

Superior vena cava syndrome causedby adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: a case report

A 74-year-old man with a smoking history was admitted for back and right arm pain. On examination, swelling of the face and arms were noted, and computed tomographic imaging of the chest demonstrated a bulky (10.0 x 7.2 cm) tumor in the right upper mediastinum. The lesion compressed the superior vena cava (SVC). Despite treatment, the patient died 5 months after the first admission. On autopsy, he was diagnosed that SVC syndrome caused by adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). ATL usually runs an aggressive course with multiple organs involving lymph nodes, liver, spleen, skin, lung, peripheral blood and bone marrow. Although it is extremely rare, SVC syndrome can appear as the earliest symptom of ATL

Structure formation in parallel ion flow and density profiles by cross-ferroic turbulent transport in linear magnetized plasma

In this paper, we show the direct observation of the parallel flow structure and the parallel Reynolds stress in a linear magnetized plasma, in which a cross-ferroic turbulence system is formed [Inagaki et al., Sci. Rep. 6, 22189 (2016)]. It is shown that the parallel Reynolds stress induced by the density gradient driven drift wave is the source of the parallel flow structure. Moreover, the generated parallel flow shear by the parallel Reynolds stress is found to drive the parallel flow shear driven instability D\u27Angelo mode, which coexists with the original drift wave. The excited D\u27Angelo mode induces the inward particle flux, which seems to help in maintaining the peaked density profile

Calibration of Setting of Mach Probes by Observing GAM Oscillations

The influence of relative displacement of Mach probe (which is placed near the top of magnetic surface) on the interference of signals is discussed. An error can arise in measured value of poloidal electric field. The Mach number perturbation at the GAM frequency has an interference from the density perturbation. The interference from the density perturbation can propagate to all of Mach number measurement. By observing the signals associated with GAM oscillations, the error in setting the probe arrays can be detected. This result can be applied to correct the positioning of probes

Plasma Thrombopoietin Levels are Unlikely to Account for the Platelet-sparing Effect of Paclitaxel in Lung Cancer Patients

Purpose: The present study was designed to determine whether the combination of carboplatin (CBDCA) with paclitaxel (PTX) spared CBDCA-induced thrombocytopenia by increased plasma thrombopoietin (TPO) levels. Methods: Patients with non-small-cell and small-cell lung cancer were consecutively assigned to CBDCA with PTX regimen (CBDCA/PTX) and CBDCA with irinotecan (CPT-11) regimen (CBDCA/CPT-11), respectively. Results: Ten patients were entered into either CBDCA/PTX (n=5) or CBDCA/CPT-11 (n=5). CBDCA/PTX showed a lesser reduction of platelet counts than CBDCA/CPT-11 (p<0.05), although more severe neutropenia was observed in CBDCA/PTX (p<0.01). The plasma TPO levels were inversely correlated with circulating platelet counts in CBDCA/PTX and CBDCA/CPT-11. However, the increased rate of plasma TPO levels in CBDCA/PTX was not significantly different from that in CBDCA/CPT-11. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the increased plasma TPO levels in CBDCA/PTX result secondarily from thrombocytopenia, and that circulating TPO is probably not involved in the platelet-sparing effect of PTX

Percutaneous transhepatic portal catheterization-modification of Chiba method and portal vein pressure in liver diseases.

Percutaneous transhepatic portal catheterization was performed in 68 cases of liver diseases in the 2 year period from 1978 to 1980. The Chiba University method was modified. Portal vein catheterization was successful in 61 cases (90%). Selective splenic vein catheterization was successful in 55 of the 61 cases (90%) and selective superior mesenteric vein catheterization in 59 cases (97%). The liver was punctured an average of 4.6 times in order to successfully insert the catheter into the main portal vein, and the number of punctures was less than 10 in 57 of the 61 cases (93%). The portal vein pressure was 310+/-67 mm H2O in idiopathic portal hypertension (8 cases), 290+/-83 in liver cirrhosis (33 cases), 193+/-71 in chronic hepatitis (7 cases) and 166+/-50 in fatty liver (4 cases). Portal vein pressure rose from 205+/-75 to 380+/-55 mm H2O in 11 cases after forced Valsalva maneuver. No major complications were encountered.</p