Longitudinal Analysis of Mitochondrial Function in a Choline-Deficient L-Amino Acid-Defined High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis Mouse Model.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. Some patients with MAFLD develop metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can lead to severe liver fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this progression remain unknown, and no effective treatment for MASH has been developed so far.

β Adrenergic Receptor Autoantibodies and IgG Subclasses: Current Status and Unsolved Issues.

A wide range of anti-myocardial autoantibodies have been reported since the 1970s. Among them, autoantibodies against the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR-AAb) have been the most thoroughly investigated, especially in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). ΒAR-Aabs have agonist effects inducing desensitization of βAR, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and sustained calcium influx which lead to cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmias.

Reactive Oxygen Species in the Aorta and Perivascular Adipose Tissue Precedes Endothelial Dysfunction in the Aorta of Mice with a High-Fat High-Sucrose Diet and Additional Factors.

Metabolic syndrome (Mets) is the major contributor to the onset of metabolic complications, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, resulting in cardiovascular diseases. C57BL/6 mice on a high-fat and high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) are a well-established model of Mets but have minor endothelial dysfunction in isolated aortas without perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of additional factors such as DM, dyslipidemia, and steatohepatitis on endothelial dysfunction in aortas without PVAT.

Endothelial Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase/Thromboxane A2/Prostanoid Receptor Pathway Aggravates Endothelial Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance in a Mouse Model of Metabolic Syndrome.

Background Metabolic syndrome is characterized by insulin resistance, which impairs intracellular signaling pathways and endothelial NO bioactivity, leading to cardiovascular complications. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is a major component of insulin signaling cascades that can be activated by many vasoactive peptides, hormones, and cytokines that are elevated in metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of endothelial ERK2 in vivo on NO bioactivity and insulin resistance in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome.

Development of a high-yield, high-quality purification process for adeno-associated virus vectors that can be used in vivo without ultracentrifugation: Application to a lung endothelial cell-targeted adeno-associated virus.

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are useful vectors for expressing genes of interest in vivo because of their low immunogenicity and long-term gene expression. Various mutations have been introduced in recent years and have enabled high-efficacy, stabilized, and organ-oriented transduction. Our purpose for using rAAV is to express our target gene in the mouse lung to investigate pulmonary artery hypertension.

Metabolic Remodeling with Hepatosteatosis Induced Vascular Oxidative Stress in Hepatic ERK2 Deficiency Mice with High Fat Diets.

We previously demonstrated the marked hepatosteatosis and endothelial dysfunction in hepatocyte-specific ERK2 knockout mice (LE2KO) with a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFHSD), but detailed metabolic changes and the characteristics in insulin-sensitive organs were not tested. This study aimed to characterize metabolic remodeling with changes in insulin-sensitive organs, which could induce endothelial dysfunction in HFHSD-LE2KO. The serum glucose and fatty acid (FA) were modestly higher in HFHSD-LE2KO than HFHSD-Control.

Resistance to Obesity in SOD1 Deficient Mice with a High-Fat/High-Sucrose Diet.

Metabolic syndrome (Mets) is an important condition because it may cause stroke and heart disease in the future. Reactive oxygen species (ROSs) influence the pathogenesis of Mets; however, the types of ROSs and their localization remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of SOD1, which localize to the cytoplasm and mitochondrial intermembrane space and metabolize superoxide anion, on Mets using SOD1 deficient mice (SOD1).

Effects of 4G-beta-D-Galactosylsucrose in patients with depression: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative study.

Advances in genetic research on microbiome have led to several trials on the effectiveness of synbiotics or probiotics in patients with depression; however, none have evaluated the efficacy of prebiotics. 4G-beta-D-Galactosylsucrose (Lactosucrose, LS) is selectively assimilated by Bifidobacterium as a prebiotic and improves microbiome diversity. However, as it is not clear if LS consumption can improve symptoms of depression, we investigated whether LS intake can improve depressive symptoms, quality of life (QOL), and self-efficacy by conducting a single cite, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial in 20 outpatients with depressive episodes (F32, ICD-10) for 24 weeks.

Triple-Phase Boundary in Anion-Exchange Membrane Reactor Enables Selective Electrosynthesis of Aldehyde from Primary Alcohol.

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Prof. Mahito Atobe at Yokohama National University, Japan. The image shows an anion-exchange membrane (AEM) reactor enabling selective oxidation of a primary alcohol to a corresponding aldehyde by the electrochemical reaction at the triple-phase boundary.

Triple-phase Boundary in Anion-Exchange Membrane Reactor Enables Selective Electrosynthesis of Aldehyde from Primary Alcohol.

Oxidation of primary alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde remains a significant challenge, even with the state-of-the-art chemistry. Here, a novel electrochemical system was developed for the exclusive production of aldehyde from primary alcohol using an anion-exchange membrane (AEM) reactor. Oxidation proceeded on a gold catalyst under basic conditions, which largely enhanced the reaction rate.

Artificially Created Reentry Circuit by Laser Irradiation Causes Atrial Tachycardia to Persist in Murine Atria.

Background: There is a gradual progression from paroxysmal to persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in humans. To elucidate the mechanism involved, the creation of an artificial atrial substrate to persist AF in mice was attempted.

Methods and results: This study used wild type (WT) mice, but it is difficult to induce AF in them.

Deletion of Superoxide Dismutase 1 Blunted Inflammatory Aortic Remodeling in Hypertensive Mice under Angiotensin II Infusion.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of two superoxide anions (O) into hydrogen peroxide (HO) and oxygen (O) and is generally known to protect against oxidative stress. Angiotensin II (AngII) causes vascular hypertrophic remodeling which is associated with HO generation. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of cytosolic SOD (SOD1) in AngII-induced vascular hypertrophy.

Normative Values of QuickDASH in the Elderly Japanese: a Cohort Survey Randomly Sampled from a Basic Resident Registry.

To determine normative values for the QuickDASH questionnaire in the elderly Japanese population and their associated factors. Three-hundred and eighty-one residents between 50 and 89 years of age were randomly selected from residents of a town in Japan. All participants completed a QuickDASH questionnaire.

Activation of LKB1 rescues 3T3-L1 adipocytes from senescence induced by Sirt1 knock-down: a pivotal role of LKB1 in cellular aging.

Previous reports have shown that excess calorie intake promotes p53 dependent senescence in mouse adipose tissues. The objective of the current study was to address the mechanism underlying this observation, i.e.

Association between musculoskeletal function deterioration and locomotive syndrome in the general elderly population: a Japanese cohort survey randomly sampled from a basic resident registry.

Background: Locomotive syndrome (LoS) is defined as the loss of mobility due to age-related impairment of motor organs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of LoS, muscular strength and balancing ability, and prevalence of sarcopenia in relation to the presence of LoS according to sex and age groups ranging between 50 and 89 years.

Methods: Male and female participants between the ages of 50-89 were randomly selected in the resident registry of a cooperating town.

Discrimination of psychrotolerant Bacillus cereus group based on MALDI-TOF MS analysis of ribosomal subunit proteins.

Psychrotolerant species of the Bacillus cereus group, Bacillus mycoides and Bacillus weihenstephanensis, can grow at ≥ 7 °C and are significant concerns for the food industry due to their ability to cause spoilage of refrigerated food. In addition to that, some strains of B. weihenstephanensis can produce emetic toxin, namely cereulide, which is known to cause vomiting.

Impaired nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD ) metabolism in diabetes and diabetic tissues: Implications for nicotinamide-related compound treatment.

One of the biochemical abnormalities found in diabetic tissues is a decrease in the cytosolic oxidized to reduced forms of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ratio (NAD /NADH also known as pseudohypoxia) caused by oxidation of excessive substrates (glucose through the polyol pathway, free fatty acids and lactate). Subsequently, a decline in NAD levels as a result of the activation of poly adenine nucleotide diphosphate-ribose polymerase (mainly in type 1 diabetes) or the inhibition of adenine nucleotide monophosphate-activated protein kinase (in type 2 diabetes). Thus, replenishment of NAD levels by nicotinamide-related compounds could be beneficial.

Development of a quantitative, portable, and automated fluorescent blue-ray device-based malaria diagnostic equipment with an on-disc SiO nanofiber filter.

There is an urgent need to develop an automated malaria diagnostic system that can easily and rapidly detect malaria parasites and determine the proportion of malaria-infected erythrocytes in the clinical blood samples. In this study, we developed a quantitative, mobile, and fully automated malaria diagnostic system equipped with an on-disc SiO nanofiber filter and blue-ray devices. The filter removes the leukocytes and platelets from the blood samples, which interfere with the accurate detection of malaria by the blue-ray devices.

Impact of oxidative posttranslational modifications of SERCA2 on heart failure exacerbation in young patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy: A pilot study.

Background: Oxidative posttranslational modifications (OPTM) impair the function of Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca) ATPase (SERCA) 2 and trigger cytosolic Ca dysregulation. We investigated the extent of OPTM of SERCA2 in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM).

Methods And Results: Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) was obtained in 40 consecutive patients with NICM.