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Chemogenetic Operation of iNTRacellular prOton Levels (pH-Control) is a novel substrate-based enzymatic method that enables precise spatiotemporal control of ultralocal acidification in cultured cell lines and primary neurons. The genetically encoded biosensor SypHer3s showed that pH-Control effectively acidifies cytosolic, mitochondrial, and nuclear pH exclusively in the presence of β-chloro-d-alanine in living cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The pH-Control approach is promising for investigating the ultralocal pH imbalance associated with many diseases.

Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is an innovative color Doppler technique that is used to evaluate low-velocity blood flow in particular. Our purpose in this study was to examine the sensitivity and specificity of SMI for assessing occlusion of the hepatic artery after liver transplantation. Ninety-five prospective patients who underwent liver transplantation were included in our study between April 2014 and February 2018. The patients were assessed with color power Doppler sonography and SMI method examinations in this study. Those who were suspected of having hepatic artery occlusion were assessed with computed tomography angiography. Computed tomography angiography was used in all the patients who were suspected of having occlusion of the hepatic artery on power Doppler and SMI method. The hepatic artery was considered to be patent and have normal flow on color Doppler examination in 72 (75.7%) of the total 95 patients. The hepatic artery was not observed in 23 (24.2%) of the patients with color Doppler sonography. In 3 of those 23 patients, arterial flow was detected with power Doppler sonography (31%). The sensitivity of SMI for the detection of hepatic artery occlusion was 100%, the specificity was 97.87%, the positive predictive value was 33.33%, and the negative predictive value was 100%. Thus, SMI is a noninvasive technique that is easy to use and has high sensitivity in patients who have undergone liver transplantation. In patients who are suspected of having hepatic artery occlusion with Doppler ultrasound, SMI can detect hepatic artery occlusion without the need for invasive techniques.

Anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis is one of the most frequently encountered forms of autoimmune encephalitis. Many patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis develop permanent hippocampal neuron loss and chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms, suggesting that LGI antibodies (Ab) might have a neurotoxic action. To investigate this hypothesis, purified serum IgG of three patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and six healthy controls were incubated with cultured primary hippocampal neurons obtained from newborn mice. Nontreated cells were used as controls. The viability of IgG-treated neurons was evaluated by propidium iodide staining. Apoptotic mechanisms were assessed by JC-1 assay and mRNA expression level measurement of apoptosis-related genes using real-time PCR. The effect of IgG treatment on calcium influx was analyzed by fluo-4 calcium imaging. LGI1-Ab+ IgG increased the number of propidium iodide positive neurons, reduced mitochondrial membrane potentials, upregulated caspase-3 and Bax mRNA expression levels and downregulated Bcl-2 mRNA expression levels of neurons. LGI1-Ab+ IgG-treated neurons showed lower calcium staining than healthy controls IgG-treated and non-IgG-treated neurons. Our results indicate a neurotoxic role of LGI1-Ab. This neurotoxicity is likely mediated through induction of apoptosis and reduction of calcium currents.

Absorption of autologous fat graft in the recipient area necessitates recurrent fat transplantation. Harvesting extra tissue during the first operation and storing it for future use is considered a solution to this problem.

Our purpose was to determine if the presence of duodenal diverticula predisposes to the development of pancreaticobiliary disease. Between May 1999 and February 2001, 381 patients were examined by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography. Of these patients, 51 had periampullary diverticula. In 27 patients the papilla was located inside the diverticulum (Group I), in 19 patients it was located at the edge of the diverticulum (Group II), and 5 patients it was located at a distance closer than 3 cm to the diverticulum (Group III). Seventeen patients in group I and 11 patients in group II had had a previous cholecystectomy. The overall incidence of biliary system stone disease was 22.2% in group I, 36.8% in group II, and 100% in group III. All patients were treated with endoscopic sphincterotomy and three (two in group I and one in group II) developed biliary system disease (cholangitis or pancreatitis). We think that sphincterotomy should be applied regardless of the presence of stone if the papilla is located inside or at the edge of the diverticulum. If the papilla is located 3 cm or more far for diverticulum, it should be considered within the frame of general sphincterotomy indications in the absence of stone disease.