The signals that prompt the axons to send out processes in peripheral nerves after axotomy are not well understood. Here, we report that galectin-1 can play an important role in this initial stage. We developed an in vitro nerve regeneration model that allows us to monitor the initial axon and support cell outgrowth from the proximal nerve stump, which is comparable to the initial stages of nerve repair. We isolated a factor secreted from COS1 cells that enhanced axonal regeneration, and we identified the factor as galectin-1. Recombinant human galectin-1 (rhGAL-1) showed the same activity at low concentrations (50 pg/ml) that are two orders of magnitude lower than those of lectin activity. A similarly low concentration was also effective in in vivo experiments of axonal regeneration with migrating reactive Schwann cells to a grafted silicone tube after transection of adult rat peripheral nerve. Moreover, the application of functional anti-rhGAL-1 antibody strongly inhibited the regeneration in vivo as well as in vitro. The same effect of rhGAL-1 was confirmed in crush/freeze experiments of the adult mouse sciatic nerve. Because galectin-1 is expressed in the regenerating sciatic nerves as well as in both sensory neurons and motor neurons, we suggest that galectin-1 may regulate initial repair after axotomy. This high activity of the factor applied under nonreducing conditions suggests that galectin-1 may work as a cytokine, not as a lectin.

The unique MR finding of Rathke cleft cysts--high signal intensity on T1-weighted images and low signal intensity on T2-weighted images--might depend mainly on protein concentration, not on cholesterol.

A 68-year-old male presented with a very rare case of spindle cell oncocytoma (SCO), a recently identified very rare neoplasm of the anterior pituitary, manifesting as panhypopituitarism and visual field defect. The pituitary tumor with suprasellar extension was only partially resected via transsphenoidal surgery because of the tumor consistency and bleeding. Histological diagnosis was consistent with schwannoma. The tumor regrew and angiography revealed hypervascularity, so a transcranial approach was employed for the re-operation which only achieved partial resection because of intraoperative extensive bleeding. The tumor cells showed similar histological and immunohistochemical profiles to the previous specimen, but electron microscopy demonstrated that cytoplasm abundantly filled with mitochondria. The final diagnosis of SCO was established and the patient received postoperative conventional radiation therapy of 50 Gy. Only 15 cases of SCO have been reported, and the diagnosis was mistaken in many cases as schwannoma, oncocytic pituitary adenoma, or craniopharyngioma, and multiple surgeries followed by radiation therapy were required.

Compounds 1 − 3, each possessing a long bent-rod shape and a central large dipole, were designed and synthesized as dopants which transform liquid-crystal smectic C phases to smectic CA phases. The properties and the layer structures of the dopant molecules in the mesophases were investigated by polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Induction of smectic CA phases from the smectic C phases of compounds 4 − 7 was performed by doping with a small amount of dopants 1 − 3. In particular, even 1 wt % (0.5 mol %) of 3c was enough to convert the Sm-C phase into the Sm-C A phase in the case of 4. In addition, matching in the core-lengths was important for the induction. Further, importance of the central dipole was also confirmed by replacement of the CF3 groups of compound 1 with CH3 or H.