We confirmed the expression of miR-182-5p depended on the cancer grade even in same GP 4. Expression of miRNA associated with Gleason grading system may contribute to more accurate preoperative cancer risk evaluation.

The IPSS is lower in patients with HT treated with ARB. Other drugs for HT, including ACE-I and CCB, did not improve the IPSS.

Purpose:The importance of arterial transit time (ATT) correction for arterial spin labeling MRI has been well debated in neuroimaging, but it has not been well evaluated in renal imaging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of pulsed continuous arterial spin labeling (pcASL) MRI with multiple post-labeling delay (PLD) acquisition for measuring ATT-corrected renal blood flow (ATC-RBF).Materials and Methods:A total of 14 volunteers were categorized into younger (n = 8; mean age, 27.0 years) and older groups (n = 6; 64.8 years). Images of pcASL were obtained at three different PLDs (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 s), and ATC-RBF and ATT were calculated using a single-compartment model. To validate ATC-RBF, a comparative study of effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) measured by 99mTc-MAG3 scintigraphy was performed. ATC-RBF was corrected by kidney volume (ATC-cRBF) for comparison with ERPF.Results:The younger group showed significantly higher ATC-RBF (157.68 ± 38.37 mL/min/100 g) and shorter ATT (961.33 ± 260.87 ms) than the older group (117.42 ± 24.03 mL/min/100 g and 1227.94 ± 226.51 ms, respectively; P < 0.05). A significant correlation was evident between ATC-cRBF and ERPF (P < 0.05, r = 0.47). With suboptimal single PLD (1.5 s) settings, there was no significant correlation between ERPF and kidney volume-corrected RBF calculated from single PLD data.Conclusion:Calculation of ATT and ATC-RBF by pcASL with multiple PLD was feasible in healthy volunteers, and differences in ATT and ATC-RBF were seen between the younger and older groups. Although ATT correction by multiple PLD acquisitions may not always be necessary for RBF quantification in the healthy subjects, the effect of ATT should be taken into account in renal ASL–MRI as debated in brain imaging.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional molecule that acts as mitogen, motogen, and ⁄ or morphogen in a variety of cells. MET, a specific receptor tyrosine kinase for HGF, is upregulated in various tumors including squamous cell carcinoma of the human head and neck (HNSCC), but how HGF affects the expression of downstream functional genes has not yet been elucidated in detail. In the present study, we examined the expression of micro-RNA (miRNA), non-coding small RNA that regulate cell proliferation and functions by interfering with the translation of target mRNA, with or without HGF stimulation in HNSCC cell line HSC3. Among several miRNAs, in which the expression was altered after HGF stimulation, we focused on miR-200c and miR-27b, both of which were drastically downregulated after HGF stimulation. Expression of ZEB1, a target mRNA for miR-200c, was upregulated 3 and 6 h after HGF stimulation, and that of E-cadherin, a downstream molecule of ZEB1, was downregulated 12 h after HGF stimulation. Expression of ST14 ⁄ matriptase, an enzyme for extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and HGF activation and a target mRNA for miR-27b, was drastically upregulated in the protein level after HGF stimulation, although it was not statistically altered in the mRNA level. These results suggest that miR-200c and miR-27b downregulated by HGF might play an important role in epithelialmesenchymal transition mediated by ZEB1 ⁄ E-cadherin and ECM degradation and HGF autoactivation mediated by ST14 ⁄ matriptase, respectively. Altered expression of miRNA directly regulated by HGF might contribute enhanced progressive and invasive characteristics of HNSCC by regulating the translation of HGF-induced functional molecules. (Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 2164-2171 S quamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common malignant tumor in the head and neck and constitutes 90% of malignancies in these regions.(1,2) The incidence and mortality of head and neck SCC (HNSCC) is increasing despite intense efforts, and its 5-year survival rate is <50%.(2,3) Several growth factors are considered to contribute to the carcinogenesis and progression of HNSCC.(2) One of these factors, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), is a multifunctional growth factor that acts as mitogen, motogen and ⁄ or morphogen in a variety of cells including squamous epithelial cells.(4-6) MET, a specific receptor tyrosine kinase for HGF, is upregulated in various tumors including human HNSCC, and its signal transduction to the nucleus induces the expression of genes involving the progressive and invasive characteristics of HNSCC.(5-7) However, how HGF affects downstream functional gene expression has not yet been elucidated in detail.MicroRNA (miRNA) are non-coding small RNA (21-25 nucleotides) that regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by interfering with the translation of target mRNA. (8,9) One miRNA might regulate the expression of several genes and over one-third of all protein-coding genes might be under translational control by miRNA. (9) MiRNA are involved in a variety ...

AimsWe evaluated the relationship between body mass index (BMI), including low BMI, and nocturia in Japanese women.MethodsWe collected data on 18 952 women who participated in a multiphasic health screening in Fukui, Japan, in 2006. The participants were asked to report any current or previous disease. Self‐reported current body weight and height were used to calculate the BMI. We analyzed the relationship between nocturia, as assessed by a questionnaire, and other variables including age, BMI, and comorbidities.ResultsThe participants’ mean age was 60.6 years. Overall, the prevalence of nocturia (two or more voids/night) was 4.3% and increased in an age‐dependent manner. BMI did not affect nocturia in the young participants. The prevalence of nocturia was higher in the high‐BMI women (>25.0 kg/m 2) in their fifth and sixth decades, but the prevalence was higher in the low‐BMI (<18.5 kg/m 2) in the women more than 80‐years old. A multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between nocturia and the following: age, BMI, sleep disturbance, arteriosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Not only high BMI (which is already reported as a risk of nocturia) but also low BMI was a factor related to nocturia.ConclusionOur findings indicate that in addition to obesity, low BMI is a factor of nocturia in women.