Two Types of Hynobius naevius from the Central Region of Kyushu Island, Japan (Caudata: Hynobiidae)

We surveyed allozymic variation among Hynobius naevius from 11 localities of central Kyushu, Japan. The results revealed the presence of two genetic groups (I and II) that exhibited a great difference in allelic frequency and a large genetic distance. Specimens from seven of the 11 localities invariably belonged to Group I, and those from three other localities belonged to Group II. In the remaining one locality, representatives of both of these two groups were found just as in northern Kyushu. The two genetic groups also differed in morphological (Group I larger than Group II in body size) and ecological characters (breeding sites located in open streams in Group I, but possibly in underground water in Group II). These differences might have been enabling them to coexist

subacute combined spinal cord degeneration

We report a case of subacute combined spinal cord degeneration (SCD) caused by vegetarianism and autoimmune gastritis, which is rarely reported in Japan, and which showed improvement in symptoms and imaging findings after vitamin B12 administration. As delayed treatment can lead to irreversible damage, we suggest that patients with characteristic abnormal signals in the posterior cervical cord should be examined while considering the possibility that SCD may occur even in the absence of a history of gastrectomy or heavy drinking. We also describe the patient’s reversible abnormal signals in the cerebral white matter on magnetic resonance imaging, indicative of an early sign of leukoencephalopathy associated with vitamin B12 deficiency

Major Depressive Disorder Complicated with Spinocerebellar Ataxia: Report of 2 Cases

Background: It is known that patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) tend to exhibit depressive symptoms. But the pathology of depressive symptoms complicated with SCA, including the reaction to the stress resulting from decreased motor function and central dysfunction due to neurodegeneration, is controversial and remains to be elucidated. To our knowledge, there have been hardly any reports on treatment methods of major depressive disorder (MDD) complicated with SCA. Case Reports: We report 2 cases in which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were effective against MDD complicated with SCA. Interestingly, one of the patients developed the symptoms of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) during the course of the MDD, and the other patient developed the symptoms of MDD during the course of SCA, but complete remission of the MDD occurred in both cases. In our cases, the depressive symptoms may have been caused mainly by an abnormality of reversible neural transmission including serotonin transmission due to central dysfunction, and there is the unlikely possibility that the depressive symptoms are reactive to the stress due to decreased motor function, because the depressive symptoms decreased with SSRIs. Conclusion: Although cerebellar degeneration is irreversible in SCA patients, our cases suggest that MDD complicated with SCA may be reversible and treatable using antidepressants such as SSRIs with few adverse events. Therefore, it is important for neurologists to detect MDD complicated with SCA early and consult a psychiatrist in order to improve quality of life of SCA patients

術後肺ヘルニアに対し，緊急修復手術を施行した１症例

A male patient, in his ５０s, was admitted owing to rear neck pain and stomachache. He was diagnosed Type A acute aortic dissection and underwent a total arch aortic replacement operation. Five days later, he developed dyspnea after he coughed. He was diagnosed left lung hernia, mediastinal emphysema and pneumothorax by a chest CT scan. We repaired pulmonaly fistula and lung hernia using an ePTFE patch

A reduced brain and liver FDG uptake

Purpose : To investigate whether or not the physiological brain and liver FDG uptake are decreased in patients with highly accelerated glycolysis lesions. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed 51 patients with malignant lymphoma. We compared the FDG uptake in the brain and liver of the patients with that in a control group. In 24 patients with a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) to treatment, we compared the brain and liver uptake before and after treatment. Results : The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and total glycolytic volume (TGV) of the brain as well as the SUVmax and mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of the liver in malignant lymphoma patients were 13.1 ± 2.3, 7386.3 ± 1918.4, 3.2 ± 0.5, and 2.3 ± 0.4, respectively ; in the control group, these values were 14.9 ± 2.4, 8566.2 ± 1659.5, 3.4 ± 0.4, and 2.5 ± 0.3, respectively. The SUVmax and TGV of the brain and the SUVmean of the liver in malignant lymphoma patients were significantly lower than the control group. The SUVmax and TGV of the brain after treatment were significantly higher than before treatment. Both the SUVmax and SUVmean of liver after treatment were higher than before treatment, but not significant. Conclusion : A decreased physiological brain and liver FDG uptake is caused by highly accelerated lesion glycolysis

Bofutsushosan, a Japanese herbal (Kampo) medicine, attenuates progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice

BACKGROUND: Obesity-induced liver disease (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) is now the commonest cause of chronic liver disease in affluent nations. There are presently no proven treatments for NAFLD or its more severe stage, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Bofutsushosan (BTS), a Japanese herbal (Kampo) medicine, long used as an anti-obesity medicine in Japan and other Asian countries, has been shown to reduce body weight and improve insulin resistance (IR) and hepatic steatosis. The precise mechanism of action of BTS, however, remains unclear. To evaluate the ability of BTS to prevent the development of NASH, and determine the mediators and pathways involved. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were injected intra-peritoneally with gold-thioglucose and fed a high-fat diet (HF) or HF diet admixed with either 2 or 5 % BTS for 12 weeks. The effectiveness of BTS in attenuating features of NASH and the mechanisms through which BTS attenuated NASH were then assayed through an assessment of the anthropometric, radiological, biochemical and histological parameters. RESULTS: BTS attenuated the progression of NASH through induction of adiponectin and its receptors along with an induction of PPAR-α and PPAR-γ, decreased expression of SREBP-1c, increased hepatic fatty acid oxidation and increased hepatic export of triglycerides. BTS moreover, reduced IR through phosphorylation of the protein kinase, Akt. CONCLUSIONS: BTS through induction of adiponectin signaling and Akt attenuated development of NASH. Identification of the active entity in BTS should allow development of novel treatments for NASH. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00535-013-0852-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

C188-9, a specific inhibitor of STAT3 signaling, prevents thermal burn-induced skeletal muscle wasting in mice

Burn injury is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide and places a tremendous economic burden on society. Systemic inflammatory responses induced by thermal burn injury can cause muscle wasting, a severe involuntary loss of skeletal muscle that adversely affects the survival and functional outcomes of these patients. Currently, no pharmacological interventions are available for the treatment of thermal burn-induced skeletal muscle wasting. Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), are important hallmarks of severe burn injury. The levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)—a downstream component of IL-6 inflammatory signaling—are elevated with muscle wasting in various pro-catabolic conditions, and STAT3 has been implicated in the regulation of skeletal muscle atrophy. Here, we tested the effects of the STAT3-specific signaling inhibitor C188-9 on thermal burn injury-induced skeletal muscle wasting in vivo and on C2C12 myotube atrophy in vitro after the administration of plasma from burn model mice. In mice, thermal burn injury severity dependently increased IL-6 in the plasma and tibialis anterior muscles and activated the STAT3 (increased ratio of phospho-STAT3/STAT3) and ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathways (increased Atrogin-1/MAFbx and MuRF1). These effects resulted in skeletal muscle atrophy and reduced grip strength. In murine C2C12 myotubes, plasma from burn mice activated the same inflammatory and proteolytic pathways, leading to myotube atrophy. In mice with burn injury, the intraperitoneal injection of C188-9 (50 mg/kg) reduced activation of the STAT3 and ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathways, reversed skeletal muscle atrophy, and increased grip strength. Similarly, pretreatment of murine C2C12 myotubes with C188-9 (10 µM) reduced activation of the same inflammatory and proteolytic pathways, and ameliorated myotube atrophy induced by plasma taken from burn model mice. Collectively, these results indicate that pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 signaling may be a novel therapeutic strategy for thermal burn-induced skeletal muscle wasting