Objective: Some patients who had carried out long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis discontinued the treatment because of progressive peritoneal fibrosis. It has been previously reported that transforming growth factor-β₁ (TGF-β₁) is one of the factors that induces peritoneal fibrosis. Also, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) plays a role in the prevention of fibrosis and in inhibiting TGF-β₁ production. In this study, we examined the effects of HGF on peritoneal fibrosis by TGF-β₁ induced by high concentrations of D-glucose. Design: We transfected a full-length human HGF cDNA in an expression vector into human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) using the calcium phosphate method. Transfected HPMCs were cultured with high concentrations of D-glucose solution and co-cultured with fibroblasts using a transwell system. Cell proliferation was determined using the Tetra Color One method. TGF-β₁ and HGF protein were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: In addition to recombinant HGF, the growth inhibition of HPMCs by high concentration D-glucose or TGF-β₁ was significant. By transfecting HGF cDNA into HPMCs, growth inhibition by high concentration D-glucose was completely restored. Furthermore, the production of TGF-β₁ was also significantly decreased. Conclusion: These results suggested that exogenous HGF could possibly prevent peritoneal fibrosis.

9,10-Quinoxaline-fused porphycenes 1a-H2 and 1b-H2 were synthesized by intramolecular McMurry coupling. As a result of the annulation of the quinoxaline moiety on the porphycene skeleton, 1a-H2 and 1b-H2 display absorption and fluorescence in the near infra-red (NIR) region. Additionally, the quinoxaline moieties of 1a-H2 and 1b-H2 act as electron-withdrawing groups, introducing lower reduction potentials than for pristine porphycene. The protonation occurred at the nitrogen atoms in the cavity of freebase porphycenes and at the quinoxaline moieties for their nickel complexes to give diprotonic species.

We report a case of primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) occurring in a 76-year-old man during maintenance hemodialysis. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor with pericardial effusion in the left ventricular posterior wall. Cytological examination of the pericardial fluid revealed monotonous lymphoid cells positive for B-cell markers, and clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement was detected, indicating B-cell lymphoma. Rituximab monotherapy was administered biweekly at the therapeutic level on hemodialysis. The follow-up chest CT showed tumor disappearance with pericardial fluid after two courses of therapy. Rituximab monotherapy was effective for an elderly hemodialysis patient with PCL.

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis was observed in a 37-year-old woman following the administration of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for a single stone in her right kidney. The renal biopsy specimen showed diffuse cellular crescents in all glomeruli, with linear deposits of immunoglobulin G and complement component C₃ along the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Circulating anti-GBM antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Thus, the patient was diagnosed with anti-GBM nephritis. It is suggested that ESWL produced an alteration in the GBM leading to the production of anti-GBM antibodies.