There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Epidemiology and Molecular Carcinogenesis

Resveratrol, a constituent of red wine, has long been suspected to have cardioprotective effects. Interest in this compound has been renewed in recent years, first from its identification as a chemopreventive agent for skin cancer, and subsequently from reports that it activates sirtuin deacetylases and extends the lifespans of lower organisms. Despite scepticism concerning its bioavailability, a growing body of in vivo evidence indicates that resveratrol has protective effects in rodent models of stress and disease. Here, we provide a comprehensive and critical review of the in vivo data on resveratrol, and consider its potential as a therapeutic for humans.

Therapeutic potential of resveratrol: the in vivo evidence.

The contribution of tumorigenic stem cells to haematopoietic cancers has been established for some time, and cells possessing stem-cell properties have been described in several solid tumours. Although chemotherapy kills most cells in a tumour, it is believed to leave tumour stem cells behind, which might be an important mechanism of resistance. For example, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters have been shown to protect cancer stem cells from chemotherapeutic agents. Gaining a better insight into the mechanisms of stem-cell resistance to chemotherapy might therefore lead to new therapeutic targets and better anticancer strategies.

/pdf/tumour-stem-cells-and-drug-resistance-210hrtgy2n.pdf

Tumour stem cells and drug resistance

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an endothelial cell-specific mitogen in vitro and an angiogenic inducer in a variety of in vivo models. Hypoxia has been shown to be a major inducer of VEGF gene transcription. The tyrosine kinases Flt-1 (VEGFR-1) and Flk-1/KDR (VEGFR-2) are high-affinity VEGF receptors. The role of VEGF in developmental angiogenesis is emphasized by the finding that loss of a single VEGF allele results in defective vascularization and early embryonic lethality. VEGF is critical also for reproductive and bone angiogenesis. Substantial evidence also implicates VEGF as a mediator of pathological angiogenesis. In situ hybridization studies demonstrate expression of VEGF mRNA in the majority of human tumors. Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies and other VEGF inhibitors block the growth of several tumor cell lines in nude mice. Clinical trials with various VEGF inhibitors in a variety of malignancies are ongoing. Very recently, an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab; Avastin) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy. Furthermore, VEGF is implicated in intraocular neovascularization associated with diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

/pdf/vascular-endothelial-growth-factor-basic-science-and-17gyy6h97s.pdf

Vascular endothelial growth factor: basic science and clinical progress.

薬 に よる対応 が一般 的であ るが(表1), 今 回, 患 Abstract Bronchial asthma is manifested pathophysiologically by a narrowing of air passages with eosinophilic inflammation, and clinically by paroxysmal dyspnea. Usually, the treatment of asthma is governed by the Japanese guidelines for the prevention and control of bronchial asthma. We report two cases of bronchial asthma attack successfully treated with Kampo medicine. For their safety, the patients were hospitalized with informed consent, and evaluated carefully by means of various measures, such as pulse oximeter and peak expiratory flow rate. In both cases, no application of additional occidental agents was made, except those used before current episode. However, while modern Western medicine now sweeps over in the treatment of bronchial asthma attack, it is suggested that the Kampo medicine is comparable, in cases where the patients are hospitalized with informed consent, and evaluated carefully. Nevertheless it is proper that the therapy should be intensified in accordance with the guidelines in case of deterioration against the Kampo treatment.

Cases Report of Bronchial Asthma Attack Successfully Treated with Kampo Medicine

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005

2052 

Introduction: Several studies reported the existence of celluler hierarchy and a small number of the cells with stem cell property even in solid tumors. We have previously demonstrated that human esophageal keratinocyte stem cells are characterized by the expression of the low affinity neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in vitro (Oncogene 2003). We also have proposed that the p75NTR-positive putative stem cell compartment of esophageal epithelium is an initial target cell population for carcinogenesis (AACR 2004). In this study, we investigated the expression of p75NTR and the characteristics of the p75NTR-positive cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) to elucidate the possible role of p75NTR-positive cells as cancer stem cells. Methods: We detected the expression of p75NTR and proliferation marker ki67 in 187 resected ESCC specimens by immunohistochemistry. We detected the expression of p75NTR in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (KYSEs) by RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and flow-cytometry. We then fractionated p75NTR-positive and negative cells from a KYSE cell line by magnetic beads and investigated their colony formation. The p75NTR expression and clinicopathological factors or colony size were analyzed by χ2 analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the probability of survival and data was analyzed by the log-rank test. A p value of <0.05 was considered as significant. Results: p75NTR was expressed in the first 1-2 layers from the margin of the tumors in 92 of 187 (49.2%) cancer specimens. ki67staining of the same serial sections indicated that the p75NTR-positive cells are actively proliferating. The p75NTR expression was correlated with the negative lymph node metastasis (p=0.004) and lower TNM staging (p=0.023). The p75NTR positivity was a significant prognostic factor (p=0.029). p75NTR was expressed in all 30 examined KYSEs by RT PCR and immunocytochemistry. Our flow-cytometric analysis revealed that the mean proportion of p75NTR-positive fraction in each KYSE was 30.1% (ranged from 0.5% to 91.8%). p75NTR was expressed in 118 (60.8%) of 194 colonies derived from KYSE150. The mean diameter of p75NTR-positive and negative colonies were 969±513 and 414 ±182μm, respectively (p<0.0001). p75NTR was expressed in 178 (82.0%) of 217 colonies derived from p75NTR-positive fraction isolated from KYSE150, while 65 (30.1%) of 216 colonies derived from p75NTR-negative fraction expressed p75NTR. Conclusion: Our data suggested that p75NTR was expressed in a progenitor cell fraction and suppress lymph node metastasis in ESCC.

The low affinity neurotrophin receptor p75NTR is expressed in a putative precursor fraction of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and suppresses lymph node metastasis

下部胆管癌および乳頭部癌に対する全胃幽門輪温存膵頭十二指腸切除術の適応の可否とリンパ節郭清のあり方を知る目的で, リンパ節転移様式について臨床病理学的に検討した. 1) リンパ節転移率は下部胆管癌28.6%, 乳頭部癌38.9%であった. 2) 胃周囲リンパ節への転移は下部胆管癌, 乳頭部癌各1例でともにNo.(7) への転移をみたのみであった. 3) リンパ節転移部位は, 下部胆管癌ではNo.(13) b (23.8%),(17) b (9.5%), 乳頭部癌ではNo.(3) a (22.2%),(13) b (16.7%),(8) (16.7%) に多くみられ, 下部胆管癌では, No.(15) 5.9%, 乳頭部癌ではNo.(14) 9.1%,(16) 7.7%へも転移が認められた. 4) 本術式施行7例中, 癌死例は1例のみであった. 以上より, 下部胆管癌および乳頭部癌に対して根治性を損なうことなく本術式を適応でき, リンパ節郭清は従来の膵頭十二指腸切除術と同様に, とくに腹腔動脈, 上腸間膜動脈, 大動脈周囲の重点的な郭清が肝要と考えられた.

The Modes of Lymphnode Metastasis and Indication of Pyrolus Preserving Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Carcinoma of the Distal Bile Duct and Ampulla of Vater.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/gee1973b/47/5/47_5_1101/_pdf

A case of flat elevated type adenoma of the duodenum

加味逍遥散が有効であった不定愁訴症候群患者9例を対象に, 身体的ならびに精神的愁訴について検討した。投薬前後で, 阿部の自律神経失調症の問診表の43項目と Cornell Medical Index の51項目 (M～R) を施行したところ, 3ヵ月間の加味逍遥散投与により, 身体的愁訴の数は平均19.9から9.1に減少し, 精神的愁訴の数は平均16.7から9.3に減少した。加味逍遥散が適応となる臨床像を明らかにするために, 身体的愁訴を7つのカテゴリーに, 精神的愁訴を6つのカテゴリーに分けて投薬前のそれぞれのカテゴリーに対する平均訴え率を検討したところ, 身体的には運動器と疲労に関する訴えが多く, 消化器に関する訴えが少なく, 精神的には過敏・怒りに関する訴えが多く, 抑うつ・緊張に関する訴えが少ないという特徴を認めた。

Yutaka Shimada

Papers

Cases Report of Bronchial Asthma Attack Successfully Treated with Kampo Medicine

The low affinity neurotrophin receptor p75NTR is expressed in a putative precursor fraction of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and suppresses lymph node metastasis

The Modes of Lymphnode Metastasis and Indication of Pyrolus Preserving Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Carcinoma of the Distal Bile Duct and Ampulla of Vater.

A case of flat elevated type adenoma of the duodenum

Effects of Kami-shoyo-san on the Indefinite Complaints