Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate attenuates lung injury caused by cold preservation and ischemia-reperfusion

AbstractObjective: Dibutyryl adenosine 3`,5`cyclic monophosphate (db-cAMP) is a membrane-permeable analog of adenosine 3`,5`cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). We examined the effect of db-cAMP against lung injury caused by cold preservation and ischemia-reperfusion. Methods: Rats were divided into three groups (each n = 6) according to the presence or absence of db-cAMP in the preservative solution and cold ischemia (4° C for 15 hours). In the fresh group, the lung was flushed with the preservative solution and reperfusion was performed immediately. In the control group and the db-cAMP group, the lung was flushed either with the solution or with a combination of the solution plus db-cAMP, respectively, and preserved at 4° C for 15 hours. The lung was reperfused for 60 minutes in an ex vivo rat lung perfusion model. Results: The shunt ratios of the reperfused lung in the db-cAMP group were 4.0% ± 1.6% and 3.4% ± 1.2% 10 and 60 minutes, respectively, after the initiation of reperfusion, being as low as those in the fresh group and significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.01). The wet/dry weight ratio of the lung tissue after reperfusion was 5.99 ± 1.50 in the db-cAMP group, which was similar to that in the fresh group (5.45 ± 0.23) and significantly lower than that in the control group (14.20 ± 3.43) (p < 0.01). Electron microscopic examination showed less damage in the pulmonary arterial endothelium in the db-cAMP group. Conclusions: We conclude that db-cAMP attenuates the lung injury by cold preservation and ischemia-reperfusion, at least partly by protection of the vascular endothelium. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;114:635-42

Spatially-resolved Radio-to-Far-infrared SED of the Luminous Merger Remnant NGC 1614 with ALMA and VLA

We present the results of Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) 108, 233, 352, and 691 GHz continuum observations and Very Large Array (VLA) 4.81 and 8.36 GHz observations of the nearby luminous merger remnant NGC 1614. By analyzing the beam (1".0 * 1".0) and uv (> 45 k{\lambda}) matched ALMA and VLA maps, we find that the deconvolved source size of lower frequency emission (< 108 GHz) is more compact (420 pc * 380 pc) compared to the higher frequency emission (> 233 GHz) (560 pc * 390 pc), suggesting different physical origins for the continuum emission. Based on an SED model for a dusty starburst galaxy, it is found that the SED can be explained by three components, (1) non-thermal synchrotron emission (traced in the 4.81 and 8.36 GHz continuum), (2) thermal free-free emission (traced in the 108 GHz continuum), and (3) thermal dust emission (traced in the 352 and 691 GHz continuum). We also present the spatially-resolved (sub-kpc scale) Kennicutt-Schmidt relation of NGC 1614. The result suggests a systematically shorter molecular gas depletion time in NGC 1614 (average {\tau}_gas of 49 - 77 Myr and 70 - 226 Myr at the starburst ring and the outer region, respectively) than that of normal disk galaxies (~ 2 Gyr) and a mid-stage merger VV 114 (= 0.1 - 1 Gyr). This implies that the star formation activities in U/LIRGs are efficiently enhanced as the merger stage proceeds, which is consistent with the results from high-resolution numerical merger simulations.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

Propagation of Asian isolates of canine distemper virus (CDV) in hamster cell lines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgrounds</p> <p>The aim of this study was to confirm the propagation of various canine distemper viruses (CDV) in hamster cell lines of HmLu and BHK, since only a little is known about the possibility of propagation of CDV in rodent cells irrespective of their epidemiological importance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The growth of CDV in hamster cell lines was monitored by titration using Vero.dogSLAMtag (Vero-DST) cells that had been proven to be susceptible to almost all field isolates of CDV, with the preparations of cell-free and cell-associated virus from the cultures infected with recent Asian isolates of CDV (13 strains) and by observing the development of cytopathic effect (CPE) in infected cultures of hamster cell lines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eleven of 13 strains grew in HmLu cells, and 12 of 13 strains grew in BHK cells with apparent CPE of cell fusion in the late stage of infection. Two strains and a strain of Asia 1 group could not grow in HmLu cells and BHK cells, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study demonstrates at the first time that hamster cell lines can propagate the majority of Asian field isolates of CDV. The usage of two hamster cell lines suggested to be useful to characterize the field isolates biologically.</p

Successful Administration of Recombinant Human Soluble Thrombomodulin α

Patients with acute myelogenous leukemia complicate with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), not only at the time of the initially leukemia diagnosis, but also during induction chemotherapy. In Japan, recently, a recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin alpha (Recomodulin) has been introduced as a new type of anti-DIC agent for clinical use in patients with hematological cancer or infectious disease. We describe a 67-year-old female case in which 25,600 units of Recomodulin for 6 days were successfully administered for both initially complicating and therapy-induced DIC without any troubles of bleeding in an acute monoblastic leukemia (AML-M5a) patient with the MLL gene translocation. Furthermore, the levels of DIC biomarkers recovered rapidly after the Recomodulin treatment. Our case suggests that DIC control using Recomodulin is one of the crucial support-therapies during remission induction chemotherapy in patients with acute leukemia of which type tends to complicate extramedullary or extranodal infiltration having potential to onset DIC

Spatially resolved CO SLED of the Luminous Merger Remnant NGC 1614 with ALMA

We present high-resolution (1".0) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of CO (1-0) and CO (2- 1) rotational transitions toward the nearby IR-luminous merger NGC 1614 supplemented with ALMA archival data of CO (3-2), and CO (6-5) transitions. The CO (6-5) emission arises from the starburst ring (central 590 pc in radius), while the lower-$J$ CO lines are distributed over the outer disk ($\sim$ 3.3 kpc in radius). Radiative transfer and photon dominated region (PDR) modeling reveal that the starburst ring has a single warmer gas component with more intense far-ultraviolet radiation field ($n_{\rm{H_2}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{4.6}$ cm$^{-3}$, $T_{\rm{kin}}$ $\sim$ 42 K, and $G_{\rm{0}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{2.7}$) relative to the outer disk ($n_{\rm{H_2}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{5.1}$ cm$^{-3}$, $T_{\rm{kin}}$ $\sim$ 22 K, and $G_{\rm{0}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{0.9}$). A two-phase molecular interstellar medium with a warm and cold ($>$ 70 K and $\sim$ 19 K) component is also an applicable model for the starburst ring. A possible source for heating the warm gas component is mechanical heating due to stellar feedback rather than PDR. Furthermore, we find evidence for non-circular motions along the north-south optical bar in the lower-$J$ CO images, suggesting a cold gas inflow. We suggest that star formation in the starburst ring is sustained by the bar-driven cold gas inflow, and starburst activities radiatively and mechanically power the CO excitation. The absence of a bright active galactic nucleus can be explained by a scenario that cold gas accumulating on the starburst ring is exhausted as the fuel for star formation, or is launched as an outflow before being able to feed to the nucleus.Comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Transcriptional activation of a hybrid promoter composed of cytomegalovirus enhancer and β-actin/β-globin gene in glomerular epithelial cells in vivo

Transcriptional activation of a hybrid promoter composed of cytomegalovirus enhancer and β-actin/β-globin gene in glomerular epithelial cells in vivo. The aim of this study was to seek a promoter, transactivated selectively in renal cells in vivo by using transgenic (tg) mouse technology. We generated two kinds of tg mouse lines carrying a green fluorescence protein (GFP) cDNA driven either by cytomegalovirus enhancer and β-actin/β-globin promoter (CX-GFP) or by elongation factor la promoter (EF-GFP), and investigated the expression of GFP in the kidney. Microscopic examination of the renal tissues in CX-GFP-tg mice revealed that GFP was expressed only in glomeruli, mainly epithelial cells, but not in tubules, arteries and interstitium. Moreover, in situ hybridization demonstrated that GFP mRNA expression was localized in the glomerular cells. In contrast, GFP was not detectable in the kidney in any of the lines of EF-GFP-tg mouse. To exclude the possible involvement of the GFP cDNA as an enhancer, we constructed tg mice carrying the CX promoter driving a human CD4 cDNA. It was confirmed that the expression patterns of human CD4 in the kidney were quite similar to those of GFP in the kidney of CX-GFP-tg mice. These results strongly suggest that CX promoter could be transactivated in glomerular epithelial cells in vivo

Description of the Diversity in Surgical Indication and Surgical Strategies for Primary Spinal Cord Tumors: A Nationwide Survey by the Neurospinal Society of Japan

Objective To assess the current management of primary spinal cord tumors (PSCTs) and determine whether and to what extent there are differences in surgical strategies for PSCTs. Methods The Neurospinal Society of Japan conducted a survey between April 1 and 30, 2021. Certified spine surgeons were requested for information on the frequency of surgeries in 2020 and the surgical strategies adopted for each PSCTs. The following tumor histologies were focused: schwannoma, meningioma, and cauda equina tumor as extramedullary tumors; and ependymoma, hemangioblastoma, astrocytoma, and cavernoma as intramedullary tumors. The participants were divided according to their response as follows: experts, who had experienced ≥ 100 surgeries for PSCTs, and nonexperts. Results Among 308 participants (63%), 35 (11%) were experts. The total number of PSCTs in 2020 was 802 of which 564 tumors were extramedullary and 223 were intramedullary. Schwannoma accounted for 53% of the extramedullary tumors, and ependymoma accounted for 39% of the intramedullary tumors. Surgical strategies significantly differed among both the experts and nonexperts groups. Some discrepancies in the adopted surgical strategies were observed between groups. Some of the nonexperts, and none of the experts, ruled out surgery for schwannomas (Eden type 4), astrocytomas, or cavernomas. Five nonexperts (2.2%), and none of the experts, resected the entire dura for meningiomas. Conclusion A nationwide survey revealed that a sufficient consensus did not exist regarding surgical strategies for PSCTs. A disease-specific registry for PSCTs is necessary in academic societies