Endothelial GATA3 is involved in coagulofibrinolytic homeostasis during endotoxin sepsis.

Sepsis-induced acute lung injury represents a significant threat to human health and is frequently associated with pulmonary thrombosis due to dysregulation of the coagulofibrinolytic system. Plasmin, the major protease that degrades fibrin aggregates, is activated predominantly by tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA), whereas tPA is negatively regulated by plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). Under septic conditions, the imbalance between coagulation and fibrinolysis results in excessive microthrombosis.

Perturbed collagen metabolism underlies lymphatic recanalization failure in Gata2 heterozygous deficient mice.

Lymphedema has become a global health issue following the growing number of cancer surgeries. Curative or supportive therapeutics have long been awaited for this refractory condition. Transcription factor GATA2 is crucial in lymphatic development and maintenance, as GATA2 haploinsufficient disease often manifests as lymphedema.

Cell surface ATP synthase-released H and ATP play key roles in cocoa butter intake-mediated regulation of gut immunity through releases of cytokines in rat.

Proper food intake is important for maintaining good health in humans. Chocolate is known to exert anti-inflammatory effects; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of cocoa butter intake on gut immunity in rats and rabbits.

Heatstroke risk informing system using wearable perspiration ratemeter on users undergoing physical exercise.

We constructed an informing system to users for the heatstroke risk using a wearable perspiration ratemeter and the users' thirst responses. The sweating ratemeter was constructed with a capacitive humidity sensor in the ventilated capsule. The timing point for informing heatstroke risk was decided to change from positive to negative on the second derivative of sweating curve.

Physiological Roles of Lymph Flow-Mediated Nitric Oxide in Lymphatic System.

It is known that nitric oxide (NO) is a gas and synthesized from l-arginine by the NO synthase (NOS) in vascular endothelial cells. The diffused NO activates the guanosine monophosphate, which initiates a series of intracellular events, leading to physiological response such as vasodilation. There are three different types of NOS, namely endothelial constitutive NOS (ecNOS), neuronal NOS (nNOS), and cytokine-inducible NOS (iNOS).

Portal blood flow-dependent NO-mediated lymph formation in rat jejunum.

The higher permeability of the venules in jejunal microcirculation to albumin contributes to the increased mesenteric lymph formation. Recently, we demonstrated that water intake induced serotonin release from enterochromaffin cells in rat jejunum, serotonin of which circulated through the portal vein into blood circulation and then increased the mesenteric lymph formation. The mode of action of serotonin remains unclear.

Estimation of the Lymph Flow Through Thoracic Duct in Human Subjects Using the Urine Osmolarity: Applicable for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Manual Lymph Drainage.

Currently, there are many methods to evaluate the effectiveness of manual lymph drainage in the treatment of lymphedema, that is, limb volume measurement, bio-electrical impedance measurement, computer tomography, and ultrasound imaging. However, it is difficult for these methods to accurately address the lymph flow generated by manual lymph drainage. Therefore, we aimed at developing a concise and accurate method to measure the lymph flow through the thoracic duct in human subjects, which is applicable for evaluating the effectiveness of manual lymph drainage.

From digestion and absorption to innate immunity and health care: water and food intake may contribute to IL-22 in ILC3-dependent mucosal immunity in the jejunum.

In this review, with our current studies we demonstrated medical evidence that water and food intake are useful for IL-22-related mucosal immunity-dependent maintenance of health care. The traditional Japanese health care practices recommend daily consumption of suitable volume of water. However, immunological mechanisms that support of the traditional practices are still unsolved.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound therapy suppresses coronary adventitial inflammatory changes and hyperconstricting responses after coronary stent implantation in pigs in vivo.

Backgrounds: We demonstrated that coronary adventitial inflammation plays important roles in the pathogenesis of drug-eluting stent (DES)-induced coronary hyperconstricting responses in pigs in vivo. However, no therapy is yet available to treat coronary adventitial inflammation. We thus developed the low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) therapy that ameliorates myocardial ischemia by enhancing angiogenesis.

Another route of CO gas excretion independent of red blood cells in human lungs.

We demonstrated pulmonary arteriolar blood flow-mediated CO gas excretion in rabbit lungs. The shear stress stimulation produced CO gas in cultured human endothelial cells of pulmonary arterioles via the activation of F/F ATP synthase. To confirm the findings in human subjects undergoing the operation with heart-lung machines, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a stepwise switch, from a partial to a complete cardiopulmonary bypass, of the circulatory blood volume (BV, 100% = 2.

Water intake releases serotonin from enterochromaffin cells in rat jejunal villi.

The present study aims to investigate the roles of water intake in serotonin production and release in rat jejunum. We evaluated the changes in concentrations of serotonin in the portal vein and mesenteric lymph vessel induced by the intragastric administration of distilled water. The density of granules in enterochromaffin cells and the immunoreactivity of serotonin in the jejunal villi were investigated before and after water intake.

GATA2 participates in the recanalization of lymphatic vessels after surgical lymph node extirpation.

Lymphatic recanalization failure after lymphadenectomy constitutes a major risk of lymphedema in cancer surgery. It has been reported that GATA2, a zinc finger transcription factor, is expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells and is involved in the development of fetal lymphatic vessels. GATA3, another member of the GATA family of transcription factors, is required for the differentiation of lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and is essential for lymph node formation.

Water intake accelerates ATP release from myofibroblast cells in rats: ATP-mediated podoplanin-dependent control for physiological function and immunity.

We previously demonstrated that water intake increased mesenteric lymph flow and the total flux of IL-22 in rat jejunum. The drained water and the higher permeability of albumin in the jejunal microcirculation contributed to increase the lymph flow and IL-22 transport via the activation of great bulk flow in the jejunal villi. To address the effects of water intake-mediated great bulk flow-dependent mechanical force on jejunal physiological function and immunological regulation of innate lymphoid cells (ILC)-3, we examined the effects of shear stress stimulation on cultured rat myofibroblast cells.

GATA2 functions in adrenal chromaffin cells.

Catecholamine synthesized in the sympathoadrenal system, including sympathetic neurons and adrenal chromaffin cells, is vital for cardiovascular homeostasis. It has been reported that GATA2, a zinc finger transcription factor, is expressed in murine sympathoadrenal progenitor cells. However, a physiological role for GATA2 in adrenal chromaffin cells has not been established.

Evaluating Lymph Flow Through the Thoracic Duct Using Urine Osmolarity in Human Participants.

Previous animal studies have shown that intragastric administration of water can accelerate mesenteric lymph flow. Similarly, human studies have shown that abdominal breathing can induce thoracic lymph drainage. In these studies, lymph flow was measured by hemodilution and a corresponding reduction in blood anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) levels, the latter being linked to urine osmolarity.

Water intake increases mesenteric lymph flow and the total flux of albumin, long-chain fatty acids, and IL-22 in rats: new concept of absorption in jejunum.

The traditional Japanese health care custom recommends that a suitable volume of water is consumed. However, physiological and immunological mechanisms in support of this practice are unknown. Therefore, we conducted rat and rabbit in vivo experiments to investigate the effects of intragastric administration of distilled water on the jejunal-originated lymph flow and the concentrations and total flux of cells, albumin, long-chain fatty acids, and innate lymphoid cell 3 (ILC-3)-secreted interleukin-22 (IL-22) through mesenteric lymph vessels.

Anti-proliferative effect of ridaifen-B on hepatoma cells.

Ridaifens (RIDs), a novel series of tamoxifen derivatives, exhibit a potent growth-inhibitory effect against numerous tumor cells regardless of the expression of estrogen receptors, and are thus promising candidates as novel anti-tumor drugs. RID-B is a first generation RIDs, and inhibits the proliferation of several tumor cell lines. However, the potentially growth inhibitory effect of RID-B against hepatoma cells, and the detailed mechanism underlying RID-B-mediated tumor cell death remain to be elucidated.

Lymph Drainage from the Chylocyst-Induced Hemodilution in an In Vivo Rabbit Study.

To confirm our previous study that abdominal respiration has induced hemodilution in human subjects, we performed in-vivo experiments involving anesthetized rabbits. Fifteen 6- to 7-month-old male Japanese white rabbits were used in the animal experiments. Anesthesia was maintained with 2.

SDF-1α/CXCR4 Signaling in Lipid Rafts Induces Platelet Aggregation via PI3 Kinase-Dependent Akt Phosphorylation.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α)-induced platelet aggregation is mediated through its G protein-coupled receptor CXCR4 and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K). Here, we demonstrate that SDF-1α induces phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308 and Ser473 in human platelets. SDF-1α-induced platelet aggregation and Akt phosphorylation are inhibited by pretreatment with the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 or the PI3K inhibitor LY294002.

A Novel Role for Flotillin-Containing Lipid Rafts in Negative-Feedback Regulation of Thyroid-Specific Gene Expression by Thyroglobulin.

Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg) stored in thyroid follicles regulates follicular function in thyroid hormone (TH) synthesis by suppressing thyroid-specific gene expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, Tg is an intrinsic negative-feedback regulator that can restrain the effect of thyrotropin (TSH) in the follicle. However, the underlying mechanisms by which Tg exerts its prominent autoregulatory effect following recognition by thyrocytes remains unclear.

Follicular thyroglobulin enhances gene expression necessary for thyroid hormone secretion.

We have previously shown that follicular thyroglobulin (Tg) has an unexpected function as an autocrine negative-feedback regulator of thyroid hormone (TH) biosynthesis. Tg significantly suppressed the expression of genes necessary for iodide transport and TH synthesis by counteracting stimulation by TSH. However, whether follicular Tg also regulates intracellular TH transport and its secretion from thyrocytes is not known.

Comprehensive analysis of prokaryotes in environmental water using DNA microarray analysis and whole genome amplification.

The microflora in environmental water consists of a high density and diversity of bacterial species that form the foundation of the water ecosystem. Because the majority of these species cannot be cultured in vitro, a different approach is needed to identify prokaryotes in environmental water. A novel DNA microarray was developed as a simplified detection protocol.

Thyroglobulin (Tg) activates MAPK pathway to induce thyroid cell growth in the absence of TSH, insulin and serum.

The growth of thyroid cells is tightly regulated by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) through the cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway by potentiating the mitogenic activity of insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). However, we recently reported that thyroglobulin (Tg), a major product of the thyroid, also induces the growth of thyroid cells cultured in 0.2% serum in the absence of TSH and insulin.

Identification of microRNAs that mediate thyroid cell growth induced by TSH.

TSH is a major regulator of thyroid cell growth and endocrine function. It is known that cAMP and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) are responsible for mediating the action of TSH. Activation of these signals results in the induction of a series of transcription factors and cell cycle regulating proteins, which induce cell proliferation.