Chronic Psychological Stress as a Risk Factor of Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, the most common metabolic skeletal disease, is characterized by decreased bone mass and deteriorated bone quality, leading to increased fracture risk. With the aging of the population, osteoporotic fracture is an important public health issue. Organisms are constantly exposed to various stressful stimuli that affect physiological processes.

Introduction of VEGF or RGD sequences improves revascularization properties of Bombyx mori silk fibroin produced by transgenic silkworm.

Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) was successfully used for vascular grafts implanted in rats or dogs. Current transgenic technology can be developed to produce SF with improved properties. In this study, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or the repeated fibronectin-derived sequence, TGRGDSPAS, and arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) were introduced into the SF heavy chain to improve its properties.

A novel tract imaging technique of the brainstem using phase difference enhanced imaging: normal anatomy and initial experience in multiple system atrophy.

Objectives: To develop a new tract imaging technique for visualising small fibre tracts of the brainstem and for detecting the abnormalities in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type (MSA-C) using a phase difference enhanced (PADRE) imaging technique, in which the phase difference between the target and surrounding tissue is selectively enhanced.

Methods: Two neuroradiologists compared the high-spatial-resolution PADRE imaging, which was acquired from six healthy volunteers, three patients with MSA-C, and 7 patients with other types of neurodegenerative diseases involving the brainstem or cerebellum.

Results: Various fine fibre tracts in the brainstem, the superior and inferior cerebellar peduncles, medial lemniscus, spinothalamic tract, medial longitudinal fasciculus, central tegmental tract, corticospinal tract and transverse pontine fibres, were identified on PADRE imaging.

[Reducing the levels of formaldehyde exposure during a gross anatomy dissection course with a local ventilation system].

Reducing the levels of formaldehyde (FA) exposure in gross anatomy laboratories has been urgently required. We improved the environment of our gross anatomy laboratory by changing the existing general ventilation to local ventilation. We developed a local ventilation apparatus (grid-type of hood with downward suction) that can be attached to an ordinary dissection table.

Temporary accumulation of glycogen in the epithelial cells of the developing mouse submandibular gland.

Temporary accumulation of glycogen in the epithelial cells of the developing mouse submandibular gland was examined under light microscopic histochemistry and electron microscopy. To avoid loss of water-soluble glycogen during histological tissue preparation, fixation with ethanol and embedding in hydrophilic glycol methacrylate resin was used for light microscopy, and high-pressure freezing/freeze substitution for electron microscopy. Glycogen was detected on periodic acid-Schiff stain, periodic acid-thiosemicarbazide-silver proteinate reaction, and the digestion test with alpha-amylase.

Enhancement of IL-7 following irradiation of fetal thymus.

The effect of ionizing radiation on intra-thymic T cell development was investigated using a fetal thymic organ culture (FTOC) method in vitro. When double-negative (DN) fetal (day 15) thymocytes were co-cultured with an irradiated (25 Gy) fetal (day 15) thymus in the absence of direct contact or mitogenic stimulation, the induction of TCRgammadelta+ T cells was observed. About 50% of the TCRgammadelta+ T cells developed after 4-day-co-culture with the irradiated fetal thymus, whereas only a few TCRgammadelta+ T cells developed after co-culture with the non-irradiated fetal thymus.