Three-dimensional assessment of the normal Japanese glenoid and comparison with the normal French glenoid.

INTRODUCTION: In 2014, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty was approved in Japan. We were concerned that the base plate might be incompatible with Japanese who were generally smaller than Westerners. Therefore, we investigated the dimensions and morphology of the normal Japanese glenoid and compared with the normal French glenoid. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred Japanese shoulders without glenoid lesions (50 men and 50 women) were investigated and compared with 100 French shoulders (50 men and 50 women). Computed tomography was performed with 3-dimensional image reconstruction and images were analyzed using Glenosys software. Glenoid parameters (width, height, retroversion and inclination) were compared between Japanese and French subjects. RESULTS: In Japanese subjects, the mean glenoid width was 25.5mm, height was 33.3mm, retroversion was 2.3° and inclination was 11.6° superiorly. In French subjects, the mean glenoid width was 26.7mm, height was 35.4mm, retroversion was 6.0° and inclination was 10.4° superiorly. Glenoid width and height were significantly smaller in Japanese subjects than French subjects (P=0.001 and P<0.001), while retroversion was significantly greater in French subjects (P<0.001). There was no significant difference of inclination. CONCLUSIONS: These findings will help surgeons to identify suitable patients for RSA and perform the procedure with appropriate preoperative planning. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV: retrospective or historical series.

Direct determination of spin-orbit interaction coefficients and realization of the persistent spin helix symmetry.

The spin-orbit interaction plays a crucial role in diverse fields of condensed matter, including the investigation of Majorana fermions, topological insulators, quantum information and spintronics. In III-V zinc-blende semiconductor heterostructures, two types of spin-orbit interaction--Rashba and Dresselhaus--act on the electron spin as effective magnetic fields with different directions. They are characterized by coefficients α and ß, respectively. When α is equal to ß, the so-called persistent spin helix symmetry is realized. In this condition, invariance with respect to spin rotations is achieved even in the presence of the spin-orbit interaction, implying strongly enhanced spin lifetimes for spatially periodic spin modes. Existing methods to evaluate α/ß require fitting analyses that often include ambiguity in the parameters used. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a simple and fitting parameter-free technique to determine α/ß and to deduce the absolute values of α and ß. The method is based on the detection of the effective magnetic field direction and the strength induced by the two spin-orbit interactions. Moreover, we observe the persistent spin helix symmetry by gate tuning.

Contribution of the lateral lemniscus to the control of swallowing in decerebrate cats.

Lateral lemniscus, a relay nucleus of auditory sensation, is involved in the control of phonatory movements such as human speech and vocalization of animals. The present study was designed to test whether neurons in the lateral lemniscus contributed to the control of swallowing, one of non-phonic oro-pharyngolaryngeal movements. In acutely decerebrated cats (n=15), swallowing was induced by electrical stimulation (20-80µA at 10Hz for 20s with rectangular pulses of 0.2ms duration) delivered to the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN). Repetitive electrical stimulation (30-50µA at 50Hz for 10-20s) applied to the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (LLD) increased the number and reduced the latency to the onset of the SLN-induced swallowing. On the other hand, stimulation of the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus and the paralemniscal area, corresponding to the ventrolateral part of the parabrachial nucleus and the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus, often suppressed the SLN-induced swallowing. Microinjection of NMDA (0.1-0.15µl, 5.0-10mM) into the LLD through a stereotaxically placed glass micropipette facilitated the SLN-induced swallowing, i.e., the number was increased and the latency of swallowing was reduced. We also injected muscimol (a gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA)A receptor agonist), bicuculline (a GABAA receptor antagonist) and baclofen (a GABAB receptor agonist) into the LLD (0.1-0.15µl and 5.0mM for each substance). It was observed that an injection of muscimol suppressed the SLN-induced swallowing. However, an injection of bicuculline facilitated the swallowing. An injection of baclofen did not alter the swallowing. These results suggest the presence of functional topography in the lateral lemniscus and the paralemniscal area in relation to the control of swallowing. The facilitatory LLD-effects on swallowing are modulated by glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors on neurons in the LLD.

Is endoscopic submucosal dissection an effective treatment for operable patients with clinical submucosal invasive early gastric cancer?

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Gastrectomy with lymph node dissection is the gold standard curative treatment for clinical submucosal invasive early gastric cancer (cSM EGC), but a relatively small number of operable patients with cSM EGC have undergone endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) instead because they refused surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of ESD in these operable patients. METHODS: The therapeutic outcomes of ESD were retrospectively assessed for 38 patients with 38 operable cSM EGC lesions who initially refused surgery at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, from January 1999 to December 2008. RESULTS: The en bloc resection rate was 84.2% (32 lesions) and the complete (R0) resection rate was 63.2% (24 lesions). A total of 33 lesions (86.8%) involved submucosal invasion on pathology. Resection was non-curative in 34 patients (89.5%), 22 of whom (64.7%) underwent subsequent gastrectomy after the need for such surgery was carefully explained to them again. The median follow-up period was 73.2 months (range 3-115 months). Local recurrence was detected in one patient, distant metastasis in two patients, and both local recurrence and distant metastasis were detected in one patient. None of these four patients with recurrence (10.5%) had undergone surgery when their recurrent disease was detected and all of them died from gastric cancer. The 5-year cause-specific survival rate for all patients was 91.8%. CONCLUSION: The 5-year cause-specific survival rate for all patients was lower than the previously reported rate of 96.7% for pathologically submucosal invasive EGC patients after gastrectomy; therefore, ESD appears to have been an ineffective treatment for operable patients with cSM EGC.

Feasibility of endoscopic mucosal resection for superficial pharyngeal cancer: a minimally invasive treatment.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: New diagnostic techniques have recently been developed so detection of superficial pharyngeal cancer is dramatically increasing and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) can now be performed on an experimental basis. The aim of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of EMR for superficial pharyngeal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2004 and 2007, 31 patients with 37 pharyngeal lesions underwent EMR at our hospital. EMR using a cap-fitted endoscope (EMR-C) was used on 34 lesions and strip biopsies on the remaining three. We retrospectively assessed the effectiveness of those procedures in treating superficial pharyngeal cancer. RESULTS: Median procedure time was 45 minutes (range 20 - 180 minutes) and median hospital stay was 7 days (range 4 - 12 days). Regarding complications, one patient experienced laryngeal edema, one suffered aspiration pneumonia, and two sustained dermatitis around the mouth caused by Lugol staining. Histologically, 18 lesions were confirmed as carcinoma in situ and the other 19 lesions demonstrated microinvasion of the subepithelial tissue with lymphatic invasion in one case. During the median follow-up period of 40 months (range 21 - 62 months), two patients received radiotherapy and two patients underwent an additional EMR because of recurrent tumors. Five other patients developed metachronous superficial pharyngeal cancers, but all those lesions were resected primarily by EMR while two of the study's 31 patients died from esophageal cancer. None of the remaining 20 patients experienced any recurrent or metachronous tumors during their follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that EMR was a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment for superficial pharyngeal cancer.

Lateral supraorbital keyhole approach to clip unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms.

OBJECT: Clipping of an anterior communicating artery (A-com A) aneurysm requires various working angles for safe manipulation and observation. The lateral supraorbital keyhole approach provides a more lateral subfrontal corridor to observe and clip an A-com A aneurysm than the standard Perneczky method. METHODS: Preoperative planning was individualized in each patient based on three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) angiography and 3D-CT osteotomy planning images. The procedure consisted of a 40-50 mm periorbital skin incision, partial dissection of the anterior portion of the temporal muscle, a 35 x 25 mm keyhole minicraniotomy from the supraorbital area to the sphenoid ridge, and opening of the carotid cistern and sylvian fissure in an antegrade fashion. Ten keyhole clipping procedures were performed in 10 patients with unruptured A-com A aneurysms. RESULTS: No shaving of scalp hair, drain placement, or anticonvulsant medication were required. No patient suffered neurological deficits or abnormal findings on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Most patients were discharged on the 2nd to 3rd postoperative days except for one patient who suffered from meningitis. CONCLUSIONS: The lateral supraorbital keyhole approach is a minimally invasive treatment option for relatively small and unruptured A-com A aneurysms.

Endoscopic diagnosis of pharyngeal carcinoma by NBI.

Head and neck cancer, especially pharyngeal cancer, frequently co-exist with esophageal cancer, but pharyngeal cancer has proven difficult to detect in such cases before its progression to an advanced stage. Several recent reports have indicated that narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopy with magnification is able to improve the detection of superficial pharyngeal cancer. NBI is a relatively new optical technology based on limiting the depth of light penetration into the mucosa. The recognition of these lesions is dramatically improved and the microvascular structure of the mucosal surface is significantly enhanced by NBI. As a result, NBI enables more accurate diagnosis and increases the detection rate of superficial pharyngeal cancer. This particular field has only been developed in recent years, however, and there are still a number of problems that need to be addressed in the future. It will be necessary to accumulate and evaluate resected specimens and follow up patients in order to establish the appropriate criteria for curative endoscopic treatment in these patients. The ease in using NBI in combination with this new diagnostic concept based on microvascular changes makes NBI suitable for worldwide use in the future.

Salsolinol is present in the bovine posterior pituitary gland and stimulates the release of prolactin both in vivo and in vitro in ruminants.

The aims of the present study were to determine whether salsolinol (SAL), a dopamine-related compound, is present in the bovine posterior pituitary (PP) gland, and to clarify the effect of SAL on the secretion of prolactin (PRL) in ruminants. SAL was detected in extract of bovine PP gland using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC). A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL (5 and 10mg/kg body weight) significantly and dose-dependently stimulated the release of PRL in goats (P<0.05). Plasma PRL levels reached a peak 10min after the injection, then gradually returned to basal values in 60-80min. The PRL-releasing pattern was similar to that in response to sulpiride (a dopamine receptor antagonist). The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of 1mg of SAL had no significant effect on the release of PRL in calves, however, 5mg significantly stimulated the release (P<0.05) with peak values reached 30-40min after the injection. Moreover, SAL significantly stimulated the release of PRL from cultured bovine anterior pituitary cells at doses of 10(-6) and 10(-5)M, compared to control cells (P<0.05). Taken together, our data clearly show that SAL is present in extract of the PP gland of ruminants, and has PRL-releasing activity both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, this endogenous compound is a strong candidate for the factor having PRL-releasing activity that has been previously detected in extract of the bovine PP gland.

Bovine posterior pituitary extract stimulates prolactin release from the anterior pituitary gland in vitro and in vivo in cattle.

It has been reported that the posterior pituitary (PP) gland contains a potent, unknown prolactin (PRL)-releasing factor (PRF) in rats. PRFs are assumed to be produced in neurones located within the hypothalamus, and to be peptidergic in nature. However, little is known about PRFs in domestic animals. To characterize the PRF in the PP of domestic animals, the present study examined the PRL-releasing activity of an acidic extract from bovine PP (bPP) in vitro and in vivo in cattle. First, the PRL-releasing effect of bPP extract was compared with that of PRL-releasing peptide (PrRP), and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) from cultured bovine anterior pituitary cells. The extract significantly increased PRL concentrations in the culture medium, at doses of 0.002 and 0.02 eq./ml (one eq. is the PP extract from one animal), compared with the control (p < 0.05). PrRP failed to stimulate the release of PRL. TRH significantly increased PRL concentrations in the culture medium, at doses from 10(-9) to 10(-7) M, compared with the control (p < 0.05). The rate of increase in the PRL concentration, by 0.02 eq./ml bPP extract, was significantly greater than that in TRH (p < 0.05). Secondly, plasma PRL responses to the intravenous (i.v.) injection of bPP extract (0.5 eq./head), PrRP [3.59 mug/kg body weight (BW)], TRH (1 mug/kg BW), and a dopamine receptor antagonist (sulpiride, 0.1 mg/kg BW), were examined in calves. PrRP failed to stimulate PRL release; however, plasma PRL increased immediately following the injection of bPP extract, TRH and sulpiride. The PRL-releasing effect of i.v. injections of TRH and sulpiride was more potent than that of bPP extract. Finally, plasma PRL responses to the intra-hypothalamic injection of bPP extract were examined in calves. The intra-hypothalamic infusion (arcuate nucleus) of 0.0625 eq./head of bPP extract strongly stimulated PRL release in calves (p < 0.05). The present results show that PP contains a physiologically potent PRF in cattle.

Incidence of xeroderma pigmentosum in Larkana, Pakistan: a 7-year study.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder caused by a defect in the normal repair of DNA of various cutaneous cell types damaged by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. We present our 7-year experience with 36 XP patients who either visited the Department of Dermatology or were seen in the medical camps arranged in remote areas for patients' welfare, from 1995 to 2001. For ease of discussion we classified all cases into the following subgroups on clinical grounds only: mild, those with light brown freckles on the face alone; moderate, those with dark brown freckles with burning on the face, neck, ears, chest, hands and photophobia but without other associated obvious cutaneous and ocular changes; severe, those with extensive dark brown freckles with burning on the exposed parts as well as on the unexposed parts of the body, i.e. the chest, back, abdomen and arms including other associated cutaneous and ocular changes such as ulcers and malignancy. Of 36 patients, three (8.3%) were classified as mild, nine (25%) moderate and 24 (66.7%) severe; there were 18 males and 18 females, age range 2-30 years (mean 8.9 years). Seventeen patients had cutaneous changes: actinic keratosis, keratoacanthoma, fissures and ulcerative nodules on the exposed parts of the body. Four patients had wide ulcers, along with mass formation and severe pigmentation on the face, neck and head. Twenty-nine patients developed ocular symptoms: photophobia, conjunctivitis, corneal keratitis and lid ulcer. One patient had complete loss of vision. Histopathological findings revealed that six patients had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on the face, head, ear or lip. More than one sibling (two to four) was affected in four families. The majority of cases (20/36, 55.6%) were from the Brohi tribe (skin type III), while the remaining cases (16/36, 44.4%) were from the Sindhi population (skin type IV). The large number of XP patients seen in those with skin type III (Brohi tribe) compared with skin type IV (Sindhi population) indicates that the skin type and the race has a considerable value in the pathogenesis of XP. Furthermore, 24 of 36 patients were in the severe group and six of these had SCC. Moreover, no neurological abnormalities were observed in our patients. All patients were treated according to disease severity by prescribing oral antibiotics, local steroids, sunscreens and/or chemotherapy followed by irradiation in malignant cases. Two patients died because of extensive SCC.

Elevated macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels in the urine of patients with focal glomerular sclerosis.

The pathogenesis of focal glomerular sclerosis (FGS) is poorly understood. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine released from T cells and macrophages, and is a key molecule in inflammation. To examine further the possible role of MIF in FGS, we measured MIF levels in the urine. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the involvement of MIF in FGS. Urine samples were obtained from 20 FGS patients. The disease controls included 40 patients with minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and membranous nephropathy (MN). A group of healthy subjects also served as controls. Biopsies were performed in all patients prior to entry to the study. The samples were assayed for MIF protein by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of MIF in the urine of FGS patients were significantly higher than those of the normal controls and patients with MCNS and MN. In contrast, the levels of urinary MIF (uMIF) in patients with MCNS and MN did not differ significantly from normal values. In the present study, attention also focused on the relationship between uMIF levels and pathological features. Among the patients with FGS, uMIF levels were significantly correlated with the grade of mesangial matrix increase and that of interstitial fibrosis. There was also a significant correlation between uMIF levels and the number of both intraglomerular and interstitial macrophages. Although the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined, our study presents evidence that urinary excretion of MIF is increased in FGS patients with active renal lesions.

Sequence variation of the cytochrome b gene of various human infecting members of the genus Leishmania and their phylogeny.

The Cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene has proved to be useful for identification and classification of many mammals and plants. In order to evaluate the utility of this gene for discrimination of Leishmania parasites as well as for exploring their phylogenetic relationships, we determined the nucleotide sequences of the Cyt b gene from 13 human-infecting Leishmania species (14 strains) from the New and Old Worlds. The Cyt b genes, approximately 1080 base pairs, were found to be A/T rich, and their 5' terminal-editing regions were highly conserved. The nucleotide sequence variation among them was enough to discriminate parasite species; 245 nucleotide positions were polymorphic and 190 positions were parsimony informative. The phylogenetic relationships based on this gene, showed good agreement with the classification of Lainson & Shaw (1987) except for the inclusion of L. (L.) major in the L. (L.) tropica complex and the placement of L. tarentolae in another genus. These data show that the Cyt b gene is useful for phylogenetic study of Leishmania parasites.

Effects of Ghrelin on growth hormone secretion from cultured adenohypophysial cells in pigs.

To clarify the direct effects of Ghrelin on growth hormone (GH) release from anterior pituitary (AP) cells in pigs, GH-releasing effects of human Ghrelin (hGhrelin) and rat Ghrelin (rGhrelin) on porcine AP cells were compared with GHRH in vitro. The AP cells were obtained from 6-month-old pigs and the cells (2 x 10(5) cells per well) were incubated for 2 h with the peptides after incubating in DMEM for 3 days. hGhrelin and rGhrelin significantly stimulated GH release from the cultured cells at doses of 10(-8) and 10(-7)M (P < 0.05). The rates of increase in GH at 10(-8) and 10(-7)M of hGhrelin were 82.7 and 131.9%, while those with rGhrelin were 43.9 and 79.5%, respectively. GHRH significantly stimulated GH release from the cells at a dose as low as 10(-11)M (P < 0.05), and the response to GHRH was greater than that induced by Ghrelins. In time-course experiments, GHRH continued to increase GH concentrations in media until 120 min after incubation; however, those in media treated with hGhrelin reached a plateau 60 min after incubation, and the maximal value was approximately one third that obtained with GHRH. When hGhrelin (10(-8)M) and GHRH (10(-8)M) were added together, additive effects of both peptides on the release of GH were observed (P < 0.05). Somatostatin (SS, 10(-7)M) significantly blunted GH release induced by hGhrelin (10(-8)M) and GHRH (10(-8)M) (P < 0.05). In the presence of SS, additive effects of hGhrelin and GHRH on the release of GH were observed (P < 0.05). These results show that Ghrelin directly stimulates GH release from anterior pituitary cells in pigs; however, the GH-releasing effect is weaker than that of GHRH in vitro. The present results also show that Ghrelin interacts with GHRH and SS to in the release of GH from porcine adenohypophysial cells.

Dermatitis herpetiformis in Japan: an update.

BACKGROUND: Although dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a relatively common disease in Caucasian populations, it is rare in Asian populations including the Japanese. We encountered a Japanese case of DH which showed granular IgA and C3 deposits in the papillary dermis and which was associated with gluten-sensitive enteropathy but no HLA-B8/DR3/DQ2. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of Japanese DH cases, since most of them have been reported in Japanese language and dermatologists outside Japan are not familiar with the characteristics of Japanese DH. METHODS: We have reviewed all 34 Japanese DH cases reported previously. RESULTS: We found several features of Japanese DH compared with Caucasian DH, such as a high frequency of the fibrillar pattern, rarity of gluten-sensitive enteropathy and an absence of the HLA-B8/DR3/DQ2 haplotype. CONCLUSION: There might be significant differences in pathophysiology between Caucasian and Japanese DH cases.

Usefulness of sampling with cotton swab for PCR-diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World.

In this study, we tested the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-method to diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) by taking exudate materials from lesions with cotton swabs, using our previously tested (PCR) panel comprised of Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis, L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (V.) guyanensis, L. (Leishmania) mexicana and L. (L.) amazonensis. The objectives of the present study were to improve the sampling method convenient for the patients and to test the usefulness of samples taken with cotton swabs. Sixteen patients were clinically diagnosed to have CL including one case of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL) in Ecuador and the causative Leishmania parasites were identified by PCR. All the 12 samples from CL patients of La Mana, positive for Leishmania DNA, were identified as L. (V.) panamensis, while two from CL of Huigra and one from DCL of San Ignacio were L. (L.) mexicana. In the field condition, taking biopsy material is not only painful but sometimes causes iatrogenic bacterial infections. Considering the sensitivity of the test, and convenient sampling procedure, it may be suggested that collection of exudates using cotton swabs may be a better alternative to biopsy sample for PCR-diagnosis of CL.

Treatment outcome of maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Optimal treatment policies of maxillary sinus carcinoma remain to be defined. METHODS: Seventy-four patients with squamous cell carcinoma of maxillary sinus were treated at Department of Otolaryngology, Asahikawa Medical College between 1983 and 1997. The T classification according to the 1997 International Union Against Cancer was as follows: 9 with T2, 35 with T3, and 30 with T4. Eight patients had lymph node metastasis with N1 at diagnosis. Of 62 patients who started multimodality therapy that comprised preoperative radiochemotherapy including local irradiation with total dose of 50 grays along with concomitant intramaxillary arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil with total dose of 5000 mg followed by total or partial maxillectomy, 59 received the complete therapy. Eleven patients had to be treated with radiotherapy alone, and 1 patient received postoperative radiotherapy. The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 117 months. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival, disease free survival, and local control (LC) rates for all patients were 58.5%, 63.7%, and 73.6%, respectively. The patients who underwent multimodality therapy showed significantly better 5-year overall survival, disease free survival, and LC rates as compared with those who underwent radiotherapy alone (68.5% vs. 9.1%; 73.2% vs. 18.2%; 84.0% vs. 18.2%; P < 0.0001 each). Multivariate analysis revealed that T classification and treatment modality are independent predictors for disease free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' treatment method, which did not include any complicated techniques, produced higher survival and LC rates because of high effectiveness of multimodality therapy. They concluded that their multimodality therapy could offer a better chance for cure from maxillary sinus carcinoma at many institutions.

Presence of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in autonomic and sensory ganglion neurons innervating the lacrimal glands of the cat: an immunofluorescent and retrograde tracer double-labeling study.

It is generally considered that parasympathetic postganglionic nerve fibers innervating the lacrimal gland (LG) arise from the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG), while sympathetic and sensory innervations arise from the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and trigeminal ganglion (TG), respectively. Recently, we reported for the first time that the parasympathetic innervation of the cat LG was also provided by the otic ganglion (OG) and ciliary ganglion (CG), and that the sensory innervation was also provided by the superior vagal ganglion (SVG) and superior glossopharyngeal ganglion (SGG). To determine if nitric oxide (NO) is a neurotransmitter of the autonomic and sensory neurons innervating the LG, we injected the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as a retrograde tracer into the cat LG, and used double-labeling fluorescent immunohistochemistry for CTB and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). We found that NOS-/CTB-immunofluorescent double-labeled perikarya were localized in the PPG, OG, TG, SVG and SGG, but not in the CG and SCG. The highest numbers of NOS-/CTB-immunofluorescent double-labeled neurons were found in the PPG and TG. In addition, we examined the presence of nitrergic nerve fibers in the LG using NADPH-d histochemistry and found that a large amount of NADPH-d-stained nerve fibers were distributed around the glandular acini and in the walls of glandular ducts and blood vessels. This study provides the first direct evidence showing that NO may act as a neurotransmitter or modulator involved in the parasympathetic and sensory regulation of lacrimal secretion and blood circulation, but may not be implicated in the sympathetic control of LG activities, and that nitrergic nerve fibers in the LG arise mainly from parasympathetic postganglionic neurons in the PPG and sensory neurons in the TG. The present results suggest that NO plays an important role in the regulation of LG activities.

Pre-exposure with low-dose UVA suppresses lesion development and enhances Th1 response in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

This study was conducted to determine whether exposing mice to ultraviolet (UV) radiation would alter the pathogenesis of infection with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis (L. amazonensis) which causes progressive cutaneous disease in susceptible mouse strains. BALB/c mice were irradiated with 10 and 30 J/cm(2) UVA on shaved skin of the back from Dermaray (M-DMR-100) for 4 consecutive days before infection with Leishmania promastigotes. The course of disease was recorded by measuring the size of lesions at various times after infection. Mice groups irradiated with UVA 10 and 30 J/cm(2) showed significantly suppressed lesion development compared with the non-irradiated mice. Light and electron microscopy revealed a few parasites at the site of inoculation in UVA-irradiated subjects. Sandwich enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA) examination of sera showed dose dependently upregulated interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-12, and downregulated interleukin (IL)-4 and interleukin (IL)-10 levels in UVA-irradiated as compared with the non-irradiated mice. Positive signals for IFN-gamma mRNA in irradiated mice were obtained by RT-PCR, while non-irradiated mice showed negative results. None of the examined samples showed signal for IL-4 mRNA. The present study disclosed that exposure of mice to different low-doses of UVA irradiation prior to infection may interfere with immunity to L. amazonensis in the murine model. This indicates that the cell-mediated response switch from Th2 to Th1 pattern suppressed the cutaneous lesions of L. amazonensis.