L-carnosine Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Oxidative Stress via NFκB Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic Pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, has pulmonary manifestations clinically characterized by collagen deposition, epithelial cell injury, and a decline in lung function. L-carnosine, a dipeptide consisting of β-alanine and L-histidine, has demonstrated a therapeutic effect on various diseases because of its pivotal function. Despite the effect of L-carnosine in experimental IPF mice, its anti-oxidative effect and associated intercellular pathway, particularly alveolar epithelial cells, remain unknown.

Age-dependent changes of p53 and p63 immunoreactivities in the mouse hippocampus.

P53 and its family member p63 play important roles in cellular senescence and organismal aging. In this study, p53 and p63 immunoreactivity were examined in the hippocampus of young, adult and aged mice by using immunohistochemistry. In addition, neuronal distribution and degeneration was examined by NeuN immunohistochemistry and fluoro-Jade B fluorescence staining.

RbAp48 expression and neuronal damage in the gerbil hippocampus following 5 min of transient ischemia.

Histone-binding protein RbAp48 has been known to be involved in histone acetylation, and epigenetic alterations of histone modifications are closely associated with the pathogenesis of ischemic reperfusion injury. In the current study, we investigated chronological change of RbAp48 expression in the hippocampus following 5 min of transient ischemia in gerbils. RbAp48 expression was examined 1, 2, 5, and 10 days after transient ischemia using immunohistochemistry.

Altered Nurr1 protein expression in the hippocampal CA1 region following transient global cerebral ischemia.

Nuclear receptor related 1 protein (Nurr1), a member of the nuclear receptor 4 family of orphan nuclear receptors, has been reported to display anti‑inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the alteration of Nurr1 immunoreactivity in the gerbil hippocampus proper following 5 min of transient global cerebral ischemia. In sham operated gerbils, Nurr1 immunoreactivity was observed in pyramidal neurons in all cornu ammonis 1‑3 (CA1‑3) subfields of the hippocampus proper.

Improved HCN channels in pyramidal neurons and their new expression levels in pericytes and astrocytes in the gerbil hippocampal CA1 subfield following transient ischemia.

Hyperpolarization‑activated cyclic nucleotide‑gated (HCN) channels have been known to participate in the regulation of neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission and long‑term potentiation in the hippocampus. The present study investigated transient ischemia‑induced changes of HCN1 and HCN2 expressions in the Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) subfield of the hippocampus in gerbils subjected to 5 min transient global cerebral ischemia (tgCI). Neuronal death was exhibited in pyramidal neurons of the striatum pyramidale in the CA1 subfield 4 days after tgCI.

Expression changes of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 proteins in the hippocampal CA1 field of the gerbil following transient global cerebral ischemia.

Chemokine C‑X3‑C motif ligand 1 (CX3CL1) and its sole receptor, CX3CR1, are known to be involved in neuronal damage/death following brain ischemia. In the present study, time‑dependent expression changes of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 proteins were investigated in the hippocampal CA1 field following 5 min of transient global cerebral ischemia (tgCI) in gerbils. To induce tgCI in gerbils, bilateral common carotid arteries were occluded for 5 min using aneurysm clips.

Therapeutic hypothermia attenuates paraplegia and neuronal damage in the lumbar spinal cord in a rat model of asphyxial cardiac arrest.

Spinal cord ischemia can result from cardiac arrest. It is an important cause of severe spinal cord injury that can lead to serious spinal cord disorders such as paraplegia. Hypothermia is widely acknowledged as an effective neuroprotective intervention following cardiac arrest injury.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 is required for ischemic preconditioning-mediated neuroprotection in the hippocampus following a subsequent longer transient cerebral ischemia.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in neuronal damage in response to cerebral ischemia. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) provides neuroprotection against a subsequent severer or longer transient ischemia by ischemic tolerance. Here, we focused on the role of TNF-α in IPC-mediated neuroprotection against neuronal death following a subsequent longer transient cerebral ischemia (TCI).

Age‑dependent decreases in insulin‑like growth factor‑I and its receptor expressions in the gerbil olfactory bulb.

Insulin‑like growth factor‑I (IGF‑I) is a multifunctional protein present in the central nervous system. A number of previous studies have revealed alterations in IGF‑I and its receptor (IGF‑IR) expression in various regions of the brain. However, there are few reports on age‑dependent alterations in IGF‑I and IGF‑IR expressions in the olfactory bulb, which contains the secondary neurons of the olfactory system.

Brain ischemic preconditioning protects against moderate, not severe, transient global cerebral ischemic injury.

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in the brain increases ischemic tolerance to subsequent ischemic insults. In this study, we examined whether IPC protects neurons and attenuates microgliosis or not in the hippocampus following severe transient global cerebral ischemia (TCI) in gerbils. Gerbils were assigned to 8 groups; 5- and 15-min sham operated groups, 5-min and 15-min TCI operated groups, IPC plus 5- and 15-min sham operated groups, and IPC plus 5- and 15-min TCI operated groups.

Neuronal injury and tumor necrosis factor-alpha immunoreactivity in the rat hippocampus in the early period of asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest under normothermia.

Low survival rate occurs in patients who initially experience a spontaneous return of circulation after cardiac arrest (CA). In this study, we induced asphyxial CA in adult male Sprague-Daley rats, maintained their body temperature at 37 ± 0.5°C, and then observed the survival rate during the post-resuscitation phase.

Age‑dependent alteration in the expression of oligodendrocyte‑specific protein in the gerbil hippocampus.

Oligodendrocytes are myelin-forming cells in the central nervous system. Research into the effects of aging on oligodendrocyte protein expression remains limited. The present study aimed to determine the alterations in oligodendrocyte‑specific protein (OSP) expression in the gerbil hippocampus at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 24 months of age with western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses.

Immunolocalisation and oestrogen regulation of small proline-rich protein 2a protein in the mouse uterus.

Small proline-rich protein 2a (Sprr2a) is one of the structural components of the cornified keratinocyte cell envelope that contributes to form a protective barrier in the skin against dehydration and environmental stress. Interestingly, Sprr2a mRNA is detected in the mouse uterus and is regulated by 17β-oestradiol (E2). In the present study, we investigated the effects of E2 and oestrogenic compounds on the regulation and localisation of Sprr2a protein in the mouse uterus.

SPARC is involved in the maintenance of mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblast cells.

Mitotically inactivated feeder cells such as mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEFs) cells have been widely applied for physical and physiological support in the pluripotency maintenance of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). However, accurate supporting mechanism or factors of feeder cells are poorly understood. Here, we isolated differentially expressed genes between wild-type MEFs and mitotically inactivated MEFs (miMEFs) by employing annealing control primer-based GeneFishing polymerase chain reaction.

Comparison of follitropin β administered by a pen device with follitropin β administered by a conventional syringe in patients undergoing IVF-ET.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness and convenience of a pen device for the self-administration of follitropin β with a conventional syringe delivering follitropin β solution in patients undergoing IVF-ET.

Methods: GnRH agonist long protocol was used for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in all subjects. A total of 100 patients were randomized into the pen device group or the conventional syringe group on the first day of COS.

Rapidly growing ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma involving the vagina: a case report.

Objective: We present a rare case of a very rapidly growing stage IV ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma involving the uterine cervix and vagina without lymph node involvement.

Case Report: A 43-year-old woman visited the hospital with complaints of lower abdominal discomfort and vaginal bleeding over the previous 3 months. Serum levels of tumor marker CA 125 and SCC antigen (TA-4) were normal.

Transvaginal ultrasound-guided radiofrequency myolysis for uterine myomas.

Background: Myolysis is one of the procedures that is claimed to provide significant improvement in myoma status without hysterectomy. Myolysis procedures have been generally performed via laparoscopy, and there are limited data on transvaginal radiofrequency (RF) myolysis. This study investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of transvaginal ultrasound-guided RF myolysis.

The effect of transdermal testosterone gel pretreatment on controlled ovarian stimulation and IVF outcome in low responders.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of treatment with transdermal testosterone gel (TTG) before controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) using GnRH antagonist multiple-dose protocol (MDP) in low responders undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial.

Setting: University-affiliated infertility clinic.

Correlation between preoperative serum levels of five biomarkers and relationships between these biomarkers and cancer stage in epithelial overian cancer.

Objective: To examine the correlation among the preoperative serum levels of five biomarkers presumed to be useful for early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer and evaluate the relationships between serum levels of these five biomarkers and epithelial ovarian cancer stage.

Methods: We analyzed 56 newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Preoperative serum levels of leptin, prolactin, osteopontin (OPN), insulin-like growth factor-II, and CA-125 were determined by ELISA.