A new adrenal computer imaging technique using dual-radioisotopes.

Computer processed adrenal imaging using dual-radioisotopes, 6 beta-iodomethyl-19-nor-cholest-5(10)-en-3 beta-ol-131I and 99mTc-phytate was performed in 12 patients with primary aldosteronism and 4 with Cushing's syndrome due to adrenocortical tumor. Adreno-photoscanning and hepato-photoscanning were performed in the same position 2-4 days following intravenous administration of radiocholesterol. The scintigraphic information was stored on cassettes and scan subtraction and a digital-computer method for data smoothing were performed on an oscilloscope. The tumor site could be determined in all cases until day 4 by this computer processed image.</p

Sequential radioimmunoassay of unconjugated and conjugated estrogen in male human plasma.

A sequential radioimmunoassay procedure for unconjugated and conjugated estrone, estradiol-17 beta and estriol in male human plasma was developed. The blank values in this assay for unconjugated estrone, estradiol-17 beta, estriol conjugated estrone, estradiol-17 beta and conjugated estriol were 0.36 +/- 1.14 pg, 3.90 +/- 2.75 pg, 2.25 +/- 2.08 pg, 0.92 +/- 1.51 pg, 5.02 +/- 2.86 pg and 3.12 +/- 2.97 pg, respectively. Mean values of unconjugated estrone, estradiol-17 beta, estriol, conjugated estrone, estradiol-17 beta and conjugated estriol in plasma from 28 normal adult males were 38.4 +/- 13.4 pg/ml, 32.6 +/- 9.90 pg/ml, 4.06 +/- 3.68 pg/ml, 34.2 +/- 13.8 pg/ml, 40.4 +/- 12.3 pg/ml and 31.8 +/- 7.41 pg/ml, respectively. Both unconjugated and conjugated estrogen levels in patients with liver cirrhosis were elevated and conjugated estrogen, especially estriol levels, in patients with renal insufficiency were markedly elevated.</p

A case of unilateral adrenal medullary hyperplasia.

We report a case of unilateral hyperplasia of the adrenal medulla. The patient showed clinical features suggestive of pheochromocytoma. Removal of the hyperplastic adrenal gland resulted in complete disappearance of all prior symptoms, decrease of the plasma and urinary catecolamine levels and no high uptake in [133I] metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy. A histological study revealed diffuse hyperplasia of the adrenal medulla. Up to now, there are relatively few reports of adrenal medullary hyperplasia in English literatures.</p

Implication of the zinc-epigenetic axis in epidermal homeostasis

[No abstract available]FALS

Possible involvement of zinc transporter ZIP13 in myogenic differentiation

Abstract Ehlers–Danlos syndrome spondylodysplastic type 3 (EDSSPD3, OMIM 612350) is an inherited recessive connective tissue disorder that is caused by loss of function of SLC39A13/ZIP13, a zinc transporter belonging to the Slc39a/ZIP family. We previously reported that patients with EDSSPD3 harboring a homozygous loss of function mutation (c.221G > A, p.G64D) in ZIP13 exon 2 (ZIP13 G64D ) suffer from impaired development of bone and connective tissues, and muscular hypotonia. However, whether ZIP13 participates in the early differentiation of these cell types remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of ZIP13 in myogenic differentiation using a murine myoblast cell line (C2C12) as well as patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We found that ZIP13 gene expression was upregulated by myogenic stimulation in C2C12 cells, and its knockdown disrupted myotubular differentiation. Myocytes differentiated from iPSCs derived from patients with EDSSPD3 (EDSSPD3-iPSCs) also exhibited incomplete myogenic differentiation. Such phenotypic abnormalities of EDSSPD3-iPSC-derived myocytes were corrected by genomic editing of the pathogenic ZIP13 G64D mutation. Collectively, our findings suggest the possible involvement of ZIP13 in myogenic differentiation, and that EDSSPD3-iPSCs established herein may be a promising tool to study the molecular basis underlying the clinical features caused by loss of ZIP13 function