Temporal expression of chitinase-like 3 in wounded murine skin.

In forensic practice, it is important to diagnose wound age accurately. We analyzed the proteome of injured murine skin to identify a novel protein marker of wound age after recent injury. We used samples from 3 days after injury, with 0 days as the control.

Immunohistochemical detection of CD14 and combined assessment with CD32B and CD68 for wound age estimation.

Estimation of wound age is a major topic of study for forensic pathologists, but few markers exist that can indicate a specific period 1-5 days postinfliction, and a method to estimate wound age with high accuracy has not yet been established. This study examined CD14 as such a marker in mouse skin wounds of different ages (0min and 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days) and in human subjects (group 1, 0-1 day; group 2, 1-5 days; group 3, >7 days) using Western blot analysis and/or immunohistochemical staining. In addition, we evaluated a combination of immunohistochemical markers in human skin wounds using transmembrane proteins, CD14, CD32B, and CD68, expressed on inflammatory cells.

Effect of glucocorticoid on the biosynthesis of growth hormone-containing secretory granules in pituitary cells.

Recent studies have suggested that treatment of glucocorticoid to immature growth hormone (GH)-producing cell line, MtT/S cells, dramatically induced the accumulation of GH-containing secretory granules in the cytosol and differentiated into mature GH-producing cells. However, the molecular mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced GH-containing secretory granule biogenesis in the MtT/S cells remains unknown. In the present study, we found that GH mRNA expression was facilitated by application of glucocorticoid.

Toluene inhalation induced changes of gene expression in rat brain: fluorescence differential display PCR analysis.

Toluene, an abused substance in Japan, is well known as a neurotoxic chemical and has been shown to have neurobehavioral and electrophysiological effects. We used a fluorescence differential display PCR technique to analyze the genes expressed in the brain by toluene inhalation. We found 20 genes that were differentially expressed by toluene exposure.

Identification of novel genes expressed in hypoxic brain condition by fluorescence differential display.

Fluorescence differential display (FDD) and comparative RT-PCR have been used extensively to detect differentially expressed genes. We investigated hypoxia-induced gene expression in the brain by FDD-PCR and comparative RT-PCR. Mice were anaesthetized after which hypoxia was induced by neck ligation for 1 min or 25 min, then were killed by decapitation, and the brains were dissected either immediately or 30 min after death (Group A1-0, Group A25-0, Group A1-30 and Group A25-30).

Homology between ABH-carrier alpha2-seminoglycoprotein and Mac-2 binding protein.

alpha2-seminoglycoprotein (alpha2-SGP), purified from human seminal plasma, is a carrier of glycoprotein for the ABO blood grouping. The alpha2-SGP exists in the secretions of the seminal vesicle and various glands. However, the function of alpha2-SGP is, as yet, unknown.