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Human sapovirus (HuSaV), first identified in the 1970s, is a significant cause of acute gastroenteritis, particularly in young children. Despite its clinical significance, research on HuSaV has been limited due to the absence of a reliable cell culture system. In 2020, a breakthrough study reported that HuSaV GI.1 and GII.3 strains could be cultured and serially propagated using HuTu80 cells in the presence of bile acids. However, in 2024, a subsequent study reported that effective replication in HuTu80 cells requires specialized cells that have undergone over 100 passages. In this study, we sought to identify an alternative cell culture system for HuSaV. HuSaV GI.1 can replicate and be serially propagated using Caco-2 cells under bile acid supplementation. Importantly, the Caco-2 cells were freshly sourced from the American Type Culture Collection, ensuring reproducibility for laboratories worldwide. Furthermore, Caco-2MC cells were established via single-cell cloning from in-house Caco-2/Cas9 cells with 91.5% HuSaV-susceptible. HuSaV strains GI.1, GI.2, GI.3, GII.1, GII.3, and GV.1 were successfully propagated using Caco-2MC cells, with RNA copy numbers increasing up to 4.4 log 10 -fold within 5 days post-infection. This efficient HuSaV cell culture system represents a significant advancement in HuSaV research., (© 2025 The Author(s). Genes to Cells published by Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aims/introduction: As the prevalence of diabetes increases with age, the number of elderly patients with diabetes in Japan, a super-aged society, continues to increase. We conducted a survey to investigate the extent to which outpatients with diabetes recognize dementia as a complication of diabetes., Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was distributed among 777 patients with diabetes to investigate their awareness of dementia and its risk factors. Among these, the Mini-Mental State Examination was also administered to patients over 65 years of age who wished to undergo a cognitive function test among those who participated in the questionnaire survey to examine the factors leading to a decline in cognitive function., Results: 458 patients selected poor blood glucose control and 176 selected hypoglycemia as the condition that rendered patients susceptible to dementia. Regarding the risk factors for suspected cognitive decline, the risk increased in the following order: old age; lack of knowledge about dementia; and treatment with diet/exercise, oral hypoglycemic agents/Glucagon-like peptide-1, and insulin. Regarding the relationship between cognitive decline and blood glucose control, the risk of suspected cognitive decline increased in the following order: within the standard value, above and below the standard values, in terms of the level of glycated hemoglobin set in "Blood Glucose Control Target for Elderly Diabetes" defined by the Japan Geriatrics Society and the Japan Diabetes Society., Conclusions: When examining and treating diabetes, it may be pertinent to instruct older adults on target HbA1c levels based on their condition., (© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Context: Genome-wide association studies have identified numerous single-nucleotide variations (SNVs, formerly single-nucleotide polymorphisms) linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D), thus improving the accuracy of genetic risk scores (GRS) in predicting T2D., Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between the novel GRS and the prevalence of T2D and clarify the characteristics that differentiate individuals with and without T2D with similar genetic risk., Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 1610 Japanese individuals aged 65 to 84 years. GRS were calculated using 110 SNVs associated with T2D in Japanese, and GRS classified individuals as having low, average, or high risk for T2D. The characteristics of participants with or without diabetes were compared by sex at each risk level., Results: The prevalences of T2D were 7.8%, 14.7%, and 16.7% at low-, average-, and high-risk levels, respectively. The odds ratios at the high- and average-risk levels were significantly higher than those at the low-risk level, even after adjusting for confounding factors. The diabetes group had a higher visceral fat area (VFA) and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) value, but a lower insulinogenic index, than the nondiabetes group across all risk levels. In the nondiabetes group, the II decreased significantly as GRS increased, but the HOMA-IR and Matsuda index values showed no association. In men with diabetes, VFA tended to decrease with higher GRS., Conclusion: A higher GRS was significantly associated with increased T2D prevalence in older Japanese individuals. Our data demonstrated that the contribution of VFA to the development of diabetes varies with genetic risk., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate found in plants of the Brassicaceae family, possesses antioxidant, apoptosis-inducing, and radiosensitizing effects. As one of the mechanisms of cytotoxicity by SFN, SFN has been suggested to be involved in the induction of DNA damage and inhibition of DNA repair. Recently, we reported on the potency of SFN in inducing single-ended double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are caused by the collision of replication forks with single-strand breaks (SSBs). However, the mechanism of SSB accumulation by SFN remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of SFN on SSB-inducing factors in HeLa cells. Although the inhibitory effect of SFN on DNA topoisomerase I was not observed, we found that the reduced form of glutathione (GSH; an antioxidant) level was decreased in an SFN concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the addition of ascorbic acid partially increased the viability of SFN-treated HeLa cells. We subsequently observed that poly(ADP-ribose) accumulated in SFN-treated HeLa cells, which occurs during early SSB repair. Collectively, these findings suggest that SFN may transiently induce SSBs via reactive oxygen species in HeLa cells., (© 2024 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Chronic contained rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm (CCR-AAA) is a rare subtype of abdominal aortic rupture that can mimic other retroperitoneal lesions. We report a case of CCR-AAA in a man in his sixties who presented with a 10-month history of right low back pain and weight loss. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a lobulated retroperitoneal mass around the abdominal aorta, initially misdiagnosed as a possible hemorrhagic retroperitoneal tumor. Despite multiple imaging studies including CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT, as well as a CT-guided biopsy, the correct diagnosis remained elusive for 34 months. Key findings included subtle aortic wall irregularity on CT, high signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI suggesting hematoma, peripheral FDG uptake on PET/CT, and histological findings of biopsy tissue consistent with organizing hematoma. Surgery confirmed the diagnosis, revealing an organized hematoma with a defect in the right wall of the abdominal aortic aneurysm. This case demonstrates that CCR-AAA can present with atypical radiological features, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. When encountering a para-aortic mass with a hemorrhagic component, careful observation of the AAA morphology and aortic wall contour is crucial for an accurate diagnosis of CCR-AAA., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Aim: Sarcopenia has been with a decrease in masseter muscle (MM) thickness in high-risk older populations. However, the relationship between sarcopenia and determinants of MM volume (MMV) in the general elderly population remains unclear., Method: In a cross-sectional study of 1,484 older adults in Tokyo, we evaluated MMV using 3D MRI scanning, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), handgrip strength, dietary intake, smoking, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, and the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism. Participants were divided into quintiles based on MMV (Q1-5)., Results: Participants in our study had a mean age of 73.0 ± 5.3 years and their MMV (Men: 35.3 ± 7.8 mL, Women: 25.0 ± 5.1 mL) was significantly higher in men than in women. A significant association between MMV and sarcopenia was observed, with the lowest quintile (Q1) showing a higher risk compared to the highest quintile (Q5) in both sexes. Body mass index (BMI) and age were independent determinants of ASMM in both sexes, whereas BMI, but interestingly not age, was a determinant of MMV. Moreover, IGF-1 was positively correlated with MMV in both sexes; smoking was negatively correlated with MMV in women. The ACTN3 577XX genotype was only associated with smaller MMV in men., Conclusion: Low MMV increased the risk of sarcopenia, particularly in men. BMI and age strongly influenced ASMM, while MMV was only weakly associated with BMI and not with age. Notably, IGF-1 level was positively associated with MMV only, and ACTN3 genotype was associated to reduced MMV only in men., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)