Roles for B[a]P and FICZ in subchondral bone metabolism and experimental temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis via the AhR/Cyp1a1 signaling axis.

Bone loss due to smoking represents a major risk factor for fractures and bone osteoporosis. Signaling through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and its ligands contributes to both bone homeostasis and inflammatory diseases. It remains unclear whether the same AhR signaling axis affects the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Rotation drive and momentum transport with electron cyclotron heating in tokamak plasmas.

The role of electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) on the toroidal rotation velocity profile has been investigated in the JT-60U tokamak device by separating the effects of the change in momentum transport, the intrinsic rotation by pressure gradient, and the intrinsic rotation by ECRH. It is found that ECRH increases the toroidal momentum diffusivity and the convection velocity. It is also found that ECRH drives the codirection (co) intrinsic rotation inside the EC deposition radius and the counterdirection (ctr) intrinsic rotation outside the EC deposition radius.

Transition between internal transport barriers with different temperature-profile curvatures in JT-60U Tokamak plasmas.

A spontaneous transition phenomena between two states of a plasma with an internal transport barrier (ITB) is observed in the steady-state phase of the magnetic shear in the negative magnetic shear plasma in the JT-60U tokamak. These two ITB states are characterized by different profiles of the second radial derivative of the ion temperature inside the ITB region (one has a weak concave shape and the other has a strong convex shape) and by different degrees of sharpness of the interfaces between the L mode and the ITB region, which is determined by the turbulence penetration into the ITB region.

Role of pressure gradient on intrinsic toroidal rotation in tokamak plasmas.

The toroidal plasma rotation generated by the external momentum input and by the plasma itself (intrinsic rotation) has been separated through a novel momentum transport analysis in the JT-60U tokamak device. The toroidal rotation, which is not determined by the momentum transport coefficients and the external momentum input, has been observed. It is found that this intrinsic rotation is locally determined by the local pressure gradient and increases with increasing pressure gradient.

Foliar trichome- and aquaporin-aided water uptake in a drought-resistant epiphyte Tillandsia ionantha Planchon.

The atmospheric epiphyte Tillandsia ionantha is capable of surviving drought stress for 6 months or more without any exogenous water supply via an as of yet to be determined mechanism. When plants were soaked in water for 3 h, leaves absorbed a remarkably large amount of water (30-40% on the basis of fresh weight), exhibiting a bimodal absorption pattern. Radiolabeled water was taken up by the leaves by capillary action of the epidermal trichomes within 1 min (phase 1) and then transported intracellularly to leaf tissues over 3 h (phase 2).

Reduced heat transport between edge-localized-mode bursts at low collisionality and small poloidal Larmor radius.

Nondimensional parameter dependence of heat transport between edge localized modes (ELMs) is examined for H mode plasmas. The electron heat diffusivity between ELMs is reduced to the level of ion neoclassical transport in the plasma edge region which is affected by ELM burst. At lower edge collisionality, the heat flux assigned to the heat transport between ELMs is reduced and the ELM loss power is enhanced.

[A case of multiple sclerosis with polyradiculitis and spinal subarachnoid block].

A case of 53-year-old female with multiple sclerosis was reported. In August 1987, she suffered from weakness in her legs and urinary retention. These signs had progressed with incomplete remissions and exacerbations.

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous contraction of isolated duodenum and ileum in both guinea pigs and rabbits.

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous contraction of isolated duodenum and ileum were studied in both guinea pigs and rabbits. In the duodenum and ileum of both guinea pigs and rabbits, TM-906 (10(-6) g/ml, 10(-5) g/ml) produced a potentiation of the spontaneous contraction in preparations with low contractile activity (low tone or small contraction), while it caused an inhibition of the spontaneous contraction in preparations with high contractile activity (high tone or large contraction). The potentiation of spontaneous contraction by TM-906 was more pronounced in the ileum than in the duodenum of both guinea pigs and rabbits.

[Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the gastrointestinal motility in anesthetized dogs].

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous motility of the gastrointestinal tracts were investigated in anesthetized dogs by means of force transducers. TM-906, administrated intravenously or intraduodenally, produced an inhibition followed by a potentiation of the spontaneous motility in the stomach, and caused a potentiation of the spontaneous motility in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon. These effects of TM-906 were observed also in the vagotomized dogs as in the intact dogs.

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the smooth muscles of isolated guinea pig gallbladder.

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the smooth muscles of isolated guinea pig gallbladder were investigated. TM-906 inhibited the contractile responses to cholinergic nerve stimulation (5 Hz) and to acetylcholine (3 X 10(-8) g/ml) to the same extent, both of which produced much the same amplitude of contraction. TM-906 noncompetitively antagonized the contractile response to methacholine, and it caused a parallel shift of dose-response curves for the contractile response to CaCl2 to higher concentrations.

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous contraction of isolated guinea pig colon.

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous contraction of isolated guinea pig colon were investigated. TM-906 in the concentrations of 10(-6) g/ml and 10(-5) g/ml increased the tone without affecting the amplitude of the spontaneous contraction in the preparations with low tone, whereas it decreased the tone and the amplitude of the spontaneous contraction in the preparations with high tone. At the higher concentration (10(-4) g/ml).

[Effects of trimebutine maleate on the gastrointestinal motility in conscious dogs].

Trimebutine maleate is known to have beneficial effect in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. In conscious dogs with implanted force transducers, effects of trimebutine maleate on the gastrointestinal motility were investigated by intravenous injection, and the results were compared to those with metoclopramide and hyoscine-N-butylbromide. When trimebutine maleate was administered during the motor quiescence in the interdigestive state, contractions were evoked or the quiescent time was shortened in the gastrointestinal tract.

[Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous contraction of the isolated guinea pig stomach].

Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on the spontaneous contraction were investigated in the isolated circular smooth muscle of the antrum region of the guinea pig stomach. TM-906 dose-dependently reduced the amplitude of the regular spontaneous contraction without any marked change in its frequency and basal tension. This effect of TM-906 was also observed in the presence of phentolamine, propranolol, atropine, and tetrodotoxin.

Effects of timepidium bromide, hyoscine-N-butylbromide and atropine on the isolated guinea pig gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi.

Effects of timepidium bromide (TB), hyoscine-N-butylbromide (HB) and atropine (Atr) were studied on the isolated guinea pig gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi. In the isolated gallbladder, the contraction induced by methacholine was competitively antagonized with TB, HB and Atr: pA2 values for TB, HB and Atr were 8.44, 7.

[Bronchodilating action of (--)-1-(3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzyl)-7-hydroxy-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoloine HCl (l-MTI) (author's transl)].

Bronchodilating action of l-MTI was investigated by intravenous administration to anesthetized animals and the results were compared to those seen with isoproterenol. Bronchoconstriction was induced by histamine or serotonin. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, the bronchodilating activity of l-MTI was approx.