Relation of the Timing of Onset of Rhinitis and Cough to Asthma Attack in Children.

If the risk of progression to asthma could be predicted in patients with rhinitis, prevention of asthma might become possible. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the duration of rhinitis symptoms and acute asthma attacks in children with a history of asthma who were not on treatment for asthma. In 94 children with a history of asthma who were asymptomatic after completing asthma treatment, we investigated the onset and duration of nasal discharge and cough related to allergic rhinitis.

Effectiveness of maternal influenza immunization in young infants in Japan.

Background: Infants with influenza, particularly those younger than 1 year of age, are at high risk of developing a severe case or of dying. Recently, owing to the spread of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended maternal immunization to reduce the risk of influenza infection in pregnant women and infants. Such reporting is rare in Japan.

Changes in the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase system and natriuretic peptide receptor system in placentas of pregnant Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

Aim: Diminished vasodilator activity during pregnancy, which augments vascular responses to vasoconstrictors, is one reason for the onset of pre-eclampsia and superimposed pre-eclampsia. It is known that Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl-S) rats develop salt-sensitive hypertension like African-Americans. The present study attempted to assess the changes and the interactions of the NOS-NO-sGC-cGMP and NP-NPR-cGMP systems in the hypertensive placenta using Dahl-S rats as an animal model of superimposed pre-eclampsia.

Relation between circulating levels of GH, IGF-1, ghrelin and somatic growth in Rett syndrome.

Background: Most cases of Rett syndrome (RTT) are caused by mutations in methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), and individuals with RTT have somatic growth failure, growth arrest of brain, epilepsy, and intellectual disability (ID). Ghrelin is a peptide hormone which stimulates growth hormone (GH) secretion from the pituitary gland. Ghrelin and GH regulate insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) synthesis, and this GH/IGF-1 axis is an endocrine axis involved in energy and sleep homeostasis and plays crucial roles in somatic and brain growth.

Changes in Subcellular Distribution of n-Octanoyl or n-Decanoyl Ghrelin in Ghrelin-Producing Cells.

Background: The enzyme ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) catalyzes the acylation of ghrelin. The molecular form of GOAT, together with its reaction in vitro, has been reported previously. However, the subcellular processes governing the acylation of ghrelin remain to be elucidated.

Kana reading disability and Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System findings in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Background: Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disability co-occur more frequently than would be expected by chance. The purposes of this study were to (i) assess the frequency of Japanese syllabary (Kana) reading disability (RD) and (ii) measure the psychometric properties of the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (DN-CAS) in a clinic-referred sample of Japanese children with ADHD.

Methods: Twenty children with ADHD aged 8-13 years were evaluated using both Kana reading tasks and the DN-CAS.