Not only rectal resection but also rightside colectomy affected bowel dysfunction. Probiotics could be an effective treatment for improvement in functional outcome and QOL after colorectal resection.

In the 20 years after introducing our original technique-EPDBD (Endoscopic Pancreatic Duct Balloon Dilation) in 1996, we treated 599 cases of pancreas stone, pseudocyst and divisum cases at our hospital by this method. With this procedure, pancreatic stone recurrence rate dropped remarkably, and the success rate of endoscopic pseudocyst and divisum treatments rose dramatically. Complications were moderate pain and light bleeding from the orifice at the time of treatment and slight pancreatitis for several days. This method is very useful and safe, and shows big possibilities for endoscopic treatment of pancreatic diseases.

BackgroundHomeobox B9 (HOXB9), a transcriptional factor, regulates developmental processes and tumor progression and has recently been recognized as one of important transcriptional factors related to angiogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of HOXB9 in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis.MethodsWe examined the expression of HOXB9 in colorectal cancer using qPCR and in situ hybridization. We also examined the effect of HOXB9 overexpression in colorectal cancer using a proliferation assay, ELISA, a multiplex assay, and xenograft models. The clinical significance of HOXB9 was statistically evaluated in resected specimens.ResultsHOXB9 was expressed in colorectal cancer specimens. HOXB9 induced angiogenesis and tumor proliferation in vitro, which resulted in high tumorigenicity in vivo and poor overall survival. Bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, remarkably suppressed tumor proliferation by inhibiting angiogenesis in HOXB9-overexpressing xenografts, and it improved overall survival and provided prolonged progression-free survival in HOXB9-overexpressing patients. A comprehensive multiplex assay of the supernatant of cancer cells co-cultured with human vascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts indicated significantly higher interleukin-6 (IL6) levels than those in the supernatant of monocultured cells. HOXB9 overexpression in clinical specimens was significantly correlated with increased IL6 expression. An IL6-neutralizing antibody inhibited VEGF secretion and tumor proliferation in the co-culture system.ConclusionsHOXB9 promotes the secretion of angiogenic factors, including VEGF, to induce tumor proliferation through microenvironmental production of cytokines including IL6 signaling. Moreover, silencing of VEGF or IL6 terminates cytokine release in tumor microenvironment. Thus, HOXB9 and IL6 may be potential biomarkers for bevacizumab treatment.

The seismonastic movement of Mimosa pudica is triggered by a sudden loss of turgor pressure. In the present study, we compared the cell cytoskeleton by immunofluorescence analysis before and after movement, and the effects of actin- and microtubule-targeted drugs were examined by injecting them into the cut pulvinus. We found that fragmentation of actin filaments and microtubules occurs during bending, although the actin cytoskeleton, but not the microtubules, was involved in regulation of the movement. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that actin cables became loose after the bending. We injected phosphatase inhibitors into the severed pulvinus to examine the effects of such inhibitors on the actin cytoskeleton. We found that changes in actin isoforms, fragmentation of actin filaments and the bending movement were all inhibited after injection of a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. We thus propose that the phosphorylation status of actin at tyrosine residues affects the dynamic reorganization of actin filaments and causes seismonastic movement.

The first octasilacu bane, octakis-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)pentacyclo[4.2.O.O~~~.O~~*.O~~~]octasilane, was synthesised in one step by condensation of 2,2,3,3-tetrabromo-1,4-di-t-butyl-l ,I ,4,4-tetramethyltetrasilane or 1 ,I ,I -tribromo-2-t-butyl-2,2-dimethyldisilane with sodium in toluene.