Comparison between febuxostat and allopurinol uric acid-lowering therapy in patients with chronic heart failure and hyperuricemia: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) is a common and highly morbid cardiovascular disorder. Oxidative stress worsens HF, and uric acid (UA) is a useful oxidative stress marker. The novel anti-hyperuricemic drug febuxostat is a potent non-purine selective xanthine oxidase inhibitor.

Mitochondrial-Targeted Antioxidant Maintains Blood Flow, Mitochondrial Function, and Redox Balance in Old Mice Following Prolonged Limb Ischemia.

Aging is a major factor in the decline of limb blood flow with ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) with regard to limb perfusion recovery in aging during ischemia.

Resolution of mitochondrial oxidant stress improves aged-cardiovascular performance.

Background: Senescence is a major factor that increases oxidative stress in mitochondria, which contributes toward the pathogenesis of heart disease. However, the effect of antioxidant therapy on cardiac mitochondria in aged-cardiac performance remains elusive.

Objectives: We postulated that the mitochondrial targeting of superoxide scavenging would have benefits in the aged heart.

Recent progress in development of transgenic silkworms overexpressing recombinant human proteins with therapeutic potential in silk glands.

Since 2000, transgenic silkworms have been developed to produce recombinant proteins with therapeutic potential for future clinical use, including antibody preparations. Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are inherited metabolic disorders caused by mutations of lysosomal enzymes associated with excessive accumulation of natural substrates and neurovisceral symptoms. Over the past few years, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with human lysosomal enzymes produced by genetically engineered mammalian cell lines has been used clinically to treat several patients with an LSD involving multi-organ symptoms.

Senescence marker protein-30 deficiency impairs angiogenesis under ischemia.

Aging decreases collateral-dependent flow recovery following acute arterial obstruction. However, the mechanisms are partially understood, therefore critical management has been lacked in clinical setting. Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) is a novel aging marker, which is assumed to act as an anti-aging factor in various organs.

Predominance of Abdominal Visceral Adipose Tissue Reflects the Presence of Aortic Valve Calcification.

Background. Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is a common feature of aging and is related to coronary artery disease. Although abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) plays fundamental roles in coronary artery disease, the relationship between abdominal VAT and AVC is not fully understood.

Epicardial adipose tissue reflects the presence of coronary artery disease: comparison with abdominal visceral adipose tissue.

Accumulation of visceral adipose tissue is associated with a risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to examine whether different types of adipose tissue depot may play differential roles in the progression of CAD. Consecutive 174 patients who underwent both computed tomography (CT) and echocardiography were analyzed.

Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) deficiency impairs myocardium-induced dilation of coronary arterioles associated with reactive oxygen species.

Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) decreases with aging. Mice with SMP30 deficiency, a model of aging, have a short lifespan with increased oxidant stress. To elucidate SMP30's effect on coronary circulation derived from myocytes, we measured the changes in the diameter of isolated coronary arterioles in wild-type (WT) mice exposed to supernatant collected from isolated paced cardiac myocytes from SMP30 KO or WT mice.

Coronary artery spasm related to thiol oxidation and senescence marker protein-30 in aging.

Background: Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) decreases with aging, and SMP30 knockout (KO) mice show a short life with increased oxidant stress.

Aims: We assessed the effect of oxidant stress with SMP30 deficiency in coronary artery spasm and clarify its underlying mechanisms.

Results: We measured vascular responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) of isolated coronary arteries from SMP30 KO and wild-type (WT) mice.

Age-related oxidant stress with senescence marker protein-30 deficiency plays a pivotal role in coronary artery spasm.

Objectives: We examined the mechanism of coronary artery spasm related to oxidant stress with aging in senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30)-deficient mice because SMP30 decreases with aging and SMP30 knockout (KO) mice show a short life with increased oxidant stress.

Methods: To examine the effect of SMP30 on coronary artery vasomotor tone, we measured the endothelium-dependent [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] response of isolated, pressurized coronary arteries from SMP30 KO and wild-type (WT) mice (n=10 each).

Results: In SMP30 KO mice, 5-HT-induced vasoconstriction occurred, which altered vasodilation with dithiothreitol, a thiol-reducing agent.

Aging impairs myocardium-induced dilation in coronary arterioles: role of hydrogen peroxide and angiotensin.

The mechanisms that drive age-related modifications of coronary circulation by myocardium have not been fully defined. To elucidate the aging effect on myocyte-induced vascular response, we measured changes in the diameter of isolated coronary arterioles to supernatant collected from isolated cardiac myocytes of young (2 mo) and old (24 mo) rats (stimulated at 400 beats/min, n=10, each). The H(2)O(2) level in pacing myocyte supernatant was greater in old rats than in young ones (15.

Metabolic regulation of coronary vascular tone: role of hydrogen peroxide, purinergic components, and angiotensin.

Metabolic regulation plays an important role in modifying coronary vascular tone. We hypothesized that hydrogen peroxide, purinergic components, and angiotensin, produced by cardiac myocytes control coronary vascular tone in proportion to metabolism. We measured changes in the diameter of isolated, pressurized coronary arterioles in response to supernatant from isolated cardiac myocytes in rats (stimulated for 20-, 60-, and 120-min at 400 bpm).

Development of an advanced biological treatment system applied to the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus using the sludge ceramics.

To develop a method of forming lake sediment into sludge ceramics with porosity and good biological adhesion for use as a medium for microorganisms in wastewater treatment, a study of the effects of forming conditions was conducted by adjusting the water content of sludge and compounding some additives. By adjusting the water content of the raw material at the kneading/pelletizing step to 40-42% and adding 3% waste glass to the raw materials to make up for the lack of flux, a sludge ceramic with a density in terms of specific gravity of saturated surface dry aggregate of about 1400 kg m(-3) was formed. In addition, to develop a small-scale wastewater treatment system capable of removing nitrogen and phosphorus, a sludge ceramic was applied as a medium for biological filtration.

Mulberry moracins: scavengers of UV stress-generated free radicals.

Mulberry leaves treated with UV-C were found to accumulate three different phytoalexins, moracin C, moracin N, and chalcomoracin. The increased level of malondialdehyde in UV-treated leaves along with moracins suggested their role as a free-radical scavenger in stressed plants. All the three moracins induced under UV stress were capable of scavenging the superoxide anion generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system.

Transgenic expression of cecropin B, an antibacterial peptide from Bombyx mori, confers enhanced resistance to bacterial leaf blight in rice.

The short persistence of cecropin B peptide in plants, due to post-translational degradation, is a serious impediment in its effective utilization for developing bacterial resistance transgenic plants. Two DNA constructs encoding the full-length precursor of cecropin B peptide and the mature sequence of cecropin B peptide preceded by a signal peptide derived from rice chitinase gene were transformed in rice. The differences in the transcriptional levels in independent transgenic lines showed moderate to high expression of cecropin B gene that correlated well with the differences in cecropin B accumulation observed by Western blot analysis.

Production of fertile transgenic barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plant using the hygromycin-resistance marker.

Fertile transgenic barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants were obtained by high velocity particle bombardment. The plasmid pBCl was used to deliver the selectable hph gene and reporter Gus gene into immature embryo.

Stem-loop structures at the 3' end of tobacco Rubisco large subunit mRNA.

There are two inverted repeat nucleotide (nt) sequences, each capable of forming a stem-loop structure (sls) at the 3' end of the tobacco Rubisco large subunit mRNA (rbcL). The smaller sls is followed by a larger sls. The in vivo functions of the 3' sls of the rbcL mRNA were characterized using the Escherichia coli system.

X-ray tomographical observations of the interrelationships among structures of the nasal airway.

In order to elucidate upon the interrelationships among the different structures in and around the nasal cavity, the noses of 95 adults without severe rhinitis, paranasal sinusitis, cysts or tumors were examined by means of X-ray tomography. The results indicate a close correlation between the width of the nasal cavity and 1) the width of the maxillary sinus, 2) the size, form and height of the inferior turbinate, 3) the size of the middle turbinate or 4) the nasal septal deviation; between the height of the nasal cavity and the length and height of the inferior turbinate or the length of the middle turbinate, and also between the degree of septal deviation and the width of the nasal cavity, the nasal meatus or olfactory slit or the form of the inferior turbinate. In conclusion, it is recognized that correction of the abnormal interrelationships among the different structures is important for functional nasal surgery.