Three novel mutations of the PAX6 gene in Japanese aniridia patients.

Mutations in the PAX6 gene of Japanese aniridia patients were analyzed. Four types of mutations including one known (474delC) and three novel (786_787ins10, 678_688del11 and 572_575delAATCins14) were found in six patients from four families. A patient with the mutation 572_575delAATCins14 also manifested VATER association.

High-frequency oscillation (HFO) prevents activation of NF-kappaB found with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) in surfactant-depleted rabbit lung.

High-frequency oscillation (HFO) has been recognized as an effective ventilatory strategy to minimize lung injury during respiratory support. Conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) compared with HFO was shown to result in an increased number of PMNs and inflammatory cytokines in the lung lavage fluid. However how mechanical forces can be sensed by cells and converted into biochemical signals for intracellular signal transduction is still unknown.

NF-kappaB in the lungs of premature rabbits during mechanical ventilation--comparison between conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) and high-frequency oscillation (HFO).

The purpose of this study is to compare pulmonary nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity of conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) with that of high-frequency oscillation (HFO) in premature rabbit lungs. For surfactant-depleted model, we used premature rabbits in order to exclude the effect of lung lavage on the activation of NF-kappaB. The premature rabbits were delivered at a gestational age of 27 days by hysterotomy.

Protein characterization of NA+-independent system L amino acid transporter 3 in mice: a potential role in supply of branched-chain amino acids under nutrient starvation.

We recently cloned the human Na(+)-independent system L neutral amino acid transporter LAT3. The aim of the present study was to characterize the molecular nature of mouse LAT3 at the protein level. Isolated mouse LAT3 showed 83% identity to human LAT3.

Production of TNF-alpha by polymorphonuclear leukocytes during mechanical ventilation in the surfactant-depleted rabbit lung.

Previous studies showed that the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and the number of recovered cells were much higher in the conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) group than in the high-frequency oscillation (HFO) group at the end of mechanical ventilation in this model. But the type of cells that generated TNF-alpha in the lungs remained unclear. It was shown that the alveolar macrophage was the source of TNF-alpha in the early stage, but that in the later stage, the cells in the lung lavage fluid contained almost no macrophages.

Electrophysiologic evaluation of retinal pigment epithelial damage induced by photic exposure.

Purpose: To evaluate the retinal pigment epithelial damage induced by light exposure.

Methods: One eye of 20 rabbits was exposed to xenon light for 2 hours at an irradiance of 140 mW/cm2 at the surface of the cornea. The contralateral eye served as a control.

11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 is expressed in the human kidney glomerulus.

Our previous study demonstrated that the GR is expressed in the human kidney glomerulus. The function of the GR of glomerular cells might be affected by the concentration of intracellular glucocorticoids, which is modulated by 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11betaHSD2). Because the expression of 11betaHSD2 in the glomerular cells remains unclear, we used competitive RT-PCR and immunoblotting to detect the expression of 11betaHSD2 mRNA and protein in isolated human glomeruli, in whole kidney cortex as a positive control, and in a human glomerular visceral epithelial cell line.