Sequential Symptomatic Arterial Dissections in Multiple Vascular Beds in a Patient with Fibromuscular Dysplasia.

A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal pain and disturbed consciousness. Head magnetic resonance imaging showed right vertebral artery dissection and abdominal enhanced computed tomography showed dissection of the superior mesenteric artery. The patient was diagnosed as having fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) based on conventional angiography. Although multiple vascular bed involvement is observed in approximately 40% of FMD patients, reports of sequential symptomatic dissections in various vascular beds are rare. Patients with FMD and dissection require close observation, and hemodynamic stabilization may prevent not only the further development of dissection, but also subsequent dissection of other arteries.

Establishment of evaluation method for siRNA delivery using stable cell line carrying the luciferase reporter gene.

We determined the influence of siRNA (short interfering RNA) for expression of plasmid DNA (pDNA), when mismatched siRNA and pDNA encoding beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) were transfected into HeLa cells by the cotransfection method in which they were simultaneously added to the cells. Cationic liposomes (Lipofectamine2000) were used as a gene transfection reagent. The knockdown effect on beta-gal was observed even when mismatched siRNA was used, and the effect depended on the amount of added mismatched siRNA. But, there was not a distinct difference of introduction of pDNA into cells between using mismatched siRNA and without using it. We considered that the cotransfection method should be avoided when we confirm RNAi efficiency. The reliable evaluation method for siRNA delivery in vitro was thus established by using NFAT reporter HeLa stable cell line or CHO (pMAM-luc) cell line that had DNA encoding luciferase. The following experimental conditions for each cell line were optimized: cell numbers seeded, total incubation times, concentrations of added inducers, and incubation times after addition of inducers. Transfection performance was compared for six commercially available reagents by this method. No commercially available transfection reagent, however, could reduce luciferase activity by less than one tenth without causing cellular cytotoxicity. Development of novel reagents providing higher transfection effects without cytotoxicity is needed.

[Contemplation of the alma mater song of Hoshi University].

Respective alma mater songs (school songs) are a spiritual symbol of each school. The alma mater song of Hoshi Commercial School was composed in 1923, and strongly reflected the spirit of Hajime Hoshi, the founder of the school. The alma mater song of present day Hoshi University was poeticized by Yoshio Katsu, and composed by Kosaku Yamada in 1941. The two famous artists produced a lovely song rich in artistic flavor. This study analyzes the words and music from various viewpoints for the first time after its production. Cultivating a better understanding of the present song is a valuable asset for educating the mind, and creating a meaningfulness for those students and graduates singing it.