Inhibitory effect of fucoidan on Huh7 hepatoma cells through downregulation of CXCL12.

The aim of this study is to assess whether fucoidan modulates the expression of chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12)/chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and exerts antitumor activity toward Huh7 hepatoma cells. According to 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, fucoidan inhibited the growth of Huh7 cells and HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with a 50% inhibition of cell growth (IC50) of 2.0 and 4.

Immunohistochemical staining with newly developed metallothionein fragment antibodies against NH2-terminal, middle-regional and COOH-terminal peptides in rabbits.

Metallothionein (MT) has been reported to play important physiological roles in the human body, but the distribution and significance of MT is not fully understood. In order to analyze MT expression, three kinds of polyclonal MT fragment antibodies were developed against NH2-terminal, middle regional and COOH-terminal peptide followed by human MT-IA amino acid sequence in rabbits. The characteristics of these antibodies were studied using competitive immunoassay and immunohistochemical staining.

Changes of heavy metal, metallothionein and heat shock proteins in Sertoli cells induced by cadmium exposure.

In this study, we examined the levels of Cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), which were considered to be involved in Sertoli cell damage caused by Cd exposure. We also examined metallothionein (MT), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expressions in Sertoli cells induced by Cd exposure. Evaluation by the in-air micro-particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method revealed that Cd and Fe distribution was increased in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells after Cd exposure.

The changes of heavy metal and metallothionein distribution in testis induced by cadmium exposure.

Cadmium (Cd) is known to cause various disorders in the testis, and metallothionein (MT) is known as a protein, which has a detoxification function for heavy metals. However, the changes of Fe, Cu, and Zn distribution in the testis induced by Cd exposure have not been well examined. Moreover, only a few studies have been reported on the localization of MT after Cd exposure.

Subcellular changes of essential metal shown by in-air micro-PIXE in oral cadmium-exposed mice.

To clarify the relation of essential metals to cadmium (Cd) toxicity, we evaluated metallothionein expression and analyzed the subcellular distribution of essential metals using in-air micro-Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). Four mice were dosed orally with 100 mg/L of Cd in drinking water for 1.5 or 2 years.

Role of oxidative stress on pathogenesis of hypertensive cerebrovascular lesions.

The hypertensive rat brain exhibited softening, severe edema and intracerebral hemorrhage. The NO(2) (-) + NO(3) (-) (NOx) level in the hypertensive rat brain was higher than in the normotensive rat brain. Light microscopy demonstrated severe arterial and arteriolar lesions with fibrinoid deposits and medial lesion.

Validity of plasma remnant lipoproteins as surrogate markers of antemortem level in cases of sudden coronary death.

Hitherto triglycerides (TG) and TG-rich lipoproteins were been of limited value as surrogates for antemortem levels. We measured TG levels in postmortem plasma from sudden coronary death cases (SCD, n=91) by using two TG assays, Dry Chem TG (free glycerol was added) and the Determiner L-TG (without added free glycerol) that measured net TG. TG levels were markedly higher by the Dry Chem TG (y) vs.

Headspace solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography with micro-electron capture detection for the measurement of p,p'-DDE in rat whole blood and hair.

A sensitive, specific, and reproducible capillary gas chromatography (GC) with micro-electron capture detection (micro-ECD) method using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) for the quantitative analysis of p,p'-DDE in rat whole blood and hair was developed. A 100 microm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) phase was used for the extraction. The obtained detection limits were 0.

Hippuric acid and methyl hippuric acid in rat hair: possible monitoring of xylene and toluene exposure.

Thinner is mainly composed of toluene and xylenes, and we studied the incorporation of the main metabolites of toluene and xylenes, hippuric acid (HA) and o-, m-, and p-methyl hippuric acids (o-, m-, p-MHA), in dark agouti rats' hair. Rat black hair was shaved before any exposure with an electric shaver designed for animals. Studies were performed in vivo with exposures of 30 min per day at three different concentrations (100, 300, and 1000 ppm) of toluene and o-, m-, and p-xylene for a total of 10 times over 2 weeks.

Temporal changes in testis weight during the past 50 years in Japan.

The ever-increasing presence of environmental toxicants and their disruptive effect on the reproductive systems of wildlife raises the question of possible damage to the human reproductive system. Using medicolegal data from over 20,000 Japanese men subjected to necropsy from 1948 to 1998, we investigated temporal changes in testis weight to find possible evidence of male reproductive disorders. We also carried out a histological examination of 747 testes collected from 1978 to 1998.