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The geriatric community study was conducted by the Aichi Prefecture (Japan) Project. The psychiatric epidemiological survey was conducted using a stratified random sampling method. 3106 community residents over the age of 65 years, randomly selected from the whole Aichi Prefecture of Japan, were interviewed; 476 had suspected dementia. The second interviews and the neurologic examinations were carried out by psychiatrists. The prevalence of dementia was estimated to be 5.8% (moderate and severe, 2.2%; mild 3.6%) of the aged population in the community. Cerebrovascular dementia (CVD) or multi-infarct dementia (MID) was found in 2.8%, senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) in 2.4%, and dementia due to other causes in 0.6%. CVD (MID) was diagnosed more frequently in men, and SDAT in women.

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We have already confirmed that cell sheet transplantation can improve damaged heart function via continuous cytokine secretion. In this study, we hypothesized that cytokine-secreting cell sheets co-cultured with an endothelial cell source may be more effective for repairing ischemic myocardium. Confluent rat fibroblasts cultured on temperature-responsive culture dishes were harvested as contiguous cell sheets by temperature reduction. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were seeded on fibroblast sheets to create co-cultured cell sheets, and sandwich-like constructs were engineered by stacking of the co-cultured cell sheets. These constructs were transplanted into rat myocardial infarction models. Cardiac function and histology were assessed in four groups: the sham operation (C) group, the isolated EPC injection (E) group, the transplantation of triple-layer fibroblast sheets (F) group, and the transplantation of triple-layer sandwich-like constructs (E + F) group. Echocardiography showed significant improvement of the fractional shortening in the E + F group in comparison with the C group (0.25 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.16 +/- 0.02). On histological examination, significantly less connective tissue formation was observed in the E, F, and E + F groups when compared to the C group (C, E, F, and E + F groups: 53 +/- 2%, 41 +/- 4%, 40 +/- 4%, and 32 +/- 7%, respectively). Additionally, increased blood vessel formation was detected in the E, F, and E + F groups compared with the C group (C, E, F, and E + F groups: 1.9% +/- 0.6%, 6.7% +/- 0.6%, 7.8% +/- 0.9%, and 10.2% +/- 2.4%, respectively). Furthermore, GFP-staining demonstrated that the newly formed blood vessels were composed of the co-cultured EPCs. Transplantation of cell sheets co-cultured with an endothelial cell source may be a new therapeutic strategy for myocardial tissue regeneration.

Noninvasive cSBP calculated with rSBP2 accorded well with aSBP measured by the invasive method. Vasodilator medication and four of five diseases did not affect this relation.

Some mixed hyperplastic adenomatous polyps (MHAPs) contain dysplastic lesions or even carcinomas. These polyps are considered to be different from ordinary hyperplastic polyps and may have a preneoplastic potential. We investigated APC and K-ras mutations in MHAPs of the colon and rectum, and also in colorectal adenomas and hyperplastic polyps to identify molecular differences between MHAPs, adenomas and hyperplastic polyps, using direct sequencing of mutation cluster regions (MCR) in APC and K-ras. No APC mutations were identified in 12 MHAPs and 8 hyperplastic polyps, whereas 10 of 27 (37.0%) adenomas showed somatic mutations. K-ras mutations were identified in one of 12 (8.3%) MHAPs, one of 8 (12.5%) hyperplastic polyps, and 10 of 27 (37.0%) adenomas. p53 mutation was found in a carcinoma arising in an MHAP. Mutations other than APC mutations may play a role in the development of MHAPs.

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