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We explore the synergistic effects of TiO 2 underlayers and varied alcohol species in the precursor solutions on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of hematite photoanodes. Utilizing a robust machine learning (ML) framework combined with comprehensive analytical data sets, we systematically investigate how these modifications influence key physical and chemical properties, directly impacting the efficiency of water splitting processes. Our approach employs an ML model that integrates SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to quantitatively assess the impact of each dominant descriptor selected in the analytical data on the PEC performance, and they were combined with the SHAP values' dependence on the experimental operations. Specifically, we focus on the type of alcohol (methanol, ethanol, butanol, and 2-ethyl-1-butanol) used in the precursor solutions as the experimental operation, examining their effects on the dominant descriptors selected in the analytical data. The results from the SHAP analysis reveal that different alcohol species significantly alter the physicochemical properties at the hematite/TiO 2 interface and in bulk hematite. These changes are primarily manifested in the modulation of the density of states and resistance to promote the charge carrier transport. For example, ethanol and butanol were found to enhance the electron density of states at the interface, which correlates with higher photocurrent outputs and improved PEC activity. In contrast, methanol showed a less pronounced effect, suggesting a nuanced interaction between the alcohol molecular structure and hematite surface chemistry. These findings not only underscore the importance of tailored precursor solution chemistry for enhancing PEC performance but also highlight the power of ML tools in uncovering the underlying physical and chemical mechanisms that govern the behavior of complex material systems. This study sets a foundational approach where ML can bridge the gap between empirical observations and theoretical understanding, leading to the rational design of energy materials., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

This study investigates the optimization of hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) photoanodes for enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance and reproducibility, which are crucial for photocatalytic applications. Despite hematite's potential, hindered by inherent limitations, significant improvements were realized by introducing a titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) underlayer and ethanol-modified deposition. The influence of the deposition methods was understood by potential-dependent photoelectrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. The introduction of the TiO 2 underlayer effectively increased the density of states, preferable for the electron transport in the bulk hematite, and the ethanol deposition on a TiO 2 underlayer led to a stable surface state formation (S1 state) for the photoexcited hole transfer. This analysis illuminated the intricate interplay between electron transport in the bulk and photogenerated hole transfer at the solution interface, thereby facilitating smoother charge transfer. These findings underscore the viability of surface engineering and meticulous process optimization in addressing critical challenges in photocatalyst development.

Hematite has gained significant attention in the field of photocatalysis as one of the most promising materials for the photoanode of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting due to visible light absorption and the abundance of availability. However, its performance improvement process suffers from a serious bottleneck due to "sample variation" and "inactivity". However, the physical origin of them has not yet been elucidated. To address these issues, we have developed a machine learning (ML) strategy using a combination of various analytical data of hematite photoanodes to discern "active/inactive" and identify the dominant factors. For the demonstration purpose of the ML strategy, we picked up one of the dominant factors, the interfacial resistivity between hematite and FTO, which has not generally been explored as a first candidate in the improvement of photocatalytic materials. The operational parameters for the sample preparation were optimized to modify the selected physical property. Along with the improvement of the selected resistivity, we found that the other dominant descriptors related to the properties of bulk hematite and the surface facet were also modified and help improve the PEC performance.

Measuring flow of gases is of fundamental importance yet is typically done with complex equipment. There is, therefore, a longstanding need for a simple and inexpensive means of flow measurement. Here, gas flow is measured using an extremely simple device that consists of an Ar plasma-treated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab adhered on a glass substrate with a tight seal. This device does not even have a channel, instead, gas can flow between the PDMS and the glass by deforming the PDMS wall, in other words, by making an interstice as a temporary path for the flow. The formation of the temporary path results in a compressive bending stress at the inner wall of the path, which leads to the formation of well-ordered wrinkles, and hence, the emergence of structural color that changes the optical transmittance of the device. Although it is very simple, this setup works sufficiently well to measure arbitrary gases and analyzes their flow rates, densities, and viscosities based on the change in color. It is also demonstrated that this technique is applicable to the flow-induced display of a pattern such as a logo for advanced applications., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Elevated matricellular proteins (MCPs), including osteopontin (OPN) and galectin-9 (Gal-9), were observed in the plasma of patients with Manila-type tuberculosis (TB) previously. Here, we quantified plasma OPN, Gal-9, and soluble CD44 (sCD44) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and another 29 cytokines by Luminex assay in 36 patients with pulmonary TB, six subjects with latent tuberculosis (LTBI), and 19 healthy controls (HCs) from Japan for a better understanding of the roles of MCPs in TB. All TB subjects showed positive results of enzyme-linked immunospot assays (ELISPOTs). Spoligotyping showed that 20 out of 36 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains belong to the Beijing type. The levels of OPN, Gal-9, and sCD44 were higher in TB (positivity of 61.1%, 66.7%, and 63.9%, respectively) than in the HCs. Positive correlations between OPN and Gal-9, between OPN and sCD44, and negative correlation between OPN and ESAT-6-ELISPOT response, between chest X-ray severity score of cavitary TB and ESAT-6-ELISPOT response were observed. Instead of OPN, Gal-9, and sCD44, cytokines G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-12p70, and IL-1RA levels were higher in Beijing MTB-infected patients. These findings suggest immunoregulatory, rather than inflammatory, effect of MCPs and can advance the understanding of the roles of MCPs in the context of TB pathology., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Aim: Human urotensin-II (UII) is a cyclic neuropeptide with potent vasoconstrictive activity in the vasculature. The expression of UII and its receptor (UT) mRNA is detected at high levels in the brain. We evaluated the relationship between plasma UII levels and vascular dementia (VaD) caused by stroke or atherosclerotic small vessel disease., Methods: Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), plaques, plasma levels of immunoreactive UII (IR-UII), and atherosclerotic biomarkers were determined in 42 patients with VaD, 197 with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 47 non-demented elderly controls., Results: Age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma glucose, insulin, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leptin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels were not significantly different among these groups. IR-UII, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), lipid peroxides, interleukin-6, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, and maximum IMT were significantly higher in VaD than in AD patients or controls. IR-UII level showed a significantly positive correlation with SBP or maximum IMT. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significantly independent association between IR-UII levels or increased maximum IMT (> or =1.1 mm) and VaD as compared with SBP, LDL cholesterol, and interleukin-6 levels., Conclusion: Increased plasma IR-UII levels and carotid atherosclerosis may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of VaD.

We have previously identified a novel gene WAPL that is inducible by human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncoproteins, and is associated with uterine cervical carcinogenesis. A WAPL splice variant named Friend of EBNA2 (FOE) has also been characterized as a binding partner of the Epstein-Barr virus transformation-related protein EBNA2. On the other hand, recent studies have revealed that WAPL is a cohesin-binding protein and promotes sister-chromatid resolution in mitotic prophase. These data demonstrate that WAPL plays an important role in tumorigenesis and cell cycle progression. In this study, we have isolated a large number of additional alternatively spliced WAPL variants from various cervical epithelia. Each variant consists of a variable 5'-terminal region and the conserved remainder. In addition, we have confirmed the genomic organization of the 5'-region of the WAPL gene, and have investigated the characteristic features of the WAPL variants and their products. Furthermore, we have determined the HPV types of the expressed E6/E7 transcripts in the cervical epithelia with a novel PCR protocol. These results should shed light on a novel aspect of WAPL function.

Serotonin (5-HT), a potent vasoconstrictor in the large cerebral arteries, is considered to play a key role in atherothrombosis and to be implicated in ischemic cerebrovascular events followed by delayed neuronal death. The present study aims at evaluating the relationship between plasma levels of 5-HT and vascular dementia (VaD) caused by stroke or atherosclerotic small vessel disease. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), plaques, plasma 5-HT levels and atherosclerotic parameters were determined in 20 patients with VaD and 40 age-matched controls. Age, gender, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose levels and serum levels of insulin, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leptin, adiponectin and interleukin-6 and plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were not significantly different between the two groups. Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were significantly lower in VaD patients than in controls. Plasma 5-HT levels, serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), max IMT and plaque frequency were significantly greater in VaD patients than in controls. There was a significant positive correlation of max IMT with 5-HT or HGF levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that increased plasma levels of 5-HT and carotid plaque prevalence had significantly independent association with VaD as compared with serum levels of IGF-1, HGF, LDL cholesterol and hs-CRP. These results suggest that increased plasma levels of 5-HT and carotid atherosclerotic plaques may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of VaD.

Objectives: To determine whether decreased serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels could be a risk factor for dementia in older people., Design: Case control study., Setting: Showa University Karasuyama Hospital, Tokyo, Japan., Participants: A total of 436 Japanese elderly subjects: 106 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 103 patients with vascular dementia (VaD), and 227 age-matched controls without dementia., Measurements: Serum concentrations of IGF-1 and atherogenic lipoproteins, carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), and plaques were determined., Results: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were positively correlated with serum IGF-1 concentrations as well as mean blood pressure or body mass index and were negatively correlated with age, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein(a) concentrations, and carotid IMT. Serum IGF-1 concentrations had a significant inverse correlation with carotid IMT. Analysis across the IGF-1 quartiles revealed a threshold effect of low IGF-1 on MMSE score in subjects with the IGF-1 levels of 140 ng/mL or less (50% percentile) versus those with IGF-1 levels greater than 140 ng/mL. Multiple logistic regression concerning AD and VaD retained serum IGF-1 concentrations of 140 ng/mL or less and carotid IMT of 0.9 mm or more. Patients with AD and VaD had significantly lower IGF-1 concentrations and greater mean IMT than nondemented controls., Conclusion: These results suggest that decreased serum IGF-1 level and the progression of carotid atherosclerosis could play a role as independent risk factors for dementia.

A hybrid film of layered niobate and an organic amphiphile was prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. Trimethylammonium-exchanged perovskite-type niobates ((CH(3))(3)NHSr(2)Nb(3)O(10)) were exfoliative to form an aqueous suspension. A monolayer of octadecylamine was produced on such an aqueous dispersion as a template for a hybrid film. A hybrid film was transferred as a Y-type LB film onto a hydrophilic glass plate or an ITO substrate. The structure of a deposited film was investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements, indicating a layer-by-layer structure with a single or double sheet of niobate as an inorganic composite. From the cyclic voltammogram on an ITO electrode modified with the Y-type 10 layered film, the lower edge of the conduction band of a niobate layer was determined to be - 0.6 V (vs Ag/AgCl). ac impedance and dc measurements were carried out on 1, 5, and 10-layered LB films (2 mm (electrode spacing) x 8 mm (width)) with aluminum electrodes. The freshly deposited samples behaved as an insulator under the illumination of 280 nm light (2.04 x 10(16) quanta s(-1)). Photoconductivities appeared, however, when they were preirradiated with a 150 W Xe lamp (ca. 2 x 10(18) quanta s(-1)) for 0.5-8.5 h. The process was denoted as photomodification. From the FT-IR and XRD results, it was deduced that the photomodification of LB films caused the decomposition of organic templates (octadecylammonium) accompanied by the collapse of layer-by-layer structures. dc analyses on the 5- and 10-layered films after photomodification also showed that they behaved as a photosemiconductor under UV light illumination.

Objectives: To determine the relationships between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection, carotid atherosclerosis, and dyslipidemia in patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD)., Design: Case control study., Setting: Showa University Karasuyama Hospital, Tokyo, Japan., Participants: One hundred twenty-four elderly subjects: 31 with VaD, 61 with AD, and 32 age-matched controls without dementia., Measurements: Presence of antibodies to C. pneumoniae (immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA), the serum concentrations of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and atherogenic lipoproteins, and the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques were determined., Results: Age; body mass index; systolic and diastolic blood pressures; and fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A(1c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein A-I, B, and E concentrations did not differ significantly between the three groups, but the mean IMT and frequency of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries, as well as the serum concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein(a), and lipid peroxides were significantly greater in VaD patients than in AD patients or nondemented controls. Hs-CRP concentrations and prevalence of C. pneumoniae IgG and IgA antibodies also were significantly higher in VaD patients than in AD patients and nondemented controls. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that carotid IMT and plaques, LDL-C, lipid peroxides, hs-CRP, and IgG and IgA C. pneumoniae seropositivity were independent risk factors for VaD., Conclusion: These results suggest that carotid atherosclerosis, atherogenic lipoproteins, and C. pneumoniae infection (as documented by the IgG and IgA seropositivity together with increased hs-CRP) may be VaD risk factors.

Vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the most common causes of dementia in the elderly. The aim of this study was to investigate carotid atherosclerosis, serum lipid profiles, and atherogenic hormone levels in nondiabetic Japanese men with VaD or AD. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque, serum lipid and lipoprotein profiles, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, as well as insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I, somatomedin C) and testosterone levels, were determined in 34 patients with AD, 37 patients with VaD, and 63 healthy male controls. Age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and apolipoproteins (apo) A-I, B, and E levels did not differ significantly among the 3 groups. However, the mean value of carotid IMT, the frequency of atherosclerotic plaque deposition, the serum levels of LDL-cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), and lipid peroxides, and the incidence of small dense LDL (particle diameter

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between serum levels of two neurotrophic factors, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive function in the elderly., Methods: Serum levels of IGF-1 and HGF, carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were determined in 60 subjects over 65 years old (35 patients with vascular dementia and 25 without dementia)., Results: In all subjects IGF-1 levels showed a significant positive correlation with the MMSE score (r = 0.262, p = 0.0427) and a negative correlation with the IMT (r = -0.284, p = 0.0277) and the HGF level (r = -0.422, p = 0.0007). HGF levels were significantly correlated with IMT (r = 0.259, p = 0.0455) and lipoprotein(a) levels (r = 0.279, p = 0.0372). Mean MMSE scores and IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in patients with vascular dementia than in the non-demented controls. Mean IMT and the frequency of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries as well as the serum levels of HGF, LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a) and lipid peroxides were significantly increased in the demented patients compared with the non-demented controls., Conclusion: A decrease of IGF-1 along with an increase of HGF may reflect an underlying biological process that influences cognitive decline as well as carotid atherosclerosis in the elderly., (Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Advanced cervical cancer has been predominantly treated with a combination of external beam and brachytherapy in Japan. Recent studies suggest concurrent use of cisplatin and radiation treatment has superior disease control to radiation only treatment. We have conducted a phase I pilot study of concurrent use of weekly nedaplatin (30 mg/m2) and sequential external beam and brachytherapy in advanced stage or recurrent uterine cervical cancer patients (n = 6). All patients completed the treatment without serious complications. Five patients had complete responses and one a partial response. The average AUC of nedaplatin after one administration was 5.0 micrograms/ml.hr. The therapeutic index was 2. We concluded that concurrent use of weekly nedaplatin and radiation is well tolerated by Japanese women, and may well be an excellent therapeutic modality for selected cases of advanced or recurrent cervical cancer.

Free plasma DNA was extracted and terminal restriction fragment (TRF) sequences were amplified by polymerase chain reaction in 32 patients with stage 3 and stage 4 ovarian cancer and 45 healthy controls. Three peaks of TRF were identified and the size of the largest peak (peak 1) correlated with cancer telomere length in cancer patients. Average size of peak 1 in cancer patients was significantly shorter than in controls. When plasma TRF peak 1 was tested pre- and post-treatment, the average pre-treatment size was 8.7 +/- 0.5 Kb, lengthening significantly post-treatment. In long-term survivors of ovarian cancer (10-year disease-free survival), plasma TRF length was the same as in normal controls. The results suggest that the plasma TRF in ovarian cancer patients is of tumour origin. Its determination may reflect tumour cell viability in the host.

Carcinosarcoma of the ovary is a very rare and highly malignant neoplasm that accounts for less than 1% of ovarian neoplasms. Survival of patients with advanced stage cancer is poor and the best treatment is not clear. We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who had Stage IV advanced heterogeneous ovarian carcinosarcoma with lung and liver metastases. The lesions were considered surgically incurable, so she was placed on neoadjuvant chemotherapy of combination CPT-11 (60 mg/m2, day 1, 15) and CDDP (60 mg/m2, day 1). Tumor markers of CA125 and LDH decreased remarkably to the normal level after 3 and 4 courses of chemotherapy, respectively. After 7 courses of chemotherapy, the ovarian tumor was obviously reduced, and the lung and liver metastases had disappeared. The patient was then able to undergo surgery. The current case suggests that combination CPT-11 and CDDP is effective against advanced ovarian carcinosarcoma.

Keratin filaments arise from the copolymerization of type I and II sequences, and form a pancytoplasmic network that provides vital mechanical support to epithelial cells. Keratins 5 and 14 are expressed as a pair in basal cells of stratified epithelia, where they occur as bundled arrays of filaments. In vitro, bundles of K5-K14 filaments can be induced in the absence of cross-linkers, and exhibit enhanced resistance to mechanical strain. This property is not exhibited by copolymers of K5 and tailless K14, in which the nonhelical tail domain has been removed, or copolymers of K5 and K19, a type I keratin featuring a short tail domain. The purified K14 tail domain binds keratin filaments in vitro with specificity (kD approximately 2 microM). When transiently expressed in cultured cells, the K14 tail domain associates with endogenous keratin filaments. Utilization of the K14 tail domain as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen pulls out type I keratin sequences from a skin cDNA library. These data suggest that the tail domain of K14 contributes to the ability of K5-K14 filaments to self-organize into large bundles showing enhanced mechanical resilience in vitro.

We have previously described that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulated the growth of human epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and cells. In order to determine the signaling pathway on FSH action in ovarian cancer, we used an epithelial ovarian cancer cell line (HRA line) which constitutively FSH receptors (FSHRs). FSH significantly increased cell proliferation (230.1 +/- 20.5%, P < 0.05) and (3)H-thymidine uptake (443.5 +/- 35.1%, P < 0.01). 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyipiperazine (H7, 1 5 nM), staurosponine (STR, 5 nM) and calphostin C (5 nM), specific protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, significantly suppressed the FSH-stimulated cell growth (120.2-140.2%, P < 0.05) and (3)H-thymidine uptake (140.5-173.9%, P < 0.05), whereas N-(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinoline-sulfon-amide (HA1004, l5 nM), which is a derivant of H7 and inhibits most of protein kinases except PKC, showed no effect on the FSH-stimulated cell growth and (3)H-thymidine uptake. A pretreatment with 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA, 100 ng/ml) or STR (20 nM) significantly suppressed the subsequent FSH-stimulated cell growth (TPA; 152.3 +/-10.3%, STR; 160.4 +/- 15.9%, P < 0.05) and (3)H-thymidine uptake (TPA; 250.4 +/-18.3%, STR; 208.7 +/- 15.9%, P < 0.05). STR abolished the suppression of TPA preincubation on the subsequent FSH-stimulated cell growth and (3)H-thymidine uptake. HRA cells constitutively expressed PKCalpha but not PKCbeta nor PKCgamma. The levels of either expression of PKCalpha protein and mRNA were significantly amplified by FSH. These data suggest that stimulation of PKCalpha transcription is involved in the FSH-stimulated cell growth and DNA synthesis in epithelial ovarian cancer cells.

Purpose: The anti-angiogenic activity of FR 118487, a new synthetic analog of Scolecobasidium arenarium products, was examined in Japanese white rabbit cornea., Methods: We studied both systemic and locally administered FR 118487 (ointment) in a keratoplasty model consisting of corneal neovascularization after implantation of a Wister rat cornea into a rabbit cornea., Results: Two weeks after the implantation, the maximum length of neovascularization was 3.4 +/- 0.3 mm in control corneas, 0.1 +/- 0.0 mm with systemic FR 118487 administration (10 mg/day) (p < 0.01), 0.1 +/- 0.1 mm with 10% FR118487 ointment (p < 0.001), 1.0 +/- 0.2 mm with 3% FR 118487 ointment (p < 0.001), and 0.9 +/- 0.9 mm with 1% FR 118487 ointment (p < 0.02)., Conclusion: FR 118487 had a significant effect on inhibition of corneal neovascularization.

The anti-angiogenic activity if FR 118487, a new synthetic analogue of Scolecobasidium arenarium products, was examined in corneas of Japanese white rabbits. We studied locally administered FR 118487 with hydron pellets in two models; corneal neovascularization after implantation of a CuCl2 pellet (CuCl2-induced model) and a Wistar rat's cornea (keratoplasty model) into a rabbit cornea. In the CuCl2-induced model, maximum length of neovascularization was 0.08 +/- 0.10 (mean +/- standard deviation) mm with FR 118487 (control 2.84 +/- 0.13 mm) at 1 week after the implantation. In the keratoplasty model, maximum length of neovascularization was 0.05 +/- 0.05 mm with FR 118487 (control 3.33 +/- 0.18 mm) at 2 weeks after the implantation. In both models, FR 118487 had a significant (p < 0.01) effect on inhibition of corneal neovascularization.

Limbal conjunctival biopsies from 8 patients with atopic dermatitis and from 5 age-matched healthy individuals undergoing cataract or retinal detachment surgery were analyzed by light microscopy and immunological techniques. They were immuno-double labelled with anti-CD1a and anti-IgE or anti-CD23 (IgE receptor). In the specimens from atopic dermatitis 24 approximately 75% of positive anti-CD1a staining cells were double-stained by anti-IgE. Weak positive immuno-double stained cells with anti-CD23 were also observed, but less than with anti-IgE. The ratio of positive anti-IgE double-stained cells to positive anti-CD1a stained cells seemed to be parallel to serum IgE level, but not significant. The presence of IgE and CD23 (IgE receptor) on conjunctival Langerhans cells seems to have a positive effect on IgE-dependent antigen presentation.

Unlabelled: I examined the effects of endotoxemia influencing on obstructive jaundice and the decrease of serum bilirubin after the relief of it. Experimental obstructive jaundice and its alleviation by external biliary drainage was made in Donryu-rats. Serum bilirubin was higher (p < 0.01) in the group treated by continuous infusion of low-dose endotoxin (LPS E. coli 0111:B4, 6 micrograms/hr/100gBW) during 72 hours biliary obstruction (10.48 +/- 1.54mg/dl) than in the control group (6.76 +/- 0.71mg/dl). After the relief of biliary obstruction, 4 kinds of experimental conditions were set up as follows: CONTROL; infusion of sterile saline, ET; continuous infusion of low-dose endotoxin, ET + UDCA; continuous infusion of endotoxin and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, 10mg/hr/100gBW) through another intravenous tube simultaneously, ET + MP; continuous infusion of endotoxin after one-shot injection of methylprednisolone (MP, 3mg/100gBW). Serum bilirubin 7.5 hours after the relief of biliary obstruction was as follows:, Control: 0.48 +/- 0.18mg/dl, ET: 3.41 +/- 1.13mg/dl, ET + UDCA: 2.80 +/- 1.28mg/dl, ET + MP: 1.18 +/- 0.50mg/dl. ET-group showed retardation of the decrease of serum bilirubin (p < 0.01). MP showed improvement of the impaired decreasing rate of serum bilirubin by endotoxemia (p < 0.01). Bile-output from the external biliary drainage after the relief of biliary obstruction was decreased significantly in the ET-group. ET + UDCA-group showed remarkable increase of the bile-output, but no increase of excretion of bilirubin in the bile compared with ET-group. While ET + MP-group showed improvement of the bile-output and increase of excretion of bilirubin in the bile compared with ET-group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Intrahepatic cholestasis is often observed in patients without obstruction of the bile duct, who are suffering from severe prolonged infection in the field of peptic surgery. Clinical data were analyzed in recently experienced 18 cases which showed this kind of jaundice. In those case, high rates of endotoxemia and high rates of gram negative bacilli were seen. This fact made us infer that endotoxins might cause jaundice. In order to clarify the mechanism of the jaundice, we made an experimental model of persistent endotoxemia in rats. Low-dose endotoxin was infused continuously to Donryu-rats and bile-output was observed with external bile-guiding tube for 24 hours. In the endotoxin group, bile-output was significantly decreased whereas it was not changed in the control group. In addition, serum bilirubin was elevated in the endotoxin group, whereas it did not change in the control group. Blood-flow of liver tissue and systemic arterial blood pressure did not show any severe decrease under the continuous endotoxemia. Data of bile-output and bile acid showed bile acid independent flow might be depressed by endotoxin infusion. This model was thought to be under non-shock condition and useful to investigate jaundice seen in patients under continuous endotoxemia.

The effects of subcultured astrocytes on the proliferation of neuronal precursor cells (neuroblasts) from rat embryonic cerebral hemispheres were examined. The survivability of neurons and the neurite outgrowth were significantly enhanced by the subcultured astrocytes compared to those of neurons plated on poly-L-lysine-coated coverslips. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into neuroblasts was remarkably suppressed by the subcultured astrocytes indicating that the astrocytes inhibit the proliferation of neuroblasts. These results suggest that astrocytes enhance the maturation of neuroblasts possibly via either cell-cell contact or trophic substances.

Neurotrophic effects (NTEs) of various brain regions of 4-week-old rats were examined in primary culture of rat embryonic cerebral hemispheres. Extracts of the hippocampus, brainstem and septal nucleus highly enhanced the survivability of neuronal cells and the division of non-neuronal cells by 9 days. The septohippocampal tract (fimbria fornix) was cut and the effect on the neurotrophic activity in the hippocampus was examined. The NTEs of hippocampal extracts remained unchanged 3 days after septal deafferentation, was significantly increased by 7 days, peaked at 14 days and returned to the basal level by 21 days.