Spinal glycine transporter-1 inhibition influences the micturition reflex in urethane-anesthetized rats.

Purpose: Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. So far, two types of glycine transporters (GlyTs), GlyT-1 and GlyT-2, have been cloned. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a selective GlyT-1 inhibitor that can increase endogenous glycine concentration on the micturition reflex in urethane-anesthetized rats.

Cortical activation changes and sub-threshold affective symptoms are associated with social functioning in a non-clinical population: A multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Few studies have examined the relationship between social function and brain activation in non-clinical populations. The aim of the present study was to assess this relationship and examine the underlying cortical mechanisms in a non-clinical population. Eighty healthy volunteers performed a serial arithmetic task according to the Uchida-Kraepelin performance test while hemoglobin concentration changes were assessed on the surface of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using 32-channel near-infrared spectroscopy.

NOTCH2 signaling confers immature morphology and aggressiveness in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

The NOTCH family of membranous receptors plays key roles during development and carcinogenesis. Since NOTCH2, yet not NOTCH1 has been shown essential for murine hepatogenesis, NOTCH2 rather than NOTCH1 may be more relevant to human hepatocarcinogenesis; however, no previous studies have supported this hypothesis. We therefore assessed the role of NOTCH2 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by immunohistochemistry and cell culture.

Roles of Epithelial Cell-Derived Type 2-Initiating Cytokines in Experimental Allergic Conjunctivitis.

Purpose: To clarify the possible involvement of the type 2-initiating cytokines interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in the pathophysiology of allergic conjunctivitis, we evaluated ragweed (RW)-induced experimental allergic conjunctivitis (EAC) models by using IL-25 knockout (KO), IL-33 KO, and TSLP receptor (TSLPR) KO mice.

Methods: Interleukin-25 KO, IL-33 KO, TSLPR KO, and BALB/c wild-type mice were sensitized twice with RW in alum and then challenged with RW in eye drops. Clinical scores and eosinophil infiltration were evaluated.

A Clinical Investigation of Oral Sarcomas at Multi-institutions Over the Past 30 Years.

Background/aim: Sarcoma of the oral cavity is rare accounting for around 1% of all malignant oral tumors. The purpose of this study was to find important prognostic factors for patients with oral sarcoma.

Patients And Methods: The study included 1,643 patients examined from April 1980 to March 2010 at the Departments of oral and maxillofacial surgery at multi-institutions who had a histopathological diagnosis of malignant oral tumors.

The retinoic acid-metabolizing enzyme CYP26A1 upregulates fascin and promotes the malignant behavior of breast carcinoma cells.

The retinoic acid (RA)-metabolizing enzyme CYP26A1 has been shown to efficiently enhance the oncogenic potential of breast cancer, suggesting a potential oncogenic function. We previously demonstrated that CYP26A1 confers unique cell survival properties by modulating the expression of a variety of genes and identified a number of genes that drive the cells into the oncogenic state. Accumulating evidence suggested that fascin is overexpressed in various types of cancer, primarily leading to increased cell motility.

Elevated expression of the retinoic acid-metabolizing enzyme CYP26C1 in primary breast carcinomas.

Retinoic acid (RA)-metabolizing enzyme CYP26A1 has been shown to have increased expression levels in breast cancers and to effectively promote the survival of breast carcinoma cells, implying a potential oncogenic function. However, the expression of CYP26C1, another CYP26 family member, in primary breast carcinoma remains to be clarified. In the present study, we examined the expression of CYP26C1 by immunohistochemistry, using three different types of microarray, and observed strong cytoplasmic staining of CYP26C1 in 73 of the 219 (33.

Co-administration of insulin with a gonadotropin partly improves ovulatory responses of estrogen-deficient mice.

Administration of 17-βestradiol (E2) with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can induce ovulation in estrogen-deficient (ArKO) mice; nevertheless, ovulatory efficiency and rate are low. In this study, effects of insulin on the ovulatory responses were investigated. In ArKO ovary, hCG signal was found to be transmitted in an uncoordinated manner when phosphorylation levels of signaling molecules are examined.

[Operative Results of Total Arch Replacement with Arch First Technique using a Trifurcated Graft].

In aortic arch surgery, we reconstruct branches before opening the arch to avoid cerebral embolism of the debris derived from the aortic wall. We made a trifurcated graft for branch reconstruction using 10 mm and 8 mm polyester grafts. Cardiopulmonary bypass started under right axillary perfusion and venous drainage through the right atrium.

Increased expression of the retinoic acid-metabolizing enzyme CYP26A1 during the progression of cervical squamous neoplasia and head and neck cancer.

Background: Retinoic acid (RA) is a critical regulator of cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis in various cell types. Recently, the RA-metabolizing enzyme CYP26A1 (cytochrome P450, family 26, subfamily A, polypeptide 1) has been shown to have an oncogenic function in breast carcinogenesis. However, the relevance of elevated CYP26A1 expression in human cancers remains to be clarified.

Safety and efficacy of image-guided enzyme-targeting radiosensitization and intraoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer.

A novel radiosensitization treatment involving the injection of hydrogen peroxide and sodium hyaluronate, using ultrasonic guidance, into a tumor immediately prior to intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) was established for patients with stage IVa locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of this novel treatment, termed Kochi Oxydol-Radiation Therapy for Unresectable Carcinomas-IORT (KORTUC and IORT). In total, 12 patients were treated with KORTUC-IORT, external-beam radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy using gemcitabine hydrochloride and S-1.

Clinical Application of the DiversiLab Microbial Typing System Using Repetitive Sequence-Based PCR for Characterization of Helicobacter pylori in Japan.

We evaluated the DiversiLab (DL) system with universal primers, a semiautomated repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (rep-PCR) system, for the characterization of Helicobacter pylori in Japan. All 135 isolates from Japanese patients with gastric cancer (GC, n = 55) or non-GC (n = 80) were used and subjected to the drug susceptibility examinations (amoxicillin, AMPC; metronidazole, MNZ; and clarithromycin, CAM) by E-test. There were 28 MNZ-resistant (20.

Risk Factors for Urinary Incontinence in Japanese Elderly Women.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to clarify risk factors of urinary incontinence (UI) in elderly Japanese women.

Methods: We randomly selected 1600 women, aged between 65 and 74 years, from the resident registration of Sapporo City and we analyzed 746 women, who responded twice on surveys in 2010 and 2011. UI was defined as frequent UI when it occurred at least once a week in both 2010 and 2011.

Possible involvement of brain prostaglandin E2 and prostanoid EP3 receptors in prostaglandin E2 glycerol ester-induced activation of central sympathetic outflow in the rat.

We recently reported that intracerebroventricularly administered 2-arachidonoylglycerol elevated plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline by brain monoacylglycerol lipase- (MGL) and cyclooxygenase-mediated mechanisms in the rat. These results suggest that 2-arachidonoylglycerol is hydrolyzed by MGL to free arachidonic acid, which is further metabolized to prostaglandins (PGs) by cyclooxygenase in the brain, thereby elevating plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline. On the other hand, 2-arachidonoylglycerol can be also metabolized by cyclooxygenase to PG glycerol esters (PG-Gs), which seems to be hydrolyzed by MGL to free PGs.

Central bombesin possibly induces S-nitrosylation of cyclooxygenase-1 in pre-sympathetic neurons of rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

Aims: Cyclooxygenase (COX) can be activated by nitric oxide-induced (NO-induced) conversion of cysteine thiol group of COX into S-nitrosothiol. We previously reported the involvement of brain COX/NO synthase (NOS) in centrally administered bombesin-, a stress-related neuropeptide, induced secretion of rat adrenal noradrenaline and adrenaline. To examine a possible involvement of the NO-induced modification of COX in bombesin-induced response, we investigated whether bombesin induces close proximity of COX-1 and neuronal NOS (nNOS) or S-nitroso-cysteine in pre-sympathetic spinally projecting neurons in the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a regulatory center of adrenomedullary outflow.

MicroRNA expression profiling of cat and dog kidneys.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the pathogenesis of certain diseases and may serve as biomarkers. Here, we present the first analysis of miRNA expression in the kidneys of healthy cats and dogs. Kidneys were divided into renal cortex (CO) and medulla (MD), and RNA sequence analysis was performed using the mouse genome as a reference.

IGFBP3 promotes esophageal cancer growth by suppressing oxidative stress in hypoxic tumor microenvironment.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), a hypoxia-inducible gene, regulates a variety of cellular processes including cell proliferation, senescence, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). IGFBP3 has been linked to the pathogenesis of cancers. Most previous studies focus upon proapoptotic tumor suppressor activities of IGFBP3.

Prostatic ischemia induces ventral prostatic hyperplasia in the SHR; possible mechanism of development of BPH.

In the light of increasing evidence that benign prostatic hyperplasia is associated with cardiovascular disease, we have investigated the relationship between prostatic blood flow and prostatic hyperplasia in the spontaneously-hypertensive-rat (SHR). Twelve-week-old male SHRs were treated with nicorandil for six weeks. Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as controls.

Brain RVD-haemopressin, a haemoglobin-derived peptide, inhibits bombesin-induced central activation of adrenomedullary outflow in the rat.

Background And Purpose: Haemopressin and RVD-haemopressin, derived from the haemoglobin α-chain, are bioactive peptides found in brain and are ligands for cannabinoid CB1 receptors. Activation of brain CB1 receptors inhibited the secretion of adrenal catecholamines (noradrenaline and adrenaline) induced by i.c.

The error-prone DNA polymerase ι provides quantitative resistance to lung tumorigenesis and mutagenesis in mice.

Opposite undamaged nucleotide T, DNA polymerase ι (Polι) preferentially incorporates G rather than A, violating the Watson-Crick rule. Although the actual biological role of Polι remains enigmatic, we have identified its coding gene as a candidate for pulmonary adenoma resistance 2 (Par2), a mouse quantitative trait locus modulating chemically induced lung tumor susceptibility. Notably, the most tumor-sensitive Par2 allele possessed by the 129X1/SvJ mouse is associated with a loss-of-function mutation in Polι.

Serum level of soluble (pro)renin receptor is modulated in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Prorenin, the precursor of renin, binds to the (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] and triggers intracellular signaling. The ligand binding sites of (P)RR are disconnected and are present in the soluble form of the receptor in serum. Given that the clinical significance of serum prorenin and soluble (P)RR in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear, we investigated the relationship between serum prorenin, soluble (P)RR, and various clinical parameters in patients with CKD.

[Clinical status of Von Hippel-Lindau disease associated pheochromocytoma in Japan: a national epidemiologic survey].

Purpose: To understand the current clinical status of pheochromocytoma (Pheo) in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) in Japan.

Patients And Methods: We picked up and summarized Pheos from a nationwide epidemiologic survey for VHL disease based on the epidemiologic study program for incurable disease by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The details of the survey included age of onset, sex, living area, treatment modalities, functional status of the adrenal gland after surgical treatment, and patient outcome.

[The current clinical status of kidney cancers in patients with the VHL disease in Japan: a nationwide epidemiological survey].

Purpose: To understand the current clinical features of kidney cancers in patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease in Japan.

Subject And Result: We performed a nationwide epidemiological survey of patients with VHL disease using the epidemiology program for incurable disease by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The content of the survey included age of onset of VHL disease, sex, residential area, treatment modalities, kidney function, ECOG performance status, and prognosis.