Upregulation of renal eNOS by high-sodium diet facilitates hypertension in doxorubicin-treated rats through enhanced oxidative stress.

It is known that renal nitric oxide (NO) is an important controller of urinary sodium excretion. A defect in the kidney's NO system could cause salt-sensitive hypertension. Since it has been demonstrated that doxorubicin binds to the reductase domain of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and generates superoxide in vitro, we tested our hypothesis that a high-sodium diet would upregulate the expression of eNOS and enhance oxidative stress in the kidney of doxorubicin-treated rats, resulting in a facilitation of hypertension.

Stimulus-responsive particulate emulsifiers based on lightly cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine)-silica nanocomposite microgels.

Lightly cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine)-silica nanocomposite microgel particles have been recently reported to act as pH-responsive particulate emulsifiers [Fujii, S.; Read, E. S.

PS80 interferes with the antiallergic effect of Cry-consensus peptide, a novel recombinant peptide for immunotherapy of Japanese cedar pollinosis, at very low concentration through modulation of Th1/Th2 balance.

Polysorbate 80 (PS80 or Tween-80) is often used as an additive to promote the rapid solubilization of pharmaceuticals in aqueous solutions. We investigated whether coinjection of a minimal amount of PS80 had a modulatory effect on the immunotherapeutic effects of Cry (Cryptomeria)-consensus peptide, a novel peptide developed for the therapeutic management of Japanese cedar pollinosis, using a Cry j 1-sensitized mouse model with experimental allergic rhinitis. Subcutaneous challenge with Cry-consensus peptide plus 50 microg/ml of PS80 did not affect the antigen-specific proliferation of splenocytes, but decreased the potency of Cry-consensus peptide to inhibit antigen-specific interleukin (IL)-5 production by the cells significantly in comparison with challenge with Cry-consensus peptide alone.

Reactivation of hepatitis and lamivudine therapy in 11 HBsAg-positive renal allograft recipients: a single centre experience.

Background: In hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) (+) renal allograft recipients, the mortality associated with liver disease reaches 37-78%. An antiviral agent, lamivudine, has recently been reported to be safe and effective for preventing hepatic damage in these patients, although either resurgence of HBV-DNA levels after discontinuation or emerging resistant HBV mutants caused by long-term administration are still unsettled.

Methods: Between July 1976 and December 2003, 555 renal transplantations were performed in our centre.

Losartan, an angiotensin-II receptor antagonist, retards the progression of advanced renal insufficiency.

Chronic renal disease with elevated level of serum creatinine (Cr) often progresses to end-stage renal disease. Although blockade of the renin-angiotensin system has been shown to slow the progression of chronic renal disease, it remains uncertain whether one could expect such a renoprotective effect even when the treatment is initiated late in the course of renal disease. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of losartan, an angiotensin-II receptor antagonist, on the progression of advanced renal insufficiency.

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of the pediatric lumbar spine. Part I: pathomechanism of apophyseal bony ring fracture.

The purpose of this study was to (1) develop a three-dimensional, nonlinear pediatric lumbar spine finite element model (FEM), and (2) identify the mechanical reasons for the posterior apophyseal bony ring fracture in the pediatric patients. The pediatric spine FE model was created from an experimentally validated three-dimensional adult lumbar spine FEM. The size of the FEM was reduced to 96% taking into account of the ratio of the sitting height of an average 14-years-old children to that of an adult.

Three dimensional finite element analysis of the pediatric lumbar spine. Part II: biomechanical change as the initiating factor for pediatric isthmic spondylolisthesis at the growth plate.

A non-linear 3-dimensional finite element pediatric lumbar spine model with vertebral growth plate and apophyseal bony ring was developed. Lumbar spondylolysis was simulated in the model. The Von Mises stresses in the structures surrounding the vertebral growth plate, including apophyseal bony ring and osseous endplate were calculated in various loading modes.

An unconventional myosin in Drosophila reverses the default handedness in visceral organs.

The internal organs of animals often have left-right asymmetry. Although the formation of the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes in Drosophila is well understood, left-right asymmetry has not been extensively studied. Here we find that the handedness of the embryonic gut and the adult gut and testes is reversed (not randomized) in viable and fertile homozygous Myo31DF mutants.

Klotho gene polymorphism may be a genetic risk factor for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease but not for vasospastic angina in Japanese.

Background: The klotho gene, originally identified by insertional mutagenesis in mice, suppresses multiple aging phenotypes, including atherosclerosis. We tested the hypothesis that the G-395A polymorphism of the klotho gene is associated with increased risk for 2 types of ischemic heart disease in Japanese.

Methods: The study population consisted of 197 patients with coronary heart disease (CAD) who had >75% luminal diameter narrowing, 77 patients with vasospastic angina (VSA) without significant fixed coronary artery disease, and 331 healthy control subjects.

Transgenic analysis of the medaka mesp-b enhancer in somitogenesis.

Somitogenesis is a critical step during the formation of metameric structures in vertebrates. Recent studies in mouse, chick, zebrafish and Xenopus have revealed that several factors, such as T-box genes, Notch/Delta, Wnt, retinoic acid and FGF signaling, are involved in the specification of nascent somites. By interacting with these pathways, the Mesp2-like bHLH transcription factors are transiently expressed in the anterior presomitic mesoderm and play a crucial role in somite formation.

Concurrent chemoradiation therapy with low-dose CDDP and UFT for glottic carcinomas: evaluation using the sixth edition of the UICC TNM staging system.

We evaluated whether low-dose chemotherapy could improve effects of radiation therapy for glottic carcinoma with different prognostic factor based on the UICC 6th edition. Fifty-one patients with T2N0 glottic carcinoma classified by the UICC 5th edition underwent chemoradiation therapy with low-dose CDDP (4 mg/m(2)) and oral UFT (450 mg of tegafur) continuing for four weeks (CRT group). The historical control consisted of 49 patients treated with radiation therapy alone (RT group).

Combined therapy with PPARalpha agonist and L-carnitine rescues lipotoxic cardiomyopathy due to systemic carnitine deficiency.

Objective: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are ligand-activated transcription factors that belong to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and are key regulators of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in the heart. Systemic carnitine deficiency (SCD) causes disorders of FAO and induces hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with lipid accumulation. We hypothesized that activation of PPARalpha by fenofibrate, a PPARalpha agonist, in addition to conventional L-carnitine supplementation may exert beneficial effects on the lipotoxic cardiomyopathy in juvenile visceral steatosis (JVS) mouse, a murine model of SCD.

Intense fluorescence-inducing amphiphile in cationic dyes and its applicability.

An anionic amphiphile has been found to form extremely hydrophobic sites in water and specifically incorporate stilbazolium-based compact hemicyanine dyes as monomeric species, resulting in induction of intense fluorescence emission.

Hypoxic conditions stimulate the production of angiogenin and vascular endothelial growth factor by human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells in culture.

Background: Chronic low oxygen in the tubulointerstitial area is a crucial cause of renal degradation and tubulointerstitial damage. Previous reports have suggested that the maintenance of renal blood flow plays a role in the suppression of progressive renal damage. Neovascularization is important for the maintenance of blood flow.

Effects of pH and salt concentration on oil-in-water emulsions stabilized solely by nanocomposite microgel particles.

Aqueous dispersions of lightly cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine)/silica nanocomposite microgel particles are used as a sole emulsifier of methyl myristate and water (1:1 by volume) at various pH values and salt concentrations at 20 degrees C. These particles become swollen at low pH with the hydrodynamic diameter increasing from 250 nm at pH 8.8 to 630 nm at pH 2.

Effect of vasoconstrictor coupling factor 6 on gene expression profile in human vascular endothelial cells: enhanced release of asymmetric dimethylarginine.

Background: Coupling factor 6 (CF6), a component of ATP synthase, inhibits phospholipase A2 and induces vasoconstriction. However, because arachidonic acid acts in the widespread fields of vascular biology, CF6 might exert profound effects in addition to vasoconstriction. We investigated the effect of CF6 on the gene expression profile in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Fenofibrate activates AMPK and increases eNOS phosphorylation in HUVEC.

Fenofibrate improves endothelial function by lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, fenofibrate has been demonstrated to upregulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been reported to phosphorylate eNOS at Ser-1177 and stimulate vascular endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) production.

GATA factors as key regulatory molecules in the development of Drosophila endoderm.

Essential roles for GATA factors in the development of endoderm have been reported in various animals. A Drosophila GATA factor gene, serpent (srp, dGATAb, ABF), is expressed in the prospective endoderm, and loss of srp activity causes transformation of the prospective endoderm into ectodermal foregut and hindgut, indicating that srp acts as a selector gene to specify the developmental fate of the endoderm. While srp is expressed in the endoderm only during early stages, it activates a subsequent GATA factor gene, dGATAe, and the latter continues to be expressed specifically in the endoderm throughout life.

n-type organic field-effect transistors with very high electron mobility based on thiazole oligomers with trifluoromethylphenyl groups.

Novel thiazole oligomers and thiazole/thiophene co-oligomers with trifluoromethylphenyl groups were developed as n-type semiconductors for OFETs. They showed excellent n-type performances with high electron mobilities. A 5,5'-bithiazole with trifluoromethylphenyl groups forms a closely packed two-dimensional columnar structure leading to a high performance n-type FET.

Intracellular signaling for vasoconstrictor coupling factor 6: novel function of beta-subunit of ATP synthase as receptor.

Coupling factor 6 (CF6), a component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase, is circulating and functions as an endogenous vasoconstrictor by inhibiting cytosolic phospholipase A2. We showed a high plasma level of CF6 in human hypertension. The present study focused on the identification and characterization of a receptor for CF6 and its post-receptor signaling pathway.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor delays fracture healing in rats.

Background: Cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have been reported to delay fracture healing. To investigate the major inhibitory period of COX-2 inhibitors in fracture healing, we administrated etodolac, a COX-2-specific inhibitor, to a rat fracture model by altering the period of administration from early to late.

Method: After closed fractures had been created at the middle of the femoral shafts in 12-week-old Wister rats, a standardized dose of etodolac was administrated in three ways: group I received it for 3 weeks, group II for just the first week after operation, and group III for just the third (final) week.