Forced Hydrolysis of Fe3+ Ions in NH4Fe(SO4)2 Solutions Containing Urotropin

The effects of urotropin on the hydrolysis of Fe3+ ions in NH4Fe(SO4)2 Solutions at 90 °C were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Three concentrations of NH4Fe(SO4)2 Solutions, 0.03, 0.1 and 0.5 M, with varying initial amounts of urotropin were used in the experiments. Chemical and structural properties of the precipitates strongly depended on the concentrations of the reactants and the time of hydrolysis. In the early stages of Fe3+ hydrolysis, samples were dominantly amorphous. α-FeOOH, α-Fe2O3 and NH4Fe3(OH)6(SO4)2 were crystalline phases detected in the precipitates; however, the specific phase composition of each precipitate depended on the experimental conditions. The possible formation of schwertmannite was not proven in the precipitates. It was suggested that the particles of amorphous fraction, as well as α-FeOOH particles, contained significant amounts of sulphates on external and internal surfaces due to the specific adsorption. Regularity in the phase composition of the precipitates, as a function of the experimental conditions, was found. Crystallite sizes of oxides were estimated on the basis of the broadening of diffraction lines. Mossbauer spectroscopy indicated super-paramagnetic behavior of a-FeOOH particles. Formation of α-FeOOH particles of colloidal dimensions was proven by transmission electron microscopy

Cumulative risk of developing prostate cancer in men with baseline prostatespecific antigen levels of 2.0ng-ml or lower in the kanazawa population-based screening cohort, Japan

13301甲第4106号博士（医学）金沢大学博士論文本文Full 以下に掲載：International journal of urology 21(6) pp.560-565 2014. Wiley. 共著者：Kiyoshi Sawada, Yasuhide Kitagawa, Kazuto Ito, Yasuo Takeda, Atsushi Mizokami, Mikio Namik

フルクトースの経口投与はラット脂肪性肝炎モデルにおいて腸管透過性亢進作用を介して肝線維化および肝発癌を悪化させる

Recent reports have revealed the impact of a western diet containing large amounts of fructose on the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fructose exacerbates hepatic inflammation in NASH by inducing increasing intestinal permeability. However, it is not clear whether fructose contributes to the progression of liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis in NASH. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fructose intake on NASH in a rat model. A choline-deficient/L-amino acid diet was fed to F344 rats to induce NASH. Fructose was administrated to one group in the drinking water. The development of liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis were evaluated histologically. Oral fructose administration exacerbated liver fibrosis and increased the number of preneoplastic lesions positive for glutathione S-transferase placental form. Fructose-treated rats had significantly higher expression of hepatic genes related to toll-like receptor-signaling, suggesting that fructose consumption increased signaling in this pathway, leading to the progression of NASH. We confirmed that intestinal permeability was significantly higher in fructose-treated rats, as evidenced by a loss of intestinal tight junction proteins. Fructose exacerbated both liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis by increasing intestinal permeability. This observation strongly supports the role of endotoxin in the progression of NASH.博士（医学）・乙第1432号・令和元年9月27日Copyright © 2018 Impact Journals, LLCCopyright © Seki et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT): Study Design and Participants

Background: Lifestyle and life-environment factors have undergone drastic changes in Japan over the last few decades. Further, many molecular epidemiologic studies have reported that genetic, epigenetic, and other biomarker information may be useful in predicting individual disease risk.Methods: The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) was launched in 2011 to identify risk factors for lifestyle-related disease, elucidate factors that extend healthy life expectancy, and contribute toward personalized healthcare based on our more than 20 years’ experience with the JPHC Study. From 2011 through 2016, a baseline survey was conducted at 16 municipalities in seven prefectures across the country. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all registered residents aged 40–74, which mainly asked about lifestyle factors, such as socio-demographic situation, personal medical history, smoking, alcohol and dietary habits. We obtained informed consent from each participant to participate in this long follow-up study of at least 20 years, including consent to the potential use of their residence registry, medical records, medical fee receipts, care insurance etc., and to the provision of biospecimens (blood and urine), including genomic analysis.Results: As of December 31, 2016, we have established a population-based cohort of 115,385 persons (Response rate 44.1%), among whom 55,278 (47.9% of participants) have provided blood and urine samples. The participation rate was slightly higher among females and in the older age group.Conclusion: We have established a large-scale population-based cohort for next-generation epidemiological study in Japan

Adrenal androgen levels as predictors of outcome in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with combined androgen blockade using flutamide as a second-line anti-androgen

金沢大学附属病院泌尿器科Objectives: To analyze the clinical effects of flutamide as a second-line anti-androgen for combined androgen blockade in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) initially treated with bicalutamide as a first-line anti-androgen. Methods: Our study population consisted of 16 patients with CRPC who were treated with flutamide (375 mg daily) as second-line hormonal therapy. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, androstenediol, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were measured to investigate the relationship between plasma androgens and outcome following treatment. Furthermore, adrenal androgen levels in a medium of adrenal cancer cell line were also measured. Results: Second-line hormonal therapy using flutamide resulted in a reduction of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in 14 (87.5%) of 16 patients. A PSA decline greater than 50% was observed in 8 (50%) of the 16 patients. The duration of median responsiveness was 6.25 months. PSA elevation of baseline androstenediol level was a predictive factor of PSA responsiveness. The lower DHEA group improved the duration of responsiveness to flutamide. In vitro, 3 μmol/L flutamide suppressed DHEA, androstenedione and androstenediol synthesis compared with bicalutamide in a medium of adrenal cancer cell line. Conclusions: Our data show that flutamide suppresses the adrenal androgens in comparison with bicalutamide. The responsiveness and response duration of flutamide can be predicted in patients with a higher baseline androstenediol level and a lower DHEA level. Metabolites from adrenal androgens contribute to the progression of prostate cancer. © 2010 The Japanese Urological Association

Diagnosis of Myocardial Viability by Fluorodeoxyglucose Distribution at the Border Zone of a Low Uptake Region

Purpose: In cardiac 2-[F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) examination, interpretation of myocardial viability in the low uptake region (LUR) has been difficult without additional perfusion imaging. We evaluated distribution patterns of FDG at the border zone of the LUR in the cardiac FDG-PET and established a novel parameter for diagnosing myocardial viability and for discriminating the LUR of normal variants. Materials and Methods: Cardiac FDG-PET was performed in patients with a myocardial ischemic event (n = 22) and in healthy volunteers (n = 22). Whether the myocardium was not a viable myocardium (not-VM) or an ischemic but viable myocardium (isch-VM) was defined by an echocardiogram under a low dose of dobutamine infusion as the gold standard. FDG images were displayed as gray scaled-bull’s eye mappings. FDG-plot profiles for LUR ( = true ischemic region in the patients or normal variant region in healthy subjects) were calculated. Maximal values of FDG change at the LUR border zone (a steepness index; Smax scale/pixel) were compared among not-VM, isch-VM, and normal myocardium. Results: Smax was significantly higher for n-VM compared to those with isch-VM or normal myocardium (ANOVA). A cut-off value of 0.30 in Smax demonstrated 100 % sensitivity and 83 % specificity for diagnosing n-VM and isch-VM. Smax less than 0.23 discriminated LUR in normal myocardium from the LUR in patients with both n-VM and isch-VM with a 94 % sensitivity and a 93 % specificity. Conclusion: Smax of the LUR in cardiac FDG-PET is a simple and useful parameter to diagnose n-VM and isch