[Measurement of the Lens Dose for Radiological Technologists during Mobile Radiography].

The radiological technologists often assist patients near the X-ray area during mobile radiography. Therefore, it is expected that the lens of eye of radiological technologists is exposed to much radiation. The purposes of this study were to measure the lens dose received by radiological technologists during mobile radiography using radiation protection goggles with a personal dosimeter and a small optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter and discuss the need for radiation protection goggles and additional radiation protection measures. From October 2017 to March 2018, lens doses were measured for eight radiological technologists during mobile radiography using radiation protection goggles with a small optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter and a personal dosimeter. The maximum value of the lens dose received by radiological technologists in mobile radiography was 0.3 mSv per month with a personal dosimeter attached to the neck. The dose-reduction effect of radiation protection glasses during mobile radiography was about 45%. The radiation protection goggles are effective for reducing radiation exposure of lens of eye during mobile radiography. Since there is concern about an increase in lens dose, it is desirable to use the radiation protection goggles for reducing the lens of eye exposure.

[Method of calculating patient skin surface dose in transcatheter arterial embolization].

The usefulness of interventional radiology (IVR) in clinical practice is well known. However, patient dose in IVR has recently been increased as a result of the prolongation of fluoroscopic time and the increased number of radiographies. We studied a simple method of calculating skin surface dose in patients who underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by obtaining the value of a dose area product meter attached to the digital subtraction angiography system. In 20 subjects (15 men and 5 women, aged an average of 68.2+/-7.3 years, respectively) who underwent TAE, exposure conditions (tube voltage, tube current, time, and size of image intensifier) in a time series and last value indicated on the dose area product meter were recorded. A dosimetric phantom was placed at a position the same as that of the patient for TAE, the surface dose (SD) of the phantom was measured under various exposure conditions, and SD per unit mAs (SD/mAs) was obtained. Then the skin surface dose in each subject was estimated from the values of the exposure condition and SD/mAs. A high correlation was observed between the last value (x) on the dose area product meter and the estimated skin surface dose (y) (r=0.933), and the following regression equation was derived: y=0.005x-0.589. The skin surface dose calculated using the regression equation was compared with that obtained by the method recommended by the Japan Association on Radiological Protection in Medicine (JARPM), considering the value estimated from the value of exposure conditions with SD/mAs as the gold standard. The results indicated that the error in the method using the regression equation was significantly lower than that of the JARPM method (18.3+/-14.0% and 75.5+/-66.0%, respectively, p<0.01). In conclusion, the skin surface dose in TAE could be monitored with high precision using the value of the dose area product meter by obtaining the regression formula between the value of the dose area product meter and the skin surface dose estimated with the phantom values.

Possible enhancing activity of diacylglycerol on 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide induced carcinogenesis of the tongue in human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene transgenic rats.

1,2-diacylglycerol (1,2-DAG) is involved in cell proliferation as an activator of protein kinase C (PKC) and has been shown to stimulate growth of cancer cells, raising the possibility of a role in tumor promotion. Ingested DAG oil, containing 70% 1,3-DAG and 30% 1,2-DAG, is digested and considered to be safe as edible oil. However, DAG may directly contact with oral cavity mucosa in undigested form. The present study was conducted to examine the effects of DAG oil on carcinogenesis in c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene transgenic (Tg) rats administered 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO, 10 ppm) in their drinking water for 10 weeks for initiation of mainly upper digestive organs. DAG oil added in basal diet at 5.5%, 2.75%, 1.38% and 0% with total fat made up to 5.5% with triacylglycerol (TAG) was administered during the initiation and post-initiation period. The study was terminated at week 12 (Tg females) and 20 (Tg males, wild females and males). The fatty acid composition of DAG oil was similar to TAG (linoleic acid 46.6% and oleic acid 38.9%). In Tg male rats, DAG oil administration was associated with significant increase (P<0.05) in the incidence of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the tongue (5.5% DAG, 43.8%; 2.75% DAG, 20%; 1.38% DAG, 14.3%; 0%, 12.3%) with the Cochran-Armitage trend test and also number of tumors in coefficients for linear contrast trend tests. Tongue SCC induction of wild males and all females was not significant. The present results suggest that DAG oil may have enhancing and/or promotion potential for tongue carcinogenesis in male Tg featuring elevated ras expression.

Intracardiac fibroblasts, but not bone marrow derived cells, are the origin of myofibroblasts in myocardial infarct repair.

UNLABELLED: Origin of myofibroblasts in infarcted myocardium was examined by using rats in which bone marrow of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transgenic mice had been transplanted. GFP was not detected in myofibroblasts at either 3 or 7 days after infarction, suggesting that proliferating myofibroblasts in infarcted myocardium are derived from resident fibroblasts rather than circulating precursor cells of bone marrow origin. BACKGROUND: Myofibroblasts play important roles in the repair process of myocardial infarct, and their origin has been assumed to be interstitial fibroblasts in the heart. However, bone marrow-derived myofibroblasts have recently been identified in pathological fibrosis in extracardiac tissues. In this study, we aimed to determine whether some of the myofibroblasts in infarcted myocardium are derived from circulating precursor cells of bone marrow origin. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bone marrow (BM) of GFP-transgenic mice was transplanted into nude rats, and their coronary arteries were occluded for 60 min and reperfused for 3 or 7 days. Non-BM-transplanted rats served as controls. At 3 days after infarction, some endothelial cells were GFP-positive, indicating that they were of bone marrow origin. Predominant cells in infarcted regions were macrophages and neutrophils, and there were only a small number of vimentin-positive cells and fewer myofibroblasts, both of which were GFP-negative. At 7 days after infarction, there were numerous myofibroblasts in granulation tissue replacing necrotic myocytes, and none of them showed GFP signals, whereas some cells were positive for both GFP and vimentin. Appearance of myofibroblasts and extent of the infarct repair in BM-transplanted and those in non-transplanted rats were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study suggest that proliferating myofibroblasts in infarcted myocardium are derived from resident fibroblasts rather than circulating precursor cells of bone marrow origin.

Cancer prevention by natural compounds.

Increasing attention is being paid to the possibility of applying cancer chemopreventive agents for individuals at high risk of neoplastic development. For this purpose by natural compounds have practical advantages with regard to availability, suitability for oral application, regulatory approval and mechanisms of action. Candidate substances such as phytochemicals present in foods and their derivatives have been identified by a combination of epidemiological and experimental studies. Plant constituents include vitamin derivatives, phenolic and flavonoid agents, organic sulfur compounds, isothiocyanates, curcumins, fatty acids and d-limonene. Examples of compounds from animals are unsaturated fatty acids and lactoferrin. Recent studies have indicated that mechanisms underlying chemopreventive potential may be combinations of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, and anti-hormone effects, with modification of drug-metabolizing enzymes, influence on the cell cycle and cell differentiation, induction of apoptosis and suppression of proliferation and angiogenesis playing roles in the initiation and secondary modification stages of neoplastic development. Accordingly, natural agents are advantageous for application to humans because of their combined mild mechanism. Here we review naturally occurring compounds useful for cancer chemprevention based on in vivo studies with reference to their structures, sources and mechanisms of action.

Lactoferrin modifies apoptosis-related gene expression in the colon of the azoxymethane-treated rat.

Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein, exhibits suppressive effects on development of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced tumors in the rat colon, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of lactoferrin on the gene expression of 10 apoptosis-related molecules in colon mucosa of AOM-treated rats during early and late stages of colon carcinogenesis by reverse transcription PCR. Here we document that a death-inducing receptor, Fas, and a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, Bid, are increased in the colon mucosa in proportion to decreases in AOM-induced aberrant crypt foci by lactoferrin. Similarly, increased expression of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, Bax, was also observed in AOM-induced tumors in rats fed by lactoferrin. These results indicate that Fas and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 members participate in the lactoferrin action and may contribute to suppressive effects on tumor development in the rat colon.

Lactoferrin enhances Fas expression and apoptosis in the colon mucosa of azoxymethane-treated rats.

Bovine lactoferrin, a multifunctional glycoprotein, has been shown to strongly inhibit development of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced rat colon tumors. Little, however, is known about the inhibitory mechanisms. We have demonstrated recently that lactoferrin enhances the expression of a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, Fas, in the colon mucosa during both early and late stages of carcinogenesis. Thus, Fas could be involved in bovine lactoferrin-mediated inhibition of tumor development. To investigate this possibility, we studied the influence of bovine lactoferrin on Fas-mediated apoptosis with regard to expression of Fas, activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation in the colon mucosa of AOM-treated rats. Western blot analysis demonstrated a >2.5-fold increase in Fas protein expression, as well as elevation of the active forms of both caspase-8 and caspase-3. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed Fas-positive cells and apoptotic cells preferentially within the proximal colon region, clearly at the site of bovine lactoferrin-mediated tumor inhibition. These results suggest that apoptosis caused by elevated expression of Fas is involved in chemoprevention by lactoferrin of colon carcinogenesis.

Possible enhancing effects of atrazine and nonylphenol on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumor development in human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene transgenic rats.

Our transgenic (Tg) strain carrying copies of the human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene is highly susceptible to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis, possibly due to activation of the transgene, and can be used in medium-term bioassay models to test for modifying effects of estrogenic environmental compounds on tumor development. The present study was conducted to assess the influence of dietary feeding of the endocrine disruptors atrazine and nonylphenol on DMBA-induced carcinogenesis in c-Ha-ras Tg rats. Animals of both sexes were given a single oral dose of DMBA (25 mg/kg body weight) at 50 days of age and thereafter received soybean-free diet containing 5, 50 or 500 ppm atrazine, or 10, 25, 100 or 250 ppm nonylphenol. In female Tg rats, atrazine at a dose of 5 ppm increased the incidences of mammary adenomas and adenocarcinomas (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05), while 50 ppm increased the adenocarcinoma incidence (P < 0.05). In males, skin tumor development, in contrast, was significantly decreased at the highest dose. Nonylphenol at 10 ppm increased adenocarcinoma and total mammary tumor multiplicity in female Tg rats (P < 0.05), but there was no dose dependence, a significant quadratic dose-response trend rather being observed (P < 0.05). In vitro, atrazine did not cause proliferation of MCF-7 cells at any of a range of doses tested. These results suggest that endocrine disruptors may enhance mammary carcinogenesis, but only in a certain limited dose range under the present experimental conditions. The doses applied, moreover, were all extremely high compared to the possible environmental human exposure levels.

Orally administered bovine lactoferrin induces caspase-1 and interleukin-18 in the mouse intestinal mucosa: a possible explanation for inhibition of carcinogenesis and metastasis.

We have previously demonstrated that oral administration of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) markedly inhibits lung metastatic colony formation, and that this inhibition was possibly due to the activation of T and NK cells. Furthermore, we found that interleukin-18 (IL-18) is induced in epithelial cells of the small intestine by bLF. The present study was undertaken to confirm cytokine production in response to bLF and to assess the underlying mechanisms. Markedly elevated IL-18 levels were found in the small intestine 1-3 h after a single administration of bLF, its pepsin hydrolysate (bLFH), or bTF. Importantly, while IL-18 was significantly increased after a regimen of seven daily administrations of bLF or bLFH, administration of bTF over the course of seven days had little or no effect. In addition to IL-18, a significant increase in caspase-1 activity and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was found in the small intestine after administration of bLF. Similarly, in peritoneal macrophages, bLF markedly enhanced caspase-1 activity and IL-18 levels. Finally, a caspase-1 inhibitor significantly decreased bLF mediated induction of IL-18 in vitro. (bTF had no effect on either caspase-1 or IFN-gamma or on IL-18 in vitro.) These results demonstrate the possibility that elevation of caspase-1 activity by bLF and its hydrolysate may be important for production of mature IL-18 in vivo, and thus in potentiating the killing activity of T and NK cells against tumor cells.

Nicorandil and leukocyte activation.

Nicorandil, a hybrid compound of an ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP ) channel opener and a nitric oxide donor, has been reported to preserve microvascular integrity in patients with reperfused myocardial infarction. The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that nicorandil suppresses activation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs), resulting in reduction of PMNL migration into tissue upon ischemia/reperfusion. Nicorandil, along with the mitochondrial KATP channel opener diazoxide and the nitric oxide donors nitroglycerin and isosorbide dinitrate, suppressed pseudopod projection in human PMNLs treated with 10(-9)-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and subjected to shear stress (5 dyn/cm(2)) with a cone-and-plate shear device. Suppression by nicorandil and diazoxide was reversed by KATP channel blockers, 5 hydroxydecanoate and glibenclamide. FMLP-induced increase of [Ca2+] in PMNLs was suppressed by nicorandil and diazoxide, and 5 hydroxy-decanoate and glibenclamide reversed this suppression. Results of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with rat PMNL mRNA indicated the presence of mRNAs of Kir6.2 and Kir6.1 but not mRNAs of sulfonylurea receptor 1 or 2. Isosorbide dinitrate, diazoxide, and nicorandil reduced leukocyte migration and microvascular obstruction in reperfused ischemic tissue of rat mesenteric microcirculation. In conclusion, nicorandil attenuates ischemia/reperfusion-induced PMNL activation via donation of nitric oxide and K channel-related cascade.