Persistent primitive olfactory artery associated with early bifurcated accessory anterior cerebral artery.

Five types of persistent primitive olfactory artery (PPOA), a rare variation of the proximal anterior cerebral artery (ACA), have been reported. Type 1 is most common, generally following an extreme anteroinferior course and taking a hairpin turn before continuing to the distal A2 segment of the ACA. Triple ACAs are a common variation of the A2 segment of the ACA, and a centrally located artery is called an "accessory ACA" or "median artery of the corpus callosum". This artery usually does not bifurcate or else bifurcates distally and continues to the pericallosal artery. We herein report a 74-year-old woman with type 1 PPOA and early bifurcated accessory ACA, an extremely rare combination of ACA variations, that was diagnosed using magnetic resonance angiography.

Right vertebral artery entering the third transverse foramen diagnosed by magnetic resonance angiography: a report of two cases.

The vertebral artery (VA) usually enters the sixth transverse foramen (TF). The VA sometimes enters the fifth, and rarely enters the fourth or seventh TF. Reports describing a VA entering the third TF, identified by anatomical dissection or computed tomography angiography, are extremely rare. We herein report two cases in which magnetic resonance (MR) angiography showed the right VA entering the third TF. Coronal reformatted MR angiography source images were useful for identifying the level at which the VA entered the TF. Because the anomalous VA takes an anterior course, it poses a risk during anterior neck surgery. Thus, a correct diagnosis is important when interpreting cervical MR angiography.

A Case of Neurosarcoidosis-Induced Syndrome of Inappropriate Secretion of Antidiuretic Hormone Diagnosed with Neuroendoscopy.

We treated a patient with neurosarcoidosis, which caused the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), in whom diagnosis was performed using neuroendoscopy. The patient was a 56-year-old female who was hospitalized for hyponatremia and diagnosed with SIADH based on a detailed examination. During the course, she developed impaired consciousness due to acute hydrocephalus, which improved after ventricular drainage. Head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed nodular lesions at the floor of the third ventricle and the cerebral aqueduct. Neuroendoscopic biopsy led to the diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis. Her hyponatremia improved after steroid therapy. Neurosarcoidosis can cause SIADH, and complication of hydrocephalus may lead to a poor prognosis. Neuroendoscopy appears to be effective for the diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis with hydrocephalus and helps in deciding the treatment modality.

[Case report of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM) manifested after renal transplantation].

We report a 51-year-old man with human T lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) associated myelopathy (HAM) manifested 10 months after renal transplantation. He had progressive spastic paralysis and neurogenic bladder for 10 years. HTLV-1 antibody are positive both serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Althoght HTLV-1 was not examined in the donor, it was suspected that the patient was infected by renal transplantation. After treatment of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), his motor function had improved and neopterin in CSF was decreased from 158 pmol/ml to 89 pmol/ml. This is a rare case of HAM after living renal transplantation. Cyclosporin and methylpredonisolone are used as immunosuppressants for preventing graft rejection. Time for developing HAM after renal transplantation was shorter than patients after cadaveric renal transplantation. More investigations are needed to clarify the mechanisms in the development of HAM associated with renal transplantation.

Overexpression of a host factor TOM1 inhibits tomato mosaic virus propagation and suppression of RNA silencing.

A plant integral membrane protein TOM1 is involved in the multiplication of Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). TOM1 interacts with ToMV replication proteins and has been suggested to tether the replication proteins to the membranes where the viral RNA synthesis takes place. We have previously demonstrated that inactivation of TOM1 results in reduced ToMV multiplication. In the present study, we show that overexpression of TOM1 in tobacco also inhibits ToMV propagation. TOM1 overexpression led to a decreased accumulation of the soluble form of the replication proteins and interfered with the ability of the replication protein to suppress RNA silencing. The reduced accumulation of the soluble replication proteins was also observed in a silencing suppressor-defective ToMV mutant. Based on these results, we propose that RNA silencing suppression is executed by the soluble form of the replication proteins and that efficient ToMV multiplication requires balanced accumulation of the soluble and membrane-bound replication proteins.

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) syndrome accompanied by Parkinson's disease.

We encountered two cases of RS3PE (remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema) syndrome accompanied by Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the etiology of RS3PE syndrome is still unknown, several possible associations, such as malignancies and viral infections, have been reported; RS3PE syndrome is thought to be an autoimmune-mediated disorder. The present patients did not have any factors which are reported to be associated with RS3PE. Whether or not the complication of PD and RS3PE syndrome is incidental needs to be further examined, and we discuss here the possible cause of association between PD and RS3PE syndrome, including dopamine agonists one of the anti-PD medications.

Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants resistant to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus based on RNA silencing.

RNA silencing technology was used to confer resistance to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). Nicotiana benthamiana was transformed with a transgene designed to produce an inverted repeat RNA containing CGMMV-coat protein gene (CP) sequences, which were separated by an intron sequence, under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. We attempted to confirm the resistance of seven independent transgenic lines; five lines showed resistance to CGMMV infection. The systemic spread of virus was prevented after the inoculation of CGMMV, and the CP-specific short interfering RNA (siRNA) was detected in resistant lines. Thus, the resistance against CGMMV through RNA silencing is strong and efficient.

Tobamovirus-resistant tobacco generated by RNA interference directed against host genes.

Two homologous Nicotiana tabacum genes NtTOM1 and NtTOM3 have been identified. These genes encode polypeptides with amino acid sequence similarity to Arabidopsis thaliana TOM1 and TOM3, which function in parallel to support tobamovirus multiplication. Simultaneous RNA interference against NtTOM1 and NtTOM3 in N. tabacum resulted in nearly complete inhibition of the multiplication of Tomato mosaic virus and other tobamoviruses, but did not affect plant growth or the ability of Cucumber mosaic virus to multiply. As TOM1 and TOM3 homologues are present in a variety of plant species, their inhibition via RNA interference should constitute a useful method for generating tobamovirus-resistant plants.

[Myelopathy in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies: clinical features, pathogenesis, and review of literature].

We report 5 patients with anti-cardiolipin IgM-positive myelopathy. The lengths of spinal lesions were over two vertebral segments in 4 patients. Four cases showed subacute onset, and 2 out of these 4 cases had inflammatory changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and all of their symptoms improved. However, in one patient who showed an acute onset and normal findings of CSF, neurological symptoms did not improve. Three patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. As for the pathophysiology of myelitis associated with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), it is suggested that vascular thrombosis affecting the blood cord barrier promotes an inflammatory changes. The heterogeneous CFS findings seem to reflect the difference in the intensity of inflammation. Both vascular thrombosis and inflammatory process should be considered as pathogenesis of these patients. Alone or combination therapy of steroids and anticoagulants might be effective in patients of myelopathy associated with APS.