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Abstract Aim The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of hydrogen in preventing and treating psychiatric symptoms, particularly depressed mood and loss of interest, and to explore its underlying mechanisms. A mouse model exhibiting inflammation‐derived depressive symptoms was used for the investigation. Methods Institute of Cancer Research mice were subjected to a 7‐day intervention of either 30% hydrogen or 40 g per day of air via jelly intake. On the final day, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally administered at 5 mg/kg to induce inflammation‐related depressive symptoms. Behavioral and biochemical assessments were conducted 24 h post‐LPS administration. Results Following LPS administration, a decrease in spontaneous behavior was observed; however, this effect was mitigated in the group treated with hydrogen. The social interaction test revealed a significant reduction in interactions with unfamiliar mice in the LPS‐treated group, whereas the hydrogen‐treated group exhibited no such decrease. No significant changes were noted in the forced‐swim test for either group. Additionally, the administration of LPS in the hydrogen group did not result in a decrease in zonula occludens‐1, a biochemical marker associated with barrier function at the cerebrovascular barrier and expressed in tight junctions. Conclusion Hydrogen administration demonstrated a preventive effect against the LPS‐induced loss of interest, suggesting a potential role in symptom prevention. However, it did not exhibit a suppressive effect on depressive symptoms in this particular model. These findings highlight the nuanced impact of hydrogen in the context of inflammation‐induced psychiatric symptoms, indicating potential avenues for further exploration and research.

Background. The emergence of the Omicron strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the end of December 2021 has drastically increased the number of infected children in Japan, along with the number of children with febrile convulsions, but its clinical impact is unclear. Materials and Methods. We compared the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children hospitalized with febrile convulsions with the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with fever and respiratory symptoms without convulsions. Results. In 2021 and 2022, 49 and 58 children required emergency hospitalization for febrile convulsions (FC group) with status epilepticus or cluster spasms, in which 24 and 38 children underwent a Filmarray® respiratory panel test (FA test), respectively, and others received a quantitative antigen test for SARS-CoV-2. In 2022, only six patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (10.3%, 6/58). As a reference group, 655 children aged

IntroductionNR5A1 and NR5A2 belong to an orphan nuclear receptor group, and approximately 60% of their amino acid sequences are conserved. Transcriptional regulation of NR5A receptors depends on interactions with co-factors or unidentified ligands.Purpose and methodsWe employed in vitro and in silico analysis for elucidating the pathophysiology of a novel variant in the ligand-binding domain of NR5A1, p.R350W which was identified from a 46,XY patient with atypical genitalia.ResultsIn the study, [1] reporter assays demonstrated that R350 is essential for NR5A1; [2] 3D model analysis predicted that R350 interacted with endogenous ligands or unknown cofactors rather than stabilizing the structure; [3] R350 is not conserved in NR5A2 but is specifically required for NR5A1; and [4] none of the 22 known missense variants of the ligand binding domain satisfied all the previous conditions [1]-[3], suggesting the unique role of R350 in NR5A1.ConclusionOur data suggest that NR5A1 has unidentified endogenous ligands or co-activators that selectively potentiate the transcriptional function of NR5A1 in vivo.

Context: Recently developed long-read sequencing (LRS) technology has been considered an option for CYP21A2 analysis. However, the clinical use of LRS for CYP21A2 analysis is limited. Objective: This study’s objective is to develop an efficient and low-cost LRS system for CYP21A2 screening. Methods: A DNA fragment library was prepared in a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that covers the entire CYP21A2 gene and all known junctions caused by TNXB gene structural rearrangements, yielding a single 8-kb product of CYP21A2 or CYP21A1P/CYP21A2 chimera. After barcoding, the PCR products were sequenced on a MinION-based platform with Flongle Flow Cell R9.4.1 and R10.4.1. Results: The reference genotypes of 55 patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) were established using the conventional method with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and nested PCR. LRS using Flongle Flow Cell R9.4.1 yielded consistent results. Additionally, the recently updated LRS “duplex” analysis with Flongle flow cell R10.4.1 was tested to reveal an advantage of accurately sequencing a variant located on the homopolymer region. By introducing a barcode system, the cost was reduced to be comparable to that of conventional analysis. A novel single-nucleotide variation was discovered at the acceptor site of intron 7, c.940-1G > C. We also identified a subtype of the classical chimeric junction CH2, “CH2a,” in the region from the latter part of intron 5 to exon 6. Conclusion: We successfully established a novel low-cost and highly accurate LRS system for 21OHD genetic analysis. Our study provides insight into the feasibility of LRS for diagnosing 21OHD and other genetic diseases caused by structural rearrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven specimens (149.0–221.2mm standard length) of Pristipomoides amoenus (Snyder, 1911), previously known only from Okinawa-jima and Ishigaki-jima islands, southern Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, were collected from other regions of Japan (Amami-oshima island, Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture), Taiwan (Dong-gang, Pingtung), the Philippines (Iloilo, Panay Island), and Fiji (Viti Levu Island), thereby representing the first records of the species from outside Okinawa Prefecture. The Amami-oshima and Fijian specimens also represent the northernmost and first Southern Hemisphere records, respectively, for the species. Comparison of these plus newly collected specimens from the southern Ryukyu Islands (herein described in detail) with the closely related species Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1832) revealed the following hitherto unrecognized diagnostic color features of P. amoenus: a few small silvery-blue blotches present inside yellow saddles on dorsum; small silvery-blue blotches below trunk lateral line absent or indistinct; a distinct line (formed by small silvery-blue blotches) absent on lower caudal peduncle; a large silveryblue blotch present on upper opercle, extending anteriorly beyond preopercular margin; a line formed by small silvery-blue blotches on upper caudal peduncle ending at upper caudal-fin base; a pair of lines formed by small silvery-blue blotches along dorsal-fin base (dorsal view); a larger pair of elliptical silvery-blue blotches on occipital region (all silvery-blue blotches retained as dark-brown blotches after preservation). Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus is newly recorded from the Tokara Islands, northern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the glucocorticoid maintenance therapy employed in patients with 21 hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD), the initial therapy remains to be optimized. The Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology recommends a hydrocortisone (HC) dose of 25-100 mg/m2, which is higher than that employed in Western countries. Herein, we aimed to retrospectively verify the impact of initial HC treatment during infancy and early childhood. Between 2010 and 2018, 15 classical patients with 21OHD were enrolled and divided into the following groups based on initial HC therapy: high dose group (HDG, n = 6), medium dose group (MDG, n = 5), and low dose group (LDG, n = 4). In the HDG and MDG, HC was initiated at 100 mg/m2 and reduced to maintenance doses over 4-6 mo and 2-3 wk, respectively. In the LDG, HC was initiated with a maintenance dose of 7 mg/d, accompanied by fludrocortisone and oral NaCl. During the second year, 17a-hydroxyprogesterone was sufficiently suppressed in all three groups. At two years of age, no significant differences in anthropometric data were observed. Our retrospective study did not reveal any apparent advantages or disadvantages of high-dose initial HC therapy for 21OHD, and a lower dose would be preferable for the initial 21OHD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to malignant diseases, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is also a vital option as a curative therapy for non-malignant diseases, such as immunodeficiency, and other hematological disorders. Not only for m alignant diseases, but for non-malignant diseases, cytotoxic therapy of conditioning regimens are associated with high risks of adverse effects; however, clinical details regarding the long term outcomes of cytotoxic therapy for non-malignant diseases are not documented yet. To clarify the endocrinological consequences of pediatric HSCT for non-malignant disease patients, we conducted a retrospective analysis. From 1983 to 2014, 75 patients that underwent HSCT for non-malignant diseases were selected for this study. Of these, 23 patients (19 men, 4 women) were continuously followed up in our institute, with regular health check-ups for late effects. Based on a multiple linear regression analysis, the glucocorticoid treatment duration for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and the conditioning regimen were found to be independent predictors of growth retardation. All four female patients developed hypogonadism, and required hormone replacement therapy. The conditioning regimen for the four female patients with hypogonadism was based on the use of alkylating agents, and two female patients were treated with a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen. Our study revealed th a t even the RIC regimen was toxic for the gonads in female patients, and th a t the survivors of both non-malignant and malignant diseases should be followed up carefully after pediatric HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]