Vaginal Lymphoma with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura: An Unusual Case Report

The female genital tract is rarely the initial site of presentation in lymphoma or leukemia. We report a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) presenting initially in the vagina. The patient, a 75-year-old woman, had a history of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). She presented with a chief complaint of genital bleeding and introital pain. On transvaginal ultrasonography, a vaginal tumor with an irregular wall was detected, and the internal echo showed a hypoechoic and echogenic pattern. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested that the vaginal tumor was likely to be a hematoma or a hemorrhagic tumor arising from ITP. Incision and resection for a hematoma or a hemorrhagic tumor were carried out in response to genital bleeding, introital pain, and pathological diagnosis. Postoperative microscopic examination confirmed that the tumor was a vaginal NHL. The final diagnosis using the Ann Arbor staging system was high-stage (stage IV) NHL. The patient received chemotherapy, and she remains in remission for 42 months after treatment

オカラ豆乳の乳酸発酵処理がラットの脂質代謝に及ぼす影響

This study examined the effects of fermented soymilk and okara on lipid metabolism in rats. Fermented soymilk and okara was prepared from a mixture of soymilk and okara blended in a ratio of 2 to 1 on dry basis by lactic acid fermentation using Lactobacillus delbrueckii. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a diet based on the AIN-93 diet（ control diet） or two kinds of test diets in which 20% of a control diet was replaced by unfermented soymilk/okara mixture or fermented soymilk/okara for 7 weeks. We investigated changes in plasma and hepatic lipid levels of rats, and the regulation of gene expression in mesenteric adipose tissue and liver by DNA microarray. Groups of test diet significantly reduced plasma cholesterol levels compared with the control diet. In addition, the hepatic triglyceride in rats fed test diets was significantly lower than that of control diet. DNA microarray analysis indicated that the test diet ingestion down-regulated the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in mesenteric adipose tissue and liver. These results suggested that a mixture of soymilk and okara has the effect improving lipid metabolism. Especially, fermented soymilk and okara seems to promote the restraint of abdominal visceral fat accumulation in comparison with unfermented soymilk and okara. Therefore, fermented soymilk and okara is a functional food showing effect preventing metabolic syndrome

ラット脂質代謝に影響を及ぼす豆乳の有効濃度について

It is known that soy protein has the hypolipidemic action on blood and liver. We investigated to clarify physiologically effective concentration of soymilk. Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 7weeks were fed a control die（t AIN-93G, soy protein free）, or a test diet in which 10.78%（corresponding to soy protein 5%）or 21.55%（corresponding to soy protein 10%）of the diet was replaced with soymilk, respectively. The rats were fed the control diet or the test diet for 5weeks. The administration of soymilk significantly suppressed total cholesterol level in plasma and decreased liver lipid and visceral fat. These effects depended on the concentration of administrated soymilk. It was suggested that soymilk improved the lipid metabolism in rat. Moreover, it was found that the administration of amount of soymilk corresponding to more than 10% soy protein was necessary to obtain a significant physiological effect in a short period

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Extensive Forest Leaf Area Survey Aiming at Detection of Vegetation Change in Subarctic-Boreal Zone

The warming resulting from increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses is expected to be most prominent in the subarctic-boreal region of the Northern Hemisphere. With the objective of setting up a baseline to monitor possible vegetation change in this region, a continuous vegetation profile extending 600 km from Edmonton, Alberta to Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada was measured using an airborne infrared laser altimeter mounted on a helicopter. Then the distribution of leaf area index over the same 600 km long transect was estimated from this vegetation profile based on a series of plot surveys on the ground to correlate the vegetation profile with leaf area index via standing stock. The distribution of leaf area index not only corresponded well with biome type, but also showed characteristic change in accordance with environmental gradient within a given biome, thus confirming that airborne laser altimetry is a powerful tool for measuring and monitoring such important vegetation characteristics as standing volume, leaf area index, etc. over an extensive area

Decidualization of the human endometrium

Abstract Background Decidualization of the human endometrium, which involves a dramatic morphological and functional differentiation of human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), is essential for the establishment of a successful pregnancy. Decidualization results from a complex interplay of transcription factors, morphogens, cytokines, cell cycle regulators, and signaling pathways. Methods Based on a literature review, the regulation of, and the molecular mechanisms involved in, the decidualization of the endometrium are described. Main findings Progesterone, together with proteins that are regulated by progesterone and/or cyclic adenosine monophosphate, including homeobox A10, forkhead box O1, signal transducers and activators of transcription, and heart and neural crest derivatives expressed transcript 2, forms a critical network for ESC decidualization and is a prerequisite to successful implantation. Decidualized ESCs contribute to the microenvironment at the feto–maternal interface and its direct or indirect influence on extracellular matrix remodeling, regulation of the local immune response, anti‐oxidative stress, and angiogenesis (vascular maturation). Impairment of this process is associated with a variety of pregnancy disorders, including infertility, recurrent miscarriages, and uteroplacental disorders. Conclusion A deeper understanding of the process of decidualization is expected to provide new insights into the fields of reproductive biology and reproductive medicine

The novel oral gonadotropin‐releasing hormone receptor antagonist relugolix is a new option for controlled ovarian stimulation cycles

Abstract Purpose Relugolix is an oral gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonist (GnRHant), which was first introduced in 2019. This study investigated the effects of the conventional injectable GnRHant formulation and this new oral GnRHant formulation on controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles. Methods Relugolix was administered in 126 cycles and conventional GnRHant injection was administered in 658 cycles (controls). The follicle stimulation was performed by an antagonist method, and for final oocyte maturation, recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (rHCG), or gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), or both (dual trigger) were selected. The number of retrieved oocytes was counted and then they were evaluated for subsequent development up to cleavage stage. Results The number of retrieved oocytes which was the primary outcome of this research was affected by the combination of GnRHant type and the final oocyte maturation agent. The combination of relugolix and a GnRHa trigger showed a significantly lower number of retrieved oocytes (p < 0.001) than the other combinations. Conclusions Relugolix is a new option for COS cycles, but should be carefully combined with the final maturation agent. Clinical trial approval This study was conducted after approval by the Medical Corporation Sankeikai Institutional Ethics Committee (approval number: 2019‐34)

Hypoxia: Role of SIRT1 and the protective effect of resveratrol in ovarian function

Abstract Background Ovarian function is closely related to the degree of vascular network development surrounding the ovary. Maternal aging‐related construction defects in this vascular network can cause ovarian hypoxia, which impedes oocyte nutrient supply, leading to physiological changes in the ovaries and oocytes. The anti‐aging gene Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) senses and adapts to ambient stress and is associated with hypoxic environments and mitochondrial biogenesis. Methods The present study is a literature review focusing on investigations involving the changes in SIRT1 and mitochondrial expression during hypoxia and the cytoprotective effects of the SIRT1 activator, resveratrol. Main findings Hypoxia suppresses SIRT1 and mitochondrial expression. Resveratrol can reverse the hypoxia‐induced decrease in mitochondrial and SIRT1 activity. Resveratrol suppresses the production of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and vascular endothelial growth factor proteins. Conclusion Resveratrol exhibits protective activity against hypoxic stress and may prevent hypoxia‐ or aging‐related mitochondrial dysfunction. Resveratrol treatment may be a potential option for infertility therapy