Three-dimensional morphological characterization of the skin surface micro-topography using a skin replica and changes with age.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Skin surface micro-topography (SSMT), consisting of pores, ridges and furrows, reflects the skin condition and is an important factor determining the aesthetics of the skin. Most previous studies evaluating SSMT have employed two-dimensional image analysis of magnified pictures captured by a video microscope. To improve the accuracy of SSMT analysis, we established a three-dimensional (3D) analysis method for SSMT and developed various parameters including the skin ridge number, and applied the method to study the age-dependent change in skin. METHODS: Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used for 3D measurement of the surface morphology of silicon replicas taken from the cheek. We then used these data to calculate the parameters that reflect the nature of SSTM including the skin ridge number using originally developed software. Employing a superscription technique, we investigated the variation in SSMT with age for replicas taken from the cheeks of 103 Japanese females (5-85 years old). RESULTS: The skin surface area and roughness, the area of pores, the area, length, depth and width of skin furrows and the number of skin ridges were examined. The surface roughness, the area of pores and the depth of skin furrows increased with age. The area and length of skin furrows and the number of skin ridges decreased with age. CONCLUSION: The method proposed to analyse SSMT three dimensionally is an effective tool with which to characterize the condition of the skin.

Association of a polymorphism of BTN2A1 with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese individuals.

AIMS: We previously showed that the C→T polymorphism (rs6929846) of BTN2A1 was significantly associated with myocardial infarction in Japanese individuals by a genome-wide association study. Given that diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for myocardial infarction, the association of rs6929846 of BTN2A1 with myocardial infarction might be attributable, at least in part, to its effect on susceptibility to diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of rs6929846 of BTN2A1 to Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 8650 Japanese individuals from two independent subject panels were examined: Panel A comprised 1141 individuals with Type 2 diabetes and 3161 control subjects and panel B comprised 1664 individuals with Type 2 diabetes and 2684 control subjects. RESULTS: The chi-square test revealed that rs6929846 of BTN2A1 was significantly related to the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in subject panel A (P = 0.0002) and subject panel B (P=0.006). Multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and smoking status revealed that rs6929846 was significantly associated with Type 2 diabetes (P = 0.0006; odds ratio 1.25) in all individuals, with the T allele representing a risk factor for this condition. Multiple regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex and body mass index revealed that rs6929846 was significantly (P=0.04) related to blood glycosylated haemoglobin content in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: BTN2A1 may be a susceptibility gene for Type 2 diabetes in Japanese individuals.

Genetic risk for myocardial infarction determined by polymorphisms of candidate genes in a Japanese population.

BACKGROUND: Although several environmental factors influence the development of myocardial infarction (MI), genetic factors have been shown to contribute to individual susceptibility to this condition. OBJECTIVE: To identify gene polymorphisms that confer susceptibility to MI in order to allow assessment of genetic risk for this condition. METHODS: 3433 unrelated Japanese people (1931 men, 1502 women) were entered into the study. These comprised 1328 subjects with MI (1036 men, 292 women) and 2105 controls (895 men, 1210 women). The genotypes for 40 polymorphisms of 31 candidate genes were determined with a method that combines PCR and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes with suspension array technology. RESULTS: The chi(2) test revealed that six polymorphisms were significantly (false discovery rate <0.05) related to the prevalence of MI. Further examination by multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolaemia, in addition to a stepwise forward selection procedure found that the A-->C (Gln1334His) polymorphism (rs3742207) of the collagen type IV alpha-1 gene (COL4A1) and the A-->G polymorphism (rs4804611) of the zinc finger protein 627 gene (ZNF627) were significantly (p<0.05) associated with the prevalence of MI. The variant C allele of COL4A1 was protective against MI, whereas the variant G allele of ZNF627 represented a risk factor for this condition. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of genotypes for COL4A1 and ZNF627 may prove informative for assessment of the genetic risk for MI.

[Intrathoracic lipoma resected by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; report of two cases].

We experienced 2 cases of intrathoracic lipoma arising from the chest wall and posterior mediastinum. The 1st case was a 65-year-old female, and another case was a 60-year-old male. The 1st case had a 15 cm tumor at posterior mediastinum, and another case had rapidly growing 6 cm tumor at chest wall. Both tumors were surgically removed completely by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and the diagnosis of lipoma was established pathologically. VATS resection was an useful procedure for intrathoracic lipoma. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were useful for evaluation of local extent of tumor.

Evaluation of genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity of standardized rose hip extract.

Rose hip is the fruit of the rose plant, which is widely used in food, cosmetics and as a traditional medicine. Therefore, rose hip is considered safe and has a sufficient history of consumption as food. However, few studies have reported on the safety of rose hip extracts in toxicological analyses. Thus, to evaluate the safety of rosehip polyphenol MJ (RHPMJ), an aqueous ethanol extract standardized with the trans-tiliroside content, we performed genotoxicity and 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity studies in compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development-Good Laboratory Practice. RHPMJ did not induce gene mutations in reverse mutation tests of Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA strains and did not induce chromosomal aberrations in cultured Chinese hamster lung (CHL/IU) cells. Moreover, micronucleus tests using rat bone marrow showed RHPMJ had no micronucleus-inducing potential. Finally, 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity studies (100-1000 mg/kg) in male and female rats showed no treatment-related toxicity in rats. These data indicate that the RHPMJ had no genotoxicity and a no-observed-adverse-effect level greater than 1000 mg/kg in rats.

Flow cytometric analysis of hemetopoietic progenitor cells in peripheral blood stem cell harvest from patients with CD34 positive acute leukemia.

We analyzed CD34 positive cells in peripheral blood stem cell harvest (PBSCH) using flow cytometry. PBSCH from CD34 positive acute myelogeous leukemia (AML-M2) patient contained 1.87% CD34 positive cells, of which 1.21% was represented by MRD.PBSCH from CD34 positive acute lymphoblast leukemia (ALL) patient contained 3.14% CD34 positive cells, of which 0.11% was accounted for by minimal residual disease (MRD). If PBSCH from CD34 positive acute leukemia patient is analyzed for CD34 monoclonal antibody alone, the presence of CD34 positive MRD may escape attention so that CD34 positive hematopoietic progenitor cells may be overestimated. To avoid this risk, it is necessary to analyze PBSCH using both CD34 monoclonal antibody and characteristic markers of leukemia cells that were found pre-treatment.

Endocrine and environmental influences upon plasma cortisol concentrations and plasma renin activity of the eel, Anguilla anguilla L.

The plasma concentrations of cortisol, sodium, potassium and calcium and plasma osmolarity were determined in freshwater silver eels, after intravascular injections of eel renin preparations, mammalian ACTH, mammalian angiotensin II and eel muscle extracts. Arterial blood specimens were taken before and after injection of test substances. Partially purified eel and rat renal renins gave prolonged pressor responses in intact and hypophysectomized eels and in the nephrectomized rat anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone. Angiotensin, but not ACTH, produced obvious pressor responses in intact and hypophysectomized eels and in eels without their corpuscles of Stannius. Hypophysectomized eels 4-8 days after operation had reduced plasma cortisol concentrations. No change in cortisol occurred in eels after removal of the corpuscles of Stannius. Eel renin preparations and ACTH gave increased concentrations of plasma cortisol 30 min after injection into hypophysectomized and intact eels. In general, the length of the renin-generated pressor response and the increased cortisol concentration were concomitant occurrences. Angiotensin injected into eels with corpuscles of Stannius removed and into hypophysectomized eels also increased cortisol levels. Control muscle extracts produced no significant changes. There were no acute changes in plasma electrolyte concentrations after the injections. Plasma renin activity measured indirectly by bioassay of angiotensin generated in vitro was more than twice as great in eels adapted to seawater than in eels in fresh water. Plasma renin activity gradually fell when eels were transferred from seawater to fresh water, and increased when the reverse transfer was carried out.

State-dependent respiratory and cardiac relationships with neuronal discharge in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Discharge patterns of 63 neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) were cross-correlated with inspiratory onsets of the respiratory cycle and the R wave of the cardiac cycle in seven unrestrained, drug-free cats during waking (AW), quiet sleep (QS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. BNST neurons fired slowly, with half having rates of less than 1/second; rates were higher in AW and REM states than in QS. Approximately one-quarter of cells showed a phasic discharge timing relationship with the respiratory cycle, and one-fifth with the cardiac cycle, in at least one sleep-waking state. Respiratory-cell correlations occurred more frequently during AW (18 cells) and QS (15) than REM (6), while cardiac-neuronal correlations preferentially developed during QS (13 cells) or REM sleep (11), with a smaller proportion during waking (7). Cardiac-cell discharge correlations were weaker than respiratory-cell correlations and much weaker during REM than during either AW or QS. The data suggest that sleep states modulate a respiratory-dependent neuronal discharge in this rostral site classically associated with affective functions, with the relationship being reduced during REM.

Intravascular ultrasound detects coarctation of the renal artery in a patient with Moyamoya disease.

A 19-year-old man with moyamoya disease was diagnosed as having renovascular hypertension, based on stenosis of the proximal portion of the right renal artery with elevated plasma renin activity. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging at the renal artery lesion revealed focal narrowing of the renal artery without vascular wall thickening (i.e., coarctation). The coarctation of the renal artery was adequately dilated by stent implantation after suboptimal balloon angioplasty. After the procedure, the patient's hypertension improved. The findings of the present case suggest that IVUS-guided renal angioplasty is an effective therapeutic procedure for correcting coarctation of the renal artery in patients with moyamoya disease.

Yawning responses induced by local hypoxia in the paraventricular nucleus of the rat.

Yawing was induced by microinjections of L-glutamate, cyanide and a nitric oxide-releasing compound (NOC12) into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing rats. To evaluate physiological aspects of yawning, we monitored intercostal electromyogram (EMG) as an index of inspiratory activity, digastric EMG, blood pressure and electrocorticogram (ECoG). Microinjection of L-glutamate in the medial parvocellular subdivision (mp) elicited a stereotyped yawning response, i.e. an initial depressor response and an arousal shift in ECoG followed by a single large inspiration with mouth opening. The same sequential events were observed during spontaneous yawning, indicating that the mp is responsible for triggering yawning. Microinjection of cyanide into the mp caused the same yawning responses as the ones elicited by microinjection of L-glutamate, suggesting that the mp is sensitive to chemical hypoxia or ischemia within the PVN. Microinjection of NOC12 into the mp elicited a single large inspiration with a variable onset delay, suggesting that diffusible nitric oxide (NO) within the mp may act as a paracrine agent to cause a yawning response. We hypothesize that the mp of the PVN contains an oxygen sensor that causes a yawning response.

Vertical spread of neuronal activity within the cat motor cortex investigated with epicortical stimulation and intracellular recording.

In the encéphale isolé cat preparation the surface of precruciate cortex was electrically stimulated. Intracellular responses underneath the stimulated site were recorded to assess the vertical spread of activities across the cortical layers. To the epicortical stimulation (EPICS) with intensity adjusted to evoke a pure negative wave in the direct cortical response (DCR), only some neurons in relatively superficial layers responded with excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). Stimuli intensified to evoke both the negative and subsequent positive waves in DCR produced in all tested cells either EPSPs, inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), or both. Direct or axonal antidromic excitation of the cell was observed only infrequently. Cells with EPSPs distributed through all the layers with two peak populations in laminae II and V-VI. Those with IPSPs were located mainly in the upper half of lamina III with a few in more superficial as well as in deeper layers. Both EPSPs and IPSPs showed mono- or oligosynaptic latencies (0.6-10 msec) that tended to become longer in deep than in superficial layers. Some deep layer cells including fast and slow pyramidal tract cells showed slowly rising monosynaptic EPSPs of dendritic origin. Further late responses consisted of EPSPs, IPSPs, disfacilitation (DF), and disinhibition (DI). DF or DI occurred in some deep layer cells. Two modes of vertical spread of activities were postulated: one the cascade transmissions which increased response repertoire toward the depths, and the other the electrotonic spread of EPSPs along dendrites.

A long-term evaluation of silicone retinopathy in monkeys.

Six owl monkeys were exposed intravitreally for 6 to 28 months to Dow Corning Medical Fluid 350 in a morphologic study of silicone retinopathy. Fellow eyes of each silicone-injected animal and six eyes from three normal untreated monkeys served as controls. In addition, two eyes were treated post-mortem with silicone oil to insure that no artefact redistribution occurred. Each case was studied histochemically in frozen sections, with electron microscopy of Epon-embedded materials. All silicone-injected eyes showed numerous empty spaces in the inner segment of the retina adjacent to the vitreoretinal interface, corresponding to the intercellular spaces between Müller's filbers. These spaces contained numerous spherical bodies encircled by a homogeneous electron-opaque material, suggesting a silicone-phospholipid complex. Marked degeneration of small ganglion cells was seen. Müller's fibers appeared to be shrivelled. The lack of phospholipids in the inner segment of the visual receptors was marked, although no significant morphologic lesions were detectable. Abnormally high ATPase activity was found in both plexiform layers. There were no such lesions in the untreated control eyes, nor any detectable artefactual redistribution of silicone oil in the eyes treated post-mortem with Medical Fluid 350.

Contingent negative variation and reaction time of physically-trained subjects in simple and discriminative tasks.

Contingent negative variations (CNV) were recorded during the S1-S2 interval of two simple and one discriminative task at Fz, Cz and Pz of 12 physically-trained college athletes and 12 non-trained students. The reaction time to S2 was also measured. The whole mean CNV amplitude average over the 2 sec S1-S2 interval and the segmented CNV amplitudes of the 250 msec epochs were submitted to 4-way ANOVA (physical training x task x electrode position x gender), while the mean reaction time was analyzed by 3-way ANOVA. The whole mean CNV amplitude and all the segmented CNV amplitudes were greater in the physically-trained group than in the non-trained group. In all tasks the mean reaction times of the physically-trained group were significantly shorter than those of the non-trained group. The main effect of gender was not statistically significant with respect to the CNV amplitudes and the mean reaction time. The increased CNV amplitude and the shortened reaction time of the physically-trained group were discussed in relation to the reported psychophysiological correlates of CNV. The present study shows that CNV provides a technique of possible value for assessing attention and motor preparation of workers engaged in vigilance tasks.