No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

No abstract available.
Esophageal Atresia* ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula*

The neuregulins (NRGs) are a family of proteins containing an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like motif that mediates important functions not only in the nervous system but also in the heart, breast and other organ systems. NRG1 was first found to function in the nervous system in the proliferation of Schwann cells, and in the regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) transcription at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). NRGs have multiple biological functions. In the brain, NRG signaling regulates early fate determination, differentiation, migration, synaptic activity of target cell and the expression of other neurotransmitter receptors and survival of satellite cells, Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes. There is also evidence for involvement of NRGs signaling in the pathogenesis of disease, including breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and Hirschsprung's disease. Especially, both NRG1 and ErbB4 have emerged as susceptibility genes of schizophrenia. In this review, I will summarize the latest findings regarding the spectrum of NRG-ErbB action and signaling pathways in the developing and adult nervous system.
Adult ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Heart ; Hirschsprung Disease ; Humans ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Nervous System ; Neuregulins ; Neuromuscular Junction ; Oligodendroglia ; Proteins ; Receptors, Neurotransmitter ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; Schizophrenia ; Schwann Cells

No Abstract Available.
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Polyethylene*

No abstract available.
Gastroschisis*

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) can visualize orally administered Sonazoid leaking into the peritoneal cavity in a postoperative stomach leakage mouse model. Methods: Adult female mice (n=33, 9-10 weeks old) were used. Preoperative CEUS was performed after delivering Sonazoid via intraperitoneal injection and the per oral route. A gastric leakage model was then generated by making a surgical incision of about 0.5 cm at the stomach wall, and CEUS with per oral Sonazoid administration was performed. A region of interest was drawn on the CEUS images and the signal intensity was quantitatively measured. Statistical analysis was performed using a mixed model to compare the signal intensity sampled from the pre-contrast images with those of the post-contrast images obtained at different time points. Results: CEUS after Sonazoid intraperitoneal injection in normal mice and after oral administration in mice with gastric perforation visualized the contrast medium spreading within the liver interlobar fissures continuous to the peritoneal cavity. A quantitative analysis showed that in the mice with gastric perforation, the orally delivered Sonazoid leaking into the peritoneal cavity induced a statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in signal intensity in all CEUS images obtained 10 seconds or longer after contrast delivery. However, enhancement was not observed before gastric perforation surgery (P=0.167). Conclusion CEUS with oral Sonazoid administration efficiently visualized the contrast medium spreading within the peritoneal cavity in a postoperative stomach leakage mouse model.

Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) signaling participates in the synaptic plasticity, maintenance or regulation of adult brain. Although ErbB4, a key NRG1 receptor, is expressed in multiple regions in the adult animal brain, little is known about its localization in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. We previously reported that ErbB4 immunoreactivity showed regional difference in the hippocampus of age-matched control. In the present paper, immunohistochemical characterization of the distribution of ErbB4 receptor in the hippocampus relative to pathology staging were performed in age-matched control (Braak stage 0, n=6) and AD (Braak stage I/V, n=10). Here, we found that ErbB4 immunoreactivity was significantly increased in apoptotic hippocampal pyramidal neurons in the brains of AD patients, compared to those of age-matched control subjects. In AD brains, ErbB4 immunoreactivity was demonstrated to colocalize with the apoptotic signal Bax in apoptotic hippocampal pyramidal neurons. These results suggest that up-regulation of ErbB4 immunoreactivity in apoptotic neuron may involve in the progression of pathology of AD.
Adult ; Alzheimer Disease ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Neuregulin-1 ; Neurons ; Plastics ; Up-Regulation

Most acinic cell carcinomas arise within the parotid gland: extraparotid origin is rare. We encountered three cases of extraparotid acinic cell carcinoma arising in the buccal or palatal region, or the submandibular gland. All three tumors presented as a painless, slow-growing mass. CT imaging indicated that they were well defined, homogeneously enhanced, round masses. In one case, sonography demonstrated relatively homogeneous low echogenicity.
Acinar Cells* ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell* ; Parotid Gland ; Salivary Glands ; Submandibular Gland

No abstract available.
Angioplasty* ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome* ; Heart Ventricles* ; Stents*

Phospholipase C (PLC) plays a role in ligand-mediated signal transduction for cellular activity such as proliferation and differentiation. A recent observation that PLC- gamma1 is highly expressed in some kinds of human cancer tissue supports the view that PLC-gamma1 may be involved in proliferation and carcinogenesis. PLC-gamma2 is known to be involved in B cell differentiation and maturation. However, there have been few studies about the expressions of PLC-gamma1 and gamma2 in human lymphoid malignancy. In the present study, we examined the contents of PLC-gamma1 and gamma2 in 10 cases of B cell, 10 cases of T cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 5 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma to find out whether these enzymes play any role in the carcinogenesis by immunohistochemistry and immunoprecipitation. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that in contrast to increased expression of PLC-gamma2 only in B cell lymphoma, a considerably higher level of PLC-gamma1 was detected in both B and T cell lymphoma. Immunohistochemical finding confirmed this observation. PLC-gamma1 and PLC-gamma2 were expressed in the cytoplasm of most tumor cells. PLC-gamma2 was also expressed in mature B cells, while PLC-gamma1 was not expressed in reactive non-tumor cells. These results suggest that PLC-gamma1 mediated signal transduction implicates a significant role in the carcinogenesis of all types of lymphoid tissue, and PLC-gamma2 may play a role in the carcinogenesis of B cell lymphoma as well as B cell differentiation.
B-Lymphocytes ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Differentiation ; Cytoplasm ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunoprecipitation ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Phospholipases* ; Signal Transduction ; Type C Phospholipases