CCR3 plays a role in murine age-related cognitive changes and T-cell infiltration into the brain.

Targeting immune-mediated, age-related, biology has the potential to be a transformative therapeutic strategy. However, the redundant nature of the multiple cytokines that change with aging requires identification of a master downstream regulator to successfully exert therapeutic efficacy. Here, we discovered CCR3 as a prime candidate, and inhibition of CCR3 has pro-cognitive benefits in mice, but these benefits are not driven by an obvious direct action on central nervous system (CNS)-resident cells. Instead, CCR3-expressing T cells in the periphery that are modulated in aging inhibit infiltration of these T cells across the blood-brain barrier and reduce neuroinflammation. The axis of CCR3-expressing T cells influencing crosstalk from periphery to brain provides a therapeutically tractable link. These findings indicate the broad therapeutic potential of CCR3 inhibition in a spectrum of neuroinflammatory diseases of aging.

Reduced Autophagy in Aged Trigeminal Neurons Causes Amyloid ß Diffusion.

The relationship between oral health and the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the elderly is not yet well understood. In this regard, the association between aging or neurodegeneration of the trigeminal nervous system and the accumulation of amyloid-ß(1-42) (Aß42) oligomers in the pathogenesis of AD is unknown. We focused on selective autophagy in the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Vmes) and the diffusion of Aß42 oligomers with respect to aging of the trigeminal nervous system and whether the degeneration of Vmes neurons affects the diffusion of Aß42 oligomers. We used female 2- to 8-mo-old transgenic 3xTg-AD mice and AppNL-G-F knock-in mice and immunohistochemically examined aging-related changes in selective autophagy and Aß42 oligomer processing in the Vmes, which exhibits high amyloid-ß (Aß) expression. We induced degeneration of Vmes neurons by extracting the maxillary molars and examined the changes in Aß42 oligomer kinetics. Autophagosome-like membranes, which stained positive for Aß, HO-1, and LC3B, were observed in Vmes neurons of 3xTg-AD mice, while there was weak immunoreactivity of the membranes for intraneuronal Aß in AppNL-G-F mice. By contrast, there was strong immunopositivity for extracellular Aß42 oligomers with the formation of Aß42 oligomer clusters in AppNL-G-F mice. The expression of Rubicon, which indicates age-related deterioration of autophagy, increased the diffusion of Aß42 oligomer with the age of Vmes neurons. Tooth extraction increased the extracellular immunopositivity for Aß42 oligomers in AppNL-G-F mice. These results suggest that autophagy maintains homeostasis in Vmes neurons and that deterioration of autophagy due to aging or neurodegeneration leads to the diffusion of Aß42 oligomers into the extracellular space and possibly the development of AD.

Molecular and histological correlates of cognitive decline across age in male C57BL/6J mice.

INTRODUCTION: Increasing age is the number one risk factor for developing cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. Aged humans and mice exhibit numerous molecular changes that contribute to a decline in cognitive function and increased risk of developing age-associated diseases. Here, we characterize multiple age-associated changes in male C57BL/6J mice to understand the translational utility of mouse aging. METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice from various ages between 2 and 24 months of age were used to assess behavioral, as well as, histological and molecular changes across three modalities: neuronal, microgliosis/neuroinflammation, and the neurovascular unit (NVU). Additionally, a cohort of 4- and 22-month-old mice was used to assess blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Mice in this cohort were treated with a high, acute dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 mg/kg) or saline control 6 h prior to sacrifice followed by tail vein injection of 0.4 kDa sodium fluorescein (100 mg/kg) 2 h later. RESULTS: Aged mice showed a decline in cognitive and motor abilities alongside decreased neurogenesis, proliferation, and synapse density. Further, neuroinflammation and circulating proinflammatory cytokines were increased in aged mice. Additionally, we found changes at the BBB, including increased T cell infiltration in multiple brain regions and an exacerbation in BBB leakiness following chemical insult with age. There were also a number of readouts that were unchanged with age and have limited utility as markers of aging in male C57BL/6J mice. CONCLUSIONS: Here we propose that these changes may be used as molecular and histological readouts that correspond to aging-related behavioral decline. These comprehensive findings, in the context of the published literature, are an important resource toward deepening our understanding of normal aging and provide an important tool for studying aging in mice.

Giant magneto-optical responses in magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2.

The Weyl semimetal (WSM), which hosts pairs of Weyl points and accompanying Berry curvature in momentum space near Fermi level, is expected to exhibit novel electromagnetic phenomena. Although the large optical/electronic responses such as nonlinear optical effects and intrinsic anomalous Hall effect (AHE) have recently been demonstrated indeed, the conclusive evidence for their topological origins has remained elusive. Here, we report the gigantic magneto-optical (MO) response arising from the topological electronic structure with intense Berry curvature in magnetic WSM Co3Sn2S2. The low-energy MO spectroscopy and the first-principles calculation reveal that the interband transitions on the nodal rings connected to the Weyl points show the resonance of the optical Hall conductivity and give rise to the giant intrinsic AHE in dc limit. The terahertz Faraday and infrared Kerr rotations are found to be remarkably enhanced by these resonances with topological electronic structures, demonstrating the novel low-energy optical response inherent to the magnetic WSM.

Topological Kagome Magnet Co3Sn2S2 Thin Flakes with High Electron Mobility and Large Anomalous Hall Effect.

Magnetic Weyl semimetals attract considerable interest not only for their topological quantum phenomena but also as an emerging materials class for realizing quantum anomalous Hall effect in the two-dimensional limit. A shandite compound Co3Sn2S2 with layered kagome-lattices is one such material, where vigorous efforts have been devoted to synthesize the two-dimensional crystal. Here, we report a synthesis of Co3Sn2S2 thin flakes with a thickness of 250 nm by chemical vapor transport method. We find that this facile bottom-up approach allows the formation of large-sized Co3Sn2S2 thin flakes of high-quality, where we identify the largest electron mobility (∼2600 cm2 V-1 s-1) among magnetic topological semimetals, as well as the large anomalous Hall conductivity (∼1400 Ω-1 cm-1) and anomalous Hall angle (∼32%) arising from the Berry curvature. Our study provides a viable platform for studying high-quality thin flakes of magnetic Weyl semimetal and stimulate further research on unexplored topological phenomena in the two-dimensional limit.

Microglial NFκB-TNFα hyperactivation induces obsessive-compulsive behavior in mouse models of progranulin-deficient frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common dementia before 65 years of age. Haploinsufficiency in the progranulin (GRN) gene accounts for 10% of all cases of familial FTD. GRN mutation carriers have an increased risk of autoimmune disorders, accompanied by elevated levels of tissue necrosis factor (TNF) α. We examined behavioral alterations related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the role of TNFα and related signaling pathways in FTD patients with GRN mutations and in mice lacking progranulin (PGRN). We found that patients and mice with GRN mutations displayed OCD and self-grooming (an OCD-like behavior in mice), respectively. Furthermore, medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens, an area implicated in development of OCD, display hyperexcitability in PGRN knockout mice. Reducing levels of TNFα in PGRN knockout mice abolished excessive self-grooming and the associated hyperexcitability of medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens. In the brain, PGRN is highly expressed in microglia, which are a major source of TNFα. We therefore deleted PGRN specifically in microglia and found that it was sufficient to induce excessive grooming. Importantly, excessive grooming in these mice was prevented by inactivating nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in microglia/myeloid cells. Our findings suggest that PGRN deficiency leads to excessive NF-κB activation in microglia and elevated TNFα signaling, which in turn lead to hyperexcitability of medium spiny neurons and OCD-like behavior.

Novel pre-therapeutic scoring system using patient and haematological data to predict facial palsy prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: We describe a novel scoring system, the facial Palsy Prognosis Prediction score (PPP score), which we test for reliability in predicting pre-therapeutic prognosis of facial palsy. We aimed to use readily available patient data that all clinicians have access to before starting treatment. DESIGN: Multicenter case series with chart review. SETTING: Three tertiary care hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: We obtained haematological and demographic data from 468 facial palsy patients who were treated between 2010 and 2014 in three tertiary care hospitals. Patients were categorised as having Bell's palsy or Ramsey Hunt's palsy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We compared the data of recovered and unrecovered patients. PPP scores consisted of combinatorial threshold values of continuous patient data (eg platelet count) and categorical variables (eg gender) that best predicted recovery. We created separate PPP scores for Bell's palsy patients (PPP-B) and for Ramsey Hunt's palsy patients (PPP-H). RESULTS: The PPP-B score included age (≥65 years), gender (male) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (≥2.9). The PPP-H score included age (≥50 years), monocyte rate (≥6.0%), mean corpuscular volume (≥95 fl) and platelet count (≤200 000 /µL). Patient recovery rate significantly decreased with increasing PPP scores (both PPP-B and PPP-H) in a step-wise manner. PPP scores (ie PPP-B score and PPP-H score) ≥2 were associated with worse than average prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Palsy Prognosis Prediction scores are useful for predicting prognosis of facial palsy before beginning treatment.

The first report of the thyroid function of haemophilic patients with HIV/HCV co-infection in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: A high incidence of thyroid dysfunction is reported in patients with HIV or HCV mono-infection. We have conducted a periodic medical examination including the thyroid function for haemophilic patients with HIV/HCV co-infection due to contaminated blood products. METHODS: We examined the thyroid function (as assessed by the FT3, FT4 and TSH levels) in 45 haemophilic patients, including thyroglobulin and auto-antibody, antithyroglobulin antibody, antithyroid peroxidase antibody and anti-TSH receptor antibody in 28 patients. RESULTS: All the patients were males (median age: 42 years; range: 29-66). The median values of thyroid function were FT3 3.36 pg mL(-1) , FT4 1.125 ng mL(-1) and TSH 1.65 µIU mL(-1) . Five patients (11.1%) had high TSH levels. In 28 patients in whom the presence of auto-antibodies was examined, the median age was 47 years of age. The median value of thyroglobulin was 16 ng mL(-1) and two patients showed high levels of thyroglobulin. The presence of anti-TSH receptor antibody of all the patients was negative, but one patient (3.5%) was positive of antithyroid peroxidase antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody. CONCLUSIONS: Since 0.68-3.6% of the general healthy population is reported to show hypothyroidism, our data showed that the proportion of hypothyroidism in haemophilic patients with HIV/HCV co-infection was more frequent than that of the normal population.

Acetylated Tau Obstructs KIBRA-Mediated Signaling in Synaptic Plasticity and Promotes Tauopathy-Related Memory Loss.

Tau toxicity has been implicated in the emergence of synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanism by which tau alters synapse physiology and leads to cognitive decline is unclear. Here we report abnormal acetylation of K274 and K281 on tau, identified in AD brains, promotes memory loss and disrupts synaptic plasticity by reducing postsynaptic KIdney/BRAin (KIBRA) protein, a memory-associated protein. Transgenic mice expressing human tau with lysine-to-glutamine mutations to mimic K274 and K281 acetylation (tauKQ) exhibit AD-related memory deficits and impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). TauKQ reduces synaptic KIBRA levels and disrupts activity-induced postsynaptic actin remodeling and AMPA receptor insertion. The LTP deficit was rescued by promoting actin polymerization or by KIBRA expression. In AD patients with dementia, we found enhanced tau acetylation is linked to loss of KIBRA. These findings suggest a novel mechanism by which pathogenic tau causes synaptic dysfunction and cognitive decline in AD pathogenesis.

New Short-Lived Isotope

Two short-lived isotopes ^{221}U and ^{222}U were produced as evaporation residues in the fusion reaction ^{50}Ti+^{176}Yb at the gas-filled recoil separator TASCA. An α decay with an energy of E_{α}=9.31(5) MeV and half-life T_{1/2}=4.7(7) µs was attributed to ^{222}U. The new isotope ^{221}U was identified in α-decay chains starting with E_{α}=9.71(5) MeV and T_{1/2}=0.66(14) µs leading to known daughters. Synthesis and detection of these unstable heavy nuclei and their descendants were achieved thanks to a fast data readout system. The evolution of the N=126 shell closure and its influence on the stability of uranium isotopes are discussed within the framework of α-decay reduced width.

Critical role of acetylation in tau-mediated neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits.

Tauopathies, including frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), are neurodegenerative diseases in which tau fibrils accumulate. Recent evidence supports soluble tau species as the major toxic species. How soluble tau accumulates and causes neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here we identify tau acetylation at Lys174 (K174) as an early change in AD brains and a critical determinant in tau homeostasis and toxicity in mice. The acetyl-mimicking mutant K174Q slows tau turnover and induces cognitive deficits in vivo. Acetyltransferase p300-induced tau acetylation is inhibited by salsalate and salicylate, which enhance tau turnover and reduce tau levels. In the PS19 transgenic mouse model of FTD, administration of salsalate after disease onset inhibited p300 activity, lowered levels of total tau and tau acetylated at K174, rescued tau-induced memory deficits and prevented hippocampal atrophy. The tau-lowering and protective effects of salsalate were diminished in neurons expressing K174Q tau. Targeting tau acetylation could be a new therapeutic strategy against human tauopathies.

Reducing inflammation and rescuing FTD-related behavioral deficits in progranulin-deficient mice with α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists.

Mutations in the progranulin gene cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that involves atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes and affects personality, behavior, and language. Progranulin-deficient mouse models of FTD exhibit deficits in compulsive and social behaviors reminiscent of patients with FTD, and develop excessive microgliosis and increased release of inflammatory cytokines. Activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by nicotine or specific α7 nAChR agonists reduces neuroinflammation. Here, we investigated whether activation of nAChRs by nicotine or α7 agonists improved the excessive inflammatory and behavioral phenotypes of a progranulin-deficient FTD mouse model. We found that treatment with selective α7 agonists, PHA-568487 or ABT-107, strongly suppressed the activation of NF-κB in progranulin-deficient cells. Treatment with ABT-107 also reduced microgliosis, decreased TNFα levels, and reduced compulsive behavior in progranulin-deficient mice. Collectively, these data suggest that targeting activation of the α7 nAChR pathway may be beneficial in decreasing neuroinflammation and reversing some of the behavioral deficits observed in progranulin-deficient FTD.

Evaluation of the operative methods for Graves' disease.

AIM: In Japan, surgery for Graves' disease (GD), which is considered to be a radical therapy, has been restricted by various guidelines. Nevertheless, some patients benefit from surgery. We sought to identify a reasonable operative method for GD by comparing the efficacy and safety among patients undergoing different extents of thyroidectomy. METHODS: A total of 162 patients underwent thyroidectomy for GD between 2003 and 2012 in our department. We compared the clinical factors among those who underwent subtotal thyroidectomy (ST), near-total thyroidectomy (NTT), and total thyroidectomy (TT). RESULTS: The ST, NTT, and TT groups included 111, 21, and 30 patients, respectively. The patient sex, period between disease onset and surgery, and preoperative thyroidal function were not substantially different among the three groups. With regard to surgical variables, the duration of surgery, amount of blood loss, and postoperative length of hospitalization were not substantially different among the three groups. Postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy was transient in all cases, but the rate was significantly higher in the TT group compared to the other two groups (P<0.001). The incidences of transient hypocalcemia and permanent hypoparathyroidism were not substantially different among the groups. The proportion of patients who required the postoperative administration of levothyroxine was significantly lower in the ST group compared to the TT and NTT groups. Hyperthyroidism recurrence was noted in eight patients in the ST group (7.2%). CONCLUSION: NTT for GD is thus considered to be a reasonable operative method regarding both efficacy and safety.

Studies on expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase in normal and cancerous tissues of thyroids.

Recently published articles have reported the controversial data regarding expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase isozyme 1A1 (ALDH1A1), a potential candidate marker for normal and cancer stem cells (CSCs), in thyroid tissues. These data prompted us to re-evaluate expression of ALDH1A1 in normal and cancerous thyroid tissues by 2 different means. The first method was immunohistochemistry with 2 different anti-ALDH1A1 antibodies from distinct companies. Following validating the integrity of these 2 antibodies by Western blotting with ALDH-expressing and nonexpressing cancer cell lines and immunohistochemistry with breast and colon tissues, we report here significant and comparable expression of ALDH1A1 in both normal and cancerous thyroid tissues with both antibodies. Next, relative expression levels of ALDH isozymes were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), revealing that ALDH1A1 was the most highly expressed isozyme followed by ALDH9A1 and relative expression patterns of isozymes were very similar in normal and cancerous tissues. All these data demonstrate that thyroid cells of normal and cancer origins do express ALDH1A1 and to a lesser extent 9A1. Further study will be necessary to study functional significance of ALDH1A1 in the function and behaviors of thyroid normal and cancer stem cells.

Progranulin protects against amyloid ß deposition and toxicity in Alzheimer's disease mouse models.

Haploinsufficiency of the progranulin (PGRN) gene (GRN) causes familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and modulates an innate immune response in humans and in mouse models. GRN polymorphism may be linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of PGRN in AD pathogenesis is unknown. Here we show that PGRN inhibits amyloid ß (Aß) deposition. Selectively reducing microglial expression of PGRN in AD mouse models impaired phagocytosis, increased plaque load threefold and exacerbated cognitive deficits. Lentivirus-mediated PGRN overexpression lowered plaque load in AD mice with aggressive amyloid plaque pathology. Aß plaque load correlated negatively with levels of hippocampal PGRN, showing the dose-dependent inhibitory effects of PGRN on plaque deposition. PGRN also protected against Aß toxicity. Lentivirus-mediated PGRN overexpression prevented spatial memory deficits and hippocampal neuronal loss in AD mice. The protective effects of PGRN against Aß deposition and toxicity have important therapeutic implications. We propose enhancing PGRN as a potential treatment for PGRN-deficient FTLD and AD.

Growth hormone ameliorates adipose dysfunction during oxidative stress and inflammation and improves glucose tolerance in obese mice.

Patients with adult growth hormone deficiency exhibit visceral fat accumulation, which gives rise to a cluster of metabolic disorders such as impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia. Plasma growth hormone levels are lower in obese patients with metabolic syndrome than in healthy subjects. Here we examined the hypothesis that exogenous growth hormone administration regulates function of adipose tissue to improve glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice. Twelve-week-old obese male C57BL/6 J mice received bovine growth hormone daily for 6 weeks. In epididymal fat, growth hormone treatment antagonized diet-induced changes in the gene expression of adiponectin, leptin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and significantly increased the gene expression of interleukin-10 and CD206. Growth hormone also suppressed the accumulation of oxidative stress marker, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, in the epididymal fat and enhanced the gene expression of anti-oxidant enzymes. Moreover, growth hormone significantly restored glucose tolerance in obese mice. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, growth hormone prevented the decline in adiponectin gene expression in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest that growth hormone administration ameliorates glucose intolerance in obese mice presumably by decreasing adipose mass, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation in the visceral fat.

Cutaneous angioleiomyoma in a black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys iudovicianus).

A 3-year-old male black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys iudovicianus) was presented with a dome-shaped cutaneous mass over the left femur. Microscopically, the mass was encapsulated and composed of proliferating spindle cells arranged in haphazard, interlacing bundles. There were vascular structures within the mass and some spindle cells had transitioned from the peripheral regions of the vascular wall. Immunohistochemically, the cells expressed vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, desmin and heavy caldesmon. Based on these findings, the mass was diagnosed as a cutaneous angioleiomyoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of cutaneous angioleiomyoma in a black-tailed prairie dog.

48Ca+249Bk fusion reaction leading to element Z = 117: long-lived α-decaying 270Db and discovery of 266Lr.

The superheavy element with atomic number Z=117 was produced as an evaporation residue in the (48)Ca+(249)Bk fusion reaction at the gas-filled recoil separator TASCA at GSI Darmstadt, Germany. The radioactive decay of evaporation residues and their α-decay products was studied using a detection setup that allowed measuring decays of single atomic nuclei with half-lives between sub-µs and a few days. Two decay chains comprising seven α decays and a spontaneous fission each were identified and are assigned to the isotope (294)117 and its decay products. A hitherto unknown α-decay branch in (270)Db (Z = 105) was observed, which populated the new isotope (266)Lr (Z = 103). The identification of the long-lived (T(1/2) = 1.0(-0.4)(+1.9) h) α-emitter (270)Db marks an important step towards the observation of even more long-lived nuclei of superheavy elements located on an "island of stability."

Aggressive pulmonary calcification developed after living donor kidney transplantation in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Metastatic pulmonary calcification, defined as calcium deposition in the intact lung, is commonly seen in patients with chronic renal failure, and it is known to be a benign clinical condition when detected by chance in an asymptomatic patient. Here we report the case of a 33-year-old woman who developed rapid and aggressive metastatic pulmonary calcification shortly after a living donor kidney transplantation, which induced acute antibody-mediated rejection. The patient's metastatic pulmonary calcification was successfully improved by extensive treatment for graft rejection, the correction of her accompanying primary hyperparathyroidism, and medical treatment with a bisphosphonate and sodium thiosulfate. Aggressive pulmonary calcification is reported as a rare complication seen in patients who have undergone a failed renal transplantation. A failed renal graft and accompanying secondary hyperparathyroidism seem to accelerate metastatic calcification. Most of the patients who develop aggressive pulmonary calcification suffer from the rapid progression of dyspnea and occasionally fever, and they die of respiratory failure. Pulmonary calcification should be considered in a patient developing dyspnea and unexplained pulmonary infiltrate, especially in the context of renal graft rejection; otherwise the prognosis of the patient will be very poor.