Gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is a rare gallbladder tumor. The current report is a case of a patient preoperatively diagnosed with gallbladder NEC using somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS). A 63‑year‑old man was admitted to our hospital by a family doctor after abdominal ultrasonography revealed thickened walls of the neck of his gallbladder. At Kagoshima University Hospital, CT and MRI of the abdomen and endoscopic ultrasonography confirmed the thickening of the walls of the neck of the gallbladder. However, it did not resemble a typical gallbladder cancer or tumor, such as a neuroendocrine tumor or malignant lymphoma. Positron emission tomography and SRS showed abnormal accumulation at the tumor site. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed, adenocarcinoma was suspected based on intra‑gallbladder bile cytology, and a cholecystectomy with lymphadenectomy was performed. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was small cell NEC (pT3a, N0, M0, stage II). Immunohistochemistry indicated that the gallbladder tumor cells were positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and cluster of differentiation (CD) 56, and negative for somatostatin receptors (SSTR) 2 and 5. Gene expression assays revealed the expression of all SSTR subtypes (SSTR1‑5) in the tumor. Generally, NECs exhibit poor accumulation in SRS, however, the results of the current case suggest that SRS may be useful in the preoperative diagnosis of NEC.
Patients with inactive acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) are at high risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC). The acetaldehyde breath test (ABT) may demonstrate ALDH2 gene polymorphisms. We evaluated the usefulness of the ABT in patients with ESCC and HPSCC. The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) group consisted of 100 patients who were treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for ESCC or HPSCC, and the control group (HC) consisted of 275 healthy subjects. The SCC group comprised the “single subgroup” ( n = 63), in which a single lesion was initially treated with ESD, and the “multiple subgroup” ( n = 31), in which multiple lesions were initially treated with ESD. First, we compared the groups’ risk factors for carcinogenesis and measured the acetaldehyde-to-ethanol (A/E) ratio. Then we tested the groups’ differences in the abovementioned carcinogenic risk factors. We found that the proportion of individuals in the SCC group with inactive ALDH2 (A/E ratio ≥ 23.3) was significantly higher than that in the HC group ( p = 0.035), as was the A/E ratio ( p < 0.001). Also, the proportion of individuals with inactive ALDH2 in the multiple subgroup was significantly higher than that in single subgroup ( p = 0.015), as was the A/E ratio ( p = 0.008). In conclusion, ABT may be a potential screening tool for detecting people at risk of ESCC and HPSCC. In addition, it could be a useful tool in detecting patients at risk of multiple or double carcinomas among patients with ESCC and HPSCC. Trial registration: Trial Registration number: UMIN000040615 [ https://rctportal.niph.go.jp/en/detail?trial_id=UMIN000040615 ], Data of Registration: 01 46 June 2020, retrospectively registered.
Aryl aldehydes react with ethyl cyanoacetate in methanolic ammonium acetate to expeditiously furnish, besides high yields of arylidenecyanoacetates, 4,6-diaryl-3,5-dicyano-5-ethoxycarbonyl-2-piperidinones in low yields. But preformed arylidenecyanoacetates react with methanolic ammonia to furnish the same functionalised 2-piperidinones in much better yields. The actual stereostructure of one of the products was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and novel tandem reactions occurring in one pot are proposed for the formation of the products.
A new C-alkylglucoside, diospyrodin [β-1C-(1′S*,2′R*,3′R*,4′S*-1′,2′,3′,4′,5′-pentahydroxypentyl)-glucopyranoside] (1) has been isolated as its nonaacetate from the leaves and stems of Diospyros nigra. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral properties and a single crystal X-ray analysis. It showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Pathological angiogenesis is a leading cause of blindness in several retinal diseases. The key driving factor inducing pathological angiogenesis is the pronounced hypoxia leading to a marked, increased production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The aim of this study was to determine whether the abnormal vascular growth occurs in a manner dependent on the degree of the vascular defects. Vascular defects of two different degrees were created in the retina by subcutaneously treating neonatal rats with the VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor KRN633 on postnatal day (P) 4 and P5 (P4/5) or P7 and P8 (P7/8). The structure of the retinal vasculature changes was examined immunohistochemically. Prevention of vascular growth and regression of some preformed capillaries were observed on the next day, after completion of each treatment (i.e., P6 and P9). The vascular regrowth occurred as a result of eliminating the inhibitory effect on the VEGFR signaling pathway. KRN633 (P4/5)-treated rats exhibited a retinal vasculature with aggressive intravitreal neovascularization on P21. On the other hand, the appearance of tortuous arteries is a representative vascular pathological feature in retinas of KRN633 (P7/8)-treated groups. These results suggest that an interruption of the retinal vascular development at different time points induces different vascular pathological features in the retina. Pharmacological agents targeting the VEGF signaling pathway are useful for creating an abnormal retinal vasculature with various pathological features in order to evaluate the efficacy of anti-angiogenic compounds.
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One new triterpenoid named acetylbignonic acid 1 along with 2a-hydroxyursolic acid 2 have been isolated from the roots of Bignonia unguiscati. On the basis of chemical and spectral evidence, the structure of 1 has been established as 3p-acetoxy-19α-hydroxyurs-12-en-29β-oic acid.
