Serum carnitine concentration and the acyl to free carnitine ratio in nondialysis chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients.

Mechanisms of impaired fatty acid metabolism may not be the same in nondialysis and hemodialysis patients. Correlations between the serum-free carnitine concentration (FC), acylcarnitine concentration (AC), acyl to free carnitine ratio (AC/FC), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the nondialysis population and the duration of hemodialysis in hemodialysis patients were investigated. As the eGFR decreased, the FC and AC increased, and as the duration of hemodialysis became longer, the FC and AC decreased.

Development of a Transgenic Mouse with R124H Human TGFBI Mutation Associated with Granular Corneal Dystrophy Type 2.

Purpose: To investigate the phenotype and predisposing factors of a granular corneal dystrophy type 2 transgenic mouse model.

Methods: Human TGFBI cDNA with R124H mutation was used to make a transgenic mouse expressing human protein (TGFBIR124H mouse). Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to analyze TGFBIR124H expression.

Generation of stratified squamous epithelial progenitor cells from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells.

Background: Application of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in regenerative medicine will bypass ethical issues associated with use of embryonic stem cells. In addition, patient-specific IPS cells can be useful to elucidate the pathophysiology of genetic disorders, drug screening, and tailor-made medicine. However, in order to apply iPS cells to mitotic tissue, induction of tissue stem cells that give rise to progeny of the target organ is required.