The therapeutic target Hsp90 and cancer hallmarks.

Hsp90 is a major molecular chaperone that is expressed abundantly and plays a pivotal role in assisting correct folding and functionality of its client proteins in cells. The Hsp90 client proteins include a wide variety of signal transducing molecules such as protein kinases and steroid hormone receptors. Cancer is a complex disease, but most types of human cancer share common hallmarks, including self-sufficiency in growth signals, insensitivity to growth-inhibitory mechanism, evasion of programmed cell death, limitless replicative potential, sustained angiogenesis, and tissue invasion and metastasis.

Efficacy and safety of a novel ĸ-agonist for managing intractable pruritus in dialysis patients.

Background: Our previous placebo-controlled, prospective, double-blind study demonstrated that a new opioid ĸ-receptor agonist, nalfurafine hydrochloride, effectively reduced treatment-resistant pruritus in 337 hemodialysis patients. Thus, we designed this study to evaluate prospectively the efficacy, safety, addiction liability, and pharmacokinetics of nalfurafine given orally for 1 year.

Methods: This open-label study examined the effects and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of 52-week oral administration of nalfurafine hydrochloride (5 µg/day) in 211 hemodialysis patients with a treatment-resistant itch.

Kinesthetic aftereffects induced by a weighted tool on movement correction in baseball batting.

We investigated the kinesthetic aftereffects of a weighted tool on interceptive performance. Eight college baseball players performed three warm-ups before the interceptive task: a normal warm-up, a recalibrated warm-up with a standard 850-g bat and a 1200-g weighted bat, and a weighted warm-up with a 1200-g bat. For the interceptive task, subjects were asked to swing the standard bat coincident with the arrival and position of a moving target.

Experts in fast-ball sports reduce anticipation timing cost by developing inhibitory control.

The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between expertise in movement correction and rate of movement reprogramming within limited time periods, and to clarify the specific cognitive processes regarding superior reprogramming ability in experts. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in baseball experts (n=7) and novices (n=7) while they completed a predictive task. The task was to manually press a button to coincide with the arrival of a moving target.

Differentiation of bone marrow-derived cells into regenerated mesothelial cells in peritoneal remodeling using a peritoneal fibrosis mouse model.

Marked thickening of the peritoneum and vasculopathy in the submesothelial compact zone have been reported in long-term peritoneal dialysis patients. Bone marrow (BM)-derived cell lines are considered to be useful tools for therapy of various diseases. To clarify the role of BM-derived cells in the peritoneal fibrosis (PF) model, we analyzed several lineages of cells in the peritoneum.

How automated peritoneal dialysis is applied and maintained in Japan.

According to a nationwide statistical survey in Japan, only 9,858 patients (3.3% of dialysis patients) were on maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD) at the end of 2009. In this survey, 8,635 patients answered questions about the PD method, while 1,223 patients did not respond.

PROSPECTIVE STUDY ON TACTILE SENSITIVITY IN THE HANDS OF A BRAZILIAN POPULATION USING THE PRESSURE-SPECIFIED SENSORY DEVICE.

Objective: To evaluate the pressure perception thresholds on the pulp of two fingers (index and little fingers), among a Brazilian population with no nerve injury or neuropathy.

Methods: We used the Pressure-Specified Sensory Device (a computerized device) to derive static and dynamic normal pressure perception thresholds and two-point discrimination distances.

Results: We tested finger sensitivity on 30 volunteers.

Heat shock response in photosynthetic organisms: membrane and lipid connections.

The ability of photosynthetic organisms to adapt to increases in environmental temperatures is becoming more important with climate change. Heat stress is known to induce heat-shock proteins (HSPs) many of which act as chaperones. Traditionally, it has been thought that protein denaturation acts as a trigger for HSP induction.

Role of plastic surgery on the treatment complex wounds.

Objective: To report the performance of plastic surgery in the treatment of complex wounds in a tertiary hospital, analyzing its characteristics, types of injuries and approaches adopted, with emphasis on surgical treatment.

Methods: We conducted a etrospective analysis of patients with complex wounds treated by plastic surgery in a tertiary hospital in a period of five years (2006 to 2010). Data collection was obtained from visits made, serial assessments and records of the medical charts.

Overview of regular dialysis treatment in Japan (as of 31 December 2009).

A nationwide statistical survey of 4196 dialysis facilities was conducted at the end of 2009, and 4133 facilities (98.5%) responded. The number of patients undergoing dialysis at the end of 2009 was determined to be 290 661, an increase of 7240 patients (2.

Hypoglycemic effects of colestimide on type 2 diabetic patients with obesity.

Recent studies have shown colestimide, a bile acid-binding resin, to also exert a glucose-lowering effect via amelioration of insulin resistance. To evaluate the effects of colestimide on glucose metabolism and to elucidate the underlying mechanism, we conducted a 6-month, open-label pilot study on 43 type 2 diabetic patients with obesity (BMI ≥ 25). The subjects were randomized to either treatment with colestimide 4g/day (T group, n=23) or continuation of their current therapy (C group, n=20).

Knee extensor strength is associated with Mini-Mental State Examination scores in elderly men.

The present study examined whether the strength capability of knee extensor muscles is associated with global cognitive function, assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), in non-disabled elderly men. Isometric torques during maximal voluntary knee extension, plantar flexion, and elbow flexion and MMSE scores were determined in 39 non-disabled men aged 61-79 years and used for the cross-sectional analysis examining the associations among the measured variables. Moreover, 27 of the subjects participated in a training program consisted of body mass-based exercises (sitting down onto and standing up from a chair, hip joint extension and flexion, calf raises, side leg raises, and trunk flexion and extension) 6 days a week for 3 months.

Experimental model of degloving injury in rats: effect of allopurinol and pentoxifylline in improving viability of avulsed flaps.

Background: Degloving injuries may be a challenge when it comes to deciding the surgical approach to be used. Repositioning of the flap and suturing are faster and more straightforward, but often these procedures often lead to total or partial loss of the avulsed flap. Pharmacological agents with vascular properties that enhance the viability of the reattached flap could be beneficial to patients with degloving injuries.

Prospective multicenter observational study of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis with neutral dialysis solution--the NEXT-PD study.

Many observational studies have been conducted on the occurrence of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS). However, poorly biocompatible acidic glucose-based dialysis solutions were used in all previous studies. Today, dialysis solutions that are more biocompatible have become widely available.

Cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics bind to the N-terminal domain of the prokaryotic Hsp90 to inhibit the chaperone activity.

Chemical arrays were employed to screen ligands for HtpG, the prokaryotic homologue of Hsp (heat-shock protein) 90. We found that colistins and the closely related polymyxin B interact physically with HtpG. They bind to the N-terminal domain of HtpG specifically without affecting its ATPase activity.

Overview of regular dialysis treatment in Japan (as of 31 December 2008).

A nationwide statistical survey of 4124 dialysis facilities was conducted at the end of 2008 and 4081 facilities (99.0%) responded. The number of patients undergoing dialysis at the end of 2008 was determined to be 283,421, an increase of 8179 patients (3.

[Degloving injuries of lower extremity--proposal of a treatment protocol].

Objective: Degloving injuries on the lower extremities are often serious injuries. It is difficult to decide on the most appropriate treatment, whether flap repositioning and suturing or converting the avulsed flap to split-thickness skin grafting.

Methods: This study assessed patients with degloving injuries in lower extremities, reviewing the epidemiological profile and treatment performed.

Comparative biochemical characterization of two GroEL homologs from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.

Unlike Escherichia coli, cyanobacteria generally contain two GroEL homologs. The chaperone function of cyanobacterial GroELs was examined in vitro for the first time with GroEL1 and GroEL2 of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. Both GroELs prevented aggregation of heat-denatured proteins.

Nonhumidified intermediate temperature fuel cells using protic ionic liquids.

In this paper, the characterization of a protic ionic liquid, diethylmethylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([dema][TfO]), as a proton conductor for a fuel cell and the fabrication of a membrane-type fuel cell system using [dema][TfO] under nonhumidified conditions at intermediate temperatures are described in detail. In terms of physicochemical and electrochemical properties, [dema][TfO] exhibits high activity for fuel cell electrode reactions (i.e.

Biological significance of protein modifications in aging and calorie restriction.

By virtue of the progress in proteomics, the involvement of posttranslational modifications in aging has been more clearly demonstrated in recent years. We describe here that (1) carbonylation, a hallmark of protein oxidation in general, is paradoxically decreased in histone with aging and increased by calorie restriction (CR), (2) acetylation of lysine 9 and phosphorylation of serine 10 in histone H3 are decreased and increased, respectively, with aging, and (3) the acetylation level of multiple extranuclear proteins decreases significantly with aging, and the change was not only retarded but increased remarkably by CR in rat liver. Based on these findings, we discuss possible implications of the posttranslational protein modifications in biochemical processes underlying aging and CR-induced extension of life span.

HtpG, the prokaryotic homologue of Hsp90, stabilizes a phycobilisome protein in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.

HtpG, a homologue of HSP90, is essential for thermotolerance in cyanobacteria. It is not known how it plays this important role. We obtained evidence that HtpG interacts with linker polypeptides of phycobilisome in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.

An overview of regular dialysis treatment in Japan (as of 31 December 2007).

A nationwide statistical survey of 4098 dialysis facilities was conducted at the end of 2007, and 4052 facilities (98.88%) participated. The number of patients undergoing dialysis at the end of 2007 was determined to be 275 242, an increase of 10 769 patients (4.