Publications by authors named "Tohru Masukawa"

To examine the mechanisms of diabetes-enhanced inflammation, ear inflammation was induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in streptozotocin (STZ)-injected diabetic and control mice. The inflammatory response was determined from ear thickness and histology. The mRNA expression of several inflammation-related genes 8, 24 and 32 h after TPA treatment was determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.

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In this study, we investigated the involvement of mast cells in the regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbolacetate (TPA)-induced inflammation, using mast cell-deficient (W/W(v)) mice and control (+/+) mice. Topical application of TPA to the ears induced acute inflammation, accompanied by mast cell degranulation in +/+ mice, which peaked at 6-12 h. There was no significant difference in ear thickness between the groups until 12 h, but the swelling was greater in W/W(v) mice than +/+ mice at 24-36 h.

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We examined possible roles of mast cells in cutaneous wound healing using mast cell deficient (W/Wv) mice and their normal littermates (+/+). A round full-thickness wound was made on the back skin of these mice. The wounds closed completely within 20 days, and there was no difference in wound contraction between +/+ and W/Wv mice during the wound healing.

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To clarify the role of mucosal mast cells in the lesion sites of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in rats, we investigated the histological changes and alterations relevant to mucosal mast cells in the spontaneous recovery process of colitis. Oral administration of 4% DSS solution for 11 days resulted in surface epithelial loss, crypt loss and goblet cell depletion in the rectal mucosa. A marked infiltration of inflammatory cells into the mucosa, which was consistent with a significant increase in myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, was observed.

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