Involvement of CD14 on human gingival fibroblasts in Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide-mediated interleukin-6 secretion

The lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Porphyromonas gingivalis are implicated in the initiation and development of periodontal diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying P. gingivalis LPS-mediated periodontal destruction are still unknown. Here, it was found that P. gingivalis LPS activates human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) to release interleukin 6 (IL-6) via CD14. Flow-cytometric analysis showed that HGFs bind to fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled LPS, and express CD14 on their surfaces. The binding of FITC LPS was competitively suppressed by unlabelled synthetic lipid A as well as by LPS. LPS-induced IL-6 production was inhibited by anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody in a dose-dependent manner. The binding of FITC LPS to HGF was abrogated by anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody. Engagement of LPS initiated the protein tyrosine phosphorylation of several intracellular proteins including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2, and these events were suppressed by the anti-CD14 monoclonal. These results suggest that CD14 is a cell surface binding site for LPS and is involved in the LPS-mediated activation of HGF.     

Retinal degeneration induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea in Syrian golden hamsters

BACKGROUND: The sequential retinal changes in Syrian golden hamsters induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) have not been studied. METHODS: Female hamsters received a single intraperitoneal injection of 90 mg/kg MNU at 50 days of age, and the retina was examined light and electron microscopically, immunohistochemically and by the TdT-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method until 20 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: The retinal changes were as follows: (1) Photoreceptor apoptosis occurred 1 day after the treatment and resulted in photoreceptor loss at day 7. During the degeneration, Müller cell proliferation was conspicuous at day 5. (2) After the photoreceptor cell loss, migration of the pigment epithelial cells in all layers of the retina which were in contact with blood vessels occurred. Due to the Müller cell proliferation, gliosis was prominent at the later stage. CONCLUSIONS: The MNU injection caused photoreceptor apoptosis followed by pigment epithelial cell migration around the blood vessels, accompanied by gliosis. The primary event and the course of this disease closely resemble those of retinitis pigmentosa in humans.     

Preoperative evaluation of the chemosensitivity of breast cancer by means of double phase 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography

The chemosensitivity of breast cancer is important for its management, but it is difficult to evaluate preoperatively. Tc-99m hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) scintimammography has been reported to indicate the expression of P-glycoprotein, which is one factor concerned with multidrug resistance. We developed a chemosensitivity assay by using surgical specimens to investigate whether 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography findings before the operation are related to chemosensitivity according to our assay. Fifteen patients with primary breast cancer were enrolled into the study. Early and delayed images were obtained at 10 and 120 minutes after intravenous injection of 99mTc-MIBI, respectively. Regions of interest were placed on the tumors and the contralateral healthy breasts in each patient to estimate 99mTc-MIBI uptake in the tumor, and retention indices were then calculated to assess the washout of 99mTc-MIBI. Chemosensitivity assay was performed by incubating surgical specimens with anticancer agents such as doxorubicin, epirubicin, pinorubicin, mitomycin C, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. 99mTc-MIBI washout on scintimammography was successfully related to inhibition ratios on chemosensitivity tests when compared with 99mTc-MIBI uptake by the tumor. In particular, high correlation coefficients were obtained between the retention index of 99mTc-MIBI and the inhibition ratios of doxorubicin (r = 0.75), epirubicin (r = 0.60) and pinorubicin (r = 0.62), but poor correlation was found for mitomycin C (r = 0.44) and cisplatin (r = 0.31). Our results indicate that the retention index of 99mTc-MIBI is closely correlated to chemosensitivity to anthracyclines, suggesting that double-phase scintimammography allows preoperative prediction of chemosensitivity of breast cancer.     

Human herpesvirus-6 antibodies in idiopathic facial nerve palsy and sudden deafness

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is the causative agent for exanthem subitum. This study investigated the relationship between idiopathic facial nerve palsy (Bell's palsy), sudden deafness and HHV-6 infection. Both Bell's palsy and sudden deafness are syndromes which causes are unknown. Both of them are suspected viral infection as causative agents. Paired sera from 22 patients of Bell's palsy and 39 patients of sudden deafness were examined for reactivity to HHV-6 by the indirect immunofluorescence test. On a case of Bell's palsy and two cases of sudden deafness each of the HHV-6 antibody titers was increased.     

Repeat angiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of dissecting aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery. Report of four cases

We here present 4 cases with dissecting aneurysm (DA) of the intracranial vertebral artery, who were followed up by repeat cerebral angiography and MRI. The patients consisted of 2 males and 2 females, and the mean age was 43 years. Two cases were associated with polyarteritis nodosa (PN) and hypertension, respectively. Three of the cases developed subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), while the other one suffered from lateral medullary syndrome. In cerebral angiography, "pearl and string" signs were revealed in all cases, while a "double lumen" indicating a true diagnostic sign of DA was demonstrated in only one case. Repeat angiography showed that a bleb formation with a bulging of the aneurysmal sac was seen in 2 cases, and an irregularity of the wall in one case. On the other hand in one case, the ectatic part shrank, while the stenotic part was restored. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a hyperintensity mass on T 1-weighted image (T 1-WI) adjacent to flow void suggesting either an intramural haematoma or a linear shape hyperintensity on T 1-WI were demonstrated in 3 cases. In the follow up MRI done in 2 cases, a serial change in the intensity from iso-intensity to hyperintensity on T 1-WI was observed in one case suggesting intramural haemorrhage, while an enlargement of the ectasic flow void was seen in the other case. Three of 4 cases were operated on by trapping of the aneurysms. One, who had systemic vascular diseases due to PN, and repeat angiography showed a regression of the aneurysm, was conservatively treated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A case of coronary artery bypass grafting for single coronary artery complicated by angina pectoris

A case of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for single coronary artery complicated by angina pectoris (AP) was reported. The patient was a 74-year-old male, complained of anginal discomforts. His single coronary artery originated in left coronary sinus, bifurcated to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and the circumflex artery (CX), and then, an abnormal communicating branch, passing in front of the right ventricular outflow, was branched from the proximal region of LAD; it showed a route corresponding to the proximal region of the right coronary artery (RCA). The distal region of RCA and the posterior descending artery were angiographed in continuity from CX. Other findings included 75%-stenosis at LAD-#6 and 90%-stenosis at CX-#13. Using two saphenous vein grafts, CABG operation was carried out on those regions at LAD-#7 and distal CX corresponding to #3 normally. Postoperatively, anginal discomforts disappeared, and favorable results were obtained.     

Parameter identification of continuous-time systems using iterative learning control

This paper presents a system identification technique for continuous-time state-space system using the iterative learning control. The transfer function parameters are regarded as functions with respect to the state-space parameters which will be identified. The relationship between the state-space parameters and the response error is explicitly derived. An update law of the state-space parameters is proposed so as to improve the convergence speed. The effectiveness of the proposed identification technique is demonstrated by numerical examples.     

Effects of substrate temperature on tin-doped indium oxide films deposited by dc arc discharge ion plating

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited on glass substrate at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 120 °C by the dc arc discharge ion plating technique. The electrical properties and crystallinity of ITO films were investigated. The resistivity of ITO films decreased with the increase of the substrate temperature in deposition, mostly due to increase in Hall mobility above 90 °C. The resistivity of ITO film obtained at temperature 120 °C was 1.33×10⁻⁴ Ω cm. The ITO films crystallized at the substrate temperature higher than 90 °C and the grain size estimated from the (2 2 2) peak in the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate became large with the increase of the substrate temperature. That the Hall mobility increased with the increase of the substrate temperature was speculated to be due to the increase of the grain size in the direction parallel to the surface.     

Characterization and biological application of YAG:Ce3+ nanophosphor modified with mercaptopropyl trimethoxy silane

We focus on the inorganic nanophosphor of YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles as an alternative fluorescent probe instead of organic dyes for biological application. YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles have the green emission at 530 nm under the excitation of blue light at 450 nm. Conventional biochemical equipments for organic dyes can be used for YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles. SH groups were introduced by surface modification of YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles with 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxy silane, and were characterized by X-ray fluorescence analysis, FT-IR, and Ellman method. We demonstrated tagging avidin-immobilized agarose gel beads with biotinylated-YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles, and tagging rabbit IgG-immobilized agarose gel beads with antirabbit IgG-immobilized YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles.     

Temperature dependence on addition of urea and its related compounds on formation of neodymium condensed phosphates

Urea (CO(NH₂)₂) and its related compounds (biuret: NH(CONH₂)₂ and cyanuric acid: (CONH)₃) were mixed with phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) and neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃). The thermal behavior of these dried mixtures was estimated by differential thermal analyses, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, specific surface area of phosphates was calculated by BET method using nitrogen adsorption. The addition of urea prevented the crystal growth of Monazite-type NdPO₄ in samples at P/Nd = 2 heated at 450 and 550 °C, and promoted the dehydration–condensation reaction of phosphate. Urea was considered to be decomposed at 400–450 °C in these systems. The decomposition of urea was considered to be related to the formation of neodymium dihydrogenphosphate and then this phosphate transformed to neodymium polyphosphate. The ratio of urea and phosphorus had influence on the promotion of the dehydration–condensation reaction. Thermal behavior of sample added with biuret or cyanuric acid was also investigated.