Acne vulgaris is a complex condition involving factors that affect the pilosebaceous unit. A primary manifestation of acne pathology is the development of comedones, often linked to the overproduction of sebum resulting from 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) and insulin activity. Ozenoxacin is a topical quinolone that exhibits potent antibacterial activity against Cutibacterium acnes (C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShikonin is extracted from the roots of , and shikonin extracts have been shown to have inhibitory effects on several bacteria. However, shikonin extracts are difficult to formulate because of their poor water solubility. In the present study, we prepared a shikonin dispersion, which was solubilized by the inclusion of β-1,3-1,6 glucan, and analysed the inhibitory effects of this dispersion on and non-mutans streptococci.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHydroxyapatite adsorbs various substances, but little is known about the effects on oral bacteria of adsorption onto hydroxyapatite derived from scallop shells. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of adsorption of onto scallop-derived hydroxyapatite. When scallop-derived hydroxyapatite was mixed with , a high proportion of the bacterial cells adsorbed onto the hydroxyapatite in a time-dependent manner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCalciprotein particles (CPPs) are circulating colloidal mineral-protein complexes containing crystalline and/or non-crystalline (amorphous) calcium-phosphate (CaPi). Serum CPP levels correlate with vascular stiffness and calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In vitro studies showed that CPPs containing crystalline CaPi were more arteriosclerogenic and inflammogenic than CPPs without containing crystalline CaPi.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTight junctions (TJs) play important roles in epidermal barrier function and their dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of various skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD). Mucopolysaccharide polysulphate (MPS) is the active ingredient of a moisturizing agent used to treat xerosis in patients with AD; however, its mechanism of action on TJ barrier function remains unclear. To elucidate the effects of MPS on TJs, adult human epidermal keratinocyte (HEKa) cells were exposed to MPS, subjected to Western blotting and quantitative PCR analyses for the investigation of TJ-related factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe in vitro microbicidal activity of benzoyl peroxide against Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Malassezia furfur, Malassezia restricta, and Malassezia globosa was investigated. These strains were incubated for 1 h in the presence of 0.25, 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOzenoxacin is a topical quinolone showing potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and is widely used for the treatment of inflammatory acne. However, the anti-inflammatory activities of ozenoxacin have not been examined so far. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of ozenoxacin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRenal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is closely associated with delayed graft function and poor long-term graft survival following transplantation. Various pathophysiologies can cause the deterioration of renal function; however, the immune system plays important roles in promoting and protecting renal tissues. Receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) is a member of the TNF superfamily and is produced by bone-forming osteoblasts; the receptor for RANKL is called RANK.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe previously reported that a weak current (WC, 0.3-0.5 mA/cm) applied to cells can induce endocytosis to promote cytoplasmic delivery of hydrophilic macromolecules (MW: <70,000), such as dextran and siRNA, which leak from WC-induced endosomes into the cytoplasm (Hasan et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Aggregation of solid-phase calcium-phosphate and fetuin-A form nanoparticles called calciprotein particles (CPP). Serum CPP levels are increased in CKD patients and correlated with vascular stiffness and calcification. In this study, we evaluated effects of lanthanum carbonate (LC) and calcium carbonate (CC) on serum CPP levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn intelligent shRNA expression device (iRed) contains the minimum essential components needed for shRNA production in cells, and could be a novel tool to regulate target genes. However, general delivery carriers consisting of cationic polymers/lipids could impede function of a newly generated shRNA via electrostatic interaction in the cytoplasm. Recently, we found that faint electric treatment (fET) of cells enhanced delivery of siRNA and functional nucleic acids into the cytoplasm in the absence of delivery carriers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with delayed graft function and results in poor long-term graft survival. We previously showed that splenectomy (SPLN) protects the kidney from I/R injury and reduces serum TNF-α levels. Herein, we further investigated the effects of SPLN on inflammatory responses and tissue injury in renal I/R by examining the expression of major inflammatory cytokines and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury of the kidney is closely associated with delayed graft function, increased acute rejection, and late allograft dysfunction. Splenectomy reduced hepatic I/R injury by inhibiting leukocyte infiltration in the liver, release of TNF-α, cell apoptosis, and expression of caspase-3. Thus, we investigated the effects of splenectomy on renal I/R injury in the rat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility that healing processes following repeated injury by nonphysiological dialysate play a significant role in the pathogenesis of peritoneal ultrastructural alteration, mediated by the production of growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins (ECM). To test a possible mechanism for peritoneal membrane alteration, we investigated whether chemically injured peritoneal mesothelial cells and fibroblasts upregulate their production of growth factors and ECM as a consequence of the healing process. Using 1 N NaOH, circular wounds of uniform surface area were made in monolayers of subconfluent rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (RPMC) and peritoneal fibroblasts (RPFB).
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