This study aimed to determine the effects of wearing graduated elastic compression stockings (GCSs) on arterial stiffness. The study included 10 healthy men who were randomly assigned to undergo trials with and without GCSs on separate days. Baseline measurements of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), heart rate, and brachial blood pressure (BP) were obtained in the supine position after the subjects had rested for 20 min without GCSs. The order of the trials (with or without GCSs) was set randomly. During both trials, data for these parameters were collected with the subjects in the supine position, after they had rested for 20 min. After both trials, the brachial BP did not significantly change from the baseline values. baPWV significantly decreased after trials with GCSs (from 1153.0 ± 123.4 to 1078.1 ± 134.3 cm/s, P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed after trials without GCSs (from 1125.2 ± 118.7 to 1134.5 ± 100.9 cm/s). In addition, changes in volume after trials with GCSs (-74.9 ± 35.3 cm/s) were significantly lower than those after trials without GCSs (+9.3 ± 36.7 cm/s, P < 0.05). baPWV significantly decreased during supine rest on wearing GCSs. This decrease in baPWV was possibly caused by a decrease in arterial stiffness itself and/or a decrease in vascular transmural pressure that may have been due to increase in external pressure on the vasculature.

Normal human development requires the precise functioning and coordination of many complex pathways. Abnormalities in these signaling cascades often result in developmental perturbations, giving rise to congenital anomalies and cancers. There are 21,787 genes in each human nucleus, different gene subsets are expressed in different cell types, and different gene networks make different signal cascades. Among a large number of genes, in this review, we describe signaling disorders of sonic hedgehog and its receptor, patched-1; Tie2; fibroblast growth factor receptor in craniofacial anomalies and oral cancers.

The rectal tonsil is a rare polypoid lesion exclusively found in the rectum and is considered a reactive proliferation of the lymphoid tissue. Although this lesion is benign, we recommend that it should be differentiated from carcinoid or polypoid type of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas, based on gross findings. In this case report, we describe a case of rectal lesions with a unique appearance in a 41-year-old man. Colonoscopy revealed two 5-mm-sized nodules located opposite from each other on the left and right sides of the lower rectum. Endoscopic mucosal resection was conducted. Histopathologically, both lesions were mainly located in the submucosa and consisted of prominent lymphoid follicles with germinal centers of various sizes. No immunoreactivity of Bcl-2 was seen in the germinal centers. Immunohistochemical staining for kappa and lambda light chains revealed a polyclonal pattern. Therefore, these lesions were diagnosed as rectal tonsils.
Adult ; Carcinoid Tumor* ; Colonoscopy ; Germinal Center ; Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone* ; Palatine Tonsil* ; Rectum ; Twins*