Mucopolysaccharide polysulfate increases local skin blood volume through nitric oxide production.

Background: Mucopolysaccharide polysulfate (MPS) is widely used as an active ingredient in topical preparations for the treatment of asteatosis and blood flow disorders. Although topical MPS products can increase cutaneous blood flow (CBF), the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to elucidate how MPS increases CBF.

The Effects of Mucopolysaccharide Polysulfate on Steroid-Induced Tight Junction Barrier Dysfunction in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes and a 3D Skin Model.

Introduction: The long-term use of topical corticosteroids (TCS) is associated with side effects such as skin atrophy and barrier deterioration. Moisturizers, such as mucopolysaccharide polysulfate (MPS), have been reported to prevent relapses in atopic dermatitis (AD) when used in combination with TCS. However, the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of MPS in combination with TCS in AD are poorly understood.

A single pretreatment with clofibric acid attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced necrosis, but not steatosis, in rat liver.

The present study investigated whether a single pretreatment with clofibric acid suppresses liver injury in rats after CCl intoxication. Rats received a single pretreatment with clofibric acid (100 mg/kg, i.p.

Importance of Water Content of the Stratum Corneum in Mouse Models for Contact Hypersensitivity.

Although a marked rise in the prevalence of allergic diseases over the past few decades may be related to environmental factors in industrialized countries, evidence for the protective effect of humidity on the barrier function of the skin is still awaited. We asked whether an increase in the water content of stratum corneum at the site of hapten application had a strong impact on the magnitude of contact hypersensitivity (CHS). The magnitude of CHS, induced by either lipid-soluble or water-soluble hapten, was inversely correlated with the water content of stratum corneum at the hapten application site in the elicitation phase.

Epidermal Neuromedin U Attenuates IgE-Mediated Allergic Skin Inflammation.

Although keratinocyte-derived neuropeptide neuromedin U (NMU) mediates the proinflammatory effects of innate-type mast cell activation, no information is available on the physiological roles. Here, to investigate the effects of NMU on IgE-mediated allergic skin inflammation, we determined whether IgE-mediated inflammation associated with severe scratching was induced in Nmu-/- mice administered repeated hapten applications to the ear or footpad. Dry skin was induced by targeted deletion of Nmu.

A spontaneously occurring malignant pituicytoma in a male sprague dawley rat.

Pituicytoma is an extremely rare neoplasm derived from pituicytes, which are glial cells in the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland. A malignant pituicytoma was found in the intracranial cavity of a 55-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rat. Macroscopically, the tumor was located on the sphenoid bone and involved the pituitary gland.

The 14-day repeated dose liver micronucleus test with methapyrilene hydrochloride using young adult rats.

The repeated dose liver micronucleus (RDLMN) assay using young adult rats has the potential to detect genotoxic hepatocarcinogens that can be integrated into a general toxicity study. The assay methods were thoroughly validated by 19 Japanese facilities. Methapyrilene hydrochloride (MP), known to be a non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogen, was examined in the present study.

Defective sweating responses in atopic dermatitis.

While sweat is thought to be one of the important factors provoking exacerbations of clinical symptoms in atopic dermatitis (AD), little attention has been drawn to a beneficial role of sweat in the development of AD lesions. However, if the permeability barrier and antimicrobial barrier dysfunction represents the primary event in the development of AD, an evaluation of sweating responses in AD is a logical place to look for changes that predispose to the disease. In this regard, there have been conflicting data regarding whether sweating responses are impaired, normal or enhanced in AD patients.

[A study of mental health in community-dwelling older persons].

We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the mental health of community-dwelling elderly people, and encompassed the physiological, psychological, social and environmental aspects of their lives. The study used a questionnaire similar to the one used by Matsubayashi et al in their study in Kahoku-cho. The Japanese version of General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) was used to evaluate mental health.