Preventive Roles of Rice- Extracts and Ergothioneine on Anxiety- and Pain-like Responses under Psychophysical Stress Conditions in Male Mice.

This study determined the effect of daily administration of Rice- on anxiety and nociception in mice subjected to repeated forced swim stress (FST). In a parallel experiment, it was determined whether ergothioneine (EGT) contained in Rice- displayed similar effects. Anxiety and nociception were assessed behaviorally using multiple procedures.

Daily administration of Sake Lees (Sake Kasu) reduced psychophysical stress-induced hyperalgesia and Fos responses in the lumbar spinal dorsal horn evoked by noxious stimulation to the hindpaw in the rats.

We tested whether Sake Lees (SL) had inhibitory effects on hyperalgesia in the hindpaw under psychophysical stress conditions. Male rats were subjected to repeated forced swim stress treatments (FST) from Day -3 to Day -1. Intraperiotoneal administration of SL which contained low concentration of ethanol (SLX) was conducted after each FST.

Potential value of a rice protein extract, containing proteinaceous inhibitors against cysteine proteinases from Porphyromonas gingivalis, for managing periodontal diseases.

Arg-specific gingipain (Rgp) is a major pathogenic determinant of Porphyromonas gingivalis which is a major pathogen in periodontal disease. We prepared protein extracts with Rgp-inhibitory activity from polished rice (Oryza sativa) and evaluated the effects of these extracts on the growth and pathogenicity of P. gingivalis.

Identification of proteinaceous inhibitors of a cysteine proteinase (an Arg-specific gingipain) from Porphyromonas gingivalis in rice grain, using targeted-proteomics approaches.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is known to be a major etiologic agent in the onset and progression of chronic periodontitis. Among various virulence factors that this bacterium produces, Arg- and Lys-specific cysteine proteinases (gingipains) are believed to be major determinants of the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis.

Oryzacystatin-II, a cystatin from rice (Oryza sativa L. japonica), is a dimeric protein: possible involvement of the interconversion between dimer and monomer in the regulation of the reactivity of oryzacystatin-II.

We examined the biochemical and structural properties of oryzacystatin-II, a phytocystatin in rice (Oryza sativa L. japonica), under heat-stress conditions. The enzyme inhibitory reactivity of oryzacystatin-II was enhanced by heating in a temperature-dependent manner and reached a maximum level by heating at 65 degrees C for 10 min.

Contamination of the Shinano River water with mutagenic substances after the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake.

While normally monitoring the Shinano River water quality, including examinations for mutagenicity, the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake suddenly occurred on October 23, 2004. However, the influence of this earthquake on the mutagenicity of river water has not yet been well studied. To clarify the regional and seasonal changes in mutagenicity of the Shinano River water, blue rayon was suspended for 24 hrs at 4 sampling sites, once a month from September 2004 through August 2005.