Distribution and toxicity evaluation of ZnO dispersion nanoparticles in single intravenously exposed mice.

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in various commercial products. Application of ZnO NPs is expected to apply to cancer diagnosis and therapy, used as drug delivery carriers. In the present study, the lethal dose 50 (LD50) of intravenously administered ZnO NPs (0.

Field trial of GABA-fortified rice plants and oral administration of milled rice in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Hypertension is one of the most critical risk factors accompanying cardiovascular diseases. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid that functions as a major neurotransmitter in mammals and also as a blood-pressure lowering agent. We previously produced GABA-fortified rice lines of a popular Japonica rice cultivar 'Koshihikari' by genetic manipulation of GABA shunt-related genes.

Intermittent chemotherapy can retain the therapeutic potential of anti-CD137 antibody during the late tumor-bearing state.

Immunomodulating monoclonal antibodies (mAb) can evoke antitumor T-cell responses, which are attenuated by regulatory T cells (Treg) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Treatment with cyclophosphamide (CP) and gemcitabine (GEM) can mitigate the immunosuppression by Treg and MDSC, respectively. In the current study, we examined the antitumor effects of a combination of local injection with anti-CD137 mAb and intermittent low-dose chemotherapy using CP and GEM in subcutaneously established CT26 colon carcinoma.

Pifithrin-μ, an inhibitor of heat-shock protein 70, can increase the antitumor effects of hyperthermia against human prostate cancer cells.

Hyperthermia (HT) improves the efficacy of anti-cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, HT also inevitably evokes stress responses and increases the expression of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) in cancer cells. Among the HSPs, HSP70 is known as a pro-survival protein.

Butyric acid attenuates intestinal inflammation in murine DSS-induced colitis model via milk fat globule-EGF factor 8.

Butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid and one of the main metabolites of intestinal microbial fermentation of dietary fiber, has been shown to have an important role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosa, while it also has been shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. However, the precise mechanisms underlying those effects have not been fully identified. We exposed colonic epithelial cells to butyric acid, then extracted total RNA samples, and subsequently hybridized them to microarray chips.

Sublingual Immunotherapy Induces Regulatory Function of IL-10-Expressing CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T Cells of Cervical Lymph Nodes in Murine Allergic Rhinitis Model.

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been considered to be a painless and efficacious therapeutic treatment of allergic rhinitis which is known as type I allergy of nasal mucosa. Nevertheless, its mechanisms need to be further investigated. In this study, we constructed an effective murine model of sublingual immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis, in which mice were sublingually administered with ovalbumin (OVA) followed by intraperitoneal sensitization and nasal challenge of OVA.

Metronomic chemotherapy with low-dose cyclophosphamide plus gemcitabine can induce anti-tumor T cell immunity in vivo.

Several chemotherapeutic drugs have immune-modulating effects. For example, cyclophosphamide (CP) and gemcitabine (GEM) diminish immunosuppression by regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), respectively. Here, we show that intermittent (metronomic) chemotherapy with low-dose CP plus GEM can induce anti-tumor T cell immunity in CT26 colon carcinoma-bearing mice.

Color preferences of laboratory mice for bedding materials: evaluation using radiotelemetry.

Preferences for different housing conditions in mice were evaluated by radiotelemetry. Male C57BL/6J and ICR mice were used. Preference for bedding materials in mice was compared among three materials, wood shavings (WS), paper (CF) and cloth (AG), using the length of stay in cages as a parameter.

A novel fusicoccin derivative preferentially targets hypoxic tumor cells and inhibits tumor growth in xenografts.

Malignant cells in solid tumors survive under prolonged hypoxia and can be a source of resistance to current cancer therapies. Tumor hypoxia is also associated with a more malignant phenotype and poor survival in cancer patients. Recent progress in our understanding of the biology of tumor cells under hypoxia has led to increased attention on targeting hypoxia for cancer therapy.

Short review on sublingual immunotherapy for patients with allergic rhinitis: from bench to bedside.

Sublingual immunotherapy has been considered to be a painless and effective therapeutic treatment for allergic rhinitis, and is known as type 1 allergy of the nasal mucosa. So far, its mechanism of action has been elucidated employing peripheral blood serum and lymphocytes in an antigen-specific fashion. Because of the limitations in sampling human materials, there is still controversy among many reports between clinical efficacy and laboratory data.

Functional and genetic survey of all known single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the human deoxyribonuclease I gene in wide-ranging ethnic groups.

The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human DNase I gene (DNASE1) might be involved in susceptibility to some common diseases; however, only limited population data are available. Further, the effects of these SNPs on in vivo DNase I activity remain unknown. The genotype and haplotype of all the SNPs in DNASE1 were determined in 3 ethnic groups including 14 populations using newly developed methods.

Immunogenic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin against established murine carcinoma.

Mitigation of regulatory T cell-mediated immunosuppression and elicitation of immunogenic tumor cell death are crucial events for optimal anti-tumor immune activity in vivo. This study was designed to investigate the potential synergistic activity of the combined use of cyclophosphamide (CP) and doxorubicin (DR), both of which are known to resolve these two issues. BALB/c mice were inoculated subcutaneously with CT-26 carcinoma cells in the bilateral flank and treated with an intraperitoneal injection of a low dose of CP followed by an intratumoral injection of DR into one side of the tumor.

Global analysis of genetic variation in human arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT).

Human arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) is known to catalyze the methylation of arsenite. The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of the AS3MT gene at the global level. The distribution of 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AS3MT was performed in 827 individuals from 10 populations (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetans, Sri Lankan Tamils, Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Nepal Tamangs, Ovambo, and Ghanaian).

Evaluation of bedding and nesting materials for laboratory mice by preference tests.

Bedding and nesting materials can improve the health and environmental welfare of laboratory mice. This study was carried out to examine which items are actually preferred by mice. Two series of studies were performed on four types of floor-covering materials (Wood-shavings (Clean-chip), Cloth (Agrebe), Recycled-paper (Paper-clean), Paper (Care-feeaz), and on four types of nesting materials (Recycled-paper (Shepherd-shack), Cloth (Agrebe), Wood (Wood-cylinder), and Polycarbonate (Mouse-igloo).

[Experimental chemotherapy against human esophageal carcinoma xenografts with TS-1, cisplatin and docetaxel].

Three strains of human esophageal carcinoma xenografts established in our institution were tested against combination chemotherapy in vivo and in vitro. TS-1 plus cisplatin (CDDP) was shown to be an effective combination against two carcinoma strains of moderately-differentiated type. Determination of the thymidylate synthase (TS) demonstrated a higher inhibition of the enzyme by adding CDDP to 5-FU, suggesting biochemical modulation.