Studies on the Relationship between Pulmonary Tuberculous Cavities and Draining Bronchi, by Injecting Acrylic Resin

この論文は国立情報学研究所の学術雑誌公開支援事業により電子化されました。We have studied 83 tuberculosis lungs removed at operation or at autopsy, three-dimensionally, pathologically, and histologically by means of the plasticinjected casts, and further investigated the relationship between cavities and draining bronchi and have reached the following conclusions. 1). The 7th to 9th bronchi in each lobe are big enough to play the role of draining bronchi, thus it may be said that the caseated foci larger than a lobule are facing directly to these bronchi. This is why these foci are always threatened by the danger of cavitation. 2). It is extremely difficult for a cavity to be cut off from the trachea by connective tissues obstruction of its draining bronchus; indeed this kind of obstruction has not been found at all in our studies. 3). There is a parallel relation between the state of a cavity and the tuberculous lesion of its draining bronchus, but in many cases there is a difference in the extent of the disease. Accordingly it is necessary to keep in mind the state of the draining bronchus at the time of treatment of the cavity. 4). The modes of opening of a cavity into its draining bronchus are; (1) a cavity opening into the end of a bronchus at its top (pattern I), and (2) a cavity opening into the lateral wall of a bronchus. According to the different stages of the developing cavity, the patterns seem to alter as follows⟶pattern I⟶pattern II⟶pattern I. 5). A cavity, less than 1.5cm in diameter, has usually one draining bronchus, while a bigger cavity than the above has generally two or more bronchi, and a cavity larger than the above two kinds of cavities has several draining bronchi, but seldom more than four. The drainidg bronchi from megacavities are fewer in number but manytimes larger in size than those of the above cavities. This is apparently due to the fact that the other small draining bronchi were obliterated during the course of the development of the disease. 6) A cavitation is not necessarly limited to a single pulmonary segment, but the draining bronchus of a cavity, which is 1.5cm. in diameter, communicates with the two neighboring segments, especially those of megacavities sometimes communicate with many segments. The intersegmental partitions, which consist of connective tissue and branches of pulmonary veins, are not firm enough to check caseation and cavitation of the intersegmental connective tissue during the development and fusion of the tuberculous focus. 7). Morphological changes in draining bronchi such as stenosis, obstruction, partial dilatation, and single or multiple flexions are observable. Partial stenosis is distinctly observable at the opening of the bronchi into cavities, and in other parts, a partial stenosis and a partial dilatation of the draining bronchus occur alternatly and the extent of the lesions gradually decreases in degree towards the pulmonary hilum. The morphological changes of draining bronchi parallel the degree of the tuberculous lesion around the cavity or the caseated focus. 8). With pneumothorax the bronchi take the form of stratification roughly parallel to the axis of a lobe, and the bronchial bending and obstruction are not recognized. Even in highly collapsed lungs of perfect pneumothorax, bronchial obstruction is not recognizable, but only the shortening narrowing of bronchi. 9). One form of direct treatment of tuberculosis, the incision treatment, aims at cleaning the cavity and cicatrized healing by means of draining the contents of cavity through the body wall, and not through a draining bronchus. But unfortunately this treatment is not very through when we consider the relationship between a cavity and the bronchial tuberculous lesion. From this point of view resection seems to be the more thorough treatment, but indications for this treatment are limited to cases in the early stage, if we consider bronchial lesions and disseminated foci. Therefore, those caseated foci which seems to tend towards softening and dec

Activation of PKA, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 by gonadotropins in cumulus cells is critical for induction of EGF-like factor and TACE/ADAM17 gene expression during in vitro maturation of porcine COCs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>During ovulation, it has been shown that LH stimulus induces the expression of numerous genes via PKA, p38 MAPK, PI3K and ERK1/2 in cumulus cells and granulosa cells. Our recent study showed that EGF-like factor and its protease (TACE/ADAM17) are required for the activation of EGF receptor (EGFR), cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation of porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). In the present study, we investigated which signaling pathways are involved in the gene expression of EGF-like factor and in <it>Tace/Adam17 </it>expression in cumulus cells of porcine COC during <it>in vitro </it>maturation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Areg</it>, <it>Ereg</it>, <it>Tace/Adam17</it>, <it>Has2</it>, <it>Tnfaip6 </it>and <it>Ptgs2 </it>mRNA expressions were detected in cumulus cells of porcine COCs by RT-PCR. Protein level of ERK1/2 phosphorylation in cultured cumulus cells was analyzed by westernblotting. COCs were visualized using a phase-contrast microscope.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When COCs were cultured with FSH and LH up to 2.5 h, <it>Areg</it>, <it>Ereg </it>and <it>Tace/Adam17 </it>mRNA were expressed in cumulus cells of COCs. <it>Areg</it>, <it>Ereg </it>and <it>Tace/Adam17 </it>gene expressions were not suppressed by PI3K inhibitor (LY294002), whereas PKA inhibitor (H89), p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) and MEK inhibitor (U0126) significantly suppressed these gene expressions. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and the gene expression of <it>Has2</it>, <it>Tnfaip6 </it>and <it>Ptgs2 </it>were also suppressed by H89, SB203580 and U0126, however, these negative effects were overcome by the addition of EGF to the medium, but not in the U0126 treatment group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results showed that PKA, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 positively controlled the expression of EGF-like factor and TACE/ADMA17, the latter of which impacts the cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation of porcine COCs via the EGFR-ERK1/2 pathway in cumulus cells.</p

Ion Channel Activities in Neural Stem Cells of the Neuroepithelium

During the embryonic development of the central nervous system, neuroepithelial cells act as neural stem cells. They undergo interkinetic nuclear movements along their apico-basal axis during the cell cycle. The neuroepithelial cell shows robust increases in the nucleoplasmic [Ca 2+ ] in response to G protein-coupled receptor activation in S-phase, during which the nucleus is located in the basal region of the neuroepithelial cell. This response is caused by Ca 2+ release from intracellular Ca 2+ stores, which are comprised of the endoplasmic reticulum and the nuclear envelope. The Ca 2+ release leads to the activation of Ca 2+ entry from the extracellular space, which is called capacitative, or store-operated Ca 2+ entry. These movements of Ca 2+ are essential for DNA synthesis during S-phase. Spontaneous Ca 2+ oscillations also occur synchronously across the cells. This synchronization is mediated by voltage fluctuations in the membrane potential of the nuclear envelope due to Ca 2+ release and the counter movement of K + ions; the voltage fluctuation induces alternating current (AC), which is transmitted via capacitative electrical coupling to the neighboring cells. The membrane potential across the plasma membrane is stabilized through gap junction coupling by lowering the input resistance. Thus, stored Ca 2+ ions are a key player in the maintenance of the cellular activity of neuroepithelial cells

Meiotic gene silencing complex MTREC/NURS recruits the nuclear exosome to YTH-RNA-binding protein Mmi1.

Accurate target recognition in transcript degradation is crucial for regulation of gene expression. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a number of meiotic transcripts are recognized by a YTH-family RNA-binding protein, Mmi1, and selectively degraded by the nuclear exosome during mitotic growth. Mmi1 forms nuclear foci in mitotically growing cells, and the nuclear exosome colocalizes to such foci. However, it remains elusive how Mmi1 and the nuclear exosome are connected. Here, we show that a complex called MTREC (Mtl1-Red1 core) or NURS (nuclear RNA silencing) that consists of a zinc-finger protein, Red1, and an RNA helicase, Mtl1, is required for the recruitment of the nuclear exosome to Mmi1 foci. Physical interaction between Mmi1 and the nuclear exosome depends on Red1. Furthermore, a chimeric protein involving Mmi1 and Rrp6, which is a nuclear-specific component of the exosome, suppresses the ectopic expression phenotype of meiotic transcripts in red1Δ cells and mtl1 mutant cells. These data indicate that the primary function of MTREC/NURS in meiotic transcript elimination is to link Mmi1 to the nuclear exosome physically

X-Ray bright optically faint active galactic nuclei in the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam wide survey

We construct a sample of X-ray bright optically faint active galactic nuclei by combining Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam, XMM-Newton, and infrared source catalogs. 53 X-ray sources satisfying i band magnitude fainter than 23.5 mag and X-ray counts with EPIC-PN detector larger than 70 are selected from 9.1 deg^2, and their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and X-ray spectra are analyzed. 44 objects with an X-ray to i-band flux ratio F_X/F_i>10 are classified as extreme X-ray-to-optical flux sources. SEDs of 48 among 53 are represented by templates of type 2 AGNs or starforming galaxies and show signature of stellar emission from host galaxies in the optical in the source rest frame. Infrared/optical SEDs indicate significant contribution of emission from dust to infrared fluxes and that the central AGN is dust obscured. Photometric redshifts determined from the SEDs are in the range of 0.6-2.5. X-ray spectra are fitted by an absorbed power law model, and the intrinsic absorption column densities are modest (best-fit log N_H = 20.5-23.5 cm^-2 in most cases). The absorption corrected X-ray luminosities are in the range of 6x10^42 - 2x10^45 erg s^-1. 20 objects are classified as type 2 quasars based on X-ray luminsosity and N_H. The optical faintness is explained by a combination of redshifts (mostly z>1.0), strong dust extinction, and in part a large ratio of dust/gas.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in PAS