Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) in the Drosophila adult midgut are essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and replenishing lost cells in response to tissue damage. Here we demonstrate that the Hippo (Hpo) signaling pathway, an evolutionarily conserved pathway implicated in organ size control and tumorigenesis, plays an essential role in regulating ISC proliferation. Loss of Hpo signaling in either midgut precursor cells or epithelial cells stimulates ISC proliferation. We provide evidence that loss of Hpo signaling in epithelial cells increases the production of cytokines of the Upd family and multiple EGFR ligands that activate JAK-STAT and EGFR signaling pathways in ISCs to stimulate their proliferation, thus revealing a unique non–cell-autonomous role of Hpo signaling in blocking ISC proliferation. Finally, we show that the Hpo pathway mediator Yorkie (Yki) is also required in precursor cells for injury-induced ISC proliferation in response to tissue-damaging reagent DSS.

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We determined the complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Korean hairstreak, Coreana raphaelis (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). The entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule was 15,314 bp long. The C. raphaelis genes were in the same order and orientation as the completely sequenced mitogenomes of other lepidopteran species, except for the presence of an extra copy of tRNA(Ser)(AGN). High similarity in primary sequence and secondary structure between the two tandemly located copies of the tRNA(Ser)(AGN) suggest a recent duplication of an original single tRNA(Ser)(AGN). The DHU arm of the two copies of tRNA(Ser)(AGN) formed a simple loop as seen in many other metazoan mt tRNA(Ser)(AGN). The putative initiation codon for the C. raphaelis COI gene appears to be a tetranucleotide, TTAG, found commonly in the sequenced lepidopterans. ATPase8, ATPase6, ND4L and ND6 genes, which are next to another protein-coding gene at their 3' end all had the sequences potential to form a hairpin structure, suggesting the importance of such a structure for precise cleavage of the mature protein-coding genes.

Cecropin is a well-studied antimicrobial peptide that is synthesized in fat body cells and hemocytes of insects in response to hypodermic injury or bacterial infection. A 503 bp cDNA encoding for a cecropin-like peptide was isolated by employing annealing control primer (ACP)-based differential display PCR and 5'-RACE with immunized Papilio xuthus larvae. The open reading frame of the isolated cDNA encoded for a 62-amino acid prepropeptide with a putative 22-residue signal peptide, a 2-residue propeptide, and a 38-residue mature peptide with a theoretical mass of 4060.89 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of the peptide evidenced a significant degree of identity with other lepidopteran cecropins. This peptide was named papiliocin. RTPCR results revealed that the papiliocin transcript was detected at significant levels after injection with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). On the basis of the deduced amino acid sequence of papiliocin, a 38-mer mature peptide was chemically synthesized via the Fmoc method, and its antimicrobial activity was analyzed. The synthetic papiliocin peptide evidenced a broad spectrum of activity against fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and also evidenced no hemolytic activity against human red blood cells.

PurposeA retrospective investigation of the clinical and radiologic features as well as the bronchoscopic appearance was carried out in patients with endobronchial aspergilloma.Materials and MethodsTen patients with endobronchial aspergilloma diagnosed by bronchoscopy and histological examination were identified at the Gyeongsang University Hospital of Korea, from May 2003 to May 2009.ResultsThe patients included 9 men and 1 woman, and the age of the patients ranged from 36 to 76 (median, 58 years). The associated diseases or conditions were: previous pulmonary tuberculosis in 7 patients, lung cancer in 2 patients, pulmonary resection in 1 patient, and foreign body of the bronchus in 1 patient. The chest radiologic finding showed fibrotic changes as a consequence of previous tuberculosis infection in 6 patients and a mass-like lesion in 2 patients. Two patients had a co-existing fungus ball, and an endobronchial lesion was suspected in only 2 patients on the CT scan. The bronchoscopic appearance was a whitish to yellow necrotic mass causing bronchial obstruction in 7 patients, foreign body with adjacent granulation tissue and whitish necrotic tissue in 1 patient, whitish necrotic tissue at an anastomosis site in 1 patient, and a protruding mass with whitish necrotic tissue in 1 patient.ConclusionAn endobronchial aspergilloma is a rare presentation of pulmonary aspergilosis and is usually incidentally found in immunocompetent patients with underlying lung disease. It usually appears as a necrotic mass causing bronchial obstruction on bronchoscopy and can be confirmed by biopsy.

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis are typically treated with vancomycin or metronidazole, but recent increases in relapse incidence and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of C. difficile indicate the need for new antibiotics. We previously isolated coprisin, an antibacterial peptide from Copris tripartitus, a Korean dung beetle, and identified a nine-amino-acid peptide in the ␣-helical region of it (LLCIALRKK) that had antimicrobial activity (J. Here, we examined whether treatment with a coprisin analogue (a disulfide dimer of the nine peptides) prevented inflammation and mucosal damage in a mouse model of acute gut inflammation established by administration of antibiotics followed by C. difficile infection. In this model, coprisin treatment significantly ameliorated body weight decreases, improved the survival rate, and decreased mucosal damage and proinflammatory cytokine production. In contrast, the coprisin analogue had no apparent antibiotic activity against commensal bacteria, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are known to inhibit the colonization of C. difficile. The exposure of C. difficile to the coprisin analogue caused a marked increase in nuclear propidium iodide (PI) staining, indicating membrane damage; the staining levels were similar to those seen with bacteria treated with a positive control for membrane disruption (EDTA). In contrast, coprisin analogue treatment did not trigger increases in the nuclear PI staining of Bifidobacterium thermophilum. This observation suggests that the antibiotic activity of the coprisin analogue may occur through specific membrane disruption of C. difficile. Thus, these results indicate that the coprisin analogue may prove useful as a therapeutic agent for C. difficile infection-associated inflammatory diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis.-

Anti-inflammatory effects of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) derived from cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus, Gb) were investigated in a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-treated chronic arthritic rat model. This GAG produced a significant anti-edema effect as evidenced by inhibition of C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor, and interfered with atherogenesis by reducing proinflammatory cytokine levels of (1) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), (2) interleukin-6, (3) prostaglandin E2-stimulated lipopolysaccharide in RAW 264.7 cells, and (4) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production in normal splenocytes, in a dose-dependent manner. This GAG was also found to induce nitric oxide (NO) production in HUVEC cells and elevated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity levels. Histological findings demonstrated the fifth lumbar vertebrae (LV) dorsal root ganglion, which was linked to the paw treated with Gb GAG, was repaired against CFA-induced cartilage destruction. Further, combined indomethacin (5 mg/kg)-Gb GAG (10 mg/kg) inhibited more effectively CFA-induced paw edema at 3 h and 2 or 3 d after treatment to levels comparable to only the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin. Ultraviolet (UV)-irritated skin inflammation also downregulated nuclear factor κB (NFκB) activity in transfected HaCaT cells. Data suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of GAG obtained from cricket (Gb) may be useful for treatment of inflammatory diseases including chronic arthritis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of systemic pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) after lung resection in patients with lung cancer.MethodsForty-one patients undergoing lung resection were enrolled and classified into the experimental (n=31) and control groups (n=10). The experimental group underwent post-operative systemic PR which was conducted 30 min/day on every hospitalization day by an expert physical therapist. The control group received the same education about the PR exercises and were encouraged to self-exercise without supervision of the physical therapist. The PR group was taught a self-PR program and feedback was provided regularly until 6 months after surgery. We conducted pulmonary function testing (PFT) and used a visual analog scale (VAS) to evaluate pain, and the modified Borg Dyspnea Scale (mBS) to measure perceived respiratory exertion shortly before and 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery.ResultsA significant improvement on the VAS was observed in patients who received systemic PR >3 months. Significant improvements in forced vital capacity (FVC) and mBS score were observed in patients who received systemic PR >6 months (p<0.05). Other PFT results were not different compared with those in the control group.ConclusionPatients who received lung resection suffered a significant decline in functional reserve and increases in pain and subjective dyspnea deteriorating quality of life (QoL). Systemic PR supervised by a therapist helped improve reduced pulmonary FVC and QoL and minimized discomfort during the postoperative periods in patients who underwent lung resection.