Effect of Johrei therapy on sleep in a murine model.

Context: Sleep deprivation is an underrecognized problem that afflicts our society and can lead to reductions in vitality. However, vitality can be improved by Johrei therapy. We experimented on animals to distinguish the potential benefits of Johrei therapy independent of placebo effects.

Control of breathing during mechanical ventilation: who is the boss?

Over the past decade, concepts of control of breathing have increasingly moved from being theoretical concepts to "real world" applied science. The purpose of this review is to examine the basics of control of breathing, discuss the bidirectional relationship between control of breathing and mechanical ventilation, and critically assess the application of this knowledge at the patient's bedside. The principles of control of breathing remain under-represented in the training curriculum of respiratory therapists and pulmonologists, whereas the day-to-day bedside application of the principles of control of breathing continues to suffer from a lack of outcomes-based research in the intensive care unit.

Increased levels of mucins in the cystic fibrosis mouse small intestine, and modulator effects of the Muc1 mucin expression.

The mouse model (Cftr(tm1UNC)/Cftr(tm1UNC)) for cystic fibrosis (CF) shows mucus accumulation and increased Muc1 mucin mRNA levels due to altered splicing (Hinojosa-Kurtzberg AM, Johansson MEV, Madsen CS, Hansson GC, and Gendler SJ. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 284: G853-G862, 2003). However, it is not known whether Muc1 is a major mucin contributing to the increased mucus and why CF/Muc1-/- mice show lower mucus accumulation.

Novel MUC1 splice variants contribute to mucin overexpression in CFTR-deficient mice.

A cystic fibrosis (CF) mouse expressing the human mucin MUC1 transgene (CFM) reverted the CF/Muc1(-/-) phenotype (little mucus accumulated in the intestine) to that of CF mice expressing mouse Muc1, which exhibited increased mucus accumulation. Western blots and immunohistochemical analysis showed that the MUC1 protein was markedly increased in CFM mice in which it was both membrane bound and secreted into the intestinal lumen. Studies to determine the reason for increased levels of the extracellular domain of MUC1 mucin identified mRNA and protein of two novel splice variants and the previously described secreted MUC1 lacking the cytoplasmic tail (MUC1/SEC).

Intestinal mucins from cystic fibrosis mice show increased fucosylation due to an induced Fucalpha1-2 glycosyltransferase.

In gene-targeted mouse models for cystic fibrosis (CF), the disease is mainly manifested by mucus obstruction in the intestine. To explore the mucus composition, mucins insoluble and soluble in 6 M guanidinium chloride were purified by three rounds of isopycnic ultracentrifugation from the small and large intestines of CF mice (Cftr(m1UNC)/Cftr(m1UNC)) and compared with wild-type mice. The amino acid composition was typical of that for mucins and showed increased amounts of the insoluble (2.