Abnormal Growth Factor/Cytokine Network in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer cells express a broad spectrum of the growth factor/cytokine receptor systems that organize the complex interaction between cancer cells and stromal cells in tumor microenvironment, which confers cell growth, apoptosis, morphogenesis, angiogenesis, progression and metastasis. However, these abnormal growth factor/cytokine networks differ in the two histological types of gastric cancer. Importantly, activation of nuclear factor-kB pathway by Helicobacter pylori infection may act as a key player for induction of growth factor/cytokine networks in gastritis and pathogenesis of gastric cancer. Better understanding of these events will no doubt provide new approaches for biomarkers of diagnosis and effective therapeutic targeting of gastric cancer

Scirrhous Endocrine Cell Carcinoma of the Stomach with Synchronous Production of Six Polypeptide Hormones and Glycoproteins. A Case Report.

A case of scirrhous endocrine cell carcinoma of the stomach in a twenty-nine-yearold man was reported. Histologically, the tumor showing poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with dense stromal fibrosis, was composed predominantly of tumor cells demonstrating positive argyrophil reaction by Grimelius staining. Immunohistochemically, they revealed the immunoreactivities to gastrin, somatostatin, glucagon, glicentin, pancreatic polypeptide and calcitonin in variable degree. Moreover, synchronous production of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), secretory component, lysozyme and mucin were also demonstrated. In view of the multidirectional differentiation, the scirrhous endocrine cell carcinoma might be derived from totipotent stem cell of endodermal origin

Successful treatment of ascites accumulation and diarrhea associated with protein-losing enteropathy with oral equine placenta extract supplementation in a dog: A case report

Background: Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is characterized by leakage of serum proteins into the intestinal lumen, indicating hypoproteinemia. Immunosuppressive agents are the mainstay of treatment, but in many cases, patients are forced to taper off early owing to the induction of liver damage. Case Description: An 8-year-old, non-spayed female Chihuahua presented with diarrhea and ascites effusion lasting 2 weeks. Based on the results of radiography and blood tests, a diagnosis of PLE was made. Prednisolone (3 mg/kg semel in die [SID]) and MitoMax (200 mg/day) were administered, but ascites accumulation and diarrhea did not improve. Thus, azathioprine (2 mg/kg/day) was added, but there was no improvement, and liver damage developed. The liver injury did not improve immediately, but diarrhea and ascites effusion improved after serum total protein and serum albumin levels increased after they had decreased. Subsequent tapering of prednisolone from 3 mg/kg SID to 1 mg/kg SID, combined with MitoMax (200 mg/day) and equine placenta extract (eqPE) (2 ml/day), resulted in no recurrence of ascites or diarrhea. Conclusion: In canine PLE with prolonged diarrhea and ascites effusion, supplementation with eqPE may be considered a reasonable additional therapeutic strategy

Immunohistochemical Analysis of Colorectal Cancer among Atomic Bomb Survivors in Hiroshima

In order to elucidate the biological characteristics of colorectal cancer among atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima, a total of 159 cases of colorectal cancers comprising 73 cases in exposed atomic bomb survivors and 86 cases in non-exposed individuals were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for various functioning proteins. No statistical differences could be demonstrated in the incidence of various marker expressions of colorectal cancers between the exposed group and control group. However, comparison by the site of colorectal cancer showed that sigmoid colon cancers in the exposed group or high dose group showed a significantly higher frequency of glycoproteins such as α1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), secretory component (SC), α1-antitrypsin (AAT), and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) when compared with the control group. These results correlated well with the epidemiological data that the radiation effect on the incidence of colorectal cancer in atomic bomb survivors was most remarkable in the sigmoid colon.This study was supported in part by Grants in Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan

Effect of Keishi-bukuryo-gan on autonomic nervous activity

桂枝茯苓丸の自律神経活動に対する効果を明らかとするために,レーザードプラ血流計,R-R間隔および収縮期血圧のスペクトル解析を用いて検討した。健常者8名を対象とし,自律神経活動の変化を桂枝茯苓丸料と微温湯において統計学的に解析した。桂枝茯苓丸により,皮膚血流量(SBF)は前値に比較して一旦15分後に減少し,90分後に有意に増加した。収縮期血圧低周波成分(SBP-LF)・収縮期血圧成分比(SBP-L/H)は前値に比較して一旦15分後に増加し,60及び90分後に有意に減少した。微温湯では有意な変化はみられなかった。SBFは交感神経活動にともない変化し,SBP-LF及びSBP-L/Hは交感神経活動と関連するとされている。今回の結果は,桂枝茯苓丸が交感神経活動に対する作用を有していることを示唆するものである。 In order to confirm any effects of Keishi-bukuryo-gan (KBG) on the autonomic nervous system, 8 healthy volunteers were evaluated with laser Doppler flowmetry and spectral analysis of the R-R intervals (RR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). After evaluation of the "oketsu" score and measurement of the electrophysiological parameters (PRE), each subject was administered KBG or hot water. The same parameters were re-measured at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes after their administration to each subject. Changes in the parameters after the administration of KBG or hot water were investigated compared with PRE. In the experiment with KBG, skin blood flow (SBF) was increased at 90 min, although it had been significantly decreased at 15 min. By spectral analysis, SBP-low frequency (LF) and SBP-low to high frequency ratio (L/H) were initially increased at 15 min, and then were significantly decreased at 60 and 90 min. As for hot water, there were no significant changes in any of the parameters. It is known that SBF changes with sympathetic nervous activity, and SBP-LF and SBP-L/H reflect sympathetic nervous activity. These results suggest that KBG has certain effects on sympathetic nervous activity

Effect of some Kampo medicines, including Tokaku-joki-to (Tao-He-Cheng-Qi-Tang), on IgE-mediated triphasic skin reaction in passively sensitized mice

Previous studies have reported that the mice passively sensitized with anti-DNP IgE antibody exhibited IgE-mediated biphasic cutaneous reaction with an immediate phase response (IPR) at 1 h and a late phase response (LPR) at 24 h after the challenge of DNFB (dinitrofluorobenzene) . We recently found that the third phase inflammatory response with intense and persisting infiltration of eosinophils, named very late phase response (vLPR) , was induced following IPR and LPR in response to DNFB in passively sensitized mice, and that the peak response of vLPR was on the 8^ day after the challenge. The inhibitory effect of Kampo medicines on the triphasic cutaneous inflammatory reaction was divided into several groups in terms of their inhibition rate of ear swelling. Among the formulations, Tokaku-joki-to (Tao-He-Cheng-Qi-Tang) was effective at inhibiting IPR, LPR and vLPR ( +/+/+ group) and scratching behavior in IPR. The Inhibitory effect of Tokaku-joki-to on triphasic cutaneous reaction primarily depends on its composed crude drugs, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Cinnamomi Cortex. These findings indicate that Tokaku-joki-to formulation is usefull for the inhibition of cutaneous inflammatory diseases. 抗DNP IgE抗体で受動感作したマウスの耳介にDNFB(ジニトロフルオロベンゼン)を塗布することにより,1時問およぴ24時間目をピークとする即時相反応(IPR)およぴ遅発相反応(LPR)からなるIgE介在二相性皮膚反応を示すことがすでに知られている。我々は最近,この受動感作マウスにおいてDNFBによる反応惹起後にIPR,LPRに続く,三相目の強い炎症性反応を見出し,超遅発相反応(vLPR)と名付けた。これは抗原塗布から8日目をピークとする,著明かつ持続的な好酸球の浸潤を伴う腫脹反応である。種々の漢方方剤を用いて,この三相性皮膚反応に対する抑制効果を検討した結果,各相の耳介腫脹の抑制率に基づき,いくつかのグループに分類された。検討した方剤中,桃核承気湯はIPR,LPR,vLPRの三相反応に対して抑制を示し(+/+/+群),さらにIPRで観察される耳介の掻き行動(痒みの指標と考えられる)を抑制した。桃核承気湯の三相性皮膚反応に対する抑制効果の発現は,主として構成生薬である甘草およぴ桂皮に基づくことが示唆された。これらの知見から,漢方方剤:桃核承気湯が炎症性皮膚疾患に有効であることが示された

Immunological analysis into Kl-disorder based on traditional Japanese Oriental diagnostic system

漢方医学での病態を把握し有効方剤を選択するためには,伝統医学的手法を応用することが,現在でも最も客観的な方法であると考えられる。しかしながら,伝統医学的手法は心身・如を助炭とし,きわめて全人的な指標を中心としているが故に,西洋医学的な客観性,すなわち要素還元性に乏しいと指摘されている。この研究では気の異常を臨床免疫学的手法で客観化することを目的とした。22名の関節リウマ患者の気虚,気鬱,気逆の病態と末梢血リンパ球のサブセット(CD3, CD19, CD4,CD8, CD16, CD56, CD158a, CD158b)の関連を検討した。その結果,気虚とCD16+CD158b+cellのpopulationが有意な負の相関を示し,気虚を伴う患者群ではCD16+CD158b+cellのpopulationが少ない傾向にあった。この逆相関の関係は4名の3ヶ月の追跡研究でも観察された。このことから活性化したXK細胞の減少は,気虚の病態を呈した患者の一つの特徴と考えられる。このような検討から気虚など複雑な要素が関与する病態の一部を客観化して同一症例での経過観察などに応用可能と考えられる。ただし複雑性の科学の観点から診断への応用に関しては制限される必要がある。 Although traditional medicine is an all-around medical service, it has been pointed out that traditional medical procedures are not objective, and are independent of reductionism. The aim of this study was to determine the immune status of the patients with Kl-disorder. We assessed the association between Kl-disorder and the population of peripheral lymphocytes (CD3, CD19, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD56, CD158a/b:killer cells immunoglobulin-like receptors) in 22 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed a negative correlation between the score of Kl-deficiency and the population of the CD16+CD158b+cells, and also showed that patients with Kl-deficiency have a tendency to have a reduced population of CD16+CD158b+cells. The inverse relationship between these was also observed in a 3-month follow-up study. Thus, it is possible, in part, to assess the condition of Kl-deficiency objectively using the population of CD16+CD158b+cells. However, the diagnostic utility of CD158b+expressing cells is expected to be limited from the viewpoints of complexity

Wavefunction Analysis of STM Image: Surface Reconstruction of Organic Charge Transfer Salts

In this chapter, the wavefunction analysis is demonstrated, applied to the organic charge transfer salts composed of electron donor and electron acceptor molecules. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of the surface donor layers in the three charge transfer salts, α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3, β-(BEDT-TTF)2I3, and (EDO-TTF)2PF6, are analyzed with the atomic π electron orbitals of sulfur, oxygen, and carbon atoms. We have deduced three different kinds of surface molecular reconstructions as follows: (1) charge redistribution in α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3, (2) translational reconstruction up to 0.1 nm in β-(BEDT-TTF)2I3, and (3) rotational reconstruction transforming the 1D axis from the a axis to the b axis in (EDO-TTF)2PF6. Finally, it is concluded that the surface reconstruction is ascribed to the additional gain of the cohesive energy of the π electron system, provoked by the reduced steric hindrance with the anions of the missing outside double layer. The investigations of the surface states provide not only interesting behaviors of the surface cation layer, but also important insights into the electronic states of a lot of similar charge transfer crystals, as demonstrated in α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3