The nasal vascular permeability of ovablumin (OVA)-sensitized Brown Norway rats was evaluated by analyzing a brilliant blue concentration in perfusate from the nose after exposure of the nasal mucus to OVA. Oral administration of Lactobacillus GG and L. gasseri TMC0356 significantly inhibited the increase in nasal vascular permeability (P < 0:01). The serum IgE of the tested rats also decreased, although the change was not statistically significant. These results indicate that Lactobacillus GG and L. gasseri TMC0356 might alleviate nasal allergic symptoms by suppressing the increase in nasal vascular permeability caused by local inflammation associated with allergic rhnititis.

A forty-seven-year-old Japanese woman under treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), complained of severe back pain. Chest X-ray and MRI showed an aneurysmal dilatation of the ascending aorta. Subsequently an aortic replacement was performed. Microscopically, the resected aorta showed Takayasu's aortitis with chronic dissection. Both aortitis and dissection are rare events in SLE patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Takayasu's aortitis with dissection in a patient with SLE.

42 mitogen-activated protein kinase in ACHN cells compared with treatment with either agent alone, while the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and p53 after the combined treatment were significantly upregulated compared with those after treatment with either agent alone. In vivo systemic administration of OGX-011 plus axitinib significantly decreased the ACHN tumour volume compared with control ODN plus axitinib. Although no significant differences in the proportions of cells positive for Ki-67 immunostaining or TUNEL assay between the group treated with OGX-011 and that with control ODN, the inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in ACHN tumors treated with OGX-011 and axitinib were markedly remarkable than those in ACHN tumors treated with control ODN and axitinib.CONCLUSIONS: Combined use with OGX-011 may be useful in enhancing the cytotoxic effect of axitinib on RCC by inducing apoptosis and inactivating major signal transduction pathways.

Introduction: With an aging population, an increased number of acute stroke patients with pre-stroke dementia is expected. Although both stroke and dementia are major cause of disability, the effect of pre-stroke dementia on functional outcome after stroke has been still on debate. Hypothesis: Pre-stroke dementia is associated with poor functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Of 9198 stroke patients registered in the Fukuoka Stroke Registry in Japan from June 2007 to May 2014, 3843 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke within 24h of onset, who had been functionally independent before the onset, were enrolled in this study (cardioembolism [n=926], large artery atherosclerosis [n=583], small vessel occlusion [n=1045], others [n=1289]). Pre-stroke dementia was defined as any type of dementia that was present prior to the stroke. For propensity score (PS)-matched analysis, 320 pairs of patients with and without pre-stroke dementia were also selected. Study outcome was poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6) at discharge. Results: In the total cohort, 330 (8.6%) had pre-stroke dementia. The age (80±8 vs 69±13, year, mean±SD, p<0.01), frequencies of female (46 vs 36, %, p<0.01) and cardioembolism (41 vs 23, %, p<0.01), and NIHSS score on admission (6 [3 - 12] vs 3 [1 - 6], median [interquartile], p<0.01) were higher in patients with pre-stroke dementia than those without the dementia. Poor functional outcome (62 vs 25, %, p<0.01) were more prevalent in patients with pre-stroke dementia than those without the dementia. Multivariable-adjusted analysis showed that pre-stroke dementia was significantly associated with increased risk for poor functional outcome (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.7-3.2). There were no interactions between pre-stroke dementia and 4 variables (age, sex, stroke subtype, and initial stroke severity [NIHSS≤7 or NIHSS≥8]). In the PS-matched analysis, pre-stroke dementia was still associated with poor functional outcome (OR 4.3, 95%CI 2.1-8.8). Conclusions: Pre-stroke dementia was significantly associated with poor functional outcome at discharge in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

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