Efficacy and Safety of UI05MSP015CT in Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a controlled release, once-daily formulation of mosapride (UI05MSP015CT) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). METHODS: Patients with FD were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either UI05MSP015CT (15 mg once a day, study group) or mosapride (5 mg three times a day, control group) and corresponding placebo for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was a change in the gastrointestinal symptom score (GIS) evaluated at enrollment and after 4 weeks. Secondary endpoints were changes in the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K), rate of satisfactory symptom relief, and rate of adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients were enrolled (female, 73.9%; mean age, 44.0±15.4 years). After excluding patients who violated the study protocol, 59 and 58 patients from the study and control groups, respectively, were included in the per-protocol analysis. No difference was observed in drug compliance between the control and study groups (97.07%±4.52% vs 96.85%±6.05%, p=0.870). Changes in GIS scores were 9.69±6.44 and 10.01±5.92 in the study and control groups. The mean difference in GIS change between groups was 0.33 (95% confidence interval, 1.75 to 2.41), demonstrating non-inferiority of UI-05MSP015CT (p=0.755). The rate of satisfactory symptom relief was not different between the study and control groups (39.0% vs 56.9%, p=0.053). No differences in change in NDI-K score (14.3 vs 16.9, p=0.263) or rates of adverse events (12.9% vs. 4.4%, p=0.062) were observed between the study and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily mosapride is not inferior to conventional mosapride in efficacy and is safe in patients with FD.

Maternal and lifestyle effect on bone mineral density in Korean children and adolescents aged 8-19

Higher bone mineral density (BMD) at a young age, calcium intake, and exercise are important for prevention of osteoporosis later in life. We examined familial effects of BMD between mothers and children and adolescents aged 8-19 in Cheonan, Korea and the relationships between BMD and lifestyle parameters, including: food and nutrient intake and exercise. For daughters and sons, significant differences in BMD were observed at the three bone sites (total femur, femur neck, and lumbar spine) according to age, gender, body mass index, exercise, and milk consumption, compared to the reference value for each classification category. Mean differences in children's BMD were observed according to maternal BMD. Energy and calcium intake were lower in both children and mothers in comparison to the estimated daily energy requirement; however, their protein intake was much greater than the daily recommended intake. After adjusting for age and gender and for mother's age, body mass index, and total calorie intake, results of the food frequency test showed an association of a higher intake of meat, meat products, milk and milk products with greater BMD of total femur, femur neck, and lumbar spine of children. In addition, exercise was positively associated with higher BMD. Regression analysis showed a positive association of BMD with age, male gender, exercise, and mother's BMD. In conclusion, after adjustment for environmental parameters, maternal BMD had a positive influence on BMD in daughters and sons. This finding suggests that parents need to check their BMD in order to determine whether their children are at increased risk of low BMD.

Retraction: Maternal and lifestyle effect on bone mineral density in Korean children and adolescents aged 8-19 / 한국영양학회지

It has come to my attention that the manuscript below contains an accidental mistake in writing the institution that approved the IRB approval.

In vivo Tracking of Human Neural Stem Cells Following Transplantation into a Rodent Model of Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ischemic stroke caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) is the major type of stroke, but there are currently very limited options for cure. It has been shown that neural stem cells (NSCs) or neural precursor cells (NPCs) can survive and improve neurological deficits when they are engrafted in animal models of various neurological diseases. However, how the transplanted NSCs or NPCs are act in vivo in the injured or diseased brain is largely unknown. In this study, we utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in order to understand the fates of human NSCs (HB1.F3) following transplantation into a rodent model of MCAo. METHODS AND RESULTS: HB1.F3 human NSCs were pre-labeled with ferumoxides (Feridex(R))-protamine sulfate complexes, which were visualized and examined by MRI up to 9 weeks after transplantation. Migration of the transplanted cells to the infarct area was further confirmed by histological methods. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these observations, we speculate that the transplanted NSCs have the extensive migratory ability to the injured site, which will in turn contribute to functional recovery in stroke.

Clinical Features and Long Term Survival of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors According to the WHO Classification

PURPOSE: Clinical features of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PETs) vary according to the hormone secreted and to the heredity of the tumors. Malignant PETs are common among nonfunctioning PETs (NFTs) whereas the majority of functioning PETs (FTs) are benign. Our goal was to determine the clinical features and prognosis of PETs stratified by the WHO classification scheme and AJCC-UICC 7TH TNM staging. METHODS: We selected for study 30 patients with PETs, including one case of nesidiolastosis, who presented at our clinic between April 1992 and June 2010. Clinicopathological features were studied retrospectively. PETs were classified as benign, uncertain malignant, well differentiated carcinoma, or poorly differentiated carcinomas by the WHO classification. For statistical analysis, Student's t-test, the Chi-square test, and the Kaplan-Meier method were utilized. RESULTS: Nine cases were FTs and twenty one cases were NFTs. The average size of the FTs was smaller than that of the NFTs (1.71 vs 4.33, p=0.04). The head of the pancreas was most commonly involved (33.3% of FTs; 47.6% of NFTs) but the locations of the tumors were not different. Insulinoma was the most common (66.7%, 6/9) among FTs. The incidence of malignant tumors was 33.3% and 55.0% among, respectively, FTs and NFTs. The 5-year disease-free survival rate of patients with benign PETs (FTs and NFTs), and of patients with functioning well-differentiated carcinomas was 100%. However, the 5-year disease-free survival rates of patients with nonfunctioning well- and poorly-differentiated carcinomas were 66.7% and 0%. CONCLUSION: Among patients with Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, malignant tumors are more common among NFTs than FTs. Poorly-differentiated carcinomas have a worse prognosis while all FTs regardless of their WHO classification fail to show any disease recurrence.

Rapid Loss of Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease and Subsequent Apoptosis in Kainate-Induced Seizure Model / 대한간질학회지

PURPOSE: The DNA repair enzyme, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE) plays a role in base excision repair pathway involved in repairing apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site after oxidative stress. To reveal the relationship between APE and neuronal apoptosis associated with oxidative stress after kainate treatment, the temporal change of APE expression was investigated in kainate-induced seizure model. METHODS: Status epilepticus was induced by unilateral intrahippocampal injection of kainate. Superoxide anion radical production and DNA oxidation were evaluated by in situ detection of oxidized hydroethidine and 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OHG) immunore activity. APE expression was examined by Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. DNA fragmentation was visualized with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated uridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. RESULTS: Cell loss occurred at 24 hr in CA1, CA2, and CA3 after kainate-injection. 8-OHG immunoreactivity and oxidized hydroethidine were increased comparing with control after kainate-injection. APE immunoreactivity was decreased 4 and 24 hours in the hippocampus after kainate-injection. TUNEL-positive cells were observed 24 hours but not 4 hours in hippocampus after kainate-injection. In double labeling with APE and TUNEL, TUNEL-positive cells did not show APE immunoreactivity. These data showed that cellular oxidative stress was increased, thereby APE was decreased in the hippocampus after kainate-injection. Also, it was shown that the reduction of APE preceded DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that rapid loss of APE may produce the failure of DNA repair-machinary and then induce neuronal apoptosis following kainate-injection.