A successful bridge to recovery with Impella 5.0 and subsequent hybrid cardiac resynchronization therapy in systemic right ventricle failure: a case report

Background　Impella 5.0 is currently used as a temporary mechanical circulatory support device in cardiogenic shock (CS). However, Impella 5.0 implantation for the systemic right ventricle (sRV) has not been well documented. Case summary　A 50-year-old man with atrial switch for dextro-transposition of the great arteries was transferred to our hospital for the treatment of embolic acute myocardial infarction of the left main trunk lesion with CS. To stabilize haemodynamics, we implanted Impella 5.0 via the left subclavian artery in the sRV. After optimal medical therapy initiation and gradual weaning of Impella 5.0, Impella 5.0 was successfully explanted. An electrocardiogram was obtained, which showed complete right branch block with a QRS duration of 172 ms. Acute invasive haemodynamic evaluation of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacing showed that dP/dt increased from 497 to 605 mmHg/s (21.7% improvement), and hybrid cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRTD) with a sRV epicardial lead was subsequently implanted. The patient was discharged without inotropic support. Discussion　Coronary artery embolism is a rare but serious complication of dextro-transposition of the great arteries after atrial switch operations. Impella 5.0 implantation is a feasible bridge strategy for refractory CS due to sRV failure. Although CRT implantation in patients with sRV is controversial, an acute invasive haemodynamic evaluation can help assess its potential benefits

Anti-tachycardia pacing degenerated fast ventricular tachycardia into undetectable life-threatening tachyarrhythmia in a patient with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

SummaryA 45-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy was admitted to our hospital due to congestive heart failure (CHF). Despite the optimal medical treatment, his condition had not improved because of severe left ventricular dysfunction. Because he experienced non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), a biventricular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (Bi-V ICD) was implanted for reduction of dyssynchrony and primary prevention of lethal tachyarrhythmia. After discharge, he developed CHF and was transported to our hospital by ambulance. In the ambulance, monomorphic sustained VT with 200bpm suddenly occurred. The ICD detected it as fast VT and anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) was delivered. After the ATP therapy, RR intervals of VT became irregular and prolonged. Ventricular fibrillation-like electrical activity was recorded by a far-field electrogram from the defibrillator, but the tachycardia cycle length exceeded 400ms which is under the tachycardia detection rate. The device failed to deliver a shock and the patient had to be rescued with an external shock. This is a rare case of fast VT that degenerated into undetectable life-threatening tachyarrhythmia by ATP

HASC2011corpus: Towards the Common Ground of Human Activity Recognition

UbiComp '11 Proceedings of the 13th international conference on Ubiquitous computing, September 17-21, 2011, Beijing, ChinaHuman activity recognition through the wearable sensor will enable a next-generation human-oriented biquitous computing. However, most of research on human activity recognition so far is based on small number of subjects, and non-public data. To overcome the situation, we have gathered 4897 accelerometer data with 116 subjects and compose them as HASC2011corpus. In the field of pattern recognition, it is very important to evaluate and to improve the recognition methods by using the same dataset as a common ground. We make the HASC2011corpus into public for the research community to use it as a common ground of the Human Activity Recognition. We also show several facts and results of obtained from the corpus

Terpinen-4-ol inhibits colorectal cancer growth via reactive oxygen species

Terpinen-4-ol (TP4O) is the main component of the essential oil extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia, known as the tea tree, of the botanical family Myrtaceae. The anticancer effects of TP4O have been reported in several cancer cell lines. Previous reports have demonstrated that TP4O exerts anticancer effects by inducing apoptotic cell death in several cell lines; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of these effects remain unclear. In the present study, the anticancer effects of TP4O against the colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines HCT116 and RKO were evaluated using WST‑8 and bromodeoxyuridine assays. The mechanism of cell death was investigated by the measurement of caspase‑3/7, Annexin V and lactate dehydrogenase release. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels induced by TP4O were evaluated by electron spin resonance and quantitative measurement of dihydroethidium. Localization of the ROS derived from mitochondria was observed by confocal inverted microscopy. Protein levels of ROS scavengers were assessed by western blotting analysis. To confirm the role of ROS, cell viability was measured in the presence of antioxidant reagents. In an in vivo xenograft model of ICR‑SCID mice implanted with HCT116 cells, 200 mg/kg TP4O was injected locally, and tumor growth was compared with that of the control. TP4O induced apoptotic cell death in HCT116 and RKO cells in a dose‑dependent manner, and TP4O also increased the levels of ROS generated by mitochondria. TP4O‑induced cell death was rescued by administration of antioxidant regents. In vivo, TP4O inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 xenografts compared with that of the control group. The results of the present study suggest that TP4O induces apoptosis in CRC cells through ROS generation. Furthermore, TP4O is potentially useful for the development of novel therapies against CRC

HASC2011corpus: Towards the Common Ground of Human Activity Recognition

Human activity recognition through the wearable sensor will enable a next-generation human-oriented biquitous computing. However, most of research on human activity recognition so far is based on small number of subjects, and non-public data. To overcome the situation, we have gathered 4897 accelerometer data with 116 subjects and compose them as HASC2011corpus. In the field of pattern recognition, it is very important to evaluate and to improve the recognition methods by using the same dataset as a common ground. We make the HASC2011corpus into public for the research community to use it as a common ground of the Human Activity Recognition. We also show several facts and results of obtained from the corpus.UbiComp \u2711 Proceedings of the 13th international conference on Ubiquitous computing, September 17-21, 2011, Beijing, Chin

Enhanced hepatic differentiation in the subpopulation of human amniotic stem cells under 3D multicellular microenvironment

BACKGROUNDTo solve the problem of liver transplantation donor insufficiency, an alternative cell transplantation therapy was investigated. We focused on amniotic epithelial cells (AECs) as a cell source because, unlike induced pluripotent stem cells, they are cost-effective and non-tumorigenic. The utilization of AECs in regenerative medicine, however, is in its infancy. A general profile for AECs has not been comprehensively analyzed. Moreover, no hepatic differentiation protocol for AECs has yet been established. To this end, we independently compiled human AEC libraries, purified amniotic stem cells (ASCs), and co-cultured them with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVECs) in a 3D system which induces functional hepatic organoids.AIMTo characterize AECs and generate functional hepatic organoids from ASCs and other somatic stem cellsMETHODSAECs, MSCs, and HUVECs were isolated from the placentae and umbilical cords of cesarean section patients. Amnion and primary AEC stemness characteristics and heterogeneity were analyzed by immunocytochemistry, Alkaline phosphatase (AP) staining, and flow cytometry. An adherent AEC subpopulation was selected and evaluated for ASC purification quality by a colony formation assay. AEC transcriptomes were compared with those for other hepatocytes cell sources by bioinformatics. The 2D and 3D culture were compared by relative gene expression using several differentiation protocols. ASCs, MSCs, and HUVECs were combined in a 3D co-culture system to generate hepatic organoids whose structure was compared with a 3D AEC sphere and whose function was elucidated by immunofluorescence imaging, periodic acid Schiff, and an indocyanine green (ICG) test.RESULTSAECs have certain stemness markers such as EPCAM, SSEA4, and E-cadherin. One AEC subpopulation was also either positive for AP staining or expressed the TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81 stemness markers. Moreover, it could form colonies and its frequency was enhanced ten-fold in the adherent subpopulation after selective primary passage. Bioinformatics analysis of ribose nucleic acid sequencing revealed that the total AEC gene expression was distant from those of pluripotent stem cells and hepatocytes but some gene expression overlapped among these cells. TJP1, associated with epidermal growth factor receptor, and MET, associated with hepatocyte growth factor receptor, were upregulated and may be important for hepatic differentiation. In conventional flat culture, the cells turned unviable and did not readily differentiate into hepatocytes. In 3D culture, however, hepatic gene expression of the AEC sphere was elevated even under a two-step differentiation protocol. Furthermore, the organoids derived from the MSC and HUVEC co-culture showed 3D structure with polarity, hepatic-like glycogen storage, and ICG absorption/elimination.CONCLUSIONHuman amniotic epithelial cells are heterogeneous and certain subpopulations have high stemness. Under a 3D co-culture system, functional hepatic organoids were generated in a multicellular microenvironment

Regulation of HGF-induced hepatocyte proliferation by the small GTPase Arf6 through the PIP2-producing enzyme PIP5K1A

HGF and its receptor c-Met are critical molecules in various biological processes. Others and we have previously shown that the small GTPase Arf6 plays a pivotal role in HGF signaling in hepatocytes. However, the molecular mechanism of how Arf6 regulates HGF signaling is unclear. Here, we show that Arf6 plays an important role in HGF-stimulated hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration through the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-producing enzyme PIP5K1A. We find that knockdown of Arf6 and PIP5K1A in HepG2 cells inhibits HGF-stimulated proliferation, Akt activation, and generation of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) and its precursor PIP2. Interestingly, PIP5K1A is recruited to c-Met upon HGF stimulation in an Arf6 activity-dependent manner. Finally, we show that hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy are suppressed in Pip5k1a knockout mice. These results provide insight into the molecular mechanism for HGF-stimulated hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration: Arf6 recruits PIP5K1A to c-Met and activates it upon HGF stimulation to produce PIP2 and subsequently PIP3, which in turn activates Akt to promote hepatocyte proliferation, thereby accelerating liver regeneration after liver injury

Selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α modulator K-877 efficiently activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α pathway and improves lipid metabolism in mice

Aims/IntroductionPeroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) is a therapeutic target for hyperlipidemia. K-877 is a new selective PPARα modulator (SPPARMα) that activates PPARα transcriptional activity. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of K-877 on lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo compared with those of classical PPARα agonists.Materials and MethodsTo compare the effects of K-877 on PPARα transcriptional activity with those of the classical PPARα agonists Wy14643 (Wy) and fenofibrate (Feno), the cell-based PPARα transactivation luciferase assay was carried out. WT and Ppara−/− mice were fed with a moderate-fat (MF) diet for 6 days, and methionine–choline-deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks containing Feno or K-877.ResultsIn luciferase assays, K-877 activated PPARα transcriptional activity more efficiently than the classical PPARα agonists Feno and Wy. After being fed MF diet containing 0.001% K-877 or 0.2% Feno for 6 days, mice in the K-877 group showed significant increases in the expression of Ppara and its target genes, leading to marked reductions in plasma triglyceride levels compared with those observed in Feno-treated animals. These K-877 effects were blunted in Ppara−/− mice, confirming that K-877 activates PPARα. In further experiments, K-877 (0.00025%) and Feno (0.1%) equally improved the pathology of MCD diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with increased expression of hepatic fatty acid oxidation genes.ConclusionsThe present data show that K-877 is an attractive PPARα-modulating drug and can efficiently reduce plasma triglyceride levels, thereby alleviating the dysregulation of lipid metabolism

Photo-switching behavior of CdS nanoparticles doped in a polymer film

Light-emission intensity of CdS nanoparticles doped in a PMMA film is enhanced by a UV irradiation in air, but the emission intensity is strongly de-enhanced at a low pressure of 10−5 torr. Atmospheric gas as well as UV irradiation is essential for the enhancement, and these enhancement and de-enhancement processes are almost completely reversible. The emission of CdS nanoparticles doped in a PMMA film is also quenched by applying an external electric field, suggesting that the non-radiative decay rate from the emissive exciton state is accelerated by an external electric fiel