Search Results (5)

Background and Objectives: Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome (POS) is unilateral granulomatous follicular conjunctivitis with ipsilateral afferent lymphadenopathy, primarily caused by cat-scratch disease, tularemia, and sporotrichosis. We report a case of POS in which Bartonella DNA was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in corneal and conjunctival specimens. Methods: A 29-year-old man, who started keeping a stray cat two months prior, became aware of right preauricular lymphadenopathy and right ocular conjunctival hyperemia one month prior. Subsequently, he developed a fever of approximately 37.9 °C, with a purulent ocular discharge appearing 1 week before being referred to our department for a detailed ophthalmological examination. The patient’s right eye showed hyperemia and edema in the bulbar conjunctiva, along with palpebral conjunctival hyperemia, follicles, and white ulcers. Two weeks later, his serum IgM titer for Bartonella henselae was 1:20, and Bartonella DNA was detected by PCR in the corneal and conjunctival specimens. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with POS caused by cat-scratch disease (CSD). Oral doxycycline, rifampicin, topical gatifloxacin, betamethasone phosphate, and erythromycin eye ointments were prescribed. Results: After 2 weeks of oral treatment and 2 months of eye drop treatment, the deterioration of the cornea and conjunctiva improved when the patient recovered good visual acuity. Conclusions: PCR assays of corneal and conjunctival specimens are useful for the diagnosis of CSD presenting with POS. These results suggested that Bartonella may be directly involved in the ocular surface pathogenesis of POS. Full article

Glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness, which significantly reduces quality of life. Most glaucoma cases are primary glaucoma; nevertheless, many patients suffer from glaucoma caused by drugs, such as corticosteroids. A comprehensive review of the risks associated with corticosteroid-induced glaucoma is limited. Therefore, we used the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Reporting Database (JADER) published by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) to analyze the risk factors associated with glaucoma and the trends and characteristics of corticosteroid-induced glaucoma. We did not find sex or age differences associated with the onset of glaucoma. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed that triamcinolone acetonide and betamethasone sodium phosphate, which are used around the eyes in Japan, are more likely to induce intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation compared with other corticosteroids. Increased IOP is a direct cause of glaucoma. Based on these findings, it may be necessary to limit or avoid the use of these corticosteroids. Full article

The mRNA destabilizing factor tristetraprolin (TTP) functions as a tumor suppressor by down-regulating cancer-associated genes. TTP expression is significantly reduced in various cancers, which contributes to cancer processes. Enforced expression of TTP impairs tumorigenesis and abolishes maintenance of the malignant state, emphasizing the need to identify a TTP inducer in cancer cells. To search for novel candidate agents for inducing TTP in cancer cells, we screened a library containing 1019 natural compounds using MCF-7 breast cancer cells transfected with a reporter vector containing the TTP promoter upstream of the luciferase gene. We identified one molecule, of which the enantiomers are betamethasone 21-phosphate (BTM-21-P) and dexamethasone 21-phosphate (BTM-21-P), as a potent inducer of TTP in cancer cells. We confirmed that BTM-21-P, DXM-21-P, and dexamethasone (DXM) induced the expression of TTP in MDA-MB-231 cells in a glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent manner. To identify potential pathways linking BTM-21-P and DXM-21-P to TTP induction, we performed an RNA sequencing-based transcriptome analysis of MDA-MB-231 cells at 3 h after treatment with these compounds. A heat map analysis of FPKM expression showed a similar expression pattern between cells treated with the two compounds. The KEGG pathway analysis results revealed that the upregulated DEGs were strongly associated with several pathways, including the Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, FOXO signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and p53 signaling pathway. Inhibition of the FOXO pathway using a FOXO1 inhibitor blocked the effects of BTM-21-P and DXM-21-P on the induction of TTP in MDA-MB-231 cells. We found that DXM enhanced the binding of FOXO1 to the TTP promoter in a GR-dependent manner. In conclusion, we identified a natural compound of which the enantiomers are DXM-21-P and BTM-21-P as a potent inducer of TTP in breast cancer cells. We also present new insights into the role of FOXO1 in the DXM-21-P- and BTM-21-P-induced expression of TTP in cancer cells. Full article

The effect of polymer adsorption on the stability and viable shelf life of 55 μm diameter oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions containing the steroid, betamethasone 21-phosphate was investigated. Two acrylate polymers, Carbopol^® 971P and 974P, were added in the role of emulsion stabilizers to a model system, representing a non-ionic low molecular weight surfactant-stabilized emulsion (topically applied medicinal cream). For the purposes of this study the dosage of the viscosifier was maintained below 1% w/v and consequently, the consistency of the emulsion was measured in the diluted form. One of the polymers was responsible for elevated degrees of droplet creaming and coalescence and this was closely linked to its surface tension lowering capacity. This lowering was seen at 62 mN/m compared to the routine values at equivalent concentrations of 68 mN/m and 35 mN/m for the betamethasone drug and non-ionic surfactant-Tween 80, respectively. The same polymer also demonstrated a predisposition to form low-micron and greater sized aggregates of nanoparticles that led to extensive flocculation and the formation of a sedimentary precipitate, formed from an amalgam of the components found in the creamed droplet layer. Full article

Although glucocorticoids are highly effective in treating various types of inflammation such as skin disease, rheumatic disease, and allergic disease, their application have been seriously limited for their high incidence of side effects, particularly in long term treatment. To improve efficacy and reduce side effects, we encapsulated betamethasone phosphate (BSP) into biocompatible red blood cells (RBCs) and explored its long acting-effect. BSP was loaded into rat autologous erythrocytes by hypotonic preswelling method, and the loading amount was about 2.5 mg/mL cells. In vitro, BSP loaded RBCs (BSP-RBCs) presented similar morphology, osmotic fragility to native RBCs (NRBCs). After the loading process, the loaded cells can maintain around 70% of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity of natural cells. In vivo, a series of tests including survival, pharmacokinetics, and anti-inflammatory effect were carried out to examine the long-acting effect of BSP-RBCs. The results shown that the loaded cells could circulate in plasma for over nine days, the release of BSP can last for over seven days and the anti-inflammatory effect can still be observed on day 5 after injection. Totally, BSP-loaded autologous erythrocytes seem to be a promising sustained releasing delivery system with long anti-inflammatory effect. Full article