Acute ultraviolet B irradiation increases cholesterol and decreases Cyp7a1 expression in the liver of female mice.

Recent studies have demonstrated that ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation impacts both skin and hepatic functions. In this study, we investigated the effects of UVB irradiation on cholesterol metabolism in the liver. Hairless mice were exposed to UVB (1.

Genes related to cell wall metabolisms are targeted by miRNAs in immature tomato fruits under drought stress.

The metabolism of tomato fruits changes when plants experience drought stress. In this study, we investigated changes in microRNA (miRNA) abundance and detected 32 miRNAs whose expression changes in fruit. The candidate target genes for each miRNA were predicted from the differentially expressed genes identified by transcriptome analysis at the same fruit maturation stage.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Provide Insights into the Upregulation of Fatty Acid and Phospholipid Metabolism in Tomato Fruit under Drought Stress.

Transcriptome and metabolome analysis in tomato () fruits cultivated under drought conditions showed that drought stress promoted fatty acid synthesis and increased the content of fatty acids in fruits. The accumulation of some phospholipids composed of palmitic acid and oleic acid also was significantly increased, especially in seeds. Moreover, inositol, which is a component of cell membranes and cell walls, was increased through the activity of the myoinositol monophosphatase 1-mediated pathway.

Yeast-based reporter assay system for identifying the requirements of intramembrane proteolysis by signal peptide peptidase of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) is an aspartic protease with two active sites, YD and GXGD, in the transmembrane domain. SPP cleaves signal peptides, and the released fragments play key roles in the immune system, embryo development and protein turnover in cells. Despite SPP having an important function, a general system to identify the requirements of intramembrane proteolysis by SPP has not been developed because proteolysis occurs in the membrane.

Draft Genome Sequence of Zygosaccharomyces mellis CA-7, Isolated from Honey.

In this study, we report the draft genome sequence of CA-7, isolated from purchased honey imported from Canada. The 10.19-Mb genome contains 4,963 gene models.

Oryza sativa Brittle Culm 1-like 6 modulates β-glucan levels in the endosperm cell wall.

The endosperm cell wall affects post-harvest grain quality by affecting the mechanical fragility and water absorption of the grain. Therefore, understanding the mechanism underlying endosperm cell wall synthesis is important for determining the growth and quality of cereals. However, the molecular machinery mediating endosperm cell wall biosynthesis is not well understood.

Gene Expression Profiling in Short-Term Imbibition of Wheat: Tools for Dissecting of Pasting Properties of Imbibed Wheat Seeds.

Germination of wheat maximizes phytochemical content and antioxidant activity while altering chemical composition, gluten content, and pasting properties. This study investigated the effect of short-term imbibition on gene expression profiles and the physical and functional characteristics of wheat. Changes in gene expression profiles of wheat during short-term imbibition (0, 16, and 24 hr) were evaluated by DNA microarray analysis.

Expression of protein arginine methyltransferase-5 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its significance in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT) 5, a member of type II arginine methyltransferases, catalyzes the symmetrical dimethylation of arginine residues on histone and non-histone substrates. Although the overexpression of PRMT5 has been reported in various cancers, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been elucidated. In the present study, we immunohistochemically examined the expression of PRMT5 in surgically resected oral epithelial dysplasia (OED, n = 8), oral intraepithelial neoplasia (OIN)/carcinoma in situ (CIS) (n = 11) and OSCC (n = 52) with or without contiguous OED lesions.

Establishment of highly metastatic KRAS mutant lung cancer cell sublines in long-term three-dimensional low attachment cultures.

Decreased cell-substratum adhesion is crucially involved in metastasis. Previous studies demonstrated that lung cancer with floating cell clusters in histology is more likely to develop metastasis. In the present study, we investigated whether cancer cells in long-term, three-dimensional low attachment cultures acquire high metastatic potential; these cells were then used to examine the mechanisms underlying metastasis.

Bacillus cereus Response to a Proanthocyanidin Trimer, a Transcriptional and Functional Analysis.

Proanthocyanidins are abundant in peanut skin, and in this study, the antibacterial effects of a peanut skin extract (PSE) against food-borne bacteria were investigated to find its minimum inhibitory concentration. Food-borne gram-positive bacteria, and in particular Bacillus cereus, was more sensitive to PSE. In particular, the inhibitory activity of epicatechin-(4β → 6)-epicatechin-(2β → O→7, 4β → 8)-catechin (EEC), a proanthocyanidin trimer from peanut skin, against B.

Recent Advances in the Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Including Suppression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Entecavir and Interferon.

At present, for adults with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, two new analogues, entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir, are recommended as the first-line therapy by the EASL (European Association for the Study of the Liver), AASLD (American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases), and APASL (Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver) guidelines. The use of pegylated interferon-α (PEG IFN-α) is recommended as the first-line therapy instead of standard IFN-α according to the above 3 guidelines. In this paper, the aim was to assess: (1) the long-term efficacy and safety as well as the resistance to ETV and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF); (2) the efficacy of PEG IFN-α; (3) the role of combination therapy with IFN plus two analogues, such as lamivudine and ETV; (4) the efficacy and safety of two analogues with cirrhosis, and (5) suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by ETV and IFN treatment.

Frequent loss of the expression of multiple subunits of the SWI/SNF complex in large cell carcinoma and pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung.

The switch/sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) complex has recently emerged as a novel tumor suppressor in various human cancers. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of multiple SWI/SNF subunits in primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 133 NSCLC, consisting of 25 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 70 adenocarcinomas (AD), 16 large cell carcinomas (LC), and 22 pleomorphic carcinomas (PL), were immunohistochemically examined for the expression of BRG1, BRM, BAF47, ARID1A, and ARID1B.

Influence of clinical experience of the Macintosh laryngoscope on performance with the Pentax-AWS Airway Scope(®), a rigid video-laryngoscope, by paramedics in Japan.

Purpose: We sought to establish the clinical utility of the Pentax-AWS Airway Scope(®) (AWS) when used by paramedics to intubate the trachea, and to evaluate whether their performance was influenced by previous clinical experience with the Macintosh laryngoscope (ML).

Methods: Twenty paramedics attempted tracheal intubation using the AWS in five patients each in the operating room. We recorded the success rate, the number of intubation attempts, and the time for intubation and adverse events, and compared these based on the paramedics' previous clinical experience with the ML.

Development of an in vitro model for the analysis of bovine endometrium using simple techniques.

This study aimed to develop an in vitro model for the analysis of the bovine endometrium. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that the hetero-spheroids and the cultured explants showed almost similar structure in the localization of bovine endometrial epithelial cells and endometrial stromal cells, except the glandular-like structure of the epithelial cells inside the explants. Gelatin zymography revealed that the hetero-spheroids did not express matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after 4 days of culture, but strong MMP expressions were observed in the cultured explants until 7 days of culture.

Characterization of the quality of imbibed soybean at an early stage of pre-germination for the development of a new protein food item.

This was a pilot study carried out to develop a new protein food item from imbibed soybean before germination. It identified the significance of a short stage after imbibition and before germination, and that vitamin C production was activated in as little as 16 h from the start of imbibition, without any influence on the soy protein quality or sensory acceptability, while longer imbibition caused the imbibed soybean to activate its phytophysiological metabolism for germination. DNA microarray analysis indicated that the genes for carbohydrate metabolism were up-regulated prior to 16 h, and that the expression rates of genes responsible for environmental factors were down-regulated.

Stromal fibroblasts are predictors of disease-related mortality in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The growth, invasiveness and metastasis of human cancers are determined not only by cancer cells, but also by their microenvironment. Activated stromal fibroblasts promote tumor progression by secreting growth factors. In the present study, we focused on interrelations between cancer and fibroblasts, the main component of tumor stroma.

Peanut-skin polyphenols, procyanidin A1 and epicatechin-(4 β → 6)-epicatechin-(2 β → O → 7, 4 β → 8)-catechin, exert cholesterol micelle-degrading activity in vitro.

We identified epicatechin-(4 β → 6)-epicatechin-(2 β → O → 7, 4 β → 8)-catechin (EEC) in the skin of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). EEC (a trimer) showed more potent cholesterol micelle-degrading activity than procyanidin A1 (a dimer) did in vitro.

KL-6, a Human MUC1 Mucin, as a prognostic marker for diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome.

Background: Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome is a life threatening condition with diverse etiologies. Sensitive prognostic markers for diffuse alveolar hemorrhage have not been well investigated. Serum KL-6 is a biomarker for various interstitial lung disease associated with disease activity and prognosis.

Lung cancer with loss of BRG1/BRM, shows epithelial mesenchymal transition phenotype and distinct histologic and genetic features.

BRG1 and BRM, two core catalytic subunits in SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes, have been suggested as tumor suppressors, yet their roles in carcinogenesis are unclear. Here, we present evidence that loss of BRG1 and BRM is involved in the progression of lung adenocarcinomas. Analysis of 15 lung cancer cell lines indicated that BRG1 mutations correlated with loss of BRG1 expression and that loss of BRG1 and BRM expression was frequent in E-cadherin-low and vimentin-high cell lines.

Identification of CCDC6-RET fusion in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, LC-2/ad.

Rearranged during transfection (RET) fusions have been newly identified in approximately 1% of patients with primary lung tumors. However, patient-derived lung cancer cell lines harboring RET fusions have not yet been established or identified, and therefore, the effectiveness of an RET inhibitor on lung tumors with endogenous RET fusion has not yet been studied. In this study, we report identification of CCDC6-RET fusion in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line LC-2/ad.

Novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides found in a thermolysin-treated elastin with antihypertensive activity.

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was generated from elastin and collagen by hydrolyzing with thermolysin. The IC50 value of 531.6 µg/mL for ACE inhibition by the elastin hydrolysate was five times less than 2885.

Serum cholesterol reduction by feeding a high-cholesterol diet containing a lower-molecular-weight polyphenol fraction from peanut skin.

Feeding a high-cholesterol diet with a water-soluble peanut skin polyphenol fraction to rats reduced their plasma cholesterol level, with an increase in fecal cholesterol excretion. The hypocholesterolemic effect was greater with the lower-molecular-weight rather than higher-molecular-weight polyphenol fraction. This effect was possibly due to some oligomeric polyphenols which reduced the solubility of dietary cholesterol in intestinal bile acid-emulsified micelles.

Global gene expression profiles in developing soybean seeds.

The gene expression profiles in soybean (Glycine max L.) seeds at 4 stages of development, namely, pod, 2-mm bean, 5-mm bean, and full-size bean, were examined by DNA microarray analysis. The total genes of each sample were classified into 4 clusters based on stage of development.