Although histone acetylation, an epigenetic modification, has been reported to be related to the progression of various diseases, its involvement in nephrosclerosis is unclear. Dahl salt-sensitive rats were used as a model of nephrosclerosis in this study. The rats were divided into three groups: (i) normal-salt diet group, (ii) high-salt diet group (HS), and (iii) HS administered daily with curcumin, a histone acetyltransferase inhibitor (HS+C). At 6 weeks after the treatment, the kidneys were dissected. Morphologic changes were assessed by Masson's trichrome staining. The number of macrophages, fibroblasts and the cells expressing acetylated histone H3 at Lys 9 (H3K9) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Although both HS and HS+C rats revealed a marked increase in systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine was increased only in HS rats at 6 weeks. In the HS rats, nephrosclerosis was induced, accompanying a significant accumulation of macrophages and fibroblasts. The inflammation and fibrosis was markedly suppressed in the HS+C group. The level of histone acetylation at Lys 9 was enhanced in the HS rats, whereas curcumin administration suppressed the histone acetylation. Moreover, in the HS rats, interleukin-6 gene expression was associated with acetylated H3K9, as revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Our results suggested that curcumin ameliorates nephrosclerosis via suppression of histone acetylation, independently of hypertension.
Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide involved in human social behaviors and reproduction. Non-invasive OT levels in saliva have recently roused interest as it does not require a specialized medical setting. Here, we observed one woman's basal serum and saliva OT from pregnancy to 1 year postpartum to track OT concentration changes over this period. We examined the changes in salivary OT levels over time in response to maternal physiological and behavioral responses. The fluctuation of saliva OT levels is well correlated with serum OT during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, while salivary OT increased rapidly during direct interaction (social interaction tests) with the infant and/or when the mother was watching her own infant's video (video tests), no increase was observed in serum. We used social interaction and video tests on a group of mothers (nine mothers for social interaction and six for the video test) to clarify these single-subject results. In both tests, the mothers had increased OT in their saliva but not serum. Our study may suggest that salivary samples reflect not only the physical but also the emotional state and that saliva samples may be useful for monitoring women's OT levels during pre- and postpartum periods. Further studies with larger sample numbers are necessary to confirm the rapid changes in salivary OT levels in response to maternal physiological and behavioral responses.
Objectives The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of detection of lung nodules on low-dose screening CT images between radiologists and technologists. Methods 11 radiologists and 10 technologists read the low-dose screening CT images of 78 subjects. On images with a slice thickness of 5 mm, there were 60 lung nodules that were ≥5 mm in diameter: 26 nodules with pure ground-glass opacity (GGO), 7 nodules with mixed ground-glass opacity (GGO with a solid component) and 27 solid nodules. On images with a slice thickness of 2 mm, 69 lung nodules were ≥5 mm in diameter: 35 pure GGOs, 7 mixed GGOs and 27 solid nodules. The 21 observers read screening CT images of 5-mm slice thickness at first; then, 6 months later, they read screening CT images of 2-mm slice thickness from the 78 subjects. Results The differences in the mean sensitivities of detection of the pure GGOs, mixed GGOs and solid nodules between radiologists and technologists were not statistically significant, except for the case of solid nodules; the p-values of the differences for pure GGOs, mixed GGOs and solid nodules on the CT images with 5-mm slice thickness were 0.095, 0.461 and 0.005, respectively, and the corresponding p-values on CT images of 2-mm slice thickness were 0.971, 0.722 and 0.0037, respectively. Conclusion Well-trained technologists may contribute to the detection of pure and mixed GGOs ≥5 mm in diameter on low-dose screening CT images.
The outcomes of supplementation with L-carnosine have been investigated in clinical trials in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, reports on the effects of L-carnosine in humans have been inconsistent, and the efficacy of L-carnosine supplementation for improving ASD symptoms has yet to be investigated in animal studies. Here, we examined the effects of oral supplementation with L-carnosine on social deficits in CD157KO mice, a murine model of ASD. Social deficits in CD157KO mice were assessed using a three-chamber social approach test. Oral supplementation with L-carnosine attenuated social behavioral deficits. The number of c-Fos-positive oxytocin neurons in the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus was increased with L-carnosine supplementation in CD157KO mice after the three-chamber social approach test. We observed an increase in the number of c-Fos-positive neurons in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region involved in social behavior. Although the expression of oxytocin and oxytocin receptors in the hypothalamus was not altered by L-carnosine supplementation, the concentration of oxytocin in cerebrospinal fluid was increased in CD157KO mice by L-carnosine supplementation. These results suggest that L-carnosine supplementation restores social recognition impairments by augmenting the level of released oxytocin. Thus, we could imply the possibility of a safe nutritional intervention for at least some types of ASD in the human population.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs in 1 in 160 children worldwide. Individuals with ASD tend to be unique in the way that they comprehend themselves and others, as well as in the way that they interact and socialize, which can lead to challenges with social adaptation. There is currently no medication to improve the social deficit of children with ASD, and consequently, behavioral and complementary/alternative intervention plays an important role. In the present pilot study, we focused on the neuroendocrinological response to participatory art activities, which are known to have a positive effect on emotion, self-expression, sociability, and physical wellbeing. We collected saliva from 12 children with ASD and eight typically developed (TD) children before and after a visual art-based participatory art workshop to measure the levels of oxytocin, a neuropeptide involved in a wide range of social behaviors. We demonstrated that the rate of increase in salivary oxytocin following art activities in ASD children was significantly higher than that in TD children. In contrast, the change rate of salivary cortisol after participatory art activities was similar between the two groups. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of participatory art activities may be partially mediated by oxytocin release, and may have therapeutic potential for disorders involving social dysfunction.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the size and location of lung tumour and the extent of ground-glass opacity (GGO) on thin-section CT for the detection of peripheral lung cancer on chest radiographs. 100 posteroanterior chest radiographs of peripheral lung cancer 20 mm in diameter or smaller were reviewed retrospectively by two chest radiologists individually. Lung cancer was detectable on chest radiographs in 51 (51%) cases. However, in six cases, the tumour was recognized not as a nodular opacity but as a subpleural linear or localized hazy opacity. The median size of detectable lung cancer (17 mm) was larger than that of undetectable lung cancer (14 mm; p<0.001). The frequency of tumours with extent of GGO less than 70% was 94% in detectable cases and 59% in undetectable cases (p<0.001). The frequency of tumours located in unobscured lung was 94% in detectable cases and 59% in undetectable cases (p<0.001). The detectability of peripheral lung cancer on chest radiographs is influenced by tumour size, location and extent of GGO seen on thin-section CT. It should also be noted that some tumours may not be recognized as a nodular opacity even if they are detectable.
