Filtrate of Phellinus linteus Broth Culture Reduces Infarct Size Significantly in a Rat Model of Permanent Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Phellinus linteus, a natural growing mushroom, has been known to exhibit anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-oxidant effects. Aiming to exploit the neuroprotective effects of P. linteus, we evaluated its effects on infarct volume reduction in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Filtrate of P. linteus broth culture (various doses), fractionated filtrate (based on molecular weight) or control medium was administered intraperitoneally to rats before or after ischemia induction. Rats were killed at 24 h after the stroke surgery. Cortical and caudoputaminal infarct volumes were determined separately using an image analysis program following staining with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Significant cortical infarct volume reductions were found in the pre-treatment groups (30 and 60 minutes before onset of cerebral ischemia) compared with the control group, showing dose dependence. Posttreatment (30 minutes after ischemic onset) also significantly reduced cortical infarct volume. Furthermore, the higher molecular weight (≥12 000) fraction of the culture filtrate was more effective compared with the lower molecular weight fraction. The present findings suggest that P. linteus may be a new promising approach for the treatment of focal cerebral ischemia, with the additional benefit of a wide therapeutic time window since significant infarct volume reduction is obtained by administration even after the ischemic event. Our finding that the higher molecular weight fraction of the P. linteus culture filtrate demonstrated more prominent effect may provide a clue to identify the neuroprotective substances and mechanisms

Phase angle and extracellular water-to-total body water ratio estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis are associated with levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit in patients with diabetes

Background: Anemia is one of the common complications of diabetes and is associated with mortality. Phase angle (PhA), ratio of extracellular water to total body water (ECW/TBW) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) have been used as prognostic indicators for various chronic diseases and frailty. We aimed to clarify the clinical significance of PhA, ECW/TBW and SMI for anemia in patients with diabetes. Materials and methods: The values of PhA, ECW/TBW and SMI were estimated by a portable BIA device and blood samples were collected in 371 Japanese patients with diabetes. The relationships of PhA, ECW/TBW and SMI with hemoglobin (Hgb) and hematocrit (Hct) were statistically evaluated. Results: In simple linear regression analysis, PhA and SMI were positively correlated with Hgb and Hct levels in total subjects, male subjects and female subjects. In contrast, ECW/TBW was negatively correlated with Hgb and Hct levels regardless of sex. Multivariate regression analysis showed that both PhA and ECW/TBW but not SMI independently contributed to Hgb and Hct levels after adjustment of clinical confounding factors in both males and females. Conclusions: PhA and ECW/TBW but not SMI were associated with levels of Hgb and Hct in patients with diabetes. Therefore, aberrant values of PhA and ECW/TBW suggest a risk of anemia in diabetic patients

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma with multiple intracranial masses and CMV and HHV-6 reactivation at initial presentation

症例は55歳，男性。1ヶ月前からの咽頭痛の精査目的で紹介された。意識障害と項部硬直，口腔内の多発性有痛性潰瘍，全身に米粒大の紅斑を認めた。白血球数7,910/μL (異常リンパ球2%)，LDH 203U/L，補正カルシウム11.2mg/dL,可溶性IL-2受容体11,800U/mL，サイトメガロウイルス抗原(C10，C11)43/49。末梢血や骨髄，皮膚にCD4，25陽性の異常リンパ球あり，末梢血でHTLV-1プロウイルスDNAのモノクローナルな組み込みを確認し，成人T細胞白血病リンパ腫(ATLL)と診断した。CTで，脳実質内にリング状造影効果を有する腫瘤が多発し，髄液検査で細胞数1,320/mm3 (フローサイトメトリー法でATLL細胞が79%)，蛋白244mg/dL，HHV-6 DNA陽性を認めた。ヘルペスウイルス属感染症に対する治療や髄注を併用してmodified LSG15療法を行うも，意識障害が急速に進行し，入院21日目で死亡した。ATLLでは，中枢神経浸潤のさらなる病態の解明と標準治療の確立が求められる。A 55-year-old man, suffering from a sore throat for a month was referred to our hospital. Physical examination revealed disturbance of consciousness, nuchal rigidity, painful multiple ulcers in the oral cavity and rice grain sized erythema on the whole body. Hematological examination showed the following: white blood cell 7,910/μL (abnormal lymphocytes 2%), LDH 203U/L, corrected calcium 11.2mg/dL, soluble IL-2 receptor 11,800U/mL, and cytomegalovirus antigenemia (C10,C11) 43/49. Abnormal lymphocytes (CD4+CD25+) were found in the peripheral blood, bone marrow and skin samples. Southern blotting of peripheral blood confirmed monoclonal integration of HTLV-1 provirus DNA, consequently, he was diagnosed with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed multiple tumors with ringed contrast effect in the brain parenchyma. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid showed that the cell number was 1,320/mm3 (ATLL cells were 79% in flow cytometry), and the protein level was 244mg/dL; further, the examination revealed a positive result for human herpesvirus 6 DNA. Although treatment for herpesvirus genus and modified LSG15 therapy combined with intrathecal chemotherapy were performed, the patient became comatose, and he died on day 21 of hospitalization. A deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of and the establishment of standard treatment for ATLL with CNS involvement are required

Characterization of the K2-19 Multiple-Transiting Planetary System via High-Dispersion Spectroscopy, AO Imaging, and Transit Timing Variations

K2-19 (EPIC201505350) is an interesting planetary system in which two transiting planets with radii ~ 7 $R_{Earth}$ (inner planet b) and ~ 4 $R_{Earth}$ (outer planet c) have orbits that are nearly in a 3:2 mean-motion resonance. Here, we present results of ground-based follow-up observations for the K2-19 planetary system. We have performed high-dispersion spectroscopy and high-contrast adaptive-optics imaging of the host star with the HDS and HiCIAO on the Subaru 8.2m telescope. We find that the host star is relatively old (>8 Gyr) late G-type star ($T_{eff}$ ~ 5350 K, $M_s$ ~ 0.9 $M_{Sun}$, and $R_{s}$ ~ 0.9 $R_{Sun}$). We do not find any contaminating faint objects near the host star which could be responsible for (or dilute) the transit signals. We have also conducted transit follow-up photometry for the inner planet with KeplerCam on the FLWO 1.2m telescope, TRAPPISTCAM on the TRAPPIST 0.6m telescope, and MuSCAT on the OAO 1.88m telescope. We confirm the presence of transit-timing variations, as previously reported by Armstrong and coworkers. We model the observed transit-timing variations of the inner planet using the synodic chopping formulae given by Deck & Agol (2015). We find two statistically indistinguishable solutions for which the period ratios ($P_{c}/P_{b}$) are located slightly above and below the exact 3:2 commensurability. Despite the degeneracy, we derive the orbital period of the inner planet $P_b$ ~ 7.921 days and the mass of the outer planet $M_c$ ~ 20 $M_{Earth}$. Additional transit photometry (especially for the outer planet) as well as precise radial-velocity measurements would be helpful to break the degeneracy and to determine the mass of the inner planet

Direct Imaging Explorations for Companions around Mid-Late M Stars from the Subaru/IRD Strategic Program

The Subaru telescope is currently performing a strategic program (SSP) using the high-precision near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer IRD to search for exoplanets around nearby mid/late-M~dwarfs via radial velocity (RV) monitoring. As part of the observing strategy for the exoplanet survey, signatures of massive companions such as RV trends are used to reduce the priority of those stars. However, this RV information remains useful for studying the stellar multiplicity of nearby M~dwarfs. To search for companions around such ``deprioritized" M~dwarfs, we observed 14 IRD-SSP targets using Keck/NIRC2 observations with pyramid wavefront sensing at NIR wavelengths, leading to high sensitivity to substellar-mass companions within a few arcseconds. We detected two new companions (LSPM~J1002+1459~B and LSPM~J2204+1505~B) and two new candidates that are likely companions (LSPM~J0825+6902~B and LSPM~J1645+0444~B) as well as one known companion. Including two known companions resolved by the IRD fiber injection module camera, we detected seven (four new) companions at projected separations between $\sim2-20$~au in total. A comparison of the colors with the spectral library suggests that LSPM~J2204+1505~B and LSPM~J0825+6902~B are located at the boundary between late-M and early-L spectral types. Our deep high-contrast imaging for targets where no bright companions were resolved did not reveal any additional companion candidates. The NIRC2 detection limits could constrain potential substellar-mass companions ($\sim10-75\ M_{\rm Jup}$) at 10~au or further. The failure with Keck/NIRC2 around the IRD-SSP stars having significant RV trends makes these objects promising targets for further RV monitoring or deeper imaging with JWST to search for smaller-mass companions below the NIRC2 detection limits.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A