Longitudinal association between posterior occlusal contact and dementia development in a large retrospective cohort study using a Japanese claims database.

This study examines the association between posterior occlusal contact and the risk of dementia development in the Japanese population, utilizing Eichner classification to evaluate occlusal status. Data from Japanese health insurance claims were analyzed for the period from April 2016 to March 2022. Participants had undergone specific health checkups, had no prior history of dementia, and were classified according to their dental occlusal contact.

Change in the ability of bovine granulosa cells to elongate transzonal projections and their transcriptome changes during follicle development.

Granulosa cells (GCs) in secondary follicles differentiate into cumulus cells (CCs) and mural granulosa cells (MGCs) in the antral follicle. Only CCs maintain direct connections with oocytes through transzonal projections (TZPs) and support oocyte growth. Here, we examined whether granulosa cells (GCs) from secondary follicles and MGCs from early and late antral follicles were able to reconstruct complexes with TZP-free denuded oocytes (DOs) and regenerate TZPs.

Association Between Reduced Posterior Occlusal Contact and Alzheimer's Disease Onset in Older Japanese Adults: Results from the LIFE Study.

Background: An association between poor oral health and cognitive decline has been reported. Most of these studies have considered the number of teeth as a criterion, only a few studies have analyzed the relationship between occlusal status and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To elucidate whether posterior occlusal contact is associated with AD, focusing on the Eichner classification, among an older population aged 65 years or older in Japan.

Actin cytoskeletal reorganization is involved in hyperosmotic stress-induced autophagy in tubular epithelial cells.

Tubular epithelial cells are routinely exposed to severe changes in osmolarity. Although the autophagic activity of cells is an indispensable process to maintain cellular homeostasis and respond to stressors, the effect of hyperosmotic stress on autophagic activity in tubular epithelial cells remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hyperosmotic stress on autophagy in rat kidney tubular epithelial cells focusing on the role of actin and microtubule cytoskeletons.

Dietary Problems Are Associated with Frailty Status in Older People with Fewer Teeth in Japan.

This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary problems and frailty according to tooth loss in older Japanese people. This cross-sectional study included 160 older people (mean age 82.6 years) from Japan.

Calcium influx through TRPV4 channels involve in hyperosmotic stress-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tubular epithelial cells.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process that occurs in the pathogenesis of kidney diseases in which injured tubular epithelial cells transform into myofibroblasts. We previously showed that mannitol-mediated hyperosmotic stress induces EMT of tubular epithelial cells. Although Ca signaling is essential for the induction of EMT in tubular epithelial cells, the role of specific calcium channels is unknown.

Oocyte-derived growth factors promote development of antrum-like structures by porcine cumulus granulosa cells in vitro.

Oocytes communicate with the surrounding somatic cells during follicular development. We examined the effects of two oocyte-derived growth factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), on the development of porcine oocyte-cumulus cell complexes (OCCs) in vitro. We collected OCCs from early antral follicles (1.

Hyperosmotic stress induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition through rearrangements of focal adhesions in tubular epithelial cells.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tubular epithelial cells is a hallmark of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and is associated with chronic renal injury as well as acute renal injury. As one of the incidences and risk factors for acute renal injury, increasing the osmolality in the proximal tubular fluid by administration of intravenous mannitol has been reported, but the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. Hyperosmotic conditions caused by mannitol in the tubular tissue may generate not only osmotic but also mechanical stresses, which are known to be able to induce EMT in epithelial cells, thereby contributing to renal injury.

Reestablishment of transzonal projections and growth of bovine oocytes in vitro.

Transzonal projections (TZPs) that maintain bidirectional communication between oocytes and granulosa cells or cumulus cells are important structures for oocyte growth. However, whether TZPs develop between TZP-free oocytes and granulosa cells, and whether reestablished TZPs support oocyte growth, is unknown. We first examined changes in TZPs after denudation of bovine oocytes collected from early antral follicles (0.

Effects of oocyte-derived growth factors on the growth of porcine oocytes and oocyte-cumulus cell complexes in vitro.

During oocyte growth and follicle development, oocytes closely communicate with cumulus cells. We examined the effects of oocyte-derived growth factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), on the growth and acquisition of meiotic competence of porcine oocytes collected from early antral follicles (1.2-1.

In vitro growth of bovine oocytes in oocyte-cumulus cell complexes and the effect of follicle stimulating hormone on the growth of oocytes.

Several successful in vitro culture experiments have used oocyte-cumulus cell-mural granulosa cell complexes (OCGCs) from early antral follicles (0.5-0.7 mm) for the growth of bovine oocytes.

Interaction between growing oocytes and granulosa cells in vitro.

Background: Oocyte growth is accompanied by follicular development in mammalian ovaries. Since the discovery of two oocyte-derived factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), knowledge of the bidirectional communication between oocytes and granulosa cells for ovarian function and fertility has been accumulated. In addition, the growth culture system of oocytes has been improved, further promoting the studies on the communication between oocytes and granulosa cells in vitro.

An investigation of asymmetric reduction in dopamine transporter density in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Asymmetric motor symptoms and the contralateral side of dopaminergic deficits are commonly observed in patients with Parkinson's disease. The laterality of the specific binding ratio (SBR) for dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography may be useful for estimation of reduced dopamine transporter density in striatum of patients with Parkinson's disease. SBR with Southampton method (S-SBR) is widely used to evaluate in our country, but the results occasionally contradict with that of motor symptoms or visual evaluation in clinical practice, thus preventing a confident diagnosis.

Single nucleolus precursor body formation in the pronucleus of mouse zygotes and SCNT embryos.

Mammalian oocytes and zygotes have nucleoli that are transcriptionally inactive and structurally distinct from nucleoli in somatic cells. These nucleoli have been termed nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs). Recent research has shown that NPBs are important for embryonic development, but they are only required during pronuclear formation.

GDF9 and BMP15 induce development of antrum-like structures by bovine granulosa cells without oocytes.

The role of oocytes in follicular antrum formation is not well understood. We examined the effect of oocyte-derived growth factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), on the formation of antrum-like structures by cultured bovine oocyte-granulosa cell complexes (OGCs). OGCs containing growing oocytes (105‒115 µm in diameter) were collected from early antral follicles (1.

Inhibition of PDE3A sustains meiotic arrest and gap junction of bovine growing oocytes in in vitro growth culture.

Bovine growing oocytes with a diameter of 105-115 μm from early antral follicles (1.2-1.8 mm) are able to resume meiosis, but lack the competence to mature to metaphase II.

The fertilization ability and developmental competence of bovine oocytes grown in vitro.

In vitro growth culture systems for oocytes are being developed in several mammalian species. In these growth culture systems, in vitro grown oocytes usually have lower blastocyst formation than in vivo grown oocytes after in vitro fertilization. Furthermore, there have been a few reports that investigated the fertilization ability of in vitro grown oocytes in large animals.

Calreticulin is required for development of the cumulus oocyte complex and female fertility.

Calnexin (CANX) and calreticulin (CALR) chaperones mediate nascent glycoprotein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we report that these chaperones have distinct roles in male and female fertility. Canx null mice are growth retarded but fertile.

Removal of O-GlcNAcylation is important for pig preimplantation development.

Glucose has been recognized as an energy source for a long time, but it has recently been suggested that the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) and downstream protein O-GlcNAcylation have important functions in mouse preimplantation development. Thus, whether or not O-GlcNAcylation was present and what functions O-GlcNAcylation has in pig preimplantation development were investigated in the present study. The expressions of mRNA of glutaminefructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (Gfpt), O-GlcNAc transferase (Ogt) and O-GlcNAcase (Oga), which are involved in the HBP and O-GlcNAc cycling, were examined in pig parthenogenetic diploids at each preimplantation developmental stage.

Androgens promote the acquisition of maturation competence in bovine oocytes.

Recent studies in mice suggest that androgens are important for normal follicle development. However, there have been few reports concerning the action of androgens in the growth of oocytes from large animals. The purpose of this study was to determine the roles of androgens in bovine oocyte growth in vitro.

Demands for carbohydrates as major energy substrates depend on the preimplantation developmental stage in pig embryos: differential use of fructose by parthenogenetic diploids before and after the 4-cell stage in the pig.

The embryo culture technique has been improving, but the detailed demands for energy substrates such as glucose, fructose, pyruvate and lactate of preimplantation embryos are still unclear. In the present study, the demands of pig preimplantation embryos at each different developmental stage were investigated by use of parthenogenetic diploids as a model of pig preimplantation embryos. Pig parthenogenetic diploids showed different use of glucose and fructose before and after the 4-cell stage.

Nucleolus precursor body (NPB): a distinct structure in mammalian oocytes and zygotes.

Nucleoli in mammalian oocytes and zygotes, sometimes referred to as nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs), are compact and morphologically different from nucleoli in somatic cells. We applied a unique NPB analyzing method "enucleolation" technique to zygotes to remove the NPBs. It has been reported that oocyte NPBs are essential for embryonic development; in their absence, the oocytes complete maturation and can be fertilized, but no nucleoli are formed in the zygotes and embryos, leading to developmental failure.

Effect of estradiol-17β during in vitro growth culture on the growth, maturation, cumulus expansion and development of porcine oocytes from early antral follicles.

Growing porcine oocytes from early antral follicles can acquire meiotic and developmental competence under suitable culture conditions, but at lower rates compared to full-grown oocytes. We postulated that estradiol-17β (E2 ) supported the acquisition of meiotic and developmental competence as well as cumulus-expansion ability during growth culture. Growing oocytes from early antral follicles (1.

Steroid hormones promote bovine oocyte growth and connection with granulosa cells.

Many approaches have been investigated for growing oocytes in vitro in mammals. To support oocyte growth in vitro, the culture systems must meet certain conditions for maintaining connections between oocytes and surrounding granulosa cells. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of combinations of 17β-estradiol (E2) and androstenedione (A4) on in vitro growth of bovine oocytes and to determine the number of connections between the oocyte and granulosa cells.

De novo formation of nucleoli in developing mouse embryos originating from enucleolated zygotes.

The large, compact oocyte nucleoli, sometimes referred to as nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs), are essential for embryonic development in mammals; in their absence, the oocytes complete maturation and can be fertilized, but no nucleoli are formed in the zygote or embryo, leading to developmental failure. It has been convincingly documented that zygotes inherit the oocyte nucleolar material and form NPBs again in pronuclei. It is commonly accepted that during early embryonic development, the original compact zygote NPBs gradually transform into reticulated nucleoli of somatic cells.