Low Phase Angle Is Correlated With Worse General Condition in Patients with Advanced Cancer

Objectives: Phase angle (PA) is a poor prognostic factor in patients with advanced cancer. This study aimed to identify possible correlations between PA and symptoms, quality of life, fluid retention, and laboratory data in cancer patients in palliative care settings.

Methods: Individuals who visited the outpatient clinic or were admitted to the palliative care unit were eligible. Patients with a performance status of 4 and/or those unable to complete questionnaires were excluded. PA was evaluated using a bioanalyzer device. The correlation coefficient between PA and the variables of interest was analyzed.

Results: A total of 102 patients were analyzed. PA was weakly correlated with age (ρ = ?0.22), performance status (ρ = ?0.30), functional well-being (ρ?=?0.20), anorexia/cachexia subscale (ρ?=?0.22), and Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy trial outcome index (ρ?=?0.26). PA was also correlated with fluid retention (ρ = ?0.34) and albumin (ρ?=?0.32), C-reactive protein (ρ = ?0.31), and hemoglobin (ρ?=?0.41) levels. Sub-analysis stratified according to sex revealed that males demonstrated the same results; however, female sex demonstrated a correlation between PA and social well-being (ρ = ?0.43).

Conclusions: PA was correlated with physical condition, but not with psychological well-being.     

Pheophytin a, a low molecular weight compound found in the marine brown alga Sargassum fulvellum, promotes the differentiation of PC12 cells

We identified and characterized a neurodifferentiation compound from the marine brown alga Sargassum fulvellum collected from the Japanese coastline. Several instrumental analyses revealed the compound to be pheophytin a. Pheophytin a did not itself promote neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. However, when PC12 cells were treated with a low concentration of pheophytin a (3.9 microg/ml) in the presence of a low level of nerve growth factor (10 ng/ml), the compound produced neurite outgrowth similar to that produced by a high level of nerve growth factor (50 ng/ml). Pheophytin a also enhanced signal transduction in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, which is also induced by nerve growth factor. The effect of pheophytin a on neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells was completely blocked by U0126, a representative mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor. These results suggest that pheophytin a enhances the neurodifferentiation of PC12 cells in the presence of a low level of nerve growth factor and that this effect is mediated by activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.     

Reduction of enzymatic activity of tyrosine hydroxylase by a heterocyclic amine, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole (Trp-P-1), was due to reduced affinity to a cofactor biopterin.

A carcinogenic, food-derived heterocyclic amine, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole (Trp-P-1) was found to reduce the enzymatic activity of tyrosine hydroxylase in clonal rat pheochromocytoma PC12h cells, by its supplement to the culture medium. The reduction was observed with 10 microM Trp-P-1, and at this concentration the amount of cell protein and the activity of a non-specific enzyme, beta-galactosidase, were not affected. The mechanism of the reduction of the enzyme activity was clarified by kinetical studies. The amine reduced the affinity of tyrosine hydroxylase to a cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin. The alteration of the enzymatic properties by Trp-P-1 was discussed in relation to the possible effect on catecholamine metabolism in the brain.     

Dietary Olive Oil Intake Improves Running Endurance with Intramuscular Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Mice

Olive oil is a functional food shown to have a variety of bioactive effects. Therefore, we expect it to be a novel functional food with an exercise-mimetic effect on skeletal muscles. This study aimed to investigate the effect of olive oil on the endurance capacity and muscle metabolism in mice. Mice fed a 7% (w/w) olive oil diet for eight weeks showed improved treadmill running endurance and increased intramuscular triacylglycerol (IMTG) accumulation in the gastrocnemius muscle compared to soybean oil diet-fed controls. The increase in running endurance with olive oil intake was independent of the muscle fiber type. To elucidate underlying the mechanism of elevated IMTG levels, we examined the expression levels of the genes related to lipid metabolism. We found that the expression of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase1 (DGAT1) was significantly upregulated in the muscle of olive oil diet-fed mice. In addition, the olive oil diet-fed mice showed no metabolic impairment or differences in growth profiles compared to the controls. These results suggest that dietary olive oil intake affects muscle metabolism and muscle endurance by increasing energy accumulation.     

Effects of bicarbonate ion on chick retinal pigment epithelium: membrane potentials and light-evoked responses

The purpose of this study was to determine how changes in [HCO3-] alter the electrical properties of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Experiments were conducted on the isolated chick retina-RPE-choroid preparation. The chamber holding the preparation allowed independent perfusion of the retinal and the choroidal surfaces. The light-evoked trans-tissue potential (TTP), the trans-epithelial potential (TEP), the trans-retinal potentials, and the intracellularly-recorded apical and basal membrane potentials were studied. Increasing the [HCO3-]0 in the choroidal bath from 25 to 40 mEq/1 led to an increase in the TTP and TEP. The same change in the retinal bath decreased the TTP because of a biphasic change of the RPE membrane potentials. There was also an increase in the amplitudes of the TEP, the c-wave and the slow PIII. The light-evoked subretinal K+ decrease was greater which is consistent with an increase in the photoreceptor light response. These observations indicated that the decrease of TTP resulted from a basal membrane hyperpolarization followed by an apical membrane depolarization induced by an increase in retinal [HCO3-]0. The relationship of these potential changes to the human bicarbonate responses is discussed.     

Involvement of endogenous N-methyl(R)salsolinol in Parkinson's disease: induction of apoptosis and protection by (-)deprenyl

An endogenous dopamine-derived N-methyl(R)salsolinol has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. In Parkinson's disease, the level of N-methyl(R)salsolinol increased in cerebrospinal fluid and the high activity of a synthesizing enzyme, (R)salsolinol N-methyltransferase, was detected in lymphocytes. This isoquinoline induced apoptotic DNA damage in human dopaminergic neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Among catechol isoquinolines, only N-methylsalsolinol induced apoptosis in the cells, and the scavengers of hydroxyl radicals and antioxidants suppressed DNA damage, suggesting that reactive oxygen species initiate apoptosis. The isoquinoline activated caspase-3 like proteases and a caspase-3 inhibitor protected the cells from DNA damage. (-)Deprenyl, but neither clorgyline nor pargyline, prevented apoptotic cell death. The mechanism of the protection was due to stabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential reduced by the toxin. In Parkinson's disease apoptosis may be induced in dopamine neurons by this endogenous neurotoxin, and (-)deprenyl may protect them from apoptotic death process.     

An Adult Case of Hemiplegia,Aphasia, and Hemispheric Atrophy Associated with Febrile Status Epilepticus

A 43-year-old man with a preceding infection was transferred to our hospital for febrile status epilepticus (SE). Although treatment for SE was immediately initiated, it failed. Therefore, continuous anesthetics treatment with mechanical ventilation was initiated. No epileptic discharge was found on an electroencephalogram. However, total aphasia and right hemiplegia due to left hemispheric swelling were noted on day 5. His aphasia and hemiplegia did not improve. The mechanism underlying the hemispheric involvement remains unclear. The initial diagnosis should be made with care in patients with febrile SE; furthermore, intensive treatment should be administered in the acute phase.     

Relationship between interleukin-1β gene expression in epicardial adipose tissue and coronary atherosclerosis based on computed tomographic analysis

BackgroundAnti-inflammatory therapy targeting interleukin (IL)-1β reduced cardiovascular events in a randomized trial. We evaluated the relationship between IL-1β mRNA expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and clinically-assessed coronary atherosclerosis on computed tomography (CT).MethodsWe studied 45 patients before cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], n ?= ?18; non-CABG, n ?= ?27). EAT volume, the coronary calcium score (CCS), and the presence of non- and/or partially-calcified coronary plaques (NCPs) and high-risk coronary plaques (HRPs; minimum CT density <30 Hounsfield units and vascular remodeling index >1.1) on CT angiography were assessed. EAT samples were obtained during cardiac surgery. IL-1β mRNA expression in EAT was measured using quantitative real-time PCR and normalized to that of β-actin in each patient.ResultsThere was no difference in IL-1β mRNA levels between patients who were scheduled for CABG and non-CABG surgery or among subgroups based on the CCS. However, patients with NCPs (median [interquartile range], 4.1[2.0-11.6]E-4 versus 1.8[0.6-4.5]E-4, p ?= ?0.024) and HRP (7.6[3.0-20.4]E-4 versus 1.9[0.7-4.3]E-4, p ?= ?0.0023) had higher IL-1β mRNA levels than those without these plaques. On multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, coronary risk factors, statin therapy, CCS, and EAT volume, the presence of HRPs was significantly correlated with elevated IL-1β mRNA levels in EAT (β ?= ?0.39, p ?= ?0.047).ConclusionOur data suggest a contribution of EAT to coronary atherosclerosis through molecular behavior, such as IL-1β gene expression, which may be a new therapeutic target.