Posttransplant oxygen inhalation improves the outcome of subcutaneous islet transplantation: A promising clinical alternative to the conventional intrahepatic site.

Subcutaneous tissue is a promising site for islet transplantation, due to its large area and accessibility, which allows minimally invasive procedures for transplantation, graft monitoring, and removal of malignancies as needed. However, relative to the conventional intrahepatic transplantation site, the subcutaneous site requires a large number of islets to achieve engraftment success and diabetes reversal, due to hypoxia and low vascularity. We report that the efficiency of subcutaneous islet transplantation in a Lewis rat model is significantly improved by treating recipients with inhaled 50% oxygen, in conjunction with prevascularization of the graft bed by agarose-basic fibroblast growth factor. Administration of 50% oxygen increased oxygen tension in the subcutaneous site to 140 mm Hg, compared to 45 mm Hg under ambient air. In vitro, islets cultured under 140 mm Hg oxygen showed reduced central necrosis and increased insulin release, compared to those maintained in 45 mm Hg oxygen. Six hundred syngeneic islets subcutaneously transplanted into the prevascularized graft bed reversed diabetes when combined with postoperative 50% oxygen inhalation for 3 days, a number comparable to that required for intrahepatic transplantation; in the absence of oxygen treatment, diabetes was not reversed. Thus, we show oxygen inhalation to be a simple and promising approach to successfully establishing subcutaneous islet transplantation.

Simultaneous spawning by female stream goby Rhinogobius sp. and the association with brood cannibalism by nesting males.

A laboratory experiment was conducted by varying the undersurface area of nesting substratum and the number of females in an experimental tank to elucidate the determinants of the mating pattern in the stream goby, Rhinogobius sp. cross-band type. Males with larger nests tended to attract two or more females to their nest in a tank. Moreover, males spawned simultaneously with multiple females and entire brood cannibalism by males was rarely observed under a female-biased sex ratio. When males spawned with a single female with low fecundity, however, entire brood cannibalism occurred at a high frequency, suggesting that a male guarding a nest with fewer eggs consumes the brood. Therefore, spawning behaviour of females that leads to a large egg mass would decrease the risk of entire brood cannibalism. In this species, simultaneous spawning by multiple females in a nest serves as a female counter-measure against entire brood cannibalism. These results suggest that a conflict of interest between the sexes through brood cannibalism is a major determinant of simultaneous spawning.

Pharmacological strategies for protection of extrahepatic islet transplantation.

The safety and effectiveness of islet transplantation has been proven through world-wide trials. However, acute and chronic islet loss has hindered the ultimate objective of becoming a widely used treatment option for type 1 diabetes. A large islet loss is attributed, in part, to the liver being a less-than-optimal site for transplantation. Over half of the transplanted islets are destroyed shortly after transplantation due to direct exposure to blood and non-specific inflammation. Successfully engrafted islets are continuously exposed to the liver micro-environment, a unique immune system, low oxygen tension, toxins and high glucose, which is toxic to islets, leading to premature islet dysfunction/death. Investigations have continued to search for alternate sites to transplant islets that provide a better environment for prolonged function and survival. This article gathers courses and conditions that lead to islet loss, from organ procurement through islet transplantation, with special emphasis on hypoxia, oxidative stress, and antigen non-specific inflammation, and reviews strategies using pharmacological agents that have shown effectiveness in protecting islets, including a new treatment approach utilizing siRNA. Pharmacological agents that support islet survival and promote ß-cell proliferation are also included. Treatment of donor pancreata and/or islets with these agents should increase the effectiveness of islets transplanted into extrahepatic sites. Furthermore, the development of methods designed to release these agents over an extended period, will further increase their efficacy. This requires the combined efforts of both islet transplant biologists and bioengineers.

Pretreatment of donor islets with the Na(+) /Ca(2+) exchanger inhibitor improves the efficiency of islet transplantation.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is an attractive therapy for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. However, the low efficiency of this procedure necessitating sequential transplantations of islets with the use of 2-3 donors for a single recipient, mainly due to the early loss of transplanted islets, hampers its clinical application. Previously, we have shown in mice that a large amount of HMGB1 is released from islets soon after their transplantation and that this triggers innate immune rejection with activation of DC, NKT cells and neutrophils to produce IFN-γ, ultimately leading to the early loss of transplanted islets. Thus, HMGB1 release plays an initial pivotal role in this process; however, its mechanism remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that release of HMGB1 from transplanted islets is due to hypoxic damage resulting from Ca(2+) influx into ß cells through the Na(+) /Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX). Moreover, the hypoxia-induced ß cell damage was prevented by pretreatment with an NCX-specific inhibitor prior to transplantation, resulting in protection and long-term survival of transplanted mouse and human islets when grafted into mice. These findings suggest a novel strategy with potentially great impact to improve the efficiency of islet transplantation in clinical settings by targeting donor islets rather than recipients.

mRNA of the pro-apoptotic gene BBC3 serves as a molecular marker for TNF-α-induced islet damage in humans.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: TNF-α plays important roles in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In light of this, we examined the involvement of a pro-apoptotic gene, BBC3 (also known as PUMA), in TNF-α-mediated beta cell dysfunction and destruction in human islets. METHODS: Human islets were exposed in vitro to TNF-α alone or in combination with IFN-γ. Gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR using a set of single islets. Protein abundance and cellular localisation of BBC3 were assessed by immunoblot and immunohistochemistry. A marginal number of islets were transplanted into diabetic NODscid mice to correlate in vivo islet function with BBC3 expression. RESULTS: BBC3 and IL8 mRNA were upregulated in TNF-α-stimulated islets in a dose-dependent manner and enhanced through addition of IFN-γ, but not upregulated by IFN-γ alone. Immunohistochemistry revealed that TNF-α in combination with IFN-γ upregulated basal BBC3 abundance in the cytoplasm of beta cells along with the perinuclear clustering of mitochondria partially co-localised with BBC3. TNF-α alone did not induce beta cell death, but did abrogate preproinsulin precursor mRNA synthesis in response to high glucose stimulation, which was inversely associated with upregulation of BBC3 mRNA expression by TNF-α. Higher BBC3 mRNA expression in islets correlated with decreased graft function in vivo. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These results suggest that BBC3 mRNA can serve as a molecular marker to detect early TNF-α-induced beta cell stress and may help identify islet-protective compounds for the treatment of diabetes.

Immune responses to porphyromonas gingivalis infection suppress systemic inflammatory response in experimental murine model.

Periodontitis is a localized infectious disease caused by periodontopathic bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), and the severity correlates to significance of immune responses. Recently, it has been reported that periodontitis is associated with the development of systemic disease such as diabetes and atherosclerosis because of increasing invasion of oral pathogens to the circulation. However, the association between local and systemic infectious responses is still unclear. In the present study, we examined the differences of biological responses in animals with or without bacterial infection. After Balb/c mice were infected subcutaneously with live P. gingivalis W83, serum, skin and liver were collected according to experimental protocol. The skin and liver tissues were observed pathologically by haematoxylin-eosin staining, and serum IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA method. Throughout the experimental period, conditions of the mice were observed continuously. As expected, severe infiltration of leukocytes were observed at inflamed skin corresponding to the number of bacterial challenges. Although no inflammatory appearance of skin was observed, serum IL-6 levels were increased dramatically (P <0.01, Student's t-test) and liver tissues were injured in the mice without bacterial challenge. Interestingly, although severe inflammatory appearance of the skin was observed, serum IL-6 levels were not increased and no inflammatory responses were observed in the liver of the 3-times bacterially challenged group. Importantly, immunoglobulin G against P. gingivalis W83 was detected in the blood of mice with 3-times bacterial challenge corresponding to improvement of weight loss and survival. In conclusion, although multiple infections develop severe localized inflammation, the immune system should be sufficient to protect the systemic inflammatory responses.

Visualization of Nigrosome 1 from the Viewpoint of Anatomic Structure.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Parkinson disease is related to neurodegeneration and iron deposition in the substantia nigra pars compacta and nigrosome 1. However, visualization of nigrosome 1 via MR imaging is poor owing to the bilateral asymmetry, regardless of whether it is healthy. We focused on the magic angle and susceptibility effect and evaluated the anatomic slant structure of nigrosome 1 by tilting subjects' heads in the B0 direction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate the effectiveness of the magic angle, we tilted the volunteers' heads to the right and left in the B0 direction or not at all for evaluating correlations between the degree of head tilting and visualization of the right nigrosome 1 and left nigrosome 1 using 3D spoiled gradient-echo sequences with multiecho acquisitions. We evaluated the susceptibility of nigrosome 1 and the local field using quantitative susceptibility mapping to assess static magnetic field inhomogeneity. RESULTS: The heads tilted to the right and left showed significantly higher contrasts of nigrosome 1 and the substantia nigra pars compacta than the nontilted heads. No significant differences were observed in the visualization and susceptibility between the right nigrosome 1 and left nigrosome 1 for each head tilt. The effect of the magic angle was remarkable in the nontilted heads. This finding was supported by quantitative susceptibility mapping because the anatomic slant structure of nigrosome 1 was coherent between the axis of nigrosome 1 and the magic angle. CONCLUSIONS: The asymmetric visualization of nigrosome 1 is affected by the magic angle and susceptibility. The anatomic slant structure of nigrosome 1 causes these challenges in visualization.

Japanese civilian and US military interaction in the evacuation of casualties from Camp Fuji.

Historically, if US soldiers at Camp Fuji become severely ill or suffer trauma, they are transported by the ground ambulance, as the doctor-led air ambulance in eastern Shizuoka has never been permitted to land at Camp Fuji. However, it is widely recognised that severely ill or traumatised patients require time-dependent medical management. It was therefore agreed to undertake a joint exercise between the US medical assets of Camp Fuji and the doctor helicopters in eastern Shizuoka prefecture in evacuating a simulated severely ill or traumatised US soldier. The aim of this article is to describe the background and rationale between this collaboration between the civilian Japanese air ambulance and the US medical assets in Camp Fuji.

Quantitative immunoferritin localization of [Na+,K+]ATPase on canine hepatocyte cell surface.

Distribution of [Na+,K+]ATPase on the cell surface of canine hepatocytes was investigated quantitatively by incubating prefixed and dissociated liver cells with ferritin antibody conjugates against canine kidney holo[Na+,K+]ATPase. We found that [Na+,K+]-ATPase exists bilaterally both on the bile canalicular and sinusoid-lateral surfaces. The particle density on the bile canalicular surface was much higher (approximately 2.5 times) than that on the sinusoid-lateral surface. In the latter region, the enzyme was detected almost equally both on the sinusoidal and lateral surfaces. On all the surfaces, the distribution of the enzyme was homogeneous and no clustering of the enzyme was detected. Total number of the enzyme on the sinusoid-lateral surface was, however, approximately three times higher than that on the bile canalicular region, because the sinusoid-lateral surface represents approximately 87% of the total cell surface of a hepatocyte. We suggest that the [Na+, K+]ATPase on the bile canalicular surface is responsible for the bile acid-independent bile flow and the other transport processes on the bile canalicular cell surface, while that on the sinusoid-lateral surface is responsible not only for the active transport of Na+ but also for the secondary active transport of various substances in this region.

Distribution and induction of cytochrome P-450 in rat liver nuclear envelope.

Induction of cytochrome P-450s by 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) and phenobarbital (PB) and distribution of P-450s in the rat liver nuclear envelope were investigated by biochemical analyses and ferritin immunoelectron microscopy using specific antibodies against the major molecular species of MC- and PB-induced cytochrome P-450. It was found, in agreement with Kasper (J. Biol. Chem., 1971, 246: 577-581), that the total amount of cytochrome P-450s determined by biochemical analysis was markedly increased by MC, but not by PB, treatment. Immunoelectron microscopic analysis, however, showed marked and slight increases in ferritin labeling by MC and PB treatment, respectively. The latter finding was interpreted as resulting from the induction of a particular molecular species of PB-induced cytochrome P-450s. Ferritin immunoelectron microscopic analysis of intact isolated nuclei, naked nuclei from which the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope was partially detached (mechanically), and isolated nuclear envelopes have shown that the ferritin particles are found exclusively on the cytoplasmic face of the outer nuclear envelopes. Neither the nucleoplasmic face of the inner membrane of the nuclear envelope nor the cisternal face of both membranes of the nuclear envelope showed any labeling with ferritin. This indicates that cytochrome P-450 is located only on the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope and does not diffuse laterally into the domain of the inner membrane of the nuclear envelope across the nuclear pores. Our results suggest that a marked heterogeneity exists in the enzyme distribution between the outer and inner membrane of the nuclear envelope and that microsomal marker enzymes such as cytochrome P-450 exist exclusively in the outer membrane. In addition, it appears that cytochrome P-450 is probably not a transmembrane protein but an intrinsic protein located on the cytoplasmic face of the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope.

Testing combinations of protease inhibitor and preservation solution to improve islet quality and yield.

UNLABELLED: Pancreas preservation using an oxygenated two-layer method (TLM) has been reported to improve islet yields, as has supplementation of Liberase with Pefabloc. We hypothesized that using both TLM and Pefabloc could enhance islet yield as compared with preservation in University of Wisconsin (UW) or Histidine-Tryptophan Ketoglutarate (HTK) solution. METHODS: Ninety-eight pancreata with no significant differences of age, body mass index, or cold ischemia time preserved randomly with UW (n = 40), TLM (n = 48), or HTK (n = 10) were processed with (n = 36) or without (n = 66) Pefabloc. RESULTS: The total islet equivalent (IEQ) from TLM-preserved pancreata processed with Pefabloc (n = 12) showed lower yields versus those processed without Pefabloc (n = 36): 216,120 +/- 27,906 vs. 301,427 +/- 21,447 IEQ (P < .05). Islets from 1 of 12 (8.33%) pancreata processed with Pefabloc in TLM were transplanted, in contrast with 15/36 TLM (41.67%) pancreata processed without it. Islet yields were not significantly different among pancreata preserved in UW and processed with Pefabloc (n = 17) versus without Pefabloc (n = 23): 342,693 +/- 45,588 versus 266,609 +/- 29,006 IEQ (P = .149). The number of transplants from UW-preserved pancreata was 3/17 (17.65%) when processed with Pefabloc and 4/23 (17.39%) without. Among the HTK group, there was no significant difference in islet yields between pancreata processed with (n = 7) versus without Pefabloc (n = 3): 248,227 +/- 65,294 versus 483,555 +/- 144,070 IEQ (P = .118). CONCLUSIONS: Pefabloc showed no benefit to improve islet yields. Pancreata preserved in TLM provided better transplant quality islets when processed in the absence of Pefabloc.

Long-term outcomes of alternating chemoradiotherapy in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal cancer: a single-centre experience over the last decade.

SUMMARY: We assessed the long-term outcomes of alternating chemoradiotherapy (ACRT) using 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (FP) in 25 patients with stage II or advanced nasopharyngeal cancer treated at our institution between April 1999 and April 2010. Median follow-up duration was 87 months (range 2-189). According to the 2009 TNM classification (UICC), six patients were in stage II, nine in stage III, and 10 in stage IV. Treatment completion, response and five-year survival rates were retrospectively assessed. ACRT was performed with a first course of chemotherapy administered followed by the initial round of radiotherapy (36 Gy). Then, a second course of chemotherapy with additional radiotherapy (20-30 Gy) was administered, followed by a final third course of chemotherapy. For chemotherapy, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 800 mg/m2/24 h) was intravenously administered for five days, and cisplatin (CDDP, 50 mg/m2/24 h) was administered on the last two days. Treatment completion rate was 96% (24 of 25 cases), and the response rate was 100% (CR: 24 cases and PR: 1 case). Additionally, the five-year overall survival rate was 89.3%. We have demonstrated that ACRT is an effective regimen to treat nasopharyngeal cancer, revealing higher treatment completion, response, and five-year overall survival rates compared with other combinatorial radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment regimens.

Comparison of osseous healing after sagittal split ramus osteotomy and intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy.

The sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) is generally associated with greater postoperative stability than the intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO); however, it entails a risk of inferior alveolar nerve damage. In contrast, IVRO has the disadvantages of slow postoperative osseous healing and projection of the antegonial notch, but inferior alveolar nerve damage is believed to be less likely. The purposes of this study were to compare the osseous healing processes associated with SSRO and IVRO and to investigate changes in mandibular width after IVRO in 29 patients undergoing mandibular setback. On computed tomography images, osseous healing was similar in patients undergoing SSRO and IVRO at 1year after surgery. Projection of the antegonial notch occurred after IVRO, but returned to the preoperative state within 1year. The results of the study indicate that IVRO is equivalent to SSRO with regard to both bone healing and morphological recovery of the mandible.

Extracellular secretion of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase with a C-terminal tag by type I secretion system: purification and biochemical characterization.

Type I secretion system (TISS) of Gram-negative bacteria permits proteins to be secreted directly from the cytoplasm to the external medium by a single, energy-coupled step. To examine whether this system can be used as an extracellular production system of recombinant proteins, Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) was fused to a C-terminal region of Pseudomonas sp. MIS38 lipase (PML) and examined for secretion using the E.coli cells carrying the heterologous TISS. PML is one of the passenger proteins of TISS and contains 12 repetitive sequences and a secretion signal at the C-terminal region. The fusion protein was efficiently secreted to the extracellular medium, while AP was not secreted at all, indicating that the secretion of AP is promoted by a secretion signal of PML. The repetitive sequences were not so important for secretion of the fusion protein, because the secretion level of the fusion protein containing entire repeats ( approximately 10 mg/l culture) was only 2-fold higher than that of the fusion protein without repeats. The fusion protein purified from the culture supernatant existed as a homodimer, like AP, and was indistinguishable from AP in enzymatic properties and stability.

The glycosaminoglycans in human hepatic cancer.

A method is proposed for the analysis of glycosaminoglycans that were isolated from human liver, combining cellulose acetate electrophoresis and enzymatic digestion with mucopolysaccharidases. The major constituent of glycossaminoglycans in the healthy liver is heparin sulfate and/or heparin (about 65%), with approximately equal quantities of dermatan sulfate and hyalauronic acid (about 13.5 and 13%, respectively) and a small amount of chondroitin sulfate. These components, especially chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid, are markedly increased in hepatic carcinomas.

Partial characterization of RNA polymerase II complex released by micrococcal nuclease digestion of rat liver nuclei.

Two forms of RNA polymerase II were released from rat liver chromatin by micrococcal nuclease digestion of the nuclei. One from behaved like a free RNA polymerase II and the other like a complex with other nuclear components. Both forms of RNA polymerase II activity were recovered in the 0.16 M NaCl-soluble fraction of the nuclear digest, and the complexed from the RNA polymerase II could transcribe its endogenous template under conditions permitting only of elongation of the RNA synthesis. The RNA polymerase II complex was further purified by gel filtration chromatography and column electrophoresis. Analysis of protein and DNA of the partially purified complex suggested that the RNA polymerase II was bound to mono- or dinucleosomes carrying some characteristic nonhistone proteins. Furthermore, in experiments on tissues from starved rats, the two forms of RNA polymerase II were found to originate from different functional states of the chromatin-bound enzyme in vivo.

Human Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase PDE1A: novel splice variants, their specific expression, genomic organization, and chromosomal localization.

We report here the identification of novel human PDE1A splice variants, their tissue distribution patterns, genomic structure, and chromosomal localization of the gene. We identified one N-terminus (N3) and one C-terminus (C3) by cDNA library screening and dbEST database search. These N- and C-termini, including the reported N-termini (N1 and N2) and C-termini (C1 and C2), combined to generate nine different PDE1A cDNAs. N1 and N2 are similar to the 5' ends of the bovine PDE1A proteins of 61 kDa and 59 kDa, respectively, and C1 and C2 are the 3' ends of the reported human PDE1A variants. The results of PCR and Southern blot analysis show that nine PDE1A splice variants exhibit distinctive tissue distribution patterns by the difference of the N-terminus. PDE1As with N2 were widely expressed in various tissues, mainly in the kidney, liver, and pancreas. On the other hand, PDE1As with N1 and N3 were particularly expressed at a high level in the brain and testis, respectively. These findings suggest that the distinct expression patterns among PDE1A variants depend on the several promoters situated upstream of exons encoding 5' ends of the variants. The PDE1A gene spans over 120 kb of genomic DNA, and consists of at least 17 exons and 16 introns. The PDE1A gene was located on human chromosome 2q32 by fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis.

The apolipoprotein A-I/C-III/A-IV gene cluster: ApoC-III and ApoA-IV expression is regulated by two common enhancers.

Genetic, epidemiological and clinical evidence have clearly demonstrated the importance of the human apolipoprotein (apo) A-I/C-III/A-IV gene cluster in lipid metabolism and heart attack. The transcriptional regulation of these genes determines the level of the encoded proteins and therefore influences the concentration of triglycerides and cholesterol. Here, we analyze the existence of transcription control elements in the 6.6 kb apoC-III/A-IV intergenic region and their influence on the expression of both genes. Two main positive common control elements were found to modulate apoC-III and apoA-IV expression in HepG2 and in Caco-2 cells: the previously described apoC-III enhancer, located 0.8 kb upstream from the cap site of the gene, and a newly detected activating region located in the center of the intergenic sequence. The activity of both elements is highly increased by the hepatic and intestinal transcription factor HNF-4. Analysis of a 641 bp fragment containing the central element showed that it has the properties of a tissue-specific enhancer. Liver nuclear proteins interact with seven DNA binding sites present in this enhancer and HNF-4 specifically interacts with one of these sites. A third positive element, situated immediately upstream from the apoA-IV minimal promoter, is also activated by HNF-4; however, this element is not involved in apoC-III expression. In addition, two negative regions were identified, one located near the apoA-IV gene and the other one between the apoC-III enhancer and the newly identified central enhancer. In conclusion, negative and positive control elements are located in the apoC-III/A-IV intergenic region, including two enhancers important for the expression of the two genes. These results add new evidence that common regulatory elements for the expression of the apoA-I, apoC-III and apoA-IV genes are interspersed throughout the cluster.

Alteration of cGMP metabolism during chondrogenic differentiation of chondroprogenitor-like EC cells, ATDC5.

Guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) has been recently reported to be involved in bone formation. ATDC5 cells were used to investigate cGMP metabolism during chondrogenic differentiation. Natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A and NPR-B coupled with guanylate cyclase (GC) mediate biological functions of NPs, whereas NPR-C uncoupled with GC is thought to be the clearance receptor for NPs. The amounts of NPR-A, NPR-B, and CNP transcripts were increased but the amount of NPR-C transcripts was decreased in association with the chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells. CNP, a specific ligand for NPR-B lets ATDC5 cells accumulate great amounts of cGMP, revealing NPR-B as a dominant biological receptor through differentiation. cGMP hydrolytic activities of PDE1 and PDE5 existed in ATDC5 cells, and the activity of PDE1, which is stimulated by Ca(2+) and calmodulin (CaM) was major of them. Total cGMP hydrolytic activities as well as the amounts of PDE1 and PDE5 transcripts were enhanced during chondrogenic differentiation. Therefore, cGMP production and hydrolysis, cGMP metabolism was considered to be activated in association with chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells. These observations may lead to a better understanding of cGMP in the chondrocytes where bone formation occurs.

The ABC-exporter genes involved in the lipase secretion are clustered with the genes for lipase, alkaline protease, and serine protease homologues in Pseudomonas fluorescens no. 33.

In Pseudomonas fluorescens no. 33, the lipase gene is clustered with the genes for alkaline protease, AprDEF exporter, and two homologue proteins of Serratia serine proteases (pspA and pspB). Secretion of the lipase and alkaline protease through AprDEF was shown in the Escherichia coli cells. Interestingly, the E. coli cells carrying the pspA gene secreted PspA to the media AprDEF-independently.