Cryopreservation of Endangered Wild Species, Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae Kitam, Using Droplet-Vitrification Procedure.

BACKGROUND: Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae Kitam is an endemic and endangered species in urgent need of a comprehensive conservation strategy. OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient cryopreservation protocol using in vitro shoot tips to complement traditional conservation approaches in case seeds are not available or insufficient for conservation programs. METHODS: Shoot tips of in vitro plants were cryopreserved using a droplet-vitrification method following improvement of pre-culture, osmoprotection, vitrification solution (VS), unloading and post-culture treatments. The starting protocol included step-wise pre-culture with 10% and 17.5% sucrose for 55 h and 17 h, respectively, followed by osmoprotection with C4-35% (17.5% glycerol + 17.5% sucrose) for 30 min, and cryoprotection with B5-80% (40% glycerol + 40% sucrose) for 60 min. RESULTS: Shoot tips of A. altaicus were found to be moderately sensitive to the osmotic stress. Pre-culture and osmoprotection were not critical for the regeneration of cryopreserved explants when either of these treatments was applied. Osmoprotection with C4-35% on ice for 60 min followed by cryoprotection with A3-80%, a modified and diluted PVS2, on ice for 60 min resulted in the highest (65.3%) regeneration of cryopreserved shoot tips. Among alternative VSs tested, A3-80% and B5-80% were superior to PVS2 and PVS3 used under the same conditions. Step-wise recovery of shoot tips on ammonium-free medium followed by GA3-containing medium and medium without growth regulators were critical for the normal regeneration of both VS-treated and cryopreserved shoot tips. CONCLUSIONS: Cryopreservation of in vitro shoot tips using droplet-vitrification was developed as a complementary conservation approach for A. altaicus. Adjustment of the composition of regrowth media depending on recovery stage was important for the regeneration of healthy plants from cryopreserved shoot tips.

Hybrid MR-PET of brain tumours using amino acid PET and chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI.

PURPOSE: PET using radiolabelled amino acids has become a promising tool in the diagnostics of gliomas and brain metastasis. Current research is focused on the evaluation of amide proton transfer (APT) chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MR imaging for brain tumour imaging. In this hybrid MR-PET study, brain tumours were compared using 3D data derived from APT-CEST MRI and amino acid PET using O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET). METHODS: Eight patients with gliomas were investigated simultaneously with 18F-FET PET and APT-CEST MRI using a 3-T MR-BrainPET scanner. CEST imaging was based on a steady-state approach using a B1 average power of 1µT. B0 field inhomogeneities were corrected a Prametric images of magnetisation transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym) and differences to the extrapolated semi-solid magnetisation transfer reference method, APT# and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE#), were calculated. Statistical analysis of the tumour-to-brain ratio of the CEST data was performed against PET data using the non-parametric Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: A tumour-to-brain ratio derived from APT# and 18F-FET presented no significant differences, and no correlation was found between APT# and 18F-FET PET data. The distance between local hot spot APT# and 18F-FET were different (average 20 ± 13 mm, range 4-45 mm). CONCLUSION: For the first time, CEST images were compared with 18F-FET in a simultaneous MR-PET measurement. Imaging findings derived from18F-FET PET and APT CEST MRI seem to provide different biological information. The validation of these imaging findings by histological confirmation is necessary, ideally using stereotactic biopsy.

Colonic immune cells in irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Increases in mucosal immune cells have frequently been observed in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. However, this finding is not completely consistent between studies, possibly due to a combination of methodological variability, population differences and small sample sizes. We performed a meta-analysis of case-control studies that compared immune cell counts in colonic biopsies of IBS patients and controls. METHODS: PubMed and Embase were searched in February 2017. Results were pooled using standardized mean difference (SMD) and were considered significant when zero was not within the 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed based on I2 statistics where I2  ≤ 50% and I2  > 50% indicated fixed and random effect models, respectively. KEY RESULTS: Twenty-two studies on 706 IBS patients and 401 controls were included. Mast cells were increased in the rectosigmoid (SMD: 0.38 [95% CI: 0.06-0.71]; P = .02) and descending colon (SMD: 1.69 [95% CI: 0.65-2.73]; P = .001) of IBS patients. Increased mast cells were observed in both constipation (IBS-C) and diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-D). CD3+ T cells were increased in the rectosigmoid (SMD: 0.53 [95% CI: 0.21-0.85]; P = .001) and the descending colon of the IBS patients (SMD: 0.79, 95% CI [0.28-1.30]; P = .002). This was possibly in relation to higher CD4+ T cells in IBS (SMD: 0.33 [95% CI: 0.01-0.65]; P = .04) as there were no differences in CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Mast cells and CD3+ T cells are increased in colonic biopsies of patients with IBS vs non-inflamed controls. These changes are segmental and sometimes IBS-subtype dependent. The diagnostic value of the quantification of colonic mucosal cells in IBS requires further investigation.

Clinical utility of late-night and post-overnight dexamethasone suppression salivary cortisone for the investigation of Cushing's syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: There is a pressing need to identify diagnostic testing for Cushing's syndrome that can be achieved with ease and at low cost. This study aimed to explore the usefulness of late-night and post-overnight 1-mg dexamethasone suppression salivary cortisone, as measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, for investigation of hypercortisolism. METHODS: Salivary cortisone data of subjects were investigated according to a pre-specified protocol. Subjects were classified as having 'hypercortisolism' or 'eucortisolism' on the basis of histological or biochemical criteria. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn to identify the cut-off values and study their performance characteristics. We measured 24-hour urinary free cortisol; late-night salivary cortisol and cortisone; and post-overnight 1-mg dexamethasone suppression serum cortisol, and salivary cortisol and cortisone. Saliva and urine samples were assayed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: In this study, 21 subjects were classified as having hypercortisolism and 78 as having eucortisolism. A late-night salivary cortisone cut-off of 13.50 nmol/L had a sensitivity of 94.7% and a specificity of 87.2%. After taking 1-mg dexamethasone the night before, a salivary cortisol cut-off of 0.85 nmol/L had a sensitivity of 76.2% and a specificity of 96.2%; a salivary cortisone cut-off of 7.45 nmol/L had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 94.9%, while a salivary cortisone cut-off of 3.25 nmol/L had a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 79.5%. Many salivary cortisol samples were below the detection limit of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In comparison with salivary cortisol, salivary cortisone had a better correlation with total serum cortisol and better diagnostic performance following dexamethasone suppression. CONCLUSIONS: Both late-night and post-overnight dexamethasone suppression salivary cortisone levels are of diagnostic value in the investigation of hypercortisolism.

API5 confers cancer stem cell-like properties through the FGF2-NANOG axis.

Immune selection drives the evolution of tumor cells toward an immune-resistant and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotype. We reported that apoptosis inhibitor-5 (API5) acts as an immune escape factor, which has a significant role in controlling immune resistance to antigen-specific T cells, but its functional association with CSC-like properties remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that API5 confers CSC-like properties, including NANOG expression, the frequency of CD44-positive cells and sphere-forming capacity. Critically, these CSC-like properties mediated by API5 are dependent on FGFR1 signaling, which is triggered by E2F1-dependent FGF2 expression. Furthermore, we uncovered the FGF2-NANOG molecular axis as a downstream component of API5 signaling that is conserved in cervical cancer patients. Finally, we found that the blockade of FGFR signaling is an effective strategy to control API5high human cancer. Thus, our findings reveal a crucial role of API5 in linking immune resistance and CSC-like properties, and provide the rationale for its therapeutic application for the treatment of API5+ refractory tumors.

Insulin signaling misregulation underlies circadian and cognitive deficits in a Drosophila fragile X model.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an undertreated neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by low intelligence quotent and a wide range of other symptoms including disordered sleep and autism. Although FXS is the most prevalent inherited cause of intellectual disability, its mechanistic underpinnings are not well understood. Using Drosophila as a model of FXS, we showed that select expression of dfmr1 in the insulin-producing cells (IPCs) of the brain was sufficient to restore normal circadian behavior and to rescue the memory deficits in the fragile X mutant fly. Examination of the insulin signaling (IS) pathway revealed elevated levels of Drosophila insulin-like peptide 2 (Dilp2) in the IPCs and elevated IS in the dfmr1 mutant brain. Consistent with a causal role for elevated IS in dfmr1 mutant phenotypes, the expression of dfmr1 specifically in the IPCs reduced IS, and genetic reduction of the insulin pathway also led to amelioration of circadian and memory defects. Furthermore, we showed that treatment with the FDA-approved drug metformin also rescued memory. Finally, we showed that reduction of IS is required at different time points to rescue circadian behavior and memory. Our results indicate that insulin misregulation underlies the circadian and cognitive phenotypes displayed by the Drosophila fragile X model, and thus reveal a metabolic pathway that can be targeted by new and already approved drugs to treat fragile X patients.

Simvastatin inhibits the expression of inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules induced by LPS in human dental pulp cells.

AIM: To investigate the effect of simvastatin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory cytokines, cell adhesion molecules and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factors in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). METHODOLOGY: The effect of LPS and simvastatin on human dental pulp cell (HDPCs) viability was measured using a 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules was evaluated by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis. NF-κB transcription factors were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance (anova). RESULTS: The viability of cells exposed to different concentrations of E. coli LPS, P. gingivalis LPS and simvastatin was not significantly different compared with that of control cells (P > 0.05). LPS significantly increased interleukin (IL)-1ß (P < 0.05) and IL-6 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) (P < 0.05) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) protein expression (P < 0.05) in HDPCs. Treatment with simvastatin significantly attenuated LPS-stimulated production of IL-1ß, IL-6, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 (P < 0.05). Treatment with simvastatin decreased LPS-induced expression of p65 and phosphorylation of IκB and also significantly decreased the phosphorylation of p65 and IκB in the cytoplasm and the level of p65 in the nucleus (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Simvastatin has a suppressing effect on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine, cell adhesion molecules and NF-κB transcription factors in HDPCs. Therefore, simvastatin might be a useful candidate as a pulp-capping agent in vital pulp therapy.

Diabetes incidence and prevalence in Hong Kong, China during 2006-2014.

AIMS: To estimate recent secular changes in the incidence and prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes among Hong Kong Chinese adults, and thus show possible future trends for developing mainland China. METHODS: Based on a complete census of the public sector health records of 6.4 million people from 2006 to 2014, diabetes cases were ascertained using different methods including the World Health Organization (WHO) 2011 guidelines (HbA1c , fasting plasma glucose and glucose tolerance test), American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2015 guidelines (plus random plasma glucose), and additionally recorded diagnosis codes and medication dispensation. Pre-diabetes was defined using ADA 2015 guidelines. RESULTS: We identified 697 201 people with diabetes (54.2% were incident cases); and 1 229 731 people with diabetes or pre-diabetes. In 2014, the overall incidence of diabetes was 9.46 per 1000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.38 to 9.54], and overall prevalence was 10.29% (95% CI: 10.27% to 10.32%). Incidence of diabetes decreased significantly from 2007 to 2014 (quadratic trend, P < 0.001). From 2006 to 2014, the prevalence of diabetes increased significantly in both sexes and across all age groups (quadratic trend, P < 0.001). The overall incidence of pre-diabetes in 2014 was 18.88 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 18.76 to 18.99), and the overall prevalence of pre-diabetes was 8.90% (95% CI: 8.87% to 8.92%). CONCLUSIONS: Similar to other developed western and Asian populations, diabetes (and pre-diabetes) incidence in Hong Kong Chinese appeared to have stabilized and there have been small declines during the period of observation. Ageing and survivorship will likely drive a continued increase in the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes, albeit with a decelerating growth rate if past trends persist.

Diagnostic accuracy of spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio for proteinuria and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes in Chinese pregnant patients with pre-eclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: International guidelines have endorsed spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio of >30 mg protein/mmol creatinine as an alternative to a 24-hour urine sample to represent significant proteinuria. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio in predicting significant proteinuria and adverse pregnancy outcome. METHODS: This case series was conducted in a regional obstetric unit in Hong Kong. A total of 120 Chinese pregnant patients with pre-eclampsia delivered at Queen Elizabeth Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013 were included. Relationship of spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio and 24-hour proteinuria; accuracy of the ratio against 24-hour urine protein at different cut-offs; and relationship of such ratio and adverse pregnancy outcome were studied. RESULTS: Spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio was correlated with 24-hour urine protein with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.914 (P<0.0001) when the ratio was <200 mg/mmol. The optimal threshold of spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio for diagnosing proteinuria in Chinese pregnant patients (33 mg/mmol) was similar to that stated in the international literature (30 mg/mmol). A cut-off of 20 mg/mmol provided a 100% sensitivity, and 52 mg/mmol provided a 100% specificity. There was no significant difference in spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio between cases with and without adverse pregnancy outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio had a positive and significant correlation with 24-hour urine results in Chinese pre-eclamptic women when the ratio was <200 mg/mmol. Nonetheless, this ratio was not predictive of adverse pregnancy outcome.

Final design of the beam source for the MITICA injector.

The megavolt ITER injector and concept advancement experiment is the prototype and the test bed of the ITER heating and current drive neutral beam injectors, currently in the final design phase, in view of the installation in Padova Research on Injector Megavolt Accelerated facility in Padova, Italy. The beam source is the key component of the system, as its goal is the generation of the 1 MeV accelerated beam of deuterium or hydrogen negative ions. This paper presents the highlights of the latest developments for the finalization of the MITICA beam source design, together with a description of the most recent analyses and R&D activities carried out in support of the design.

Overview of the negative ion based neutral beam injectors for ITER.

The ITER baseline foresees 2 Heating Neutral Beams (HNB's) based on 1 MeV 40 A D(-) negative ion accelerators, each capable of delivering 16.7 MW of deuterium atoms to the DT plasma, with an optional 3rd HNB injector foreseen as a possible upgrade. In addition, a dedicated diagnostic neutral beam will be injecting ≈22 A of H(0) at 100 keV as the probe beam for charge exchange recombination spectroscopy. The integration of the injectors into the ITER plant is nearly finished necessitating only refinements. A large number of components have passed the final design stage, manufacturing has started, and the essential test beds-for the prototype route chosen-will soon be ready to start.

Endoscopic Dilatation of Crohn's Anastomotic Strictures is Effective in the Long Term, and Escalation of Medical Therapy Improves Outcomes in the Biologic Era.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To investigate the long-term efficacy of endoscopic dilatation of Crohn's anastomotic strictures and to identify risk and protective factors associated with the need for repeat dilatation or surgery. METHODS: A total of 54 patients who had endoscopic balloon dilatations for anastomotic Crohn's strictures between 2004 and 2009, with follow-up until June 2014, were identified from a single tertiary center. The primary end points were repeat dilatation or surgical resection, and the impact of radiology, medical therapy, and endoscopic data on these outcomes was analysed with Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: A total of 151 dilatations were performed on patients with a median age of 52 years [interquartile range (IQR), 46-62 years]. The median duration from the first to the second dilatation was 6 years (IQR, 5-7 years). The median disease duration was 28 years (IQR, 19-32 years). At endoscopy, disease activity was reported in 50/54 (92%) cases, with a median Rutgeerts grading of i2 (range, i0-i4). A median of two (IQR 1-9) dilatations was required, with a time to repeat dilatation of 23 months (IQR 7.2-56.9). Escalation of medical therapy was adopted in 22/54 patients (41% of the study population). On multivariate analysis, only combination therapy (anti-TNFα and immunomodulator) was significantly associated with the (decreased) need for repeated dilatation [hazard ratio (HR) 0.23; 95% CI, 0.07-0.67; p = 0.01]. Anastomotic resections were performed in 10 (18%) patients, with a Rutgeerts score of i4 at initial endoscopic balloon dilatation being associated with this outcome (HR 4.55; 95% CI 1.08-19.29; p = 0.04) on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic balloon dilatation of Crohn's anastomotic strictures is safe and effective in the long term. We demonstrate that active disease predicts for future surgery, while escalation of medical therapy may decrease the need for repeat dilatation.

Uterine rupture during labor in women with twice successful vaginal births after cesarean delivery.

Uterine rupture during labor is a serious complication resulting in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. We present the extremely rare case of a 38-year-old gravid woman admitted with labor pain at term, about to experience a uterine rupture during labor. She had previously twice delivered vaginally, and during her third pregnancy had a low transverse Cesarean section. Prior to arriving at the hospital with labor pains, she had routine prenatal care with normal prenatal laboratory tests. One day the woman reported to having sudden epigastric pain, and 40 minutes after her admission a pelvic exam was completed. The unborn baby had a persistent revealed, and a live neonate was promptly delivered with an Apgar score of 1 at one minute and 5 at five minutes. On the fifth postoperative day the woman and her baby were discharged home with no maternal and neonatal complications.

Phylogenetic group distributions, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance properties of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients with urinary tract infections in South Korea.

UNLABELLED: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common diseases by which humans seek medical help and are caused mainly by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Studying the virulence and antibiotic resistance of UPEC with respect to various phylogenetic groups is of utmost importance in developing new therapeutic agents. Thus, in this study, we analysed the virulence factors, antibiotic resistance and phylogenetic groups among various UPEC isolates from children with UTIs. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that majority of the strains responsible for UTIs belonged to the phylogenetic groups B2 and D. Of the 58 E. coli isolates, 79·31% belonged to group B2, 15·51% to group D, 3·44% to group A and 1·72% to B1. Simultaneously, the number of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance exhibited were also significantly high in groups B2 and D compared to other groups. Among the isolates, 44·8% were multidrug resistant and of that 73% belonged to the phylogenetic group B2, indicating the compatibility of antibiotic resistance and certain strains carrying virulence factor genes. The antibiotic resistance profiling of UPEC strains elucidates that the antimicrobial agents such as chloramphenicol, cefoxitin, cefepime, ceftazidime might still be used in the therapy for treating UTIs. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: As the antibiotic resistance pattern of uropathogenic Escherichia coli varies depending on different geographical regions, the antibiotic resistance pattern from this study will help the physicians to effectively administer antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infections. In addition, the frequency of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes among various phylogenic groups could be effectively used to draw new targets for uropathogenic Escherichia coli antibiotic-independent therapies. The study emphasizes need of public awareness on multidrug resistance and for more prudent use of antimicrobials.

HLA-B*38:02:01 predicts carbimazole/methimazole-induced agranulocytosis.

Thioamides antithyroid-drugs (ATDs) are important in hyperthyroid disease management. Identification of the susceptibility locus of ATD-induced agranulocytosis is important for clinical management. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 20 patients with ATD-induced agranulocytosis and 775 healthy controls. The top finding was further replicated. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs185386680, showed the strongest association with ATD-induced agranulocytosis in GWAS (odds ratio (OR) = 36.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 12.8-103.7; P = 1.3 × 10(-24)) and replication (OR = 37; 95% CI = 3.7-367.4; P = 9.6 × 10(-7)). HLA-B*38:02:01 was in complete linkage disequilibrium with rs185386680. High-resolution HLA typing confirmed that HLA-B*38:02:01 was associated with carbimazole (CMZ)/methimazole (MMI)-induced agranulocytosis (OR = 265.5; 95% CI = 27.9-2528.0; P = 2.5 × 10(-14)), but not associated with propylthiouracil (PTU). The positive and negative predictive values of HLA-B*38:02:01 in predicting CMZ/MMI-induced agranulocytosis were 0.07 and 0.999. Approximately 211 cases need to be screened to prevent one case. Screening for the risk allele will be useful in preventing agranulocytosis in populations in which the frequency of the risk allele is high.

Efficacy of combination therapy with probiotics and mosapride in patients with IBS without diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics can be beneficial in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Mosapride citrate, a selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist, stimulates gastrointestinal motility. We investigated the efficacy of combination therapy with probiotics and mosapride for non-diarrheal-type IBS. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-five IBS patients were randomly assigned to either a combination of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus faecium) and mosapride at one of four different doses or a placebo for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients experiencing adequate relief (AR) of global IBS symptoms at week 4. The secondary outcomes included subject's global assessment (SGA) of IBS symptom relief, individual symptoms, stool parameters, and IBS-quality of life. KEY RESULTS: The proportion of AR at week 4 was significantly higher in all treatment groups compared to the placebo group (53.7% in group 1, 55.0% in group 2, 55.2% in group 3, 53.6% in group 4 [the highest dose], and 35.1% in placebo group, respectively, p < 0.05). The proportion of patients reporting 'completely or considerably relieved' in the SGA was higher in the treatment groups than in the placebo group. The abdominal pain/discomfort score in the treatment group 4 was more prominently improved compared with that of the placebo group. In patients with constipation-predominant IBS, the improvements in stool frequency and consistency were significantly higher in the treatment groups 4 and 1, respectively, than those in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Combination therapy with probiotics and mosapride is effective for relief of symptoms in patients with non-diarrheal-type IBS. The study has been registered in the US National Library of Medicine (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01505777).

Therapeutic effects of orally administrated antioxidant drugs on acute noise-induced hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the dose-dependent therapeutic effect of the orally administrated antioxidant drugs [4-hydroxy alpha-phenyl-tert-butylnitrone (4-OHPBN) and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)] on acute noise-induced hearing loss because oral administration is the most commonly used method of drug administration due to its convenience, safety, and economical efficiency. METHODS: Thirty chinchilla were exposed to a 105 dB octave band noise centered at 4 kHz for 6 h and randomly assigned to a control group (saline only) and three experimental groups [4-OHPBN (10 mg/kg) plus NAC (20 mg/kg), 4-OHPBN (20 mg/kg) plus NAC (50 mg/kg), and 4-OHPBN (50 mg/kg) plus NAC (100 mg/kg)]. The drugs were orally administrated beginning 4 h after noise exposure and then administered twice daily for the next 2 days. Permanent auditory brainstem response threshold shifts, distortion product otoacoustic emission threshold shifts, and the percentage of missing outer hair cell were determined. RESULTS: The oral administration significantly reduced permanent hearing threshold shift, distortion product otoacoustic emission threshold shift, and the percentage of missing outer hair cell in a dose-dependent manner. DISCUSSION: This result demonstrates that orally administered drugs can treat acute noise-induced hearing loss in a dose-dependent manner. This suggests that oral administration was effective in treating acute noise-induced hearing loss as in intraperitoneal administration.

RETRACTED: Different bone mineral density in cervical and endometrial cancer.

Objectives Patients with cervical cancer have lower bone mass than women without cancer, whereas women with endometrial cancer have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than control subjects, possibly due to the prevalence of high body-fat mass. The aim of this study was to compare BMD in patients with cervical cancer, endometrial cancer and controls. Methods We analyzed and compared spinal and femoral BMD in 130 patients with cervical cancer, 68 with endometrial cancer, and 140 age-matched menopausal female control subjects. We also compared serum calcium, phosphorus, total alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and urinary deoxypyridinoline levels. Results Compared with the control group, T-scores for some lumbar vertebrae (L4), the femoral neck, and Ward's triangle were lower in patients with cervical cancer, whereas only L4 T-scores were significantly lower in patients with endometrial cancer. Deoxypyridinoline levels were significantly lower in women with endometrial cancer (p < 0.002) than in women with cervical cancer, but no other biochemical variables differed among groups. Conclusions Cervical cancer was associated with lower BMD, especially in femoral BMD, and may be a risk factor for secondary osteoporosis. However, endometrial cancer generally seemed to have no damaging effect on bone except at L4. A further larger follow-up study in more populations is required to clarify these findings.