Variation in the DEPDC5 locus is associated with progression to hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C virus carriers

Chronic viral hepatitis is the most important risk factor for progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To identify genetic risk factors for progression to HCC in individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), we analyzed 467,538 SNPs in 212 Japanese individuals with chronic HCV with HCC and 765 individuals with chronic HCV without HCC. We identified one intronic SNP in the DEPDC5 locus on chromosome 22 associated with HCC risk and confirmed the association using an independent case-control population (710 cases and 1,625 controls). The association was highly significant when we analyzed the stages separately as well as together (rs1012068, P(combined) = 1.27 × 10(-13), odds ratio = 1.75). The significance level of the association further increased after adjustment for gender, age and platelet count (P = 1.35 × 10(-14), odds ratio = 1.96). Our findings suggest that common variants within the DEPDC5 locus affect susceptibility to HCC in Japanese individuals with chronic HCV infection.     

Effect of actinomycin D or puromycin on microsomal testosterone hydroxylase activity enhanced by testosterone in female rat liver

Summary The injection of testosterone propionate for 4 successive days into female rats resulted in an increase of the in vitro conversion of the hydroxylated testosterones from testosterone by the hepatic microsomal, fraction, but no change in the content of microsomal cytochrome P-450 occurred. Actinomycin D or puromycin, which was administered for 4 days with injections of testosterone propionate, prevented the enzyme induction.     

Estradiol treatment reduces a cytosol androgen binding protein in male rat liver

Summary The in vivo treatment of male rats with estradiol-17 resulted in a significant decrease in liver cytosol of the protein which binds specifically androstenedione and testosterone.Acknowledgment. This investigation was supported by a grant to N. S. from the Iwate-Keiryokai Medical University Research Foundation.     

A galaxy at a redshift z = 6.96

When galaxy formation started in the history of the Universe remains unclear. Studies of the cosmic microwave background indicate that the Universe, after initial cooling (following the Big Bang), was reheated and reionized by hot stars in newborn galaxies at a redshift in the range 6 < z < 14 (ref. 1). Though several candidate galaxies at redshift z > 7 have been identified photometrically, galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshifts have been confined to z < 6.6 (refs 4-8). Here we report a spectroscopic redshift of z = 6.96 (corresponding to just 750 Myr after the Big Bang) for a galaxy whose spectrum clearly shows Lyman-alpha emission at 9,682 A, indicating active star formation at a rate of approximately 10M(o) yr(-1), where M(o) is the mass of the Sun. This demonstrates that galaxy formation was under way when the Universe was only approximately 6 per cent of its present age. The number density of galaxies at z approximately 7 seems to be only 18-36 per cent of the density at z = 6.6.     

Pummerer-type Functionalization of Aryl and Alkenyl Selenoxides

Heteroatom-stabilized carbenium ions have been widely recognized as potential electrophilic reagents. However, in contrast with the extensive works on thionium ion series, the highly labile character of selenoxide functionalities has caused serious limitation in the synthetic use in spite of their wide potentiality as synthetic equivalents of electrophilic selonium ions. In this paper, novel generation of selonium ions and the synthetic uses of the species for Pummerer-type α-functionalization and for cycloaddition by using the novel dienophilic behavior of π-conjugated selonium cations.