Significance of changes in plasma adiponectin concentration after the implantation of stents in patients with stable angina

SummaryObjectiveAlthough plasma adiponectin levels may be a marker for the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and can help to predict future cardiovascular events in patients with CAD, the significance of changes in plasma adiponectin levels after the implantation of stents in patients with stable angina is unclear.MethodsThe subjects included 32 consecutive patients with stable angina who had undergone successful coronary stenting [bare metal stent (BMS, n=16) or sirolimus-eluting stent (SES, n=16)]. Blood sampling was performed at baseline, and at 24h, 48h, 14 days and 6 months after stenting.ResultsPlasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels at baseline (0.16±0.15mg/dl) were significantly increased at 24h (0.36±0.45mg/dl, p=0.011) and 48h (1.01±1.01mg/dl, p<0.001), and plasma adiponectin levels at baseline (6.7±4.2μg/ml) were significantly decreased at 24h (6.1±4.2μg/ml, p=0.019) and 48h (6.2±4.9μg/ml, p=0.010) in all subjects. Although there were no significant differences in changes in plasma hs-CRP and adiponectin levels between BMS and SES groups during the study period, BMS group (6.5±0.9μg/ml at baseline) showed a significant reduction of plasma adiponectin at 48h (5.8±1.1μg/ml, p=0.022) and 6 months after stenting (4.7±2.3μg/ml, p=0.011). Percent diameter stenosis (%DS) at 6 months after stenting was negatively correlated with changes in the plasma adiponectin levels within 6 months [Δadiponectin (6 months−baseline)]. In addition, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the %DS at 6 months after stenting was most closely correlated with Δadiponectin (6 months−baseline) after adjusting for age, sex and body mass index.ConclusionsCoronary stenting may decrease circulating adiponectin in association with an inflammatory response. The changes in plasma levels of adiponectin after stenting may also be a predictor of coronary restenosis in patients with CAD

SAF-A promotes origin licensing and replication fork progression to ensure robust DNA replication

Funding CC was supported by a BBSRC EASTBIO Doctoral Training programme PhD studentship. SH was supported by Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation 812 (12928/13746). Work in the Hiraga-Donaldson lab supported by Cancer Research UK awards C1445/A19059 and DRCPGM\100013. NG is supported by Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00007/13) Acknowledgements Information for SAF-A expression was obtained at The Cancer Genome Atlas TCGA) Research Network (https://www.cancer.gov/tcga). We thank Dr Ryu-suke Nozawa for help in the early stage of the project, and Professor Julian Blow for advice on the 3D licensing assay. Thanks to the staff of the Iain Fraser Cytometry Centre, and Microscopy and Histology facility at the University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPostprin

Effective nonlocal kernels on Reaction-diffusion networks

A new method to derive an essential integral kernel from any given reaction-diffusion network is proposed. Any network describing metabolites or signals with arbitrary many factors can be reduced to a single or a simpler system of integro-differential equations called "effective equation" including the reduced integral kernel (called "effective kernel" ) in the convolution type. As one typical example, the Mexican hat shaped kernel is theoretically derived from two component activator-inhibitor systems. It is also shown that a three component system with quite different appearance from activator-inhibitor systems is reduced to an effective equation with the Mexican hat shaped kernel. It means that the two different systems have essentially the same effective equations and that they exhibit essentially the same spatial and temporal patterns. Thus, we can identify two different systems with the understanding in unified concept through the reduced effective kernels. Other two applications of this method are also given: Applications to pigment patterns on skins (two factors network with long range interaction) and waves of differentiation (called proneural waves) in visual systems on brains (four factors network with long range interaction). In the applications, we observe the reproduction of the same spatial and temporal patterns as those appearing in pre-existing models through the numerical simulations of the effective equations

Effects of gender and aging in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting: From the FU-Registry

Background: It is unclear whether gender and aging influence the characteristics of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a clinical database of 1,498 patients (male/female = 1133/365, age 67 &#177; 9 years) who underwent CABG at Fukuoka University Hospital from 1994 to 2010. Results: Male showed significantly younger, higher percentages (%) of smoking and hyperuricemia (HU), higher levels of serum creatinine, and lower % hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus (DM), and lower levels of left ventricular ejection fraction than female. In multivariate analysis, all parameters identified independent variables associated with the gender difference. Next, we divided the patients into 5 groups according to age, and each group was then separated by gender. The % of males significantly decreased with aging, whereas % female significantly increased. Although % smoking and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and body mass index (BMI) in all patients, males and females significantly decreased with aging, HU, left ventricular end diastolic pressure and the number of significantly stenosed coronary vessels were not associated with gender or aging. Interestingly, % HT in all patients and males significantly increased with aging, whereas that in females was not associated with aging. Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in males significantly decreased with aging, while those in all patients and females were not associated with aging. In this contemporary data set, the decreases in % smoking and eGFR with aging were common characteristics in male and female patients. In addition, there were gender and aging differences in % smoking, % HT, BMI and eGFR, whereas no differences were observed in % DM, % dyslipidemia or % HU. Conclusions: Before CABG, high-risk patients with coronary artery disease who is going to undergo CABG may need to be managed more strictly considering to gender and age to avoid CABG

Functional network of glycan-related molecules: Glyco-Net in Glycoconjugate Data Bank

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Glycans are involved in a wide range of biological process, and they play an essential role in functions such as cell differentiation, cell adhesion, pathogen-host recognition, toxin-receptor interactions, signal transduction, cancer metastasis, and immune responses. Elucidating pathways related to post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as glycosylation are of growing importance in post-genome science and technology. Graphical networks describing the relationships among glycan-related molecules, including genes, proteins, lipids and various biological events are considered extremely valuable and convenient tools for the systematic investigation of PTMs. However, there is no database which dynamically draws functional networks related to glycans.</p> <p>Description</p> <p>We have created a database called Glyco-Net <url>http://www.glycoconjugate.jp/functions/</url>, with many binary relationships among glycan-related molecules. Using search results, we can dynamically draw figures of the functional relationships among these components with nodes and arrows. A certain molecule or event corresponds to a node in the network figures, and the relationship between the molecule and the event are indicated by arrows. Since all components are treated equally, an arrow is also a node.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this paper, we describe our new database, Glyco-Net, which is the first database to dynamically show networks of the functional profiles of glycan related molecules. The graphical networks will assist in the understanding of the role of the PTMs. In addition, since various kinds of bio-objects such as genes, proteins, and inhibitors are equally treated in Glyco-Net, we can obtain a large amount of information on the PTMs.</p

Association between plasma levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor and renal dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease

Background: Although plasma pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) levels have been shown to be significantly correlated with the levels of creatinine (Cr) in type 2 diabetes, little is known about the association between PEDF levels and renal dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: We enrolled 134 consecutive patients with diagnosed CAD and measured plasma levels of PEDF, serum Cr, uric acid (UA) and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Results: Plasma PEDF levels were positively correlated with serum Cr (p < 0.0001) and UA (p < 0.0001) and negatively correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (p < 0.0001), whereas there was no association between plasma PEDF and age or hsCRP. When the subjects were divided into five groups (0&#8211;4) according to the number of metabolic factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia), PEDF levels in patients with four factors were significantly higher than those in patients without factors. Next, we divided the patients into quartiles according to their plasma PEDF levels (< 9.9 &#956;g/mL, 9.9&#8211;12.8, 12.9&#8211; &#8211;15.7, > 15.7). The eGFR in the first group was significantly higher than those in the third and fourth groups. Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that eGFR (p < 0.0001) and age (p = 0.030) were significant independent variables that correlated with the quartile classification according to PEDF levels. Conclusions: This study revealed that PEDF may play a role in renal dysfunction in CAD patients. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 5: 515&#8211;520

Association between mitral annulus calcification and subtypes of heart failure rehospitalization

Background: Mitral annulus calcification (MAC) has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure (HF); however, the associations between MAC and both the category and etiology of HF have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between MAC and three types of HF rehospitalization: HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), HF with mid-range EF (HFmrEF), and HF with reduced EF (HFrEF). Methods: We enrolled consecutive patients undergoing echocardiography, who were admitted to our hospital for clinically indicated congestive HF between April 2014 and March 2018. Cox proportional-hazards models were used after adjusting for age, gender, and hypertension. Results: Of 353 patients, 40 (11.3%) had MAC. With a median follow-up of 2.8 years, 100 (28%) patients were rehospitalized for congestive HF (HFpEF 40%, HFmrEF 16%, HFrEF 44%, respectively). According to the Kaplan-Meier method, the estimated incidence of HFpEF rehospitalization in the MAC group was significantly greater than that in the non-MAC group (p &lt; 0.001) whereas the incidences of HFmrEF and HFrEF rehospitalization were comparable between the groups (p = 0.101 and p = .291, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, MAC remained significantly associated with HFpEF rehospitalization (hazard ratio: 3.379; 95% confidence interval: 1.651–6.597). At initial HF hospitalization, E/e’ was significantly higher in the MAC group (both septum and lateral, p &lt; 0.05), suggesting a possible relationship between MAC and left ventricular diastolic function. Conclusions: Mitral annulus calcification was associated with increased HFpEF rehospitalization and might be a cause of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction

ゲンパツセイ コウジョウセンガン ノ ネンレイ ニヨル リンショウ ビョウリガクテキ トクチョウ オヨビ ヨゴ ノ ヒカク ケントウ

Two-hundred thirty-six patients with primary thyroid cancer who received operation were divided into two groups by age, i.e.,５９patients of age ＜４５years（Early adulthood, EA）and１７７ patients of age≧４５years（advanced age, AA）. Clinicopathologic factors and disease-free survival （DFS）were compared between the two groups. There was no difference in clinicopathologic factors except for higher proportion of patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in the AA patients than in the EA patients（６．７％ vs. ０％, p＝０．０４１）. DFS was significantly longer in the AA patients than in the EA patients（disease-free rates at１０years after operation，９４．８％ vs. ７２．５％, p＝０．００３１）. Overall survival was not different between the two groups. The EA patients who showed shorten DFS were divided into two groups，１７ patients of age ＜３０ years （juvenile and young adult, JYA）and ４２ patients of age ≧３０ years, and DFS of each group was compared with that of the AA patients. Although disease-free survival rates at １０ years of the JYA patients were not different（９２．６％ vs.９４．８％, p＝０．１２５）, those of patients of age ≧３０years were significantly lower than those of the AA patients（７０．０％ vs. ９４．８％, p＝０．００２１）. These findings suggest that patients with primary thyroid cancer who are ≧３０ years old in the young adulthood should be observed carefully after operation for early detection of relapse

Small Molecules with Similar Structures Exhibit Agonist, Neutral Antagonist or Inverse Agonist Activity toward Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor

Small differences in the chemical structures of ligands can be responsible for agonism, neutral antagonism or inverse agonism toward a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Although each ligand may stabilize the receptor conformation in a different way, little is known about the precise conformational differences. We synthesized the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) olmesartan, R239470 and R794847, which induced inverse agonism, antagonism and agonism, respectively, and then investigated the ligand-specific changes in the receptor conformation with respect to stabilization around transmembrane (TM)3. The results of substituted cysteine accessibility mapping studies support the novel concept that ligand-induced changes in the conformation of TM3 play a role in stabilizing GPCR. Although the agonist-, neutral antagonist and inverse agonist-binding sites in the AT1 receptor are similar, each ligand induced specific conformational changes in TM3. In addition, all of the experimental data were obtained with functional receptors in a native membrane environment (in situ)