Blood brain barrier permeability of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, its proliferation-enhancing activity of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, and its preventive effect on age-related cognitive dysfunction in mice.

Background: The consumption of green tea catechins (GTCs) suppresses age-related cognitive dysfunction in mice. GTCs are composed of several catechins, of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant, followed by epigallocatechin (EGC). Orally ingested EGCG is hydrolyzed by intestinal biota to EGC and gallic acid (GA).

Melanin production through novel processing of proopiomelanocortin in the extracellular compartment of the auricular skin of C57BL/6 mice after UV-irradiation.

The production of melanin is regulated by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), which is produced from proopiomelanocortin (POMC). Keratinocytes release POMC along with lower levels of α-MSH and ACTH. To clarify the mechanism of melanogenesis after ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation, this study focused on the expression of POMC and POMC-derived peptides after UV-irradiation.

Novel frame-shift mutation in Slc5a2 encoding SGLT2 in a strain of senescence-accelerated mouse SAMP10.

The senescence-accelerated mouse prone10 (SAMP10) strain, a model of aging, exhibits cognitive impairments and cerebral atrophy. We noticed that SAMP10/TaSlc mice, a SAMP10 substrain, have developed persistent glucosuria over the past few years. In the present study, we characterized SAMP10/TaSlc mice and further identified a spontaneous mutation in the Slc5a2 gene encoding sodium-glucose co-transporter (SGLT) 2.

Expression and release of progalanin in fibroblasts.

Galanin is a neuropeptide expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Galanin is known to be biosynthesized in neural and endocrine cells, but little evidence exists for its synthesis in other cells. In this study, we explored galanin-releasing nonneural cells using radioimmunoassay, finding that some fibroblasts produced and released the galanin-like immunoreactive component (galanin-LI).

The expression of relaxin-3 in adipose tissue and its effects on adipogenesis.

Energy homeostasis is regulated by endocrine factors. The concentration of relaxin-3 in serum is related to body mass index. However, relaxin-3 is found only in the brain and testis.

Anti-stress effect of theanine on students during pharmacy practice: positive correlation among salivary α-amylase activity, trait anxiety and subjective stress.

Purpose: Theanine, an amino acid in tea, has significant anti-stress effect on experimental animals under psychosocial stress. Anti-stress effect of theanine on humans was evaluated in 5th-year university students during pharmacy practice.

Method: The study design was a single-blind group comparison and participants (n=20) were randomly assigned to theanine or placebo groups.

Involvement of plasmin-mediated extracellular activation of progalanin in angiogenesis.

Progalanin is released from the small cell lung carcinoma line SBC-3A and converted to its active form by plasmin. To elucidate the role of progalanin activation in the extracellular compartment, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was studied in SBC-3A cells treated with progalanin siRNA, and angiogenesis was measured in tumor tissue originating from SBC-3A cell transplantation into mice. Progalanin siRNA caused downregulation of progalanin expression for approximately 8 days.

Structure-function relationship of the nuclear localization signal sequence of parathyroid hormone-related protein.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) contains a nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequence within 87-107. NLS sequences are generally capable of penetrating cellular membranes due to a richness of basic amino acid residues, and thus have been used as cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) to translocate biologically active peptides/proteins into cells. The NLS sequence of PTHrP is not exception to this finding; however, PTHrP(87-107) contains 2 acidic glutamate residues at 99 and 101 within the basic amino acid stretch, which is not commonly observed in other CPPs such as HIV-1 Tat(48-60).

Ingestion of theanine, an amino acid in tea, suppresses psychosocial stress in mice.

The antistress effect of theanine (γ-glutamylethylamide), an amino acid in tea, was investigated using mice that were psychosocially stressed from a conflict among male mice in conditions of confrontational housing. Two male mice were housed in the same cage separated by a partition to establish a territorial imperative. When the partition was removed, the mice were co-housed confrontationally.

Expression of galanin and galanin receptor mRNA in skin during the formation of granulation tissue.

Galanin is a neuropeptide widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Although its role in non-neural cells is poorly understood, it is known that during inflammation, the dermis layer of the skin produces and releases galanin. The aim of this report is to study the expression of galanin in granulation tissue.

Rigorous non-Born-Oppenheimer theory: combination of explicitly correlated Gaussian method and nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital theory.

The present study proposes a rigorous non-Born-Oppenheimer theory combining between the explicitly correlated Gaussian (ECG) method and the nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital (NOMO) method. The new method, called ECG-NOMO, adopts the ECG functions between the electronic and nuclear coordinates and, therefore, is capable of describing the nucleus-electron correlation effect accurately. The basic formalism of the ECG-NOMO method is close to the NOMO method, which starts with the Hartree-Fock type equations for NOs and MOs.

Plasmin: its role in the extracellular processing of progalanin in tumor tissue.

Galanin is a neuropeptide that is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. In a previous study, we showed that a small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell line, SBC-3A, released progalanin but not galanin, and that progalanin was then converted to galanin(1-20), the active form. Because the galanin(1-20) had undergone hydrolysis at Arg and Lys residues, the protease concerned was surmised to have a trypsin-like activity.

Activation of large form galanin-LI by extracellular processing in small cell lung carcinoma tissue.

Galanin is a neuropeptide that is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Some small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell lines such as SBC-3A release only the high-molecular-mass form, with lower molecular mass forms being undetectable. To investigate the mechanism of processing of progalanin to active peptide, we studied galanin-LI in both the culture media of SBC-3A cells and in extracts from in vivo mouse SBC-3A tumors.

Theanine intake improves the shortened lifespan, cognitive dysfunction and behavioural depression that are induced by chronic psychosocial stress in mice.

To evaluate the psychosocial effect on lifespan and cognitive function, this study investigated the effect of confrontational housing on mice because conflict among male mice is a psychosocial stress. In addition, it investigated the anti-stress effect of theanine (γ-glutamylethylamide), an amino acid in tea. Mice were housed under confrontation.

Beta-cryptoxanthin, plentiful in Japanese mandarin orange, prevents age-related cognitive dysfunction and oxidative damage in senescence-accelerated mouse brain.

Increased oxidative stress is known to accelerate age-related pathologies. Beta-cryptoxanthin (β-CRX, (3R)-β,β-caroten-3-ol) is a potent antioxidant that is highly rich in Satsuma mandarin orange (mandarin), which is the most popular fruit in Japan. We investigated the antioxidative and anti-aging effects of β-CRX and mandarin using senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP10), which were characterized by a short lifespan, high generation of superoxide anions in the brain and poor learning ability with aging.

Proteinase-activated receptors-1 and 2 induce electrogenic Cl- secretion in the mouse cecum by distinct mechanisms.

Proteinase-activated receptors (PAR(1)-PAR(4)) belong to a family of G protein-coupled receptors that are cleaved by proteases. Previous in vitro studies on the mouse large intestine have indicated that PAR(1) and PAR(2) were involved in regulating epithelial ion transport, but that their roles were different between the proximal and distal colon. This present study was done to elucidate the roles of PAR(1) and PAR(2) in regulating anion secretion in the cecum, another segment of the large intestine.

Protection of brain and pancreas from high-fat diet: effects of catechin and caffeine.

To investigate the effect of a high-fat diet on brain and pancreas functions, we used SAMP10 mice that have characteristics of brain atrophy and cognitive dysfunction with aging. Simultaneously, we investigated the effect of green tea catechin consumption on high-fat diet feeding, because green tea catechin has been reported to improve brain atrophy, brain dysfunction and obesity. The body weight of mice fed a high-fat diet from 2 to 12 months was higher than that of the control, although the calorie intake was not.

Age-related increase of superoxide generation in the brains of mammals and birds.

Oxidative stress, an imbalance between endogenous levels of oxygen radicals and antioxidative defense, increases with aging. However, it is not clear which of these two factors is the more critical. To clarify the production of oxygen radicals increases with age, we examined oxygen radical-dependent chemiluminescent signals in ex vivo brain slices using a novel photonic imaging method.

Daily ingestion of green tea catechins from adulthood suppressed brain dysfunction in aged mice.

Oxidative damage is believed to be an important cause of senescence. We have previously found that green tea catechins (GT-catechin), potent antioxidants, decrease oxidative damage to DNA and suppress brain dysfunction in aged senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP10) when ingested from the age of 1 month to the age of 12 months. To clarify the effect of GT-catechin on suppression of brain senescence, we investigated the effect of starting period to ingest GT-catechin.

cDNA cloning of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and mass spectrometric identification of POMC-derived peptides from snake and alligator pituitaries.

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is the precursor of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and beta-endorphin, and is suggested to have evolved by the insertion and deletion of ancestral MSH segments. Here, the primary structure of POMC was determined with cDNA cloning of brown tree snakes of Squamata and American alligators of Crocodylia to show an overview of the molecular evolution of POMC in reptiles. Snake and alligator POMCs are composed of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-MSH segments and a single beta-END segment as in other tetrapods; however, the gamma-MSH segment in snake POMC has a mutation in the essential sequence from His-Phe-Arg-Trp to His-(d)-(d)-Arg, in which (d) means deletion.

Decline in glutathione peroxidase activity is a reason for brain senescence: consumption of green tea catechin prevents the decline in its activity and protein oxidative damage in ageing mouse brain.

The accumulation of oxidative damage is believed to contribute to senescence. We have previously found that the consumption of green tea catechins (GT-catechin), which are potent antioxidants, decreases oxidative damage to DNA and improves brain function in aged mice with accelerated senescence (SAMP10 mice). To investigate the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of GT-catechin, we measured the activities of antioxidative enzymes in the brains of aged SAMP10 mice.

Elimination of Translational and Rotational Motions in Nuclear Orbital Plus Molecular Orbital Theory: Contribution of the First-Order Rovibration Coupling.

The translation- and rotation-free nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital (TRF-NOMO) theory was developed to determine nonadiabatic nuclear and electronic wave functions. This study implemented a computational program for the TRF-NOMO method including first-order rotational terms, which corresponds to rovibronic coupling. Numerical assessments of first-order TRF-NOMO Hartree-Fock as well as second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation methods were carried out for several small molecules.

Daily consumption of green tea catechin delays memory regression in aged mice.

Almost all elderly people show brain atrophy and cognitive dysfunction, even if they are saved from illness, such as cardiac disease, malignancy and diabetes. Prevention or delay of brain senescence would therefore enhance the quality of life for older persons. Because oxidative stress has been implicated in brain senescence, we investigated the effects of green tea catechin (GT-catechin), a potential antioxidant, in senescence-accelerated (SAMP10) mice.

Elimination of translational and rotational motions in nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital theory: application of Moller-Plesset perturbation theory.

The translation- and rotation-free nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital (TRF-NOMO) theory was developed to determine the nonadiabatic nuclear and electronic wave functions. This study presents a formulation of TRF-NOMO second-order Moller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation and Epstein-Nesbet (EN) theory with the use of the TRF Hamiltonian. Numerical assessment of the TRF-NOMO/MP2 and EN is performed for several molecules.

Elimination of translational and rotational motions in nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital theory.

The nuclear orbital plus molecular orbital (NOMO) theory was developed in order to determine the nonadiabatic nuclear and electronic wave functions. This study presents a formulation to remove the contamination of rotational motion as well as translational motion in the NOMO theory. We have formulated the translation- and rotation-free (TRF)-NOMO theory by introducing the TRF Hamiltonian.