Visual acuity and macular thickness in diabetic retinopathy treated with panphotocoagulation

OBJETIVO: Comparar espessura macular e acuidade visual em pacientes portadores de retinopatia diabética, com e sem edema de mácula, submetidos à panfotocoagulação retiniana com laser de argônio. MÉTODOS: Os pacientes foram classificados em dois grupos antes do tratamento, sendo submetidos a exame oftalmológico e tomografia de coerência óptica. Todos os pacientes foram tratados com panfotocoagulação. O resultado foi avaliado por meio da acuidade visual no 3º mês e pela tomografia de coerência óptica na 1ª semana, nos 1º e 3º meses do tratamento. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi composta por 37 pacientes (37 olhos). Grupo 1 foi constituído por 29 portadores de retinopatia diabética sem edema macular e Grupo 2, por 8, com edema. Os grupos não apresentaram diferenças na idade, sexo e nas médias de disparos da panfotocoagulação. Os grupos apresentaram diferença na acuidade visual (p<0,001), sendo que o Grupo 2 teve piora da visão após tratamento (p<0,001). Quanto à espessura macular na tomografia de coerência óptica, o Grupo 2 apresentou médias de espessuras maculares maiores (p<0,001) e maior variabilidade entre os momentos avaliados. CONCLUSÃO: Evidenciou-se que portadores de retinopatia diabética com edema macular evoluíram com variação acentuada na espessura macular e perda visual após a panfotocoagulação. Naqueles sem edema, observou-se aumento na espessura macular ao longo do seguimento, porém sem repercussões funcionais.PURPOSE: To compare the visual acuity and macular thickness in patients with diabetic retinopathy presenting and not presenting macular edema before treatment and submitted to argon laser retinal panphotocoagulation. Methods: Patients were included and classified into two groups before the treatment. All patients were submitted to ophthalmological examination and optical coherence tomography, following panphotocoagulation. The results were evaluated by measuring visual acuity at the end and by optical coherence tomography after one week, one and three months following the treatment. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 37 patients (37 eyes). Group 1 included 29 patients with diabetic retinopathy without macular edema; Group 2 included 8 patients with macular edema. The two groups were similar regarding gender, age, and the mean of argon laser spots treatment. The groups showed differences in visual acuity (p<0.001) and Group 2 patients presented decrease of visual acuity three months after the treatment (p<0.001). Group 2 patients showed a greater mean of macular thickness measurements on optical coherence tomography evaluation. CONCLUSION: Variation of the macular thickness as well as decrease in visual acuity was present in the patients with macular edema previously to panphotocoagulation. Only minimal increase in macular thickness was observed in the absence of macular edema

Rice bran extract containing acylated steryl glucoside fraction decreases elevated blood LDL cholesterol level in obese Japanese men

People who frequently consume whole grains show a lower incidence of arteriosclerotic disease than people who consume primarily refined grains.We examined whether or not rice bran extract containing the acylated steryl glucosides (ASG) fraction decreases blood LDL cholesterol levels in obese Japanese men with high blood levels of LDL cholesterol. The study utilized a randomized, double-blind design. A total of 51 subjects were randomly allocated to either a rice bran extract containing ASG fraction (RB-ASG) group or a placebo group. Subjects in the RB-ASG group received 30-50 mg/day of RB-ASG, and the placebo group took 9 capsules/day for 12 weeks. Before and after intake, height, weight, body fat percentage, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured, blood was collected, and visceral fat area, subcutaneous fat area, and abdominal circumference were determined based on umbilical computed tomography. Percentage decreases in blood LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, LDL/HDL ratio, abdominal circumference and subcutaneous fat area were significantly better in the RB-ASG group than in the placebo group. These findings suggest that RB-ASG fraction may reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of arteriosclerosis in obese Japanese men with high LDL cholesterol levels

In Vitro Gene Delivery Mediated by Asialofetuin-Appended Cationic Liposomes Associated with γ-Cyclodextrin into Hepatocytes

The purpose of this study is to evaluate in vitro gene delivery mediated by asialofetuin-appended cationic liposomes (AF-liposomes) associating cyclodextrins (CyD/AF-liposomes) as a hepatocyte-selective nonviral vector. Of various CyDs, AF-liposomes associated with plasmid DNA (pDNA) and γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CyD) (pDNA/γ-CyD/AF-liposomes) showed the highest gene transfer activity in HepG2 cells without any significant cytotoxicity. In addition, γ-CyD enhanced the encapsulation ratio of pDNA with AF-liposomes, and also increased gene transfer activity as the entrapment ratio of pDNA into AF-liposomes was increased. γ-CyD stabilized the liposomal membrane of AF-liposomes and inhibited the release of calcein from AF-liposomes. The stabilizing effect of γ-CyD may be, at least in part, involved in the enhancing gene transfer activity of pDNA/γ-CyD/AF-liposomes. Therefore, these results suggest the potential use of γ-CyD for an enhancer of transfection efficiency of AF-liposomes

Analyzing Malodorous Compounds and Characteristics of Methanethiol Decomposing Bacteria

ﾒﾀﾝﾁｰｵｰﾙは硫黄系有機化合物であり､ppb のｵｰﾀﾞｰでも感知できる強い臭気を有する｡また､毒性を有し水溶性である｡したがって､水溶液中のﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙを簡便に測定することは非常に重要である｡これまでの研究で､水溶液中のﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙ濃度を測定するために既存の分析方法を改良して本研究に応用できることを報告している｡本分析法は､5,5ｼﾞﾁｵﾋﾞｽ(2ﾆﾄﾛ安息香酸､DTNB)がﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙと反応した生成物を 412nm の吸光度で測定するというｴｰﾙﾏﾝ反応に基づくものである｡ﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙの濃度は､吸光度に比例し､検量線にて容易に定量できた｡そして､微生物分解によるﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙ濃度の減少量を測定することにより､これらに適応可能かの評価を行い､水溶液中のﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙを測定することが有効であると判断できた｡本研究では､土壌から分離した菌を有効に利用することにより､脱臭商品や効率的な脱臭装置の開発が期待される｡そこで､分離した TOS-35 などのﾒﾀﾝﾁｵｰﾙ分解菌のﾌｨｰｼﾞﾋﾞﾘﾃｨｽﾀﾃﾞｨを行った結果､脱臭に関して可能性がある事が確認できた｡Methanethiol is a corrosive gas with a strong odor, and has the poisoning action resembled to hydrogen sulfide. It has the environmental toxicity and is soluble in water; therefore, it is very important to develop an easily measurable method for methanethiol in aqueous solutions. In this series of research, a fast and convenient analytical method was developed and applied to determine the concentration of methanethiol in aqueous solutions. It is based on the Ellman reaction, a reaction of methanethiol with 5,5\u27-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)(DTNB), and the measurement of the absorbance of the product, namely quinoid anion, at 412 nm. The concentration of methanethiol was directly proportional to the absorbance at 412 nm, and a linear standard calibration curve was obtained in a certain range of concentration. In this research, an applicability of the new measurement method for the screening of methanethiol degrading bacteria was evaluated and it was found to be effective for measuring methanethiol in aqueous solution. As a result of the screening, TOS-35(Alcaligenes faecalis)demonstrated the highest ability of decomposing methanethiol and two feasibility studies were done in order to test the effectiveness of this bacterium

Elevation of dopamine level reduces hostseeking activity in the adult female mosquito Aedes albopictus

Background: Mosquito-borne viruses are transmitted to human hosts via blood-feeding behavior of female mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes seek a host to take blood meals (host-seeking behavior). In order to prevent virus infections, it is important to understand how they modulate host-seeking behavior. Dopamine (DA) in the central nervous system acts as a neuromediator that regulates a variety of behaviors in insects. In female mosquitoes, host-seeking behavior increases when DA levels in the head decline after emergence. However, it remains unclear whether DA directly modulates host-seeking behavior in female mosquitoes. The aim of this study was to examine whether changes in DA levels in the head affects host-seeking activity in the adult female mosquito Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus). Findings: We compared host-seeking behavior in one group of emerging female adults treated with L-β-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), the precursor of DA, (L-DOPA group), with that in an untreated control (control group) after confirming elevation of head DA in L-DOPA group by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The content of head DA in L-DOPA group significantly remained higher than that in controls on all days examined. The host-seeking activity in the control group showed a gradual increase over the 6-day experimental period. In contrast, there was no such increase in the host-seeking activity in the L-DOPA group. Therefore, the host-seeking activity of L-DOPA group was significantly lower than that of the controls between day 3 and 6 post-emergence. Conclusion: Our results indicate that elevation of DA level reduces host-seeking activity in adult female mosquito Ae. albopictus

Heterophilic binding of the adhesion molecules poliovirus receptor and immunoglobulin superfamily 4A in the interaction between mouse spermatogenic and sertoli cells

金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系The cell adhesion protein immunoglobulin superfamily 4A (IGSF4A) is expressed on the surfaces of spermatogenic cells in the mouse testis. During spermatogenesis, IGSF4A is considered to bind to the surface of Sertoli cells in a heterophilic manner. To identify this unknown partner of IGSF4A, we generated rat monoclonal antibodies against the membrane proteins of mouse Sertoli cells grown in primary culture. Using these monoclonal antibodies, we isolated a clone that immunostained Sertoli cells and reacted with the product of immunoprecipitation of the homogenate of mouse testis with anti-IGSF4A antibody. Subsequently, to identify the Sertoli cell membrane protein that is recognized by this monoclonal antibody, we performed expression cloning of a cDNA library from the mouse testis. As a result, we identified poliovirus receptor (PVR), which is another IGSF-type cell adhesion molecule, as the binding partner of IGSF4A. The antibodies raised against PVR and IGSF4A immunoprecipitated both antigens in the homogenate of mouse testis. Immunoreactivity for PVR was present in Sertoli cells but not in spermatogenic cells at all stages of spermatogenesis. Overexpression of PVR in TM4, a mouse Sertoli cell line, increased more than three-fold its capacity to adhere to Tera-2, which is a human cell line that expresses IGSF4A. These findings suggest that the heterophilic binding of PVR to IGSF4A is responsible, at least in part, for the interaction between Sertoli and spermatogenic cells during mouse spermatogenesis. © 2007 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.Embargo Period 12 month