Comprehensive in vitro cardiac safety assessment using human stem cell technology: Overview of CSAHi HEART initiative.

Recent increasing evidence suggests that the currently-used platforms in vitro I and APD, and/or in vivo QT assays are not fully predictive for TdP, and do not address potential arrhythmia (VT and/or VF) induced by diverse mechanisms of action. In addition, other cardiac safety liabilities such as functional dysfunction of excitation-contraction coupling (contractility) and structural damage (morphological damage to cardiomyocytes) are also major causes of drug attrition, but current in vitro assays do not cover all these liabilities. We organized the Consortium for Safety Assessment using Human iPS cells (CSAHi; http://csahi.

Induction of adrenomedullin 2/intermedin expression by thyroid stimulating hormone in thyroid.

TSH is the important regulator of thyroid function but detailed molecular mechanisms have not been clarified. We first generated the iodine deficient (ID) rat in which goiter is induced by accelerated endogenous TSH secretion. The result of microarray analysis demonstrated markedly increased levels of adrenomedullin 2/intermedin (AM2/IMD) expression in the ID rat thyroid.

Spleen-specific development of germinal centers in rats treated with antithyroid drugs.

The antithyroid drugs (ATDs) methimazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU) have been used for treatment of hyperthyroidism for more than several decades, despite the fact that they are associated with adverse drug reactions that are thought to be autoimmune mediated. We therefore examined histopathologic responses in the immune system in male and female rats given MMI (2, 20 and 200 mg/kg/day, p.o.

Inhibitory mechanisms of highly purified vitamin B2 on the productions of proinflammatory cytokine and NO in endotoxin-induced shock in mice.

Inhibitory effects of highly purified vitamin B2 (riboflavin-5'-sodium phosphate, >97%) on the interleukin (IL)-6, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 and nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-induced shock mice were evaluated. Vitamin B2 at 20 mg/kg (protective effect on mice mortality induced by LPS), intravenously administered 6 h after LPS injection, significantly decreased the plasma elevated levels of IL-6 and MIP-2 at 9 and 12 h. In addition, vitamin B2 lowered the tissue concentration and the mRNA expression of IL-6 in lung and those of MIP-2 in liver at 9 h.

Potentiation by amino acid of the therapeutic effect of highly purified vitamin B2 in mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced shock.

The aim of this experiment was to clarify whether an amino acid supplement could enhance the therapeutic effect of vitamin B2 (riboflavin 5'-sodium phosphate; purity > 97%) in mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced shock. Six hours after injection of a lethal dose of lipopolysaccharide, treatment (6-h i.v.

Effects of intravenous infusion of highly purified vitamin B2 on lipopolysaccharide-induced shock and bacterial infection in mice.

We investigated the effect of an i.v. infusion of highly purified vitamin B(2) (riboflavin 5'-sodium phosphate: purity >97%) on lipopolysaccharide-induced shock and bacterial infection in mice.

Highly purified vitamin B2 presents a promising therapeutic strategy for sepsis and septic shock.

Highly purified vitamin B2 (riboflavin 5'-sodium phosphate; purity > 97%) treatment by intravenous infusion at doses above those used clinically to treat vitamin B2 deficiency showed therapeutic effects in mice not only in cases of endotoxin- and exotoxin-induced shock but also in cases of gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial infection even after the toxemia had already begun.