Relationship Between Oral Hypofunction and Nutritional Status in Patients Treated With Maxillofacial Prostheses.

Introduction Patients who have jaw or tongue defects owing to head and neck cancer or congenital disease suffer from oral dysfunction such as speech, swallowing, and mastication. Although maxillofacial prostheses are applied to improve oral functions, their oral functions remain compromised compared to those of patients without jaw or tongue defects. On the other hand, it has been reported that oral hypofunction could lead to malnutrition in the general elderly.

[Modulation of Expression of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes and Augmentation of Anti-cancer Drug Effects: Through Epigenetics and Three-dimensional Cancer Cell Culture Systems].

Since commencing my role as a professor in a newly established Department of Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Genetics at the School of Pharmacy, Iwate Medical University, on April 1, 2007, my research has focused on modifying gene expression of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) in established human colon cancer cells. Additionally, I have been investigating methods to enhance the anti-tumor effects of irinotecan (CPT-11) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using epigenetic modifying inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase. Treating colon cancer cells with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC), led to elevated expression levels of CYP1B1 and CYP3A4 through demethylation of the promoter regions of related genes.

The Regulation Pathway of VEGF Gene Expression Is Different between 2D Cells and 3D Spheroids in Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Angiogenesis is involved in the malignant transformation of cancers. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important in inducing angiogenesis. Cultured cells play an important role in analyzing the regulation of VEGF expression, and it is revealed that VEGF expression is induced under hypoxia.

Cellular irinotecan resistance in colorectal cancer and overcoming irinotecan refractoriness through various combination trials including DNA methyltransferase inhibitors: a review.

Treatment with pharmacological drugs for colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unsatisfactory. A major cause of failure in pharmacotherapy is the resistance of colon cancer cells to the drugs, creating an urgent issue. In this review, we summarize previous studies on the resistance of CRC cells to irinotecan and discuss possible reasons for refractoriness.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor as a DNA methylation reader in the stress response pathway.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates various cellular responses upon exposure to exogenous and endogenous stress factors. In these responses, AhR plays a dual role as a stress sensor for detecting various AhR ligands and as a transcription factor that upregulates the expression of downstream effector genes, such as those encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes. As a transcription factor, it selectively binds to the unmethylated form of a specific sequence called the xenobiotic responsive element (XRE).

β-naphthoflavone-induced upregulation of expression is mediated by the preferential binding of aryl hydrocarbon receptor to unmethylated xenobiotic responsive elements.

Human cytochrome P450 1 (CYP1) enzymes are transcriptionally induced by specific xenobiotics through a mechanism that involves the binding of aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhR) to target xenobiotic responsive element (XRE) sequences. To examine the effect of DNA methylation on the AhR-mediated pathway, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was performed. β-naphthoflavone (βNF)-induced expression was found to be potentiated by pre-treatment of human HepG2 liver cancer cells with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, but not HuH7 cells.

Sustainable Effects of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cell Transplantation on Diabetic Polyneuropathy in Streptozotocine-Induced Type 1 Diabetes Model Mice.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are suitable for use in regenerative medicine. Cryopreserved human DPSCs (hDPSCs) ameliorate diabetic polyneuropathy, and the effects of hDPSC transplantation are related to VEGF and NGF secretion. This study evaluated the long-term effects of a single transplantation of hDPSCs on diabetic polyneuropathy.

Case analysis of kinetics investigations in toxicity studies of pesticides to identify the nonlinearity of internal exposure and the influences of nonlinearity on the toxicological interpretation of pesticide residue.

The nonlinearity of internal exposure to 8 pesticides was investigated in toxicity studies using kinetics to identify nonlinearity visually and to investigate the influence of nonlinearity on toxicological evaluation. Data were obtained from risk assessment reports published by the Food Safety Commission (FSCJ). Nonlinearity was defined using 2 indicators: the lowest visual inflection point (LVIP) and the second lowest visual inflection point (SVIP) of kinetics by drawing a linear distribution chart.

Efficacy of extracellular vesicles from dental pulp stem cells for bone regeneration in rat calvarial bone defects.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are known to be secreted by various cells. In particular, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) have tissue repair capacity and anti-inflammatory properties. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), which are MSCs isolated from pulp tissue, are less invasive to the body than other MSCs and can be collected from young individuals.

Correlation between the relative abundance of oral bacteria and Candida albicans in denture and dental plaques.

Objectives: The opportunistic fungus Candida albicans is a component of denture plaque and is associated with denture-related stomatitis. Inter-kingdom interactions between C. albicans and bacteria exist in such multi-species biofilms, which may affect the microbial composition of the plaque.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Cesium-Accumulating Bacterium Rhodococcus qingshengii CS98, Isolated from Soil in Japan.

CS98 is a bacterium isolated from soil in Japan that shows strong cesium-accumulating ability. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of (6.7 Mb), which may provide useful genetic information supporting its bioremediation features.

Recent Progress in Prediction Systems for Drug-induced Liver Injury Using In vitro Cell Culture.

Background: In order to avoid drug-induced liver injury (DILI), in vitro assays, which enable the assessment of both metabolic activation and immune reaction processes that ultimately result in DILI, are needed.

Objective: In this study, recent progress in the application of in vitro assays using cell culture systems is reviewed for potential DILI-causing drugs/xenobiotics and a mechanistic study on DILI, as well as on the limitations of in vitro cell culture systems for DILI research, was carried out.

Methods: Information related to DILI was collected through a literature search of the PubMed database.

Fabricating nasal prostheses using four-dimensional facial expression models.

Purpose Patients with facial prostheses face challenges such as maintenance of the prosthesis in place, especially around the margins, because of movement of surrounding facial skin. Conventional facial prostheses are fabricated on stationary models based on two points: neutral expression and smiling expression. We developed four-dimensional (4D) facial expression models which shape facial expressions that change over several points in time using a morphing technique.

Transplantation of human dental pulp stem cells ameliorates diabetic polyneuropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nude mice: the role of angiogenic and neurotrophic factors.

Background: Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have high proliferation and multi-differentiation capabilities that maintain their functionality after cryopreservation. In our previous study, we demonstrated that cryopreserved rat DPSCs improved diabetic polyneuropathy and that the efficacy of cryopreserved rat DPSCs was equivalent to that of freshly isolated rat DPSCs. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether transplantation of cryopreserved human DPSCs (hDPSCs) is also effective for the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Mediates Cell Proliferation Enhanced by Benzo[a]pyrene in Human Lung Cancer 3D Spheroids.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is activated by the ligand, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a component of smoke that is implicated in lung carcinogenesis in humans. However, the role of B[a]P and AhR in lung cancer malignancy is not well known. In this study, we analyzed the effects of B[a]P and AhR in the 3 D spheroids of human lung cancer cells .

Development of three-dimensional facial expression models using morphing methods for fabricating facial prostheses.

Purpose: It is essential to fabricate a best-fit three-dimensional (3D) facial prosthesis model capable of facial expressions. In order for the facial prosthesis to remain in position, especially around marginal areas subject to movement, a new method of making 3D facial expression models using time-series data allowing changes in facial expression by morphing technique was developed.

Methods: Seven normal subjects and seven patients with nasal defects or nasal deformities participated in this study.

The regulation mechanism of AhR activated by benzo[a]pyrene for CYP expression are different between 2D and 3D culture of human lung cancer cells.

Most of cytochrome P450 (CYP) expressions are regulated by nuclear receptors. The regulation pathways of transcription are activated by binding of the ligand to the receptor. Many combination of CYPs and nuclear receptors in transcriptional regulation have been reported.

Differential sensitization of two human colon cancer cell lines to the antitumor effects of irinotecan combined with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine.

Irinotecan (CPT-11) is a key therapeutic drug used in the treatment of colorectal cancer, although acquired or constitutive resistance to CPT-11 (and its activated metabolite SN-38) can lead to tumor progression. Since the acquisition of drug resistance can result from DNA hypermethylation, the antitumor activity of CPT-11 and SN-38 was assessed in combination with a known DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, also known as decitabine (DAC). DAC potentiated the antitumor activity of CPT-11 additively, and that of SN-38 synergistically, as measured by colony formation in the human colorectal cancer HCT116 cell line.

[Drug-Drug Interactions with Consideration of Pharmacogenetics].

　Elderly patients often suffer from a variety of diseases and therefore may be prescribed several kinds of drugs. Interactions between these drugs may cause problems in some patients. Guidelines for drug interactions were released on July 8, 2014 "Drug Interaction Guideline for Drug Development and Labeling Recommendations (Final Draft)".

Transplantation of dental pulp stem cells improves long-term diabetic polyneuropathy together with improvement of nerve morphometrical evaluation.

Background: Although previous reports have revealed the therapeutic potential of stem cell transplantation in diabetic polyneuropathy, the effects of cell transplantation on long-term diabetic polyneuropathy have not been investigated. In this study, we investigated whether the transplantation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) ameliorated long-term diabetic polyneuropathy in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

Methods: Forty-eight weeks after STZ injection, we transplanted DPSCs into the unilateral hindlimb skeletal muscles.

Japan Flavour and Fragrance Materials Association's (JFFMA) safety assessment of food-flavouring substances uniquely used in Japan that belong to the class of aliphatic primary alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, acetals and esters containing additional oxygenated functional groups.

We performed a safety evaluation using the procedure devised by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the following four flavouring substances that belong to the class of 'aliphatic primary alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, acetals, and esters containing additional oxygenated functional groups' and are uniquely used in Japan: butyl butyrylacetate, ethyl 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoate, 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid and methyl hydroxyacetate. Although no genotoxicity study data were found in the published literature, none of the four substances had chemical structural alerts predicting genotoxicity. All four substances were categorised as class I by using Cramer's classification.

VEGF expression is regulated by HIF-1α and ARNT in 3D KYSE-70, esophageal cancer cell spheroids.

In 3D cultured cell systems, the cells form 3D spheroids that mimic cancer cell spheroids in vivo. Cancer cells form cell spheroids as they grow. The in vivo spheroids do not contain a vascular network; therefore, oxygen and nutrition supplies are insufficient.

Reliability and validity of the patient disability-oriented diagnostic nomenclature system for prosthetic dentistry.

Purpose: The Japan Prosthodontic Society (JPS) has proposed a new diagnostic nomenclature system (DNS), based on pathogenesis and etiology, to facilitate and improve prosthodontic treatment. This system specifies patient disability and the causative factor (i.e.