High resolution X-ray computed tomographic (CT) images of chondrites and a chondrule

In order to study internal textures of meteorites, images were obtained by X-ray computer tomography (CT). This combined high resolution X-ray radiography and computer tomography system belongs to the so-called third generation type with a micro-focus X-ray source and a linear CCD detector with 2048 elements. This allows a spacial resolution of a few μm in the images. Samples examined include the Moorabie meteorite (L3), Allende meteorite (CV3), and a chondrule removed from Allende meteorite. In images, Fe-Ni alloy, troilite, and silicates can be distinguished clearly, and chondrules can be resolved from their Fe-rich rims in Moorabie meteorite. In Allende Fe-Ni alloy, pentlandite, and silicates can be distinguished, and chondrules, CAI\u27s, and matrix can be recognized. Many euhedral crystals, probably olivine and/or pyroxene, were identified in a chondrule, suggesting that the chondrule has a porphyritic texture. In addition to minerals or their assemblages, holes can be identified by the X-ray CT method and were found in chondrules in Allende

Dietary counseling for hyperuricemia

In Japan, hyperuricemia is on the rise. The guideline for the management of hyperuricemia and gout recommends lifestyle changes before beginning drug therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary counseling following the guideline. Thirty-three subjects (24 men and 9 women) with asymptomatic hyperuricemia underwent dietary counseling for 6 months based on the following recommendations : (1) prevent excessive purine intake, (2) prevent excessive fructose intake, (3) limit alcohol drinking, and (4) drink sufficient water. Obese subjects were counseled on adequate energy intake. Blood sampling, anthropometric measurements, dietary surveys, and 24-h urine collection were performed at baseline and at 6 months. Serum uric acid (S-UA) levels were significantly lower at 6 months compared to baseline. Water intake and urine volume were considerably higher at 6 months than at baseline. When compared to baseline, urine UA (U-UA) levels were significantly lower, and renal fractional excretion of UA (FEUA) was significantly higher at 6 months. Changes in renal function (serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and FEUA) were significantly associated with ΔS-UA level. In this study, S-UA level was significantly decreased by dietary counseling in line with the guideline. This study illustrates the effectiveness of dietary counseling for asymptomatic hyperuricemia

PLOD2 is essential to functional activation of integrin β1 for invasion/metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Identifying the specific functional regulator of integrin family molecules in cancer cells is critical because they are directly involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. Here we report high expression of PLOD2 in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and its critical role as a stabilizer of integrin β1, enabling integrin β1 to initiate tumor invasion/metastasis. Integrin β1 stabilized by PLOD2-mediated hydroxylation was recruited to the plasma membrane, its functional site, and accelerated tumor cell motility, leading to tumor metastasis in vivo, whereas loss of PLOD2 expression abrogated it. In accordance with molecular analysis, examination of oropharyngeal SCC tissues from patients corroborated PLOD2 expression associated with integrin β1 at the invasive front of tumor nests. PLOD2 is thus implicated as the key regulator of integrin β1 that prominently regulates tumor invasion and metastasis, and it provides important clues engendering novel therapeutics for these intractable cancers

A case report of acute cardiac tamponade creation in a macaque

Although acute cardiac tamponade is one of the major problems in clinical practice, a suitable animal model is still lacking. We tried to create acute cardiac tamponade in macaques by echo-guided catheter manipulation. A 13-year-old male macaque was anesthetized, and a long sheath was inserted into the left ventricle via the left carotid artery under the guidance of transthoracic echocardiography. The sheath was then inserted into the orifice of the left coronary artery to perforate the proximal site of the left anterior descending branch. A cardiac tamponade was successfully created. Injection of diluted contrast agent into the pericardial space via a catheter made it possible to clearly distinguish between the hemopericardium and the surrounding tissues on postmortem computed tomography. This procedure did not need an X-ray imaging system during catheterization. Our present model would help us examine the intrathoracic organs in the presence of acute cardiac tamponade

Gradual Increase of High Mobility Group Protein B1 in the Lungs after the Onset of Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

The pathogenesis of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains to be elucidated. To evaluate the roles of inflammatory mediators in acute exacerbation, the concentrations of high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), a chief mediator of acute lung injury, and 18 inflammatory cytokines were measured in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, serially sampled from seven IPF patients after the onset of acute exacerbation. HMGB1 gradually increased in the alveolar fluid after the onset of acute exacerbation, in positive correlation with monocytes chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), a potent fibrogenic mediator. In the lung tissues of eight IPF patients autopsied after acute exacerbation, intense cytoplasmic staining for HMGB1 was observed in the alveolar epithelial cells in alveolar capillary augmented lesions, where the capillary endothelial cells remarkably reduced the expression of thrombomodulin, an intrinsic antagonist of HMGB1. These results suggest pathogenic roles for HMGB1 and MCP-1 in the late phase of acute exacerbation of IPF

PODXL1 promotes metastasis of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by activating the C5aR/C5a axis from the tumor microenvironment

Pancreatic invasive ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a representative intractable malignancy under the current cancer therapies, and is considered a scirrhous carcinoma because it develops dense stroma. Both PODXL1, a member of CD34 family molecules, and C5aR, a critical cell motility inducer, have gained recent attention, as their expression was reported to correlate with poor prognosis for patients with diverse origins including PDAC; however, previous studies reported independently on their respective biological significance. Here we demonstrate that PODXL1 is essential for metastasis of PDAC cells through its specific interaction with C5aR. In vitro assay demonstrated that PODXL1 bound to C5aR, which stabilized C5aR protein and recruited it to cancer cell plasma membranes to receive C5a, an inflammatory chemoattractant factor. PODXL1 knockout in PDAC cells abrogated their metastatic property in vivo, emulating the liver metastatic mouse model treated with anti-C5a neutralizing antibody. In molecular studies, PODXL1 triggered EMT on PDAC cells in response to stimulation by C5a, corroborating PODXL1 involvement in PDAC cellular invasive properties via specific interaction with the C5aR/C5a axis. Confirming the molecular assays, histological examination showed coexpression of PODXL1 and C5aR at the invasive front of primary cancer nests as well as in liver metastatic foci of PDAC both in the mouse metastasis model and patient tissues. Hence, the novel direct interaction between PODXL1 and the C5aR/C5a axis may provide a better integrated understanding of PDAC biological characteristics including its tumor microenvironment factors