[A case of repeated severe hypoglycemia caused by accidental ingestion of sulfonylurea in an elderly patient].

An 81-year-old man was being treated with oral medication for chronic heart failure and epilepsy. He had no history of diabetes, cirrhosis, or gastric surgery. He was admitted to our hospital due to disturbance of consciousness.

Serine metabolism contributes to cell survival by regulating extracellular pH and providing an energy source in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Changes in extracellular pH affect the homeostasis and survival of unicellular organisms. Supplementation of culture media with amino acids can extend the lifespan of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, by alleviating the decrease in pH. However, the optimal amino acids to use to achieve this end, and the underlying mechanisms involved, remain unclear.

Role of Chitinase 3-Like 1 Protein in the Pathogenesis of Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

A recently discovered human glycoprotein, chitinase 3-like 1 (Chi3L1), may play a role in inflammation, tissue remodeling, and visceral fat accumulation. We hypothesize that Chi3L1 gene expression is important in the development of hepatic insulin resistance characterized by the generation of pAKT, pGSK, and pERK in wild type and Chi3L1 knockout (KO) murine liver following insulin stimulation. The Chi3L1 gene and protein expression was evaluated by Real Time PCR and ELISA; lipid accumulation in hepatocytes was also assessed.

Serial immunological parameters in a phase II trial of exemestane and low-dose oral cyclophosphamide in advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Background And Purpose: Resistance to endocrine therapies in hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer is a significant challenge. Prior studies have shown that low-dose oral cyclophosphamide can transiently deplete regulatory T cells (Tregs) and improve anti-tumor immunity. We investigated the combination of exemestane with cyclophosphamide in patients with advanced HR-positive breast cancer and assessed changes in circulating immune cell subsets.

Syntheses and properties of elastic copoly(ester-urethane)s containing a phospholipid moiety and the fabrication of nanosheets.

In these years, we have investigated the syntheses of novel diamine and diol monomers containing phosphorylcholine (PC) group to obtain biocompatible polymers, the backbone components of which were thermally stable and mechanically strong. In this study, the preparations of elastic copoly(ester-urethane)s containing PC group and polycarbonate segment were carried out by polycondensation and polyaddition using a diol monomer containing PC group and polycarbonate diol. It was found that the obtained polymers exhibited the high-thermal stability up to 200 °C and the elasticity derived from the soft segment.

Delayed ossification in Wistar rats induced by Morinda citrifolia L. exposure during pregnancy.

Unlabelled: Different products of plant Morinda citrifolia L. (noni) have been marketed and used around the world based on properties described by Polynesian people that use them for more than 2000 years. Marketing of these products is based on their presumptive phytotherapic properties.

alpha-Klotho as a regulator of calcium homeostasis.

alpha-klotho was identified as a gene associated with premature aging-like phenotypes characterized by short lifespan. In mice, we found the molecular association of alpha-Klotho (alpha-Kl) and Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase) and provide evidence for an increase of abundance of Na+,K+-ATPase at the plasma membrane. Low concentrations of extracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]e) rapidly induce regulated parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in an alpha-Kl- and Na+,K+-ATPase-dependent manner.

Morphological mechanism of the development of pulmonary emphysema in klotho mice.

The concept of fractal geometry is useful for the analysis of irregular and complex structures often seen in nature. Here we apply this concept to investigate the structural mechanism of the development of pulmonary emphysema in the klotho mouse, which, after milk feeding, exhibits characteristics resembling aging and develops emphysema. We calculated the relationships between perimeter and size characterizing shape and between cumulative frequency and size of the terminal air spaces identified from histologic slides and found that both relations followed a power law with fractal properties.

Secreted Klotho protein in sera and CSF: implication for post-translational cleavage in release of Klotho protein from cell membrane.

Klotho mutant mice exhibit a set of phenotypes resembling human ageing. Although the function of Klotho remains unclear, mediation of its pleiotropic functions by putative humoral factor(s) has been presumed. Newly established antibodies against Klotho allowed the detection of secreted Klotho, a candidate for the putative humoral factor, in sera and cerebrospinal fluid.

Klotho is a novel beta-glucuronidase capable of hydrolyzing steroid beta-glucuronides.

klotho mutant mice provide a unique model to analyze mechanisms of aging because their phenotypes resemble those of human aging-associated disorders. The klotho gene encodes Klotho, a type I membrane protein that shares sequence similarity with members of the glycosidase family 1. Because Klotho lacks the glutamic acid residues that have been shown to be involved in the catalytic activity of this family of enzymes, the function of this protein was unknown.

Establishment of the anti-Klotho monoclonal antibodies and detection of Klotho protein in kidneys.

A novel gene, klotho (kl), which is involved in the development of a syndrome resembling human aging in mice, was recently identified. The kl gene encodes a single-pass membrane protein whose extracellular domain carries homology to beta-glucosidases. There also exists a splice variant of kl mRNA which encodes a putative secreted protein in both human and mouse.