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Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center

Hospital / health systemIbaraki, Japan

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center (Japan). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
1.6K
Citations
43.5K
h-index
90
i10-index
1.0K
Also known as
Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center東京医科大学茨城医療センター

Top-cited papers from Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center

Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19
COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, COVID-19 Host Genetics InitiativeLeadership, Mari Niemi, Juha Karjalainen +4 more
2021· Nature1.1Kdoi:10.1038/s41586-021-03767-x

Abstract The genetic make-up of an individual contributes to the susceptibility and response to viral infection. Although environmental, clinical and social factors have a role in the chance of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-19 1,2 , host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors may reveal biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses that consist of up to 49,562 patients with COVID-19 from 46 studies across 19 countries. We report 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases 3–7 . They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. Mendelian randomization analyses support a causal role for smoking and body-mass index for severe COVID-19 although not for type II diabetes. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19 was made possible by the community of human genetics researchers coming together to prioritize the sharing of data, results, resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration underscores what is possible for future genetic discoveries in emerging pandemics, or indeed for any complex human disease.

Gut microbial carbohydrate metabolism contributes to insulin resistance
Tadashi Takeuchi, Tetsuya Kubota, Yumiko Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tsugawa +4 more
2023· Nature400doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06466-x

Abstract Insulin resistance is the primary pathophysiology underlying metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes 1,2 . Previous metagenomic studies have described the characteristics of gut microbiota and their roles in metabolizing major nutrients in insulin resistance 3–9 . In particular, carbohydrate metabolism of commensals has been proposed to contribute up to 10% of the host’s overall energy extraction 10 , thereby playing a role in the pathogenesis of obesity and prediabetes 3,4,6 . Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we investigate this relationship using a comprehensive multi-omics strategy in humans. We combine unbiased faecal metabolomics with metagenomics, host metabolomics and transcriptomics data to profile the involvement of the microbiome in insulin resistance. These data reveal that faecal carbohydrates, particularly host-accessible monosaccharides, are increased in individuals with insulin resistance and are associated with microbial carbohydrate metabolisms and host inflammatory cytokines. We identify gut bacteria associated with insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity that show a distinct pattern of carbohydrate metabolism, and demonstrate that insulin-sensitivity-associated bacteria ameliorate host phenotypes of insulin resistance in a mouse model. Our study, which provides a comprehensive view of the host–microorganism relationships in insulin resistance, reveals the impact of carbohydrate metabolism by microbiota, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for ameliorating insulin resistance.

Maintenance of Neuronal Glutathione by Glial Cells
Jun‐ichi Sagara, Kenji Miura, Shiro Bannai
1993· Journal of Neurochemistry400doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1993.tb09802.x

Glutathione levels in neurons and glial cells were investigated in a neuronal-glial coculture and in separate cultures. Brain cell suspensions obtained from cerebral hemispheres of fetal rats were cultured, and after 5 days the glutathione content of this cell population, consisting mainly of neurons and astroglial cells, was 23.0 nmol/mg of cell protein, with a significantly high content in glial cells (28.0 nmol/mg of protein) in comparison with neurons (18.8 nmol/mg of protein). When the neurons and glial cells were separated and recultured in fresh medium, neuronal glutathione rapidly decreased, whereas glial glutathione remained unchanged. Cysteine is a rate-limiting precursor for glutathione synthesis, and its level was also decreased in neurons, but not in glial cells. Cysteine was taken up rapidly by both neurons and glial cells, but cystine was taken up only by glial cells. This accounts for the rapid decrease of glutathione in the cultured neurons, because the culture medium contains cystine, but not cysteine. It was also found that the cultured glial cells released cysteine into the medium. These results suggest that neurons maintain their glutathione level by taking up cysteine provided by glial cells.

Regulation of bile acid metabolism in mouse models with hydrophobic bile acid composition
Akira Honda, Teruo Miyazaki, Junichi Iwamoto, Takeshi Hirayama +4 more
2019· Journal of Lipid Research212doi:10.1194/jlr.ra119000395

KO and DKO mice, but the FXR was not activated. It was suggested that the cytokine/c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway and the pregnane X receptor-mediated pathway are the predominant mechanisms, preferred over the FXR/small heterodimer partner and FXR/fibroblast growth factor 15 pathways, for controlling BA synthesis under hydrophobic BA composition. From our results, we hypothesize that these KO mice can be novel and useful models for investigating the roles of hydrophobic BAs in various human diseases.

Anticholestatic effects of bezafibrate in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis treated with ursodeoxycholic acid
Akira Honda, Tadashi Ikegami, Makoto Nakamuta, Teruo Miyazaki +4 more
2012· Hepatology203doi:10.1002/hep.26018

UNLABELLED: Bezafibrate is a widely used hypolipidemic agent and is known as a ligand of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Recently this agent has come to be recognized as a potential anticholestatic medicine for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) that does not respond sufficiently to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) monotherapy. The aim of this study was to explore the anticholestatic mechanisms of bezafibrate by analyzing serum lipid biomarkers in PBC patients and by cell-based enzymatic and gene expression assays. Nineteen patients with early-stage PBC and an incomplete biochemical response to UDCA (600 mg/day) monotherapy were treated with the same dose of UDCA plus bezafibrate (400 mg/day) for 3 months. In addition to the significant improvement of serum biliary enzymes, immunoglobulin M (IgM), cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations in patients treated with bezafibrate, reduction of 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4), a marker of bile acid synthesis, and increase of 4β-hydroxycholesterol, a marker of CYP3A4/5 activity, were observed. In vitro experiments using human hepatoma cell lines demonstrated that bezafibrate controlled the target genes of PPARα, as well as those of the pregnane X receptor (PXR); down-regulating CYP7A1, CYP27A1, and sinusoidal Na(+) /taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), and up-regulating CYP3A4, canalicular multidrug resistance protein 3 (MDR3), MDR1, and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2). CONCLUSION: Bezafibrate is a dual PPARs/PXR agonist with potent anticholestatic efficacy in early-stage PBC patients with an incomplete biochemical response to UDCA monotherapy.

Uptake of Glutamate and Cystine in C‐6 Glioma Cells and in Cultured Astrocytes
Yukie Cho, Shiro Bannai
1990· Journal of Neurochemistry178doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1990.tb05800.x

The uptake of glutamate in rat glioma C-6 cells and cultured astrocytes derived from rat cerebral hemispheres was found to be mediated by a Na(+)-dependent and a Na(+)-independent system. The Na(+)-dependent system was inhibited by aspartate and was consistent with the commonly occurring system designated system X-AG. The Na(+)-independent system was inhibited by cystine and was consistent with system x-c described in various types of cells in the periphery. It was also found that quisqualate selectively and competitively interfered with the Na(+)-independent glutamate uptake. In C-6 cells, the glutamate uptake via systems X-AG and x-c accounted for approximately 35% and 55% of the total uptake, respectively, at 0.05 mM glutamate. In cultured astrocytes, the glutamate uptake via system X-AG was very potent, whereas the uptake via system xc- was relatively weak and its contribution to the total uptake of glutamate seemed almost negligible. However, in both C-6 cells and astrocytes, system xc- was necessary for the uptake of cystine, another substrate of system xc-. Cystine in the culture medium was an essential precursor of glutathione, and the inhibition of the cystine uptake by excess glutamate as a competitor led to a severe deficiency in glutathione, followed by cell degeneration.

Evaluations of interferon‐γ/interleukin‐4 ratio and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio as prognostic indicators in gastric cancer patients
Hideyuki Ubukata, Gyou Motohashi, Takanobu Tabuchi, Hiroyuki Nagata +2 more
2010· Journal of Surgical Oncology171doi:10.1002/jso.21725

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Th2-dominant immunity and high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios (NLRs) have been reported to reflect tumor progression, and so we examined whether the Th1/Th2 ratio and NLR can act as prognostic indicators or not. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were taken within 1 week before and 14 postoperative days after curative gastrectomy using 157 gastric cancer cases for the measurement of both ratios. The proportions of Th1 cells (interferon γ-producing CD4 T cells), Th2 cells (interleukin-4-producing CD4 T cells) were counted by two-color flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in 5-year survival both between the high and low Th1/Th2 ratio groups, and between the high and low NLR groups. The pattern classifications before and after surgery in the Th1/Th2 ratio showed strongly significant differences in 5-year survival. NLR was especially influenced by tumor size, and there was a negative linear correlation between the two ratios before surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The Th1/Th2 ratio may be a good prognostic indicator and may also be a promising marker for estimating the effectiveness of surgery. NLR may also be a good prognostic indicator and may be a valid marker of tumor recurrence, and it appeared that some interaction between lymphocytes and neutrophils had occurred.

Green tea polyphenol (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) improves gut dysbiosis and serum bile acids dysregulation in high-fat diet-fed mice
Chihiro Ushiroda, Yuji Naito, Tomohisa Takagi, Kazuhiko Uchiyama +4 more
2019· Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition157doi:10.3164/jcbn.18-116

Gut microbiota have profound effects on bile acid metabolism by promoting deconjugation, dehydrogenation, and dehydroxylation of primary bile acids in the distal small intestine and colon. High-fat diet-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota and bile acid dysregulation may be involved in the pathology of steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenolic catechin in green tea, has been widely investigated for its inhibitory or preventive effects against fatty liver. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on the abundance of gut microbiota and the composition of serum bile acids in high-fat diet-fed mice and determine the specific bacterial genera that can improve the serum bile acid dysregulation associated with EGCG anti-hepatic steatosis action. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed with the control diet, high-fat diet, or high-fat diet + EGCG at a concentration of 0.32% for 8 weeks. EGCG significantly inhibited the increases in weight, the area of fatty lesions, and the triglyceride content in the liver induced by the high-fat diet. Principal coordinate analysis revealed significant differences in microbial structure among the groups. At the genus level, EGCG induced changes in the microbiota composition in high-fat diet-fed mice, showing a significantly higher abundance of Adlercreutzia, Akkermansia, Allobaculum and a significantly lower abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae. EGCG significantly reversed the decreased population of serum primary cholic acid and β-muricholic acid as well as the increased population of taurine-conjugated cholic acid, β-muricholic acid and deoxycholic acid in high-fat diet-fed mice. Finally, the correlation analysis between bile acid profiles and gut microbiota demonstrated the contribution of Akkermansia and Desulfovibrionaceae in the improvement of bile acid dysregulation in high-fat diet-fed mice by treatment with EGCG. In conclusion, the present study suggests that EGCG could alter bile acid metabolism, especially taurine deconjugation, and suppress fatty liver disease by improving the intestinal luminal environment.

Randomized phase 3 trial of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir for hepatitis C virus genotype 1b–infected Japanese patients with or without cirrhosis
Hiromitsu Kumada, Kazuaki Chayama, Lino Rodrigues, Fumitaka Suzuki +4 more
2015· Hepatology153doi:10.1002/hep.27972

UNLABELLED: GIFT-I is a phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of a 12-week regimen of coformulated ombitasvir (OBV)/paritaprevir (PTV)/ritonavir (r) for treatment of Japanese hepatitis C virus genotype 1b-infected patients. It consists of a double-blind, placebo-controlled substudy of patients without cirrhosis and an open-label substudy of patients with compensated cirrhosis. Patients without cirrhosis were randomized 2:1 to once-daily OBV/PTV/r (25 mg/150 mg/100 mg; group A) or placebo (group B). Patients with cirrhosis received open-label OBV/PTV/r (group C). The primary efficacy endpoint was the rate of sustained virological response 12 weeks posttreatment in interferon-eligible, treatment-naive patients without cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus RNA ≥100,000 IU/mL in group A. A total of 321 patients without cirrhosis were randomized and dosed with double-blind study drug (106 received double-blind placebo and later received open-label OBV/PTV/r), and 42 patients with cirrhosis were enrolled and dosed with open-label OBV/PTV/r. In the primary efficacy population, the rate of sustained virological response 12 weeks posttreatment was 94.6% (106/112, 95% confidence interval 90.5-98.8). Sustained virological response 12 weeks posttreatment rates were 94.9% (204/215) in group A, 98.1% (104/106) in group B (open-label), and 90.5% (38/42) in group C. Overall, virological failure occurred in 3.0% (11/363) of patients who received OBV/PTV/r. The rate of discontinuation due to adverse events was 0%-2.4% in the three patient groups receiving OBV/PTV/r. The most frequent adverse event in patients in any group was nasopharyngitis. CONCLUSION: In this broad hepatitis C virus genotype 1b-infected Japanese patient population with or without cirrhosis, treatment with OBV/PTV/r for 12 weeks was highly effective and demonstrated a favorable safety profile.

Cystine Uptake and Glutathione Level in Fetal Brain Cells in Primary Culture and in Suspension
Jun‐ichi Sagara, Kenji Miura, Shiro Bannai
1993· Journal of Neurochemistry145doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1993.tb09801.x

The glutathione level and the factors affecting this level were investigated in fetal rat brain cells in a primary culture. Early in the culture, the glutathione level of the brain cells decreased, but after 5 h it began to increase. This increase was not observed in a cystine-free medium and was prevented by excess glutamate. Cystine was taken up in freshly isolated brain cell suspensions, and its rate increased during the culture. The cystine uptake was mediated by a Na(+)-independent, glutamate-sensitive route previously found in various types of cells and designated as system X-c. The uptake of cystine is a crucial factor in maintaining the glutathione level of the cells under culture, because it provides cysteine for the cells for glutathione synthesis. Cysteine was undetectable in the medium before the culture, but it appeared, though at a very low level, when the brain cells were cultured there. The source of this cysteine was the cystine in the medium. Presumably the decrease in the glutathione level of the cells in the early stage of the culture resulted from the fact that the medium did not contain cysteine. The enhancement of the cystine uptake during culture may constitute a protective mechanism against the oxidative stress to which the cultured cells are exposed. Regulation of the glutathione level in fetal brain cells in vivo by the transport of cystine and cysteine is discussed.

Undernutrition in Patients with COPD and Its Treatment
Masayuki Itoh, Takao Tsuji, Kenji Nemoto, Hiroyuki Nakamura +1 more
2013· Nutrients143doi:10.3390/nu5041316

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the lung and whole body caused mainly by tobacco smoking. Patients with advanced COPD are in a state of undernutrition, referred to as pulmonary cachexia; the exercise performance and quality of life (QOL) of these patients are deteriorated, the vital prognosis is unfavorable, and the medico-economic burden posed by poorly nourished COPD patients is high. The mainstays of COPD treatment are pharmacotherapy, mainly with bronchodilators, and non-pharmacotherapeutic approaches such as respiratory rehabilitation and nutrition counseling. Nutritional supplement therapy, consisting primarily of high calorie intake, has been demonstrated to be effective for maintaining and improving the muscle strength and exercise tolerance in poorly nourished COPD patients. The efficacy of intake of various nutrients, besides a high calorie intake, for amelioration of the disease state of COPD has also been reported. The roles of adipokines in the pathophysiology of COPD have begun to receive attention recently, and not only their regulatory effects on appetite and nutritional status, but also their influence on systemic inflammation have been increasingly clarified. We review the papers on COPD and nutrition and discuss the role of nutritional supplement therapy in the treatment of COPD.

Newly Developed Antibiotic Combination Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Multicenter Trial
Toshifumi Ohkusa, Kimitoshi Kato, Shuichi Terao, Toshimi Chiba +4 more
2010· The American Journal of Gastroenterology137doi:10.1038/ajg.2010.84

OBJECTIVES: Fusobacterium varium may contribute to ulcerative colitis (UC). We conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter trial to determine whether antibiotic combination therapy induces and/or maintains remission of active UC. METHODS: Patients with chronic mild-to-severe relapsing UC were randomly assigned to oral amoxicillin 1500 mg/day, tetracycline 1500 mg/day, and metronidazole 750 mg/day, vs. placebo, for 2 weeks, and then followed up. The primary study end point was clinical response (Mayo score at 3 months after treatment completion) and secondary end points were clinical and endoscopic score improvements at 12 months. Anti-F. varium antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Treatment and placebo groups each had 105 subjects. At the primary end point, response rates were significantly greater with antibiotics than with placebo (44.8 vs. 22.8%, P=0.0011). Endoscopic scores significantly improved at 3 months (P=0.002 vs. placebo). Remission rates were 19.0% (antibiotics) vs. 15.8% (placebo) at 3 months (P=0.59). At the secondary end point, response rates were significantly greater with antibiotics than with placebo (49.5 vs. 21.8%, respectively, P<0.0001). Endoscopic scores were significantly improved at 12 months after antibiotic treatment (P=0.002 vs. placebo). Remission rates had improved to 26.7% with antibiotics vs. 14.9% for placebo, at 12 months (P=0.041). F. varium antibody titers decreased in responders but not in nonresponders, and more in the antibiotic than in the placebo group. More pretreatment steroid-dependent UC patients discontinued corticosteroids after treatment completion (6 months: 28.6 vs. 11.8%, respectively, P=0.046; 9 months: 34.7 vs. 13.7%, respectively, P=0.019; and 12 months: 34.7 vs. 13.7%, respectively, P=0.019). These effects were greater in the subanalysis of the active group (Mayo scores of 6-12) than in that of total cases (0-12). No serious drug-related toxicities occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The 2-week triple antibiotic therapy produced improvement, remission, and steroid withdrawal in active UC more effectively than a placebo.

Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder
Kenji Shimodaira, Isao Kuroda, Naohiro Kamoda, Takuya Ishida +2 more
2014· Case Reports in Clinical Medicine123doi:10.4236/crcm.2014.34044

The patient was a 62-year-old female with bladder carcinoma. TUR-BT was performed in March 2010, and the pathological finding was UC, G2 > G1, pTa. However, the cancer recurred in the urinary bladder 3 months after TUR-BT. Radical cystectomy was performed, and the disease was considered to have been cured, but metastasis developed in the skin, lung, liver, and bone several months after surgery. Chemotherapy was ineffective, and the patient died. On pathological examination at the time of radical cystectomy, the lesion was sarcomatoid carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Although the prognosis associated with this carcinoma is known to be poor, the possibility of underestimation on preoperative staging cannot be ruled out from the cause, in addition to the insufficiency of the current therapeutic strategy.

Induction of cystine transport activity in human fibroblasts by oxygen
Shiro Bannai, Hideyo Sato, Tetsuro Ishii, Y. Sugita
1989· Journal of Biological Chemistry119doi:10.1016/s0021-9258(18)51491-5

The transport activity for cystine in cultured human fibroblasts decreased after incubation of the cells under a low oxygen concentration. After the incubation for 48 h under 3% oxygen, the Vmax of the transport was decreased to less than one-third of that of the control cells, with little change in Km. The similar transport activity was observed in the cells cultured under 3% oxygen for 10-40 days with several times of passages. When these low oxygen-cultured cells were incubated under room air, the activity was enhanced with a lag of about 4 h and was almost completely restored within 24 h. This restoration required protein synthesis. The cystine transport activity increased by 50% after exposure of the cells to hyperoxia (40% oxygen). From these results it is concluded that the transport activity for cystine is induced by oxygen. In contrast, little change in the transport activities for alanine and leucine occurred in the cells exposed to the corresponding hypoxia or hyperoxia. Since the cystine transported into the cells is reduced to cysteine and the cysteine readily exits to the culture medium where it autoxidizes to cystine, a cystine-cysteine cycle across the plasma membrane has been postulated. Since the autoxidation of cysteine in the culture medium was markedly slowed down under the low oxygen concentration, the change in the cystine transport activity in response to the oxygen concentration was regarded as pertinent. Induction of the cystine transport activity may constitute a protective mechanism against the oxidative stress, to which the culture cells are exposed, by providing the cells with cysteine which is mainly incorporated into glutathione.

Cholesterol 25-hydroxylation activity of CYP3A
Akira Honda, Teruo Miyazaki, Tadashi Ikegami, Junichi Iwamoto +4 more
2011· Journal of Lipid Research118doi:10.1194/jlr.m014084

To date, many studies have been conducted using 25-hydroxycholesterol, which is a potent regulator of lipid metabolism. However, the origins of this oxysterol have not been entirely elucidated. Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase is one of the enzymes responsible for the metabolism of 25-hydroxycholesterol, but the expression of this enzyme is very low in humans. This oxysterol is also synthesized by sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) and cholesterol 24-hydroxylase(CYP46A1), but it is only a minor product of these enzymes. We now report that CYP3A synthesizes a significant amount of 25-hydroxycholesterol and may participate in the regulation of lipid metabolism. Induction of CYP3A by pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile caused the accumulation of 25-hydroxycholesterol in a cell line derived from mouse liver. Furthermore, treatment of the cells with troleandomycin, a specific inhibitor of CYP3A, significantly reduced cellular 25-hydroxycholesterol concentrations. In cells that overexpressed human recombinant CYP3A4, the activity of cholesterol 25-hydroxylation was found to be higher than that of cholesterol 4β-hydroxylation, a known marker activity of CYP3A4. In addition, 25-hydroxycholesterol concentrations in normal human sera correlated positively with the levels of 4β-hydroxycholesterol (r = 0.650, P < 0.0001, n = 78), but did not significantly correlate with the levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol or 24S-hydroxycholesterol. These results demonstrate the significance of CYP3A on the production of 25-hydroxycholesterol.

A novel function of glutamine in cell culture: Utilization of glutamine for the uptake of cystine in human fibroblasts
Shiro Bannai, Tetsuro Ishii
1988· Journal of Cellular Physiology116doi:10.1002/jcp.1041370221

Abstract Transport and metabolism of glutamine has been investigated in human diploid fibroblasts, IMR‐90. Glutamine was taken up via System ASC (Na + ‐dependent amino acid transport system especially reactive with short or polar side chain amino acids). In the routine culture medium the cells contained a large quantity of glutamate; its major source was shown to be glutamine in the medium. Previously we described a transport system that mediates the entrance of cystine in exchange for the exit of glutamate (Bannai, 1986). Since the cystine taken up is reduced to cysteine and the cysteine readily exits to the medium where it is oxidized to cystine, a cystine‐cysteine cycle across the plasma membrane has been postulated. When the cells were cultured in glutamate/glutamine‐free medium, intracellular glutamate decreased, depending on the amount of cystine in the medium; in the absence of cystine, glutamate decreased very slowly. When the cells were cultured in ordinary medium, glutamine in the medium decreased, and glutamate in the medium increased. Both changes were well correlated with cystine concentration in the medium. These results are consistent with the view that the intracellular glutamate, of which the source is glutamine in the medium, is released from the cells into the medium in order to take up cystine and thereby to rotate the cystine‐cysteine cycle. In the routine culture one‐third to one‐half of the total consumption of glautamine seems to be used for the uptake of cystine.

Insulin-derived Amyloidosis and Poor Glycemic Control: A Case Series
Terumasa Nagase, Keiichi Iwaya, Yoshiki Iwaki, Fumio Kotake +4 more
2014· The American Journal of Medicine115doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.10.029

OBJECTIVES: Insulin-derived amyloidosis is a rare skin-related complication of insulin therapy. The purpose of this study was to show the effects of insulin-derived amyloidosis on blood glucose levels, insulin dose requirements, and insulin absorption. METHODS: Seven patients were found to have insulin-derived amyloidosis at the Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center. The clinical characteristics and insulin therapy of the 7 patients were investigated. Insulin absorption was studied by comparing the serum insulin levels after insulin injections into insulin-derived amyloidosis sites versus injections into normal sites in 4 patients. RESULTS: When the insulin-derived amyloidosis was discovered, the mean hemoglobin A1c level was 9.3%, and the mean daily insulin dose was 57 units. After changing the injection sites to avoid the insulin-derived amyloidosis, the blood glucose concentrations improved, and the mean daily insulin dose could be reduced to 27 units (P = .035; 53% reduction). The insulin absorption at insulin-derived amyloidosis sites was 34% of that at normal sites (P = .030). CONCLUSIONS: Insulin-derived amyloidosis caused poor glycemic control and increased insulin dose requirements because of impairments in insulin absorption.

Advanced multi-contrast Jones matrix optical coherence tomography for Doppler and polarization sensitive imaging
Myeong Jin Ju, Young-Joo Hong, Shuichi Makita, Yiheng Lim +4 more
2013· Optics Express113doi:10.1364/oe.21.019412

An advanced version of Jones matrix optical coherence tomography (JMT) is demonstrated for Doppler and polarization sensitive imaging of the posterior eye. JMT is capable of providing localized flow tomography by Doppler detection and investigating the birefringence property of tissue through a three-dimensional (3-D) Jones matrix measurement. Owing to an incident polarization multiplexing scheme based on passive optical components, this system is stable, safe in a clinical environment, and cost effective. Since the properties of this version of JMT provide intrinsic compensation for system imperfection, the system is easy to calibrate. Compared with the previous version of JMT, this advanced JMT achieves a sufficiently long depth measurement range for clinical cases of posterior eye disease. Furthermore, a fine spectral shift compensation method based on the cross-correlation of calibration signals was devised for stabilizing the phase of OCT, which enables a high sensitivity Doppler OCT measurement. In addition, a new theory of JMT which integrates the Jones matrix measurement, Doppler measurement, and scattering measurement is presented. This theory enables a sensitivity-enhanced scattering OCT and high-sensitivity Doppler OCT. These new features enable the application of this system to clinical cases. A healthy subject and a geographic atrophy patient were measured in vivo, and simultaneous imaging of choroidal vasculature and birefringence structures are demonstrated.

Bezafibrate Improves GLOBE and UK‐PBC Scores and Long‐Term Outcomes in Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Akira Honda, Atsushi Tanaka, Tetsuji Kaneko, Atsumasa Komori +4 more
2019· Hepatology113doi:10.1002/hep.30552

In Japan, bezafibrate (BF) is a second-line agent for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) that is refractory to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment. From a retrospective cohort (n = 873) from the Japan PBC Study Group, we enrolled 118 patients who had received UDCA monotherapy for at least 1 year followed by combination therapy with UDCA+BF for at least 1 year. GLOBE and UK-PBC scores after UDCA monotherapy (i.e., immediately before UDCA+BF combination therapy) were compared with those after 1 year of UDCA+BF combination therapy. The real outcomes of enrolled patients estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis were compared with the predicted outcomes calculated using GLOBE and UK-PBC scores. In addition, the hazard ratio of BF treatment was calculated using propensity score analysis. The mean GLOBE score before the combination therapy was 0.504 ± 0.080, which improved significantly to 0.115 ± 0.085 (P < 0.0001) after 1 year of combination therapy. The real liver transplant-free survival of enrolled patients was significantly better than that predicted by GLOBE score before introducing BF. Combination therapy did not significantly improve the real rates of liver transplantation or liver-related death compared with those predicted by UK-PBC risk score before introducing BF, but the predicted risk was significantly reduced by the addition of BF (P < 0.0001). Cox regression analysis with inverse probability of treatment weighting showed that the addition of BF significantly reduced the hazard of liver transplant or liver-related death in patients who, after 1 year of UDCA monotherapy, had normal serum bilirubin (adjusted hazard ratio 0.09, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.60, P = 0.013). Conclusion: Addition of BF to UDCA monotherapy improves not only GLOBE and UK-PBC scores but also the long-term prognosis of PBC patients, especially those with early-stage PBC.

Comprehensive in vivo micro-vascular imaging of the human eye by dual-beam-scan Doppler optical coherence angiography
Shuichi Makita, J. Franck, Masahiro Yamanari, Masahiro Miura +1 more
2011· Optics Express113doi:10.1364/oe.19.001271

Comprehensive angiography provides insight into the diagnosis of vascular-related diseases. However, complex microvascular networks of unstable in vivo organs such as the eye require micron-scale resolution in three dimensions and a high sampling rate to access a wide area as maintaining the high resolution. Here, we introduce dual-beam-scan Doppler optical coherence angiography (OCA) as a label-free comprehensive ophthalmic angiography that satisfies theses requirements. In addition to high resolution and high imaging speed, high sensitivity to motion for detecting tiny blood flow of microvessels is achieved by detecting two time-delayed signals with scanning of two probing beams separated on a sample. We present in vivo three-dimensional imaging of the microvasculature of the posterior part of the human eye. The demonstrated results show that this technique may be used for comprehensive ophthalmic angiography to evaluate the vasculature of the posterior human eye and to diagnose variety of vascular diseases.