Pancreatic Perfusion CT in Early Stage of Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Early intensive care for severe acute pancreatitis is essential for improving SAP mortality rates. However, intensive therapies for SAP are often delayed because there is no ideal way to accurately evaluate severity in the early stages. Currently, perfusion CT has been shown useful to predict prognosis of SAP in the early stage. In this presented paper, we would like to review the clinical usefulness and limitations of perfusion CT for evaluation of local and systemic complications in early stage of SAP

Combination of Endoscopic Resection and Heat Ablation Is a Promising Endoscopic Therapy for Adenoma-Like Dysplastic Lesion in Chronic Ulcerative Colitis

In January 2007, a 74-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for treatment of an adenoma-like dysplastic lesion (ALM). He had a four-year history of ulcerative colitis. Endoscopic findings revealed that a protruded lesion with an approximate size of 3 cm at the splenic flexure was surrounded by pseudopolyps. Lifting of the tumor was poor despite injection of normal saline around it. Therefore, the combination of endoscopic resection and heat ablation therapy with argon plasma coagulation was performed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed tubular adenoma with high-grade atypia. Endoscopic examination 15 months after this treatment revealed no occurrence of ALM. Whether or not there is a possibility of local recurrence after ablation therapy in addition to endoscopic resection performed in this case remains unclear. However, this endoscopic therapy is a promising option for ALM in chronic ulcerative colitis

Mechanisms for the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of carbamoylcholine on canine gastric D-cells

We have previously reported that carbamoylcholine (carbachol), a recognized inhibitor of somatostatin release from D-cells, can act as stimulant following pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin. In the present studies we have observed that pertussis toxin reverses the inhibitory effects of carbachol on D-cell stimulated with either cAMP or 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate. Furthermore, the stimulatory effects of carbachol on D-cells pretreated with pertussis toxin potentiated the actions of pentagastrin without further enhancing the release of 3H-inositol trisphosphate from prelabeled cells. These studies suggest that carbachol exerts its inhibitory effects on D-cells via pertussis toxin sensitive guaninine nucleotide binding proteins at a point distal to the activation of different signal transduction mechanisms and that the stimulatory effects of carbachol are mediated by mechanisms that are independent of membrane phosphoinositide turnover.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26606/1/0000147.pd

Activation and Differentiation of Autoreactive B-1 Cells by Interleukin 10 Induce Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Fas-deficient Antierythrocyte Immunoglobulin Transgenic Mice

The Fas (CD95) gene is among critical genetic factors in some autoimmune diseases, which are characterized by autoantibody (autoAb) productions. In mice, mutations in the Fas gene cause lymphoproliferation (lpr) which predominantly develops glomerulonephritis, whereas the mutations in human cause autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) characterized by autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and thrombocytopenia. Although the mechanism of antinuclear Ab in Fas-deficient background has been well characterized, that of antierythrocyte Ab production in ALPS has been still unclear. To investigate this mechanism, we developed a mouse line by crossing the antierythrocyte antibody transgenic mice (H+L6 mice) and Fas-deficient mice. Although Fas deficiency did not break tolerance of autoreactive B-2 cells in H+L6 mice, autoreactive B-1 cells in Fas-deficient H+L6 homozygous mice became activated and differentiated into autoAb-producing cells in mesenteric lymph nodes and lamina propria of intestine, resulting in severe anemia. In addition, serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10 significantly increased in Fas−/− × H+L6 homozygous mice and administration of anti–IL-10 Ab prevented exacerbation of autoAb production and AIHA. These results suggest that activation of B-1 cells is responsible for induction of AIHA in Fas-deficient condition and that IL-10 plays a critical role in terminal differentiation of B-1 cells in these mice

Analysis of gastrin receptor gene expression in proliferating cells in the neck zone of gastric fundic glands using laser capture microdissection

AbstractGastrin stimulates proliferation of progenitor cells in the neck zone of gastric fundic mucosa. However, whether it directly enhances this proliferation through its receptors remains unclear. We investigated the expression of gastrin receptors in neck zone proliferating cells in rat gastric fundic glands using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) coupled with laser capture microdissection and in situ RT-PCR. Gastrin receptor expression was identified in c-fos-expressing cells located in the neck zone, and results of the RT-PCR analysis argued against contamination by other cells, such as enterochromaffin-like, parietal or D cells. Supporting this finding, gastrin receptor gene expression was identified in the neck zone as well as base glands by in situ RT-PCR. Therefore, it is suggested that proliferating cells in the neck zone are stimulated directly by gastrin via their gastrin receptors

NOD1-Mediated Mucosal Host Defense against Helicobacter pylori

Infection of the stomach with Helicobacter pylori is an important risk factor for gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric carcinoma. Although it has been well established that persistent colonization by H. pylori is associated with adaptive Th1 responses, the innate immune responses leading to these Th1 responses are poorly defined. Recent studies have shown that the activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) in gastric epithelial cells plays an important role in innate immune responses against H. pylori. The detection of H. pylori-derived ligands by cytosolic NOD1 induces several host defense factors, including antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and chemokines. In this paper, we review the molecular mechanisms by which NOD1 contributes to mucosal host defense against H. pylori infection of the stomach

Tissue damage in the canine normal esophagus by photoactivation with talaporfin sodium (laserphyrin): a preclinical study.

[Background] Treatment failure at the primary site after chemoradiotherapy is a major problem in achieving a complete response. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with porfimer sodium (Photofrin®) has some problems such as the requirement for shielding from light for several weeks and a high incidence of skin phototoxicity. PDT with talaporfin sodium (Laserphyrin) is less toxic and is expected to have a better effect compared with Photofrin PDT. However, Laserphyrin PDT is not approved for use in the esophagus. In this preclinical study, we investigated tissue damage of the canine normal esophagus caused by photoactivation with Laserphyrin. [Methodology/Principal Findings] Diode laser irradiation was performed at 60 min after administration. An area 5 cm oral to the esophagogastric junction was irradiated at 25 J/cm2, 50 J/cm2, and 100 J/cm2 using a three-step escalation. The irradiated areas were evaluated endoscopically on postirradiation days 1 and 7, and were subjected to histological examination after autopsy. The areas injured by photoactivation were 52 mm2, 498 mm2, and 831 mm2 after irradiation at 25 J/cm2, 50 J/cm2, and 100 J/cm2, respectively. Tissue injury was observed in the muscle layer or even deeper at any irradiation level and became more severe as the irradiation dose increased. At 100 J/cm2 both inflammatory changes and necrosis were seen histologically in extra-adventitial tissue. [Conclusions/Significance]To minimize injury of the normal esophagus by photoactivation with Laserphyrin, diode laser irradiation at 25 J/cm2 appears to be safe. For human application, it would be desirable to investigate the optimal laser dose starting from this level