Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is thought to be a major mediator of the host's defense against infection, and it regulates immune responses in inflamed tissue. In this study, we investigated the regulation of ...IL‐6 production in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLF). Pro‐inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)‐lα, IL‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α stimulated IL‐6 production in HGF and HPLF in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. This IL‐lα, IL‐lβ, or TNF‐α‐induced IL‐6 production was enhanced, but the cAMP accumulation they induced was inhibited by the addition of indomethacin. This result suggests that endogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) partially inhibits IL‐l or TNF‐α‐induced IL‐6 production, and that the enhancement of IL‐6 production by IL‐l or TNF‐α may not be caused through endogenous PGE2‐induced cAMP‐dependent pathway. Dexamethasone (DEX), a glucocorticoid which is a inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐kB) activation, markedly inhibited IL‐l (α or β) or TNF‐α‐induced IL‐6 production; so this production may be partially mediated through NF‐kB. IL‐l (α or β) and TNF‐α enhanced IL‐6 production synergistically. IL‐6 production in HGF or HPLF stimulated with IL‐lβ was augmented by the addition of interferon (IFN)‐(gama), but was slightly suppressed by the addition of IL‐4. Endogenous IL‐6 enhanced IL‐l (α or β)‐induced IL‐6 production in the presence of IL‐6 soluble receptor (IL‐6sR). Accordingly, in inflamed periodontal tissues, gingival fibroblasts and periodontal ligament fibroblasts stimulated with pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as IL‐l or TNF‐α, may produce IL‐6, and this production can be differentially modulated by endogenous PGE2, IL‐6sR, T cell‐derived cytokines such as IFN‐(gama) or IL‐4, and glucocorticoids.
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) may play a critical role in immune and inflammatory responses in inflamed gingiva, and it is synthesized by a wide variety of host cells. In this study, we examined the ...regulatory effects of various cytokines on bioactive membrane IL-1 and intracellular IL-1α production in cultured human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Recombinant human (rh) IL-lp stimulated membrane IL-1 activity, which was mainly attributed to IL-la. rhIL-1β and rh tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a stimulated HGF to produce intracellular IL-la, whereas rh interleukin-6 (IL-6), rh interleukin-4 (IL-4), and rh interferon (IFN)-γ did not do so. Intracellular IL-la production induced by rhIL-1β or rhTNF-a may be partially related to protein kinase C (PKC) activation, because rhIL-1β or rhTNF-a-induced intracellular IL-la production was stimulated by pre-treatment with 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), a PKC activator, but was suppressed by the pre-treatment with 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl) -2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7), which is a PKC inhibitor. rhIL-4 inhibited rhIL-1β- or rhTNF-a-induced intracellular IL-la production, but rhIL-6 had no effect on this production. Pre-treatment with rh IFN-γ remarkably enhanced intracellular IL-la production induced by subsequent treatment with rhIL-1β or rhTNF-a. Simultaneous treatment with rhIFN-γ and rhIL-1β inhibited rhIL-1β-induced intracellular IL-la production, but co-treatment with rhIFN-γ and rhTNF-a enhanced rhTNF-a-induced intracellular IL-la production. These results suggest that in inflamed gingiva, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-a may induce bioactive intracellular IL-la production in human gingival fibroblasts and that this production can be differentially modulated by T-cell-derived cytokines such as IFN-γ or IL-4.
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) may play a critical role in immune and inflammatory responses in inflamed gingiva, and it is synthesized by a wide variety of host cells. In this study, we examined the ...regulatory effects of various cytokines on bioactive membrane IL-1 and intracellular IL-1 alpha production in cultured human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Recombinant human (rh) IL-1 beta stimulated membrane IL-1 activity, which was mainly attributed to IL-1 alpha. rhIL-1 beta and rh tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha stimulated HGF to produce intracellular IL-1 alpha, whereas rh interleukin-6 (IL-6), rh interleukin-4 (IL-4), and rh interferon (IFN)-gamma did not do so. Intracellular IL-1 alpha production induced by rhIL-1 beta or rhTNF-alpha may be partially related to protein kinase C (PKC) activation, because rhIL-1 beta or rhTNF-alpha-induced intracellular IL-1 alpha production was stimulated by pre-treatment with 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), a PKC activator, but was suppressed by the pre-treatment with 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl) -2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7), which is a PKC inhibitor. rhIL-4 inhibited rhIL-1 beta- or rhTNF-alpha-induced intracellular IL-1 alpha production, but rhIL-6 had no effect on this production. Pre-treatment with rh IFN-gamma remarkably enhanced intracellular IL-1 alpha production induced by subsequent treatment with rhIL-1 beta or rhTNF-alpha. Simultaneous treatment with rhIFN-gamma and rhIL-1 beta inhibited rhIL-1 beta-induced intracellular IL-1 alpha production, but co-treatment with rhIFN-gamma and rhTNF-alpha enhanced rhTNF-alpha-induced intracellular IL-1 alpha production. These results suggest that in inflamed gingiva, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha may induce bioactive intracellular IL-1 alpha production in human gingival fibroblasts and that this production can be differentially modulated by T-cell-derived cytokines such as IFN-gamma or IL4.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of brain-gut interactions. Differential brain responses to rectal distention between IBS and healthy controls (HCs) have been demonstrated, ...particularly in the pain matrix and the default mode network. This study aims to compare resting-state functional properties of these networks between IBS patients and HCs using graph analysis in two independent cohorts. We used a weighted graph analysis of the adjacency matrix based on partial correlations between time series in the different regions in each subject to determine subject specific graph measures. These graph measures were normalized by values obtained in equivalent random networks. We did not find any significant differences between IBS patients and controls in global normalized graph measures, hubs, or modularity structure of the pain matrix and the DMN in any of our two independent cohorts. Furthermore, we did not find consistent associations between these global network measures and IBS symptom severity or GI-specific anxiety but we found a significant difference in the relationship between measures of psychological distress (anxiety and/or depressive symptoms) and normalized characteristic path length. The responses of these networks to visceral stimulation rather than their organisation at rest may be primarily disturbed in IBS.
Achievements of NEDO durability projects on SOFC mode are summarized with a focus on the physicochemical mechanisms characterized by diffusion properties of cell components and chemical reactions of ...cell components with gaseous impurities. Ni sintering and depletion including impurity (P, B, S) effects have been examined in terms of the surface/interface energies of Ni/oxide cermet anodes. The conductivity degradation due to the transformation of the cubic YSZ electrolyte was found to be characterized in terms of two time constants for the reductive and the oxidative regions to be determined by the Y‐diffusivity and its enhancement on NiO internal reduction in YSZ, while observed gaps in conductivity degradation behavior between stacks and button cells were ascribed to differences in those physicochemical properties involved, namely cation diffusion and kinetics associated with NiO internal reduction. The cathode performance degradation due to sulfur poisoning exhibits a variety of dependences on the microstructure (dense or porous) of doped‐ceria interlayers, the thickness of YSZ electrolyte and the humidity in the anode atmosphere, suggesting effects of protons in the cathode vicinity and the SrO activity changes during fabrication the LSCF/GDC/YSZ multilayers. Some defect chemical considerations were made on how such defects are affected by fabrication processes.
During surgery to treat an aneurysm in the anterior communicating artery, injury to the subcallosal artery, a perforator of the anterior communicating artery, may lead to infarction that produces ...basal forebrain amnesia after surgery. Our purpose was to examine whether 3D MR imaging can detect subcallosal artery infarction in patients with amnesia after surgery for an anterior communicating artery aneurysm.
We evaluated 3D-T2-weighted MR images obtained a median of 4 months after treatment of anterior communicating artery aneurysm for the presence of infarcted foci in 10 consecutive patients with postoperative amnesia. Because the subcallosal artery and its neighboring perforator, the recurrent artery of Heubner, were considered the most easily affected vessels during that surgery, we focused mainly on 8 regions of the subcallosal artery territory per hemisphere and 5 regions of the recurrent artery of Heubner territory per hemisphere.
All 10 patients had infarcts in the territory of the subcallosal artery (median, 9 regions per patient), and most were bilateral (9 of 10 patients). Five patients had additional infarcted foci in the territory of the recurrent artery of Heubner (median, 1 region per patient), all unilateral. Among the regions perfused by the subcallosal artery, the column of the fornix was involved in all patients; the anterior commissure, in 9; and the paraterminal gyrus, in 8 patients.
3D MR imaging revealed subcallosal artery infarction, the distribution of which was mostly bilateral, presumably owing to the unpairedness of that artery, in patients with postoperative amnesia after anterior communicating artery aneurysm repair.
To evaluate the usefulness of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) for the early diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
Thirty-six consecutive patients (age 56 to 82 years) were enrolled, and 26 were ...examined by DWI. Nine were definite based on the World Health Organization criteria, and 27 were probable. The percentages of DWI abnormalities, periodic sharp wave complexes (PSWCs) on the EEG, detection of CSF 14-3-3 protein, and increase of CSF neuron-specific enolase (>25 ng/mL) on the first examination were compared. For DWI, 32 patients (age 31 to 84 years) who showed progressive dementia or impaired consciousness served as disease controls.
The percentage of DWI abnormalities was 92.3%, of PSWCs 50.0%, of 14-3-3 protein detection 84.0%, and of NSE increase 73.3%. Two of the 32 control subjects were falsely positive on DWI. The sensitivity of DWI was 92.3% (95% CI 74.8 to 99.5%) and specificity 93.8% (95% CI 79.2 to 99.2%). In 17 patients who did not show PSWCs on the first EEG, abnormal DWI findings were still clearly detected. Four patients who were negative for 14-3-3 protein also showed DWI abnormalities. DWI abnormalities were detected as early as at 3 weeks of symptom duration in four patients in whom PSWCs were not yet evident.
DWI can detect characteristic lesions in the majority of patients with CJD regardless of the presence of PSWCs. DWI was the most sensitive test for the early clinical diagnosis of CJD; consideration should be given to its inclusion in the clinical diagnostic criteria of CJD.
Long‐term performance testes by CRIEPI (Central Research Institute for Electric Power Industry) on six industrial stacks have revealed an interesting correlation between cathode polarization loss and ...ohmic loss. To make clear the physicochemical meaning of this correlation, detailed analyses were made on the conductivity degradation of YSZ electrolyte in button cells and then on the ohmic losses in the industrial cells in terms of time constants which are determined from speed of the tetragonal transformation through the Y diffusion from the cubic phase to the tetragonal phase. In some cases, shorter time constants (faster degradations) were detected than those expected from the two‐time‐constant (with and without NiO reduction effects) model, suggesting that additional ohmic losses after subtracting the contribution from the tetragonal transformation must be caused from other sources such as cathode‐degradation inducing effects. Main cathode degradations can be ascribed to sulfur poisoning due to contamination in air in the CRIEPI test site. An important feature was extracted as this cathode degradations became more severe when the gadolinium‐doped ceria (GDC) interlayers were fabricated into dense film. Plausible mechanisms for cathode degradations were proposed based on the Sr/Co depletion on surface of lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSFC) in the active area. Peculiar cathode degradations found in stacks are interpreted in term of changes in surface concentration by reactions with sulfur oxide, electrochemical side reactions for water vapor emission or Sr volatilization, and diffusion of Sr/Co from inside LSCF.
PDF
