Publications by authors named "Akiko Taura"

The transcription factor complex, consisting of LMO2, TAL1 or LYL1, and GATA2, plays an important role in capillary sprouting by regulating VEGFR2, DLL4, and angiopoietin 2 in tip cells. Overexpression of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor LYL1 in transgenic mice results in shortened tails. This phenotype is associated with vessel hyperbranching and a relative paucity of straight vessels due to DLL4 downregulation in tip cells by forming aberrant complex consisting of LMO2 and LYL1.

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Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) use odour-induced intracellular cAMP surge to gate cyclic nucleotide-gated nonselective cation (CNG) channels in cilia. Prolonged exposure to cAMP causes calmodulin-dependent feedback-adaptation of CNG channels and attenuates neural responses. On the other hand, the odour-source searching behaviour requires ORNs to be sensitive to odours when approaching targets.

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Objective: Cutaneous anesthesia in early postoperative period is common after neck dissection even if the cervical nerve (CN) rootlets are preserved. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the preservation of the terminal branches of CNs using sub-sternocleidomastoid (SCM) approach combined with medially placed skin incision can prevent early postoperative anesthesia.

Material And Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 129 neck dissections in 87 head and neck cancer patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to assess whether a specific method for measuring the vector angle of nystagmus can accurately differentiate between horizontal nystagmus and mixed nystagmus with both horizontal and vertical components.
  • - Researchers tested 20 healthy individuals and 32 patients (17 with horizontal nystagmus and 15 with mixed nystagmus) to analyze eye movement velocities and the subsequent vector angles.
  • - Results showed that in horizontal nystagmus, vector angles increased toward 180 degrees with faster movements, whereas mixed nystagmus displayed significantly different angles, indicating the method may help diagnose non-peripheral vestibular disorders.
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Objectives: Vestibular ganglion cells, which convey sense of motion from vestibular hair cells to the brainstem, are known to degenerate with aging and after vestibular neuritis. Thus, regeneration of vestibular ganglion cells is important to aid in the recovery of balance for associated disorders.

Methods: The present study derived hNSCs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and transplanted these cells into mouse utricle tissues.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Hair cells are crucial for hearing and balance but are hard to regenerate in mammals, presenting challenges in treating inner ear disorders due to limited access to human inner ear tissues.
  • - Researchers successfully generated hair cell-like cells from mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by following a specific stepwise protocol involving differentiation and co-culturing with mouse utricle tissues.
  • - Findings suggest that certain factors from mouse utricle stromal tissues may be key to inducing hair cells from iPS cells, which is promising for regenerative therapies.
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Conclusion: In the present study, about one-third of patients with Meniere's disease developed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)-like attacks. Additionally, more than one-third of all vertigo attacks were BPPV-like attacks. Thus, vertigo attacks in patients with Meniere's disease must be carefully treated because the therapy for such vertigo attacks is totally different from the therapy for BPPV.

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The inner ear has been regarded as an immunoprivileged site because of isolation by the blood-labyrinthine barrier. Several reports have indicated the existence of immune cells in the inner ear, but there are no reports showing immunocompetence of the cochlear tissue. In this report, we examined the potential involvement of retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), which are critical for initiating antiviral innate immune responses.

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Conclusion: Hydrogen gas effectively protected against the morphological and functional vestibular hair cell damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Objective: ROS are generally produced by oxidative stress. In the inner ear, ROS levels increase as a result of noise trauma and ototoxic drugs and induce damage.

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Conclusion: The number of studies on inpatients with vertigo is limited. This study provides useful information for clarifying the underlying causes of vertigo.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological features of patients with vertigo.

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Conclusion: The epidemiology of vertigo remains unclear. This study might contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms underlying vestibular disease.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological features of patients with vertigo.

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This study investigated the therapeutic potential of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) for vestibular hair cells using explant cultures of mouse utricles. After incubation with the ototoxic drug gentamicin, explants from neonatal mouse utricles were cultured in medium containing IGF-1 at various concentrations. Histological evaluation revealed significant increases in the number of surviving hair cells cultured with IGF-1 at concentrations reflecting a clinical setting.

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Here, we report the functional and morphological evidence of hair cell recovery after damages induced by gentamicin (GM) in cultured explants of rat vestibular maculae. We evaluated mechano-electrical transduction (MET) function in hair cells, by measuring Ca(2+) responses in the explants with fura-2 when hair bundles were stimulated. After the MET testing, hair bundles were observed in high resolution by scanning electron microscopy, or by fluorescence microscopy after staining with phalloidin-FITC (fluorescent isothiocyanate).

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We have established a fine method of evaluating the physiological function of vestibular hair cells. We examined the mechano-electrical transduction (MET) to study the physiological function of a hair cell. Hair cells composing the vestibular maculae were loaded with fura-2 AM, and the Ca2+ responses to the mechanical stimulation of hair bundles were monitored.

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