Usefulness of adult medaka fish as a model for the evaluation of alcoholic fatty liver.

Alcohol has long been acknowledged to be one of the main causes of hepatic disorders. In recent years, with the advancements in antiviral therapies, the relative proportion that alcoholic liver disease contributes among liver diseases has increased, necessitating the establishment of a useful model for the elucidation of the mechanism of its development. In this study, we developed a model of alcoholic liver disease using medaka, a small-sized fish known for its usefulness as a model organism.

Assessment of high-fat-diet-induced fatty liver in medaka.

Fatty liver, which has been continuously becoming more common in a number of patients, is the most common liver disease. For detailed analysis, a useful model for fatty liver is needed and fish are considered as a potential candidate. We assessed through direct observation of the liver, which is the most conventional method for non-invasive analysis of progression in fatty liver.

Evaluating effects of L-carnitine on human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells showing potential for use in regenerative medicine. Culture techniques that are more stable and methods for the more efficient production of MSCs with therapeutic efficacy are needed. We evaluate the effects of growing bone marrow (Bm)-derived MSCs in the presence of L-carnitine, which is believed to promote lipid metabolism and to suppress apoptosis.

In vitro antimicrobial effects of aztreonam, colistin, and the 3-drug combination of aztreonam, ceftazidime and amikacin on metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Background: There are limited choice of antimicrobial agents to treat infection with metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We evaluate the antimicrobial effects of aztreonam alone, colistin alone and the 3-drug combination of aztreonam, ceftazidime and amikacin on 23 strains of metallo-beta-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa by time-killing tests.