SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 plays rice-specific roles in DNA damage response and repair.

Land plants are constantly exposed to environmental stresses and have developed complicated defense systems, including DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair systems, to protect plant cells. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE1 (SOG1) plays a key role in DDR. Here, we focus on DDR in rice (Oryza sativa)-thought to be a simpler system compared with Arabidopsis due to lack of induction of the endocycle even under DNA damage stress. Rice SOG1 (OsSOG1) and SOG1-like (OsSGL) were identified as putative AtSOG1 orthologs with complete or partial conservation of the serine-glutamine motifs involved in activation via phosphorylation. In addition to OsSOG1 or OsSGL knockout mutants, OsSOG1 nonphosphorylatable mutants (OsSOG1-7A) were generated by homologous recombination-mediated gene targeting. Based on the analysis of DNA damage susceptibility and the effect on the expression of DNA repair-related genes using these mutants, we have demonstrated that OsSOG1 plays a more important role than OsSGL in controlling DDR and DNA repair. OsSOG1-regulated target genes via CTT (N)7 AAG motifs reported previously as AtSOG1 recognition sites. The loss of transcription activity of OsSOG1-7A was not complete compared with OsSOG1-knockout mutants, raising the possibility that other phosphorylation sites might be involved in, or that phosphorylation might not be always required for, the activation of OsSOG1. Furthermore, our findings have highlighted differences in SOG1-mediated DDR between rice and Arabidopsis, especially regarding the transcriptional induction of meiosis-specific recombination-related genes and the response of cell cycle-related genes, revealing rice-specific DDR mechanisms.

Metformin-Induced Heat Shock Protein Family A Member 6 Is a Promising Biomarker of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Antidiabetic drug metformin exerts various antitumor effects on different cancers. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an intractable digestive organ cancer and new treatment strategy is required. In this study, we performed a comprehensive gene expression analysis of ESCC cell lines treated with metformin, which provided helpful information on the antitumor effects of metformin in ESCC. Next, we selected a promising gene among them and examined its effects on ESCC properties. METHODS: We examined metformin-induced mRNA expression changes in two human ESCC cell lines by performing next-generation sequencing (NGS) and pathway analysis. Heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 6 (HSPA6) expression in surgical specimens obtained from 83 ESCC patients who underwent curative operations was evaluated immunohistochemically and analyzed. RESULTS: Metformin upregulated mRNA expression of the many genes, including HSPA6, a cancer immune-related gene, and inhibited mRNA expression of the other many genes. Pathway analysis indicated major canonical pathways and upstream regulators related to metformin. The result indicated HSPA6 as a promising biomarker. HSPA6 expression correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) of the patients with all stage ESCC (p = 0.021), especially with stage I/II ESCC (p < 0.001). With stage III, low HSPA6 expression was not associated with poor DFS (p = 0.918). Multivariate analysis indicated that independent low HSPA6 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor of stage I/II ESCC (p < 0.001). However, HSPA6 expression did not correlate with the clinicopathological characteristics, including age, sex, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, and tumor markers of the patients with stage I/II ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: This NGS analysis detected prospective candidate genes, including HSPA6. Our results indicate that HSPA6 is a promising biomarker of the recurrence risk of stage I/II ESCC. Further studies on HSPA6 would lead to better treatment.

Polymorphic edge detection (PED): two efficient methods of polymorphism detection from next-generation sequencing data.

BACKGROUND: Accurate detection of polymorphisms with a next generation sequencer data is an important element of current genetic analysis. However, there is still no detection pipeline that is completely reliable. RESULT: We demonstrate two new detection methods of polymorphisms focusing on the Polymorphic Edge (PED). In the matching between two homologous sequences, the first mismatched base to appear is the SNP, or the edge of the structural variation. The first method is based on k-mers from short reads and detects polymorphic edges with k-mers for which there is no match between target and control, making it possible to detect SNPs by direct comparison of short-reads in two datasets (target and control) without a reference genome sequence. The second method is based on bidirectional alignment to detect polymorphic edges, not only SNPs but also insertions, deletions, inversions and translocations. Using these two methods, we succeed in making a high-quality comparison map between rice cultivars showing good match to the theoretical value of introgression, and in detecting specific large deletions across cultivars. CONCLUSIONS: Using Polymorphic Edge Detection (PED), the k-mer method is able to detect SNPs by direct comparison of short-reads in two datasets without genomic alignment step, and the bidirectional alignment method is able to detect SNPs and structural variations from even single-end short-reads. The PED is an efficient tool to obtain accurate data for both SNPs and structural variations. AVAILABILITY: The PED software is available at: https://github.com/akiomiyao/ped .

Antitumor effects of metformin are a result of inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B nuclear translocation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an intractable digestive organ cancer that has proven difficult to treat despite multidisciplinary therapy, and a new treatment strategy is demanded. Metformin is used for type 2 diabetes mellitus and its antitumor effects have been reported recently. Metformin exerts antitumor effects in various respects, such as inhibiting inflammation, tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, few reports have described the efficacy of metformin on ESCC, and their findings have been controversial. We analyzed the antitumor effects of metformin and clarified its effects on anti-inflammation, growth suppression and EMT inhibition. Activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), the major transcription factor induced by inflammation, was investigated by immunostaining. We found that localization of NF-κB in the nucleus was reduced after metformin treatment. This suggests that metformin inhibited the activation of NF-κB. Metformin inhibited tumor growth and induced apoptosis in ESCC cell lines. Associated with EMT, we examined cell motility by a wound healing assay and the epithelial marker E-cadherin expression of various ESCC cell lines by western blotting. Metformin inhibited cell motility and induced E-cadherin expression. In conclusion, metformin showed multiple antitumor effects such as growth suppression, invasion inhibition, and control of EMT by inhibiting NF-κB localization on ESCC. Further exploration of the marker of treatment efficacy and combination therapy could result in the possibility for novel treatment to use metformin on ESCC.

ZNF750 Expression Is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: ZNF750, a transcriptional regulator of epidermal differentiation, has been identified as a tumor suppressor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of ZNF750 expression and to evaluate the effect of ZNF750 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in ESCC. METHODS: A total of 124 patients with ESCC who underwent curative esophagectomy were evaluated in this study. The expression of ZNF750 in surgical specimens was immunohistochemically assessed and used in the analysis of clinicopathological features and overall survival (OS). The molecular role of ZNF750 was investigated by ZNF750 knockdown using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in ESCC cell lines. RESULTS: Low ZNF750 expression had a significant correlation with positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.028). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between low expression of ZNF750 in ESCC and a poor OS, and a multivariate analysis showed that low ZNF750 expression was an independent prognostic factor (p = 0.020). The cell growth, migration, and invasion were significantly increased by downregulation of ZNF750. CONCLUSIONS: The low expression of ZNF750 was significantly associated with a poor prognosis, and ZNF750 expression may, therefore, be a reliable prognostic biomarker in ESCC.

Dysfunction of lipid sensor GPR120 leads to obesity in both mouse and human.

Free fatty acids provide an important energy source as nutrients, and act as signalling molecules in various cellular processes. Several G-protein-coupled receptors have been identified as free-fatty-acid receptors important in physiology as well as in several diseases. GPR120 (also known as O3FAR1) functions as a receptor for unsaturated long-chain free fatty acids and has a critical role in various physiological homeostasis mechanisms such as adipogenesis, regulation of appetite and food preference. Here we show that GPR120-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet develop obesity, glucose intolerance and fatty liver with decreased adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis and enhanced hepatic lipogenesis. Insulin resistance in such mice is associated with reduced insulin signalling and enhanced inflammation in adipose tissue. In human, we show that GPR120 expression in adipose tissue is significantly higher in obese individuals than in lean controls. GPR120 exon sequencing in obese subjects reveals a deleterious non-synonymous mutation (p.R270H) that inhibits GPR120 signalling activity. Furthermore, the p.R270H variant increases the risk of obesity in European populations. Overall, this study demonstrates that the lipid sensor GPR120 has a key role in sensing dietary fat and, therefore, in the control of energy balance in both humans and rodents.

ZNF750 Expression as a Novel Candidate Biomarker of Chemoradiosensitivity in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: ZNF750, an epidermal differentiation regulator, has been suggested to act as a tumor suppressor of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Although a correlation between the epidermal differentiation gene and resistance to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been posited, no data regarding the ZNF750 status in ESCC have been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between ZNF750 expression and response to CRT in ESCC. METHODS: Eighty-seven patients who had been pathologically diagnosed with ESCC were evaluated in the present study. All patients underwent neoadjuvant CRT, followed by curative esophagectomy. The expression of ZNF750 in pretreatment biopsy samples was immunohistochemically investigated and compared to the histopathological effectiveness of CRT in surgical specimens. RESULTS: High expression of ZNF750 was closely correlated with good sensitivity to CRT (p = 0.016). A univariate analysis showed that high/intermediate expression of ZNF750 was a significant predictive factor for good sensitivity to CRT (p = 0.006). High/intermediate expression of ZNF750 (30% or more) remained an independent predictive factor for sensitivity to CRT in a multivariate analysis (p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: ZNF750 expression predicts sensitivity to CRT and can be a biomarker that reliably predicts the response of ESCC to CRT.

Serum Versus Tissue SIRT1 as Potentially Valuable Biomarkers in Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We lack reports on the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic value of serum sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) levels and their association with SIRT1 expression in tissues of patients with gastric cancer (GC). Thus, we investigated the pathological characteristics and prognostic values of SIRT1 tissue expression and its serum concentration in GC. Moreover, we investigated the correlation between these two factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 78 patients with GC who underwent curative gastrectomy were evaluated in this study. The expression of SIRT1 in the surgical specimens was assessed using immunohistochemistry. Serum levels of SIRT1 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The association of tissue and serum SIRT1 with the clinicopathological features and prognosis were evaluated. RESULTS: Positive SIRT1 tissue expression was significantly related to an advanced cancer stage (p=0.017). Furthermore, a significant relationship existed between a positive SIRT1 tissue expression and poorer overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (p=0.033 and p=0.033, respectively). In contrast, serum SIRT1 levels showed no significant association with clinicopathological characteristics besides age. In addition, no significant correlation was observed between tissue SIRT1 expression and serum SIRT1 concentration. CONCLUSION: Tissue SIRT1 expression may be a valuable novel prognostic biomarker; nonetheless, further studies are required to clarify the relationship between tissue SIRT1 expression and serum SIRT1 levels in GC.

Alteration in peritoneal cells with the chemokine CX3CL1 reverses age-associated impairment of recognition memory.

Cognitive function progressively declines with advancing age. The aging process can be promoted by obesity and attenuated by exercise. Both conditions affect levels of the chemokine CX3CL1 in peripheral tissues; however, its role in cognitive aging is unknown. In the current study, we administered CX3CL1 into the peritoneal cavity of aged mice to investigate its impact on the aging process. In the peritoneal cavity, CX3CL1 not only reversed the age-associated accumulation of cells expressing the senescence marker p16INK4a but also increased peritoneal phagocytic activity, indicating that CX3CL1 affected the phenotypes of peritoneal cells. In the hippocampus of aged mice, intraperitoneal administration of CX3CL1 increased the number of Type-2 neural stem cells and promoted brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. This treatment, furthermore, improved novel object recognition memory impaired with advancing age. Intraperitoneal transplantation of peritoneal cells from CX3CL1-treated aged mice improved novel object recognition memory in recipient aged mice. It indicates that peritoneal cells have a critical role in the CX3CL1-induced improvement of recognition memory in aged mice. Vagotomy inhibited the CX3CL1-induced increase in BDNF expression, demonstrating that the vagus nerve is involved in the hippocampal BDNF expression induced by intraperitoneal administration of CX3CL1. Thus, our results demonstrate that a novel connection among the peritoneal cells, the vagus nerve, and the hippocampus can reverse the age-associated decline in recognition memory.

Involvement of the aldo-keto reductase, AKR1B10, in mitomycin-c resistance through reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanisms.

The human aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1B10 is suggested as a tumor marker in various solid tumors. Using colon cancer cells, we found that AKR1B10 was induced with acquisition of resistance to the anticancer drug mitomycin-c (MMC). In the resistant cells, treatment with an AKR1B10 inhibitor decreased their MMC tolerance. In the nonresistant cells, overexpression and silencing of AKR1B10 decreased and increased, respectively, susceptibility to cytotoxic effects of MMC and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, which was formed as a product of lipid peroxidation by MMC treatment. These results suggest a role of AKR1B10 in the development of MMC resistance, which may be mediated by its ability to detoxify cytotoxic aldehydes including 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal.

Cell-free microRNA-1246 in different body fluids as a diagnostic biomarker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor with unfavorable prognosis. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of microRNA (miR)-1246 detection in various body fluids as a biomarker for this disease. A total of 72 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled, and their blood, urine, and saliva samples were collected prior to treatment. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of miR-1246 was performed, and pre- and postoperative and intraday fluctuations in its expression were examined. The expression of miR-1246 in the blood and urine was significantly higher in the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma than in 50 healthy control subjects. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that the area under the curve values were 0.91 (sensitivity 91.7%, specificity 76.0%), 0.82 (sensitivity 90.3%, specificity 62.0%), and 0.80 (sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 66.0%) in the serum, urine, and saliva, respectively. A relatively high diagnostic performance of miR-1246 was observed in all samples, which was better than that of the existing biomarkers squamous cell carcinoma antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, and cytokeratin 19 fragment. No clear correlation was observed in the levels of miR-1246 expression among the three body fluids. Postoperatively, serum samples displayed significantly decreased miR-1246 levels. Although not significant, changes in the miR-1246 levels were observed at all collection times, with large fluctuations in the saliva. Meanwhile, serum miR-1246 expression was found to be associated with the disease prognosis. The results indicate that the levels of miR-1246 in the urine, saliva, and serum are a useful biomarker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and support the use of urine samples instead of blood samples for noninvasive diagnosis.

Molecular Mechanism of Apoptosis by Amyloid ß-Protein Fibrils Formed on Neuronal Cells.

Aggregational states of amyloid ß-protein (Aß) are critical for its neurotoxicity, although they are not well-characterized, particularly after binding to the cell membranes. This is one reason why the mechanisms of Aß neurotoxicity are controversial and elusive. In this study, the effects of toxic Aß-(1-42) fibrils formed in the membrane on cellular processes were investigated using human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Consistent with previous observations, fibrillar Aßs formed on the membranes induced activation of caspase-3, the effector caspase for apoptosis. Knockdown analyses of the initiator caspases, caspase-8 and caspase-9, indicated that the apoptosis was induced via activation of caspase-8, followed by activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. We also found that inflammation signaling pathways including Toll-like receptors and inflammasomes NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 are involved in the initiation of apoptosis by the Aß fibrils. These inflammation-related molecules are promising targets for the prevention of apoptotic cell death induced by Aß.

Genome-wide ChIP-seq data with a transcriptome analysis reveals the groups of genes regulated by histone demethylase LSD1 inhibition in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Expression of genes is controlled by histone modification, histone acetylation and methylation, but abnormalities of these modifications have been observed in carcinogenesis and cancer development. The effect of the lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) inhibitor, a demethylating enzyme of histones, is thought to be caused by controlling the expression of genes. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the efficacies of the LSD1 inhibitor on the gene expression of esophageal cancer cell lines using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-Seq. A comprehensive analysis of gene expression changes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines induced by the LSD1 inhibitor NCL1 was clarified via analysis using microarray. In addition, ChIP-seq analysis was conducted using a SimpleChIP plus Enzymatic Chromatin IP kit. NCL1 strongly suppressed the proliferation of T.Tn and TE2 cells, which are ESCC cell lines, and further induced apoptosis. According to the combinatory analysis of ChIP-seq and microarray, 17 genes were upregulated, and 16 genes were downregulated in both cell lines. The comprehensive gene expression study performed in the present study is considered to be useful for analyzing the mechanism of the antitumor effect of the LSD1 inhibitor in patients with ESCC.

Transcriptome analysis revealed bisphenol A and nonylphenol affect reproduction.

Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on reproduction have not been fully explained comprehensively. In this study, we tried to validate the common effect of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Nonylphenol (NP) on the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells and found that they modify the expression of germ cell specific genes. To elucidate functional significance on biological process, we performed Gene Ontology (GO)-based microarray analysis comparing with published GeneChip data of primordial germ cell development in vivo. Cluster analysis of gene expression profile revealed that EDC treatment and primordial germ cell (PGC) development shared characteristic cluster consists of GO terms related to "germ cell development" and "reproduction". In the GO term "reproduction", meiosis related genes showed high expression level by EDC exposure. These results suggest that BPA and NP affect not only some of the germ cell specific genes, but functionally interferes germ cell development and reproduction.

Treatment of intermittent hypoxia increases phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus via biological processes common to aging.

Sleep-disordered breathing produces cognitive impairments, and is possibly associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). Intermittent hypoxia treatment (IHT), an experimental model for sleep-disordered breathing, results in cognitive impairments in animals via unknown mechanisms. Here, we exposed mice to IHT protocols, and performed biochemical analyses and microarray analyses regarding their hippocampal samples. In particular, we performed gene ontology (GO)-based microarray analysis to elucidate effects of IHT on hippocampal functioning, which were compared with the effects of various previously-reported experimental conditions on that (ref. Gene Expression Omnibus, The National Center for Biotechnology Information). Our microarray analyses revealed that IHT and aging shared alterations in some common GO, which were also observed with kainic acid treatment, Dicer ablation, or moderate glutamate excess. Mapping the altered genes using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes PATHWAY database indicated that IHT and aging affected several pathways including "MAPK signaling pathway", "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway", and "glutamatergic synapse". Consistent with the gene analyses, in vivo analyses revealed that IHT increased phosphorylated tau, reflecting an imbalance of kinases and/or phosphatases, and reduced proteins relevant to glutamatergic synapses. In addition, IHT increased phosphorylated p70 S6 kinase, indicating involvement of the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Furthermore, IHT mice demonstrated hyperactivity in Y-maze tests, which was also observed in AD models. We obtained important data or something from the massive amount of microarray data, and confirmed the validity by in vivo analyses: the IHT-induced cognitive impairment may be partially explained by the fact that IHT increases phosphorylated tau via biological processes common to aging. Moreover, as aging is a major risk factor for AD, IHT is a novel model for investigating the pathological processes contributing to AD onset.

Expression of ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF)-like protein 6 during mouse embryonic development.

ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF)-like protein 6 (ARL6) is a member of the ARF-like protein (ARL) subfamily of small GTPases (Moss, 1995; Chavrier, 1999). ARLs are highly conserved through evolution and most of them possess the consensus sequence required for GTP binding and hydrolysis (Pasquallato, 2002). Among ARLs, ARL6 which was initially isolated from a J2E erythroleukemic cell line is divergent in its consensus sequences and its expression has been shown to be limited to the brain and kidney in adult mouse (Ingley, 1999). Recently, it was reported that mutations of the ARL6 gene cause type 3 Bardet-Biedl syndrome in humans and that ARL6 is involved in ciliary transport in C. elegans (Chiang, 2004; Fan, 2004). Here, we investigated the expression pattern of ARL6 during early mouse development by whole-mount in situ hybridization and found that interestingly, ARL6 mRNA was localized around the node at 7.0-7.5 days post coitum (dpc) embryos, while weak expression was also found in the ectoderm. At the later stage (8.5 dpc) ARL6 was expressed in the neural plate and probably in the somites. Based on these results, a possible role of ARL6 in early development is discussed in relation to the findings in human and C. elegans (Chiang, 2004; Fan, 2004).

Quantification of plasma exosome is a potential prognostic marker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Exosomes play important roles in cancer progression. Although its contents (e.g., proteins and microRNAs) have been focused on in cancer research, particularly as potential diagnostic markers, the exosome behavior and methods for exosome quantification remain unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the tumor-derived exosome behavior and assessed the quantification of exosomes in patient plasma as a biomarker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A CD63-GFP expressing human ESCC cell line (TE2-CD63-GFP) was made by transfection, and mouse subcutaneous tumor models were established. Fluorescence imaging was performed on tumors and plasma exosomes harvested from mice. GFP-positive small vesicles were confirmed in the plasma obtained from TE2-CD63-GFP tumor-bearing mice. Patient plasma was collected in Chiba University Hospital (n=86). Exosomes were extracted from 100 µl of the plasma and quantified by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The relationship between exosome quantification and the patient clinical characteristics was assessed. The quantification of exosomes isolated from the patient plasma revealed that esophageal cancer patients (n=66) expressed higher exosome levels than non-malignant patients (n=20) (P=0.0002). Although there was no correlation between the tumor progression and the exosome levels, exosome number was the independent prognostic marker and low levels of exosome predicted a poor prognosis (P=0.03). In conclusion, exosome levels may be useful as an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients.

Free fatty acid receptor GPR120 is highly expressed in enteroendocrine K cells of the upper small intestine and has a critical role in GIP secretion after fat ingestion.

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) is an incretin secreted from enteroendocrine K cells in response to meal ingestion. Recently free fatty acid receptor G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 120 was identified as a lipid sensor involved in glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion. However, Gpr 120 gene expression and its role in K cells remain unclear, partly due to difficulties in separation of K cells from other intestinal epithelial cells. In this study, we purified K cells using GIP-green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock-in mice, in which K cells can be visualized by GFP fluorescence. GFP-positive cells (K cells) were observed in the small intestine but not in the stomach and colon. K cell number and GIP content in K cells were significantly higher in the upper small intestine than those in the lower small intestine. We also examined the expression levels of several free fatty acid receptors in K cells. Among free fatty acid receptors, GPR120 was highly expressed in the K cells of the upper small intestine compared with the lower small intestine. To clarify the role of GPR120 on K cells in vivo, we used GPR120-deficient mice (GPR120(-/-)). GPR120(-/-) exhibited significantly lower GIP secretion (75% reduction, P < .01) after lard oil ingestion compared with that in wild-type mice. Consistently, pharmacological inhibition of GPR120 with grifolic acid methyl ether in wild-type mice significantly attenuated lard oil-induced GIP secretion. In conclusion, GPR120 is expressed abundantly in K cells of the upper small intestine and plays a critical role in lipid-induced GIP secretion.

Clinical and Immunological Evaluation of Infection in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Infection is a major complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients on hemodialysis. We analyzed the incidence and type of infection occurring in 4841 patients on hemodialysis between 1986 and 1993 in our hospital and 11 other hemodialysis centers. Infection was noted in 193 patients (4.98 infections/1000 patients/year). Pneumonia (n=71) and bacteremia (n=24) were the 2 most common infections, followed by tuberculosis (n=14), herpes zoster infections (n=12) and infections at the vascular access site (n=12). The most commonly isolated organism in pneumonia, bacteremia and vascular access site infections wasStaphylococcus aureus. Analysis of the prognosis of patients with pneumonia showed a mortality rate of 50% in patients greater than 60 years old, which was significantly higher than that of younger patients (6.7%,P<0.01), whereas the mortality rate in patients with bacteremia was not different between the 2 age groups (60.0% vs. 57.9%, respectively). We also analyzed changes in immunological function and nutritional status in 16 patients on hemodialysis and 21 healthy control subjects. Although the phagocytic and bactericidal activities of neutrophils and monocytes were not different between the groups, superoxide production, the percentage of natural killer cells and the degree of blastoid transformation with phytohemagglutinin stimulation were significantly lower in hemodialysis patients. Low levels of Niderman's index and serum albumin and transferrin indicated poor nutritional status in these patients. Furthermore, the degree of Niderman's index and serum albumin significantly correlated with impairment of immunological function, such as reduced blastoid transformation and the number of lymphocytes. Our results suggest that analysis of the patterns of infection in patients on hemodialysis should provide better management and that improvement of malnutrition may ameliorate impaired immunity in hemodialysis patients.

[Two cases of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis caused by Schizophyllum commune in young asthmatic patients].

We report on two patients, a 27-year-old and a 33-year-old woman, with allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM) caused by the basidiomycetous fungus Schizophyllum commune (S. commune). Each patient had bronchial asthma. Both were admitted to our institution for further examination of cough, sputum, and abnormal chest shadows. ABPM was strongly suspected, because they showed eosinophilia in both peripheral blood and sputum, and increased serum IgE levels. A mold was isolated from their sputum, but identification was not possible. Systemic corticosteroid therapy relieved their symptoms and chest abnormal shadows. Later, S. commune, a basidiomycetous fungus, was detected from further examination of their sputum cultures, and serum anti-S. commune IgG was elevated. Finally, both cases were diagnosed as ABPM caused by S. commune. It is reported that this syndrome typically develops in women in middle age, but our patients were young women. It is important to take into account the possibility of ABPM caused by S. commune even in young patients when Aspergillus species are not isolated.