Nanofiltration Hollow Fiber Membranes Made from Sulfonated Polysulfone having a Cyanophenylene Group

A nanofiltration hollow fiber membrane made from sulfonated polysulfone was proposed in this work to meet the demands of having tolerance against chemicals. The sulfonate group in the molecule is a source of highly hydrophilic properties and may increase the inter-molecular force acting between molecules on which it is attached. It also contributes to forming a tight structure in the membrane. The membrane may produce higher water flux than those of commercially available nanofiltration membranes made from polyamides. The state of water in the wet membrane was examined with a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. The bonding force to confine water molecules in the membrane may be considered to control the water flux and salt rejection of membranes. It is revealed that there were two kinds of water in the membrane and the salt rejection was raised when the interaction to the water molecules from sulfonate groups in the sulfonated polysulfone molecule was increased. The salt rejection and water flux is highly correlated with the chemical shift of constrained water

Pathologic and Radiographic Studies of Intrahepatic Metastasis Hepatocellular Carcinoma; The Role of Efferent Vessels

The efferent vessel of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the mechanism and pathogenesis of the high frequency of intrahepatic metastasis in HCC has not yet been clarified. Three hundred ninety-three resected specimens of HCC were examined for tumor thrombosis in the portal vein and the hepatic vein: 231 tumors ≤5 cm in diameter were examined for the relationship between mode of tumor spread and tumor size. Efferent vessels in HCC were identified by direct injection of radiopaque material into the tumor in 23 resected liver specimens and by percutaneous infusion of radiopaque media into tumor nodules in 8 patients. The mode of tumor spread in HCC progressed from capsular invasion to extracapsular invasion, then to vascular invasion, and finally to intrahepatic metastasis. There was a strong statistical correlation between the presence of intrahepatic metastasis and portal vein thrombosis (p<0.05, R=0.998). Radiopaque material injected directly into 23 resected tumors entered only the portal vein in 17 tumors and into both the portal and hepatic veins in 6 tumors. In all 8 patients with unresectable lesions, radiopaque media injected percutaneously into tumor nodules flowed only into the portal vein. These findings suggest that intrahepatic invasion by HCC may occur through the portal vein as an efferent tumor vessel

Defects of Granulopoiesis in Patients with Severe Congenital Neutropenia

To confirm the abnormalities of primitive myeloid progenitor cells in patients withsevere congenital neutropenia (SCN), we studied their responsiveness to hematopoieticfactors including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). In all SCN patientsstudied no abnormalities of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR) genewere detected by polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysisand sequence analysis. A flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow cells based on theexpression of CD34, Kit receptor, and G-CSFR demonstrated a reduced frequency ofCD34+/Kit+/G-CSFR+ cells in patients with SCN. The granulocyte/macrophage (GM)-colonyformation of CD34+/Kit+/G-CSFR+ cells in patients was markedly decreased at allconcentrations of G-CSF in serum-deprived semisolid culture. The responsiveness ofCD34+/Kit+/G-CSFR+ cells in patients showed a reduced response to the combination of stemcell factor, the ligand for flk2/flt3, and interleukin-3 with or without G-CSF inserum-deprived semisolid and liquid suspension cultures. In contrast, no difference in theresponsiveness of CD34+/Kit+/G-CSFR- cells was noted between SCN patients and normalsubjects. The bone marrow cells from a patient who underwent bone marrow transplantationshowed a restoration of both the reduced frequency and the decreased level of GM-colonyformation of CD34+/Kit+/G-CSFR+ cells. These results demonstrate that the presence ofqualitative and quantitative abnormalities of primitive myeloid progenitor cells expressingG-CSFR may play an important role in the impairment of granulopoiesis in patients with SCN

Surgical Treatment for Pulmonary Metastases

This study is based on 29 patients undergoing resection for pulmonary metastases from 1960 to 1981 in our clinics. Factors concerning their prognosis are discussed in this study. 1) Prognosis following surgery is associated with the origin of the primary disease, the sizes and numbers of pulmonary metastases, and the disease-free period. 2) Pulmonary metastases arising from original tumors with slow growth rate, such as thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and some of osteogenic sarcomas, are favorable candidates for surgical treatment. 3) Operative methods of choice are not essential in anticipating better results. Complete removal of the tumor is required. We assume that improved chemotherapy may be contributary to a gain in a longer survival

Japanese epidemiological survey with consensus statement on Japanese guidelines for treatment of iron overload in bone marrow failure syndromes

Many patients with bone marrow failure syndromes need frequent transfusions of red blood cells, and most of them eventually suffer from organ dysfunction induced by excessively accumulated iron. The only way to treat transfusion-induced iron overload is iron chelating therapy. However, most patients have not been treated effectively because daily/continuous administration of deferoxamine is difficult for outpatients. Recently, a novel oral iron chelator, deferasirox, has been developed, and introduction of the drug may help many patients benefit from iron chelation therapy. In this review, we will discuss the current status of iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients, and the development of Japanese guidelines for the treatment of iron overload in Japan, which were established by the National Research Group on Idiopathic Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes in Japan

Circadian protection against bacterial skin infection by epidermal CXCL14-mediated innate immunity

体内時計は夜間に自然免疫を発動 --皮膚ケモカインによる自然免疫機構--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-06-16.Biological clocks set for skin immunity. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-06-21.The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and the body’s primary barrier to external pathogens; however, the early epidermal immune response remains to be mechanistically understood. We show that the chemokine CXCL14, produced by epidermal keratinocytes, exhibits robust circadian fluctuations and initiates innate immunity. Clearance of the skin pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in nocturnal mice was associated with CXCL14 expression, which was high during subjective daytime and low at night. In contrast, in marmosets, a diurnal primate, circadian CXCL14 expression was reversed. Rhythmically expressed CXCL14 binds to S. aureus DNA and induces inflammatory cytokine production by activating Toll-like receptor (TLR)9-dependent innate pathways in dendritic cells and macrophages underneath the epidermis. CXCL14 also promoted phagocytosis by macrophages in a TLR9-independent manner. These data indicate that circadian production of the epidermal chemokine CXCL14 rhythmically suppresses skin bacterial proliferation in mammals by activating the innate immune system

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in Portal Blood in Colorectal Cancer Patients Correlation of Immunohistochemical Staining

The Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in portal blood in 87 colorectal patients were studied in correlation with the immunoreactivity of tumor CEA stained by immunoperoxidase method in order to examine how serum CEA increases. Portal blood CEA increased by operative maneuver. Portal blood CEA was correlated with the Duke\u27s staging, and revealed higher positive rates than CEA in peripheral blood in each stage. The amount of CEA in well differentiated and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was higher than that of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. However, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma revealed the highest level of portal blood CEA (p<0.05). Significant increase of portal CEA was observed when CEA was found in cytoplasm and stroma immunohistochemically besides in strongly positive stain, and when cancer was proved pathologically to invade over the intestinal wall. This study suggests that how CEA is transported from the tumor to the portal vein which is the most important decisive factor of the CEA level in peripheral blood

Circadian regulation of intracellular G-protein signalling mediates intercellular synchrony and rhythmicity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Synchronous oscillations of thousands of cellular clocks in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the circadian centre, are coordinated by precisely timed cell–cell communication, the principle of which is largely unknown. Here we show that the amount of RGS16 (regulator of G protein signalling 16), a protein known to inactivate Gαi, increases at a selective circadian time to allow time-dependent activation of intracellular cyclic AMP signalling in the SCN. Gene ablation of Rgs16 leads to the loss of circadian production of cAMP and as a result lengthens circadian period of behavioural rhythm. The temporally precise regulation of the cAMP signal by clock-controlled RGS16 is needed for the dorsomedial SCN to maintain a normal phase-relationship to the ventrolateral SCN. Thus, RGS16-dependent temporal regulation of intracellular G protein signalling coordinates the intercellular synchrony of SCN pacemaker neurons and thereby defines the 24 h rhythm in behaviour