Clinicogenetic study of PINK1 mutations in autosomal recessive early-onset parkinsonism.

The authors performed PINK1 mutation analysis of 51 families with autosomal recessive Parkinson disease (ARPD). They found two novel PINK1 mutations: one was a homozygous deletion (13516-18118del) and the other a homozygous missense mutation (C388R). Clinically, the patients with the deletion had dementia.

Comparison of the effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane on protein tyrosine phosphorylation-mediated vascular contraction.

Background: Isoflurane induces greater effects on vasodilation and decreasing blood pressure than sevoflurane. Tyrosine kinase-catalyzed protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays an important role in regulating vascular smooth muscle contraction. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane on tyrosine phosphorylation-mediated vascular constriction, by assessing the degree of sodium orthovanadate (Na(3)VO(4), tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor)-induced contraction and protein tyrosine phosphorylation of rat aortic smooth muscle.

The spontaneous regression of tufted angioma. A case of regression after two recurrences and a review of 27 cases reported in the literature.

Background: Tufted angioma, a peculiar angioma that is characterized by tufts of capillary-sized vessels scattered 'cannonball fashion' within the dermis, is known, on occasion, to regress spontaneously. However, the appropriate waiting period for spontaneous regression has remained unclear.

Objective: To know the appropriate waiting period for spontaneous regression of tufted angioma.

Interleukin-4 suppresses the enhancement of ceramide synthesis and cutaneous permeability barrier functions induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in human epidermis.

Ceramide is an integral part of the extracellular lipid bilayer of the stratum corneum (SC) that forms the permeability barrier of the skin. The production of SC ceramides is catalyzed by sphingomyelinase (SMase) and glucocerebrosidase (GCase). Acid-ceramidase (acid-CDase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of ceramide in the SC.

Landiolol attenuates tachycardia in response to endotracheal intubation without affecting blood pressure.

Purpose: Beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (beta-antagonists) have long been used to control perioperative tachyarrhythmias. The effects of a beta(1)-antagonist, landiolol, on perioperative hemodynamics are unknown. We aimed to determine the appropriate dosage of landiolol for the treatment of hemodynamic changes in response to endotracheal intubation.

Inhibitory effects of lidocaine and mexiletine on vasorelaxation mediated by adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ channels and the role of kinases in the porcine coronary artery.

Background: Effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on coronary vasodilation mediated by K channels have not been studied. Modulator roles of protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase in the activity of K channels have also been unclear in the coronary artery. The current study examined whether lidocaine and mexiletine in the porcine coronary artery modify the vasorelaxation mediated by adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K channels via activation of protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase.

Characterization of molecular orbitals by counting nodal regions.

The number of nodal regions can be used as an index for characterizing molecular orbitals. A computer program has been developed to count the number of nodal regions, based on the labeling and contraction algorithms. This program is applied to the water molecule, the hydrogen sulfide molecule, the hydrogen atomic orbitals, the Rydberg excited states of ethylene, dissociation of carbon monoxide, and CASSCF calculations of formaldehyde.

Metabolic pathway of cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside in rats.

For better understanding of the physiological function of anthocyanins, the absorption and metabolism of cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (Cy3G), which is one of the major anthocyanins in colored food materials, were precisely investigated. Combining two modalities newly developed, that is, highly sensitive semi-micro-HPLC and vein cannulation, Cy3G and its four major metabolites (M1-M4) were detected in the blood plasma of rats after oral administration of Cy3G (100 mg/kg of body mass). The plasma concentration of Cy3G reached its maximum at 15 min after the ingestion.

Absorption and metabolism of delphinidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside in rats.

Anthocyanins, kind of flavonoids (FL) found in plants and vegetables, are known to have varieties of physiological functions. In the present study, we examined absorption and metabolism of delphinidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside (Dp3G) in rats. Dp3G appeared in the plasma at 15 min after oral administration as an intact glucosidic form.

The vascular relaxing effects of sevoflurane and isoflurane are more important in hypertensive than in normotensive rats.

Purpose: The vascular response to anesthetics is altered in hypertensive patients since the functional and structural integrities of vascular smooth muscle and endothelium are deranged. The effects of anesthetics on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced changes in vascular tone are not well understood. We investigated the effects of sevoflurane and isoflurane on Ang II-induced vasoconstriction in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

[Development and effects of a health promotion program utilizing the mail function of mobile phones].

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to develop a health education program, named "i-exerM," utilizing the mail function of the mobile phone and affect its effects setting body weight reduction as the achievement target.

Methods: The i-exerM was developed with 136 adults (28 males and 108 females) living or working in Shizuoka Prefecture, and subscribing to the i-mode of NTT DoCoMo orJ-sky of JPHONE (currently Vodafone), who indicated an interest in participating in a body weight reduction twelve week (between July 15th and October 9th, 2003) program. As-one of the special characteristics of the i-exerM, the subjects were informed once every day via mailing to the mobile phone some new items regarding body weight reduction knowledge and practice.

The inhibitory effects of isoflurane on protein tyrosine phosphorylation-modulated contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle.

Background: Tyrosine kinase-catalyzed protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays an important role in initiating and modulating vascular smooth muscle contraction. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of isoflurane on sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4), a potent protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor-induced, tyrosine phosphorylation-mediated contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle.

Methods: The Na3VO4-induced contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle and tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins including phospholipase Cgamma-1 (PLCgamma-1) and p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were assessed in the presence of different concentrations of isoflurane, using isometric force measurement and Western blotting methods, respectively.

Simultaneous comparison of relative reactivities of twelve major anthocyanins in bilberry towards reactive nitrogen species.

The reactivities of twelve major anthocyanins identified in bilberry extracts towards nitric oxide (NO.) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) were studied in vitro using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The reactivities of the anthocyanins towards NO.

PARK6-linked autosomal recessive early-onset parkinsonism in Asian populations.

The authors performed linkage analysis in 39 families with autosomal recessive early-onset PD (AR-EOPD) negative for parkin and DJ-1 mutations. Eight families including three Japanese, two Taiwanese, one Turkish, one Israeli, and one Philippine showed evidence of linkage with PARK6 with multipoint log of the odds (lod) score of 9.88 at D1S2732.

Inhibitory effect of high concentration of glucose on relaxations to activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in human omental artery.

Objective: The present study was designed to examine in the human omental artery whether high concentrations of D-glucose inhibit the activity of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the vascular smooth muscle and whether this inhibitory effect is mediated by the production of superoxide.

Methods And Results: Human omental arteries without endothelium were suspended for isometric force recording. Changes in membrane potentials were recorded and production of superoxide was evaluated.

Novel PINK1 mutations in early-onset parkinsonism.

PINK1 was recently found to be associated with PARK6 as the causative gene. We performed mutation analysis in eight inbred families whose haplotypes link to the PARK6 region. We identified six pathogenic mutations (R246X, H271Q, E417G, L347P, and Q239X/R492X) in six unrelated families.

Effects of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, γ-hexachlorocyclohexane, and 17β-estradiol on the fry stage of medaka (Oryzias latipes).

The effects of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH), and 17β-estradiol (E2) on the fry stage of medaka were investigated. The medaka fry were exposed to different concentrations (0.01, 0.

Lidocaine impairs vasodilation mediated by adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ channels but not by inward rectifier K+ channels in rat cerebral microvessels.

Vasodilator effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive, as well as inward rectifier, K+ channel openers have not been well demonstrated in cerebral microvessels. Although lidocaine impairs vasorelaxation via ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the rat aorta, the effects of this compound on K+ channels in the cerebral circulation have not been shown. We designed the present study to examine whether ATP-sensitive and inward rectifier K+ channels contribute to vasodilator responses in cerebral microvessels and whether the vasodilation mediated by these channels is inhibited by lidocaine.

Vascular effects of antiarrhythmic drugs and the roles of K+ channels.

Since many of antiarrhythmic drugs can act on variable ion channels of cardiac myocytes, these compounds may also play a role in the activity of similar ion channels expressed on the vascular smooth muscle cells. In contrast, some of these ion channels expressed on vasculature have different subtypes of the channels, indicating that antiarrhythmic drugs may differentially affect ion channels on cardiac myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. Therefore, it is crucial to note the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on the regulation of vascular function.

Control of life cycle of mouse adipogenic 3T3-L1 cells by dietary lipids and metabolic factors.

Adipocytes function not only as in the storage and mobilization of lipids but also as endocrine cells by secreting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), free fatty acids, and other cytokines. To study the effects of dietary lipids and metabolic factors on the control of the life cycle of adipocytes, we utilized mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes that could be induced to differentiate into adipocytes. To evaluate the role of endogenous prostaglandins (PGs) in the adipogenic changes, we examined the effect of specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX).

Structural dependence of HPLC separation pattern of anthocyanins from Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.).

An HPLC method using isocratic elution was established for the analysis of fifteen anthocyanins contained in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). Separation was attained by using an aqueous solution of 20% methanol containing 0.

Sevoflurane inhibits angiotensin II-induced, protein kinase c-mediated but not Ca2+-elicited contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle.

Background: Whether volatile anesthetics attenuate angiotensin II-mediated vascular tone has not been determined. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of sevoflurane on the angiotensin II-stimulated, Ca2+- and protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle.

Methods: The dose-dependent effects of sevoflurane on angiotensin II (10 m)-induced contraction, the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and PKC phosphorylation of rat aortic smooth muscle were measured using an isometric force transducer, a fluorometer, and Western blotting, respectively.