Effect of a prophylactic dressing for sacral pressure injuries in non-critically ill patients after general surgery: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired pressure injuries are strongly associated with surgeries performed under general anesthesia. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using a prophylactic multi-layer soft silicone foam dressing in non-critically ill patients with a Braden Scale score of ≤18 after undergoing routine surgery without sacral pressure injuries. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial included 156 patients who were admitted for surgery under general anesthesia in a tertiary general hospital. The patients were divided into a control group and an intervention group. A 5-layer soft silicone foam dressing was applied to the sacrum of patients in the intervention group immediately after surgery. For the control group, standard pressure injury prevention activities were performed alongside standard care without preventive dressings. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in general and clinical characteristics between the two groups; however, the incidence of pressure injury and blanching erythema was higher in the control group, showing a significant difference from the experimental group. Factors influencing the development of pressure injuries and blanching erythema through multivariate regression analysis were prophylactic dressing application and Braden Scale score at the time of admission. A statistically significant difference was noted in survival time from pressure injury between both groups. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: The incidence of pressure injuries and blanching erythema was lower when the prophylactic dressing was applied with standard protocol for general ward patients after surgery. Accurate evaluation of the patient's skin condition and pressure injury risk assessment before surgery are important. Progressive prophylactic dressings to prevent pressure injuries are effective, and tailored nursing interventions based on accurate assessment of patient's skin condition and risk factors are essential for maintaining skin integrity.

Mitochondrial genome mutations and neuronal dysfunction of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are materials that can be used for autologous stem cell therapy. We screened mtDNA mutations in iPSCs and iPSC-derived neuronal cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also, we investigated whether the mutations could affect mitochondrial function and deposition of ß-amyloid (Aß) in differentiated neuronal cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: mtDNA mutations were measured and compared among iPSCs and iPSC-derived neuronal cells. The selected iPSCs carrying mtDNA mutations were subcloned, and then their growth rate and neuronal differentiation pattern were analyzed. The differentiated cells were measured for mitochondrial respiration and membrane potential, as well as deposition of Aß. RESULTS: Most iPSCs from subjects with AD harbored ≥1 mtDNA mutations, and the number of mutations was significantly higher than that from umbilical cord blood. About 35% and 40% of mutations in iPSCs were shared with isogenic iPSCs and their differentiated neuronal precursor cells, respectively, with similar or different heteroplasmy. Furthermore, the mutations in clonal iPSCs were stable during extended culture and neuronal differentiation. Finally, mtDNA mutations could induce a growth advantage with higher viability and proliferation, lower mitochondrial respiration and membrane potential, as well as increased Aß deposition. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that mtDNA mutations in patients with AD could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and accelerated Aß deposition. Therefore, early screening for mtDNA mutations in iPSC lines would be essential for developing autologous cell therapy or drug screening for patients with AD.

De Novo Development of mtDNA Deletion Due to Decreased POLG and SSBP1 Expression in Humans.

Defects in the mitochondrial genome (mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)) are associated with both congenital and acquired disorders in humans. Nuclear-encoded DNA polymerase subunit gamma (POLG) plays an important role in mtDNA replication, and proofreading and mutations in POLG have been linked with increased mtDNA deletions. SSBP1 is also a crucial gene for mtDNA replication. Here, we describe a patient diagnosed with Pearson syndrome with large mtDNA deletions that were not detected in the somatic cells of the mother. Exome sequencing was used to evaluate the nuclear factors associated with the patient and his family, which revealed a paternal POLG mutation (c.868C > T) and a maternal SSBP1 mutation (c.320G > A). The patient showed lower POLG and SSBP1 expression than his healthy brothers and the general population of a similar age. Notably, c.868C in the wild-type allele was highly methylated in the patient compared to the same site in both his healthy brothers. These results suggest that the co- deficient expression of POLG and SSBP1 genes could contribute to the development of mtDNA deletion.

Thirteen-week inhalation toxicity study of 1-methylnaphthalene in F344 rats.

1-Methylnaphthalene is generally utilized in solvents, as an intermediate in organic synthesis, a dye carrier, in resins, and others. There are some toxicological studies of 1-methylnaphthalene; however, inhalation toxicity studies are rare. Each of 10 male and female F344 rats was exposed to vapors of 1-methylnaphthalene for 13 weeks (6 h a day, 5 days per week) at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 4, and 30 ppm in a whole-body inhalation chamber system. The exposure concentrations were 0.52 ± 0.05, 4.08 ± 0.25, and 30.83 ± 1.28 ppm for the low-, middle-, and high-dose group, respectively. Body weight changes were not affected by exposure to 1-methylnaphthalene. Blood prothrombin time was delayed at 30 ppm in male and female groups, and activated partial thromboplastin time was also delayed at 30 ppm in the male group. Values of alanine aminotransferase in the serum were decreased and those of albumin were increased at 30 ppm in the male group. Differential cell counts and levels of lactate dehydrogenase in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were not affected. However, mucous cell hyperplasia in the nasopharyngeal tissues was found and the severity was correlated to exposure concentrations. In conclusion, 1-methylnaphthalene mainly affects the upper respiratory system and the no-observed-adverse-effect level is suggested to be 4 ppm on the basis of histopathological findings.

GSK-3ß Homolog Rim11 and the Histone Deacetylase Complex Ume6-Sin3-Rpd3 Are Involved in Replication Stress Response Caused by Defects in Dna2.

Lagging strand synthesis is mechanistically far more complicated than leading strand synthesis because it involves multistep processes and requires considerably more enzymes and protein factors. Due to this complexity, multiple fail-safe factors are required to ensure successful replication of the lagging strand DNA. We attempted to identify novel factors that are required in the absence of the helicase activity of Dna2, an essential enzyme in Okazaki-fragment maturation. In this article, we identified Rim11, a GSK-3ß-kinase homolog, as a multicopy suppressor of dna2 helicase-dead mutant (dna2-K1080E). Subsequent epistasis analysis revealed that Ume6 (a DNA binding protein, a downstream substrate of Rim11) also acted as a multicopy suppressor of the dna2 allele. We found that the interaction of Ume6 with the conserved histone deacetylase complex Sin3-Rpd3 and the catalytic activity of Rpd3 were indispensable for the observed suppression of the dna2 mutant. Moreover, multicopy suppression by Rim11/Ume6 requires the presence of sister-chromatid recombination mediated by Rad52/Rad59 proteins, but not vice versa. Interestingly, the overexpression of Rim11 or Ume6 also suppressed the MMS sensitivity of rad59Δ. We also showed that the lethality of dna2 helicase-dead mutant was attributed to checkpoint activation and that decreased levels of deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) by overexpressing Sml1 (an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase) rescued the dna2 mutant. We also present evidence that indicates Rim11/Ume6 works independently but in parallel with that of checkpoint inhibition, dNTP regulation, and sister-chromatid recombination. In conclusion, our results establish Rim11, Ume6, the histone deacetylase complex Sin3-Rpd3 and Sml1 as new factors important in the events of faulty lagging strand synthesis.

Human MUS81-EME2 can cleave a variety of DNA structures including intact Holliday junction and nicked duplex.

MUS81 shares a high-degree homology with the catalytic XPF subunit of the XPF-ERCC1 endonuclease complex. It is catalytically active only when complexed with the regulatory subunits Mms4 or Eme1 in budding and fission yeasts, respectively, and EME1 or EME2 in humans. Although Mus81 complexes are implicated in the resolution of recombination intermediates in vivo, recombinant yeast Mus81-Mms4 and human MUS81-EME1 isolated from Escherichia coli fail to cleave intact Holliday junctions (HJs) in vitro. In this study, we show that human recombinant MUS81-EME2 isolated from E. coli cleaves HJs relatively efficiently, compared to MUS81-EME1. Furthermore, MUS81-EME2 catalyzed cleavage of nicked and gapped duplex deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs), generating double-strand breaks. The presence of a 5' phosphate terminus at nicks and gaps rendered DNA significantly less susceptible to the cleavage by MUS81-EME2 than its absence, raising the possibility that this activity could play a role in channeling damaged DNA duplexes that are not readily repaired into the recombinational repair pathways. Significant differences in substrate specificity observed with unmodified forms of MUS81-EME1 and MUS81-EME2 suggest that they play related but non-overlapping roles in DNA transactions.

Rad52/Rad59-dependent recombination as a means to rectify faulty Okazaki fragment processing.

The correct removal of 5'-flap structures by Rad27 and Dna2 during Okazaki fragment maturation is crucial for the stable maintenance of genetic materials and cell viability. In this study, we identified RAD52, a key recombination protein, as a multicopy suppressor of dna2-K1080E, a lethal helicase-negative mutant allele of DNA2 in yeasts. In contrast, the overexpression of Rad51, which works conjointly with Rad52 in canonical homologous recombination, failed to suppress the growth defect of the dna2-K1080E mutation, indicating that Rad52 plays a unique and distinct role in Okazaki fragment metabolism. We found that the recombination-defective Rad52-QDDD/AAAA mutant did not rescue dna2-K1080E, suggesting that Rad52-mediated recombination is important for suppression. The Rad52-mediated enzymatic stimulation of Dna2 or Rad27 is not a direct cause of suppression observed in vivo, as both Rad52 and Rad52-QDDD/AAAA proteins stimulated the endonuclease activities of both Dna2 and Rad27 to a similar extent. The recombination mediator activity of Rad52 was dispensable for the suppression, whereas both the DNA annealing activity and its ability to interact with Rad59 were essential. In addition, we found that several cohesion establishment factors, including Rsc2 and Elg1, were required for the Rad52-dependent suppression of dna2-K1080E. Our findings suggest a novel Rad52/Rad59-dependent, but Rad51-independent recombination pathway that could ultimately lead to the removal of faulty flaps in conjunction with cohesion establishment factors.

The N-terminal 45-kDa domain of Dna2 endonuclease/helicase targets the enzyme to secondary structure DNA.

The removal of initiating primers from the 5'-ends of each Okazaki fragment, required for the generation of contiguous daughter strands, can be catalyzed by the combined action of DNA polymerase δ and Fen1. When the flaps generated by displacement of DNA synthesis activity of polymerase δ become long enough to bind replication protein A or form hairpin structures, the helicase/endonuclease enzyme, Dna2, becomes critical because of its ability to remove replication protein A-coated or secondary structure flaps. In this study, we show that the N-terminal 45-kDa domain of Dna2 binds hairpin structures, allowing the enzyme to target secondary structure flap DNA. We found that this activity was essential for the efficient removal of hairpin flaps by the endonuclease activity of Dna2 with the aid of its helicase activity. Thus, the efficient removal of hairpin structure flaps requires the coordinated action of all three functional domains of Dna2. We also found that deletion of the N-terminal 45-kDa domain of Dna2 led to a partial loss of the intra-S-phase checkpoint function and an increased rate of homologous recombination in yeast. We discuss the potential roles of the N-terminal domain of Dna2 in the maintenance of genomic stability.

A paraganglioma in the posterior wall of the left atrium originating from the aortic body in a Wistar Hannover rat.

A small cardiac tumor was detected in the posterior wall of the left atrium of a 110-week-old female Wistar Hannover rat (Slc: Wistar Hannover/Rcc) during a carcinogenicity historical control study. Tumor was consisted of 2 different cells. Most of the tumor cells were polygonal to oval in shape and had slightly basophilic and granular cytoplasm. These cells were arranged in distinctive cell nests, called 'Zellballen', and were separated by reticulin fibers. The nuclei were round to slightly oval. A few mitotic figures were found. Cytoplasmic granules of tumor cells were negative for Fontana-Masson and Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the chief cells in the tumor were positive for the neuroendocrine markers synaptophysin and chromogranin A but were negative for S-100 protein, vimentin, cytokeratin, α-smooth muscle actin, and calcitonin. In contrast, the surrounding sustentacular cells, other type of tumor cells, were positive for only S-100 protein. The immunohistochemical properties of the tumor cells were quite similar to those of the aortic body. The tumor cells had infiltrated the myocardium of the left atrium and were also noted within vessels. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as a paraganglioma originating from the aortic body.