Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) in rats: abrogation of resistance to the induction and augmentation of the inflammation by pertussis toxin

The effect of pertussis toxin (PT) on experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) induced by immunization with S-antigen was examined in rats. Intravenous administration of PT (2 micrograms/rat) initiated the development of EAU in rats that had been made resistant to the induction of EAU by immunization with S-antigen and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). The capacity of PT to promote EAU was also demonstrated by a marked augmentation of the inflammation in EAU eyes of rats susceptible to the induction of EAU. PT was most effective when it was given from the day before to the day after immunization with S-antigen. However the induction of EAU was promoted by the injection of PT even 7 days before and 14 days after immunization. The clinical and histopathological findings of the EAU produced by the additional PT treatment were described and the mechanisms by which PT augmented the induction of EAU were discussed.     

Effects of heat stimulation via microwave applicator on cartilage matrix gene and HSP70 expression in the rabbit knee joint

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of heat stimulation on the expression of extracellular matrix genes and heat‐shock protein 70 (HSP70) in rabbit articular cartilage in vivo. Heat stimulation was applied to the knee joints of Japanese white rabbits for 20 min using a microwave (MW) applicator (2.45‐GHz, 0–80 W). After 8–72 h, the articular cartilage was removed from the knee joints and proteins and total RNA were extracted. As controls, knee joints without heat stimulation were analyzed. The expression of HSP70 was confirmed by real‐time PCR and Western blotting. The expression of proteoglycan core protein (PG) and type II collagen (Col II) was quantified using real‐time PCR to assess cartilage matrix metabolism. Compared to controls, HSP70 expression was higher with more than 40 W of heat stimulation. The expression of PG and Col II mRNA was higher, with more than 20 W of heat stimulation and peaked with 40 W. When quercetin was used to inhibit the induction of HSP70 expression, PG mRNA expression did not increase. External MW application stimulated HSP70 expression in the articular cartilage in vivo. The expression of extracellular matrix genes was increased by appropriate heat stimulation. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:34–41, 2008     

Surveillance following orchiectomy for stage I testicular seminoma: Long-term outcome

Objectives:   To report the long-term outcome of surveillance for stage I seminoma at a single institution in Japan.
Methods:   A retrospective review of medical records of 64 patients who underwent orchiectomy between January 1982 and December 2005 was carried out. All of them were managed by surveillance for stage I seminoma.
Results:   Median follow-up time was 123.8 months. Of the 64 patients, seven developed relapse. Four relapses occurred within the first year after orchiectomy, but three occurred over 4 years after orchiectomy. The actuarial relapse-free rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 92.1%, 90.0%, and 86.0%, respectively. All patients received salvage chemotherapy at relapse. Four of these seven patients were alive without evidence of disease. One patient died of seminoma and one was alive with this disease. The remaining one patient died of leukemia without secondary relapse of seminoma. T classification was a statistically significant ( P  = 0.028) risk factor for relapse on univariate analysis. In T1 patients, relapse-free rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were all 97.1%, whereas in T2/T3 patients the corresponding relapse-free rates were 86.4%, 82.1%, and 71.8%, respectively.
Conclusions:   The relapse-free rate in the present study was similar to previous reports. Late relapse should be considered during surveillance.     

Occurrence of Antifouling Biocides and Fluorinated Alkyl Compounds in Sediment Core from Deep Sea: Suruga Bay,Tosa Bay,and Nankai Tough,Japan

Contamination profiles of antifouling biocides were investigated in a deep-sea environment in Suruga Bay Japan. Significant differences in the tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) concentrations in subsurface sediment between 850 and 800 m of water depth were not observed (p < 0.05). Organotin (OT) concentrations in sediment core of 0–30.5 cm from a water depth of 800 m were investigated. The butyltins (BTs) and phenyltins (PTs) concentrations were constant between 0 and 15 cm, and, subsequently, the concentration of these compounds increased. The peaks of the BTs and PTs concentrations were observed between 18 and 19 cm. The concentrations of Irgarol 1051 decreased until a core depth of 9 cm, and, the values then became near the detection limit under the 10 cm of core depth. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) were detected in the sediment core (0–30.5 cm) of Suruga Bay. The concentration of PFOS was high in the 0–5-cm core depth and then decreased. The concentrations of PFOA, however, were at the values near the detection limit throughout the sediment core. The BTs and PTs concentrations in surface sediment from Tosa Bay decreased with water depth. Although Irgarol 1051 was the only alternative compound detected, the value was near the detection limit. PFOS and PFOA were detected in sediment core from Tosa Bay. The concentrations of PFOS became low as the water depth became deeper. TBT, TPT, Sea Nine 211, Diuron and Irgarol 1051 were detected in sediment core (core depth: 10 cm) from the Nankai trough (water depth: 4010 m).     

Heat and Photolytic Nitric Oxide are Essential Factors for Light-induced Vascular Tension Changes

. Light induces various vascular tension changes, but these phenomena and their mechanisms remain controversial. We hypothesise that photocontraction results from the thermal effect, and that photorelaxation results from the non-thermal effect of photochemical nitric oxide generation. The isometric tension of a rat aortic ring was measured during laser light irradiation at various wavelengths with constant heat generation. Visible irradiation (458 nm, 514.5 nm) induced either photorelaxation (the tension increment was −20% of the contracted state induced by noradrenaline) or photocontraction (+7.8%); UV irradiation (351 nm) induced only photorelaxation (−41%), and near-IR irradiation (800 nm) produced only photocontraction (+11%). In the vascular tissue, photocontraction increased with deposited light energy, which was proportional to the temperature elevation. Simply heating the vascular tissue also resulted in vasocontraction. Photorelaxation by UV occurred even in the absence of endothelium, and was significantly reduced to 49% of control levels of photorelaxation by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue. Photorelaxation was not reduced by the nitric oxide synthetase inhibitors, N ^ω-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) and N ^ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). We conclude that photocontraction is produced by the thermal effect resulting from deposited light energy. Photorelaxation might be induced by endothelium-independent nitric oxide generation, which seems to result from the photochemical effect due to photon energy. Paper received 4 October 1999; accepted after revision 7 February 2000.