BACKGROUND : Norm-referenced equations to predict the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in healthy Japanese subjects have not been established. The current study aimed to determine the reference values for 6MWD in healthy Japanese adults.
METHODS : Ninety-seven healthy Japanese men and women aged 40-79 years were recruited from Kyoto city using posters and flyers. Measurements of 6MWD were performed twice on an indoor 30 m track with 20 minutes rest between the two tests. Before performing the tests, age, gender, height, body weight, waist circumference, a questionnaire for health status, spirometry, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram were recorded. The 6MWD was measured following guidelines published in 2002 by the American Thoracic Society.
RESULTS : The mean age of the study subjects was 57.0±9.4, and 63 of the 97 subjects were female. The mean 6MWD for all subjects was 672±83 m, with a range of 483-903 m. The 6MWD is significantly correlated with age, height, waist circumference, forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁). A multiple linear model showed age, waist circumference, and FVC were significantly associated with 6MWD and the model explained 35% of the variability in 6MWD. When FVC was replaced by height, the regression model also explained 32% of the variation. The measured 6MWD of Japanese subjects was similar to the predicted 6MWD using the equations derived from Caucasian subjects.
CONCLUSIONS : The 6MWD was affected to a substantial degree by age, waist circumference, height, and FVC in healthy Japanese adults.

We report a successful staged repair of anomalous origin of right pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta in a neonate. A two-day-old girl, who suffered from severe circulatory failure, was admitted. In spite of all medical treatment, acidosis and systemic hypotension developed. Right pulmonary artery banding was performed in an emergency procedure, resulting in immediate elevation of systemic blood pressure. Definitive operation was subsequently performed on the 48th day after birth. The right pulmonary artery, which was de-banded and divided from aorta, was anastomosed directly to the pulmonary trunk in a side-to-end manner. The postoperative course was uneventful and the pulmonary artery pressure was within the normal range.

BACKGROUNDVascular remodeling is an important pathologic process in vascular injury for various vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, postangioplasty restenosis and transplant arteriopathy. Recently, pathologic change and the role of bone marrow derived cells were wildly studied in atherosclerosis and restenosis. But the manner of lesion formation in neointima and cell recruitment in vascular remodeling lesion in the present of hypercholesterolemia is not yet fully understood.

METHODSDouble-transgenic mice knockout of LDL receptor gene (LDL -/-) and expressing ubiquitously green fluorescent protein (GFP) were obtained by cross-breeding LDL -/- mice with the GFP-expressing transgenic mice. LDL -/- mice (22 - 24 weeks of age) fed high fat diet containing 1.25% (w/w) cholesterol were subjected to 9Gy irradiation and received bone marrow (BM) cells from the double-transgenic mice. Four weeks later, a nonconstrictive cuff was placed around the right femoral artery. After another 2 weeks, both right and left femoral arteries were harvested and subjected to histochemical analysis. Apoptosis was analyzed in situ using TUNEL assay.

RESULTSTwo weeks after cuff placement, atherosclerotic lesions developed in the intima consisting of a massive accumulation of foam cells. The tissue stained with anti-alpha smooth muscle actin (SMA) antibody, showed a number of SMA-positive cells in the intimal lesion area. They were also positive for GFP, indicating that BM-derived cells can differentiate to SMCs in the intima in cuff-induced vascular remodeling lesions. Numerous small vessels in the adventitia as well as the endothelial lining of the intima were positive both for CD31 and GFP. The intima and media showed a large number of TUNEL-positive signals after 2 weeks cuff injury, indicating the presence of apoptosis in vascular remodeling.

CONCLUSIONSAtherosclerotic lesions in mice can be developed in the intima after 2 weeks of cuff-induced vascular injury under the hypercholesterolemic conditions. Our data also clearly indicate that bone marrow-derived cells differentiated to smooth muscles and endothelial cells in the formation of these lesions in the presence of hypercholesterolemia.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Atherosclerosis ; pathology ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Movement ; Endothelial Cells ; pathology ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; pathology ; Receptors, LDL ; physiology ; Tunica Intima ; pathology ; Tunica Media ; pathology

BACKGROUND: Studies reported adverse behavioral development including internalizing and externalizing problems in association with prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates; however, findings were not sufficient due to using different assessment tools and child ages among studies. This study aimed to examine associations between maternal serum levels of BPA and phthalate metabolites and behavioral problems at preschool age. METHODS: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess behavioral problems at 5 years of age. BPA and phthalate metabolite levels in the first trimester maternal serum was determined by LC-MS/MS for 458 children. Variables used for adjustment were parental ages, maternal cotinine levels, family income during pregnancy, child sex, birth order, and age at SDQ completed. RESULTS: The median concentrations of BPA, MnBP, MiBP, MEHP, and MECPP, primary and secondary metabolites of phthalates, were 0.062, 26.0, 7.0, 1.40, and 0.20 ng/ml, respectively. MECPP level was associated with increase conduct problem risk (OR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.36-5.68) overall and the association remained after child sex stratification, and odds ratios were increased with wider confidence interval (OR = 2.85, 95% CI 1.07-7.57 for boys, OR = 4.04, 95% CI 1.31-12.5 for girls, respectively). BPA, ∑DBP (MnBP + MiBP), and ∑DEHP (MEHP+MECPP) levels were not associated with any of the child behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses found no significant association between BPA or summation of phthalate metabolite levels and any of the behavioral problems at 5 years of age but suggested possible association between MECPP levels and increased risk of conduct problems.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Benzhydryl Compounds ; blood ; Child, Preschool ; Environmental Exposure ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Phenols ; blood ; Phthalic Acids ; blood ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; epidemiology ; Problem Behavior ; Smoking ; epidemiology ; Socioeconomic Factors