Search Results (10)

Background: Aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve carries a risk of postoperative stenosis. We evaluated the haemodynamic differences between aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve, tricuspid aortic valve, and aortic valve replacement by echocardiography. We also assessed whether a higher postoperative pressure gradient affects the outcomes of aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve. Methods: From 2014 to 2021, patients undergoing aortic valvuloplasty were classified into aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve (Group-PB) and aortic valvuloplasty for tricuspid aortic valve (Group-PT). We also enrolled patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (Group-R) between 2002 and 2021. Mid-term outcomes were compared within Group-PB based on peak pressure gradients of ≥20 mmHg (subgroup-H) and <20 mmHg (subgroup-L). Results: Group-PB included 42 patients and Group-PT included 70 patients. Both 7-day and 1-year echocardiography showed the highest peak/mean pressure gradients in Group-PB (n = 41) and the lowest values in Group-PT (n = 67). Propensity scoring analysis yielded similar results to an unadjusted analysis. The mid-term outcomes were not significantly different between subgroup-H (n = 20) and subgroup-L (n = 22), with rates of freedom from aortic regurgitation >II at 5 years of 94.4% vs. 94.4% (p = 0.749) and freedom from reoperation of 94.4% vs. 100.0% (p = 0.317), respectively. Conclusions: Aortic valvuloplasty for tricuspid aortic valve shows favourable valve function in the early postoperative period, whereas aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve has a risk of postoperative stenosis. However, a high pressure gradient (peak pressure gradient of ≥20 mmHg) after aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve does not impact mid-term outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: The accurate prediction of postoperative renal function (post-RF) in living kidney donors is essential for optimizing donor safety and long-term health. After nephrectomy, renal function can be significantly altered, owing to the functional adaptation of the remaining kidney; however, the extent of this has not been investigated. This study aimed to examine how various donor factors affect functional adaptation after nephrectomy, and to develop a new predictive model. Methods: In total, 310 patients who underwent donor nephrectomy were included. Preoperative split renal function (pre-SRF) of the remaining kidney was measured. Post-RF was measured 1 month after surgery. The functional adaptation rate was calculated from the difference between pre-SRF and post-RF. Multiple regression analysis was performed to develop a predictive formula for post-RF, incorporating donor age and pre-SRF. Results: The median age of the donors was 60 years, and 38.7% were men. The median pre-SRF was 36.4 mL/min/1.73 m². The median functional adaptation rate was 26.8%, with donor age, pre-SRF, and a history of hyperuricemia (HUA) being significant predictors of the functional adaptation rate. The equation for post-RF was established as 0.94 × pre-SRF − 0.12 × age + 18.87 mL/min/1.73 m². The estimated post-RF showed a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.76), with a mean bias of –0.01 mL/min/1.73 m². Conclusions: Donor age, pre-SRF, and HUA are key predictors of renal functional adaptation after nephrectomy. The developed formula accurately estimates post-RF, supporting clinical decision-making and donor counseling for living kidney donations. Full article

There is an increasing need to develop alternatives to animal modeling and testing for pre-clinical studies as researchers face major challenges, such as the study of dynamic systems in laboratory settings. Microphysiological system (MPS) technology has recently shown great potential for addressing such limitations. We developed a perfusing small intestine–liver-connected device that is easy to operate and highly reproducible. In non-clinical pharmacokinetics and safety studies, the use of human-derived materials is necessary. We used human iPS cell-derived small intestinal epithelial cells (HiEs) and cryopreserved human primary hepatocytes. Hepatocytes in 3D culture were co-cultured with swiss-albino 3T3 cells as feeder cells. We evaluated the effects of co-culturing hepatocytes and HiEs using our small intestine–liver device. The mRNA expression levels of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in hepatocytes were significantly increased in the 3D culture. The TEER values were increased in HiEs co-cultured with hepatocytes in the 3D culture. We evaluated the differential proliferation and function characteristics of the hepatocytes and HiEs following perfusion and verified the utility of our proposed small intestine–liver device for evaluating multiple cell populations. The perfusion culture system of our small intestine–liver device can be used to investigate distinct effects on co-cultured hepatocytes and HiEs. Full article

Inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the mouth has the potential to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to the virus being readily transmitted by dispersed saliva. Persimmon-derived tannin has strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity owing to its strong adhesion to proteins, and it also exhibited antiviral effects against non-variant and Alpha-variant SARS-CoV-2 in our previous study. In this study, we first demonstrated the antiviral effects of persimmon-derived tannin against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro via the plaque assay method. We then examined the effects of candy containing persimmon-derived tannin. Remarkably, the saliva samples provided by healthy volunteers while they were eating tannin-containing candy showed that the virus titers of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant were suppressed. In addition, we found that the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva from patients with COVID-19 collected immediately after they had eaten the tannin-containing candy was below the level of detection via PCR for SARS-CoV-2. These data suggest that adding persimmon-derived tannin to candy and holding such candy in the mouth is an effective method for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 in saliva, and the application of this approach shows potential for inhibiting the transmission of COVID-19. Full article

Background: Cervical cystic lesions encompass a range of benign and malignant pathologies. Magnetic resonance imaging or cytology alone cannot provide a definitive diagnosis, and conventional practice involves performing a cervical biopsy by conization to confirm the histology in cases exhibiting potential signs of lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) or malignancy. However, as postoperative complications resulting from conization can impact future fertility and pregnancy, alternative diagnostic methods are needed for reproductive-age patients. This study aimed to establish the efficacy of a hysteroscopic biopsy for diagnosing cervical cystic lesions and compare it with conization. Methods: Thirteen patients with cervical cystic lesions suspected of LEGH or malignancy underwent a hysteroscopic biopsy, while 23 underwent conization. Patient background information, preoperative evaluation, histology, and postoperative outcomes were collected and compared retrospectively. Results: No significant differences were found between the hysteroscopy and conization groups in terms of mean patient age (45 vs. 48 years), operating time (23 vs. 35 min), blood loss (small amount vs. 43 mL), and postoperative hospitalization (1.1 vs. 1.6 days). Conclusion: A hysteroscopic biopsy allows for targeted resection of the cervix while maintaining diagnostic accuracy. It may serve as an efficient method for diagnosing cervical cystic lesions. Full article

Oxidative stress causes various diseases, such as type II diabetes and dyslipidemia, while antioxidants in foods may prevent a number of diseases and delay aging by exerting their effects in vivo. Phenolic compounds are phytochemicals such as flavonoids which consist of flavonols, flavones, flavanonols, flavanones, anthocyanidins, isoflavones, lignans, stilbenoids, curcuminoids, phenolic acids, and tannins. They have phenolic hydroxyl groups in their molecular structures. These compounds are present in most plants, are abundant in nature, and contribute to the bitterness and color of various foods. Dietary phenolic compounds, such as quercetin in onions and sesamin in sesame, exhibit antioxidant activity and help prevent cell aging and diseases. In addition, other kinds of compounds, such as tannins, have larger molecular weights, and many unexplained aspects still exist. The antioxidant activities of phenolic compounds may be beneficial for human health. On the other hand, metabolism by intestinal bacteria changes the structures of these compounds with antioxidant properties, and the resulting metabolites exert their effects in vivo. In recent years, it has become possible to analyze the composition of the intestinal microbiota. The augmentation of the intestinal microbiota by the intake of phenolic compounds has been implicated in disease prevention and symptom recovery. Furthermore, the “brain–gut axis”, which is a communication system between the gut microbiome and brain, is attracting increasing attention, and research has revealed that the gut microbiota and dietary phenolic compounds affect brain homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the usefulness of dietary phenolic compounds with antioxidant activities against some diseases, their biotransformation by the gut microbiota, the augmentation of the intestinal microflora, and their effects on the brain–gut axis. Full article

According to the revision of the FIGO 2018 staging system, cervical cancer with pelvic lymph node metastases was changed to stage IIIC1. We retrospectively analyzed the prognosis and complications of locally resectable (classified as T1/T2 by TNM classification of the Union for International Cancer Control) stage IIIC1 cervical cancer. A total of 43 patients were divided into three groups: surgery with chemotherapy (CT) (ope+CT group) (T1; n = 7, T2; n = 16), surgery followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), or radiotherapy (RT) (ope+RT group) (T1; n = 5, T2; n = 9), and CCRT or RT alone (RT group) (T1; n = 0, T2; n = 6). In T1 patients, recurrence was observed in three patients, but there was no difference among the treatment groups, and no patients died. In contrast, in T2 patients, recurrence and death were observed in nine patients (8 in ope+CT; 1 in ope+RT), and recurrence-free survival and overall survival were lower in the ope+CT group (p = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Lymphedema and dysuria were more common in the ope+RT group. A randomized controlled trial comparing CT and CCRT as an adjuvant therapy after surgery in T1/T2 patients, including those with pelvic lymph node metastases, is currently underway. However, our data suggest that performing CT alone after surgery in T2N1 patients is likely to worsen the prognosis. Full article

Oxidative stress causes the progression of diabetes and its complications; thus, maintaining the balance between reactive oxygen species produced by hyperglycemia and the antioxidant defense system is important. We herein examined the antioxidant potential of non-extractable fractions of dried persimmon (NEP) against oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Rats with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes (50 mg/kg body weight) were administered NEP for 9 weeks. Antioxidant enzyme activities and concentration of antioxidants in liver tissues were analyzed with a microplate reader. Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscle fibers were stained with succinate dehydrogenase and muscle fiber sizes were measured. The administration of NEP increased the body weight of diabetes rats. Regarding antioxidant activities, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity and superoxide dismutase activity in liver tissues significantly increased. In addition, increases in glutathione peroxidase activity in liver tissues and reductions in the cross-sectional area of EDL muscle fibers were significantly suppressed. In these results, NEP improved the antioxidant defense system in the liver tissues of diabetic rats, in addition to attenuating of muscle fibers atrophy against oxidative damage induced by hyperglycemia. Full article

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by remarkable cytogenetic/molecular heterogeneity among patients and intraclonal diversity even in a single patient. We previously demonstrated that PDPK1, the master kinase of series of AGC kinases, is universally active in MM, and plays pivotal roles in cell proliferation and cell survival of myeloma cells regardless of the profiles of cytogenetic and genetic abnormalities. This study investigated the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action of dual blockade of two major PDPK1 substrates, RSK2 and AKT, in MM. The combinatory treatment of BI-D1870, an inhibitor for N-terminal kinase domain (NTKD) of RSK2, and ipatasertib, an inhibitor for AKT, showed the additive to synergistic anti-tumor effect on human MM-derived cell lines (HMCLs) with active RSK2-NTKD and AKT, by enhancing apoptotic induction with BIM and BID activation. Moreover, the dual blockade of RSK2 and AKT exerted robust molecular effects on critical gene sets associated with myeloma pathophysiologies, such as those with MYC, mTOR, STK33, ribosomal biogenesis, or cell-extrinsic stimuli of soluble factors, in HMCLs. These results provide the biological and molecular rationales for the dual-targeting strategy for RSK2 and AKT, which may overcome the therapeutic difficulty due to cytogenetic/molecular heterogeneity in MM. Full article

Small-scale bioacoustic sensors, such as antennae in insects, are often considered, biomechanically, to be not much more than the sum of their basic geometric features. Therefore, little is known about the fine structure and material properties of these sensors—even less so about the degree to which the well-known sexual dimorphism of the insect antenna structure affects those properties. By using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), we determined material composition patterns and estimated distribution of stiffer and softer materials in the antennae of males and females of the non-biting midge Chironomus riparius. Using finite element modelling (FEM), we also have evidence that the differences in composition of these antennae can influence their mechanical responses. This study points to the possibility that modulating the elastic and viscoelastic properties along the length of the antennae can affect resonant characteristics beyond those expected of simple mass-on-a-spring systems—in this case, a simple banded structure can change the antennal frequency sensitivity. This constitutes a simple principle that, now demonstrated in another Dipteran group, could be widespread in insects to improve various passive and active sensory performances. Full article