Caste-specific storage of dopamine-related substances in the brains of four Polistes paper wasp species.

How the role of dopamine differs according to the evolution of eusociality and how it is required in the flexible society of Polistes paper wasps need further clarification. In the present study, we compared the storage and usage of dopamine-related substances in brains between the castes of paper wasps. The head widths, lipid stores in the abdomen, and levels of biogenic amines in the brains were measured in newly emerged females before male emergence (workers) and after male emergence (gynes) in four Polistes species.

Genes associated with hot defensive bee ball in the Japanese honeybee, Apis cerana japonica.

Background: The Japanese honeybee, Apis cerana japonica, shows a specific defensive behavior, known as a "hot defensive bee ball," used against the giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia. Hundreds of honeybee workers surround a hornet and make a "bee ball" during this behavior. They maintain the ball for around 30 min, and its core temperature can reach 46.

Yokukansankachimpihange Is Useful to Treat Behavioral/Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.

Yokukansankachimpihange is a Japanese herbal medicine reported to benefit anxiety and sleep disorders, and it has recently been introduced to treat behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. There are no multicenter studies of its effectiveness regarding dementia in Japan, and this study's main objective was to clarify the effects of Yokukansankachimpihange on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in a sample of patients from multiple healthcare centers. Nine facilities affiliated with Osaka Association of Psychiatric Clinics participated in November 2013 through April 2015 and provided 32 Alzheimer's disease patients to whom Yokukansankachimpihange was orally administered for 8 weeks.

Neural activity mapping of bumble bee (Bombus ignitus) brains during foraging flight using immediate early genes.

Honey bees and bumble bees belong to the same family (Apidae) and their workers exhibit a division of labor, but the style of division of labor differs between species. The molecular and neural bases of the species-specific social behaviors of Apidae workers have not been analyzed. Here, we focused on two immediate early genes, hormone receptor 38 (HR38) and early growth response gene-1 (Egr1), and late-upregulated ecdysone receptor (EcR), all of which are upregulated by foraging flight and expressed preferentially in the small-type Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies (MBs) in the honey bee brain.

The Accessory Olfactory System Facilitates the Recovery of the Attraction to Familiar Volatile Female Odors in Male Mice.

Odors in female mice induce sexual arousal in male mice. Repeated exposure to female odors attenuates male attraction, which recovers when the odors are removed. The neuronal mechanisms for the recovery of male attraction have not been clarified.

Silicon precipitation via photoinduced reaction using femtosecond laser.

Silicon precipitation inside a glass is an important technique for silicon photonics. We successfully precipitated silicon inside silicate glasses containing an Al metal film using femtosecond laser irradiation. First, the Al-inserted sandwiched glass was fabricated by the direct bonding method.

Two types of cation channel activated by stimulation of muscarinic receptors in guinea-pig urinary bladder smooth muscle.

The present study, aiming to elucidate ion channel mechanisms underlying muscarinic receptor-induced depolarization, has characterized membrane currents induced by carbachol in single guinea-pig urinary bladder myocytes. Application of carbachol to cells that were voltage-clamped at -50 mV produced an atropine-sensitive, biphasic inward current consisting of an initial peak followed by a smaller sustained phase. Replacing the extracellular Na+ and intracellular Cl(-) with impermeable tris+ and glutamate(-), respectively, demonstrated that the biphasic current is entirely composed of cation currents.

Improved calcium utilization at motor nerve terminals exposed to botulinum neurotoxin in mice.

We examined the fail-safe responses against low-dose botulinum intoxication (botulinum neurotoxin serotype A; 0.05 ng/35 g body weight) in electrically activated in vitro phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations, since sustained ventilation is critical for the prognosis of clinical botulinum intoxication. At 0, 1, 2 and 4 wks after the peritoneal injection of the toxin, both contractility and neurotransmitter release were measured.

Bovine lactoferrin stimulates anchorage-independent cell growth via membrane-associated chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate proteoglycans in PC12 cells.

Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is an iron-binding secretory protein present in breast milk, mucosal secretions, and the secondary granules of neutrophils. Although bLf has multiple functions, including antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities, its effect on neuronal cells is not fully understood. We report that bLf prevents cell adhesion of PC12 cells and allows them to be cultivated in suspension.

Three distinct muscarinic signalling pathways for cationic channel activation in mouse gut smooth muscle cells.

Using mutant mice genetically lacking certain subtypes of muscarinic receptor, we have studied muscarinic signal pathways mediating cationic channel activation in intestinal smooth muscle cells. In cells from M2 subtype-knockout (M2-KO) or M3-KO mice, carbachol (100 microM) evoked a muscarinic cationic current (mI(Cat)) as small as approximately 10% of mI(Cat) in wild-type (WT) cells. No appreciable current was evoked in M2/M3 double-KO cells.

Chronic intracerebroventricular administration of anti-neuropeptide Y antibody stimulates starvation-induced feeding via compensatory responses in the hypothalamus.

To investigate how compensatory responses develop after the onset of inhibition of NPY signaling, we examined the effect of continuous intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of neutralizing NPY antibodies (NPY-ab) on daily and fast-induced food intake in mice. A single ICV injection of NPY-ab reduced food intake in fasted mice. In contrast to a single injection, continuous ICV injection of NPY-ab for 13 days increased fast-induced food intake, although daily food intake was unaffected by continuous administration of NPY-ab.

Sex steroids modulate the signals from volatile female odors in the accessory olfactory bulb of male mice.

We previously reported that male mice detect volatile female odors via the accessory olfactory system, and that these odors activate granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) with a characteristic pattern. We also reported that sex steroids modulate the attraction of male mice to volatile female odors. The present study investigated hormonal modulation of signals from volatile female odors in the AOB with c-Fos immunostaining.

Survey of coccidial oocysts and parasite eggs in feces of free-ranging Grus japonensis.

Fecal survey of Eimeria oocysts and parasite eggs was conducted for 219 fecal samples of free-ranging Grus japonensis in Kushiro district in Hokkaido in April 2003. Positive rate and mean oocysts (or eggs) per gram in positive samples were 26% (57/219) and 8.8 (0.

The mesencephalic trigeminal sensory nucleus is involved in acquisition of active exploratory behavior induced by changing from a diet of exclusively milk formula to food pellets in mice.

Post-weaning mice fed exclusively milk display low-frequency exploratory behavior [Ishii, T., Itou, T., and Nishimura, M.

Administration of xenobiotics with anti-estrogenic effects results in mRNA induction of adult male-specific cytochrome P450 isozymes in the livers of adult female rats.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) catalyzes the oxidation of many endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. The expression of CYP isozymes are modulated by endogenous hormones and xenobiotics. We found that, although CYP2C11 and CYP3A2 are adult male-specific isozymes, they are also expressed in prepubertal female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.

Comparison of the antioxidant activity of roasted tea with green, oolong, and black teas.

Although the antioxidant properties of green, oolong, and black teas have been well studied, antioxidant activity has not been examined in roasted tea. Therefore, in the current studies, we investigated the antioxidant activity of roasted tea in comparison with those of green, oolong, and black teas. Using water extracts of the various teas, we examined the total phenolic content as well as the antioxidant activities, including the reducing power, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and the inhibition of hemolysis caused by 2,2'-azo-bis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced lipid oxidation in erythrocyte membranes.

Characterization of muscarinic receptor-mediated cationic currents in longitudinal smooth muscle cells of mouse small intestine.

In mouse intestinal smooth muscle cells held at -50 mV, carbachol evoked an atropine-sensitive inward current in the intracellular presence of Cs(+). The current response consisted of an initial peak followed by a smaller plateau component on which oscillatory currents frequently arose. Results from various experimental procedures indicated that the inward current is a muscarinic receptor-operated cationic current (mI(cat)) sensitive to cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and that the initial peak and oscillatory components are contaminated by Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) currents.

A competitive effect of androgen signaling on male mouse attraction to volatile female mouse odors.

Olfaction plays an important role in animal communication. We hypothesized that males recognize the attractive volatile odors attributed to female reproductive ability. We measured the period during which a male mouse spent sniffing volatile odors from a sham-operated female mouse or an ovariectomized mouse without visual or tactile contact.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in sika deer from eastern Hokkaido, Japan.

Brain and serum were collected from 120 and 12 free-ranging sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis), respectively, from six regions in eastern Hokkaido during controlled hunts in the autumn of 2003. Brains were tested for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were measured by means of a latex agglutination test.

Comparison of growth and exploratory behavior in mice fed an exclusively milk formula diet and mice fed a food-pellet diet post weaning.

An exclusively milk formula diet stunted the growth of mice immediately following weaning. Milk-fed mice displayed a low-frequency profile of exploratory behavior, while pellet-fed mice showed high-frequency exploration. In contrast to exploratory behavior, feeding behavior did not differ significantly between milk- and pellet-fed mice.

Preference for safflower oil in rats exposed to a cold environment under free-feeding conditions.

There are several benefits to a high-fat diet for animals exposed to cold, including improved tolerance to severe cold conditions and increased survival rates in cold environments. It is therefore of interest to examine whether animals exposed to cold will selectively consume lipids. We examined the intake of safflower oil (SO) by rats exposed to cold (4 +/- 2 degrees C) under a feeding condition in which the rats were given free access to SO.

Genetic profile and serosurvey for virus infections of Japanese wild boars in Shikoku Island.

To estimate the genetic background of Japanese wild boars inhibiting the 4 prefectures of Shikoku Island (Kagawa, Tokushima, Kouchi and Ehime), we examined haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and genotypes of the nuclear glucosephosphate isomerase-processed pseudogene (GPIP) in 189 wild boars. Of the 8 different mtDNA haplotypes (J5, J10, J12, J13, J15, J19, J20 and E33) detected in Shikoku Island, the first to be identified were J19 and J20 (of Japanese wild boar lineage) and E33 (of European domestic pig lineage). The presence of haplotype E33 indicates local crossbreeding between wild boar and escaped domestic pigs and/or crossbred Inobuta.

The mesencephalic trigeminal sensory nucleus is involved in the control of feeding and exploratory behavior in mice.

The mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (Me5), which receives input from oral proprioceptors and projects to higher brain regions, is involved in mastication-induced modulation of satiation. To investigate how the Me5 is involved in the control of feeding and exploratory behavior, we examined the effect of bilateral electrolytic lesions of the Me5 on feeding and exploratory behavior in mice. Mouse feeding and exploratory behaviors were analyzed using a food-search-compulsion-apparatus (FSCA), which was designed to distinguish between the two behaviors under standard living conditions.

Surveillance of chronic wasting disease in sika deer, Cervus nippon, from Tokachi district in Hokkaido.

Surveillance of chronic wasting disease (CWD) was conducted by performing Western blot analysis of tissue samples from 136 sika deer (Cervus nippon) killed by hunters in the Tokachi district of Hokkaido Island. No prion protein (PrPSc) associated with CWD was detected in any of the samples. To assess amino acid polymorphisms of the sika deer PrP gene, nucleotide sequencing of the PrP gene was performed.

Propylene glycol releases calcium from mitochondrial stores in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes.

In Ca2+-free medium, propylene glycol (PG) increases the cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes. In the current studies, the authors investigated the intracellular source of this Ca2+. PG (0.