We produced a transgenic rodent malaria parasite (Plasmodium berghei) that contained the luciferase gene under a promoter region of elongation factor-1α. These transgenic (TG) parasites expressed luciferase in all stages of their life cycle, as previously reported. However, we were the first to succeed in observing sporozoites as a mass in mouse skin following their deposition by the probing of infective mosquitoes. Our transgenic parasites may have emitted stronger bioluminescence than previous TG parasites. The estimated number of injected sporozoites by mosquitoes was between 34 and 775 (median 80). Since luciferase activity diminished immediately after the death of the parasites, luciferase activity could be an indicator of the existence of live parasites. Our results indicated that sporozoites survived at the probed site for more than 42 hours. We also detected sporozoites in the liver within 15 min of the intravenous injection. Bioluminescence was not observed in the lung, kidney or spleen. We confirmed the observation that the liver was the first organ in which malaria parasites entered and increased in number.

Weproduced a transgenic rodent malaria parasite (Plasmodium berghei) that contained the luciferase gene under apromoter region of elongation factor-1α. These transgenic (TG) parasites expressed luciferase inall stages of their life cycle, as previously reported. However, we were the firstto succeed in observing sporozoites as a mass in mouse skin following theirdeposition by the probing of infective mosquitoes. Our transgenic parasites mayhave emitted stronger bioluminescence than previous TG parasites. The estimatednumbers of injected sporozoites by mosquitoes were between 34 and 775 (median 80). Since luciferase activity diminished immediately after the death of theparasites, luciferase activity could be an indicator of the existence of liveparasites. Our results indicated that sporozoites survived at the probed sitefor more than 42 hours. We also detected sporozoites in the liver within 15 minof the intravenous injection. Apart from the liver, bioluminescence was notobserved in the lung, kidney, or spleen. We reconfirmed that the liver was thefirst organ for malaria parasites to enter and increase in number.

The patient was an 80-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking ipragliflozin. She underwent a colonoscopy one week prior to admission. After the colonoscopy, she felt exhausted and lost her appetite. On the day of admission, she was admitted to the emergency department because of abdominal pain and repeated vomiting. Physical examination and chest and abdominal CT were performed; however, no cause was identified for the abdominal pain or vomiting. Blood gas analysis showed high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Serum ketones were elevated to 6,045/μL and plasma glucose concentration was 182 mg/dL. We diagnosed ipragliflozin-induced euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (euDKA) and discontinued the drug. Ketoacidosis improved with administration of intravenous fluids and insulin injections. Her abdominal pain and vomiting improved. It is important to recognise that patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors may develop euDKA, as in this case, due to fasting after colonoscopy or reduced food intake after the procedure, and to discontinue SGLT2 inhibitors at least 2 days before the procedure.

It has been proposed that transgenic mosquitoes can be used as a “flying syringe” for infectious disease control. We succeeded in generating a transgenic (TG) mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, excreting and discharging DsRed in saliva. DsRed was deposited on the membrane where the TG mosquito probed with its proboscis. Repeated feeding by the TG mosquitoes induced anti-DeRed as well as anti-SG antibodies in mice. This indicates that the TG mosquitoes can immunize the animal. Moreover, in this report, we employed a pre-immunization method before exposing mice to the TG mosquitoes. We injected DsRed to mice to prepare memory B cells and exposed the mice to bites by the TG mosquitoes excreting DsRed. The mice produced a higher titer of antibody to DsRed, suggesting that the bites from TG mosquitoes act as a booster and that primary immunization with a vaccine protein and exposure to TG mosquitoes excreting the vaccine protein in the saliva produces a synergistic effect.

Objective: While antipsychotics are necessary for relapse prevention in the treatment of schizophrenia in general, some minority of patients may be maintained without continuous antipsychotic treatment. However, the characteristics of such patients are not well known and previous reports have not evaluated key elements such as physical comorbidities and functioning. Methods: Among 635 patients with schizophrenia who participated in a 12-year follow-up, those who were maintained without antipsychotic treatment for at least one year after the study were investigated. The patients underwent comprehensive assessments, including Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for psychopathology, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G) for physical comorbidities, and Functional Assessment for Comprehensive Treatment of Schizophrenia (FACT-Sz), Barthel Index, and EuroQoL five dimensions (EQ5D) for function. Results: Six patients were included (mean ± standard deviation age, 66.8 ± 17.4 years; 4 inpatients). The four inpatients were old (77.8 ± 4.8 years) and chronically ill (duration of illness, 49.3 ± 12.5 years) with a high PANSS score (total score, 118.0 ± 9.8; negative syndrome subscale, 41.3 ± 6.9), low functioning (FACT-Sz, 9.8 ± 3.6; Barthel Index, 8.8 ± 9.6), and serious physical comorbidities (CIRS-G, 15.5 ± 1.1). By contrast, the two outpatients were relatively young (45.0 ± 12.0 years) and clinically in good condition (PANSS total score, 44.5 ± 0.5; Barthel Index, 100 for both; EQ5D, 0.85 ± 0.04). Conclusion Although the number is limited, two types of patients with schizophrenia were identified who were free from ongoing antipsychotic treatment; 1) older chronic inpatients with serious physical comorbidities, and 2) younger outpatients with milder impairments. Future explorations are needed to identify those who will be successfully withdrawn from continuous antipsychotic treatment.

Methods: A total of 79 patients with cervical myelopathy who underwent cervical laminoplasty at our facility between June 2010 and March 2013 were included in this study. Intraoperative control and final waveform were evaluated based on the trapezius muscle MEPs by measuring the latency and amplitude. A neck pain group comprised patients with higher neck pain Visual Analog Scale scores from preoperative value to 1 year postoperatively. The cross-sectional areas of the trapezius muscles and the MEP latencies and amplitudes were compared between patients with and without neck pain. Results: The latency and amplitude of the control waveforms were not significantly different between groups. The neck pain group had a significantly shorter final waveform latency (neck pain: 23.6±2.5, no neck pain: 25.8±4.5; p =0.019) and significantly larger amplitude (neck pain: 2,125±1,077, no neck pain: 1,630±966; p =0.041) than the no neck pain group. Conclusions Postoperative neck pain was associated with the final waveform latency and amplitude of the trapezius muscle MEPs during cervical laminoplasty. Intraoperative electrophysiological trapezius muscle abnormalities could cause postoperative neck pain.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in differentiating between cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (cBCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in the head and neck region.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among patients with cutaneous head and neck cancers, 14 with primary cBCCs and 15 with primary cSCCs with a histologic tumor height of ≥ 4 mm underwent MR examinations; the findings were then examined for correlations.RESULTS: cBCCs (71%) occurred more frequently on the nose than cSCCs (13%) (p < 0.01). The maximum diameter (23.5 ± 7.2 mm vs. 12.7 ± 4.5 mm; p < 0.01) and diameter-to-height ratio (2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 1.7 ± 0.4; p < 0.01) were significantly greater in cSCCs than in cBCCs. Superficial ulcer formation (67% vs. 21%; p < 0.05), protrusion into the subcutaneous tissue (60% vs. 21%; p < 0.05), ill-demarcated deep tumor margins (60% vs. 7%; p < 0.01), and peritumoral fat stranding (93% vs. 7%; p < 0.01) were more frequently observed in cSCCs than in cBCCs. Intratumoral T2-hyperintense foci (57% vs. 13%; p < 0.05) were more frequently observed in cBCCs than in cSCCs.CONCLUSION: cBCCs predominantly occurred on the nose with intratumoral T2-hyperintense foci, whereas cSCCs predominantly exhibited a flattened configuration, superficial ulcer formation, protrusion into the subcutaneous tissue, ill-demarcated deep tumor margin, and peritumoral fat stranding.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Epithelial Cells ; Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck ; Nose ; Skin Neoplasms ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although studies using conventional animal models have shown that specific stressors cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it is unclear whether depression itself causes IBS. Our aim was to establish a rat model to determine if depression itself promotes the onset of IBS and to elucidate the role of gut microbiota in brain-gut axis pathogenesis during coincident depression and IBS. METHODS: Rat models of depression were induced using our shuttle box method of learned helplessness. Visceral hypersensitivity was evaluated by colorectal distension (CRD) to diagnose IBS. Gut microbiota compositions were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. In the subanalysis of rats without depression-like symptoms, rats with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were also examined. RESULTS: The threshold value of CRD in depressed rats was significantly lower than that in control rats. Microbial community analysis of cecal microbiota showed that the relative abundance of Clostridiales incertae sedis, the most prevalent microbe, was significantly lower in depressed rats than in control rats. The distribution pattern of the microbiota clearly differed between depressed rats and control rats. Neither visceral hypersensitivity nor the composition of gut microbiota was altered in rats with PTSD-like phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our rat model of depression is useful for clarifying the effect of depression on IBS and suggests that depression itself, rather than specific stressors, promotes the onset of IBS. Further, we provided evidence that various psychiatric diseases, viz., depression and PTSD, are associated with unique gut microbiota profiles, which could differentially affect the onset and progression of coincident IBS.
Animals ; Clostridiales ; Depression ; Dysbiosis ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Helplessness, Learned ; Hypersensitivity ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Methods ; Microbiota ; Models, Animal ; Phenotype ; Rats ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic