Fermentation of soybeans with Pleurotus cornucopiae and Pleurotus ostreatus increases isoflavone aglycones, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity.

Edible basidiomycetes are highly active in the oxidative decomposition and polymerisation of polyphenols, and soybeans contain large amounts of isoflavones, which are polyphenol glycosides. Isoflavone aglycones exhibit weak estrogenic activities. In this study, we investigated the isoflavone content, polyphenol production, antioxidant activity and ergothioneine (EGT) content of soybeans fermented by Pleurotus cornucopiae and Pleurotus ostreatus. Isoflavone glycosides, which were abundant in unfermented soybeans, decreased, and aglycones increased on day 10 of culture in both edible basidiomycete-fermented soybeans. The total maximum polyphenol content in soybeans fermented by both mushrooms were approximately 4 times higher on day 30 to 40 of culture, than that of unfermented soybeans. P. cornucopiae-fermented soybeans showed maximum antioxidant activity on day 20 of culture, and this was approximately 6.1 times higher than that of unfermented soybeans. EGT was not detected in unfermented soybeans, whereas both fermented soybeans showed a maximum EGT content on day 20 of culture, which was especially high in P. cornucopiae-fermented soybeans. The antioxidant activity and EGT of P. cornucopiae-fermented soybeans were higher than those of P. ostreatus, suggesting that EGT was responsible for the increase in the antioxidant activity of P. cornucopiae-fermented soybeans.

[Eight mm Port-Site Hernia Following Robot-Assisted Abdominoperineal Resection for Rectal Cancer-A Case Report].

A 70s woman with a history of asthma and dyslipidemia underwent a robot-assisted abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer. The ports were placed as per the method of Shizuoka Cancer Center and no intraoperative complications were observed. The colostomy was constructed in the left lower abdomen by the retroperitoneal route. The 12-mm port part was closed in 2 layers, the fascia and dermis, and the 8-mm port part was closed only in the dermis. The postoperative course was good; however, the patient vomited 10 days after surgery. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an incarcerated small intestine in the 8-mm port of the left abdomen, and it was diagnosed as port-site hernia incarceration. Emergency laparotomy hernia repair was performed on the day. A part of the 8-mm port was incised to 30-mm and the fascia dilatation to 30-mm was observed. The color tone of the incarcerated small intestine was good. Only adhesion peeling was performed, the small intestine was returned, and the fascia was closed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged 17 days after the second surgery. At the 1 year postoperative follow-up, recurrence of hernia or rectal cancer was not observed.

[Long-Term Survival of a Patient with Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Surgical Resection of Metachronous Hilar Lymph Node Metastases].

The recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is primarily due to intrahepatic metastases. Additionally, extrahepatic HCC metastases most commonly occurs in the lungs, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, and bones. Systemic chemotherapy is the standard treatment for extrahepatic metastases. Although several reports on surgical resection of lymph node metastases (LNM) in patients with HCC have been published, its clinical benefits remain controversial. We report a case in which surgical resection of LNM was performed in a patient with HCC. The patient was a 74-year-old woman diagnosed with HCC and non-B non-C chronic hepatitis, for which she underwent a laparoscopic partial hepatectomy. The pathological diagnosis was St-A, 1.6×1.4 cm, confluent multinodular type, pT1N0M0, fStage Ⅰ. Nine months later, 2 LNM on the liver hilum were detected and managed with sorafenib. Sorafenib was discontinued after 2 months due to the development of Grade 3 hand-foot syndrome. Since no new lesions were detected on follow-up, lymph node resection was performed. The patient remains disease-free 4.5 years postoperatively.

[A Case of Complete Resection Using the Liver-First Approach after Systemic Chemotherapy in a Patient with Synchronous Colorectal Liver and Lung Metastases].

Conversion surgery for patients with initially unresectable colorectal liver metastases is increasingly being performed because of effective systemic chemotherapy. Additionally, many studies have reported the benefit of the liver-first approach for advanced liver metastasis. We report a case of an initially unresectable advanced colon cancer with multiple liver and lung metastases that was successfully treated with the liver-first approach following chemotherapy. The patient was a 36-year- old woman who was diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer, cT4aN2aM1b, cStage Ⅳb. After a temporary transverse colostomy, she was administered systemic chemotherapy for 9 months. The primary tumor and liver metastases showed partial response while the lung metastases showed complete response. Since it was considered that liver metastases were the main prognostic factors, we performed a right hemihepatectomy plus S3 partial hepatectomy, followed by laparoscopic high anterior resection. A partial pneumonectomy was also performed because of the regrowth of the lung metastases, and we succeeded in complete resection. The liver-first approach was a beneficial treatment option for this patient with unresectable colorectal liver metastases.

INTRAVESICAL MIGRATION OF A HEM-O-LOK CLIP AFTER ROBOT-ASSISTED RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY: A CASE REPORT.

The Hem-o-lok clips (HOLC) is frequently used for hemostasis of the lateral pedicles in robot-assisted prostatectomy (RARP) and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). We report a rare post-operative complication, the migration of a HOLC into the bladder leading to calculus formation after RARP. A 54 year-old man underwent RARP with nerve- sparing procedure with HOLCs in the left neurovascular bundle. Three months later, he was referred to our hospital for pollakisuria and spontaneous hematuria. Abdominal ultrasonographic examination and computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a bladder stone that was 7 mm in diameter. On cystourethroscopy, he was noted to have a yellow-colored stone at 9 o'clock position of vesicourethral anastomosis. A cystolithotripsy for a bladder stone was performed until the surface of it was broken. A HOLC with a calculus was revealed and retrieved by stone forceps through the urethra. Since then, Intravesical migration of a HOLC has not been observed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in the extrahepatic bile duct wall: A case report.

We should know that hepatocellular carcinoma can progress as if it replaces the bile duct wall itself.

New isoflavone glucosides in yabumame (Amphicarpaea bracteata (L.) Fernald subsp. edgeworthii (Benth.) H.Ohashi var. japonica (Oliv.) H.Ohashi) and their effect on leukotriene B4 production in mast cells.

Yabumame (Amphicarpaea bracteata (L.) Fernald subsp. edgeworthii (Benth.) H.Ohashi var. japonica (Oliv.) H.Ohashi) is a legume plant that the Ainu people eat as a traditional food, although the bioactive ingredients other than vitamins have not been studied. In this study, the structures of yabumame isoflavone glucosides were determined and their effect on leukotriene (LT) B4, a chemical mediator of type I allergy, produced in mast cells, was investigated in vitro. Seven compounds were isolated from yabumame. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses, which were genistein-7-O-ß-D-glucoside (1), formononetin-7-O-(2″-O-ß-D-glucosyl)-ß-D-glucoside (2), formononetin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside (3), biochanin A-7-O-(2″-O-ß-D-glucosyl)-ß-D-glucoside (4), formononetin-7-O-(6″-O-malonyl)-ß-D-glucoside (5), biochanin A-7-O-(2″-O-ß-D-glucosyl-6″-O-ß-D-glucosyl)-ß-D-glucoside (6), and biochanin A-7-O-(6″-O-malonyl)-ß-D-glucoside (7). Compounds 2, 4, and 6 were determined as new compounds. Compound 3 showed statistically significant suppressive effect on LTB4 production in mast cells, although the activity was not strong. On the other hand, biochanin A, an aglycone common to compounds 4, 6, and 7, strongly inhibited the LTB4 production. The results suggest that some of yabumame isoflavone glucosides might contribute to mitigate type I allergy. Seven isoflavone glucosides including 3 new compounds were found in yabumame and their anti-allergic effect was evaluated.

A case of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct accompanied by intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 73-year-old man with mixed-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas body was followed up for 14 years. Based on imaging findings, the intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas met the high-risk stigmata, and new hepatic masses were suspected to be intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct. With a diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct, the patient had undergone left lateral hepatectomy and distal pancreatectomy. Based on pathology, the pancreatic specimen was diagnosed as a high-grade intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas, and the hepatic specimen was diagnosed as an intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct and hepatocellular carcinoma. The intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct and hepatocellular carcinoma were adjacent to each other. Fifteen months after surgery, recurrence in the remnant pancreas was detected. The patient had undergone residual total pancreatectomy, with no recurrence thirty months after the second resection. This case demonstrates that second surgery for metachronous high-risk lesions in the remnant pancreas of patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct may also be considered to improve survival.

Papyriferic acid derivatives as reversal agents of multidrug resistance in cancer cells.

Forty-one derivatives of papyriferic acid were prepared based on our previous finding that methyl papyriferate (3) showed potent reversing effect on cytotoxicity of colchicine against multidrug resistance (MDR) human cancer cells (KB-C2), and evaluated for their cytotoxicity and effect on reversing P-gp-mediated MDR against KB-C2 cells. 3-O-(Morpholino-beta-oxopropanoyl)-12beta-acetoxy-3alpha,25-dihydroxy-(20S,24R)-epoxydammarane (37) significantly increased the sensitivity of colchicine against KB-C2 cells by 185-fold at 5microg/mL (7.4microM), and the cytotoxicity of colchicine was recovered to nearly that of sensitive (KB) cells. The other several new amide derivatives also exhibited potent reversal activity comparable to or more potent than methyl papyriferate and verapamil.

A case of urethral metastasis of castration-resistant prostate cancer successfully cured with CyberKnife radiosurgery.

Distant urethral metastasis of the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is very rare. In this case report, we present a 69-year-old man who was first diagnosed prostate cancer from the sessile papillary tumor in the prostatic urethra which recurred after surgery and androgen deprivation therapy and finally treated with CyberKnife radiosurgery. There has been no recurrence for 50 months. To the best of our knowledge, there is no case of urethral metastasis of the CRPC successfully controlled with CyberKnife radiosurgery in the literature.

A case of laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer with duplication of the inferior vena cava using preoperative 3D computed tomography angiography.

We report the case of a patient with duplication of the inferior vena cava (DIVC) who underwent anterior laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer. A 66-year-old woman presented with abnormal lung shadows on a chest x-ray during a routine health checkup. She was diagnosed with rectal cancer and lung metastasis using colonoscopy and thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT). In addition, a 3D CT angiography revealed double inferior vena cava, one on either side of the aorta. The preoperative diagnosis was rectal cancer cT3N0M1a(Lung) cStage IVA with DIVC, and a two-stage surgery was planned. The first stage was high anterior laparoscopic resection. This was safely performed because the pre-hypogastric nerve fascia was preserved and the left inferior vena cava was not visualized during the surgery. During the second stage of the surgery, video-assisted thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy was performed and no recurrence was observed for >6 months after the second surgery.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy for liver metastasis of lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is an aggressive and a rare type of lung cancer, and the prognosis of LCNEC with distant metastasis is extremely poor, with a five-year survival rate of 0%. Here, we report a case of laparoscopic hepatectomy for liver metastasis of lung LCNEC. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 63-year-old man received a routine physical examination, and abnormal chest radiographic findings were observed; chest computed tomography (CT) in our hospital revealed that the patient had left pneumothorax and a lesion measuring 18 mm in the inferior lingular segment of the lung. The patient underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy, and the final pathological diagnosis was lung LCNEC. Four years after surgery, abdominal CT revealed a mass measuring 27 mm in the liver. The patient underwent laparoscopic partial hepatectomy, and postoperative pathological examination showed liver metastasis of LCNEC. There was no sign of recurrence 6 months after hepatectomy. DISCUSSION: LCNEC with distant metastasis has a poor response to systemic chemotherapy, and the median survival time of patients with distant metastasis is estimated to be approximately 6 months, with a five-year survival rate of 0%. Although the common site of metastasis from LCNEC is the liver, there are no previous reports of hepatectomy for liver metastasis of LCNEC. CONCLUSION: We report a case of laparoscopic hepatectomy for liver metastasis of lung LCNEC. It is suggested that surgical resection for solitary distant metastasis of LCNEC may improve prognosis.

Laparoscopic anatomical segment 3 segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by hypoplasia of the right hepatic lobe.

We report a case of laparoscopic anatomical segment 3 segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accompanied by hypoplasia of the right hepatic lobe. An 80-year-old man was admitted with a suspicion of HCC diagnosed by computed tomography during follow-up for thyroid cancer. Dynamic computed tomography showed 40-mm HCC in segment 3 and hypoplasia of the right hepatic lobe with the Chilaiditi sign. We performed laparoscopic anatomical segment 3 segmentectomy. There were no postoperative complications, and the patient was discharged 6 days postoperatively. This procedure can be performed safely and is technically feasible, but special attention should be paid to anatomical alterations to avoid fatal surgical complications.

Effects of Rosa rugosa petals on intestinal bacteria.

The effects of pulverized petal of Rosa rugosa on the growth of 10 species of intestinal and pathogenic bacteria were investigated. Growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli was not affected by the addition of the petal in plate cultivation. However, the growth of Bacteroides vulgatus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus was completely inhibited by the addition of 0.1, 0.5, 0.1, and 0.05% (w/v) of the petal respectively. In liquid cultivation, the addition of the petal (0.5%) stimulated the growth of Bifidobacterium breve and slightly inhibited the growth of Lactobacillus salivarius. But the growth of E. coli, S. aureus, B. cereus, and Salmonella sp. was inhibited by nearly 50%. Hydrolyzable tannins isolated from R. rugosa, rugosin D, and tellimagradin II showed antibacterial activities against E. coli, S. aureus, B. cereus, and Salmonella sp., but little or no effect against Bif. breve and L. salivarius. R. rugosa petal showed selective antibacterial activities against intestinal and pathogenic bacteria, and the selectivity resembled that of prebiotics such as oligosaccharides and dietary fiber. Hydrolyzable tannins in R. rugosa, such as rugosin D and tellimagradin II, must be active constituents.

Botanical origin of Mei-gui Hua in Chinese markets.

The petals or buds of Rosa species have been used as an important Chinese crude drug called "Mei-gui Hua" and also an ingredient for herbal tea in China. The 15 flavonol glycosides in 34 commercially available "Mei-gui Hua" were quantitatively determined by UPLC, and the data were compared with those of known Rosa sp. belong to Cinnamomeae, Gallicanae, Caninae and Synstylae by principal component analysis for the estimation of original plants of these "Mei-gui Hua". Seven samples were classified into two groups (Types A and B) composed of species in Gallicae and Synstilae and 11 samples into a group (Type D) composed of species in Cinnamomeae. Six samples were plotted among Types B, C and D. However, nine samples were shown to form a new group (Type F), and the original plants of these samples were assumed to be more complex hybrids of Rosa species including other sections than Cinnamomeae, Gallicanae, Caninae and Synstylae. This method must be useful and convenient to estimate the origin of crude drug "Mei-gui Hua" commercially available in markets. The results of this study also demonstrated that "Mei-gui Hua" commercially available in Chinese market must be prepared from hybrids of various species of Rosa, and it is not reasonable to assign only R. rugosa as scientific name of the origin plants.

Persistent Urinary Incontinence After Nephrectomy: A Case of Inverted-Y Ureteral Duplication with Ectopic Ureteral Insertion into the Vagina.

Inverted-Y ureteral duplication is one of the rarest anomalies of ureteral branching. We encountered a 20-year-old female patient with persistent incontinence even after nephrectomy for ectopic ureteral insertion into the vagina. She had inverted-Y ureteral duplication between the bladder and vagina, and urine was being transported from the bladder to the vagina. To the best of our knowledge, this is a rare case of inverted-Y ureteral duplication with ectopic ureteral insertion into the vagina as well as the ureter into the bladder, which became apparent due to persistent urinary incontinence even after nephrectomy.

Astrapterocarpan isolated from Astragalus membranaceus inhibits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells.

The inhibitory effects of astrapterocarpan, formononetin, and calycosin isolated from Astragalus membraneceus on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferative response in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (A10 cells) were investigated. Astrapterocarpan significantly inhibited PDGF-BB-induced cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibition was not attributed to toxicity. In contrast, formononetin and calycosin had no effect. We next examined the effect of astrapterocarpan on PDGF-BB signal transduction. Astrapterocarpan inhibited PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERIC1/2) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. However, this compound had no effect on phosphorylation of PDGF-beta-receptor, Akt kinase and p38 MAP kinase. These results indicated that astrapterocarpan inhibits PDGF-BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and that this effect may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the ERK1/2 MAP kinase cascade.

Diversity in aconitine alkaloid profile of Aconitum plants in Hokkaido contrasts with their genetic similarity.

Aconite tuber is a representative crude drug for warming the body internally in Japanese Kampo medicine and Chinese traditional medicine. The crude drug is used in major prescriptions for the aged. Varieties of Aconitum plants are distributed throughout the Japanese Islands, especially Hokkaido. With the aim of identifying the medicinal potential of Aconitum plants from Hokkaido, 107 specimens were collected from 36 sites in the summer of 2011 and 2012. Their nuclear DNA region, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and aconitine alkaloid contents were analyzed. Phylogenic analysis of ITS by maximum parsimony analysis showed that the majority of the specimens were grouped into one cluster (cluster I), separated from the other cluster (cluster II) consisting of alpine specimens. The aconitine alkaloid content of the tuberous roots of 76 specimens showed 2 aspects-specimens from the same collection site showed similar aconitine alkaloid profiles, and cluster I specimens from different habitats showed various alkaloid profiles. Environmental pressure of each habitat is presumed to have caused the morphology and aconitine alkaloid profile of these genetically similar specimens to diversify.

Occurrence of piperidine alkaloids in Piper species collected in different areas.

A simple and convenient method was established for simultaneous quantitative determination of piperine and piperlonguminine in dried fruits of Piper longum and allied plants. The average content of piperine in P. longum (18.26 mg/g, range 12.05-33.23 mg/g) was about one half that of P. nigrum (40.09 mg/g, range 29.57-54.23 mg/g), but the content of piperlonguminine in P. longum was in the range of 0.42-1.82 mg/g, and the average content of piperlonguminne (0.91 mg/g) was about seven times higher than that in P. nigrum (0.13 mg/g). A sample of P. longum from Vietnam and a sample of P. retrofractum collected in Ishigaki, Japan, showed high contents of piperine and piperlonguminine. On the other hand, a sample of P. betle collected in Taiwan showed low content of piperine, and piperlonguminine was not detected.

Flavonol glycosides in the petal of Rosa species as chemotaxonomic markers.

Thirteen flavonol glycosides were isolated from the petals of Rosa species belonging to the section Gallicanae, and their structures were identified from their spectroscopic data. These flavonol glycosides, along with two flavonol glycosides isolated from Rosa rugosa, in the petals of 31 Rosa species belonging to sections Gallicanae, Cinnamomeae, Caninae, and Synstylae were quantitatively analyzed by UPLC. The results indicated that the species belonging to these sections could be classified into four types (Type A, B, C and D) based on the pattern of flavonol glycoside contents, whereas the R. rugosa flavonol glycosides were detected only in section Cinnamomeae. A principal components analysis (PCA) calculated from the 15 flavonol glycosides contained in these samples supported the presence of four types. The distribution of the species in Type D (a group of Cinnamomeae) was shown to reflect close interrelationships, but species in Type B (one group of Gallicanae) could be subdivided into two groups, one of which contained species in section Synstylae. Moreover, the flavonol glycosides were grouped by sugar moieties: a disaccharide composed of two hexoses (S1), a hexose (S2), including a hexose with galloyl group, a pentose (S3), and a disaccharide composed of a hexose and a pentose (S4). The ratios of the amounts of S1-S4 to total flavonol glycoside content indicated that differences among the four sections were more distinctive than the amounts of the 15 flavonol glycosides. The 31 samples were divided into Type B, composed of one type of Gallicanae and Synstylae, Type A+C, composed of another type of Gallicanae and Caninae, and Type D, composed of Cinnamomeae. The R. rugosa flavonol glycosides were shown to be important chemotaxonomic markers for the classification of species in Cinnamomeae, and this method of using flavonol glycosides as chemotaxonomic markers could be useful for the identification of Rosa species belonging to sections Gallicanae, Cinnamomeae, Caninae, and Synstylae.