Publications by authors named "Takashi Takaki"

It is a problem that influenza virus infection increases susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection in lungs leading to lethal pneumonia. We previously reported that exopolysaccharides (EPS) derived from Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus OLL1073R-1 (OLL1073R-1) could prevent against influenza virus infection followed by secondary bacterial infection in vitro.

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Objectives: Klebsiella spp., an opportunistic infectious organism, is commensal in the nasal and oral cavities of humans. Recently, it has been reported that oral Klebsiella spp.

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Accurate orthodontic analysis and diagnosis based on anatomical landmarks is essential to the success of orthodontic treatment. Helical computed tomography (CT) has evolved markedly, and dentists can now quickly obtain 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction data using this imaging modality. The planning of orthodontic treatment had traditionally been based on cephalometric analysis using 2D landmarks.

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The treatment of dentofacial deformities generally includes orthognathic surgery in which mandibular condyle changes following surgery are a common cause of relapse. This study investigated the changes in the mandibular condyle and related muscles to identify the factors that affected the changes in the mandibular condyle after orthognathic surgery in skeletal class II patients. This research studied 60 joints in 30 patients with skeletal class II dentofacial deformities who received surgical orthodontic treatment, including bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy, and underwent computed tomography before and after orthodontic treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • The glycocalyx (GCX) is an important structure on blood vessel surfaces that helps regulate permeability and is crucial for diagnosing various blood vessel diseases.
  • A study was conducted using lung tissues from anesthetized mice to find effective ways to visualize the fragile GCX, involving degassing and fixing specimens in Alcian blue for electron microscopy analysis.
  • The new method not only successfully observed the GCX but also decreased preparation time from 6 to 2 days, suggesting it could be useful for studying human lung samples and improving our understanding of blood vessel diseases.
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The use of neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents induces numbness in the limbs through chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Recently, we found that hand therapy involving finger massage improved mild to moderate numbness in CIPN patients. In this study, we behaviorally, physiologically, pathologically, and histologically investigated the mechanisms underlying hand therapy-induced numbness improvement in a CIPN model mouse.

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A long-term high-fat diet (HFD) causes obesity and changes in renal lipid metabolism and lysosomal dysfunction in mice, causing renal damage. Sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitors, including phlorizin, exert nephroprotective effects in patients with chronic kidney disease, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. A HFD or standard diet was fed to adult C57BL/6J male mice, and phlorizin was administered.

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Gemcitabine (GEM) is an anticancer drug inhibiting DNA synthesis. Glomerular thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) has been reported as an adverse effect. However, the precise mechanism of GEM-induced endothelial injury remains unknown.

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Background: Although hypercholesterolemia reportedly counteracts lymphocyte trafficking across lymphatic vessels, the roles of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in the lymphocyte regulations remain unclear. Previous studies showed that calpain-an intracellular modulatory protease-interferes with leukocyte dynamics in the blood microcirculation and is associated with hypercholesterolemic dysfunction in vascular endothelial cells.

Methods: This study investigated whether the calpain systems in LECs associate with the LEC-lymphocyte interaction under hypercholesterolemia using gene-targeted mice.

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The usefulness of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) for pathological diagnosis is apparent. However, high operating costs and other disadvantages have limited the ability to maintain and operate a TEM. In recent years, a general-purpose benchtop low-vacuum scanning electron microscope (LVSEM), which is inexpensive and easy to operate, has been developed and is expected to be applied in electron microscopic pathological diagnosis.

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  • Salivary glands can act as reservoirs for viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, but the infection mechanisms in these glands are not well understood due to a lack of suitable models.
  • Researchers have successfully created human induced salivary glands (hiSGs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and mimic the properties of real salivary glands.
  • The study confirms that these hiSGs can be transplanted into mice and show mature features, making them a valuable tool for studying the role of salivary glands in virus infections and transmission, particularly in asymptomatic individuals.
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Cholestatic toxicity causes the failure of pharmaceutical agents during drug development and, thus, should be identified at an early stage of drug discovery and development. The formation of functional bile canaliculi in human hepatocytes is required for in vitro cholestasis toxicity tests conducted during the early stage of drug development. In this study, we investigated the culture conditions required for the formation of bile canaliculi using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes (hiPSC-Heps).

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  • The study explores the connection between immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and Crohn's disease (CD), focusing on two patient groups: those with both conditions (CD-IgAN) and those with only IgAN (NOS-IgAN).
  • Findings indicated that while the IgA deposition levels were similar, CD-IgAN patients exhibited significantly worse renal pathology, with higher global glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis compared to NOS-IgAN patients.
  • Additionally, CD-IgAN patients were less responsive to steroid treatment, suggesting that factors related to abnormal intestinal immunity in CD may exacerbate IgAN's inflammatory processes.
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Recent technical advances in the detection of backscattered electrons during scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have improved resolution and have provided several new technologies for research and clinical practice in kidney disease. The advances include three-dimensional (3D) electron microscopy (3D-EM), correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), low-vacuum SEM (LVSEM), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). 3D-EM analysis used to be laborious, but recently three different technologies, serial block-face SEM, focused ion beam SEM, and array tomography, have made 3D-EM easier by automating sectioning and the subsequent image acquisition in an SEM.

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Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) sheets have potential to be effective in various therapies. In this study, we first demonstrated that a cell sheet composed of human ADSCs could be created using a new temperature-responsive culture dish from the DIC Corporation. The dish can cause detachment of adherent cells due to temperature changes, but a few morphological analyses have evaluated the presence or absence of damage on the detached surface of cell sheet.

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is an irreversible degenerative condition causing bone deformation in the joints and articular cartilage degeneration with chronic pain and impaired movement. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) or crushed adipose tissue injection into the joint cavity reportedly improve knee function and symptoms, including pain. Stem cell spheroids may be promising treatment options due to their anti-inflammatory and enhanced tissue regeneration/repair effects.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the effects of human milk-based fortifier (HMBF) vs. cow milk-based fortifier (CMBF) on the size of fat globules in human milk, which could influence infant feeding tolerance.
  • - Measurements showed that the fat globule size increases over time after fortification, with CMBF resulting in larger sizes compared to HMBF at 24 and 48 hours.
  • - HMBF leads to smaller changes in fat globule size, suggesting it may be better for the feeding tolerance of very preterm infants.
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Repositioning of the jaw in orthognathic treatment generates changes in the soft tissues of the maxillofacial region, with consequent changes in the airway. The purpose of this study was to determine how type of orthognathic surgical procedure affected the 3-dimensional morphology of the upper airway. Forty patients were divided into the following 2 groups according to the type of surgical procedure used: a horseshoe osteotomy (HS) group (20 patients, comprising 11 men and 9 women; average age 24.

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Change in soft tissue in relation to that in hard tissue following orthognathic surgery was evaluated. Twenty-five patients were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis in all was jaw deformity (maxillary retrusion and mandibular protrusion) and all underwent a Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal splitting ramus osteotomy.

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We report a case of membranous nephropathy with monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig)M lambda deposits in a patient with IgM monoclonal gammopathy, in whom histological changes were observed on repeat renal biopsy. A 72-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital because of massive proteinuria. A prominent increase in monoclonal IgM lambda level was identified, and she was diagnosed as having IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Kamikihito (KKT) is a Kampo medicine that is prescribed in Japan for the treatment of anemia, insomnia and mental anxiety in Japan. However, its precise mechanism of action remains unclear.

Aim Of The Study: This study aimed to evaluate the possible antistress effect of KKT in rats with acute stress and the contribution of oxytocin to the process.

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This report describes a patient with severe high angle class II malocclusion and mandibular retrusion in whom surgical orthodontic treatment to prevent an increase in ramus height resulted in a significant improvement in esthetics and long-term stability. The patient was a woman aged 30 years 5 months who presented with the chief complaint of maxillary protrusion. She had a convex facial type, a chin button on lip sealing, and a gummy smile.

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Objectives: Tokyo Dental College started oral cancer screening in cooperation with a local dental association in 1992. Reveal the usefulness of Countermeasure and Opportunistic Screening Systems for Oral Cancer. The actual results of countermeasure and opportunistic oral cancer screening systems are reported.

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