Publications by authors named "Marunaka Y"

An application of CO/HCO-free solution (Zero-CO) did not increase intracellular pH (pH) in ciliated human nasal epithelial cells (c-hNECs), leading to no increase in frequency (CBF) or amplitude (CBA) of the ciliary beating. This study demonstrated that the pH of c-hNECs expressing carbonic anhydrase IV (CAIV) is high (7.64), while the pH of ciliated human bronchial epithelial cells (c-hBECs) expressing no CAIV is low (7.

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Single cilia, 100 nm in diameter and 10 µm in length, were isolated from mouse tracheae with Triton X-100 (0.02%) treatment, and the effects of pH on ciliary beating were examined by measuring the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and the ciliary bend distance (CBD-an index of amplitude) using a high-speed video microscope (250 fps). ATP (2.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dropped head syndrome (DHS) is a condition linked to neck muscle dysfunction, possibly due to weak neck extensors or tight flexors, and can occur in patients undergoing treatments like chemotherapy.
  • This report details a case involving a 72-year-old man with gastric cancer who developed DHS after the 4th course of adjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, marked by neck heaviness and elevated creatine kinase levels.
  • Treatment adjustments included postponing chemotherapy and starting oral steroids, leading to symptom improvement and normalization of CK levels, suggesting a need to consider oxaliplatin as a potential cause of DHS when symptoms arise.
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With the global trend towards longer life expectancies, there's an increasing emphasis on not just living longer, but also maintaining health and wellbeing into older age. This study explores the efficacy of Ninjin'yoeito (NYT) in the early stages of frailty, a critical period for preventive interventions. Taking account of the knowledge gap regarding the association between early frailty and NYT, we use data from workplace health checkups to examine the relationship between pre-frailty severity and NYT adaption.

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This Special Issue focuses on the significance of ion-transporting proteins, such as ion channels and transporters, providing evidence for their significant contribution to bodily and cellular functions via the regulation of signal transduction and ionic environments [...

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Ambroxol (ABX), a frequently prescribed secretolytic agent which enhances the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and ciliary bend angle (CBA, an index of amplitude) by 30%, activates a voltage-dependent Ca channel (Ca1.2) and a small transient Ca release in the ciliated lung airway epithelial cells (c-LAECs) of mice. The activation of Ca1.

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Physiological roles of Cl, a major anion in the body, are not well known compared with those of cations. This review article introduces: (1) roles of Cl in bodily and cellular functions; (2) the range of cytosolic Cl concentration ([Cl]); (3) whether [Cl] could change with cell volume change under an isosmotic condition; (4) whether [Cl] could change under conditions where multiple Cl transporters and channels contribute to Cl influx and efflux in an isosmotic state; (5) whether the change in [Cl] could be large enough to act as signals; (6) effects of Cl on cytoskeletal tubulin polymerization through inhibition of GTPase activity and tubulin polymerization-dependent biological activity; (7) roles of cytosolic Cl in cell proliferation; (8) Cl-regulatory mechanisms of ciliary motility; (9) roles of Cl in sweet/umami taste receptors; (10) Cl-regulatory mechanisms of with-no-lysine kinase (WNK); (11) roles of Cl in regulation of epithelial Na transport; (12) relationship between roles of Cl and H in body functions.

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Background: CYFRA 21 - 1 is a useful marker for diagnosing and monitoring lung cancer. However, its stability remains unclear. Moreover, while its applicability to screening is now being investigated, CYFRA 21 - 1 levels in individuals without cancer, who are targets for cancer screening, have not yet been the focus of research.

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and insufficient insulin secretion. It is considered that chronic hyperglycemia causes serious problems due to diabetic complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Primarily, treatment in T2DM is pharmacologically tried by using drugs that are insulin sensitizers, insulin secretagogues, α-glucosidase inhibitors, and glucose transporter inhibitors.

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Insulin resistance is one of the etiologies of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and has been suggested to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease by promoting amyloid-β accumulation. Various causes of insulin resistance have been suggested; however, mechanisms of insulin resistance development remain to be elucidated in many respects. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance is one of the key factors in developing methods to prevent the onset of T2DM and Alzheimer's disease.

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To define a normal range for PSA values (ng/mL) by age and create a prediction model for prostate cancer incidence. We conducted a retrospective analysis using 263,073 observations of PSA values in Japanese men aged 18-98 years (2007-2017), including healthy men and those diagnosed with prostate cancer. Percentiles for 262,639 PSA observations in healthy men aged 18-70 years were calculated and plotted to elucidate the normal fluctuation range for PSA values by age.

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We present a case of 72-year-old man who was diagnosed with gastric cancer that occurred after coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG)with the right gastroepiploic artery(RGEA). Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a 0-â…¡c lesion at the posterior wall of gastric angle, and diagnosis was cStage â… (T2N0M0). Cardiac computed-tomography showed an occlusion of the RGEA graft, suggesting that the RGEA graft could be ligated and dissected.

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Transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) belongs to the TRP ion channel super family and functions as a nonselective cation channel that is highly permeable to calcium. This channel is strongly expressed in skin keratinocytes and is involved in warmth sensation, itch, wound healing and secretion of several cytokines. Previous studies showed that anoctamin1 (ANO1), a calcium-activated chloride channel, was activated by calcium influx through TRPV1, TRPV4 or TRPA1 and that these channel interactions were important for TRP channel-mediated physiological functions.

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The present study tried to clarify if mumefural would prevent hyperglycemia, one of the typical symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), since mumefural is an extract from Japanese apricots preventing hyperglycemia. To clarify if mumefural would prevent T2DM pathogenesis, we used Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats, T2DM model. Mumefural diminished hyperglycemia, HOMA-IR and plasma triglyceride concentration in OLETF rats under fasting conditions.

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Ambroxol (ABX) facilitates the mucociliary clearance (MC) by enhancing ciliary beating in airways. In this study, we focused on airway ciliary beating enhanced by ABX. However, little is known about the ABX-stimulated Ca signalling activating airway ciliary beating.

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The inhibitory action of the secondary bile acid lithocholic acid (LCA) on neurally evoked Cl/HCO secretion was investigated using the Ussing-chambered mucosal-submucosal preparation from the rat distal colon. Electrical field stimulation (EFS) evoked cholinergic and noncholinergic secretory responses in the rat distal colon. The responses were almost completely blocked by TTX (10 M) but not atropine (10 M) or hexamethonium (10 M).

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Ependymal cilia play pivotal roles in cerebrospinal fluid flow. In the primary culture system, undifferentiated glial cells differentiate well into ependymal multiciliated cells (MCCs) in the absence of fetal bovine serum (FBS). However, the substances included in FBS which inhibit this differentiation process have not been clarified yet.

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Cardiac disorders are common conditions associated with a high mortality rate. Due to their potential for causing serious symptoms, it is desirable to constantly monitor cardiac status using an accessible device such as a smartwatch. While electrocardiograms (ECGs) can make the detailed diagnosis of cardiac disorders, the examination is typically performed only once a year for each individual during health checkups, and it requires expert medical practitioners to make comprehensive judgments.

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Microscopic hematuria is being increasingly recognized as a major indicator of kidney deterioration. Persistent hematuria may better detect estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) deterioration and potential glomerulonephritis. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the associations between persistent hematuria: the frequency or consistency of positive dipstick hematuria defined by the preceding 3 years urinalyses, and eGFR deterioration over 5 years and abnormal urinalyses suggesting potential glomerulonephritis (hematuria 1+ or higher, 2+ or higher, proteinuria, and hematuria and proteinuria) 5 years later, among adult participants with positive dipstick hematuria at baseline in a large-scale Japanese health checkup setting (n = 2104).

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Background/aim: Lung cancer is a frequent and fatal cancer that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. CYFRA 21-1 is a serological marker currently used to diagnose and monitor lung cancer; however, its clinical use for screening is controversial. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between serum CYFRA 21-1 levels and clinical confounders.

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Acetylcholine (ACh), which activates muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) and nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs), enhances airway ciliary beating by increasing the intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca]). The mechanisms enhancing airway ciliary beating by nAChRs have remained largely unknown, although those by mAChRs are well understood. In this study, we focused on the effects of α7-nAChRs and voltage-gated Ca channels (Cas) on the airway ciliary beating.

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Background: Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a novel biomarker for cognitive decline based on its association with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). Cerebral microbleeds (MBs) are characteristic of SVD; however, a direct association between MR-proADM and MBs has not been explored.

Objective: We aimed to examine whether circulating levels of MR-proADM are associated with the identification of MBs by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and whether this association could be linked with cognitive impairment.

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Mucociliary clearance, which is conducted by beating cilia cooperating with the surface mucous layer, is a major host defense mechanism of the airway epithelium. Ezrin, a crosslinker between membrane proteins and the actin cytoskeleton, is located in microvilli and around the basal bodies in airway ciliary cells. It is also likely that ezrin plays an important role in apical localization of β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) in airway ciliary cells.

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Xenin-25 has a variety of physiological functions in the gastrointestinal tract, including ion transport and motility. Xenin-25 and neurotensin show sequence homology, especially near their C-terminal regions. The sequence similarity between xenin-25 and neurotensin indicates that the effects of xenin-25 is mediated by the neurotensin receptor but some biological actions of xenin-25 are independent.

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The HCO concentration in venous serum ([HCO]) is a factor commonly used for detecting the body pH and metabolic conditions. To exactly detect [HCO], the venous CO pressure should be kept as it is in the vein. The [HCO] measurement is technically complicated to apply for huge numbers of almost heathy persons taking only basic medical examinations.

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